Final Farewell

Her body had moved on its own before she had realized she was leaping to her death… Minh supposed it was poetic in a way, dying the same way as her mother.

Minh was not sure what happened after the curse hit her. She knew she was some place else, maybe for a few seconds or maybe for a few hours. It was difficult to discern.

She was lying down on something soft.

'Am I dead?' was the lingering thought in her mind. She could feel sensations, so she must have a body, right? So, she must be able to see.

She opened her eyes to see the blades of grass in front of her. Minh rested her hands on the grass and lifted herself to a sitting position. She looked around.

She was in a forest, though one covered by a thick mist.

Was this the afterlife? If so, it was completely lonely.

"Minh." A very familiar soft feminine voice called her from behind.

She gasped, turning around, and springing to her feet. She almost could not believe it.

"Mom?" She asked, sobbing as she saw her mother standing in front of her, arms outstretched.

"Mom!" She cried, running to her, and engulfing her in a tight hug. She could feel her mother's breath on her hair, feel her warm embrace. She felt like never letting go. She was home.

They stayed like that for a long time, crying and holding each other till Minh felt her mother pull away from the hug and tenderly caress her cheeks.

"You have grown so much, Minh." Trini sniffed.

"Mom, I miss you so much." Minh sobbed. "Everything is so hard without you."

"I know." Trini sniffed. "I wish I could be there with you."

"It is not fair, mom!" Minh cried.

"I know." Her mother smiled sadly. "But life is never fair."

She wiped the tears of Minh's eyes with her thumb.

"But it is going to be okay, Minh." Trini reassured her. "You are going to be okay."

Her face turned serious. "You have to go back, Minh."

"Mom, no. I don't want to leave you again." She pleaded. "I want to be here. I want to be here with you."

"No." Trini said sternly, placing her hands on her shoulders. "You have your entire life ahead of you. It is not your time yet."

Suddenly the ground trembled and Minh held on to her mother for support. Yells and cries echoed through the forest, the voices of her aunts and uncles, calling out her name, begging her to open her eyes.

Trini smiled.

"See, they are waiting for you. Our family."

"But Rita killed me, didn't she? I wasn't even morphed when the spell hit me and you were destroyed even though you had the protection of your armor." Minh inquired.

"See, the funny thing about dark magic… It always comes at a cost, in this case, Rita's spirit energy. Every time she casts her spells, she loses more power and the subsequent spells are weaker as a result." Trini explained.

"Either way, I can't leave you here alone. I want to stay with you, mom." Minh said tearfully.

Trini smiled. "I am not alone. Listen."

Minh could hear the faint sound of music in the distance.

Her mother took her hand and led her deeper into the forest till they reached a clearing.

Minh gulped. Many people sat together, surrounding a campfire. She spotted a red-haired woman in white gown conversing with a blond woman in a silver dress. She saw someone who resembled her uncle Tommy beside them talking to an elderly man with long curly white hair in green robes. A humanoid bird was amongst the individuals present, clad in flowing silver robes and a scabbard strapped to his back. A bald middle-aged man in grey robes was embracing a younger man in a red hoodie. She saw a skateboard lying at his feet.

And in the center was a man, strumming a guitar. He looked up and halted on seeing her.

He ran up to them anxiously.

"Minh?" Her father looked at her concerned.

He turned to Trini frantically. "What is she doing here?"

"Dad!" Minh cried, hugging him, which he returned after a moment's hesitation. His face was ashen as he kissed her forehead.

"You shouldn't be here, sweetheart." He whispered. "Not this soon."

"She is not." Trini reassured him, joining the hug. "She is just visiting."

Her father let go.

"How?" He asked.

"Doesn't matter." Minh sobbed into his shoulder. "I don't want to leave you guys. I don't want to go back."

Her parents withdrew from the hug. Her father knelt down and looked into her eyes.

"Hey, I know it is scary but you will be okay." He smiled.

"We are always looking after you, Minh." Trini reassured her. "You are never alone."

"But it's hard!" Minh cried. "It's so hard, mom."

"I know that you are angry and I know that you are sad and that's okay." Trini said fiercely, taking her hands.

"But no matter what, you need to keep on living." Ritchie told her. "For yourself. And for us."

"We are so proud of you, Minh." Trini said tearfully.

"But you guys… You weren't supposed to be gone so soon!" Minh bellowed. "You weren't supposed to leave me!"

"I know…" Ritchie said, hugging her. "I know, darling."

Trini kissed her forehead.

"It's not fair." Minh sobbed. "You two were good people! Mom, you were a superhero! How is this fair?"

"It is not, Minh." Trini said somberly. "Minh, bad things happen to good people too. Not everything happens for a reason but this moment we are sharing now… It is a gift! A way for us to properly say goodbye."

"But I don't want to say goodbye! I want to be here with you two." She shook her head.

Her parents shared a worried look.

"Minh, you need to leave. If you stay here for too long, you won't be able to." Ritchie warned.

"Minh, you need to listen to me." Trini held her tightly. "In the grid, we get glimpses to other worlds, other timelines. In most universes, I don't live long enough to have you, Minh. In this world, I was lucky that I got to live beyond my youth, have a family… Minh, you are a miracle… our miracle."

"But-"

Trini held a finger to her lips. "No buts."

Minh sniffed.

"If I go back, am I ever going to see you two again?" She asked.

Trini shook her head, wincing. "Not for a very very long time."

"So, you better have good stories, okay? Live your life to the fullest. Make art. Use your voice. Have adventures." Ritchie smiled at her before sharing a look with Trini. "And have at least one totally epic love."

"And most importantly, be yourself because the very best of us is in you."

Minh cried, unable to stop herself.

"Hey, it's going to be okay." Ritchie consoled her, patting her back.

She threw her arms around her parents.

"I love you, mom, dad!" She bawled.

"And we love you." Trini said.

"Once and always." Ritchie finished.

The earth shook again and a portal opened before them.

"It's here, your way back home." Trini said.

"I love you."

"We love you too. We are so proud of you, Minh." Her father said, hugging her again.

"Minh, one more thing." Trini held her daughter. "Tell Billy I don't blame him for my death and he shouldn't either. Tell him that I have loved him since we were kids and that… I would have said yes."

"I will." Minh nodded.

"Thank Zack for me. Tell him I am at peace knowing he is taking care of you. Tell Jason, Billy, Zack, Kim, Tommy, Nancy and the others I miss them and I love them so much. Tell them that I am looking after them always, just like I am always looking after you. " Trini kissed her forehead before hugging her one final time.

"Also, tell Billy that he should continue trying to find Zordon. He was on the right track, even though things got out of hand." Trini told her.

Minh's eyes widened.

"Zordon is not here in the Grid. He is still in the mortal world somewhere and Billy needs to complete what he started. The good of the universe depends on it. Don't forget to tell him that." Trini said.

Minh gulped.

"Now go." Trini said. "And I love you so much."

Minh closed her eyes, giving her mom a quick hug before running towards the portal, even as she cried uncontrollably.

She looked back to see Trini and Ritchie wave at her.

Minh nodded at them tearfully before jumping into the portal.


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