Shadows in the Glass

by flipgurlpink11

An incident causes Tommy to retire from the Ranger life following the end of his latest tenure. Years later, an unexpected battle between two warring factions will throw him and the original Rangers into the mix fighting not only for the fate of their city, but for the heart of the team.

45. Emotionally Compromised

(Author's Notes: Hey everyone here's Chapter 45 & I hope you all continue to keep the reviews coming. The aftermath of the events at Rideau Circle tests the Rangers' state of minds but Tommy is more preoccupied with other matters as the Emissary looks for retribution.)

Chapter 45: Emotionally Compromised

July 30th, 2009

1:00 p.m

Scott Residence

Angel Grove, CA

Jason arrived home a little after lunch time while Kat finished putting Hazel down for a nap and had Jason's parents pick up the twins for the afternoon. Henry opted to stay home alongside his parents and baby sister since he was worried about his godfather Tommy. The couple stared outside at their longtime friend outside in the backyard sitting quietly on the deck, just like he has done the last few days.

The events at Rideau Circle left the Rangers worn out the last few days and on high alert. However, it wasn't about the battle that got to them, it was the overall aftermath and the struggle to regain their composure and regroup. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for Tommy and more than ever his friends needed to be there for him.

It was the reason why the Rangers refused to leave Tommy alone at his parents' house these last few days due to becoming the emotional wrecking ball he became. They saw first hand Tommy's worst nightmare play out and despite their offer of kind words and reassurance, nothing worked to comfort him. The Rangers lost count in the last few days the number of times they seen Tommy cry an excessive amount of tears until he expunged enough energy to force himself into a restless sleep.

Tommy wasn't the only one left in a distraught state after escaping Rideau Circle. They felt sympathy knowing how much of an emotional toll this fight and conflict between the Garrison and Emissary have taken on him. It was understandable and it was the fear of the unknown for Amelia's fate that haunted Tommy. The Rangers knew about the sacrifices and everything Tommy did to keep Amelia safe and it was the mystery of wondering why he let Kimberly sprint away with their daughter.

There were still a lot of unanswered questions except one thing that was a fact. Things were starting to spiral out of control and it put the Rangers in a very volatile and delicate situation which begs to ask: what was going on? Between unearthing the hole beneath Rideau Circle and the demise of Thea, they were still left on edge wondering what retaliation would await them by the Emissary.

FLASHBACK

Both sides were left speechless after the sudden disappearance of Amelia and Kimberly. All that was left in the aftermath was the beheaded corpse of Thea as a result of the Emissary's attempts to procure the young girl. Unfortunately, both sides didn't take into account the sudden appearance of the Scarlet Sovereign. This time, she came for her own agenda and had no disregard for the people responsible for her second lease in life or for the ten veteran Rangers who were family to her.

In a rare moment of shock value, the leader of the Emissary was left stunned over what transpired. It was odd for the Emissary to display any feelings or emotions but it was uncommon for these ancient immortal beings to behest on a personal level. Never in their existence have they found themselves emotionally compromised by someone who knew how to get the best of them without any remorse or ease.

"If you value leaving these premises in one piece I suggest you do so now before my patience runs its course!" Dalia spoke with a trembling voice laced with shock, denial and anger. "If you want another round with us...then take this deal of parley and leave immediately."

"Dalia it will be our honor to avenge your sister and dispose of these pesky Power Rangers..." Pan smirked wickedly but to his surprise, Dalia interrupted.

"Just get them out of my sight right this minute!" Dalia suddenly yelled before she turned to Tommy giving him a direct warning. "Do not take this "act of mercy" very likely, Tommy. I will get my retribution for what has been done to my sister. Mark my words, Power Ranger someone will be held accountable for my sister's demise! You have no idea of the mayhem and chaos you have unleashed upon this insignificant city. What, are you all for a loss of words too just as we are?"

"You people brought this upon yourselves so don't hold us responsible for what happened to your sister." Tommy scowled angrily. "We didn't deal that death blow to her as much as we would have wanted that satisfaction. However, you can tell Thea knew it and it was by your weapon's hand that led to your sister's demise."

"You better hold your tongue if you dare speak ill about my sister in my presence!" Dalia snapped furiously.

"Hey your sister was no saint and that goes for the rest of you sons of bitches," Jason snapped.

"Maybe Kim disposing your sister was an act out of "mercy" to spare her from the inevitable." Tommy replied angrily. "I don't know what you people did to my wife and I don't know what her motives are thanks to the magic crap you put her through. She is not the weapon you people make her out to be since she's obviously defective. Whatever you did to her can't be undone because the power you gave her, it's burning out of control and spiraling fast. She'll burn everything in her path and silence those who stand in her way. She...she...won't give it up without a fight and she'll run through anybody to get what she wants."

"That is the case but she'll do the same thing to the rest of you Power Rangers." Balor warned them. "However, it was by our hands we gave her life, we can certainly take that from her if that is what needs to be done. Maybe it might be our hands or by yours Tommy you'll end up taking her down once again. Then, we'll procure our key to the future that will ensure our survival."

"I wouldn't be sure about that." Tommy warned them in a darken tone. Deep down he knew his enemies were masking their vulnerability but yet these adversaries' fates were tied to Kimberly's. It would only be a matter of time before they would find a way to get to Amelia again. "I have no sympathy for what Kim did to your sister and I couldn't care less for her. After that stunt she pulled with my daughter, I'm not going to cry any tears over your loss. If I know my wife, part of her will do everything in her power to keep Amelia out of reach from anyone who threatens her daughter."

