Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
TOMORROW'S GREEN RANGER
Written by Red
Falcon
(SEE MAIN PAGE FOR DISCLAIMERS)
***************************************************************************
From the vantage of Aaron Oliver ,
her father did become the Evil Green Ranger and all the troubles
that went with it. She is planning to change that. Also, in this
future the world knows who the Power Rangers are, so don't have
a cow. Ha, Ha, Ha.
***************************************************************************
"Aaron, you
can't do this to me, to us. Damn it, I thought you changed. You're
still only thinking of yourself. Get back into bed and let the
doctors check you over." her father says.
"What's the
point ? I know what they're going to say. Zordon already told
me after that last fight with Magna and his goons. I'm dying and
there's nothing anyone can do about it. I'm not going to spent
my last days in a hospital and that's that. I've got to finish
that energy project Mark and I were working on and I need something
from the Command Center. Don't worry, dad, I'll be all right.
What more can that bastard, JorGon, do to me, now, huh ? I do
love you, no matter what happens that will never change. I've
got to go." Aaron says.
She finishes getting
dressed and walks out of the hospital. When she is a good distance
away from him, she teleports to the Command Center. When the field
dissipates she falls into Alpha startling him badly.
"Aaron, what
are you doing here ? You should still be in the hospital."
he asks.
"I couldn't
stand it anymore. Is it ready ?" she says. She looks up at
Zordon.
"Why are
you taking this kind of risk ? You know your father would not
approve." Zordon says.
"I have to
do this, Zordon. It may be my last chance to make up for all the
terrible things that I've done. I've got to do this." Aaron
says.
"Then at
least take one of the other rangers with you. You are still weak
from the fight and the surgery to handle this alone." Zordon
says.
"No. If
I screw up, I don't want anyone else to get hurt." Aaron
begins.
"If you make
a mistake the others may cease to exist anyway." Alpha says.
"No, they
will have their lives. The only one that will die, if I blow it,
is me. But I won't, too much depends on my not blowing it. I've
seen it happen a thousand times in my dreams and I know I can
do this." Aaron says as she gets ready to travel through
time.
Zordon watches
her a moment before trying another tactic.
"Do you realize
that time travel will adversely effect your health ? You are already
losing your sight. What happens if this trip kills you ?"
he says.
"I've already
thought of that. I found this old power crystal. Strangely enough
it gives me strength. I've programmed the Time Gate to accept
the crystal's energy so I can take it with me. It's not a cure
all but it will let me survive the trip back into the past and
with any luck get home safe. It's almost time. Don't worry I'll
do my level best to come home to die. Just remember not to tell
anyone what I've done until I've gone and whatever you do don't
let any of them follow me. Take care of Micos for me, he's been
a faithful friend from the beginning. Good bye, Zordon."
Aaron says as she steps through the Time Gate.
"I have the
strangest feeling that we shall never see her alive again."
Alpha says.
"Do not worry,
Alpha. Aaron will try and maybe even succeed where we have often
failed. Perhaps it is fate that the daughter of the Green Ranger
is the one to save him." Zordon says.
* The viewing
globe comes to life with the history of the Green Ranger from
the time Rita Repulsa kidnapped him from the alley to the final
battles he fought as a Power Ranger only a few short years ago.
Tommy is a scared and bitter man these days as he watches the
next generation of Power Ranger doing the things he used to do.
He even looks at his only daughter with bitter envy as she commands
all his powers and his zord. With out realizing it, Tommy's bitterness
has colored his judgment and feelings toward her. She has suffered
because of it. Aaron has tried all her life to make her father
proud of her and finally gave up when, in a rage, he finally told
her how he really feels.
"You can't
do anything right can you, Aaron. Damn it, how could you go off
and do something so stupid. Look at you. I told you, you couldn't
enter that race. You did and now your in the hospital. Stupid,
thoughtless, arrogant." Tommy rants.
Kimberly comes
up to him, "Take it easy. She can't even hear you. She may
never hear anything again. The doctors don't have any hope of
her ever coming out of the coma." she says tears in her eyes.
"You'd
like that wouldn't you, father ? Well, no such luck." Aaron
says.
Her voice is
weak but distinct. She opens her eyes and looks up at him. After
almost a year Aaron has finally come out of the coma. The doctors
examine her in great detail. After all the tests are complete
they give her and her family the bad news.
"Her heart
has suffered considerable damage and is far weaker than it should
be for a teenager. The damage wasn't caused by the crash, Mr.
Oliver. From the look of it, it happened when she went to rescue
those trapped scientists. She must have run into something there
and whatever it was affected the heart muscle. The cardiac muscle
while it is still functional it will continue to get weaker until
eventually it stops and she dies. She can still keep up with the
martial arts but any strenuous activity is out of the question.
The other thing that you need to know is of a more immediate problem.
If you look at this X-ray you will see a bad skull fracture right
above the vision centers of her brain. It looks like her vision
has been effected. From what we can tell right now her sight is
fine but with all the fighting she does she could go blind right
in the middle of a battle. Now I know that she is an expert in
Martial Arts but even an expert gets hit in the head from time
to time. All I can suggest is that she be extremely careful. Unless
you can convince her to give up her place as a Ranger she will
end up going blind at a critical moment." the doctor says.
"Aaron
won't give it up no matter what. She's got too much of her father
in her. Are you sure that there's nothing that can be done?"
her mother asks.
"I'm afraid
not, Mrs. Oliver. I've consulted with specialists all over the
planet and several others. No one has the skill or the technology
to correct this kind of injury. I am sorry." the doctor says.*
** Three years
before the race, she joined the Power Rangers as the Green Ranger
and things really got bad at home. Her father never went so far
as to actually hit her but he made no secrete of how he felt.
Aaron stayed away from home as long as she could get away with
and never brought any friends home. One day after a rough battle
with MasterVile, Aaron collapsed in a heap when the rangers returned
to the Command Center.
"What
is wrong ?" Zordon asks when he sees her on the ground.
Jeremy picks
her up and lays her on the cot Alpha brought out for her. No one
knows about her heart problems.
"She is
just tired. The fight has taken a lot out of her." Alpha
begins.
Then he runs
a scanner over her and nearly short circuits.
"Zordon,
there's something dreadfully wrong with Aaron."
His scans linger
around her head. "My scanners are picking up an aneurysm
deep with in her brain." Alpha says.
"What
?! Is there anything you can do?" Jeremy asks.
"I'm afraid not, Jeremy. Right now there is no danger of it exploding on her but
eventually
it will and it will kill her. One more thing to worry about."
Alpha says. **
It is only in
the last few months that Aaron and her father have started to
get along and now this.
Aaron tumbles
through the corridors of time. She loses all sense of reality.
