Hymn to Fayth- Part 15
Author: dream-edge
Title: Hymn to Fayth
Summary: AU. Ziggy awakens an ancient power within himself and ends up joining the Rangers before he could ever join the Cartels. Dillon is guided to Corinth by a mysterious voice and learns the values of trust, friendship, love, and faith.
Rating: T
Pairings: Dillon/Ziggy
Disclaimer: I do not own the Power Rangers or anything related to the franchise. I do not own anything recognizable as from one of the Final Fantasy games.
AN:This chapter has the scene I've been envisioning since pretty much the beginning. I have been waiting for ages to get to this point. And now that I'm here, posting it, I kinda, feel a little sad. This story is one of my babies. I've never worked so hard on a story before I now that its almost done, I kinda don't want it to end. I don't want to let it go. Two or three more and I'm done. It makes me sad.
Anyways, enough with me feeling sorry for myself. Onto the chapter, which is my longest one yet, I believe.
Hymn to Fayth
Chapter 15
It felt like all the color had been drained from the Garage, leaving it dull and empty. Ziggy's laughter, which had always echoed through the building even when he was gone, had disappeared. The other Rangers moved sluggishly, their eyes always on the ground, and a defeated hunch to their shoulders. Gemma was crying silently in the corner but no one went to her, not her brother, not even Flynn. The original three Rangers were sitting quietly in the kitchen, Summer nursing a cup of coffee, and Flynn with his head buried in his arms. Tenaya was lying on the couch, one arm thrown over her eyes and muffed sobs echoing out. She hadn't moved from that spot since she'd arrived back half-a-day ago. It was dark and sad, depressing, and it seemed like everyone was afraid to move very fast or speak too loudly, when they did speak at all.
Doctor K observed it all from her place near the door to her lab. She had very little details about what had happened during the mission but in the end, all she really needed to know was that one of her Rangers, one of her closest friends, was dead. The hows and whys, didn't really matter anymore. She turned away from her broken team and entered her lab. The debris had been cleared away while they were gone and she had managed to get a few computers working again. The table Dillon had been resting on yesterday was now occupied by Ziggy's body. She had talked to Colonel Truman; he would be buried tomorrow. Dillon was slumped in front of the table, staring blankly in front of him. She gulped thickly when she looked at him. Dillon hadn't moved, hadn't said a word since he'd come back. She walked forwards slowly, one hand reaching into her pocket to grasp the item hidden there. "Dillon." She whispered.
He looked up at her slowly, brown eyes hollow and dead. He stared at her for a long moment as if he couldn't understand what he was seeing before he muttered, his voice cracking harshly, "Doc…?" Her heart broke all over again as she stared back at her Black Ranger. She drew her hand out, revealing the watch she'd found tucked into Ziggy's jean pocket. When she had first found it, it had been hot to the touch, Ziggy's power still locked in the metal of the object. Now it was barely lukewarm as the power started to fade. She held it out to him, watching as he stared at it in confusion. "It was in his pocket. I don't think it works anymore." She whispered.
Dillon reached up and took the watch from her, staring down at it sadly. K stared down at him for another moment before kneeling down in front of him. "Do you want to talk?" she asked. Dillon shook his head slightly, making her sigh. "Dillon, about his things… We've been thinking that you should be the one to go through them. For closer. And so that you could figure out what you want to keep." Dillon merely shrugged one shoulder, not looking at her. "I can't make this go away for you, Dillon. But if you want to talk, I will listen." She said after a pause. She didn't think he'd take her up on her offer. She reached forward and patted his knee gently before standing and walking towards the door. She paused briefly then turned to look at him.
"I think you need to talk to Tenaya." She told him. "She blamed herself for all of this and nothing I say has convinced her otherwise."
Dillon looked up at her again, a bit of life returning to his eyes at the mention of his sister. "It's not her fault." He said. She nodded. "I know that but she needs to hear it from you."
