daylight_darknight (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
daylight_darknight) wrote2007-10-07 02:47 am
daylight_darknight) wrote2007-10-07 02:47 am
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PR FIC: Once A Ranger Chapter 19
I'm proud of the fact I've been doing so much writing recently, but I just started and failed to complete 4 or 5 fics during the past two weeks. *headdesk* I'm so screwed. At least, I finished this chapter.
Title: Once a Ranger
Characters: Andros, Zhane, Tommy, plus various other people from PRIS, PRZ, MMPR and PRLG
Rating: PG-13
Summary: All Power Rangers are connected, in more ways than one. Questions are answered as the secret of the Power Rangers is revealed.
Previous Chapters
“I know. I know,” said Tommy. “I’ll go talk to him.” And he followed Andros’ path to the back of the ship.
Deflated, Zhane leaned back against the weapons console and hung his head.
“Should we be worried that they might kill each other?” asked the blue zeo ranger.
“No, Rocky,” answered Adam. “Just leave them be.”
“So…” Tanya spoke into the following silence. “Are we heading back to Earth?”
When no one responded, Zhane looked up and was surprised to find everyone looking at him. Of anyone, he thought they’d turn to Billy, being the wiser and more experienced of the Earth rangers. Zhane didn’t consider himself a leader and had never wanted to be. He wasn’t even Andros’ second in command, TJ was, if TJ was still even alive. He swallowed as Billy’s news hit him again. Seeing the others still waiting for direction, he pushed away from the console and stood straight. After all, he supposed it was his ship.
“Set course for Earth. That’s what Andros would want.” Sighing, he added, “If he were thinking straight at the moment.”
Billy moved to Andros’ normal spot at the helm and set in the course.
“Listen, man.” Rocky rubbed the back of his neck not quite meeting Zhane’s eyes. “I’m sorry about what I said before.”
The silver ranger gave a small smile. “Me too. I guess we’ve been spending too much time stuck together on this ship.”
“Under what is definitely not the best of circumstances.”
“Yeah,” Zhane agreed absently. He slumped down in one of the chairs and placed an elbow on a nearby console resting his head on his hand.
Tanya placed a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, you’re not giving up on us too?”
“No, it’s just… I’m tired of not knowing.” He sighed as his mind wandered beyond his friends, unable to help wondering when everyone he cared about would be safe and sound.
It was Andros, head still down, who finally spoke. “Zordon always told me that a ranger never gives up. That that’s what defines us.”
Putting his hands in his pockets, Tommy nodded. “Zordon told me the exact same thing.” He let out a deep breath. “But as much as I respect Zordon, he wasn’t human.”
That made Andros finally look up.
“And we humans sometimes lose hope. Personally I think that’s why rangers aren’t meant to fight alone. When one of us loses hope, the others are there to lend us some of theirs.”
“Right,” replied Andros running his fingers through his long hair. Suddenly, he got up and began digging beneath the mattress of the bunk above his. The bunk, which Tommy knew belonged to Zhane, had such a collection of items stored underneath its mattress that he couldn’t help wondering how the silver ranger slept at night. Finally, Andros found what he was looking for, pulling out a metal flask.
“I knew he’d have some.” Andros unscrewed the lid pouring some of the liquid from the flask into it and handing it to Tommy. “Charelum,” he said in way of explanation.
Though the word was meaningless to Tommy, he got the idea and joined Andros in a drink. He was struck by a heavy sweet taste before the liquid burned his throat. Andros sat back down still holding the bottle. Tommy sat on the bunk across from him.
“Have you really given up all hope?” Tommy had to ask.
“I don’t know. I guess not.” Andros shook his head. “I mean I can’t really stop now after everything. But sometimes I really wish I would. I’m so tired of hoping and searching. I wish I could just crash, break down and leave it all. But I can’t.”
“Because you’re a ranger.”
“And we never give up.” Andros took another sip from the flask. “Except I did once,” he confessed. “I don’t know how much you know about me but once upon a time, I lost pretty much everything. I lost my sister as a child. Then I became a ranger and lost my team, my planet, the rest of my family and my best friend. Then I lost hope. I tried living for vengeance instead and became lost. That’s when I finally met Zordon in person. I must have been shortly after he moved from Earth back to Eltar. He taught me what it truly means to be a ranger. He taught me to have hope again.” He sighed and added, “Then while I’m away on a mission he gets kidnapped. And instead of getting him back look what happened. I failed!” His fingers were gripping the edge of the bunk and he slammed his feet against the floor with his final statement.
“You didn’t fail,” asserted Tommy.
Raising his eyebrows, Andros gave him a look. “Really? That wasn’t your opinion before.”
