Disclaimer: I own nothing except Ink and Alice who I created myself.
Author Notes: A mention of Lightspeed Rescue but that's it. I realize that by calling one of my characters Alice when Eric's neighbour is also called Alice will be confusing but bear with me. Shout-outs at the end. Enjoy!!
ACCEPTANCE
The wind was blowing hard when Eric got back to his small house a few days later. He'd been working for the past few nights on some Silver Guardian business at the base and he was still finding it hard to get around by himself thanks to the injuries given to him by the other Rangers. He'd refused any medical help from his Guardian comrades, except for cleaning the cuts and accepting some medication to be used if necessary but he was used to going without pain pills. Grudgingly following the Rangers' advice, he hadn't morphed since the battle. He didn't know why he wasn't morphing either. It was just a feeling inside of him, one that was so clear and strong that it surprised him with its intensity. This though, after hearing Wes's impassioned plea and hearing that woman's voice in his head, seemed and felt right. It had all unnerved him and he knew that Mr Collins was concerned over his Silver Guardian Commander's changed behaviour and was possibly even seeking out a replacement.
"I'm not about to let that happen," muttered Eric under his breath, an arm wrapped around his ribs as he made his way out into the garden to feed his birds.
It was pretty quiet outside. Even Alice, his talkative little neighbour who slipped over to visit him and his birds so often, wasn't around. Eric found to his surprise that he missed her and her childish giggling conversations with him.
Then he felt something flicker inside of him. She was nearby. He didn't know how he knew but the thought was clear in his mind. He could practically sense her.
"A fine morning."
The voice sounded from behind him. With an annoyed expression on his face, Eric turned to find the purple woman sat on a large wooden spool. She smiled at him, her hands folded in her lap. Her blonde assistant stood behind her, arms crossed and glaring in a hostile manner at Eric. He glared back.
"What do you want?" he asked.
"I'm glad to see that you have taken the Rangers advice and prevented yourself from Morphing Eric," the purple one spoke up, ignoring his question. "It has done me good so thank you."
She nodded at him. Eric had no idea what to say to her so he settled for standing as near to her as he dared (under Alice's murderous glare) and staring silently at her.
"Forgive me for not introducing myself, I am Ink and this is Alice," Ink indicated her girl behind her. "I am the Quantum Keeper, your spiritual guardian."
"My guardian? What exactly does that mean?" Eric retorted, sounding very unimpressed and as though he was playing along with a child's fantasy.
"It means that she's here for your benefit," snapped Alice testily.
"It means I was created to help the person who became the Quantum Ranger," said Ink quickly. "I am here to explain my presence. You awakened me when you put on the Morpher and you may have guessed that recently you have been draining some of my power."
"Yeah my Morpher's been turning purple." confirmed Eric, lifting his wrist briefly to show her the purple-tinged Morpher. "What does your power coming into me do?"
"If you do not change soon Eric then all my power will be gone and you will be gone soon after," said Ink bluntly.
"I've heard this before from the others and I'm not gonna hear it from you too Ink," Eric said her name with distaste. "I'm not going to believe any of your stories."
"Then why did you stop morphing when the Red Ranger persuaded you not to?" smirked Alice.
Eric slowly raised his gaze to Alice who smiled challengingly back.
"You feel me inside you don't you Eric?" asked Ink gently. "You can tell when I am near you and hear me talk to you inside your head."
Don't deny it. I can feel your heart beat as you can hear mine.
Eric jerked his gaze to Ink as the words boomed in his head. She looked at him patiently, waiting.
"Alright so I'm aware of where you are. It doesn't mean anything......"
"Yes it does! Eric, you can deny for as long as you like that you are not part of a team but eventually your attitude will tear you apart inside, destroy me and stop the other Rangers from fulfilling their mission which they traveled over 1000 years to complete." cried Ink, getting to her feet. "I can see inside of you and I know what lies in your heart."
"You don't know the first thing about me."
"Oh don't I? Your past is an open book to me Eric; I see your struggles and I feel your pain at having to claw through every day of your life to be taken seriously for the worth you have inside of you and not cast aside because of your lack of money," Ink said her voice strong and serious. "I know that every day you have tried and tried not make friends with the other Rangers in case they turn on you as everyone else has, even though they are the closest thing you have to people caring about your well-being. Make no mistake Eric, I know plenty about you."
Eric stared at her wordlessly. No one knew that much about him, not even Wes who had gone to prep school with him. She was right. He could sense, almost feel, her heart beating as easily as he could hear his own. He could sense her very presence and what she was feeling inside. They truly were connected and it was the weirdest feeling he'd ever experienced. He wanted it explained. Slowly he drew closer and unfolded a lawn chair to sit before her.