"Even from you too?! The power of the Scarlet Sovereign runs through the body of Kimberly Hart-Oliver." Dalia replied. "Let me remind you one cannot exist on a half-life existence if one's heart and soul is tattered up into splintered fragments. Restoring a person's beating heart from the void is a fleet beyond imagination. You have inadvertently set this planet on a collision course to witness a power beyond comprehension. Tell me something Tommy, how are you willing to go until you'll be forced to submit and yield?"

"Far beyond the limits of the power I wield because you know damn well what I'll do for my family." Tommy said defiantly as the Rangers made their getaway. He knew they were hellbent on retribution for what Kimberly did to Thea, especially Dalia. Still, everything was up in the air as it was becoming a race to determine Amelia's whereabouts before Kim's time was running up. "We're not choosing sides nor we hold any allegiance to either the Garrison or the Emissary. We fight for each other and for the people we love. It's ironic that it's us that will ultimately decide which side will be victorious in the final chapter of this four thousand year old conflict."

END OF FLASHBACK

Jason and Kat knew what was on Tommy's mind but the others didn't want to bring up the events of Rideau Circle at their falcon's expense. As much as he tried to conceal his emotions, it was obvious that their longtime best friend was suffering and Amelia's disappearance only made the pain worsen. Even Henry was worried about his godfather and the little boy wanted to show his support for his uncle in his time of need.

The of them stepped outside while Tommy continued to sit quietly in the backyard as he's been doing the last few days. He heard his friends coming outside to check up on him like they been doing after he reluctantly accepted their invitation to stay with them ever since the Rideau Circle incident. Sooner or later he had to open up about it, including what he experienced down in the hole under Rideau Circle.

"She let us leave because somehow Kimberly found a way to emotionally compromise the leader of the Emissary." Tommy suddenly spoke much to Jason and Kat's shock.

"What do you mean?" Kat asked.

"My wife came out of her own actions and showed us first hand what she is capable of doing." Tommy answered. "Somehow she got the best of them, especially Dalia by hitting her where it hurts the most."

"What play the role of impromptu executioner?!" Jason asked shockingly. "This is the same Kimberly we're talking about right?! The one that went around Angel Grove the last couple of months dropping lowlife criminals like some sort of vigilante?! The same one who we watched behead another pillar of the Emissary without a blink of an eye?!"

"I know all of that bro, I know all of it because I feel it every time." Tommy said. "I can't know what is going on in her mind because I'm not sure. She's close and within reach but yet, I will always be arm's lengths away from her and I can't reach out to get to her. She knew exactly what she was doing when she killed Thea and for a brief second I felt something inside of Kim when she looked at Amelia."

"What do you think it is you felt?" Kat questioned. "We know that Kim's life is tied to the rest of the Emissary through the Everlasting Spell they casted."

"Except the spell bounds her to them through their remaining life essences." Tommy explained. "Every time one of them dies, it's like the tethers that bind her to their magic breaks off and it makes her stronger. However, because they brought her back using the substance and with her powers of the Crane she possessed, it shattered her soul into fragments. It meant that she is living with a half-life existence, part alive and part not so alive. What I felt back there is Kim attempting to piece together parts of her heart and soul, but she cannot do it..."

"It's because of the Everlasting Spell," Jason said with a sigh.

"Maybe but apparently the powers that be somehow found a way to separate Kim's soul and it can only be felt through this bond with soulmates. It was why I was able to still talk to Shalimar in the spirit world all this time. I was told I have done this before, traveling between the physical and spiritual world, interacting with a person's heart and soul, theoretically. I think...I think it's why she's been able to survive all this time because I inadvertently kept her alive. It was why."

"What do you mean?" Kat asked. "How did you think Kim's been alive this whole time?"

"All this time I was traveling to my personal spirit world, I figured out where each part of Kim's soul went to. One portion of her soul resides in Amelia, another inside of me, another portion that remained within her and the last one which merged with her animal spirit: the crane, Shalimar. But thanks to the Everlasting Spell and the substance, that portion of her soul inside of her animal spirit represented the shadow and light within in and it split when it awakened the shadow inside of her, the Scarlet Sovereign. If you want to be more literal, the part of her soul that is the Scarlet Sovereign is in actuality, the Firebird."

"So you're saying that when those bastards resurrected Kim, it caused Kim's heart and soul to split and share it with three other entities beside herself?" Jason inquired as Tommy reluctantly nodded. "One part of Kim's heart and soul is with you, another part is with Amelia and another portion is with her animal spirit, Shalimar. However, when they resurrected her, the portion with her crane spirit caused a further split when they gave her the power of the Scarlet Sovereign. That portion held by the crane split further between Shalimar and Firebird."

"It's what Amelia meant when she said...when she said to trust her." Tommy said, sighing deep in thought. "It is why...it is why I let Kim take our daughter away. Maybe Amy saw this I don't know, but the power inside of my daughter is stirring. There is nothing the Garrison can do to conceal it's aura and the Emissary are closing in on them. I didn't want this for my little girl. I didn't this to be my family's future and now...now there is more chaos and mayhem."

"But there is that consolation that Amelia is safe with someone her heart trusts." Kat attempted to reassure him. There was a part of her that wonder if her choice of words was the right one to say to Tommy knowing how emotionally conflicted he gets when it comes to his family, especially his wife. "You trust your daughter right?"

