FF.Net Published version… the one with the much happier ending.
Disclaimer: The author of this piece would like to state that 90% of the characters featured here are properties of BVS Entertainment Inc and not that of the author. 10% of the characters featured here are original creations of the author.
-o-
The last thing he saw was a flash of blinding light. Before that, many images filled his senses. Some pleasant, others not so, but all caused extreme pain that he could not block out. Images of the past, images of his past, images of a past he has no knowledge of, images of possible futures, images of impossible futures… all of them distressing.
Almost instantly, Thomas sat up from his bed. Streaks of sweat crawled down his skin, his heart beating quickly and heavily. Looking at his current surroundings, he realized that he was at home, in bed late at night. It can’t be a dream. he thought conclusively. It seemed too real.
He got up from his bed and slipped into a nearby green robe. He walked around the house slowly, looking at the house in general. He looked out the window and saw his pick-up truck in one piece. A little scratched on the passenger door, but in one piece nonetheless. There was another vehicle nearby; a red Beetle, parked on the driveway in front of the truck. Thomas wondered who left it there.
“Tom?”
A female voice… a familiar voice. Thomas quickly turned around and noticed light emanating from the kitchen. Within the light was a petite brunette wearing a black skirt and off-white top with chin-length hair.
“Kimberly?”
The girl nodded gently, her face showing a sense of relief. “Glad to see you remember.” she teased.
Thomas slumped for a moment, his hand firm over his forehead. Pain was still present, although the feeling of embarrassment slowly eliminated the anguish.
“Feeling alright?” she asked. “You looked like crap.”
Thomas grunted. “Yeah. I’m okay.” His mind wandered to other things and finally it came to him. “How long was I out?”
“Jason and the guys brought you back from the military hospital down south around noon.” Kim answered, noticing Thomas’ confusion. “You were knocked into some trance for several hours.” She pointed to a purple manila folder on the round wooden table. “The official report’s over there if you want it.”
Those details seemed tempting to Thomas… a medical report trying to explain how someone could survive a seemingly inescapable death beam. He had to admit in the humorous possibilities. But for the moment, it didn’t matter. What mattered now was that he was okay.
“Thanks for being here.” he said timidly.
Kim sighed heavily. “Someone had to look after you. Besides,” she hesitated, “I didn’t want to lose you.” She looked both ways and lowered her voice, almost whispering. “I promised the newbie Ranger I wouldn’t tell him, but he accidentally bumped his bike into your truck.”
“Don’t worry.” Thomas answered, smiling. “I won’t go three-sixteen on him.”
Kim giggled. “Good, because I know how upset you can be when someone messes with your prized truck.” She looked out at the truck. “I remember after the match for charity a couple years ago when you bought that truck.” she recounted, “I always wondered where you get cash for buying all these cars, but then Kat told me you took up racing and they paid you good.”
Thomas smiled at the thought, but it didn’t last long. He frowned and turned away. His face filled with sorrow and he struggled to keep them in. A teardrop formed on his right eye and separate to collide with the marble tile. He soon started to breathe heavily.
“Are you alright?” Kim asked nervously.
Thomas shook his head slowly. “This whole thing.” he said softly, a hint of guilt hanging on his every word. “I managed to survive this experience. This whole life-threatening ordeal.” He paused to turn towards a small photograph sitting near by. “I managed to live on, but I couldn’t save Kat.”
Kim stood there in shock. A long forgotten wound suddenly reopened.
Katherine Hillard. The former Pink Zeo Ranger. Kimberly’s successor. Thomas’s would-be-fiancee. Years ago, Kat went missing some time after she along with the others stepped down from their roles as Power Rangers. She had never been heard from since. Unsurprisingly, Thomas blamed himself for not being able to figure out what happened to her. That’s what pretty much drove him away from his friends.
“Don’t say that.” Kim told him, desperately fighting to hold back any tears. “We don’t know what happened to Kat. You can’t blame yourself for something you’ve had no power over.” She placed a hand on Thomas’ arm. “The last thing Kat would want is for you to agonize over her death for the rest of your life.”
She held her grip of his arm, bringing a half-smile to Thomas’ face. “You’re right, Kim. It’s just that stuff like this always open that wound.”
“I know.” he murmured. “I know. Sometimes I wonder why I get caught up in this stuff.”
Kim said nothing. Instead she placed a finger over Thomas’ lips. Thomas felt a slight chill, feeling a peculiar sensation that he hasn’t sensed in a long time. Time seemed to have stopped, all background noise being silent in Thomas’ mind. The next sensation came as a surprise, as his lips pressed against hers.
-o-
“God it’s good to be home.” TJ mused after he set foot on the platform in the NASADA base on Earth. It has taken the Megaship a couple hours at best to get here, and when the Megaship reached Earth orbit, it was a relief to see that the planet was still in one piece and that the Red Rangers took care of the Varox threat. The two Space Rangers, Andros and Zhane, walked out along with TJ and took in the sight of a spacebase with a city backdrop.
“Thanks for tagging along, TJ.” Andros complemented as he extended his right hand.
“No problem.” TJ said, accepting Andros’ hand. “I’m glad I could help.”
TJ extended his hand towards Zhane and Zhane shook it. The blonde-haired Silver Ranger then turned to his partner in red. “Hey, we better get going, Andros.” Zhane said. “You know Ashley’s gonna blow a fuse again.”
