Author's notes – Hey SupernaturalCSI! Thanks for the compliments! :) It was great to hear from you. I'd have to say that Jason is probably my favourite character (which is probably not a secret), but I think my favourite character to write is definitely Billy. He's so interesting, as a person. The comedy and drama is built right in, and that's what I adore about him. I really wanted to do Billy justice, here (particularly in terms of the story. The plot had to be complex enough so that Billy would solve it, but not so impossibly-complex that it would look like he was pulling stuff out of thin air), but I also really wanted to write a really cool love story (and I don't write many of those). Confession? I have a soft-spot for Scott, too, and I found there's some great humour in the character when I was writing Heart and Mind. I always focus on Peter and Jason's friendship (which you see in The Impossible Boy and Identity), so I thought that showcasing Peter and Scott's friendship (alongside Billy and Trini's relationship) would be really good.
Anyway, enjoy chapter 2! :)
Chapter Two
I quickly called Peter and Scott and asked them to meet me in the city. Scott and Peter were the only two Rangers apart from Trini and I who'd volunteered to stay back while the rest of the team was off-world. The younger Rangers were all in the twelfth grade currently and I remember how stressful that had been. But it was the weekend and luckily neither of them was particularly busy, so they were both eager to help.
I drove into town and found them waiting outside the jewellery boutique, greeting me with friendly waves as I approached. Scott's colour when Zordon had originally given him his Brontosaurus Power Coin was a lighter shade of my own blue. While this may have led to some unfair expectations and unfavourable comparisons, Scott always seemed to take it in his stride. With his boundless energy and natural curiosity, I've come to see him as the younger sibling I always lacked. Beside him stood Peter, our Orange Ranger. The leader of the younger team of Rangers, Peter is quieter and more reserved than Jason. While not as comfortable in a lab coat as Scott, Trini or myself, he is passionate and artistic, and his creativity is something I've always admired about him.
"Hey Bill," Scott called as I reached them. "Here as promised."
"It's good to see you," I replied. "I wasn't interrupting anything?"
"We were just studying," Peter said. "You know, catching up on some homework."
"And?" Scott prodded.
"And watching cartoons," Peter added.
So what's the emergency?" Scott asked. "Has Gasket gotten into the designer jewellery business?"
"Not quite," I replied. "I require your assistance today, and I'd greatly appreciate it if you kept this in the strictest of confidences." I glanced to Peter. "You can't tell Jason," I said, then turned to them both. "Or Teresa," and I finished by looking at Scott. "Or Dustin. I know how effective the Ranger grapevine is as a communication network. I wouldn't ask if it wasn't vitally important."
Peter's face fell as he realised the severity of the situation. "Of course Bill, of course you can trust us," he said.
"Yeah," agreed Scott. "Whatever you need."
I lowered my voice. "I'm planning on proposing to Trini, and I need…" but I got no further.
"Bill that's awesome!" Peter shouted, and he sent me a high five which I returned with a smile.
"Congratulations, that's great news!" Scott added, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. "I mean, I know she hasn't said 'yes' yet, but still."
Peter couldn't seem to stop grinning. "So why are we here in front of a jewellery shop?" he asked.
"The reason I called you," I replied. "I've looked in every establishment in Caloundra except this one, and I cannot find an appropriate engagement ring. There's a certain methodology to choosing the right ring, and so far, it's escaped me. Nothing's fit the parameters of what the perfect engagement ring should look like. I was hoping your input might provide me with a fresh perspective." I sighed. "An engagement ring should be as timeless and as beautiful as the woman who will theoretically be wearing it. So far, I've been unsuccessful."
I expected them to admonish me for over-thinking the situation. Instead, Scott ushered me towards the front of the boutique. "Then it's a good thing you called us," he said. "But do you know her size? How'd you ask without telling her?"
I reached into my pocket and held up a small silver ring. "I quietly borrowed this from her last week," I explained. "I've noticed she wears it often, so we definitely have her size."