"With all my heart and soul...Amelia is the one thing that makes living this unbearable nightmare the reason I'm still here." Tommy continued. "I told my daughter to be brave, selfless and true in the face of danger. I told my seven year old daughter not to be afraid but at the end of the day, she is still a child."

"We know bro but still you we remind ourselves at the end of the day, they're still kids." Jason stated as Tommy sighed.

"And yet she's still vulnerable and it's what scares me..." He whispers. "...My little girl is alone out there without anyone to protect her from the dangers of the world. I don't care if this world wants to take me down and get the best of me. But Amelia...I can't let this world ware her out. I need my daughter to know that no matter what she'll always be safe but how can I do that if I don't know...if I don't know how?"

"You'll always figure out a way Tommy and we all made a promise that we'll be with you all the way." Kat reassured him.

"I made promise that I couldn't make five years ago when I let the Emissary get their hands on Kim. I failed in protecting my pink princess from an impending fate we fought so hard to prevent. I'm not going to put my daughter down that same path her mother was forced to endure." He replied. "That is my family out there and I feel helpless to let them fend for themselves knowing I inadvertently put a target on their backs. I'm in a bind here and when this is all said and done, part of me is scared that I can't fight the hand of fate and destiny without...sacrificing my own just for theirs."

"We won't rest until we knock down the rest of the pillars of the Emissary." Jason assured his best friend. "Two of them have already been disposed of and we're not afraid of getting down and dirty to do so. Like you said we'll fight this war and battle on our own terms. However, we need you Tommy because you're the only one who knows what it will take to come out of this victorious."

"Yeah but you can't imagine how far I'll go to ensure victory." Tommy solemnly spoke up. "One final chapter will be written it's a question of how it will all end."

He already understood the work he had ahead of him in his fleeting task and was still haunted by his encounter beneath the city. Yet, the cryptic warning of the upcoming battle ahead loomed over him wondering how much more of his fragile heart's desires he had to sacrifice for the greater good. If he had to reach down to the deepest core of himself to ensure it what will become of him when the dust settles?

He unintentionally released his daughter into the hands of his wayward, lost pink crane. They were out there on their own and after what happened at Rideau Circle, part of him felt that at this point their adversaries are regretting investing the last of their resources in their weapon. There is no point on choosing a side or staying neutral because the rules were changing constantly. For Tommy, it would be a matter of time before everything will soon become a free for all on both ends of shadow and light.

3:30 p.m

Somewhere outside of Angel Grove

There was something about familiar about the cabin they spent the last few days retreating to. However, Amelia knew exactly where her mother sprinted them away to if only her mom can recall the memories of the happier times as Kimberly Hart-Oliver. It would be only be a matter of time before someone would find them if it either be the Garrison or the Emissary.

It was fortunate that the owners of the lakeside cabin weren't vacationing but it was fully stocked with the essentials and had some change of clothes for the duo. There wasn't much interaction between mother and daughter with the exception of meals and bedtime rituals. Overall, Amelia knew her mom was true to her word and for now they were out of harm's way.

However, the young girl couldn't shake the feeling of her father's despair and worry from her mind. Amelia missed her dad and more than ever all she wished her was for her father to stop suffering from being separated from her mother. She understood her father's struggle and just when they were mere inches from one another, they are abruptly divided by the wildcard hand of fate.

She heard the stories about her parents' history and epic love story and how over the years they have overcome and endured the trials and tribulations. More than ever Amelia wished there was something she could do to give her mom and dad the happily ever after they deserved. Despite everything, there was always that part of Tommy and Kimberly that remained deep down that couldn't forget about one another.

Maybe it was what compelled Kimberly to whisked her and Amelia to Tommy's uncle's cabin of all places. Or the other possible reason was because it was one of the few places her mother couldn't forget that held special memories of the life she knew once upon a time. Whatever the colliding forces were inside of Kimberly, it was becoming this internal struggle to find a balance to keep both the light and shadow at bay.

All Kimberly knew was that the moment she disposed of Thea back in Rideau Circle, it became clear that she needed to break the chains that were binding her. For each pillar she knocked down, she felt a massive surge of power coursing through her. Unfortunately, where she felt invincibility, there was also vulnerability which became unbearable and bringing her closer to that empty edge attempting to swallow her. It was why Amelia's presence and being at this remote cabin was temporary soothing the combustible power struggle inside of her.

"Are you okay, mommy?" Amelia asked finding her mother sitting outside once again staring aimlessly at the remote lake.

"I think I'll be alright. I hope to be alright soon, Amelia." she simply said. "I like it here. It's very peaceful and quiet. I think I was here a long time ago with...with him."

"Do you know where we are and where you brought us?" Amelia asked taking a seat next to her mom. "We were here a long time ago when I was a baby. My dad says that he's been coming up to this place for as long as he could remember."

"Maybe that's why I brought us here because...it's a place I can't forget either." she explained. "Your dad, I think I was here with him long ago. I get flashes, memories, fragments of a life I need...no, I'm compelled to remember. It doesn't hurt as much, but remembering it all becomes a struggle unless you're here. I feel things, thoughts and emotions from people that matter to me: I feel yours and that of Tommy."

"Me too I feel what you and daddy feel sometimes because of the tingling feeling inside of me." Amelia muttered pointing to her bracelet. "It makes me do things but sometimes it makes you and daddy act funny. The people in the forest called the Garrison tried to hide my special powers from the bad guys by making me and dad wear these special jewelries. Those people in the building called the Emissary want me to do something that can hurt a lot of people. They been fighting for a long time."

