Disclaimer: I do not own the power rangers or any of the weapons and/or original characters from that series. This is the third story in the "Saving the World, Again" series, so any characters from those stories that are mine, might be brought in. I do own the character Ally Jameson as I know she will appear in this story a good bit and I just wanted to let you know that she is my character from the beginning. I also own the characters of Janice Mitchell, Principal McEntire, Mallory Wiggins, David Jackson, Mrs. Thornsby, and Alabaster.
Charlie and Ashley managed to leave Dr. Oliver's house about an hour after their powers had been destroyed, but after fumbling with the keys to Charlie's car in the driveway for quite some time. Neither of them had the dexterity that they had become accustomed to over the last few months that they had spent as rangers. That, however, was the least of their worries, from what they could feel sinking into them.
They, however, were not heading straight home after their power drainage, they were not sure they could stand that yet. They felt it necessary to enjoy themselves while their body felt as if they were going through a physical hell like none other they had ever experienced before and they hoped that they would never experience it again. Tommy and Kim had definitely downplayed how bad this felt, but they had heard that the other powers were much worse to lose and they both were dreading class this afternoon. Neither Kim nor Tommy were going to be in a good mood, from what they could tell from their own experience.
"You enjoying that?" Charlie asked as Ashley slurped on a milkshake they had bought on their way to this spot in the park.
They had grow accustomed to coming here any time they needed to relax, although some people were giving them odd looks for being out here today. They were sure that they looked as bad as they felt right now, but they didn't really care about that anymore. They were just happy to be in the park and for it to be peaceful.
If they were to go home there parents would surely send them to the doctor and that was not a wise thing to have happen. No doctor could cure them; they wouldn't have a clue as to what they were suffering from. They were almost sure that they would also be kept in the hospital for a long time, as they tried to figure out the problem, which would not make them any happier when they finally felt normal again.
"Yeah, thanks," Ashley said, as Charlie looked up at her as if she didn't need to say that to him. He was just glad that she was sitting in the swing behind him, as he was finally comfortable. It had taken them much longer than usual to settle down and become comfortable, but they really had expected that to happen.
"I didn't know that it was this bad," Charlie said, as he rubbed his temple. He had had one hangover in his life so far and this was at least ten times worse than the pain that he could remember being in then.
"Neither did I, but they were honest with us. They didn't try to predict how we would react to it all ," Ashley said as Charlie leaned over against her knee.
He was tired, but he felt that they needed to talk about what had happened to them earlier today. They knew that this was the last time that they should really talk about it at all, but they were both sure that it would come up many more times between the two of them. They just wished they could have been useful for longer than a couple of days.
"I don't understand how they did this so many times before now. They must know what it is going to do to them when it all ends. We didn't have a clue as to what was going to happen to us and I guess that makes it easier, in some twisted way," Charlie said, as he could imagine maybe going through this one more time if he had to. It seemed that Kim and Tommy had simply lost count of how many times they had gone through this very same pain for the exact same reason.
"Charlie that is not for us to worry about, now we have a class to attend in a few minutes. We better be heading to the dojo, I don't imagine that Dr. O is going to be in a very good mood after his day. We don't need to give him any excuse to yell at us ," Ashley said, as she stood up, rather unsteadily. She could only hope that Dr. O would take it easy on them today. He knew how they were feeling and he would surely take that into account, on some level. She just didn't know what level that might happen to be right now.
Dojo
"Melody, a back-handspring, not a back tuck. You are not able to connect the next element as smoothly if you insist on doing that combination," Kim said, stepping up to the side of the beam and placing her hands on it, to try to calm herself down, somehow.
If she had to climb on that beam today, Tommy would possibly snatch her off it because of the memories it would bring back to him and then the two of them would get into a fight, which was something she didn't really need right now. They both needed to be level headed when they went home tonight, because it would only get worse for them overnight and then they would have to face the morning, which was something they were not sure they could really handle.
Ally was having to take care of Rocky, who was suffering from severe nausea, among other things. This was definitely the worst withdrawal that Rocky had ever been through and Kim didn't blame her for going to be with him, but now she was faced with having to possibly perform a skill that she had not done, even under normal circumstances, in months.
"But you can do it. Why can't I?" Melody asked, as Kim glared up at her. She did not want her to hop up on that beam right now, as she was likely to knock her straight through the nearest wall.
"Melody, it does not matter that I can do it or that Ally is able to do it either. You are the one on that beam being judged and that back tuck is far too shaky for you risk it right now. Keep on practicing and it may get there before next month's competition. Right now, I suggest that you stick with what you know you can do. Your back-handspring," Kim said, trying to control her anger.
Melody noticed that Kim's eyes seemed to be glowing an odd shade of pink, which was something she was sure that was not natural, but it had to be the light playing with her eyes or something like that. Her eyes couldn't really be glowing pink.
She was not sure that she wanted to continue to push her luck with all of it, although she felt that she had mastered the skill very well. Tommy didn't seem to be in a good mood either, which didn't help her any. Usually the two of them balanced each other out, but today the both of them were on the rampage. Why? She didn't know and she was not about to try to find out.
"Yes, Mrs. Oliver," Melody said mounting the balance beam as Kim walked over to another student, who did not grate on her nerves as much. If she did not blow up today it would be some sort of miracle and Tommy did not look much better to her. They both felt like shit and they were thankful that the Oliver's had Angie for the weekend. They would not be able to move tonight, but they had known this would be coming for far too long. That was why they had taken the precaution of sening Angie to Angel Grove.
"Dr. O, you all right?" Jackson asked, as Tommy nodded his head and then continued to the front of the room. He was about to give them the easiest class they had had in ages, if they would only let him be nice.
