THE REASON - Part Fifty-Nine: Fighting Spirit
Summary: Days later, the team finds a solution to freeing Tommy from his evil imprisonment and invisible encasing. Only one problem: after using the dino gem, it has sent him to the hospital. What is going on in his mind?
Disclaimer: Power Rangers not mine, will never be mine. Damn! I tried really I did-----in my dreams. Oh well, had my hopes up too soon.
A/N: Okay, so here is the deal. It is clear to me that I just couldn't end this story on a bad note, well maybe. Still working out the ending as it creeps up. And hit me back, okay. I really need it, especially if I decide to hit a little sequel to this whole thing. And this does tie into "Fighting Spirit", but with my added twist. Just read it. I mean, I hope you've been keep up with my writing, I'd hate to have you get all confused. Until another time, peace and hair grease.
"I hear these voices, and now I know who they are and what they want. I have to fight to survive, and the battle really is my own."-Eclyptyk Neo
Days passed.
Trent was working shifts at the cyber cafe while Hayley and Adam continued to find a way to free Tommy from his invisible imprisonment. The trio decided to stop by and see what progress of the situation was, but they figured it hadn't gotten far. And they were right.
They greeted the two visible people in the room, but looked around for their mentor, unsure where he'd be. Adam pointed to the weight machine across the room as they saw the bar move up and down, only indicating that someone must have been on it.
"What's up guys?" the teacher greeted.
"Ya know, Dr. O, what's the point of building your biceps if no one can see them?" Conner asked, scratching his head with confusion.
"Nah, you know it's for Kim." Ethan laughed. "But I don't assume any of you have been catching the Olympics?"
"Nope. Busy as always." Hayley admitted, running codes along the main console on Tommy's biological make-up.
"Got the call from Rocky saying the US team is doing really well." Adam nodded as he walked over to the teens. "But, as of that, I'm not sure what the story is across the world."
"So, what other news is there?" Kira asked.
"Hayley might have found a way to rid me of this imprisonment for good." Tommy replied, as he walked over to the teens a towel wrapped around his neck.
"Well, that's great." Ethan said with a smile.
"Now, hold on," Hayley protested as she joined the team in the center of the room. "I found a way to re-configure your molecular structure, Tommy, but there isn't a power source strong enough to do that."
"And that's what's got me thinking." Tommy walked over to a table, grabbing a small container and handed it over to Hayley. "We got this."
Hayley opened the box to reveal Tommy's dino gem. Her eyes widened as she shook her head in dismay. "Your dino gem? No way. Forget it!"
"It's the power source we got that's strong enough to meet your theory, Hayley." Tommy replied with a heavy sigh. "And as far as I could tell, I'd rather be out of this imprisonment as soon as possible."
"Uh-uh." Adam shook his head. "After all that gem has done to you, I wouldn't take that risk either."
"Besides, I don't even know how your body will react to it." Hayley protested.
"Look, we're all out of any other options. It's the best thing we could come up with." Tommy said.
"He's got a point. I mean, Kim is gonna be back in a few days." Ethan nodded.
"And it's not like any of us told her what's been going on. She's gonna freak if she finds out she can't see him." Kira said.
Hayley and Adam exchanged another look and sighed.
"Anything is worth a try." Tommy said.
"Yeah, 'try' being the operative word. Didn't you hear what Hayley said? It's also a great risk." Adam said.
"Look, you know just as much as me about what has happened in all our years as rangers, Adam." Tommy looked directly at his former teammate.
"And you also know that anything is possible for a ranger. This could very well be the answers--maybe only answer--to free me from this imprisonment for good."
Adam forced out a breath. He knew his former leader wasn't going to back down when he was feeling confident about something. It became clearer as the days went by to why he was awarded the rank as the 'World's Greatest.'
Minutes passed.
Tommy was now laying on the medical table, as Hayley tossed a blanket over him. Kira and Ethan moved toward the teacher, placing a set of wires on his chest.
"I really don't like this idea." Adam said from where he was sitting at the computer console.
Conner stood beside him, nodding intently. "I'm beginning to agree with you."
"Don't worry, I'll be fine." Tommy protested.
"Well, we hope to see you soon, Dr. O." Kira commented as she forced out a breath.
"Literally, I hope." Ethan said.