"Why do these people want you for your power?" Kimberly reluctantly asked. "What makes you a very special little girl, Amelia?"

"It's because I'm your daughter and you and dad are very powerful everyone says. You don't remember because of the special magic those Emissary people used on you to pull you out of empty place. No matter what you're my mommy even if you don't remember me or daddy and I hate seeing him sad because of what happened to you. I know part of you remembers daddy because you never hurt him and he keeps finding you no matter where you go. Daddy always used to say "always and forever" is your eternal promise to each other because he loves you."

"That promise of always and forever...I can't forget it can I?" she asked. "I think that is more than just him and me, but to you too." She saw the little girl nod her head and let out a small chuckle. Something about Amelia complexed her and whatever it was this little girl possessed, it was strong enough to keep the conflicting power struggle raging inside of Kimberly at bay. She took a deep breath and then continued.

"I saw flashes of a young couple who spent a lot of time here." She recalled deep in thought. "They had very fond memories at this cabin together. They were very much in love and talked about all their dreams and aspirations in life." Amelia saw her mother let out a sigh and a slight smirk before continuing. "This place holds a special place in Tommy's heart doesn't it? The more I remember, the more it becomes a tug of war trying to balance the light and shadow within."

"There are some places deep within our hearts and soul we can never forget." She started recalling something Tommy told her back in the desert of the old Command Center and for some reason it stayed with her. "Although inside of us we're damaged, the memories stay constant and we can never forget the longing we desire and yearn for..."

"Are you okay, mommy? Is something wrong?" Amelia asked snapping her mom out of her daydream.

"Does it hurt to remember things? I know I'm not...I'm not me or normal but something calls out to me in the distance. I know something happened to me and it's like pieces of me are scattered all over the place. I can't control this thing inside of me but it itches to come out every single time." Kimberly said. "I think I'm the Scarlet Sovereign, the weapon of the Emissary to serve life itself. However, I think I went by a different name in a previous life, Kimberly Hart-Oliver. That life beckons me to remember it because someone is telling me to wake up. These voices, they call to me from both sides but nothing beats in the void like I'm missing something. What is it I'm missing?"

"You're missing the part of you that remembered loving daddy and me," Amelia answered, though she hinted a bit of sadness in the little girl's voice. "Why do you hurt daddy by not knowing us? Is it because those bad people made you forget about us? It makes daddy sad whenever you go away again."

"I...I...I can't help it and something is happening to me like I'm running on a limited amount of time. Those people, the Emissary gave me another lease on life by pulling me from the void. They brought me back but I'm not...I'm not the person he thinks I am. But your dad, for some reason I can't forget him and...and..."

"What is it?" she asked.

"...And maybe he's the one that the voices also call to in the far distance. I owe him a debt for my freedom and in return I must repay that debt. He's like me, an unyielding spirit who doesn't answer to anyone but their own. However, there is this divide that separates us and our own convictions are different from one another. Yet, we are bound by one common factor, making sure you are safe."

"I trust my dad...and I trust you because you're my mommy whether you know it or not." She reassured her mother. "They're going to come for you because of the funny tingling feeling inside of you. Also, you killed somebody in front of everybody."

"They don't know what I'm capable of but I must do what is necessary to achieve what I desire." She simply stated. "However, I did give my word to Tommy to keep you safe because there are forces out there who want to make you suppress the power you possess or use it for their own devices. I for one find it a travesty that no one hasn't give you a full understanding of the power you possess kiddo. Is that why you chose to come with me?"

"I wanted to be with my mommy to keep her safe because that funny tingling feeling inside of you is going to make you do weird things again. Daddy trusts me and he knows you won't let anyone hurt me. You're looking for something and I think...I think I have to help you find it. Is daddy going to find you again?"

"It's what he does because I think that's Tommy's nature." Kimberly replied looking at her daughter. "I think you're suppose to help me find something I need and I gave your dad my word to keep you safe. No one will make you yield the power you wield. It shouldn't be restrained or conceal and I will do what needs to be done to make sure that power remains unbound and free. Remember, you are in control of the power possess and with it...comes great untapped potential waiting to be unlocked."

5:30 p.m

Reefside Forest

Reefside, CA

"The spirits are stirring and there is a drastic shift in power." Dulcea replied looking at the cauldron on the plateau as the wind continued to shift in another direction. "The balance of light and shadow beats erratically. It calls to them, the Great Power for everything to come in full circle. The power within will no longer yield to its confinement."

"And thus another pillar of the Emissary is demolished by the hands of their own weapon." Zordon confirmed as glanced over the landscape of the hidden Ninjetti kingdom and let out a deep sigh. The ancient being of Eltar felt a sense of inner turmoil and a struggle of balance in the atmosphere knowing the aura that is currently undergoing it.

"Our fabled and wayward ladyship is breaking the chains that bind her isn't she?" Dulcea muttered.

"The consequences of chaos' ladder spiraling out of control and now our lost pink crane is acting upon her own convictions though time is limited. She has emotionally compromised the Emissary to the brink of yielding to the power she wields. There is a heartbeat attempting to steady the bloodlust and fire burning within our crowned ladyship of the Skies." Zordon explained staring at the cauldron. "What is the status of our leftover contingency?"