All of a sudden the ground comes up and smacks her in the face.
"Shit ! Where
in the hell did I land ?" she asks herself. Aaron looks around.
"Just great.
The park, at night wonderful, well now is as good a time as any
to get started." she says to herself.
She checks for
her morpher and the crystal around her neck. The morpher is under
her shirt, safe against her skin, and the crystal is glowing in
the night sky. She gathers her wits and concentrates. Aaron disappears
from the park and finds herself in Rita's treasure room and she
begins to search for the Green Power Coin. She is nearly ready
to check another room when she spots it. Pulling the morpher chain
from under her shirt she takes her already powered coin, she exchanges
it for the dormant one and places it in her morpher. She leaves
the treasure room and is about to leave the palace when an explosion
rips through the corridors. Just as Aaron is teleporting out she
is caught in it. She is knocked senseless and lands near someone's
gathering, a little too close for comfort to someone.
"Shit !"
Aaron heard the voice exclaim. Sunlight momentarily blinds her
as she fumbles for something to lean on. Aaron stumbles back as
her vision clears.
"What the
hell ? What's happening ?" Zack stammers totally suprised.
Kimberly approaches
the confused girl.
"Stay back!
Don't come near me!" Aaron says, scared out of her mind.
The explosion
has rattled her already confused mind and a confrontation with
anyone would be disastrous.
"It's all
right. Where did you come from ? What happened ?" a concerned
voice asks.
"I'm not
sure. My head's spinning. What is this place ?" Aaron asks.
"This is
Angel Grove Park. You scared us. Are you all right ?" Kimberly
asks
"Yes, I think
so. Give me a minute." Aaron says.
She shakes her
head in an effort to clear her vision. Everything is still blurry
but she can make out colors, pink, blue, red, black, and yellow.
Aaron relaxes a little and sinks to the ground.
"What's wrong?"
the black shadow asks her.
"I can't
see straight. Give me a minute and it will clear up. Oh man, my
head hurts." she says.
Unconsciously
brushes the morpher around her neck. Some of it has come back
to her as she realizes what she has done. It has begun and there
is no turning back. Things have to play out as she has set in
motion. Aaron braces herself for the pain but knows that when
it's all over her father will be a different man. With this thought
all the recent events overwhelm her and she passes out. The rangers
stay with the strange girl until she starts to come around again.
This time her vision is better and she can see the concerned looks
on familiar faces. Even though they are younger, Aaron recognizes
them easily. She tries to stand but a wave of intense pain hits
her.
"Ugh! Not
now!" she cries out and collapses to the ground.
Her eyes are tightly
closed against the pain of transport. Her heart is jumping wildly
out of control and she is having trouble catching her breath.
"Slow down.
No need to hyperventilate." Jason says.
This causes her
to laugh and induces another coughing fit. Slowly, Aaron calms
down and her vision clears enough to see her surroundings.
"Oh, man
am I off coarse. I was aiming for the other side of town, nuts."
Aaron says as she tries to stand again.
"What were
you doing?" Billy asks curious but concerned.
"Just an
experiment in teletransmition that went nuts." she says easily
then she starts coughing and can't stop.
Her heart is trying
to keep up with the demands she is putting on herself and isn't
doing a very good job. Trini approaches the stranger and touches
her arm. She pulls back suprised, Aaron's skin is burning up.
"Ouch ! You're
burning up." she says.
"Who are
you?" Jason asks.
Aaron looks up
at him, *He's so young and full of life. The poor guy has no
idea of the suffering that will come if I fail. I won't fail him
or you father. I was such a bitch these last few years and now
I can make up for it.* "Bethany MacGill. I just moved
here. Help me up, please. There's nothing wrong. It's a side effect
I haven't worked out yet." she says.
Zach touches a
sore spot on her back and his hand is covered in blood. "What
the hell?! You're bleeding. What really happened? " he demands.
She looks at his
hand.
"I don't
know. The last thing I remember clearly is the transmission field
taking hold then ending up here. I didn't even know it happened."she
says which is the truth, to an extent.
She was caught
in that lunar explosion and rendered senseless.
"Must have
transported through something. I'll have to get home and check
it out."
She steps away
from them and tries to walk away but doesn't make it.
Jason catches
her, "We'll take you to the hospital and have that checked
out." he says.
"No, no hospitals.
I can't stand hospitals. I'll be fine on my own." Aaron says.
"No you won't.
You can barely stand. We'll take you to my house and I can look
after that injury. As long as it isn't too bad I guess the hospital
can wait." Kimberly says.
Jason still carries
her as the teens head for Kimberly's house which isn't very far
from this part of the park. Luckily, at this time of the day her
mother isn't home to see what is going on. Jason carries the new
girl into the kitchen and gently sits her down on a chair, his
arm is covered with her blood.
"Take your
shirt off and let me see how bad it is." Kim says.
Instinctively,
Aaron obeys this younger version of her mother. Ignoring the fact
that the others are in the room, Aaron carefully removes her scorched
shirt. The guys are too stunned by her sudden arrival and subsequent
strange behavior that they don't realize what she is doing. It
is Trini that notices all the scars on her back and arms. She
thinks it's from being abused by someone. None of the rangers
even conceive of the idea of Time Travel muchless that someone
from the future would come back in time. Trini nudges Zach and
he sees not just the recent wound but all the others. Billy soon
takes notice of the scars and examines them more closely and realizes
what they really are. Billy motions for the others to follow him
into the other room while Kimberly and Jason tend to Bethany.
"I think
she's been in some kind of fight. Those scars are from weapons
other than those found on this world." he says.
"What are
you talking about?" Zach asks.
"They are
generated by lasers or plasma. I do not believe that our government
would have such weapons. I believe, at some point in her life,
Bethany has encountered some kind of alien attack force and been
repeatedly and severely injured in the process." Billy says.
"Do you think
that whoever or whatever attacked her might come after her here?"
Trini asks.
"It is entirely
possible. If this does happen we would surely have the obligation
to defend her." Billy finishes.
They then rejoin
Kimberly and Jason in the kitchen. Kimberly is finishing up with
the bandages on Bethany's back. She is sitting there completely
passive.
"How did
you get those injuries?" Zach blurts out.
Aaron is suprised
by the sudden noise and nearly jumps out of her skin.
"Lab accident
a couple of years ago. No big deal." she says then puts her
shirt back on.
Zach is about
to tell her off for lying when Billy stops him. Aaron looks away
from them. She knows they realize that she's lying but doesn't
want to tell them the truth unless it's absolutely necessary.
Aaron gets up and goes out back and starts to stretch, the others
follow. They don't recognize the style she is using. This is natural,
since they haven't met the one who taught her, yet. They watch
her in awe as she moves with such grace and perfection. Aaron
nearly collapses when she is done, her vision swimming, her heart
racing and her breathing faltering. Kimberly and Jason are at
her side trying to help her.