The teens moved away and found a place beside Hayley. She worriedly looked at the table that housed her friend, shaking her head. She had already placed the dino gem in place, it was just a matter of figuring out if it'll work.
"Good to go." Tommy said with strong confidence.
Hayley forced out a breath and flipped the switch. The machine whirred to life as the lights on the console came on. The team watched with much anticipation.
Time passed like minutes.
The body on the table began to go into shock as his heartbeat quickened. Tommy groaned in pain as his whole body began to shake involuntarily.
"What's going on?" Kira asked in a panic.
"The dino gem is kicking into overdrive." Hayley concluded. "He's receiving full current."
Tommy groaned again as the system began to spark and smoke.
"Turn it off!" Adam jumped to his feet.
Hayley didn't have to be told twice as she raced over to turn it off. But the machine let out several more sparks and smoke. Adam pulled the container housing the dino gem out of its compartment and tossed it on the table. He exchanged a quick look with the team.
"The gem's destroyed." he breathed.
The turned around and saw a gold light appear over the table, and there laying there was Tommy Oliver. Unconscious, but visible to all of their eyes. The team rushed over, Hayley pushing her way through the teens.
"Tommy? Tommy!" she called out. "Can you hear me?"
No answer.
Adam moved to the other side of the table and checked for a pulse. He looked up holding his breath. "He's stable....for now."
"So, what now?" Conner looked a little worried.
"We'd better get him to a hospital." he concluded.
-----
Reefside Hospital.
The teens stood on one side of the bed. Adam, Hayley and Doctor Walsh were on the other. Each of the team held a heavy heart, unsure what to make out what was before them. They didn't know what to say or really do. There was nothing they could do.
"How is he, doctor?" Kira asked looking from the doctor to the teacher.
"Well, his vitals are fine. But his brainwave patterns are completely erractic." the doctor replied. "We've tired to wake him, but he isn't responding to anything."
"So, is there anything we can do?" Conner asked.
"Just stick by. That's all we can do. But the longer he stays like this, the more at risk he's at."
"Thanks, Dr. Walsh." Kira replied, but held a heavy heart.
"Your friend is gonna get the best care possible." the doctor nodded and left the room.
The teens looked to the black ninja/medical doctor hoping to get more answers.
"Is what Dr. Walsh said true?" Ethan asked.
Adam nodded. "Unfortunately, it is. And it's only gotten worse. Those brainwave patterns are unlike anything I've seen. They're far more worse than when he claimed to be the Machine Empire King."
"What if you use a little ninja magic?" Conner asked.
"It's not that simple." Adam shook his head. "And like I've said before, this is one battle that Tommy must face on his own. If anyone is to interfere, it could leave him with scars that could never be fixed."
Conner looked down at the man laying in the bed. "I know he'll make it through it, but what do you suppose is going on in his mind?"
Adam forced out a breath. "Only he knows. I'm sorry, guys, I haven't been much help or have given you guys straight answers. We're all wanting to know, but only he can decide if he'll tell us the truth."
Then the tv caught the team's eyes. It seems there was a creature destroying the city, and the Power Rangers were nowhere in sight. That was their cue. Hayley encouraged the teens that Adam and her would stay with Tommy and inform them if they found anything.
They left the room, as Hayley looked on to ponder what was going on in the legendary ranger's head.
-----
Tommy's eyes flashed open. He let out a breath in confusion and looked around to find himself in a desert. Or on a sand dune. The sand was of a dark brown-red color that was rather thin-and-grain, but firm and compacted together.
"Hello?" he called out as his voice echoed throughout the area.
"Hello, Tommy." a voice replied darkly from above the ridge.
Tommy turned around to see a figure emerge from a stone entrance. And he saw what had to be a dream, but it wasn't. It was the Red Zeo 5 Ranger. Or himself--nearly eight years ago.
"Remember me?" the red ranger teased as he descended on the dune. "Zeo Ranger 5. And I still got a lot of fight left in me? Question is, do you?"
Tommy shook his head. "What is this? I don't want to fight you."
"Then it'll make this fight that much more easier."
Tommy looked down at his wrist holding his metal cuff. He let out a breath to find out his dino gem was no longer there. And he would be at a great disadvantage without it against his foe.
