Disclaimer: 'Power Rangers' is copyright of Disney. No infringement intended.
RESTLESS WARRIORS
By Etcetera Kit
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Deep Waters
Chunks of earth and rock began to fall from the ceiling of the room. Streams of dirt almost looked like tiny waterfalls. The earth beneath their feet began to tremble. Maya felt herself fall to the ground as a particular large rumble caught her off balance. The room was collapsing. She could feel the power moving and causing the destruction. The temple was slowly being destroyed and it would destroy them if they stood there.
Her heart was pounding in her chest. Someone grabbed her arms and hauled her back to her feet. She took in a deep breath and looked up at Eric. He was frowning and there was panic hidden behind his dark eyes.
"Come on!" Taylor called.
The Wild Force Ranger was already on the back of the sphinx and the creature was carrying her out the side room and towards the stairs. Eric was still supporting Maya as the phoenix came and landed on her shoulder.
"Phoenixes can carry large burdens," she muttered to herself.
"Maya, this isn't the time for myth lessons," Eric retorted, tugging on her arm.
"No!" she cried. "The animals!"
He gave her an exasperated look before picking her up around the waist and dragging her through the small side room and to the stairs behind the others. The Pegasus and unicorn were galloping behind the trail of people. They needed to use the animals. The animals could get them out of this and help them.
The phoenix was flying just around her head as they reached the stairs. The unicorn was the last of the previous group going up and, just as his hoof left the uppermost step, the entire staircase collapsed like water.
Eric swore.
"We need to use the phoenix," she said loudly over the roar of crumbling stone.
"That tiny bird cannot carry both of us!" he countered hotly.
Maya glared at him. The phoenix swooped low enough so that she could grab onto his tail feathers. This time, she grabbed Eric's arm and the phoenix took off with both of them in tow. She had remembered correctly. The phoenix could carry large amounts of weight. They lifted up to the balcony and the bird continued to carry them down the tunnel.
The wind whipped in her eyes combined with dust. She was afraid to close her eyes though as dirt began to put out the torches and some of the torches were shaken to the floor. Eric was swearing obscenely, but she tuned him out. In the distance, she could make out the outline of the unicorn.
She twisted her head to look back and saw that the tunnel behind them was collapsing almost as soon as they cleared a section.
"Hurry!" she urged the phoenix.
The shaft of moonlight could be seen in the distance, if they could make it before the tunnel fell in on them. The phoenix suddenly dropped them at the ladder and flew up the hatch. Maya pushed at Eric and he scrambled up the ladder.
"Come on!" he yelled.
She pushed herself up the ladder, but her footing wasn't solid and she slipped. Eric growled something and grabbed her upper arms, hauling her out of the tunnel. He rolled away from the hatch with her held close.
Maya could feel that the ground they were on was not stable either. The entire ruin of the temple was collapsing as well. She scrambled to her feet and the two of them bolted away from the impending disaster. The ruins seemed to sink in on themselves, leaving more of a mess than was already there.
"I think we've cleared it," Eric said, drawing in deep breaths.
Maya looked around. "Where are the others?"
The Quantum Ranger shook his head. "Campsite," he said between gasps.
They walked towards the camp site slowly. Maya looked up at the sky. She had lost track of time once they entered the underground temple. It seemed like it had been so long ago… The sky was now turning gray with a hint of the sunrise at the horizon. One whole night… It had taken them a whole night to stop the disaster. What time had the other yellow rangers finally arrived? It must have been late. She didn't know.
All she knew was that with the sunrise would come the new beginning that needed to rise from the ashes of their old existence. There were things to be done, things that needed to be taken care of… but right now, she wanted to savor the peaceful morning that was so far removed from the horrors of the night that it was almost surreal.
The others had made it to the campsite, she observed, as they walked upon the place that had been their home for over three weeks. Well, she, Kelsey, Taylor, Kira and Dustin's home for over three weeks. The creatures were close to their respective counterparts. No one was talking or moving. And she saw why.
The griffin had moved Dustin's body to their campsite and was guarding it with his huge, fearsome body. That animal had represented something inside Dustin… he had his problems and his shortcomings like the rest of them, but he had been the one who made the ultimate sacrifice for his friends and the Earth. Tears stung her eyes.