"C'mon we've
got to get her to a hospital." Jason says.
"No! No hospitals
I said. It's nothing. I shouldn't have tried this so soon. It's
been a while since I've done this one and it's pretty hard that's
all. Give me a minute to recover." Aaron says.
She backs away
from them and turns away. Her eyes flash green and she finally
passes out. Zach and Jason carry her up to Kim's bedroom and puts
her on the bed. Aaron begins to dream:
* "The
whole place is coming down around us and you want to argue. C'mon
Aaron save the heroics for another time. We've got to go now!"
Jeremy, the Red Ranger, says.
"I know
I heard someone down here. You get the others and get out. I'll
check the lower levels and follow you out." Aaron, the Green
Ranger, says.
She takes off
before Jeremy can object further. The other rangers vanish in
a mass of colorful static. They appear outside near the other
rescuers. Jeremy takes off his helmet and watches as the building
begins to fall.
"Where
is Aaron?" the local fire chief asks Jeremy.
"She's
still inside. She'll teleport out don't worry." he says.
They all wait
and Aaron doesn't appear. Soon the ranger's communicators beep.
"Rangers,
return to the Command Center at once." Alpha says.
"Is Aaron
there?"
"Yes Rangers.
Return immediately." the little robot says.
The rangers
teleport back and find Aaron lying unMorphed on a gurney. She
is bleeding bad from a gash along her ribs. She has turned a nasty
shade of blue and is not breathing very well.
"What
happened? How did it happen?" Mark asks.
"The building
shifted and a pipe crashed through a wall. I just didn't get out
of the way in time." Aaron says.
The other rangers
turn to her when she speaks. Suddenly the rangers turned into
Putties and came after her. She is so weak she can't fight them.
"NO! NO!
Don't do this to me. I didn't mean to be such a bitch, I'm sorry."
Then it changes
again and the rangers are zombies coming after her. The images
may change but the reason for them hasn't.*
Aaron tosses and
turns in the grip of her nightmare.
"No more.
Not again. I'm so sorry, father." she keeps repeating.
The rangers are
mystified and unable to help. This seems to confirm, for Billy
at least, that she has experienced some kind of attack and is
reliving it through her dreams.
Suddenly she sits
up and looks around totally confused, "Jeremy?"
Then she realizes
where she is.
"Who's Jeremy?"
Jason asks.
"My boyfriend.
You got anything to eat? I'm hungry." she says.
The rangers laugh
at her. She just looks at them. Aaron has never heard them laugh
and likes the sound. Aaron gets up carefully and walks to the
kitchen and sits down. She lays her head on the table and listens
to the rangers as they shuffle around the room behind her.
"What were
you dreaming about?" Trini asks.
She looks up at
them, her eyes blank.
"It's nothing.
Just bad memories. I've got to go. I still have to register for
the Expo tomorrow." she says.
"You're gonna
be in that? Are you sure it's a good idea? After what happened
earlier." Jason says.
"It's nothing.
I'll be fine. I've waited a long time for this to come around
and I am not about to miss it." Aaron says.
She sits there
and watches them. Jason is still young and vital. A strong leader
and a good friend. Billy is still painfully shy and nervous but
Aaron can see the twinkle in his eyes. Kimberly, her mother, even
now as pretty as she will be when Aaron is born. Trini, so happy
and alive. There's no hint of what is to come in her face. And
Zach, the last time she saw him was in the funeral home just before
they burried him after he was killed by JorGon. Aaron tries to
shake off the feeling of doom that has suddenly taken over her
heart.
****************************************************************
Back in the
distant future, all the rangers and their families have gathered
in the Command Center. They know something's wrong and they wait
for Zordon to says something.
"Rangers,
something has happened." Zordon begins.
"Shouldn't
we wait for Aaron?" Tommy asks.
"That
is not possible, Tommy. Aaron is part of what has happened. She
has left this time period and traveled into the past."
"What?
How is that possible? Time Travel is only a theory." Dr.
William 'Billy' Cranston asks.
"Aaron
completed your work on the Theoretical Time Travel PortGate. She
has been working on it for the last four months. The situation
is far graver than any of you might suspect. Aaron has gone back
to the time just before Tommy became the Green Ranger. I fear
she is planning on taking your place as Rita's choice." Zordon
says looking at Tommy.
He turns green
as he realizes what this will mean to the team.
"If she
did that then how is it that Tommy is still a member of the original
Rangers?" Jason asks.
"The changes
have not caught up with us yet. And I believe that she has thought
of that. Aaron took her own morpher with her. I do not have all
the details yet, as nothing has been recorded, but as soon as
they are known I will let you know. The reason I have brought
you all here is that I believe that Aaron is not strong enough
to complete this mission alone. One of you is needed to make the
trip back in time to assist Aaron with whatever she has planned."
The rangers
look at each other then at their parents before Jeremy speaks,
"I'll go. She needs me."
"Are you
sure? You know how she's been acting lately." his father,
Jason Scott, says.
"Yes.
No matter what, I love her and nothing's gonna change that. She's
been there for all of us even though she is in so much pain. I
can't desert her now." Jeremy says.
****************************************************************
That
evening, in the kitchen of the Hart home, Aaron is struck by a
sudden wave of agony. The other rangers have left her alone and
come rushing back in when they hear her cry out.
"What's wrong?"
Kimberly asks.
"The PortGate,
someone's using the PortGate. I told him not to use it to send
anyone back." Aaron mutters.
She passes out
and sees a familiar figure skulking through the park.
"No, Jeremy,
please go back home." she whispers.
"Jeremy?
Isn't that her boyfriend?" Zach wonders.
"Yeah, wonder
why she would want him to go home." Jason says.
Neither pick up
on the implication of everything she has said.
"Not just
that. She said something about a PortGate and not sending anyone
back." Bill says.
"What does
that mean?" Trini asks.
"I've been
working on a theory dealing with Time Travel and have come up
with a design for a port/gate travel system. No one other than
Zordon has even seen my work." Billy says.
"Do you think
that some how Bethany has built it?" Trini asks.
"I don't
know. The only way to find out is to wait for her to come around
and ask her."
Jason touches
he shoulder and Bethany wakes up with a violent start.
"What's going
on? Where did Jeremy come from?" Jason demands.
She looks blankly
at him, recognizing the command tone in his voice. Aaron bows
her head and realizes that she will have to tell them something
soon or she could lose everything she has worked so hard to set
in motion.
"The PortGate
does work, Billy. I used it to come back in order to help a friend."
she begins. "I thought I could do this alone. Zordon said
I shouldn't but I had to try. Now that he has sent Jeremy everything
could get messed up."