The Red Ranger was the first one to move. Tommy let out a breath as he caught each arm as his aggressor threw a punch. He had a lock, but the red foe twisted out of it, turned and twisted Tommy's arms in turn making the man wince. The Red Ranger threw a back quick into the man, who stumbled back losing his footing. The Red Ranger quickly reacted to the others flow and raced out to grab the man by his shoulders. Tommy grabbed ahold of his as they fought to throw the other off-balance. But Tommy was on the losing end as he hit the ground with a big splash.
"What?! All washed up already, Tommy?" the Red Ranger teased.
Tommy shook off the water and stood on one knee catching his breath. He watched his red foe, but didn't move as he waited for him.
-----
Meanwhile, in downtown Reefside, the teens were doing battle with the newly modified White Terrorsaurus. But things were going wrong. Trent warded off attacks for some time, but the White Terrorsaurus knocked him off his ATV, causing him to de-morph. Kira and Conner tried to help him, but fell victim to the same fate. Ethan tried using his Hovercraft Cycle, but met his friends soon enough.
Conner raced over to help Ethan to his feet as Kira and Trent joined them in front of their white foe. Conner took the lead to bring them back into their morphed position, but as they called out their morphers, nothing happened.
They each exchanged a confused and frightened look.
Ethan looked down at his morpher, shaking his head. "That thing fried our morphing energy."
The White Terrorsaurus barked out several insults before leaving the area.
The teens exchanged another breath, unable to take in the loss of this battle and their powers.
-----
Tommy's mind.
Tommy continued to do battle with his evil red fow, but had not gotten anywhere with his aggressor. Too many times he was thrown to the ground. The pain ran through his entire body like someone decided to shoot him with BB gun pellets constantly. Without the dino gem he never felt so weak. In all is years, this was the one time he longed to have his powers back, but it couldn't do him any good.
The Red Ranger advanced toward him, but Tommy rolled away and caught the kick before he could hit him in the head. He pushed it to the ground throwing his red foe off-balance. He lunged forward wrapping his arms around the red ranger's waist and using all his weight, threw him to the ground.
The Red Ranger twisted and slithered out of his hold. Tommy pushed himself to his feet and caught another flying kick by the Red Ranger. He tossed him to the ground letting out a painful breath as he tried to stand up a little straighter. ut there was a shooting pain in his leg.
The Red Ranger scrambled to his feet and dropped his hands. "I see you still have a lot of fight left in you. But will it be enough?"
The Red Ranger extended his hand out into the sky and disappeared into a flash.
Tommy stepped forward in a panic. "No, wait!" But his red foe was already gone, leaving him alone. "What are you talking about?"
His eyes flashed shut and when he opened them again, he was no longer in the desert.
The area was in a forest setting. There were trees everywhere. The cold wind made the place feel like an icy paradise.
Tommy looked around catching his breath. "Something tells me we're no longer in Reefside."
"Or Angel Grove." a dark voice replied with an evil laugh.
Tommy turned around to see the White Tiger Ranger jump down from the trees. He came to a halt a few feet in front of him.
"White Ranger? But your powers were destroyed." Tommy protested.
The White Ranger turned to his side and formed a defensive stance. "You could never keep a good ranger down. C'mon, Tommy, let's see what you've been up to in the last few years."
The White Ranger was the first to move of the two of them. Tommy forced out a painful breath, still feeling the pain in his leg had shot up the entire side of his body. It would be a miracle if he got out of this fight alive. He used the ground as a springboard to flip over his white aggressor, as he did a side swipe. The White Ranger turned around quickly and launched a series of punches and kicks at his opponent. Tommy moved to block each shot, but a few came through, finding a place on his body as he winced in pain.
Signs of fatigue was showing as sweat ran down his face. Every time, the White Ranger aimed high, Tommy ducked or blocked the blow. Anytime Tommy tried to go low, the White Ranger knew where he was going to attack. No attack could be registered into his white foe, and he didn't know how much punishment he could take.
Tommy hit the ground in an exhausted heap and barely escaped a swing from the White Ranger's dagger. He knelt down on one knee catching his breath, but the pain in his leg was getting worse, if he really feel his leg anymore. His entire body felt numb or throbbing with utter pain.
