A/N: OK, seems that if I upload more than two chapters within a 24 hour period, everything breaks down. So, back to updates every 2-3 days then. Fingers and hooves crossed things will settle back down by then.
Chapter 3: The Power of Ultra
"Tell me you're seeing this as well."
Bri rubbed her eyes, staring in shock at the sight before her. Somehow, her offsider, a man who had been entwined with her family for as long as she could recall, had formed fire out of thin air and used its destructive potential to destroy a…what? An honest to God monster? And that wasn't even touching on the fact that he thought she would willingly leave him – after all, she was his boss, even if they had a friendly relationship. Yet, that all seemed to fade into the background at the impossible sight in front of them, and the feeling that she was on the cusp of having her world upended.
"I'm more surprised about the sudden darkness." Weihan replied in a dry tone. "Seeing as it's almost 9:30am on a cloudless day."
Yes, that was another thing to be freaked out about. Had it only been a few minutes ago that they had been laughing in the ute? When the only thing on the horizon was sweeping up the leaf litter around the annual flower beds? How was this her life and, maddeningly, why did Weihan seem so calm? Nothing like this had ever happened before, right? That thing had even said that no power had touched the world, but if that was the case, why weren't they bleeding out on the pavement? Most worryingly of all, if this was all real and not some shared hallucination, did that mean the things her sister had told her before had actually happened?
She had been too young to understand then, as she had been only five, but from what she had read in her diaries, there had been an incident outside William Blue Hotel Management School in 2003. The news covered it for several weeks before everything fizzled out. Even Bree seemed to lose all recollection of the event, though there had been a few moments in the past…she mentally shook her head. There was no reason to dwell on past memories – not when face to face with whatever this was.
She opened her mouth to speak, but shut it as the words from earlier washed over her. Destined heroes…did the voice mean to include her, or was she just included for the hell of it? Sort of like a 'you're here but whatever this is isn't meant for you anyway, but you have another destiny' thing? She swallowed back the panic bubbling from within and tried to look at it rationally. If she did take up the Power, what would happen to her plans to have a baby and start a family? Would the Power even allow that to happen, or was there a failsafe to stop an innocent life being brought into battle? And, most worrying, when did she begin to capitalise words in her head?
No, she wouldn't take up this opportunity. She would support Weihan every way she possibly could, probably with excuses and the like, but it would take something drastic for her to even consider that as the only option. If there was no other choice or, if by some random chance, Wei wasn't available defend the planet, then, yes, she would do it. An errant thought fluttered through her mind that she had all but cemented in that possibility, but she doubted it. Things just didn't happen on whims of divine authors. Exhaling shakily, she glanced at the Asian again and attempted to force some emotion into her voice; something other than resignation.
"OK, yes, sure, I get that," Bri started haltingly, "but that still doesn't explain what you did just then, why you thought I would be fine with abandoning you to die, what the hell that thing was, and why there are two crystals floating in front of us!"
Oh yeah, she was pissed all right. Weihan internally winced as he tried to make sense of what had happened. He was also trying to formulate an answer that didn't send him straight into a mental health facility…that wasn't working out as well as he wanted. Resigning himself to showing Bri his fanfics later, he looked closer at the crystals. Both were around the same length, roughly a foot long, with a rough conical shape. If he squinted hard enough, he could see dancing images reflected on their surfaces. Images that he had seen in his mind's eye of monsters, battles, and death. He was shaking at the implications as, on some level, he knew what was happening. He had written about it often enough for some phrases to float to the forefront of his mind.
I can see great potential in you. Chapter 19, ironically, the appearance of Apollonia. Guys, I am offering you a once-in-a-lifetime chance to become part of something greater. Chapter 55, the recruitment of the first two Rangers other than himself. The crystals choose you by calling out to their chosen bearer. We fight the battles the Power Rangers can't and we take greater risks for the safety of those we love. Once you accept the Power, the world comes first.
He blinked in surprise. Those final lines had been from Chapter 79 of The Ultra Crystals, where he had put to paper the defining roles and responsibilities of the Ultra Rangers. How was he to know that words he typed on a whim between processing invoices and writing receipts would come back to haunt him? It was almost laughable but, as he had read somewhere, there were no such things as coincidences or random acts.