"Why me?" he muttered and she had to resist the urge to walk over and slap him. "You're her brother." She answered once she was sure she could keep her voice soft and even. "And because, we all lost Ziggy but without Ziggy, I think you lost yourself." She turned and left him alone.
It was a few hours later that Dillon finally came out of the lab and walked over to the couch. Everyone paused in order to watch him, unsurety and hesitation in their gazes. Dillon stopped in front of the couch and grabbed the arm Tenaya had flung over her eyes, using it to pull her up into his arms. He held her tight, like he was afraid he'd loss her too if he wasn't careful. For a long moment, he didn't say anything, just held her close and ran his fingers through her hair. "It's wasn't your fault." He whispered finally. "I don't blame you."
Those words seemed to be a bit too much for the poor girl and she started crying in earnest, clinging to Dillon like he was her only safe harbor. Then everyone was crying somehow. Gemma walked over from her corner and let Gem and Flynn wrap her in their arms. Scott held Summer to him, letting her tears soak his shirt. Even K leaned back against the counter and let a few tears fall slowly down her face. Dillon…didn't cry.
They could have stood there for hours before Tenaya finally stepped away, a few tears still falling down her face. "I'm sorry." She choked out. "I am so sorry. About everything." Dillon gently grasped her chin and made her look at him. Once he once sure he had her attention he told her, "This isn't, and never will be, your fault. Never let anyone tell you differently." He pulled away after another minute and looked up at Ziggy's room. He took a deep, but shaky, breathe and told them. "I'm, uh, Ziggy's things…"
"Do you want help?" Summer asked gently. Dillon seemed to consider it for a brief moment then shook his head with a weary, torn expression. "No. I need to do this alone." He whispered. Tenaya laid a gentle hand on his arm in reassurance before she turned and walked over to K, burying herself in the younger woman's arms like she had with Dillon. Dillon watched them for a few minutes then took a deep breath and walked towards Ziggy's room. He paused at the door then slowly entered. All the power that had always echoed around the room, a constant reminder of Ziggy's presence, had drained out, leaving it empty and lifeless. A few boxes had already been placed on the bed.
He leaned against the door for a few minutes, merely staring around the room, and then slowly walked over to the dresser. Several different items and pictures had been laid out across the surface. There was a letter opener that looked like a very small claymore, a white drawstring bag full of marbles, a small blue feather, and a beat-up black and silver shell. All those got set aside in the box closest to him. Then he got started on the pictures. There were hundreds of them, most of them small enough to fit in a wallet. Quite a few of them were of the team and he put all of those away in a separate box for the others to look through for themselves.
Then he found a good-sized one, hidden near the back but at the perfect angle for one to see it from the bed. It was in a simple light brown frame and it looked like the newest in the group. It was a picture of him, Ziggy, and Tenaya. He didn't remember anyone taking it, which he should because they'd all posed for it. Ziggy stood between him and Tenaya, a bright smile on his face. Tenaya had latched onto the arm closest to her and was holding it close, sticking her tongue out at the camera with a wide grin. He himself stood with his arm looped around Ziggy's shoulders, his hand buried amidst the boy's curls, tugging Ziggy towards him. He sat down on the bed, staring at the picture. The Ziggy in this picture was the one he'd fallen in love with, the one that could smile without a care in the world. This was the Ziggy he'd never get back.
The first tears he'd had since the Venjix facility burned at the back of his eyes as he carefully set it in another box, for all the things he wanted to keep. A few minutes later, Ziggy's white coat was carefully placed around it as he went through the dresser.
Once all of Ziggy's clothes had been carefully folded and put away, he walked over to the desk. There was much there except some pencils and the notebook Ziggy had written in on occasion. He tucked the pencils in one corner of a box. The notebook he stared down at for a few minutes, undecided on if he wanted to keep it or not. Then he reached out and flipped to the last entry, hoping that maybe Ziggy had written something there to explain why he'd chosen to die. Ziggy's small, thin handwriting dominated the page.