She was vaguely aware of the phoenix landing on her shoulder again. No words were needed as she knelt on the wet grass next to Dustin's still body. Taylor moved and sank to the grass beside one of his hands. Kira and Kelsey also joined them, their creatures just hovering over their shoulders. No one else moved closer to them. All stayed back at a respectful distance, even Tori, who had probably been the closest to him in life, remained back, crying silently.
They understood. This was for the four of them to say goodbye, before phone calls were made and the chaos started once again.
"He was the caretaker," Taylor said softly. Her blue eyes were full of pain and sadness. "Did we ever let him take care of us?"
Maya didn't reply. No… they had not let him be the caretaker. No one wanted or needed to be taken care of or… he was supposed to take care of himself first. What if…
"Not in the traditional way," Kira offered. Her hazel eyes were alight with emotion as she wiped away at a few stray tears that were coursing down her face. "He was… Dustin. He let us know what we needed to do through our interactions with him. He quietly showed us the way."
"None of this would have happened-" Taylor started.
"No," Kelsey cut her off. "Trini told me that Dustin doesn't blame us for what happened to him." The Lightspeed Ranger looked sad, but as if she had come to grips with the harsh reality of what had happened.
All of them gave Kelsey a wide-eyed stare. "Trini?" Kira croaked.
Kelsey nodded. "She said he has taken his place on the Council of Light."
"But… the phoenix…" Kira said. "The phoenix healed his body, couldn't it…"
That fragile hope flared in all their eyes. Maya couldn't remember enough of her lessons on phoenixes to know whether or not a phoenix could bring someone back from the dead. She hadn't thought so, but…
The crimson bird hopped from her shoulder to her hand, shaking his head.
"You really can't bring him back?" Maya asked softly.
"There is nothing left to sing the spirit back to the body," the sphinx said sadly. "Vypra slowly severed those links so that all strength to hang on fled."
"He can't be gone," Kira said, tears falling down her cheeks.
"If we could save him, we would," the sphinx replied. "But no spell can reawaken the dead."
"Vypra and Jareth got their way," Taylor spat bitterly.
"No!" Maya cried. "We can't think that." She paused, shaking her head. "None of us wanted to fight this war. But we did. Vypra and Jareth are gone." She took in a deep breath. "Dustin knows that. Allowing ourselves to think they won would just be disrespectful to his memory."
She reached out and placed a hand on Dustin's still, cold cheek. For a moment, she could fool herself and pretend that he was only sleeping, but the lack of warmth and the all-too still body could not be denied.
"Goodbye, my friend," she whispered. "We will always miss you."
No one else spoke. It didn't matter that nothing else was said—it was enough. None of them were dry-eyed and those tears spoke volumes of what they couldn't express. She turned and glanced to the other Yellow Rangers. One of their own was gone… It affected them, not as much as the people who had known him, but enough.
"We have to make a promise," Maya said. "To tell the story. Ours. Dustin's." She paused and glanced at Tori. "And he lives on."
Tori smiled sadly. "I'll call Sensei," she whispered.
Maya nodded. Tori went into the tent and came out with her cell phone. She could be heard talking to someone, but in tones too soft for them to hear. As soon as the other ninjas arrived, Dustin would be taken care of. They were fiercely protective of their own and would want to be the first ones informed. Then there was his family… would they even want to know that their son and brother was gone?
"Godspeed," Taylor whispered to Dustin.
"He's coming," Tori said, wiping at her eyes. "He and Cam will be here soon."
The Samurai and the Master… she wondered if the Air teacher would be coming with them. Probably. If she was to assume things correctly, Shane, Tori and Dustin had been best friends in life. He would want to be here now.
They would get through this somehow.
She watched as Eric gently helped Taylor back to her feet and the two of them moved away. Conner took Kelsey and Kira towards the picnic table. The others were still and silent as they had been since she got back to the campsite.
It was going to be a long day.