Andros’ cheeks turned slightly red upon hearing her name. “She’s been like that since we got engaged.” he said, trying to hide his embarrassment.
TJ couldn’t help but laugh. “Ah, the rigors of married life.”
“Ha ha.” Andros gawked, tapping his fist onto the human’s shoulder. “Anyway, Zhane’s right. We gotta go.” With that said, the two Kerovans walked towards the Megaship, leaving TJ alone to watch as his two friends head back home after a job well done.
He turned away and headed towards the parking lot. He smiled as he approached a tall slender Asian woman leaning on the hood of his red Porche. The woman, in her 30s, waved her hand gently as the Red Turbo Ranger approached her.
“Hello, TJ.” the girl greeted. “I trust your mission went well?”
TJ nodded, a huge grin forming on his face. “Yeah, Cas.” he answered, “We saved the world. Again.”
-o-
Over the course of the day, Kim helped Thomas with the cleaning of the house, as well as some chores and grocery shopping. The past couple of days have been so time consuming and so intense that he has forgotten about the basic maintenance of his own abode above his secret command post. Of course, knowing Thomas’ faulty memory, Kim could understand. By the end of the day, the two were sitting at the back porch, looking on as the sun set behind the grassfields.
“Thanks.” Thomas said softly.
“For what?”
“For being there.”
Kim sighed. “I did what I had to. You’re my friend.”
“We used to be more than that.”
“Yeah.” she replied, looking away, “I know.”
For a brief moment, there was silence. Thomas felt a little uncomfortable, but a brief sense of nostalgia overwhelmed the discomfort. Thomas sighed and took a sip of his water.
“I haven’t felt this way in a long time.” he whispered.
Kim nodded, “Me too.”
Thomas got up from his porch and headed into the kitchen. “I really appreciate you staying with me.” he called over the open window as he reached for something in the white fridge. “I haven’t had much practice cooking anything resembling real food, so how do you feel about some eggs?”
Kim took a moment before answering. “Scrambled, please.”
-o-
In his office, Carter Grayson stared at the blank computer screen, wondering about what to put into his official report. He glanced outside to the viewport, which showed construction crews hard at work to cleaning up the wreckage caused by the recent bomb.
Taking of a sip of his tea, a special blend devised by Cole to help with the healing process, Carter began typing down the first words. He had to choose his words carefully in order to keep anything related to the Rangers out of the report. After two hours of writing, rewriting, and revising his official report, Carter read over the report and laughed.
Forget it, he thought, I’ve had enough excitement for one day.
He promptly clicked Delete and turned off his system, before leaving the office for home.
-o-
Eric Meyers knocked hard on the wooden yellow door. His hands were sweaty and his neck felt tight, even though he was only wearing a black T-shirt with red suit. Maybe it was the roses he held firmly in his hands. When the door opened, a blonde-haired woman peeked out, wearing nothing but an elegant yellow robe. Recognizing the tall, she smiled.
“Eric.” she said softly. Eric figured she just woke up
“Good morning, madame Taylor.” Eric said in an uncharacteristically cheerful tone. “Are you busy today?”
Taylor stared blankly at the Quantum Ranger, before answering. “Are you asking me out?”
Eric considered the question, which made him tense. Finally, he simply answered, “Yes.”
“Well, in that case…” Taylor trailed off and pulled Eric into the house, quickly slamming the door. Across the street, in his red sports car, Wes Collins clapped his hands together and let out a light laugh.
“Way to go, Eric.” he said enthusiastically. “I knew you could do it!”
The door opened again and Eric popped his head out briefly. “GET LOST, COLLINS!” he shouted before slamming the door again. Wes could do nothing but smile at his friend’s fortunes and drove the hummer away.
-o-
Cole,
I’m writing (as in by hand, not by e-mail) to let you know that Tom’s okay. To be honest, I had my doubts, but then again, he and I are getting way too old for this.
You were brave to tag along with us, considering you were the only one without Ranger powers. But I think there’s something we can do to resolve that. Pass by Angel Grove sometime if you’re interested. If not, forget I said anything.
Take care, rookie.
Jason
He read the letter again before folding the sheet into the envelope and inserting the letter into the mailbox. With that piece of business done, Jason Lee Scott turned and went to his custom motorcycle. He made one last look at the tall buildings behind him and smiled. Angel Grove, a small town at one point, has grown into a metropolis in its own right thanks to its distinguished reputation as the birthplace of the Power Rangers.
Content with his business, Jason slipped on a pair of sunglasses and rode towards the mountainside, where he would meet an old friend…
-o-
What had been a powerful weapon of destruction is now floating debris. Even after two hours, the cluttered pieces of rock and metal that had been the Wraith did not float away. In the middle of the debris lies a small purple orb, someone metallic and transparent. After a path was cleared, the orb flew past the debris and headed towards a star in space. Within the orb, one could see an aging sorceress sound asleep. In that sleep, she dreams of a universe ravaged by dark flames. She laughs devilishly as she watches the death and destruction that surrounds her. It is only a dream.
Of course, all that could change soon…
THE END
Well, that’s it. After a longer-than-intended delay, I finally closed the book on this story. Thanks to those who have taken the time to read the story and review it.