I am sorry Dillon. This is something that I feel I must do. I hope that in time you can forgive me for not telling you the truth. If I had, you would have had to choose between me and Tenaya. You would have chosen me. You would have hated yourself, for the rest of your life for giving up your sister, but I know you would have chosen me. I couldn't make you do that. It would have torn me apart, seeing you like that.
And I'm sorry I didn't tell before this, but I do care about you, a very great deal. Don't worry much. Please do me a favor and just living. And please don't cry.
I still believe you're going to save me Dillon. With all my heart, I believe that.
Ziggy.
Dillon stared down at the words for a long time, taking slow, shaky breaths. "Save you?" he finally whispered. "How am I going to save you? You died." He bit his lip and flipped back a few pages, scanning through the entries, looking for clues, for a reassurance that everything was going to be okay. He stopped when he saw his name again, reading the entry more carefully. Several of the lines had been written very carefully, while others looked like they'd been rushed through.
I guess I can't deny it anymore. This isn't friendship, not anymore. Not by a long shot. I can't keep lying to myself.
I love Dillon.
See, that wasn't so hard, now was it? Who am I kidding? I'll never be able to say it aloud. Not to him. I can barely say it to myself. I won't, I can't, lose him. I'll fall apart. So, I'll keep this to myself. For now at least. When the war's over, I'll tell him. When he doesn't have so much to worry about.
Then, I'll tell Dillon I love him. For sure. Or at least, before this tears me apart.
Ziggy.
Dillon had been hanging on an edge since Ziggy had died. The only reason he hadn't fallen apart with the others was because a large part of him had died with Ziggy, leaving him feeling dead inside. Every part of him had gone cold without Ziggy's smile. This pushed him over that edge. I love Dillon. He blurred into movement, grabbing the notebook and throwing it across the room as hard as he could. It hit the far wall, pages tearing out of the bindings and falling to the floor. His knees gave out and he sunk to the floor, leaning against the wall next to him. Tears poured in waves down his cheeks as he finally fell fully apart, the dead hollowness that existed in his heart no longer enough to keep his pain at bay. He tugged his knees up and buried his head in his arms. "Why?" he choked out. "If you loved me so much, then why did you leave me?"
-0-0-
Tenaya stared at the closed door to the room that used to belong to Ziggy. Slowly, she pulled herself out of K's arms, frowning at the closed door. She had a bad feeling. K's eyes blinked slowly open to stare at her tiredly, still red from the few tears she'd shed. Tenaya glanced back at her briefly and smiled weakly. She hadn't meant to wake the doctor after she had finally managed to fall asleep. "What's wrong?" K asked, sitting up on the couch as well.
"It's Dillon. I don't think we should have let him do this alone." She muttered. K stared at her for a moment then nodded. "No perhaps not. Go." She told her. Tenaya smiled as much as she could at the one person she had never imagined would become her friend then stood and walked slowly up the stairs. She paused outside the door, much like her brother had, then entered. Boxes sat half-filled on the bed. Papers were scattered across the floor on one side of the room. Dillon was collapsed against another wall, sobbing brokenly into his arms. The sight tore at her heart. No matter what he said, Tenaya knew the blame for this sat partially on her. She shouldn't have run.
She walked forward slowly then dropped to her knees and gathered her brother to her, holding him close like he had held her. He didn't even seem to realize she was there, remaining limb in her hold as tears rolled down his cheeks. She didn't say anything, just rocked him back and forth slowly and tried not to absorb the emptiness of the room. The sun had long since set by the time Dillon cried himself dry and finally realized she was there. "'Aya?" he asked, looking up at her slowly. There was something broken in his gaze.
She gulped and nodded, pulling away slowly. "Are you alright?" she asked.