"C'mon, I've seen you fight better than this. Get up!" The White Ranger growled as he pulled the man to his feet. "Or are you relying too much on the dino gem to save you, because it won't do you much good in this battle."
Tommy winced as he was raised from the ground and thrown into a nearby tree. The White Ranger pinned him there, looking directly at him.
"You will fail, Black Ranger." Why not just give into the anger? It'll just save you the trouble of fighting for nothing." the white foe teased.
"Forget it." Tommy forced out a breath as he tried to loosen the grip on his collar. "That's the last thing I plan on doing."
The White Ranger threw him to the ground, but Tommy rolled away from a stomping blow by his foe. He slowly got back to his feet, but even he couldn't hold it long. He forced out a breath holding a stance waiting for the next attack.
Time passed slow.
The two waited for the other to make a move. And Tommy was tired of waiting. He was the first one to move this time. He launched himself forward throwing a kick that finally made contact with his White Ranger foe. He let out several punches that threw the White Tiger Ranger off balance and up against a tree. The White Ranger growled and grabbed a hold of Tommy's hands as they came up for another set of punches. He locked them in place and threw Tommy against the tree he was up against previously.
Though, Tommy couldn't see the expression on the other man's face, he knew there was a conflict inside that helmet. Confusion. But mostly anger. And he saw himself more, felt the internal conflict run through him like a broken record and a painful memory. Every battle he had faced when he was put under a spell, or held by rage.
"I know all your old moves, Tommy. You'll never defeat me." the White Ranger laughed evilly.
"Well, there's a few new ones I learned, too." Tommy announced as he twisted out of the lock and launched his feet into the trunk of the tree. He used a nearby tree as another springboard and launched an aerial spin kick into his aggressor.
The White Ranger hit the ground hard with a thud. Tommy felt a new surge of energy engulf him as if he was receiving all of his old powers. Combined into one. He closed his eyes for a moment to realize it wasn't his old powers that were guiding him in this battle, but his inner animal, the falcon. He heard its call echo in his mind, and he knew now that nothing could stop him. When he opened his eyes again, the White Ranger was now on his feet, but stood down. He no longer appeared to be a threat.
"Good. I underestimated you, Tommy. But be ready to face your toughest challenger." the White Ranger instructed with some caution. "You may not get out of it alive."
Tommy watched his white foe with falcon, alert eyes, but when he blinked, the White Tiger Ranger disappeared as if he was only an illusion. He toook a small step forward, catching his breath. "And what? That wasn't hard enough."
He wanted to come crashing down to his knees. He was in pain. A lot of pain, and he wasn't sure if he could go through another battle. This one was tough, and he knew the next one would take a lot out of him, if not more. He just hoped he would be the victor no matter what.
-----
The team was growing even more restless sitting around doing nothing. And they couldn't. The teens were lost without their powers, and the White Terrorsaurus was back and causing even more damage. That was the last thing they needed right now. They all watched the tv with a heavy heart and a great defeat.
Conner was the first to head for the door. "Ya know, you guys can sit here and watch him destroy the city, but I can't."
"Where are you going?" Hayley asked in a panic.
"Look, if Dr. O is fighting his battle, than so are we. We can't let a morphing setback stop us. The town is in danger." Ethan said with confidence that met his friend in red.
'I agree. We may not have our powers, but we gotta do something." Kira stated.
"But you don't stand a chance." Hayley protested.
"Then we're taking a big risk, too. We can't let the town be destroyed." Trent followed after his friends.
The door closed behind him as Hayley turned to the other man in the room. Adam slowly got to his feet, moving toward the door.
"You're going with them?" she said.
"Hey, that's what rangers do. With or without powers. We help people. Keep us informed." he said as he headed out the door.
Hayley let out a breath and moved toward the unconscious man laying in the hospital bed. "Wake up soon, Tommy. The team needs you."
-----
Tommy opened his eyes and looked around. The place felt like ancient Greece meets the jungle. There was temple set in ruins in front of him, as trees lined the area to shield it from any danger. He didn't know how to describe the area without feeling a little strange fiery heat fill the area. Then he heard the infamous fanfare to call out his original zord, the Dragonzord fill the area. He turned around and saw the Dragon Dagger appear out of thin air before him. He picked it up and turned around to see a figure emerge from the woods.
"Thought I'd have to face you again." Tommy sighed.