"Jade is holding together the last of our forces at the Monument Valley sanctum." Dulcea reported. "The Phantoms are disposing of any sleeper cells still active and attempting to hunt down our allies. Roxas remains out in the field keeping an eye of suspicious activity going on in Angel Grove. We have doubled patrol around the area should be prepare for another confrontation with the Emissary."

In the middle of their conversations, the duo turned their attention to Quinn who had recently returned from another pilgrimage near the mountain terrains. The remaining founders of the Garrison took notice of Quinn's recent trips deep into the mountains. They all knew the history behind those past pilgrimages or quests many have embarked upon in the past during the golden days of the Ninjetti Order and the hidden kingdom.

"I see the ancient spirits have given you sanctuary on your travels along the mountain pass, old friend." Zordon said with a slight smile. "Do the restless wayfarer wanderers still whisper their infinite guidance and wisdom?"

"The terrain hasn't changed much no matter how much time passes or the landscape changes." Quinn addressed the duo. "Yet, the whispering "wayfarer wanderers" as you call them my comrades are answering the call. It's waking up what has longed slumbered in the void, answering to the beckoning force in the distance. The heartbeat of these fabled lands is thriving."

"So the question begs is will our destined lordship and the bloodline be ready to take flight?" Dulcea replied. "The essence of the Great Power stirs and the spirits remain restless as long as this conflict between the Emissary and Garrison continues to be written in blood and violence. The future is clouded and uncertain and the traditions and history of this organization and order is under question."

"Maybe...maybe that is the key to finally closing this four thousand year old chapter will come down to unpredictability and uncertainty of the unknown." Quinn said with a sense of firm conviction. "Besides, this new order you've chosen to uphold the Ninjetti are individuals who specialize in being unorthodox and unpredictable? Maybe it's time that tradition...tradition changes and the rules are redesigned."

6:00 p.m

Downtown Angel Grove

Back in Angel Grove, Justin was on the phone finishing talking to Jason and Kat getting the latest update on Tommy. As for the rest of the original Rangers, they were back at Dune Lion Records reviewing the intel they got from the drone from their exploration beneath Rideau Circle. Unfortunately, the events of the last few days left the Ranger teams currently stationed in the city on edge worried about retaliation from the Emissary and the current whereabouts of Kimberly and Amelia.

The P.I in training prompted the young Ninjetti Green Ranger to hit the streets hoping to gain intel on the Emissary's latest activities in the city. For the rest of the original veterans, the other Ninjetti Rangers knew too well about their young friend's history of going "off the books" and wanted to make sure Justin wasn't going gung ho.

Much to the young man's surprise, he found himself being tailed by TJ and Cassie under the orders of Jason and the others to provide Justin backup. For the last hour, the trio staked out Rideau Circle from the Coffee Beanery shop across the street. They saw activity happening awhile later when Salazar emerged from the building with a bunch of Malo's old youth underlings instructing the youngsters to head to the docks.

Recalling the tragic death of Nico's brother, Arturo due to his involvement with the Emissary's youth groups the trio tailed the youths to the docks. However, upon their arrival at the docks, the three Rangers were in for a stunning scene once they arrived near the pier. To their horror, they found the entire youth group disposed without alerting screams of suspicious activity. They caught a glimpse of the perpetrators responsible for disposing of the Emissary's underlings who looked like ancient ninja like warriors who moved like ghosts with soundless steps and swiftness. One of them caught Justin, TJ & Cassie spying on them and about to advance towards.

"Stay where you are!" A voice ordered one of the warriors advancing towards the trio. "They are not to be harmed. These are the Power Rangers, no one is to harm them."

"You're the one responsible for this?!" Justin replied looking around watching as it looked like a crime scene was being wiped clean and spotless. Much to TJ and Cassie's surprise, there was something familiar about the man who inadvertently kept them from further harm.

Unfortunately, for Justin the last thing they needed was to be subjected to another one of the Garrison's questionable battle tactics. They haven't seen Roxas since the battle at the Monument Valley Garrison Sanctum, but these days they were skeptical of another encounter with the remaining founders.

"We meet again, Justin it's been awhile." Roxas said casually. "TJ Johnson and Cassie Chan, it's a pleasure seeing you two Space Rangers again."

"I'm sorry, but do we know you?" Cassie asked suspiciously. "You seem to know us like we're old acquaintances..."

"What the hell is this? Did you realize what you guys have done?!" Justin snapped much to his friends dismay at the mysterious stranger. "Hey we don't go around Angel Grove killing anyone as we please. Those kids you and your buddies just quietly disposed of had families. Is it the Garrison's policy to get rid of any Emissary opposition regardless of their age, Roxas?"

"It was necessary to take out any threats that remained obstacles in the Garrison's way." Roxas explained. "I know you have strong oppositions to our methods and ideologies but we have been at this for many eons fighting against the Emissary. They maybe youths, but still they are soldiers fighting alongside our adversaries and we couldn't let proceed with their orders given to them by the pillars."

"Orders? What orders are you talking about?" TJ asked.

"If you know something, please share with us if you say we fight the same common enemy." Cassie replied pleading with Roxas. For Justin, he wasn't sure if he should share with TJ and Cassie the truth about the Garrison's true identities, especially Roxas. It was evident there was still a connection after all these years and Roxas still held a upmost respect for the Pink Space Ranger. Even when was known as the Phantom Ranger back in the day, the mutual respect remained in tact. "A little girl's life is at stake on this."