The three of us stepped into the shop and the frosty air-conditioning washed over us. As the door closed behind us, sounds from the street faded away, and our footsteps were soft on the luxurious carpet. All around were glass display cases filled with gold and silver jewellery. I could see rows of expensive time pieces and beautiful necklaces with sparkling jewels. It seemed to be a busy morning. All the sales assistants were quietly helping other customers, but the dark-haired woman closest to the door told us as we passed she'd be with us shortly. We gazed around the room.
"There they are," Scott said, pointing to a counter on the right. A sign on the wall behind the display read 'Engagement rings'. "That's us."
The three of us stopped in front of the glass cabinet and gazed over the range of rings on display. They were all beautiful, but nothing caught my eye at a cursory glance.
"You see anything in particular?" Peter asked.
"Negative," I frowned.
"What about this one?" Scott asked.
Peter and I found him staring at an exquisite silver ring set with a diamond that was frankly enormous.
"Wow," Peter breathed. "It's big."
"But you can barely see where the Titanic hit it," Scott replied, then blushed. "Sorry. I've really been missing Brendan lately."
Peter looked at the price tag. "Good eye Scott. You picked the most expensive ring here."
"Well, weddings are a billion-dollar industry," I said
"Still," Peter continued. "This is like the deposit of Jason's house. Are you sure you can afford this?"
I've never told the other Rangers, but over the years I've sold several of my inventions and patented more than a few of the others. The money I earned sat in a trust fund quietly gaining interest until I turned eighteen. Logic dictates the necessity of having savings to fall back on as you move from college to a career, but friends don't discuss finances with other friends. It's impolite.
"I've been saving for some time," I replied honestly. "Unfortunately, that was the easy part."
"Well it's definitely large enough," Peter said.
"And it screams, 'I'm an engagement ring'," Scott added. "What do you think?"
I leaned down to inspect it behind the glass. "I'm not sure," I said. "You're both correct. It's assuredly a beautiful piece of geology. You'd hardly know it has the same atomic make-up as graphite." Standing behind me, Peter and Scott shot each other knowing grins. "Perhaps I need to see it out of the display case. Uh, miss?"
The sales clerk who'd greeted us earlier had just finished helping a young lady purchase a gold bracelet. Catching my eye, she smiled and made her way around the room. But just as I opened my mouth to speak…
…our communicators beeped that familiar six-note chime.
I tell you. It's always the most inopportune moment. If I had a dollar for every time that communicator had interrupted something important, I could've purchased that entire boutique with change to spare.
Peter's face fell, while Scott looked helplessly from me to the ring and back again. "Oh come on," Scott groaned.
The lady behind the counter glanced from Scott to me in puzzlement. "Can I help you?" she asked.
"Uh, we'll, um," I stuttered, then sighed. "We'll be right back," and the three of us dashed outside, then down the neighbouring arcade and into a deserted alley.
Peter raised his wrist. "We're all here," he said. "Go!"
"Rangers, I'm sorry to interrupt," crackled Zordon's voice, "but we have a situation that requires your attention. I've already contacted Trini at the university."
"Hey guys," came Trini's voice. "Where are you three today?"
The three of us glanced around awkwardly for a few seconds, everybody thinking quickly but nowhere near quickly enough. "Ah, we're, we're just…here, hanging out in the city," Peter eventually said. "You know, doing nothing special." I had to stifle a laugh, while Scott rolled his eyes, flashed a thumbs-up and mouthed the word, 'smooth'. Peter glared at him. "What?" the Orange Ranger whispered.
I leaned forward. "Zordon," I said quickly, "what's the emergency?"
"Unfortunately Rangers, it's not what, but where," Zordon replied. "I'm afraid your next destination will be Mount Mitchell."
"Mount Mitchell?" Peter repeated, glancing around the group. "That's not good."
"Zordon, what happened?" Trini asked.
"A short time ago we received a call from a forestry ranger working in the Main Range National Park, the bushland preserve protecting Mount Mitchell," Zordon replied. "It's probably best if he explains it himself. Hold the line, Alpha will patch him through. His name is Joshua Bowman. We performed a background search after he contacted us, and he seems genuine. I've no reason to question his motives."