"Yes, I'm fine, Jackson. Just let me be today," Tommy said as Ashley and Charlie walked in looking exhausted, but knowing that they were supposed to act as if nothing had happened. That was much easier said than done and they could see that Kim and Tommy were even struggling with that concept today. They were known for camouflaging after an attack, but now was when it seemed they were most susceptible to someone figuring out who they might be.
"What's with him?" Jackson asked Charlie as he shrugged his shoulders and settled in for class. He just prayed none of the other symptoms would show up during this class or it would be much worse on all of them.
"Just do what he says," Charlie said, as Jackson looked at him and he thought that it was best to ignore how odd things were right now, even Mrs. Oliver was not in a good mood. She had blessed out half of her gymnastics class already and he felt that Dr. Oliver's class might not fair much better if they were to not pick up on his bad mood.
At least Charlie and Ashley seemed to not be in the mood to try to do anything to Dr. O, as they were the ones that would make him mad and he laugh about it. The rest of them could just piss him off, but he felt a certain level of friendship towards all of them, even if they didn't know it.
"Is this supposed to be some sort of secret language? He basically told me the same thing when he walked by," Jackson said and Charlie looked at him. He had the feeling that Charlie was in the same mood that Dr. O was in and he didn't know what that would mean for him. It seemed absolutely crazy that the two of them would have something in common in their lives that would effect them like this.
"Trust us, Jackson and do exactly what he says. It'll save you a lot of trouble in the long run ," Ashley said with a weak smile, as Tommy stepped to the front of the class and looked out as his advanced students.
That was when he felt the first urge to throw up everything he had eaten over the last few hours and he had to try to figure out some way to get himself out of this class. He didn't like to do this, but he had the feeling none of them would want to see his lunch.
"Class, I'm sorry, but today I just can't have practice. We'll try to make it up sometime next week. I'll call you and let you know," Tommy said, as they all looked confused, but did not ask him why. He immediately headed towards the locker room, as Kim peered over at him while Melody packed up her things to leave. She was sure that he had not planned on dismissing his class, but that still did not explain to her what was going on. He had not been that obvious.
"Tommy, where are you?" Kim asked, as she walked into the locker room several minutes later and heard him, well before she saw him sitting on the floorin front of thetoilet . She usually was the one that suffered from stomach ailments, but it seemed that Tommy was the unlucky one to have that problem today. "Oh, Tommy."
"Don't say anything about it, I already feel horrible enough as it is," Tommy managed to murmur, as Kim walked back over to the cabinet and grabbed a towel to wet. She had to feeling that it was going to be quite awhile before they were able to go anywhere at all, namely because of the fact that Tommy would probably insist on driving, due to her gettng sick on the way to the dojo this afternoon, although she felt fine now. Well, as good as someone could feel after having their powers taken away.
Hayley's Cyberspace"The two of you look like you've had the easy way out this afternoon. I just Tommy didn't work you too hard today ," Hayley said with a smile as Charlie and Ashley took two seats at the bar.
Although Hayley had been there this morning, she did not have the slightest idea what they were going through. She knew Billy was staying at home this afternoon, but that just seemed to be more of a precaution. Billy had been fine when she had left him there this morning.
"Dr. O was not too keen to have class. He seemed to be a little bit out of it ," Ashley said as Hayley nodded her head while Conner, Ethan, Trent, and Kira came to sit down at the bar as well.
"Fun day, isn't it?" Conner said, as he laid his head down on the bar to try to block out the light, which seemed to be giving him a headache.
"Here you go Conner, drink up. It'll make you feel better," Hayley said with a smile as she passed him a chocolate shake, which was always his favorite and from what she could tell he had not been having any stomach ailments. His was more mental, than anything else.
"Thanks, Hayley," Conner said weakly as he slurped on the shake in silence.
"What are the six of you doing here?" Cassidy asked as Kira turned around and let out a huge sigh. She had no patience for any questions today, but they couldn't risk their hidden identity going away now.
"We came to get a milkshake. The last time I checked that was not a crime," Kira said, as sweetly as she could manage before turning back to Hayley. She could only hope Cassidy would get the point.
"This is an odd assortment of people, you might say," Cassidy said, as Ethan now turned to face her.
"We've been friends for a long time, Cassidy. It shouldn't be odd to anyone anymore," Ethan said, as Cassidy just stared. He was right that they had been friends for a long time, but they had never quite looked like this before.
"Why are you all so tired?" Cassidy asked, as it was Ashley's turn to turn around and try to talk some sense into the not so observant Cassidy.
"We all had a late night, okay?" Ashley asked, while Cassidy just nodded her head. It was rare for Ashley and Charlie to talk to her at all and she constantly picked at the others, but those two seemed to show more restrain, although she had obviously pushed them today, for some reason.
"Okay," Cassidy said, rather uncomfortably, as she turned to leave Hayley's sure that this was for her own best interest today.
"We aren't going to be able to do that many more times," Charlie said with a laugh, as the other joined in. As much of a nuisance as Cassidy happened to be, they always enjoyed poking fun at her when they had the chance.
"No, you aren't. Your life has changed now," Hayley said solemnly, as they sat there. They didn't want to think about that, but now it was forced into their minds.
No matter what they wanted to think, their lives had really been changed, by this experience, by this life they chosen to lead when they agreed to become rangers . They all knew that if they were asked to be rangers again, they would come running for the chance to suit up again. They were forever going to be known as a group of Power Rangers, to the select few that also were rangers, but that was fine with them. Some had not served as long as others, some had made names for themselves, but from this day forward, they were only known as the Dino Rangers. They were no longer those rangers and their lives would reflect that, in every way that they could imagine.
AN: This is going to be the last time that these rangers will be seen in this series and I thought it would be nice to give them a sort of send off. This is not the end of the story, but I hope to finish it up for all of you this week. Feel free to review, the good and the bad.