Kira let Conner help her up and lead her towards the picnic table. He had her on one arm and Kelsey on the other, ever the chivalrous gentleman. Everything felt so hollow now. Their mission was over and it was back to the real world. The real world was not a happy place anymore. She might have a renewed sense of purpose, but… Dustin was gone and in his wake, so much had happened. What would they tell his family? What would become of Tori?
"You did well, Rangers."
She turned as did all of them to see Zordon, Boric and Lucivar materializing into their campsite. Boric and Lucivar looked more substantial than Zordon, but Kira supposed that was because fairies and demons could cross into the mortal realm with little trouble.
"I thought we had to call you," Kelsey asked weakly.
Zordon shook his head. "My power was enough to purge the universe of evil power… once. Now, I find that there are many things I can do that normal spirits cannot."
"Like restore our powers," Conner commented.
"Among other things."
Boric stepped forward. "On behalf of Fairyland, I give my thanks. Our Master of the Guard has been returned to us. For that, we owe you nothing but thanks. We are in your debt. Just call upon us, if you need us, and we will be there." He gave them a regal bow, straightening. He had struck Kira as rather flippant during their first encounter, but after having dealt with Arval and Owling, her opinion of fairies had changed. They were valiant warriors and intellects underneath their love of glamour and fun.
What Boric had said spoke nothing of what Owling had done under Jareth's spell. Kira supposed that there was nothing to be done for it. He hadn't known what he was doing and it would be unfair to punish him for things that he would not normally have done. She just hoped that he didn't start to remember what he did then—the results might not be the best.
"I hadn't thought much of you originally," Lucivar said. "But the five Yellow Rangers—Eternal Sunshine—have proven themselves worthy." He bowed to them. Even when he was cornering Jareth, he always managed to look regal and dignified, exuding the dark power that ran throughout his being. None of his clothing looked out of place, even considering that he had escaped the temple shortly before them. His red cape was in place. "And do not worry about Jareth," he said. "I have him and he will shortly be dealt with."
Zordon smiled. He looked the same as he had on their last meetings—bald head with a simple black kimono. "We all owe you our thanks. It appears that the ancient ninjas were not wrong in their choice of who was to take on this mission." He bowed to them, as Boric and Lucivar had.
"But, Dustin…" Kira said, trailing off.
"Do not worry about him. He has taken his place on the Council of Light." Zordon paused and looked thoughtful. "We shall all talk again soon."
"When?" Maya asked, looking up from where she still knelt beside Dustin's body.
Zordon gave her a warm smile. "You will know when the time is right." He paused. "You have always been the Wolf. Now is no time to distrust your instincts, when you have followed them your entire life." He stopped for a moment. "Your instincts have made most of your recent history happen."
Maya nodded and looked back to Dustin.
The ancient being looked at Kira, Taylor and Kelsey. "Do the three of you now understand what Trini was trying to tell you when you first summoned her?"
Taylor nodded and glanced back to Eric. "I think I understand it now," she whispered.
"I didn't realize the guilt thing was supposed to apply now and not to anything before this," Kelsey commented, a sad smile on her face.
Kira looked at Conner. He had not been part of the deal, but she got him anyways. And, unlike Trent, he would not insist she stay in Reefside. In fact, he would probably have a few pointed things to say if she did decide to remain.
"I need to live my dreams," she said softly.
Zordon nodded. "Right on all accounts."
"There's still one thing I don't understand," Eric spoke up.
"What is that?" Zordon asked.
Eric gave a pointed look to the sphinx that was behind Taylor. "How did all of these mythical creatures end up here?"
Zordon smiled again. "They are the ancient animal spirits that have dwelt with each one of the five. They existed once, a long time ago. Now, they had chosen to protect humans with their spirits and power. Sometimes, when the need is great, they manifest in their original form and provide support in the physical world."
Eric nodded, still staring at the sphinx.
"The humans do not choose their animal spirits. The animal spirits choose them," Zordon reminded him.
"Like the Dino-Gems," Conner muttered.
The Quantum Ranger looked like he very much would have liked to growl 'what?', but Zordon beat him to it.
"Not all power sources choose their owners," he said, his voice serene. "Some of them did and others were man-made, meaning a human had to choose who would bear the power source." He paused. "Kelsey, Eric… you are some of the ones who have experience with that being the case."