"Alright I'm listening."
Ink blew out a sigh of relief and smiled back at Alice as she sat down again. Alice nodded once, a smile actually characterising her face and allowing Eric to finally see the resemblance between the two sisters. It almost caused him to smile too. Almost.
"You and I are intertwined Eric. We can feel each other because as you have been morphing and fighting as the Quantum Ranger, the bond between us has been becoming stronger," Ink explained. "That bond was formed as soon as you put on the Morpher. I am your guardian, called to advise you in anyway I can to help the Rangers attain victory."
As Eric began to speak, Ink waved for him to be quiet.
"I know you work alone and the last thing you want is someone constantly by your side but I will be felt. I will stand by your battles in case you need me and in your personal life also, my presence will be felt. You will be aware of where I am and be able to communicate with me wherever you are unless you purposefully wrench yourself away from your team as you have done in the past. Even when you cannot see me, I will be watching you and contacting you here," Ink tapped a delicate finger to her temple.
"Ok so we're connected and you can help me," Eric shrugged. "What about the danger and the things that'll happen to me when I morph?"
"Your powers are special Eric. They were forged out of two elements - technology and spirit to create one great power. Only one Ranger before you managed to use such powers and he was the Titanium Ranger from the Lightspeed Rescue Rangers," Ink said quietly. "Unfortunately the attitude you possess; one of team-work rejection and refusing to merge power with the other Rangers, has warped your powers further, allowing more power to surge into them. They are draining me through our connection and if they continue to warp they will eventually destroy you."
"Kill me? I thought these powers were created for good?"
"They were and still are. The problem is that the two elements were never meant to be melded into one and harnessed by one single Ranger. They battle each other and are almost uncontrollable. It takes someone special to use them effectively as the Titanium Ranger aptly demonstrated during his Ranger tenure," Ink sighed. "The Ranger powers are made to be used in a team formation, not by a singular individual and the more you isolate yourself from the Ranger group your powers are meant to be part of, the more they will eat at you inside."
Eric looked at her unconvinced. He had enough trouble wrapping his head around the knowledge that most of the Time Force Ranger team were from 1000 years in the future. All this new startling information was beginning to make his head spin and his wounds suddenly felt very sore.
He didn't want or need this complication in his life. This purple witch had arrived in his life as suddenly and unexpectedly as the Quantum Powers had done and a connection was forming so strongly between them that he could hear her in his head and hear her heartbeat. He could feel her now listening to him and waiting. He wanted to send her away, blast her with his Quantum Defender but he knew he couldn't. Alice would most certainly kill him in the most painful way possible and he got the feeling that hurting her would hurt him as well. It was the most frustrating situation to find himself in.
He was stuck with someone in his life when he wanted no one.
"I can see things before they happen Eric, see the paths before us and I know for certain that you are going to slowly deplete unless you change. I do not mean become an entirely different person - I mean learn how to compromise and accept the others' help," Ink explained. "Please just take my words into consideration. The last thing in the world I want to see is you get hurt."
Startled by the look of pure compassion and care in Ink's eyes, Eric averted his gaze from her. He could feel the motherly affection she had for him glow from within her and it was deeply unsettling for him to know exactly what the person who was staring at him was feeling as she looked at him. People didn't usually feel those sorts of things when they looked at him. He couldn't remember the last time someone had felt that way about him. It was oddly and frustratingly desirable.
"We are locked together Eric," Ink said simply. "I do not ask for you to accept me or even treat me as your friend. Just to allow me into a small corner of your life so I can help you control the rest of it."
Eric looked at her, slowly becoming acclimatised to feeling exactly what she felt as though he was feeling it too. It was a strange comfortable feeling, almost as though someone had put the final organ inside of him so that he could work properly. His wounds were healing quicker now that he and Ink were linked together and there did seem to be some intriguing side effects to their bond. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. He'd just have to put up with her presence in his life if she helped him get better control over his powers.
"Will this be like this forever?" he asked, almost complaining.
"It will only be this strong when we are in such close quarters," replied Ink. "When we are not in visual distance then it will be weaker but we will still be able to feel the other and communicate through our mind link. The understanding of each others' feelings will fade with the more distance between us. If one is in danger then the other will feel it but anything else will be entirely up to you."
He looked questioningly at his guardian.
