Live Like You Were Dying
Title: Live Like You Were Dying
Author: kazeko
Show: Power Rangers
Rating: PG 13
Chapters: ?
Series: no, also no relation to "Children of the Gods"
Multipart: yes
Time: About a year after Power Rangers in Space, changing the Power Rangers timeline after that
Couple(s): Tommy/Kimberly, Jason/Kat, Tanya/Adam
Disclaimer: Saban and Disney own Power Rangers and they don't deserve it if they won't release MMPR on DVD!
Disclaimer 2: I own everything else, including characters, other planets, and the plot.
Chapter 17: The Power Rangers
Arissa was shaking as she joined Jesse behind the podium, and her dark-haired husband placed a gentle hand on her arm. "Arissa?" His voice was low, years in the public arena having taught him that silence was the best defense against the ravages of the press.
"I'm fine," she whispered back. "But you're in for quite a shock." With that, she cleared her throat and smiled as all eyes turned toward her. "First, I would like to thank you all for coming here today. I know that it was short notice, but the Power Rangers saved our planet more than once, and we owe them this. So, without any further ado, I introduce the first eleven Power Rangers."
The crowd waited, anxiously shifting their position so they could see into the White House, as a tall figure dressed in familiar white armor stepped onto the stage, the smallest Pink Ranger and her tall replacement on his heels, two each of the Red and Black Rangers, the Blue Ranger, and three Yellow Rangers following. They filled the small stage, the White Ranger taking point. He nodded, his expression hidden by his helmet, and the crowd silenced, some barely daring to breathe. Without any warning, the tall man began.
"Eight years ago, astronauts on the moon uncovered what looked like a big dumpster, and opened it, having no idea what was trapped inside. On that day, Rita Repulsa began her assault of Earth, sending monster after monster for years, desperate to reduce this planet to dust. The same day Rita was released, a force of good here on Earth, an ancient being we knew as Zordon, summoned five unlikely heroes, teenagers from Angel Grove High, to stop Rita and her heinous scheme."
"Teenagers?!" Behind their helmets, the Power Rangers smiled as a very familiar bulk of a man named Farkas Bulkmeier, more commonly known to his friends and enemies as "Bulk", his eternal and eternally thin companion, Eugene "Skull" Skullovitch, at his heels. But they were no longer the punks of their youth, years of society-friendly jobs and their current careers having changed them from the teens that harassed Kimberly at her locker and searched endlessly with the most ridiculous tools for the identity of the famous heroes. "They went to Angel Grove High?" Bulk crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head. "I don't believe it! Skull and I searched forever for their identities, the first teams, anyway, and we never . . . well, I guess that makes a little sense. The Power Rangers from that space station were kids at AGH once."
"Yes, they were. Zordon chose his teams with care, selecting teenagers because they were young enough to still be pure and innocent but old enough to understand the sacrifices being asked of them. As the older Rangers were called away to pursue other dreams, they were replaced by young men and women with equally as much courage and the desire to protect Earth. Some of us changed colors, and some of us served even without the Power, but we are all equally Power Rangers, and we think the people of Earth that depended on us for years finally learn our true identity." The White Ranger stepped back, the others fanning out on either side of him as all raised their hands to the clasps on the sides of their helmets. As the entire crowd waited, cameras and camcorders at the ready, the White Ranger unfastened his helmet and pulled it off.
Years earlier, when he did that for the first time, then-Pink Ranger Kimberly Ann Hart had fainted, overcome by the realization that her boyfriend was a Power Ranger once more. This time, it was Bulk and Skull that swayed, barely able to stay on their feet as the identity of the White Ranger was revealed at last. They had argued over whether or not they should buy plane tickets to D.C. just to see in person what every American with any sense was watching on t.v., and now they were both glad that they had spent the money.
"I'm Tommy Oliver, the Green Ranger who attacked Angel Grove while under Rita's spell, later serving beside the Rangers only to lose my powers. Zordon gave me new powers and I became the White Ranger, later trading this color in to be the Red Zeo Ranger and later the first Red Turbo Ranger. I retired, giving my position to one of the men who went on to become a Space Ranger, the last of the Power Rangers."