But, shit, why was he hesitating? He should have been jumping for a chance to live out his fantasies, crushing those opposing him, and to finally, finally, see himself as the Ranger his dreams made him out to be. He could argue with himself that he had seen his Ranger form when he touched the energy coming from the other Liz, or held what he knew to be the Emerald Dragon Crystal Coin in his hand; however, he knew the truth of the matter. He wasn't ready or prepared for any sort of heavy responsibility. He had played fast and loose with life, dipping into immoral things on occasion, getting into all sorts of trouble and mischief. He had managed to ground himself with his relationship to AJ but after January 2021…even with this job, he didn't think he was the responsible type.
The Power thinks otherwise, Weihan Liang.
Great. There was that overwhelming voice again. Interestingly, it didn't sound like a younger version of Jeff Goldblum this time, instead taking on a light and breathy tone akin to a young girl. Shaking that thought out of his mind before it could fully form, he looked at Bri and mentally sighed. She was a mentally strong person with more physical strength than he had at that age. He still struggled to lift weights more than 15kg, whereas he had seen her move things at least twice the weight. All in all, those points coupled with her youth, made her the perfect choice for the Orange Ultra Crystal. It was the obvious choice out of the both of them. Hell, he could even think of several colleagues that would be better suited for it than him – and that was including the newest Team Leader, Lachlan.
So, why was the Orange Crystal still calling out to him? He was content to sit back, with less responsibility, and less burdens. He was definitely not leader material by any stretch of the imagination. He had never wielded a sword or sabre in his life, his hand-to-eye coordination was severely lacking, and his rusty karate skills wouldn't save him much. Hell, it hadn't even saved him against Dream Weaver all those years ago. Was it a predestined thing? The voice had said that they were 'destined heroes', whatever that meant. Was his life leading up to this very moment or was did it get knocked on this track after the events of 2003?
You were always destined for this power, Weihan. Well, Bri was reacting to the voice now, so he supposed it wasn't just in his mind after all. The events of the Crossing, when the monster Dream Weaver invaded your dimension, did little to change things. The power of the Orange Ultra Crystal is yours, if you want it.
"I don't know," he breathed out, "it's too much for me and that's when I convinced myself that this was all just a story I wrote when I was a kid. Am I really the correct choice here? Is there no other person, in seven billion odd humans, who is better suited for this responsibility?"
Unfortunately, no. To its credit, the voice was contrite. We have looked through the hearts and minds of those who came close, only to find them lacking. It has to be you, or Xonix will decimate the planet.
Well, there went the question of who Apollonia's master was – if it was a question at all. Xonix, the overlord he had created as the be-all and end-all of evil, was coming. He didn't know if he could do this with a team of Rangers at his back but, maddeningly, he also didn't want to be flung into a Bad Future where there was no return. Weihan swallowed hard and wondered if, in that universe where The Ultra Crystals was real, if he had second thoughts – thoughts that weren't covered in whatever he wrote.
"Weihan," Bri spoke, her voice wavering. "I don't…you know me, right? We've worked together for the past three months, you know my family, and you know I'm not really cut out for whatever this is. I'm…I'm not forcing you to choose but, well, if I were in your shoes, which is ironic to say because I kind of am, I would take the power and deal with the consequences later."
"Does that mean you'll be taking up the other Crystal?" Great, now he was capitalising words in his speech. He didn't even know how he was doing that. "I mean, if I take up this mantle, I'll need someone capable to watch my back."
"I…" Bri shook her head and prayed to whatever deity was out there that he would understand. "It's not that I don't want to take this Power, it's just that…well, Joshua and I are trying to have a baby, to start a family and…I'm sorry but…this is -"
Weihan exhaled and nodded in reluctant acceptance, the Purple Crystal vanishing into the ether. As she looked at him in relief, he squared his shoulders and reached for the Orange Ultra Crystal. His fingers lightly skimmed the surface, feeling how cool it was to the touch. He didn't know why it hadn't assumed its 3D lightning bolt shape but, to be perfectly honest, he didn't care. That shape was for the other Weihans out there, those that had plenty of time to come into their powers. Drawing the Crystal towards him, he took in a deep breath before shouting out the three words that would change his life forever.
"Ultra Crystal – Energise!"