"You know
Zordon?" Jason asks.
"Yes, everyone
knows about Zordon where I come from. By then the entire world
knows who we are." Aaron says.
"You're a
Ranger?" Kimberly asks.
She nods and takes
out her Morpher to show them. "This one isn't mine. I had
to leave it at home. We wear them around our necks now. It's easier
than those other bulky things you have." she says.
"Which one
are you?" Zach asks.
"Mastodon."
Aaron says.
She takes the
morpher from around her neck and shows them the Power Coin.
"I've never
seen this one before. Which one is it?" Billy asks.
"The Dragon.
Right now Rita has it. She will choose her Green Ranger soon.
That's why I've come."
"Explain."
Jason insists.
"My best
friend is the current Green Ranger, in my time. It was her father
that was chosen by Rita to be the Green Ranger. The details aren't
important right now except that because of the way he became a
ranger there have been so many problems and tragities. She is
dying or she would have come herself. She asked me to try to save
her father all the pain and suffering. Aaron, that's her name,
gave me her coin and asked me to do what I could. This one is
really the one that belongs here and the one I left in the palace
is hers."
"Why didn't
you just keep both and bring them here?" Kimberly asks in
confusion.
"It has to
do with Paradox. Things have to proceed as normally as possible.
The Dragon Coin has a part to play in history and must remain
in circulation. One coin must be there or Rita will know something's
wrong and set a whole new chain of events in motion and none of
us would likely survive. Keep that one and take it to Zordon if
anything happens to me. Look things are gonna get really weird
in the next few days and you've got to be ready for it."
Bethany says.
"What kind
of weird things?" Trini asks.
"I'm not
sure. I do know that there's going to be a stranger at the Expo.
Jason will meet him in competition, I think I will too. I do know
he's really good. I learned a lot from him. Rita will be watching
the tournament and that's when she'll make her choice. I've got
to be the one that gets her attention. I can fight off her magic
better than he can. I do know that sometime between the Expo and
Monday afternoon he was taken to the lunar palace and put under
a spell of control. Kimberly, you've got to keep him out of the
alley Monday afternoon. Get him to walk you home or something,
anything that keeps his attention." she says.
"All right
we'll do what we can to help. Just don't lie to us any more."
Jason says.
He puts his arms
around Bethany and the other rangers join him. Oddly enough Aaron
draws strength from them and feels better. Jeremy has found Kimberly's
house and is watching his girlfriend with the original rangers.
He doesn't know the full details of what she has told them but
did hear the rangers tell her that they would help. Jeremy plans
to corner Aaron when she is alone and find out everything. When
the rangers sit back Aaron looks out the window and sees Jeremy.
"Stay here.
I've got to talk to him." she says and goes out to him.
The contemporary
rangers watch from the kitchen as Aaron and Jeremy talk.
"Why did
you come? I asked that Zordon not send anyone else back. Damn
it you could have screwed everything up." Aaron rants.
She is so angry
at him right now her blood pressure is sky rocketing.
"Take it
easy, Aaron. Zordon didn't think you could do this by yourself."
Jeremy says.
"Well you
can go back and tell him that I won't be doing this alone. The
others are going to help. Please go back and wait. It's going
to be hard enough to see him here. I don't want to deal with both
of you." she says.
She kisses him
then pushes him back so he can call the gate and leave.
"All right
but you have to promise that you will let them help." Jeremy
says.
She nods and he
leaves her sitting on the porch. He steps back and activates a
device and disappears. Once he is gone the original rangers come
out to check on Aaron.
"Well? What
happened?" Zach asks.
"He's gone
home. We've got to do this right." Aaron begins.
She feels a squeezing
in her chest as she tries to breathe. *He's close. What am
I going to do?*
She closes her
eyes and tries to slow her breathing down. When she opens her
eyes again her vision is almost completely gone then it returns
in a rush startling her.
"The only
thing I can think of is to go to Zordon and ask him what we should
do." Trini says.
"No. We should
handle this ourselves. It's not right to always expect him to
solve our problems. Besides, I don't think I could deal with teleporting
right now as it is." Aaron says.
"We're used
to getting his advice on stuff like this." Zach begins.
"This kind
of thing doesn't happen everyday, Zach." Aaron snaps.
She is in pain
and doesn't want to argue with them.
"That's why
we should talk to him. C'mon. We don't have to teleport we can
use the RAD BUG and fly there." Jason says.
"Not on your
life. I damn near had an accident in the GENERATION 2 RAD BUG.
I'm not getting in that thing!" Aaron says.
"I'm not
even going to ask. Let's go." Jason says.
He takes hold
of her arm and they all teleport to the Command Center.
"Damn it
Jason!" Aaron yells at him.
She collapses
into the computers. Alpha and Zordon are badly startled when they
see her.
"Who is this
and why have you brought her here?" Zordon asks.
Jason starts to
speak and Aaron glares at him.
"I can speak
for myself, Jason. This wasn't my idea and I don't even want to
be here right now." she says. Aaron looks up at Zordon, "I
came here from the future Zordon. Just listen to me before you
discount what I have to say." she begins.
Aaron looks around
for something to sit on and Alpha teleports a lounger from storage.
"Thanks.
My friend asked me to come here and help her father. He will be
chosen to be the Green Ranger and will come after all of you with
in the next few days." she begins the story and behind her
the viewing globe comes to life.
In its mists a
teenage boy appears. Kimberly stares avidly at his image and Aaron
smiles.
"His name
is Tommy Oliver, Kim. He just moved here and right now he is very
vulnerable to Rita's magic. I came here to take his place as the
one she chooses."
"What makes
you so sure you can beat that witch's magic and he can't?"
Jason asks.
"Because
I know it's coming and am ready for it. Magic can be defeated
if you know about it. And also because I have use of all Green
Ranger's magic when Aaron gave me her coin. Like all the rangers
in my time, I use the magic to beat Master Vile and his minions
and JorGon. You've got to keep him busy after school on Monday
or there will be all kinds of trouble. After I've gone home you
can give him the Dragon Coin." Aaron says.
"Why should
we wait? Why not bring him here now?" Jason asks.
He may be smart
but he can be terribly dense sometimes. Aaron decides not to argue
with him.
"Do you really
want to scare the hell out of him by doing that? Right now he's
in bad shape from losing his family, this could drive him over
the edge. If you want to risk it be my guest but I'm not staying
around to see it." Aaron says.
She tries to get
up to leave but doesn't make it.
"Just lay
back and relax." Trini says.
"Are you
certain that Tommy Oliver will be the Green Ranger?" Zordon
asks.