Before they teleported to D.C., the ex-Rangers had voted on who should be second, and Kimberly won. She had wanted Billy to go next, since he had served on more teams that she had, but he had refused, taking the third spot. Kimberly, once called the littlest Power Ranger, looked even smaller standing between Tommy and Billy as she removed her pink-and-white helmet. The cameras started flashing when her face was revealed—her sudden disappearance had been well-documented and the press wanted to know what happened to the world-famous gymnast. "I can tell that a lot of you already know who I am. My name is Kimberly Ann Hart, and I was the Pink Ranger until Coach Schmidt asked me to go to Florida and compete for a medal in gymnastics. It was my dream, so I went, but I never stopped being one of the team."
Bulk pulled Skull to the side, his eyes wide. "Little Kimberly? She was off saving the world while we were rotting in detention? I can't . . . Skull, I know who the others are. All of them."
For once, Skull understood exactly what his best friend was saying. "I know, and I think I do believe it. Remember all those inventions we made to detect the Power Rangers? Didn't they always point straight to these guys? When we were following the Power Rangers, didn't they pop up after the battle? And they were never anywhere to be found during. Even that contest so many Halloweens ago when Kimberly fainted during the last round? Bulk, she had to forfeit the prize because she was needed to go save the world. Now all those strange things make sense."
Billy was next, the ex-geek removing his helmet. He was older and definitely wiser than he had been in his Ranger days, the years on Aquitar changing him in ways his friends could only begin to understand. He no longer wore the glasses that had identified him as a nerd years earlier, and no one would dare get on his bad side now. "Billy Cranston," he introduced, smiling. "I was the Blue Ranger for three years, refusing the blue shard of the Zeo crystal and becoming an ally of the Rangers until my duty and my heart called me to Aquitar. I am only glad I could be here for this."
Jason was next, the first Red Ranger, the first leader, grinning as he removed his helmet. "Jason Lee Scott, first Red Ranger, the original leader of the Power Rangers. As many of my friends from Angel Grove know, I was chosen to attend the Peace Conference and had to leave Angel Grove and the Power Rangers to pursue my own dreams, handing my power to the second Red Ranger."
"Rocky DeSantos," the man announced, grinning as he also removed his helmet. "I arrived in Angel Grove and Zordon asked me to take Jason's place on the team when he left. I later became the Blue Zeo Ranger and had to leave the team due to an injury, giving the Turbo Powers to the young man that replaced me." One by one, the others revealed themselves, Bulk and Skull smiling and shaking their heads. They should have known, should have guessed. How could the Power Rangers have been right under their noses for so many years? Why did they never see it?
As Tanya, the last, revealed herself, Tommy stepped forward again. "I know that many of you are wondering why we finally decided to reveal our true identities after hiding for so long. Actually, it's because we were Power Rangers that we find ourselves called away from Earth, to an ally planet that needs our help. I'll let Billy explain it—he knows more about our allies than I do."
Billy stepped forward, helmet under his arm. "Years ago, before Kimberly, Zack, Jason, Trini, and I were chosen as Power Rangers, Zordon made a treaty with a distant coalition of planets called the Adamarei Alliance, protecting us from their enemies, civil wars, and any unrests in their multi-special federation. They knew that Earth was not ready then for an alliance, so they agreed to let humans wait until they were ready to approach them with an invitation to join the Alliance. In return, he would provide them with his best fighters, his Power Rangers, any and all that they needed, should they need a few once-empowered humans to help them. Though we no longer serve the Power, we were then, are now, and will forever be Power Rangers, and we have answered Duchess Baliree's plea that one of our members join Queen Anarii as her princess, since she cannot have a child of her own. Kimberly has agreed to become the Princess of Shamirin Prime, and Tommy will become the Prince." Tanya, Rocky, and Aisha each placed a flat palm on their chest, sending a tiny bit of power to envelop the pair, smiling as Kimberly changed into a beautiful princess, her silky dress colored in pale pinks and trimmed in silver, a tiny silver filigreed circled studded with tiny gems in her soft brown hair. She smiled, glancing at her jewelry as Tommy also changed, his suit white with dark silver patterns on the tunic and a heavier crown on his head, long hair pulled into a simple ponytail.