The Green Dragon Ranger nodded. "It's been a long time, Tommy. It seems you're sticking to basic black now."
Tommy shrugged. "It seems to work for me. But let me guess. You want to fight?"
The Green Dragon Ranger came to a halt a few feet in front of Tommy. "Well, you guessed correctly. And trust me, I don't plan to go down any faster than my fellow ranger counterparts."
Tommy was the first to move against his foe. But every time, Tommy tried to strike, the green foe blocked each shot. He knew where the black ranger was going to attack, and that was putting Tommy at a great disadvantage.
A punch had Tommy's arm wrapped around his aggressor, but the Green Ranger twisted and sent a kick into Tommy's side as he lost ahold of the dagger. The Green Ranger retrieved his primary weapon and went head on to finish off his foe. Tommy rolled away as he barely missed contact with the dagger and side swiped the Green Ranger to throw him off-balance. But it wasn't enough. The Green Ranger sent a kick that registered a hit into Tommy's face as he hit the ground hard.
Time passed.
Tommy had had enough. He couldn't last anymore. The Green Ranger was treating him like a rag doll. Tommy's entire body felt numb. He was srue by now, he must have broken a few bones or waking up with a series of bruises. If this was real at all. But it sure felt like it. He crashed to one knee as he caught his breath.
The Green Ranger ran over to him and threw a kick into Tommy, but he rolled away. The Green Ranger tried to kick him again, but Tommy caught it and tried to use all his weight to throw his aggressor off balance. That didn't work, but had him stumble a little, but not before the Green Ranger sent another kick to tap the side of Tommy's face. Tommy hit the ground again, groaning.
"You know how powerful I am. Why not just give up?" the Green Ranger teased.
Tommy sat up as he forced out a painful breath. "If you would think that, you're crazier than I thought. There's still a lot you need to know about me."
"Why would you want to go through the torment? You're on the losing end."
Tommy shook his head. "No. One only loses if they give up. I haven't given up yet. That's the last thing I'll do."
"How do you know?"
"It isn't the power one needs to prove something. It's the spirit, determination and stamina to reach your goal that matters most."
"Then what's your goal?"
"Is to win. But not by using power." Tommy announced.
"Than what do you hope to get out of this battle? You will lose without it." The Green Ranger chuckled, shaking his head. "Do you want to lose that bad?"
"Power isn't everything. It might get you out of a lot of situations, but even without it a person can still be victorious."
"If you had to make a choice, would you still want the power?"
"Choice over what?"
The Green Ranger approached him again, holding out his dagger as if he was going to strike. "Power over love. The choice is yours. Take the power or get the love."
Tommy caught his breath. He knew exactly what his green foe was talking about. When he first began the Green Ranger, all he wanted was power. All he wanted to do was destroyed. He wanted to make sure he left his mark on the town, and if it had to be in a bad way, he'd do it. But that first day, those first few hours at Angel Grove High, things were different. He felt loved. He got attention, and it wasn't in a bad way, but someone was willing to give up a chance. Look beyond his bad boy/rebel image to see the man beneath it. Only one person stood out in his mind. There was warmth where he was sure would stay cold forever. It was from Kimberly. His one and only real true love. The one, he was sure would become his wife in the next few months---if he got out of this alive. With that evil power came a lot of destruction. And when he was broken of the spell, he felt confused and lost. But only one could really bring him back to reality. To the light. And that was Kim. She meant the world to him. Then and now. If he had to choose....
He shook his head, looking up at the Green Ranger. "It's love. With love you will always have power. Love is the most powerful thing in the world."
"Well, then, I guess this is the end." The Green Ranger raised his dagger up for one final blow.
Tommy let out a breath, but still held his head high for his final breath. If this was the end, he'd go down knowing what was true. He'd die with dignity.
The Green Ranger brought down the dagger, but stopped short and replaced it his holster. He held out a hand. "You passed the test."
Tommy furrowed his eyebrows as he took the hand, getting to his feet. "Test? What are you talking about?"
"You haven't been fighting us." a voice said as Tommy looked to his left. The Red Zeo 5 Ranger emerged from the woods.
"You've been fighting yourself." another voice stated as Tommy turned to his right. The White Tiger Ranger emerged from that part of the woods.