"Yes, I've
seen all the records and have heard all the stories. He will be
chosen by Rita. Through no fault of his he will spend the rest
of his life constantly fighting for his very soul. So many people
were hurt because of his fight with Rita, Zedd, Master Vile, the
Machine Empire, and JorGon. I'm not going to discuss what happens
but if I don't do something it will happen all over again. I can't
live with that." she says.
"All right,
bring him here and we'll see if he wants to be a ranger."
Zordon says.
Aaron closes her
eyes and tries to sleep but can't, the pain in her chest is getting
worse. The rangers appear outside the Youth Center just as Tommy
is walks in.
"Kim, why
don't you go and talk to him for a minute. We'll morph then take
him to the Command Center. Then you morph and teleport in."
Jason suggests.
Kim smiles and
heads towards the new guy.
"This is
nuts you realize." Zach says.
"It's either
that or we just grab him and hope that he takes it right."
"I know but
maybe Bethany is right. Maybe we should wait until after all the
trouble is done and then bring him in. It won't be easy for him
to understand. We've got to be careful with him." Trini says.
They watch as
Kimberly comes out with Tommy and they start to walk to the park.
"All right
that's it let's go." Jason says.
The four remaining
rangers morph and approach.
"Tommy Oliver?"
Red Ranger asks.
Tommy is stunned
to find out that the famous Power Rangers know his name.
"Yes. Have
I done something wrong?" he says.
Kim looks up at
him and just waits.
"No, there's
someone who wants to see you. Would you come with us please?"
Black Ranger says.
"What about
Kimberly?" he asks not wanting to leave her alone.
"It's all
right, go with them, I'll be fine." she says.
He nods to her
and follows the rangers. After they disappear, Kimberly follows
them. Once all the rangers are present Zordon looks at Tommy.
Aaron is off in the shadows watching them. She is suddenly filled
with a powerful love and respect for her father as she watches
him stand before the InterDimentional being without fear. She
hears Zordon rattle on about the Prophecy and the Green Ranger
and decides to cut it short by getting in the middle of it.
"What he
is trying to say, Tommy, is that he is offering you a chance to
be part of something very important. Something that has existed
for thousands of centuries. What I want to know is, will you join
us?" Aaron asks.
Tommy looks around
trying to find the source of the voice.
"Why me?"
he asks.
"Why not?
I've known you all my life. I know your abilities and that you
are a good person. If you don't take this chance from us you won't
have a choice when Rita comes for you. And she will." Aaron
says.
She steps out
of the shadows and stands right in front of him.
"How could
you know me all your life? I've never seen you before. This is
nuts." Tommy says.
He sinks to the
floor and buries his head in his hands. Aaron gets the other rangers
to move out of the way and kneels at his side.
"Don't worry
about it. I've seen what will happen and know that you are the
strongest of all the rangers along with Tyrannosaurus. Between
Micos, the Dragon, and Rano the Tyrannosaurus you are an unbeatable
part of the rangers and you, Tommy, are our heart and soul. Don't
ever forget that. No matter what happens over the years you belong
with us and never let anyone tell you otherwise." she says.
The other rangers
listen and are on the verge of crying as she manages to get Tommy
to stop shaking and stand. She has trouble when she tries to stand
back up but this time it's Tommy that helps her.
"Thanks.
I know this is not exactly what you expected but you have made
the right choice. This is defiantly not what I had planned. This
is nuts. I've got to go or everything will get messed up."
Aaron says.
She looks up at
Zordon "Do you mind? Get me out of here." Aaron says.
Tommy reaches
out to stop her.
"Wait. Who
are you?" he asks her.
She turns to him
and the other rangers notice that there is a resemblance.
"Bethany
MacGill. I'm a friend. I have seen the world that will come and
now things are on track as long as nothing else happens. You
must not do anything that will attract Rita's attention. The best
thing is to avoid the Expo today and always have one of the rangers
with you. C'mon, guys, he's part of us now." Aaron says to
the other rangers.
They unMorph and
show him who they are. Tommy looks around and is suprised to
see that the Power Rangers are teenagers just like him. Kimberly
comes out from behind Billy and looks up at him.
"Kimberly,
you're one of them too. Is that why you wanted to talk to me?"
he says, a little disappointed.
"Not the
only reason." she says.
"You haven't
signed up for the Expo yet have you?" Aaron asks him.
Tommy shakes his
head no.
"Good. Stay
here for today and at school tomorrow make sure you stay near
one of them at all times. Go with them to the Youth Center and
stay away from the alley until you hear from me again. We've got
to go guys the Expo is about to start. You can watch the Expo
on the viewing globe." Aaron says, looking at Tommy.
Jason and the
other rangers along with Aaron teleport out of the Command Center
and arrive just outside the Youth Center.
"Let's do
it." Aaron says.
She goes to the
locker room and changes. An intense wave of agony hits her as
she tries to leave. It's a good thing that Kimberly comes in to
check on her. Aaron has collapsed and is having a hard time getting
back up. Kimberly sees her eyes flash and angry green and Aaron
hisses when she gets too close.
"Bethany,
what's wrong?" Kim asks.
"Nothing,
it's nothing I'm not used to. Give me a minute." she says.
As if nothing
happened, Aaron gets to her feet and follows Kim out of the lockerroom.
She begins to stretch as she waits for the competition to begin.
Aaron scans the crowd and moves away from the rangers. She begins
to practice some moves, trying to get them down and ready for
her first challenger.
On the moon, Rita
watches with great intrest.
"Look at
that girl. She's good. She'd make a perfect Green Ranger to use
against those pesky power brats." Rita says.
"Yes, your
evilness but can she beat them? Can she sustain the Green Power?"
Finster asks.
Rita uses her
magic wand to scan the girl's energy patterns. She doesn't detect
the fatal defect that is killing her by inches.
"Oh yes Finster
she is the perfect one. And she can sustain the power and then
some. Watch how easily she defeats all her challengers."
Rita cackles.
At the Expo, both
Jason and Aaron easily defeat many comers until they are the only
ones left. In the last fight of the Expo Jason and Aaron meet.
Their match is incredible. Aaron is blindingly fast on her attacks
and slipery on her defense. Jason has a hard time keeping up but
manages to keep the score a tie right to the end. They bow to
each other. Aaron flashes him a look telling him to play along
that they don't know eachother. He understands.
"Good match.
First time I've ever had this kind of competition. Thanks."
he says.
"You're most
welcome. Challenge is good for the soul." she says.
She shakes his
hand and moves away. Jason and the other rangers watch her as
she walks out of the Youth Center. They find a secluded spot and
contact Zordon.
"Zordon,
can you keep tabs on Bethany?" he asks.
"Do you think
that would be wise? It might tip Rita off to whatever she has
planned." Trini asks.