The rest of the Power Rangers, except Billy, changed into the robes that appeared when Azaemer's power enveloped them, Jason and Kat in elegant gowns the Mages had created for them. Billy then waved his hands, the robes of the Royal Court of Aquitar covering his tall form. He bowed to Tommy and Kimberly, the others following his lead as Baliree appeared on the stage, dressed in the formal robes she had worn for Arissa's dream, robes she almost never touched. She bowed to the princess, waiting for Kimberly to gesture that they could all stand before turning to face the crowd of humans. Baliree, her long red hair curled and controlled by a spectacularly intricate web of gold, thin silk ribbons, and delicate broaches, smiled at the president and her shocked husband.
"Greetings, humans of Earth. The Power Rangers have explained to you the importance of our request, why they must leave. We only asked for Kimberly, but she would not leave without Tommy, and their bonds with the rest of their friends convinced the other Rangers to follow them. They, all of them, are leaving Earth, quite possibly forever, and they wanted their chance to say goodbye to the people they love and must leave behind."
Kimberly stepped forward, taking her place as the princess, smiling. "I'm really going to miss this place, but Power Rangers are meant to help people, it's what we do best. I don't think I could continue to live a simple civilian life after all I've been through; all I've seen and done, and I know that my friends feel the same. After I gave up my powers, I went through the worst depression you could ever imagine, a withdrawal no one can understand. And now I'm ready to go to Shamirin Prime and become the princess Queen Anarii needs. We will leave a transmitter here in case Earth ever decides that it is ready to join our federation, and our agents here will know if you are. We called this Press Conference because we wanted to say good-bye to the people we protected for so long."
"Wait!" A brilliant white light filled the stage, causing the Mages to step back, fading to reveal eight men and women that the ex-Rangers knew very well. TJ Johnson, Justin Stewart, Carlos Valerte, Cassie Chan, Ashley Hammond, Andros, Karone, and Zhane. TJ, the tallest Ranger, crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Tommy. "You weren't going to leave without giving us a mailing address, were you?"
Tommy grinned as he took TJ's hand, all of the ex-Rangers shaking hands and embracing before the two groups separated. "Of course not." Tommy held out a pair of devices that very closely resembled his old communicator, handing one to TJ and one to Andros. "We figured that you guys would come when you heard that the Power Rangers wanted to talk. You guys all did such a wonderful job protecting the Earth, especially in the end, and I know that you will be ready if the need should ever arise."
TJ straightened, taking the communicator as Andros accepted its partner. "We will. And good luck on Shamirin Prime." The second group of Rangers bowed, smiling as Tommy and Kimberly gestured for them to rise. "Oh, and invite us to the wedding."
"We will," Kimberly promised, placing her tiny hand on Baliree's shoulder. "It's time to go," she whispered.
"Good luck," Bulk called, smiling as he and Skull waved at the group. Kimberly laughed and touched her fingers to her lips, blowing a kiss to the pair as the eleven ex-Rangers and the Duchess vanished, gone from Earth forever. Arissa Falcon stared at the half-empty stage, her eyes flying to the second group of ex-Rangers, and she wondered what it would take to make Earth a member of an interstellar alliance.
TJ turned to Andros, Ashley, Karone, Zhane, Cassie, Carlos, and Justin, glancing at the watch in his hands. "I think this calls for a celebration. After all, it's not every day that the first Pink Ranger is declared princess of an entire alliance of planets."
"I concur," Andros smiled, fastening the communicator around his wrist. "Besides, KO-35 has applied for membership in the Adamarei Alliance and was accepted earlier today. Kimberly will be my princess very soon. I think a party is in order."
TBC