There was a second of silence before we heard an unfamiliar voice through the communicator. "Rangers, are you there? Hello?"
"We can hear you Ranger Bowman," I said. "Tell us what happened. Take your time."
On the other end of the line, the forestry ranger took a breath. "Um, hi everyone," he began. "I'm still quite new. I've only been here six months or so. I'm sorry if I messed this up, but when I started, my boss told me one thing. If there's a problem with Mount Mitchell, crack open the safe and use the radio inside. I didn't realise it was a direct line to you guys. That's something to tell the kids."
I smiled patiently. "Tell us what happened at Mount Mitchell," I said.
"Right, sorry. This morning there was a minor earth tremor on the western side of the mountain. It was so minor that nobody even felt it. I didn't even realise it myself until I checked the seismograph here in the station. The funny thing is that no other station recorded anything out of the ordinary today. It was just this one."
"That is odd," I murmured.
"You don't think it was an earthquake?" Scott asked.
"Negative," I said. "Not if it was so minor that it only affected one side of a mountain."
"It's a good thing you called us, Ranger Bowman," Trini said. "Mount Mitchell isn't the problem, but immediately below the mountain lies the Troll King. He is the sovereign ruler of a small, subterranean kingdom. We've encountered him before, and he bears a permanent grudge against the surface world."
"It doesn't help that every time he invades, we have to kick his butt," Peter added.
"We haven't had any trouble from the Troll King in months," I said. "We assumed his kingdom was at peace."
"Yellow, do you think we'll have to make a road-trip?" Peter asked.
"We definitely need to investigate," Trini replied. "Ranger Bowman, get the word out. Evacuate the national park. Tell the campers and hikers to leave and then close the gates behind them. You need to make sure the Main Range Park is empty, as quickly as you can."
"Wow," the forestry ranger replied. "So this is serious?"
"Hopefully we're over-reacting," I said. "But it's far preferable to be safe rather than sorry. Yellow, we'll meet you in the national park," and I turned to Peter and Scott. "Let's depart gentlemen," and we reached for our wrists and teleported away.
Fields, roads and towns flashed under us in a wild blur as we shot towards our destination. A second later, the three of us materialised in a grassy field on the western side of Mount Mitchell.
Trini was already there waiting when we arrived. As we glanced around to get our bearings, she waved and jogged across the field towards us. Nearby, the mountain towered over the surrounding terrain. Dense green rainforest surrounded the peak on all sides, and the top of the mountain rose high above us, protected by four sheer rocky cliffs. It was a warm autumn day, and in the back of my mind, I'd already begun identifying species of birds by the calls reaching us from the forest. It's a nervous habit, but I've found it keeps me grounded.
One thing I learned early on about being a Ranger is to keep both your feet firmly planted on the ground.
"Hey boys," said Trini. Before she could say anything else, Peter stepped forward.
"Were you able to get away from the university?" he asked.
Trini nodded. "The study group I was running could get by without me for a few hours," she replied, and looked around. "I was just thinking before you got here that I can't imagine there was an earthquake here today."
"It seems way too peaceful," Scott agreed, gazing around the valley.
"I think we should split up and have a look around," Peter said. "Scott and I will head to the top of the valley, and you two go that way. But stay in contact. If there's radio silence for longer than a minute, we'll assume something happened."
"What are we looking for?" I asked.
"Anything weird or out-of-the-ordinary," Peter replied. "If it wasn't an earthquake that set off Ranger Bowman's seismograph today, then what was it?"
"Something weird," Scott repeated, then pointed. "Like that?"
The rest of us turned to look. A short distance up the slope, a small clearing was visible through the trees. Facing us from the far side was a rocky wall with a shadowy cave that led directly to a dark tunnel behind. I raised my wrist.
"Alpha," I began, "are there any natural cave systems on the western side of the mountain?"