"I don't
care. I don't like this entire situation. Bethany is putting herself
at risk for all of us. We owe it to her to watch out for her."
Jason says.
Tommy suddenly
appears near them.
"That is
too freaky. It's gonna take some getting used to." he says.
Kimberly giggles
as she watches him. He stands there a minute then approaches Kim.
"What are
you doing here? I thought you were gonna stay at the Command Center
till this is over." Zach says.
"The Expo's
over. Rita never saw me. So why stay there? Besides, Alpha was
getting on my nerves. Always with the Ai yiyiyiyiyiyiyi's. It
was getting to be too much." he says.
They laugh. You
have to admit it does get rather anoying when Alpha does that.
"All right,
just stick with us until we hear form her again. I could've sworn
she went this way." Jason says.
He follows the
way he thinks she has gone. The rangers arrive in time to see
her fight Goldar and a horde of Puttys.
"Oh my god.
How can she beat them." Trini says.
The rangers watch
helplessly as Aaron fights the Puttys and then goes after Goldar.
The big gold monkey raises his sword to strike her when Rita appears.
"Bethany
MacGill, I have chosen you to be my Evil Green Ranger."
Bethany looks
up at the witch and jumps up to her. Just as she is about to attack
the evil space witch, Rita hits her with a magic spell. She is
falling off the roof. Before she hits the ground another spell
takes hold and she and Rita disapear. When it's over Goldar and
what's left of the Puttys are also gone.
"That's it.
Let's get out of here and back to the Command Center." Jason
says.
Six streaks of
colored light vanish from the park and fly through the sky to
the desert.
Aaron reappears
in Rita's magical dimention. At first she is confused then the
pain hits her like a ton of bricks. Her chest feels like a vice
is squeezing the life out of her and her eyes are playing tricks
on her again.
"You are
mine now Bethany MacGill. You will become my Evil Green Ranger
and destroy the Power Rangers." Rita cackles.
Aaron stands in
front of the Empress of Evil defiantly. She can feel the spell
trying to take hold and is fighting it valiantly. Her eyes flash
an evil green as she shrugs off the dark magic.
"Hold out
your hand and take the Green Dragon Coin and the Dragon Flute.
Now go and destroy the rangers." Rita orders.
In Aaron's mind
Rita sends images of the Power Rangers. Jason the Red Ranger and
Rano the Tyrannosaurus. Billy the Blue Ranger and Trike the Triceratops.
Kimberly the Pink Ranger and Kyte the Pterodactyl. Zach the Black
Ranger and Woolly the Mastodon. Trini the Yellow Ranger and Streaks
the SaberTooth Tiger.
"You will
destroy them and the Command Center. The Dragon Coin will allow
you to enter as a Power Ranger and destroy Zordon. And the Dragon
Flute will allow you to face them in battle with your own Zord.
Go and do my bidding, My Evil Green Ranger." Rita cackles.
"Yes, my
queen. As you command so shall it be." Aaron says.
Unseen by Rita
but felt by Aaron, a tear rolls down her cheek under her helmet.
She now knows how her father felt when it was him standing there
in front of that bitch. Aaron disappears from the magical dimention
and reappears in the Command Center just before the rangers arrive.
She collapses in a heap near Zordon's capsule.
"Alpha, Bethany
has returned. Come and help her." he says.
Alpha approaches
the fallen ranger.
"Stay back,
Alpha. Something's happening. It's diffferent this time. Something's
gone wrong, my magic is reacting to Rita's. I don't want to hurt
anyone. Keep back, I don't know what will happen now." she
says.
Aaron stands and
retreats to the shadows. She's always been more comfortable in
the dark than in the light. She rips the helmet from her head
and tosses it back into the light. Tommy skitters to the side
when he stumbles over something he thinks is a head.
"Sorry about
that, Tommy. I didn't think you'd be back so soon." Aaron
says.
They don't see
her.
"Where are
you?" Billy asks.
She steps out
of the dark and the rangers get their first look at the Green
Ranger.
"Amazing.
What kind of power do you have?" Billy asks.
She smiles and
thinks ever the scientist.
"Tommy why
don't you morph and I'll explain."
"How?"
he asks.
"Just call
'Dragon Zord' and he will come." she says.
Tommy does as
she says. His suit is not as worn as hers and the others notice.
Tommy takes the helmet off and looks at himself.
"Very strange.
I feel like I could take on the world like this." Tommy says.
"Just becareful.
Power is very tempting and exteremly seductive. This kind of power
is also very dangerous if mishandled. The Power of the Dragon
is one of the strongest of all the Morphin Powers. It usually
chooses someone who is a skilled fighter and has a bit of magic
in their heart. The gold mantle is a shield that protects all
who wear it. You now will also have a limited healing ability
when you're morphed." Aaron begins to tell the tale of what
she knows of the Green Ranger and what she has learned over the
short time she has had the Power. She's a wonderful storyteller.
Suddenly she gets
a strange look on her face and passes out. Since Tommy is closer
to her he is able to catch her before she hits her head on anything.
Alpha brings a medical bed from storage. She begins to glow a
soft green in the low light of the Command Center.
"What's happening
to her?" Zach asks.
"She said
something about her magic reacting to Rita's then retreated into
the shadows. It could be anything." Alpha says.
The little robot
runs a scanner over her.
"There is
something wrong. She is in some kind of flux. I can't get a clear
reading on her." Alpha says.
The rangers watch
as she begins to change. Aaron floats above the gurney as the
changes take hold. While she may not be under the influence of
Rita's evil magic some of the Green Ranger magic has been altered
because of it. The magical changes also correct some of the physical
trauma that Aaron has suffered before and after joining the rangers
but she is still near death and will have to hurry in order to
complete her task. Her suit also undergoes a dramatic change.
It is no longer form fitting like the other ranger suits. It is
loose fitting with golden armor sections at the forearms, chest,
and legs. On the floor behind the rangers the helmet also changes
to that of a dark green reptile with ruby red eyes. Her body lowers
back to the gurney and the glow disapates. Her breathing is still
a little erratic but otherwise she is near normal as far as they
can tell.
Alpha runs another
scan and tells them this much, "She's asleep and will most
likely stay that way for a while." Alpha says.
"What just
happened?" Jason asks.
"She is a
magic user. Somehow when Rita cast her spell of control over her
it reacted with Bethay's magic and began the change. It should
have happened for all of you as soon as you became rangers but
for some reason it didn't." Alpha says.
"I think
I have the answer, rangers. When the Green Dragon coin first disappeared
it is said that a prophecy was made. A promise of sorts that in
a future time when the Green Ranger would be called on for evil
someone would come from another time yet to be and stand in the
place of the one history had chosen. A spell would be cast and
magical changes would release the true power of the Grid. It is
entirely possible that this prophecy is coming to pass with the
arrival of Bethany." Zordon says.