"I know who you're talking about, the heir apparent of the Bloodline of Power. The little defender of the Winged Lord and Lady of the Skies." Roxas stated. "Yet, we were caught off guard with the events that transpired at Rideau Circle and now the wayward lost crane is out, both bound and unbound but with her power peaking with each pillar that is knocked down."

"Please, if you have any information about how to save Kim and find Amelia please tell us." Justin said sincerely. "Quinn said that there are repercussions to that Everlasting Spell they cast upon Kim and themselves. He likes to call it "the spell on constant recall" which means there is always major glitches whenever it's casted. After what she did to Thea we're worried that the Emissary will seek retaliation, especially Dalia. Somehow, for everyone of those pillars that dies, Kim gets stronger and parts of her starts recalling her old life. It's a side effect isn't it?"

"It's more than just worrying about the Emissary's retaliation or Dalia's revenge for the death of her sister." Roxas added letting out a slight smirk. "Quinn is right to call the Everlasting Spell the spell on constant recall because you don't cast it upon someone whose very heart and soul is splintered and fragmented. It was...it was never meant to be cast upon someone who is residing to a half-life existence, yet our wayward ladyship is persistent. There is a domino effect at work here should she attempt to unbind herself from the chains that keep her bound to the Emissary. But..."

"There is always a but to this explanation." Justin said crossing his arms.

"The weapon our adversaries activated reawakened the dormant part of the ladyship's fragmented heart and soul. It was the looming shadow that lurked behind the scenes and those bastards woke it up. It was known as the Scarlet Sovereign but like your emotionally compromised lordship, he too has both his beckoning light and looming shadow to contend with, just as she does." Roxas continued as the trio continued to uneasily watch the Garrison's elite agents, the Phantoms dispose of the dead youths. "He has his white falcon and the burning rage of the green Dragon to contend with, your wayward ladyship has her agile crane and the fiery Firebird within her."

"So why go through all this trouble to dispose of a bunch of lesser underlings then?" TJ asked. "You know you people just committed murder once the police find out."

"It was necessary in order...to give your lordship a twenty-four hour head start before the Emissary and Garrison will descend upon his loved ones to correct a lapse error of judgment." Roxas reluctantly replied as Justin picked up on what the Garrison member hinted. "Those underlings under Salazar's orders were sent to rectify the problem they created and keep it under containment. They will then proceed to retrieve the key component they require to end this war. I...I was given a request to stand down."

"Stand down for what?" Cassie asked warily but then she saw that Justin proceeded to pull out his cellphone. She and TJ were confused by Roxas' comments or the scene they stumbled upon. Just when they were about to interrogate him again for more answers, the trio saw that Roxas and his followers suddenly gone from the scene. "Wait, where did he go? Justin, who was that guy and what is with all the cryptic talk going on?"

"One of the last surviving founding members of the Garrison goes by the name Roxas." Justin answered while he quickly started sending a text message. He reassured his friends once they met up with the others he'll explain to them everything.

For a moment Justin stared intensely at his phone screen with a sense of uncertainty hanging over his head. If he sent this message out to Tommy then he will have this feeling that whatever the next course of action will occur, it will eventually be set in motion by their fearless leader. After all, with emotions running high and rampant, the only thing they can do is anticipate the results as Justin hit the send button.

Meanwhile...

It didn't take too long for Justin's text message to reach the already emotionally conflicted White Ranger once he contacted Billy and requested a teleportation to his uncle's cabin by the lake. He dodged any questions from his friends as to his reasons for going there, but with their friend's emotional state, they let him be. Unbeknownst to the others with the exception of Justin, it was a matter of business once he arrived at his destination.

The place looked like it has been kept under good condition and someone had maintained the upkeep at the cabin that remained a focal destination throughout Tommy's entire life. He approached the property as he recalled all the fond memories he had back in the day at his uncle's cabin. It was more than just a vacation getaway for him away from the bustling city life in Angel Grove.

Tommy recalled coming up to his uncle's cabin as a sanctuary retreat at times he needed to collect his thoughts and reflect on life in general. It was also a place that held a special place in the storybook love story history of Tommy Oliver and Kimberly Hart. With each step closer to the cabin, memories of the life that seemed like a long ago distant past played in his mind. The memories of the days of young teenage lovers professing their feelings for one another, their first time together, weekend getaways with each other and friends, and a rarity of one of the only few times they visited his uncle's cabin as newlyweds.

Then it hit him that the last time he visited his uncle's cabin was over six years ago during the early years of Amelia's life. He heard the sound of laughter in the distance of a child playing with a young woman carefully keeping watch over the girl. Maybe it was an illusion but, the sound of the girl's innocent voice brought Tommy back to reality and he figured that despite it all, part of him knew that a promise was kept subconsciously.

Moments later, the young girl stopped playing sensing an all familiar presence she had long awaited to see these last few days. There was a sense of relief that washed over the woman's face who kept the child company. A magnitude of emotions came over Tommy at the sight upon him and all that mattered was that no matter the circumstances before him, he would eventually find them: his family, his wife and daughter.

"Daddy? Daddy you found us! You're here, you're here you found us!" Amelia smiled running towards her father. Instantly, the little girl jumped into Tommy's arms as he embraced his little princess. Tommy breathed a sigh of relief that his daughter wasn't harmed or injured.

"Amelia, oh princess thank goodness you're alright." Tommy replied smiling while he examined his daughter. "Let me look at you. You're alright, you're not injured or hurt."