"Negative Billy," Alpha replied. "At least, not according to our records. Why?"
"Because I suspect we've found our first lead," I said. "Let's go."
We climbed the hill and carefully made our way through the forest towards the cliff face. As the clearing opened out around us, I gazed down at the rocks scattered through the grass, and my face fell. Kneeling down, I picked up one of the smaller stones and turned it over in my hand, running my gaze carefully over the blackened burn marks. Beside me, Trini did the same.
Because of how the team operates, we've all gotten very skilled at analysing explosions, and the scorch marks on the debris were unmistakeable.
"Something definitely blasted its way out of that cave," I said.
"You're right," Trini agreed. "But an invasion force? That cave entrance is awfully narrow, and there's no way an army trampled through this clearing two hours ago."
A few metres away, Scott and Peter stepped closer to the cave. "Hey guys," called Scott, "check this out!"
Trini and I joined them at the cave entrance. The fissure in the rock was small but still wide enough for a human to enter. Inside, the tunnel was slightly wider than the hallway in my house, extending back and disappearing into shadow after a short distance. But I glanced into the tunnel entrance and looked at the ground. "Curiouser and curiouser," I murmured.
"You see it?" Peter asked.
I nodded. "The rubble inside the cave has the same scorch marks," I said. "But look at the pattern of debris. And there's far less of it, too. Someone quietly broke into this cave before breaking back out again. But why? For what purpose? Being baffled is so maddeningly unproductive. Alpha, can you follow the tunnel with our scanners?"
"Only for a short distance," Alpha replied. "The tunnel seems to extend deep under the mountain. The Troll King's own magic is probably blocking our sensors."
"There's nothing for it then," Trini said. "Billy and I will have to follow the rabbit hole and see where it leads. The Troll King could be planning an invasion, he could've kidnapped somebody, or this could be an elaborate trap. None of which we can rule out. But we need to figure out what's going on."
"What do you think you'll find down there?" Scott asked, and glanced to the opening. "Smaug?"
"We could take him," Trini replied.
"Do you want us to stay here?" Peter asked.
"Affirmative," I replied. "We don't know what we're facing. It'll be reassuring if we don't have to worry about what's behind us."
"Hang on," Scott began. "With the Troll King's magic, using your Zeo powers will be like a neon sign."
"Which is why we'll go in unmorphed," I said. "Alpha, can you send us two of the underground exploration packs please?"
It was an idea we'd collaborated on several years ago. We'd worked through a string of successive missions where we'd needed to explore unfamiliar terrain without the luxury of being able to morph. So it made sense to assemble equipment we could use if the need rose again. While the Rangers often look to Trini, Scott and I for answers, one of the many talents of our mentor was to ask questions nobody ever thought to ask. With Zordon's guidance, we'd put in place many systems for when we were restricted from morphing, or where it might be disadvantageous for Earth's Power Rangers to be seen interfering in a delicate political situation, which is more often than you'd think.
For example, the packs I asked for contained torches, matches and a beacon to enable emergency search and rescue. There was a limited supply of oxygen and compasses for use in zero light, as well as scanners which not only told us our depth beneath the surface, but also kept an eye on the ambient oxygen levels.
"Right away Billy!" Alpha replied. With a flash of light, two backpacks appeared on the ground before us. Trini and I reached in and pulled two flashlights out before swinging the backpacks around our shoulders.
"Teleporting will likely be affected so far underground," I said. "But in an emergency, our Zeo morphers should still work."
"Good luck," Scott said, and hugged Trini.
"Be careful down there," Peter added. "The Troll King's realm isn't exactly a nice place to visit."
"We'll be back soon," I said. Trini and I turned to the cave entrance. We swept our flashlights through the opening and saw nothing beyond rocks and pebbles. The cave floor was smooth with only a small amount of gravel. Taking a breath, I stepped out of the sunshine into the shadows. My footsteps echoed on the rocky floor as Trini followed a step behind me. And as the boys watched us go, the two of us were swallowed up by the darkness and disappeared from view.
To be continued.
