DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Power Rangers. I do, however, own the characters of Mor, Adona, Zuna, Ronkay, and Toln.
Day 5
"He will show, Mama, I know he will. He won't let me down," Aisha said as she saw a flash of light streak overhead in the pale morning light and she stood on her tiptoes to try to see where it landed, remembering what that meant when she had lived in Angel Grove. Everything had become so much clearer overnight and she knew that she had to help fight if he was going to even have a chance to help her out of this situation. She did not want to be doing this, but her choices were limited. Either she went along with the marriage or she was killed, so she went along with the marriage hoping that Ronkay would not do anything radical when Rocky arrived. "That's him, I know it is. Why should I even act as if I will go through with this marriage when I'm not going to in the end?"
"Aisha, dear, you must do what is best for all of us and your participation in this marriage ceremony will make it look like you did not know of his coming. We have to do as much as we can to make it seem like you are in the dark," Zuna said, as Aisha began to cry, knowing what this was likely to do to her emotional well being. She didn't like pretending that she was in love with someone else, but that was what she was being asked to do in order to try to keep her safe. "I do not want any more harm done to you than what has already been done by Ronkay. They will all think I knew and I alone. That is how it needs to be, you do not need anymore blame placed on your shoulders."
"I don't love that man, why even act like it? What if it makes Rocky turn away and leave? What will I do then? I can't just marry him when I don't feel it's the right thing to do," Aisha said as her mother held out a wedding dress and she started shaking her head no. "I'm not putting it on. I'm not wearing the damn thing. They're going to have to drag me there, because I am going kicking and screaming, letting it be known I do not want this."
"You have to put it on, Ish. I promise you if he does not show I will stop the wedding myself, but we have to let the prophecy go as it is supposed to as long as we can before any harm is done," Zuna said as Aisha wiped the tears off her cheeks and snatched the dress out of her hands.
"Only because I trust you," Aisha said as her mother gave her a hug and Aisha then walked off into the next room to change.
"They have to make it in time," Zuna said as there was a knock at the door and she opened it to see Ronkay, the head of the tribe.
"Is she ready?" Ronkay asked, as he walked inside without being asked or really carrying if he was asked.
"She is dressing and will be ready in a few moments, Ronkay. She has no other choice but to be getting ready," Zuna said as Aisha stepped out and Ronkay gave her a critical look.
"Where is the ceremonial paint?" Ronkay asked as Aisha glared over at him. She could only pray that Rocky made it in time, otherwise everything she did today would be greatly looked down upon.
"There will be no paint on my face, I want them to see me as what I am, a last chance peace offering that you are giving to these people. I am not a bride in love, I am a trade off for peace in this nation, and I want them to see my hurt. I want them to know that I do not love that man, but am being forced to do this by you," Aisha said as Ronkay slapped her down and she glared back at him. She had been oppressed by this man for years and now she felt that she would be able to get him back. Rocky would definitely not like to see this happening. "Vengeance will be mine, remember that."
"You little girl. You know nothing, come we have a wedding to perform and you will wear the ceremonial make-up, if I have to hold you down to put it on your face," Ronkay said, as he picked her up and dragged her towards the temple with her struggling along the way. "The ceremony will begin in an hour, Zuna. I suggest that you arrive there on time."
"Yes, Ronkay," Zuna said as the tears streamed down her face, knowing that the chances were becoming slimmer that Rocky would show up in time. Mor was supposed to be at her home already, but he was no where in sight and the few minutes that they had left were quickly slipping away. "Oh, Rocky, please hurry to save my child from the pain that will surely be caused to her in this marriage."
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"Where do we need to go?" Rocky asked, as they landed on the ground and Mor looked around the town, a tad bit disoriented from their little trip. It was unusually quiet and he knew that meant either a funeral or a marriage. Today it was a marriage and he knew they had maybe an hour to get Rocky to the temple to stop it.
"The temple. That is where they will perform the ceremony. Rocky, I must warn you that they are going to try to stop you. It will only take them a matter of time to figure out who you are," Mor said as Rocky nodded his head and then just looked at Mor. He had expected that this was not going to be easy, in the least bit since he had learned of the full meaning of the old legend. "This way, follow me."
"Do I morph?" Rocky asked, as Mor shook his head no.
"They will know you are the warrior without any of that being necessary. Although if you lose control, there is nothing you or I can do about that," Mor said as they sprinted down a narrow street and then turned into a wider one, which had the temple at the far end, which was already crowded with people.
"How will I get through that?" Rocky asked, as they continued to run and he noticed that they people on the outer edge seemed to be looking for something and when they saw him, they all moved out of the way.
"That is our family. They shall be helping you, but I must leave you here and go to try to join the crowd. I am not supposed to help you from here on out," Mor said as Rocky nodded and then continued down the street as quickly as his feet could carry him.
"Rocky, we must hurry," Adona said, grasping his hand and pulling him through the crowd, which seemed to be realizing what was going on and moving out of the way to let them through. "They have begun, but no damage has been done, yet."
"Okay," Rocky said as the people were beginning to make a distinctive path for the two of them to get through and when they got to the entrance of the temple, Adona stopped and looked at him.
"Only you can go in there and do this, I will be right here when all of this is over, if you get the chance to see me again. Be brave, Rocky," Adona said, as she gave him a hug and then pushed him through the opening, into the quiet temple.
"No," Ronkay said as he saw the light-skinned man land at the back of the temple and noticed his eyes were on the bride. He had heard of the old legend himself and he was hoping to not be alive to see it come true, but it looked as if it was happening in his own kingdom. "Seize him."