"What should
we do? How do we make the changes work for us?" Jason asks.
He is alway looking for an advantage in their fight against the
evil witch Rita. This just maybe what they are looking for.
"I believe
that if you Morph, the power will take hold now and you will feel
the changes. When you do, let them take hold and allow them to
manifest." Zordon says.
The Rangers morph
and something amazing happens. When Tommy calls on the Dragon
again he becomes a powerful green ninja with a golden shield covering
his chest and a dragon footprint at its center. Zach is next.
He becomes a black knight with the Mastadon crest as his coat
of arms. Tirni is up next as a high plains native in yellow leather
formed to her trim shape. Billy morphs and takes the shape of
what looks like a SWAT team fighter in dark royal blue. Kimberly
finds herself in a skin tight bodysuit that has huge leatherlike
wings at her back. Finally, Jason morphs into a Red Samari warrior.
The rangers look at themselves and eachother.
"This is
amazing. How is this possible? What is this?" Billy asks.
"It's magic,
Billy. Do you really need an explaniation." Bethany says,
her voice is very weak.
She eases herself
to sit up and nearly falls off the gurney. Tommy is there to catch
her and helps her to stand.
"You have
to be very careful now. Rita's gonna know something is wrong soon
and she will come after us." she says and looks around for
her helmut.
From the shadows,
the dragon helmut floats to her waiting hands and glows softly.
As if in a trance she puts it on and then disapears. The rangers
look around startled then to the viewing globe. Bethany is standing
in a fog bank when a horde of strange looking critters attack.
Green magic flys from her hands as the creatures disintegrate.
Bethany then is seen fighting a Cobra monster and nearly loses.
Jason is the first to teleport to where she is and helps her fight.
The fight is joined by more strange monsters and the rest of the
rangers. Magic and skilled hand to hand fighting beat the monsters
and strangeness away.
"What was
that?" Zach asks when they return to the command center.
"A test of
worthyness. Are we the ones who are right for this kind of power?
Obviously we are or we wouldn't be here." Bethany says.
She and the other
rangers unMorph and Aaron collapses to the ground absolutly winded.
She's not recovering as fast as she used to and she's getting
scared. When will her strength finally give out? When will the
healing power of the Morphin Grid not be enough to keep her alive?
What will happen if the other rangers have to watch as she dies
in front of them? Aaron wants to leave, she can now, but something
is making her stay.
Granted, Tommy
is now a Power Ranger but something is still nagging at her and
Aaron is afraid if she leaves too soon a disaster will happen.
All of a sudden the alarm goes off and Bethany jumps.
"It's happening."
she whispers.
"What?"
Jason asks.
The viewing globe
comes to life. There is a giant monster stomping through the residential
area of Angle Grove. "Oh, SHIT!!" she mutters.
"The worst
possible paradox. That thing is the Minator. It was a theoretical
monster from one of the black arts magic books we stole from Rita.
In the original time line it never existed. If she's brought this
thing to life then she knows she's lost me and is going to do
her damnedest to kill us all. The only way to kill it, and we
have to kill it, is to make it shrink then take its head. The
only problem with that idea is the fact that the Zords are no
match for that thing, unless they too underwent some kind of magical
change."
"The only
way to know for sure is to get to them and find out." Billy
says.
"All right.
Tommy will take Micos and join you. I'll do what I can from the
ground."
"Micos? Who
is that?" Tommy asks.
"Your Zord.
All the Zords have their own names and strange personalities.
You should be able to hear them now. Go, I'll meet you in the
park." she says and vanishes again.
"I really
hate when she does that." Jason grouses, a smile on his face.
In the park, Aaron
faces off against hundreds of Putty Patrollers and grinds them
into dust. A horrible cackle crashes through her head and sends
Aaron to her knees, arms wrapped around her head to block the
sound. Rita throws bolt after bolt of black magic at her, trying
to kill her, it's not working though.
"You have
betrayed me, Green Ranger."
"Of coarse
I have, you bitch. Do you really think I would let this happen
again?" Aaron says and sends a bolt of Green Fire at the
space witch.
Rita tries to
get away from it but is burned by the cold hatred of her evil
creation. She tries to retaliate but Aaron dives out of the way
and shoots Rita with her Blade Blaster. Rita disappears is a cloud
of black smoke screaming in rage. Aaron shakes off the attack
and waits for the right time to join the other rangers. She watches
as the battle the giant Minator. The MegaZord hits the beast over
and over again until all its power is gone and it shrinks to a
normal size. Aaron is on it instantly and is fighting it, keeping
it away from civilians and the other rangers. She knows, instinctivly,
that it will kill the rangers if it gets close enough.
Hit after hit
drains both Aaron and the monster of life. The Minator makes a
lucky strike and Aaron goes down. Tommy and Jason are at her side
and Jason takes the monster's head. The creature vaporizes. Tommy
is kneeling by her side as he takes her helmut off. There is blood
oozing down the side of her face from a gash on her forehead.
Her eyes are cloudy with pain as she tries to focus.
"The Minator.
. . . . . . ." she croaks out.
"Gone. Vaporized
when I took its head, just like you said. Can you stand? We've
got to get you out of here before anyone sees you." Jason
says.
Aaron tries to
stand but only manages to fall against Tommy. "No, no strength
left."
Tommy picks her
up easily and they teleport to the command center.
"Alpha, Bethany
is hurt, get a cot or something. Hang on, Bethany, just hang on."
Jason says.
She looks so very
small and helpless as she lays there. Her injuries have been tended
too, as best as they can. Aaron is laying very still. The rangers
gather around her in silent vigil. She is close to death and she
knows it. Aaron opens her eyes to look at them one last time.
She smiles weakly at them. They still have no idea who she really
is.
"Bethany,
hang on. You can make it." Zach says.
"I said that
once to you. Right before....." her voice fails as a wave
of agony hits her.
"Zordon,
can't you do anything to stop the pain?" Jason asks.
"I am afraid
not, Jason. She would never survive." he says.
"She's not
going to die is she?" Kimberly asks.
"Yes, I am.
I'm sorry you have to see this. There was no other choice, I had
to come, had to save Tommy." Aaron whispers.
Tommy stands close
to her. He puts his strong arms around her. She leans back against
him. Aaron sees this and is content that their lives will be happy
once again even though she won't live to see them happy.
"It's almost
over now. I just wish I could go home to die. I miss my brother
and Jeremy." she says.
The rangers turn
at the sound of her voice.
"You are
not going to die Bethany. We won't let you." Jason says,
his voice choked with grief.
