Cassie turned out the lights and made her way through her small apartment towards her bed. It had been two years since her final battle as the Pink Ranger, since she had last seen any of her fellow rangers. Although she kept in touch with T.J. and Ashley by email, it was too painful to actually see them in person. The death of Kendrix Morgan continued to haunt her more and more each day, tearing at her soul so much that she was forced to give up her dreams of one day becoming a singer. Soon, she stopped singing all together.
Climbing into bed, Cassie stared up at the ceiling. Sleep had become more difficult for her lately. During the day, she simply went with the motions of what the day brought. She would wake up before dawn, if she even slept at all, pour herself some coffee and go to her job in the city as a police officer. Her time and experience as a Power Ranger had strengthened her protective nature to defend others and now that there were others to take up such a calling in protecting not just the world but the galaxy, the least she could do was protect the citizens of Angel Grove as a police officer until she returned home to the silence that always seemed to welcome her.
When she first enrolled into the police academy, many believed she was far too delicate for such a dangerous job. If only they knew. Her time as a Power Ranger put her in more danger than anyone could ever imagine. Horrifying monsters, aliens and unknown creatures that fought and nearly killed her countless times. Cassie only became stronger and more fearless during her youth…until the death of Kendrix. Cassie had always been ready and willing to lay down her life to protect her loved ones and the innocent lives of the galaxy, but she never knew the devastating effects of someone else laying down their life to save hers. Although Andros had tried to help her through the tragic event, Cassie was never able to forgive herself.
In was a dark time for her then. She couldn't eat or sleep and she cried constantly. When she could fall asleep, she suffered from terrible nightmares, witnessing the death of Kendrix over and over again until she would wake up screaming. Her friends tried to help her and offer any comfort they could, but theirs was not the comfort she wanted.
'I'll be all right, Cassie…please, don't' forget me. I'll see you soon.'
Cassie shook her head at the memory. It had been years, but she was still haunted by him. And his broken promise. In the darkness of the night, his voice echoed in her mind, no matter how hard she fought to forget about him as he had forgotten about her. Since that day she had seen his hologram, she never saw him again. Like his ability, he simply vanished, never to be seen or heard from again…at least from her.
Before she retired from the Power Rangers, there had been rumors about the Phantom Ranger she had longed to see. Rumors that he had been seen on some distant planet, that he had been chasing after a new enemy or that he simply returned to his home planet. Cassie really didn't know what to believe, but in the end, the rumors had one thing in common—he never came back.
Like his title, he was truly a phantom. He appeared only to disappear from her life without any trace. Since the day she met him, that had always been the nature of whatever relationship they shared. No matter how much Cassie wished for it to be otherwise, there was always a reason why the Phantom Ranger had to leave, until he finally chose never to return to the Power Rangers—to her.
Despite the heartbreak of his abandonment, there was still a very small part of her, buried deep in her heart that hoped to see him again one day, even for a moment. However, Cassie knew that it would never happen, but even after all these years, her heart still held on to hope when her mind knew that there was none any longer. Any time she was on her shift, whenever she saw a sudden movement from the corner of her eye, she would turn quickly, hoping to see his silhouette but it was always the same. Nothing. Eventually Cassie forced herself to stop looking and continue on with her life.
Today was different. When she returned, she didn't feel the usual cold loneliness she normally felt when she walked inside her apartment. She felt as though she wasn't alone and for a brief moment, she swore she felt a familiar presence. His presence. At first she thought it was just her imagination like the many times before, but she could not shake the feeling that he was actually there.
Her heart nearly skipped a beat at the thought of the Phantom finally returning to her but like so many times, there was only silence and emptiness. She felt ridiculous for even pining after a real-life phantom. She never saw his face or even knew his name. In all aspects, he was only a phantom from her childhood.
Before she could help herself, Cassie felt hot tears begin to form in her eyes. The pain of his abandonment, his broken vow was still fresh in her heart. She still remembered the night when she finally broke down and cried in her friend Ashley's arms. It had finally become too much for her to bear. After that night, she gave up on waiting for a love that would never return, a love she wasn't even sure was anything more than a childish infatuation. However, that still didn't stop her heart from yearning for the Phantom Ranger from time to time. It was in those moments that Cassie would remind herself of his broken promise and forget about him, if only for another night.
"He's gone, Cassie…just forget about him." She whispered, her voice filled with tears, unaware that she was not alone.