"Yeah, Eric stole his," Taylor muttered, wiping her nose on her sleeve.
Eric glared at her, obviously not in the mood for that discussion.
"We have given you our thanks," Zordon continued. "We will speak again when the time is right. The other Yellow Rangers will speak to you then."
"Dustin?" Kelsey asked.
Zordon didn't reply. He just raised his hand in a final salute as he, Boric and Lucivar faded into the early morning light. Faint blue sparkles were left in their wake. Kira strained to see them, but the sun was rising and burning off the early morning mist. Golden light streamed the campsite, erasing all traces of the three leaders of the spirit realm.
Warm, horse breath blew onto her face. She turned and patted the unicorn on the nose. He snorted and nuzzled against her neck. How many times in childhood had she wished for a horse? Now she had a huge white horse with a lethal horn protruding from his forehead. From a distance, he just looked merely beautiful. In battle, he looked fierce. No one wanted to mess with a creature that could impale the largest human being on his horn.
The sphinx pushed herself to her feet and stretched. She then gazed at the rising sun. "The yellow sun rises," she said. "We must depart."
"Now?" Kelsey asked.
Kira was inclined to agree. She'd like to have the unicorn around for a while, if for nothing more than a comforting body that couldn't offer bogus advice.
"Do you want to imagine the chaos if we were discovered?" the sphinx asked.
She was right. It would be chaos. They would turn five beautiful creatures into some kind of freak show—and none of them deserved that.
"This is our farewell," the sphinx continued.
Kira turned and threw her arms around the neck of the unicorn. He snorted and blew his warm breath into her hair. She buried her face in his mane, tears stinging her eyes once more. They had lost Dustin and now their ancient animals… Sobs began to shake her body as the implications of the loss dawned on her.
"I'll miss you," she whispered to the unicorn.
He snorted and stepped back from her. The five creatures—unicorn, Pegasus, griffin, sphinx and phoenix—stood framed by the sunset before they faded into the glowing golden light. There's no word yet for old friends who just met… She had literally just met the unicorn and there was something about him that made her feel like she had known him her entire life. He was now gone.
She felt Conner come up behind her and lay a hand on her shoulder.
Suddenly, a green streak landed into the middle of their campsite. The moment it stopped moving, it proved to be Cam Wantanabe. Three other streaks—red, crimson and white—landed beside him as well. Hunter Bradley, Shane Clarke and Sensei Kanoi Wantanabe, who had a large piece of white linen over his arm, appeared next to the former Green Samurai Ranger.
"Where is he?" Sensei Wantanabe asked. His face showed no signs of panic or fear, but sadness was evident in his ancient eyes.
Kira pointed towards Maya. The Galaxy Ranger stood up, a sad smile on her face. They all knew that the ninjas would take care of Dustin. Kanoi gave her a sad smile in return and gently embraced her. Maya accepted the embrace. Once he released Maya, he knelt down next to Dustin. His hands gently rested on his forehead for a moment.
"It's true?" Shane gasped.
Kanoi gently unfolded the linen and laid it on the ground next to Dustin. Hunter and Cam moved to help move Dustin's body onto it. Both of them looked sad, but seemed to be restraining their emotions for the time being. Shane stood still, looking horrified. Tori came up to him and the two old friends took comfort in one another's presence.
The ninjas folded the linen around Dustin.
"Where are you taking him?" Maya asked.
"To the Wind Ninja Academy," Kanoi replied. "We will contact his parents and take care of all the necessary arrangements." He paused. "Dustin will be given a proper ninja funeral."
"Thank you," Maya whispered.
Kanoi looked out to all of them, his expression twined with sorrow and compassion for them. "All of you are invited back to the Wind Ninja Academy," he said. He then gave Maya a pointed expression. "Especially you," he added. "You will all need to rest before returning to your normal lives."
Maya nodded. Kira watched as Hunter and Cam picked up Dustin's body. The ninjas then streaked away—all of them, including Shane and Tori.
"We'll pack up the camp," Ashley offered, indicating the other yellows.
Kira nodded. It was just as well that the four of them got to the academy soon.To Be Continued...
