I just barely finished this tonight. For some reason, it was a hard chapter to write for me. I still have not been contacted by my two previous winners of my last contest. Please contact me so I can send you your icons! Also, I keep forgetting to say this, but at this point in time the story has branched off into AU. It may change later, it may not. I've not made a final decision yet.
Chapter 19 A Conversation Between Brothers
Jason took a deep breath as the teleportation light disappeared from around him. There were very few places that Tommy would retreat to in anger- either to the lake to cool off, or to the Youth Center to work out his anger. Jason decided to try the Youth Center first. Tommy had been pretty angry when he left so he may have gone to the Youth Center to clear his mind of everything but exercise.
As Jason entered the Youth Center, he heard cheering coming from inside. Something was going on and he prayed Tommy hadn't gotten himself involved in something to prevent any sort of talk, like take on any willing spectators in a sparring match. Jason breathed a sigh of relief when he saw what the crowd was cheering about. It seemed that Bulk and Skull had brought back their ninja team and were having them face off against various youth martial artists. The quickly painted sign read "Ninjas versus Youth: All Benefits go to Junior Police Dept." If there was a way to gather attention or money, Bulk and Skull wouldn't be very far behind. Jason was about to enter when a pair of hands stopped him. "Five bucks," said the youth dressed in a leather jacket and matching pants with black spiky hair.
"Five bucks?" asked Jason, raising an eyebrow. Was Tommy worth the five bucks?
"Yeah. You can't watch the fight unless you pay the fee. It's the rules set by the boss. Pay up."
"I'm just looking for someone," answered Jason.
"Five bucks pal. Pay up or get out." Jason scanned the area as the youth harassed him for money. Come on Tommy… be visible if you're here. Don't try lurking in the shadows from me.
"I don't think so kid," answered Jason as politely as he could for wanting to smack the kid upside the head. "My buddy isn't here. Word of advice though. If you cut the attitude, people might actually stay."
Jason turned to leave. The kid, not wanting to not have the last word spoke up. "If you didn't notice, people stayed. They paid the five bucks. You didn't. I think the real answer is obvious."
Jason's fists curled into tight balls, but he didn't turn around, nor gratify the kid with a response. He had other things to deal with that were more important than a simple tournament. He had to somehow convince Tommy to go on the mission to save Kimberly. Jason was surprised when he had refused. Any other time, Tommy would have jumped the moment someone told him Kimberly was in trouble and would have left then and there to save her. However, after the way the two broke up, Tommy hadn't wanted anything to do with her. Jason could understand his point, but he knew that this wasn't the way for Tommy to act, not as a Ranger. It was a Ranger's duty to protect all civilians, whether they happened to be your ex-girlfriend or not.
Jason took the walk to the lake slowly. He tried to gather his thoughts and what to say to Tommy, but all he kept forming was a blank. Come on Jason… think think! What will make Tommy listen to you? Yet he knew he couldn't let Zordon down. Sure, another Ranger could go in Tommy's place, but Tommy was one of the strongest and all the Rangers knew it. They wouldn't feel right going in his place, no matter what the circumstances.
As Jason glanced up, he noticed a figure sitting underneath a willow tree. He knew right away that he'd found Tommy, brooding away. Jason took one last deep breath before walking confidently over to where Tommy sat. "Hey bro," he said softly.
Tommy looked up at Jason with angry eyes. "I'm not going," he said bluntly, turning away.
Jason took a seat beside his best friend. He decided not to beat around the bush with Tommy. "Why won't you go?"
"She doesn't need us. She was a Ranger once too. I think she can handle herself just fine."
"What are you talking about? You saw the same video that I saw. I saw someone in trouble, and needing help. What's worse is that she had no chance of fighting back."
"So?"
"Tommy, Rita could kill Kim and the way you're acting now you couldn't give a damn. Stop with the teen angst drama. Yes, you two broke up. Yes, she really hurt you. This is just a teenage relationship, a bump in the road, the kind that really jolts the car, but does no lasting damage. No matter how much you hate to hear it, chances are slim that these things last beyond high school. I'll never understand the bond between the two of you, but I do know you have the power to help yourself. You keep letting yourself slip into a depression because of a girl. A girl, another human being just like you. Are you simply going to let Kim die because of your own depressive moods? Because she was the one to break off the relationship? Is that really fair to her?"
Tommy sighed and turned his head. "The explanation didn't make sense…It was too 'Dear John'. I was so shocked when I read it. I couldn't think. I couldn't speak. I couldn't do anything."
"What are you talking about Tommy?"
"The explanation Kim gave—it made no sense. It wasn't Kimberly at all. Something seemed out of place. If you looked at the letters sent just before the breakup, they are written in a different style than the one she sent me. I looked at them one day. Honestly I simply had one stuck in the book I had to read for class. It wasn't the same. It wasn't the same at all."
"Why didn't you ever contact to her to get a better one? The phone really could have cleared some things up."