"I'm sorry I scared you daddy but you trusted me right? Did you trust me I be okay daddy?"

"Of course I did and I know...I know that you were probably brave and strong like how me and...mommy wanted you to be." The last part of his statement alerted a familiar presence he longed to see again. Tommy diverted his attention to find his wayward and beloved pink crane staring at both father and daughter. To his startled surprise, her attire was different as she was dressed in civilian clothing. She was a resemblance of the Kimberly Hart-Oliver he fell in love with as a teenager.

"I kept my word I keep...I keep...our daughter safe." Kimberly spoke nervously to Tommy's stunned reaction that she acknowledged Amelia as "their" daughter. "I know how much she means to you, Tommy. She...also does mean something to me for reasons that are as the same as yours."

"Kimberly..." Tommy murmured speaking her name like a distant daydream. He released his hold from their daughter and slowly, but cautiously made his way towards his beloved wife. It was an initial instinct for him to stop within an arm's length distance from her knowing all too well how many times he counted that she'll once again slip away from his grasp.

"You found me again like you always do." She simply said. "You look well."

"Are you okay, Beautiful? Are you well?"

"I think I'm fine and the more I'm here it seems like I'm piecing together the life I once lived or knew as Kimberly Hart-Oliver." She replied. "It must be the reason why I chose this location. Why I chose to hide out here with Amelia away from all of this. This is a place I'll remember because deep in our hearts and soul some places we can't forget. We had some special memories here didn't we, Tommy?"

"We did and they were memories I can never forget no matter how much time passes, Kim." He answered as tears slowly caused his eyes to get wet. Amelia watched her dad dealing with a multiple of emotions and it can only be due to her mother. "Those memories are what get me through the day. They're both my strength, weakness, dreams, nightmares, everything rolled into one because they were what I had to keep you alive."

"And yet you risked yourself once more for a fleet of unimaginable odds?" She asked. "No matter how much pain and agony it will cost you and how emotionally compromise you'll become? Why do you make yourself endure all of this? I sense something powerful in you but it's channeled by the deepest thoughts, emotions and desires your heart and soul possesses. It's unyielding and no matter how many times you try to keep it at bay, it will unleash itself."

"Only because the people I love are being threatened by my enemies and for nearly two decades we been on the frontlines of someone else's war." Tommy said softly. "I've sacrificed so much for the greater good at the cost of my own future and that of my family. I've done things where I cross the line and my moral compass is tested at every turn. I've known you since we were kids and we had our lives dictated to us, predetermined by the hand of fate and destiny. We have been soldiers to fight in a war we didn't ask for and no matter how tired and spent it makes me, I still fight because I have to. I have to endure what gets thrown my way."

"Then I complement you on your tenacity, Tommy." She watched as he instructed Amelia to give them a moment alone. It was a scenario that felt familiar to her from her previous life. To his surprise, it was as if for a rare moment shades of the old Kimberly were resurfacing. "This is a familiar situation...something I experienced before a long time ago when I was her age. Did...did was my family...like yours? The one I grew up with?"

"We both came from different family backgrounds I can tell you that." He slightly chuckled explaining. "Probably it was why it meant a lot to us when we had Amelia, to have a family we can finally call our own. You came from a broken family because your parents divorced when you were eleven years old. It was why you ended up going to Algoma Summer Camp that year and you told me you wanted to get away from your parents' constant fighting. With me, I wouldn't say I came from a broken family but I grew up in one that I wasn't related by blood to. It comes with the territory of being an adopted child and then growing up wondering the truth about your biological origins."

Tommy could tell that those were the last memories Kimberly wanted to regain about her life. He knew in the past that she had a hard time dealing with her parents' divorce and the subsequent move of her father and brother Kenny to Greenwich, Connecticut afterwards. If there was some sense of restoring remnants of his beloved pink crane back, it meant recalling everything from the good, the bad, and everything in between.

Yet, to bring up his own experience of life as an adopted child also came with the concept of recalling both the positive and traumatic memories they experienced. Maybe it was why he was drawn to her a long time ago during that fateful summer at Algoma Summer Camp when they were kids. Whether their encounter as children was predestined or one based on their own accords, Tommy knew that somehow Kimberly would be the constant that remained prominent in his life.

"Was it why it was important for you to have a family to call your own because of the family situations I...we...grew up with?" Kimberly asked murmuring. "I came from a broken family and you came from one that you weren't related by blood. Maybe we were drawn to one another because of it."

"Who knows but since that day you remained a constant I couldn't live without in my life." Tommy replied. "...Whether you remember or not. I guess my emotions go rampant and I become compromise when it comes to you and Amelia which is why I'm here."

"Daddy, what's wrong? What's going on?" Amelia asked approaching her parents again and looking at her father. She felt the emotional turmoil brewing inside of him once again and suddenly reached out to grab his hand. "I can feel you're sad again, daddy. Something is going to happen, is it?"

"It's me isn't it? Am I the one that is the cause of your inner turmoil?" Kimberly replied sensing reluctance within Tommy as moments after Amelia reached out her other hand to grab a hold of Kimberly's. "Amelia, what are you doing? Why are you holding both our hands?"

"I needed to know what it feels like before it goes away...again. Please, I want to feel it for a few minutes." Amelia pleaded.

"What are you talking about, kiddo?" Tommy asked as Amelia continued to hold onto their hands.