“Yeah, well… I’ve been known to be wrong before. Even to put my foot in it on a few occasions.”
“I suppose I have too,” Andros admitted with a slight smile.
“You didn’t fail, because you didn’t give up. Exactly as Zordon taught you. You kept trying.” Tommy stood up finding himself suddenly unable to sit still. “Andros, I’m not angry at you. You did what you had to do. I’m really angry at myself. It just took me awhile to realize it.”
Andros frowned. “Why?”
“I was a ranger a long time,” Tommy tried to explain. “And when I stopped, I didn’t know who I was anymore, where I fit in. So I thought it was best that I sever all ties, forget all about being a ranger and leave Angel Grove. I pursued a racing career for a little while, but though I enjoyed it, it was just… meaningless, empty.”
Andros held up the flask offering another drink to Tommy and he accepted gratefully.
“So I quit and came back to Angel Grove,” the zeo ranger continued. “That’s when I found out about the destruction of the Command Centre and Zordon’s kidnapping, months after it had happened. I felt so guilty. I’d been out racing cars when someone I cared about was in the hands of the enemy. If I’d just tried to stay in touch, if I had been there…”
“You couldn’t have known what was going to happen.”
“I know, but it doesn’t make me feel any better.”
“Red rangers. Everything’s our fault.”
“Exactly.” Tommy nodded letting out a dry laugh. He sat back down on the bunk across from Andros. “I actually really admire what you and your rangers did. You fought against impossible odds with no mentor to fall back on, no one to turn to. When we were rangers, Zordon was always there for us. No matter what the problem, whether power ranger related or personal, he always had some wisdom to give. He was our anchor through everything we faced. It’s hard to believe that he’s gone.”
Andros lowered his head. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. You did the right thing. It’s what he wanted. Zordon spent millennia battling the forces of evil. Sacrificing his life to bring it down was just another part of that. He was an amazing person.”
“And a great friend.”
Tommy raised his drink. “To Zordon.”
Meeting his fellow ranger’s gaze, Andros raised his drink in turn. “To Zordon.”
Title: Once a Ranger
Characters: Andros, Zhane, Tommy, plus various other people from PRIS, PRZ, MMPR and PRLG
Rating: PG-13
Summary: All Power Rangers are connected, in more ways than one. Questions are answered as the secret of the Power Rangers is revealed.
Previous Chapters
Once a Ranger
Chapter 19: Understanding
By Daylight
“I know. I know,” said Tommy. “I’ll go talk to him.” And he followed Andros’ path to the back of the ship.
Deflated, Zhane leaned back against the weapons console and hung his head.
“Should we be worried that they might kill each other?” asked the blue zeo ranger.
“No, Rocky,” answered Adam. “Just leave them be.”
“So…” Tanya spoke into the following silence. “Are we heading back to Earth?”
When no one responded, Zhane looked up and was surprised to find everyone looking at him. Of anyone, he thought they’d turn to Billy, being the wiser and more experienced of the Earth rangers. Zhane didn’t consider himself a leader and had never wanted to be. He wasn’t even Andros’ second in command, TJ was, if TJ was still even alive. He swallowed as Billy’s news hit him again. Seeing the others still waiting for direction, he pushed away from the console and stood straight. After all, he supposed it was his ship.
“Set course for Earth. That’s what Andros would want.” Sighing, he added, “If he were thinking straight at the moment.”
Billy moved to Andros’ normal spot at the helm and set in the course.
“Listen, man.” Rocky rubbed the back of his neck not quite meeting Zhane’s eyes. “I’m sorry about what I said before.”
The silver ranger gave a small smile. “Me too. I guess we’ve been spending too much time stuck together on this ship.”
“Under what is definitely not the best of circumstances.”
“Yeah,” Zhane agreed absently. He slumped down in one of the chairs and placed an elbow on a nearby console resting his head on his hand.
Tanya placed a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, you’re not giving up on us too?”
“No, it’s just… I’m tired of not knowing.” He sighed as his mind wandered beyond his friends, unable to help wondering when everyone he cared about would be safe and sound.
oooooo
Tommy found Andros at the back of the ship seated on his bunk, his elbows resting on his knees as he gazed at the floor. The red zeo ranger hesitated in the doorway. His mouth opened and closed several times but nothing came out.
It was Andros, head still down, who finally spoke. “Zordon always told me that a ranger never gives up. That that’s what defines us.”
Putting his hands in his pockets, Tommy nodded. “Zordon told me the exact same thing.” He let out a deep breath. “But as much as I respect Zordon, he wasn’t human.”
That made Andros finally look up.
“And we humans sometimes lose hope. Personally I think that’s why rangers aren’t meant to fight alone. When one of us loses hope, the others are there to lend us some of theirs.”