"I don't know. I was angry and I couldn't understand-" Tommy's voice began to crack. "I couldn't understand why. I wanted to know, but I just couldn't will myself to pick up the phone and talk to her. It was just too painful to actually go through with it."
"She might have been able to explain it to you if you had simply called and talked to her."
"I didn't want to hear that the new guy was really real! I didn't want my fears to be confirmed! That was the last thing I wanted to hear, especially in that cheerful voice of hers."
"Tommy, whether she has this guy or not, he can't save her now. Only the Rangers can, and he's certainly not a Ranger. I'll bet every last bit of my savings on that."
"She left a hole inside my heart that I've never been able to mend. I tried everything. Read those silly magazines, talked to random people, nothing worked. She simply stayed in my mind."
"Tommy, you weren't the only one she hurt. She cut off contact with everyone as far as I know. No one has heard from her since Pan Globals training. You aren't the only one who's been hurt. You were only hurt on a deeper level. She's like a sister to me Tommy, but even she never contacted me again. I always wished she'd call or write me a letter, but she never did. When I moved back home, I sent her notice of my new number and address, but I never received any confirmation that she received my letter."
Tommy looked at Jason and realized for the first time that he wasn't the only one in pain. His friends were as well, and all because of Kimberly. She hadn't contacted any of them, not even to say "Hey, how are you?". "Jason, something's fishy about all of this. Something's just not right."
"Glad you noticed bro. That's why we've got to get Kimberly back. Not only will she be safe, but we can all get some answers, especially about the wheelchair."
"I know…." Tommy trailed off again, at a loss for words. "I only want to know why. Not the letter why, but the real why. I just can't accept what she wrote as a breakup. I won't accept it."
"Tommy, you know what you have to do then."
"Then why does my brain say yes, but my heart says no? Usually it's the other way around."
"Tommy, what are your duties as a Ranger?"
"To protect the Earth and all its creatures from evil."
"Isn't Kimberly included?"
"Yes."
"Then follow your Ranger code. It will guide you through the mission. If you ever want your heart to mend, as you put it, then you are going to have to take some action and get some answers. No more waiting around for them."
You're right. I need to do this as a Ranger and stop thinking like a sappy teenager. Forget love. Justice is what I intend to serve!"
"Overboard much?" asked Jason, stifling a laugh. He hadn't seen that response coming from Tommy.
Tommy returned a small smile. "Not too much. It's not like I'm going to be a Ranger all my life. Imagine me, a Ranger in my late twenties."
Jason couldn't help laughing. "Oh yeah and to top it all off, you'll be a teacher or something, your most hated occupation! What is your least favorite subject again? English was it? Thomas Oliver teaching English literature. Now I'd pay to see that."
"No way in hell. No way in hell bro. You know how much I despise the profession and most of all English."
"So, are you going to come on the mission?"
"Only to do my duty and find out why. That's it. Nothing else."
"Hey, I wouldn't ask anymore of you unless you wanted it. No one's forcing you to go back out with Kimberly. I just want you to get the answers you've been wanting this entire time."
The two teens got to their feet and checked the area before teleporting back to the Power Chamber. "Tommy! You've returned!" shouted Alpha in surprise when he saw the two colorful beams of light appear. Alpha had been fearing the entire time that Jason still wouldn't be enough to get Tommy to come back.
"That's right, Alpha," answered Tommy.
"Tommy, I had faith that you would return to partake in the mission," stated Zordon.
"It took a little while, Zordon, but I'm ready. I'm going to do my duty as a Ranger, and not as a teenager."
"Good. Alpha, please contact Katherine and have her teleport here."
"Right, Zordon," answered the little robot as he tried reaching Kat's communicator.
Katherine teleported in a few minutes later. "Tommy! I'm glad you changed your mind!" called Katherine cheerfully.
"I'm only doing my duties as a Ranger," he answered coldly. "Nothing else will interfere with that."
Katherine wanted to question, but didn't. She was simply glad that Tommy hadn't completely backed out on the team.
"Now that I have all three of you gathered here, it is time to give you the details of your mission," commanded Zordon. "This is a very dangerous mission, but one I'm sure that all of you are capable of handling. I must ask one more time: Are all of you up to the challenge and the danger?"
"Always have been, always will be," answered Jason.
"Without a doubt," added Katherine. "Kimberly needs our help and I'm not going to let Rita stop me."
"Yes," was Tommy's terse reply. He crossed his arms and waited for further instructions. He had no time for Zordon's lengthy lectures. He wanted to do what he had to do and then get the answers he wanted. Everything in between was second."
"Rangers face the Viewing Screen. There you will see some new information."
And so we all discovered that Jason was able to convince Tommy to join the mission, but he's only doing it to find out his own answers. Remember, new wallpaper contest is still going on. Details in chapter 17.
Next time on Windmill into the Fall: Zordon gives the Rangers their mission details and the Rangers mentally prepare themselves for the invasion ahead. Meanwhile, Kimberly is getting worse. Can they make it in time?