They came to a halt beside the Green Ranger, but none of them no longer felt like a threat to him.
"And you proved that your will to live is far greater than any ranger power." the Green Ranger instructed with a nod. "That if you had to choose--love won over having these powers."
The three rangers extended out their hand and opened it up to reveal a part of Tommy's dino gem.
"This is yours. You earned your right to have it back." the Green Ranger stated.
"No more troubles." the White Tiger Ranger nodded.
Tommy slowly took each part of the gem into his own hand and took a step back as the three rangers moved their hands away. They each nodded at him, commending him.
"Good luck, Black Ranger." they said in unison. "May the Powers Always Protect You."
Tommy acknowledge their remark and looked down at the pieces of the gem in his hand. He closed his hand as his eyes fell shut. The echoing call of his past teases with evil were demolished as the falcon called him back into the light of reality.
-----
When Tommy finally stirred, he heard the steady beeping in his ears. He felt the comfort of the bed underneath him and the presence of someone looming over him. He opened his eyes slowly and looked about the room, letting out a breath.
"Tommy." Hayley smiled, greeting her friend with a sigh of relief. "You're okay."
"Yeah." he nodded. "I never felt better." He looked down at his left hand and found his dino gem there fully intacted with no strange feelings to come along with it. Just the way it should be.
He could feel the new power inside him as it raced through his veins and he knew all the evil thoughts were now just a memory.
-----
Rock quarry.
The team laid there on the ground in pain. The White Terrorsaurus had proven them a challenge and more with their powers now in his control. Even with some added help from their black ninja friend/mentor, they stood no chance against that guy. This had to be the end. And they just could not believe it. All were too weak. Too stiff to move. They were all groaning in pain.
Then from out of nowhere, a figure entered the air and threw a flying kick at the White Terrorsaurus. It sent him flying as the figure turned to the weakened people across the way.
It was Tommy dressed from head to toe in a black attire. They were glad to have him back, and when the White Terrorsaurus emerged from the cloudy debris, it was his cue to get into action. He pulled out his trustee brachio key and morphed into the Black Dino Thunder Ranger.
It was a wonder to see the man in a new light of power as he proved to be everything and more against the white foe, even if he had all of the teens' dino gem powers. Each of them watched with astonishment as Tommy meant business about taking that white aggressor out. He didn't stop for nothing as he launched himself into Super Dino Mode, a first for the skilled ranger. And with that done, the White Terrorsaurus truly had no right to last any longer. Within minutes, he was only a memory and the dino gems' powers were all recovered.
-----
Underground lab.
After an incredible battle of bringing forth the real power behind the dino gems, the teens could not believe to have their teacher/teammate/mentor finally back to normal. It was official. There would be no more weird calls. No more strange outings. No more evil within the team to break them apart.
And as Tommy explained his story and battle for his life, the teens couldn't help but comment on that all at once either.
"Guys! Guys!" Tommy held up his hands to stop them from saying anything else. "Ya know, it was hard. It was real hard. But I want to thank you guys from the bottom of my heart for sticking by me all these months. It really means a lot to me."
"You guys should be proud. No one else could have been so support, but you." Hayley nodded.
"No doubt, Dr. O. We're just glad it's all over." Ethan nodded.
"Yeah. I mean, this has been a good long crazy few months." Kira said with a gentle smile.
"So, how does it feel to be back in black with no more problems?" Adam patted his friend on the shoulder.
"I'm just glad it's over." Tommy nodded with a sigh of relief.
The teens couldn't help but smile bright. They were doing a whole lot for the team. But they never could have gotten this far without all the help and advice they were getting now. They never felt so relieved or blessed with a job as this and a legacy that will continue to grow.
Conner couldn't help but show some physcial evidence of it, but letting out a sniffle.
The other teens looked at him with confusion.
"Are you crying?" Ethan asked.
Conner looked at him, shocked and in denial. But the tears were falling. "No. Of course not."
The adults couldn't help but laugh as they joined the teens in the relief that this madness was finally over.
To be continued....
A/N: Hey, like I said, I couldn't end it on a bad note. Not yet, anyways, I haven't decided. Either way, I hope you're liking it so far. I have been in the worse writer's block since school began. Oh well, I try. I'll see ya when I do. Keep doing what you're doing.