"If you continue the way you are, the connection will get stronger as you drain me and you will feel me inside you more and more," Ink explained carefully. "It will not be a pleasant experience for either of us. I need you to trust me. I know it will take time and a great deal of effort but I am willing to do whatever it takes to make sure that everything works out as it should."
Eric nodded once. He could accept and understand that sense of duty. He glanced at Alice.
"What's her role in all this?" he asked, gesturing to the silent blonde and enjoying the outraged expression form on her face as a result of his derogative retort.
"Alice my sister, my loyal protector," replied Ink affectionately. "She is with me wherever I go, created to protect me from any harm that could befall me."
"So she's your bodyguard," surmised Eric thoughtfully. "She any good at it?"
Something silver flashed through the air and buried itself between where Eric's feet were. Eric jerked violently and stared down at the heavy glint of silver. It was a compact throwing star. Alice smirked at him.
"I manage just fine," she replied.
"How do you do that anyway? Make weapons appear?" Eric asked.
Alice cocked an eyebrow and looked down at the throwing star. With a soft glow of silver light, it melted away leaving nothing behind.
"I have the full arsenal of Ranger weaponry at my service, all the weapons ever created for use for the power of good. They are merely made available to me," answered Alice. "They prove most useful to deal with troublesome characters."
"Like me you mean?" challenged Eric.
"If I had my way you would have been dead after I first met you," replied Alice in a dangerous low voice. "But you have a bigger part to play in the other Rangers' plans and I will not spoil the future on a petty vengeance whim."
Eric grinned. Celestial being or not, Alice was more fun to needle than Jen. Ink, who was now privy to his innermost thoughts, raised an eyebrow at him.
Please don't fight, she will beat you.
Eric, to his surprise, found he could answer back.
Not much faith in your charge huh?
You are injured already; a second fight would not be beneficial right now. When this is all over, you both can have your honor battle.
"I do not see why we cannot fight here and now sister," said Alice slyly, completely understanding the silent way the pair communicated. "I would not hurt him too much, not more than he could handle."
"Alice, I forbid it," admonished Ink though smiling as she spoke.
She turned back to Eric who was watching the sisterly exchange with some amusement.
"Would I be pushing my luck if I asked to see your house?" she asked quietly.
Eric was surprised at her question and glanced back at his house. No one, not even any of the Silver Guardians or Rangers, had seen what his house was like inside. He was a little embarrassed at the small size and cheap nature of it as it was all he could afford and was a suitable distance from the city centre for him to be able to have the isolation he craved so much. When he looked at Ink, all he saw was interest in her eyes.
"It's not much," he warned.
"I have slept for over a 1000 years in a cave," Ink admitted with a laugh. "I am not one to judge."
Eric thought for a minute before getting to his feet and waiting for Ink to do the same.
"I would offer you a drink but do you...." he was unsure how to finish the question.
"Yes Eric, we enjoy eating and drinking as much as mortals do," Alice replied as she followed the pair. "We pretty much behave as all mortals do when in our human forms."
"Your human forms? Wait, what are your inhuman forms like?"
"They are not to be used on a sensitive planet such as Earth," filled in Ink. "Here we choose to wear your colony's skin so as not to alarm anyone or to be arrested as mutants."
Eric grinned at her reference to their first meeting.
"Maybe I don't wanna see your inhuman forms then," he decided.
As they made their way into the house. Ink smiled suddenly. The pain inside of her was receding. Only a little bit it was true but it was an improvement. Eric had chosen the path which might ensure the future teams of Rangers were able to exist to continue the legacy and that the current Rangers would be able to complete their vital mission. The small steps Eric made would make a lifetime of difference to everyone around him. It was only a crack of light penetrating the vast darkness before them but it was something. Something to help them in the battle ahead which only she, a mage of time and magic, knew of sufficiently.
AUTHOR SHOUT OUTS
White Time Ranger: Thanks for once again reviewing, I know I can count on you! I'm glad you liked the voice in Eric's head – I thought it was a good way to explore the connection he and Ink have. Thanks again for your wonderful support.
Cmar: I am trying to mirror the TF series but it can be very hard!! I'm glad it's believable, writing Eric and Wes arguing is probably the easiest bit of this story. Thanks for your great compliments on my work. Its tough to get it just right but if you think I've succeeded then I'm thrilled!
TF Princess: The reason I kept Eric in Morph is because, from watching the show, he always remained in Morph when fighting with the Rangers. He never Powered Down at all. I think it was his way of asserting how powerful the Quantum Powers were. I'm glad Eric's reasoning was good and I guess I write conflict very well! Hope u liked this chapter.