"There is
no magic in the universe that can stop death when it comes. I
knew the risks when I came back but I had no choice. It was either
do this and risk not getting home before the end, or let history
stand and die with the knowledge that I could have done something
to prevent it. It was my choice and I am content with it."
Aaron says.
At that something
happens behind the rangers. They turn and shield Bethany. Two
figures walk out of the blinding light and approach them. One
of them they recognize as Jeremy. It takes them a while to realize
who the other one is. The two strangers approach the gurney and
gently move the rangers aside.
"Damn it's
almost too late. He cut it awfully close." Jeremy says.
"The point
is that we aren't too late. She's still alive." the other
voice says.
He reaches down
to pick her up. She hisses in pain but still manages to wrap her
arms around him.
"Take me
home father." she whispers.
"I will Aaron.
Everyone's waiting for you. You did it. I am so proud of you."
he says.
She smiles at
him.
"Wait a second.
I though your name is Bethany." Zach says.
"That's my
mother's name." Jeremy says.
He looks at Jason
and realizes for the first time the sacrifices he and the others
made to keep the world safe from all those monsters, he smiles
at his young father. Jeremy turns to Aaron and brushes her hair
out of her eyes.
"Don't worry,
we'll take care of her." Jeremy says.
"Will we
ever see her or you again?" Trini asks.
"Yes. When
we get back. She is by far the bravest of all of us. Once again,
Green Ranger has proven herself to be the strongest." Jeremy
says.
Then they realize
what is going on. She had originally told them she held the Mastodon
Coin making her the black ranger. They thought that she was only
the Green Ranger here but now they are finally seeing it.
"My god.
She came here to save you Tommy." Jason says looking at his
friend.
It is the older
Tommy that answers him.
"Yes that
was her original intent. In helping me she managed to save us
all. By her sacrifice she has brought us closer to peace than
we have ever been. From her all races have learned that it is
never too late to set right what once went wrong. No one has ever
seen her courage before. No one ever dreamed she could make that
kind of choice, I sure as hell didn't. Aaron showed us all."
Now both Tommy's
are standing face to face with Aaron between them.
"It all works
out?" the younger Tommy stammers.
"Yes, thanks
to her. All our dreams, all our hard work has finally paid off.
The world is finally learning that peace is possible, that we
don't have to be enemies. The Artarians have made the first gesture
of peace to us and it looks like war is no longer inevitable."
"They came
through, thank god. I thought they were gonna start a war over
that one mistake. I'm glad, at least it all was worth something........
I can go and not feel too guilty." Aaron says and closes
her eyes. "You're not gonna die. Stay with us, please."
Jeremy says.
"Remember
me." Aaron whispers. Then they disappear.
The gate flares
one last time and then they are gone.
At the other end
of the gate a medical team from Andromeda is waiting. The great
healer Elikn himself has come to Earth to try to save this brave
ranger.
"Set her
down on the Crystal Altar. Quickly, time is running out for her."
the Healer says.
Tommy does as
he is told and carefully places her at the center of the altar.
All the rangers step back and watch. Their power and love for
this young woman radiates throughout the chamber and fills the
alien healer as he begins the ritual. The altar glows in the chamber's
darkness and great energies fill the dying girl with life. After
what feels like an eternity the light fades and Aaron sits up.
She looks around and is confused for a moment then she sees her
father and smiles. Aaron turns to Elikn.
"I have no
words to express for what you have done for me. All I can offer
is my profound thanks." she says, her voice still weak but
getting stronger.
"It is more
than enough. I can feel the love and devotion in this chamber
and know I have brought new hope here. If ever you have need of
me again all you need do is call and I shall come. In all my years
I have known many of the Green Rangers and none are as wonderous
as you, Lady Aaron." the ancient healer says and bows to
her.
He vanishes is
a spectacular light leaving all a little dumbfounded. Aaron looks
around and sees that all the rangers, past and present are together
again and very happy. Aaron is crying she is so glad to be alive
and seeing all this.
The Viewing Globe
goes dark and the gathered children clap and shout for joy. It
has been many years since Aaron went back in time to help her
father and returned. Now the Rangers have a new headquarters and
the original Command Center has since been turned into a museum.
The Viewing Globe now replays the history archives of the Power
Rangers down through history. The story of how one Green Ranger
went back through time to save the first is the most popular of
all the files in the database. This group of school children want
to see the story again.
"Let's see
it again." one child says.
"She's so
beautiful and brave. When I grow up I want to be just like her."
another says.
In the shadows
an older woman blushes and shakes her head. They just don't understand
the trouble she caused to her family and friends. The children
just see the heroics and not the pain.
"Rebbeca,
all the Rangers have interesting stories to tell. Why are you
so facinated by that one?" the shadowed figure asks.
"She is the
only one that would take the ultimate risk and go back in time
to change something that went wrong." the little girl says.
The shadowed figure
smiles.
"It wasn't
bravery, Rebbeca, it was a deep desire to do something right for
a change. If you only knew what she was like before, you wouldn't
be so hung up on her. Why don't we go and see the Zords? I bet
they are just dying to regale you with all their screwy stories."
she says.
"You can't
talk about her like that. She was the best of all the Rangers."
Rebbeca huffs.
"That's enough
little miss." one of the teachers says as she looks into
the shadows.
"It's all
right Kathy. She doesn't understand. None of them understand,
how could they. No one ever bothered to ask. I talk about her
like that because I know her so well and she's not all that you
make her out to be."
"How do you
know her?" all the kids ask at once.
The woman comes
out of the shadows and they see her clearly for the first time
since the tour began. Aaron is older, her hair is a little greyer
but her eyes haven't changed and she is still very strong and
very fit for a woman in her early forties. She still looks like
the girl in the archive. The gathered children look at her then
to the viewing globe and back at her, then they all try and talk
at once.
"You're her.
You're the Green Ranger from the story." Rebbeca says.
"That's right.
I may have gone back in time to help my father but my life up
til then was one wrong thing after another. I did a lot of dumm
things before I got my act together. My only saving grace was
the Rangers. I nearly died for my stupidity." Aaron says.
"Yes but
you got it together and saved the Rangers and everyone."
a little boy says.
Aaron shakes her
head. *
They're never going to understand. They'll never know the hell
I put my family and friends through before I finally realized
I was really only hurting myself. They're just too young I guess.
*
"Someday you'll understand. It's not that simple and I hope
like hell you never have to go through what I did. C'mon, let's
go see the Zords." she says.
Aaron leads the
class through the cavernous Command Center to the Zord docking
bay and the kids get their first upclose and personel look at
the giant battle machines.
THE END OR IS IT?
well that's it
for now. what do you think of this version of the Green Ranger
story. if anyone wants to pick this up be my guest, just let me
know and send me a copy of it when it's done.
i'm at: reddragon@sprintmail.com