"Aisha," Rocky said, as the preacher looked at him in shock and Toln, the groom, looked back at him as well and then smiled a small smile.
"Seize him, I say!" Ronkay yelled as Aisha turned around and saw Rocky standing there and started towards him, as no one had moved to seize him, yet. She was afraid of what might happen to him if they actually did what Ronkay was saying and she did not want to see anything bad happen to him. He didn't deserve to have that happen to him while he was trying to help her. "Seize him!"
"No!" Aisha yelled as Toln grabbed her arm and tried to pull her back to the altar, while two men crept towards Rocky, who was now taking slow steps towards the front of the church. He didn't want to have to fight any of them, but he was more than willing to whoop ass if it came down to it. "Leave him alone! He hasn't done anything to you!"
"You touch me and you'll regret the day you were born," Rocky said, viciously, as the men looked at him and then looked at Ronkay. They feared their leader, but they also knew that this warrior's wrath was far worse than his wrath and they were not sure that his words were an empty threat. "You do not want to obey him, you want this to come true just as much as I do."
"You are right," the man on his right said and the two of them backed away as Toln continued to pull Aisha back to the altar. He was finding it much harder to move his tiny bride as she began increasingly agitated as she tried to get to the strange man at the back of the temple. What was so important about him?
"What are you doing? Seize him!" Ronkay yelled, as no one in the temple moved to stop him from getting to Aisha.
"Ish, now," Rocky said as all of her knowledge suddenly came back to her and she kicked Toln as hard as she could and then ran for Rocky who was heading her way as well. Ronkay threw her down before she could make it anywhere near him and she hit the ground with a dull thump and lay there, still.
"You will not destroy my tribe for your own selfishness," Ronkay roared down at Aisha, as Zuna moved over Aisha to protect her from any further attack from Ronkay while, Rocky stealthily approached Ronkay from the back. "It is in your best interest not to lay a hand on me."
"I am not one of your people that you can push around and you were the fool to touch her," Rocky said as he tossed Ronkay into the altar and Toln and the priest quickly moved out of the way. Toln had already received enough punishment, he did not wish to see what this man might do to him.
"Rocky, don't," Zuna said as Rocky looked back at her and saw that Aisha was barely conscious, which made him want to fight even more. The man had no right to do that to her and he was sure that he had to make him pay. "Take her now and leave us to fight this. This is not your fight."
"I am supposed to free her," Rocky said as Ronkay slowly stood up and looked at the man standing in front of him. He had never imagined that the man would be that strong, but it was obvious that he had underestimated him.
"You will never get the chance," Ronkay said as he punched Rocky in the back and Rocky quickly rolled over and stood back up, while involuntarily morphing. "What is that?"
"What?" Rocky asked, as he held out his arms and saw his blue suit, which made him inwardly smile. It certainly made him feel better to be in this, but he knew that it was not a very good thing to have happen. None of the rangers had ever lost control like this, but he had and it was at a time when he really did need to stay relatively calm. He knew that when he was angry morphed that he could inflict blows that were never possible when he was not. "This? Funny you should ask. You see I am a foreign warrior and it would be my pleasure to show you why."
"You can only fight with a silly costume on? Why don't you fight like a real man?" Ronkay taunted as Rocky looked over at him and then bent down to look at Aisha.
He felt sure that Ronkay was not going to come after him for the next few moments, at least and he wanted to know how bad she was. Aisha was still breathing, but he could already see a bruise emerging across her bare shoulder and he had to take a few breaths to collect his thoughts before he could even begin to think about what was going on here.
"Take her now, Rocky. She wants to go and we will be fine without a good-bye. She knew that this might happen. Tell her that I said it is all right and she will understand. Take her," Zuna said as Rocky rested his hand on Aisha's cheek and noticed another faint bruise.
"In a moment," Rocky said as he stood up and then punched Ronkay as hard as he could, which sent him soaring into the altar, again. "That's for her."
"Rocko, buddy, what's going on?" Adam's voice called out into the crowd as Ronkay stood and then grabbed a sword from a basin.
"Just get us the hell out of here," Rocky said, as he knelt down and picked Aisha up. "I'm sorry I couldn't stay longer, Zuna."
"I understand Rocky and I am sure everyone else here does as well," Zuna said as Rocky smiled and nodded his head.
"Can do," Adam said as Rocky felt himself being teleported while Ronkay tried to spear Rocky, to suddenly see that there was no one there and the sword had only gone through thin air.
"Where is he? Where is the man that took our chance at peace away?" Ronkay roared as Zuna shrugged her shoulders. She had no clue where they were going, although she could take a fairly good guess about where it might be right now. She, however, was not going to tell Ronkay where that was as it would give him the idea to go there.
"Toln, it is safe for you to tell now, son," Zuna said, as Ronkay looked at Toln with confusion evident in his glistening black eyes.
"We were never going to war with your people. We came to release them from you and if you do not wish for the warrior to come back, you will leave and never see this place again," Toln said as Ronkay just looked at him.
"You cannot throw me out of my own city," Ronkay said, in disbelief, as Mor and Adona walked in.
"Yes we can," Mor said.
"And we will," Adona said as Ronkay looked around to see the hatred in every face and then turned to leave.
"Damn you all," Ronkay muttered as he stormed out of the temple.
"Aisha saved us in the end," Mor said as he gave his mother a hug and heard the sobs coming from her throat. He knew that she was going to miss Aisha, but they all knew that this was best for her and that they might see her again someday. "It has been far too long, Mama. Let's go home."
AN: Okay, I don't know how many more chapters of this I will write, but there will be at least one more. Let me know what you think, the good and the bad. Toodles!