"I want to know what it feels like...to finally have my mommy and daddy together with me." Amelia said as their daughter's words somehow reawakened a small spark of hope buried deep in the void. Somehow, deep down Kimberly felt these two held the fragments of that could give her back what she longed desired. For Tommy, he was living his current state of life by mere moments and minutes before it vanishes in a blink of an eye. If only he could somehow make these minutes permanent.

"Now I know what it feels like to finally have my mommy and daddy back." Amelia replied. "It's actually real because you both feel it too. What it's like to be a family."

"Baby girl more than anything that is all I want, all I ever dreamed about every night for us to be a family when the impossible couldn't be possible." Tommy said. "You have no idea how long it has been waiting for this day, even if it can only last for a few minutes. More than anything your happiness and future is what I fight for, sweetie."

"However, like you said it can only last for a few minutes can it?" Kimberly asked as the young girl reluctantly released her parents' hands. "I don't know the current state of my existence and I know I'm running on borrowed time aren't I? Yet, somehow you two have peaked my intrigue and the more these chains that bind me break, the more of myself is released. So tell me again Tommy, do I cause your inner turmoil at the cost of depriving Amelia the future you fight in her name?"

"Despite all the inner turmoil you think you'll cause me, all the pain, heartache and anguish I have to endure, I'll gladly go through all of it." Tommy replied. "I've had practice over the years and you know what is going to happen next do you, Beautiful? Consequences be damned and don't...don't ever once think you're the cause of all of this. As I said I'll take everything that comes my way: the good, the bad and everything in between."

Once she heard the familiar nickname her subconscious committed to memory, she reluctantly took one step back. Again, Amelia found herself caught in the middle of what felt like a recurring routine that had become a custom in this ongoing battle.

"...I know you will because it's who you are, Tommy." Kimberly said firmly. "However, you know what I must do although it will put us at a crossroads once again that you leave us at a standstill. The life I knew before this current state of existence continues to lurk behind the scenes. You already given me my freedom out in the great wide open, what more do you want from me? Whatever comes next or the actions I must take to obtain what I need, will you be held accountable for the repercussions ahead?"

"They'll come for you, both the Garrison and the Emissary because of what happened at Rideau Circle. No one knows you're here and it's why you got a twenty-four hour head start before the chase begins." Tommy softly said. "I know you'll endure and survive out there because whenever I find you, part of me gets a sense of reassurance that the promise we made to each other still remains in tact. If I'm held reliable for what happens on the field, then it is because of the choices I make for the ones I love."

"...Always and forever?" She replied as she prepared to depart once again. However, she stopped and then turned back to face Tommy and Amelia.

"Yeah, always and forever, Beautiful. I'm not letting go of that vow because it's never the end for us, trust me." Amelia looked at her mother and she felt that sting of pain that her momentarily feeling of having her parents again will vanish once again.

"Please, will I see you again mommy?" Amelia asked.

"Our paths will cross once again I promise you that." She bent down and saw the locket around Amelia's neck and opened it. Inside she stared at the pictures inside the locket to find both a picture of her and Tommy inside. She closed it as her finger brushed the star symbol on the front. "Hold onto that keepsake until then, little defender."

"Daddy says it's my constant to remind me of who you are mommy." Amelia smiled and much to Tommy's surprise saw a rare smile form across his wife's face by their daughter's remarks. "He says I have your smile mommy and he is right. You're going away because the funny tingling feeling inside is making you leave?"

"I must do what is necessary in order to obtain what I desire, even if it means taking the freedom your father gave me." Kimberly stated firmly. "Once again Tommy you have taken on another burden upon yourself to bare. Yet, you do this for the sake of her...for our daughter."

"Yeah, for Amelia's future knowing I have to fight for it in the middle of a warzone I tried to walkaway from years ago. You know, we found ourselves at this similar crossroads five years ago planning to runaway from all of this and leave it behind for Amelia's sake. It...it was never my intention to find myself back on the battlefield and that is something I want you to know. All those years I spent mourning your loss, blaming myself for what happened, the one thing I could never get rid of was my love for you."

"And yet you find yourself back in the warzone fighting someone else's war. Running isn't freedom and I will not hold myself back for what I must do next. This current existence I'm currently resided to has its limits doesn't it?" she asked as Tommy reluctantly nodded in confirmation her suspicion. "You and Amelia, somehow are essential in what I desire and yet as much as I want to relieve you of your emotional turmoil, circumstances prohibits it."

"If only you can wake up this will all stop..." Tommy said sighing. "Next time if our paths cross again, believe me when I say circumstances will be different the longer we remain locked in this warzone. The next time I find you again, I will not hold myself back from doing what I must to finish what I started five years ago, Beautiful."

"I wouldn't expect less from you to show me the true power you wield." Kim said as she started to make her getaway. "I know you'll always find me again, Handsome."

For a moment it looked like she hesitated to leave behind the "family" her memories began to recall. It was the life of Kimberly Hart-Oliver but right now she was nothing more than a shell currently residing a half-life existence on borrowed time. Instead, she didn't look back at them and for a moment she felt something she longed thought was irrelevant in her current state. She felt empathy for the father and daughter that quietly stood and watch her depart.

Never in a million years did Tommy expect to hear his pink princess speak his familiar nickname. Once she got her head start he inadvertently gave her, reality settled in. She was still inside Tommy knew that, but the next time they find each other again circumstances will change and alter the outcome the impending final chapter.