“Right,” replied Andros running his fingers through his long hair. Suddenly, he got up and began digging beneath the mattress of the bunk above his. The bunk, which Tommy knew belonged to Zhane, had such a collection of items stored underneath its mattress that he couldn’t help wondering how the silver ranger slept at night. Finally, Andros found what he was looking for, pulling out a metal flask.
“I knew he’d have some.” Andros unscrewed the lid pouring some of the liquid from the flask into it and handing it to Tommy. “Charelum,” he said in way of explanation.
Though the word was meaningless to Tommy, he got the idea and joined Andros in a drink. He was struck by a heavy sweet taste before the liquid burned his throat. Andros sat back down still holding the bottle. Tommy sat on the bunk across from him.
“Have you really given up all hope?” Tommy had to ask.
“I don’t know. I guess not.” Andros shook his head. “I mean I can’t really stop now after everything. But sometimes I really wish I would. I’m so tired of hoping and searching. I wish I could just crash, break down and leave it all. But I can’t.”
“Because you’re a ranger.”
“And we never give up.” Andros took another sip from the flask. “Except I did once,” he confessed. “I don’t know how much you know about me but once upon a time, I lost pretty much everything. I lost my sister as a child. Then I became a ranger and lost my team, my planet, the rest of my family and my best friend. Then I lost hope. I tried living for vengeance instead and became lost. That’s when I finally met Zordon in person. I must have been shortly after he moved from Earth back to Eltar. He taught me what it truly means to be a ranger. He taught me to have hope again.” He sighed and added, “Then while I’m away on a mission he gets kidnapped. And instead of getting him back look what happened. I failed!” His fingers were gripping the edge of the bunk and he slammed his feet against the floor with his final statement.
“You didn’t fail,” asserted Tommy.
Raising his eyebrows, Andros gave him a look. “Really? That wasn’t your opinion before.”
“Yeah, well… I’ve been known to be wrong before. Even to put my foot in it on a few occasions.”
“I suppose I have too,” Andros admitted with a slight smile.
“You didn’t fail, because you didn’t give up. Exactly as Zordon taught you. You kept trying.” Tommy stood up finding himself suddenly unable to sit still. “Andros, I’m not angry at you. You did what you had to do. I’m really angry at myself. It just took me awhile to realize it.”
Andros frowned. “Why?”
“I was a ranger a long time,” Tommy tried to explain. “And when I stopped, I didn’t know who I was anymore, where I fit in. So I thought it was best that I sever all ties, forget all about being a ranger and leave Angel Grove. I pursued a racing career for a little while, but though I enjoyed it, it was just… meaningless, empty.”
Andros held up the flask offering another drink to Tommy and he accepted gratefully.
“So I quit and came back to Angel Grove,” the zeo ranger continued. “That’s when I found out about the destruction of the Command Centre and Zordon’s kidnapping, months after it had happened. I felt so guilty. I’d been out racing cars when someone I cared about was in the hands of the enemy. If I’d just tried to stay in touch, if I had been there…”
“You couldn’t have known what was going to happen.”
“I know, but it doesn’t make me feel any better.”
“Red rangers. Everything’s our fault.”
“Exactly.” Tommy nodded letting out a dry laugh. He sat back down on the bunk across from Andros. “I actually really admire what you and your rangers did. You fought against impossible odds with no mentor to fall back on, no one to turn to. When we were rangers, Zordon was always there for us. No matter what the problem, whether power ranger related or personal, he always had some wisdom to give. He was our anchor through everything we faced. It’s hard to believe that he’s gone.”
Andros lowered his head. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. You did the right thing. It’s what he wanted. Zordon spent millennia battling the forces of evil. Sacrificing his life to bring it down was just another part of that. He was an amazing person.”
“And a great friend.”
Tommy raised his drink. “To Zordon.”
Meeting his fellow ranger’s gaze, Andros raised his drink in turn. “To Zordon.”
Next:
Chapter 20: Lost Among Shadows III
Meanwhile back amongst the shadows…
no subject
Apart from that, the interactions between the rangers are just wonderful. There's no automatic friendship and acceptance, but all the tensions that rise between people who are unfamiliar to one another but are forced to work together in close quarters. The division between the old rangers and the new is entirely believeable, with Billy acting as a sort of go-between, one foot in either camp.
Your use of Andros and Zhane's powers as a kind of evil-detector is awesome. The other rangers being mildly freaked out by it is kinda cool, and it really drives home the fact that these two are not from earth. You entirely won me over with little Celestria, despite the fact I usually despise OC children with a passion. Zhane's awareness of his rank within the team is consistent with what we know of him and the astros - they are a military based team, like SPD, and it makes sense that these things would be more of an issue for them than the others.