Dillon stared at her for a moment then shook his head. He looked like he was struggling to say something before he finally choked out, "He was my Summoner, my Ziggy. I was supposed to protect him. And now he's gone." Tenaya bit her lip as her brother pulled away from her to look around the room in sorrow. There was nothing she could do to help him. "I ruined his book." Dillon said after another minute, sounding faintly hysterical and staring at the pile of papers across the room from him. In the middle of the pile was a small notebook. She stood and walked over to it.
Dillon watched as his sister bent down to retrieve the thrown notebook, gathering the mess of papers and placing them back into the book before walking back over to him. He took it from her gently and opened it, letting the loose papers slide into his lap. He ruined it. He'd never be able to fix it. He carefully picked up the loose papers and winced when he saw several had been torn right through the middle when they'd fallen out.
A single, whole paper fell from the group to flutter to the floor.
He picked it back up, placing it on top of the pile. Then paused when his eyes caught a familiar word. Ziggy's light, chipper voice echoed in his head. "Then let's call it our Hymn to Fayth." Written out across the page in black ink in Ziggy's familiar scrawl was the word Fayth.
Fayth: A soul willingly taken from its still living body and sealed inside a ceremonial stone carved to imitate its new form in order to become an Aeon.
There were a few more entries under that but Dillon couldn't tear his eyes off that one sentence. His heart pounded in his ears. Ziggy, he… no, no, it was a stupid hope. But it was hope all the same. He stood slowly, grasping at the desk next to him for support. "Dillon? What's wrong?" Tenaya asked. He handed her the stack of papers even as he pulled his watch from his pocket. It was still slightly warm and he thought maybe he knew why now. Tenaya still looked confused. "He called it our Hymn to Fayth. I thought he was talking about belief." He told her. He took a deep breath and turned the watch over.
Etched into the back was the simple image of a man wielding a staff. It defiantly hadn't been there before they'd rescued Tenaya, before Ziggy's death. He smiled, just slightly, and showed it to Tenaya. "He wasn't. He was talking about his plan."
Tenaya frowned, glancing from the pages in her hands to the watch and back again. She paused suddenly, her eyes lingering on the same sentence his had. Finally, she shook her head and looked up at him. "This doesn't mean you can save him, Dillon. He might really be gone and I don't want you getting hurt."
"No, you're wrong. He's been trying to tell me this was his plan all along. I just wasn't listening." Before she could say anything, Dillon brushed past her and out the door.
-0-0-
"Shiva!"
All the Rangers jumped at the sudden shout and turned to watch Dillon descend the stairs. He looked… alive. He paused to give them all a brief smile, freezing most of them in place, before shouting again. "SHIVA! I know you can hear me! We need to talk!"
Tenaya was hurrying down the stairs as well now, papers held tightly in one hand as she descended. K moved over towards her immediately. "What is he doing?" she asked in concern. Tenaya glanced at her brother then back over at them. "Either he's grasping at straws or Ziggy's smarter than we ever gave him credit for." She told him.
The air shifted and suddenly the ice goddess was standing in front of Dillon. Her eyes were dark and hollow, eerily reminiscent of how Dillon's had been earlier. Her shoulders were slumped and there was an air of defeat around her. The grace, the arrogance that always surrounded her was gone. The Rangers were obviously not the only ones who had been so devastated by Ziggy's death. "Yes, Sir Dillon?" she asked quietly.
"Catch." Dillon told her, throwing her the watch. She caught it reflexively then froze, her eyes flying wide in surprise. She didn't lower her arm from where she had caught the watch, instead turning her hand to face her so she could stare at the new carving on the once smooth surface. She turned her head back to Dillon. "There are no new Aeons." She told him quietly. "I would know if there were."
"But it is a Fayth." Dillon said, making her nod. She brought the watch closer for a better inspection and frowned. "As this always here?" she asked. He shook his head. "It's Ziggy's." he informed her.
Shiva jerked her eyes back to his for a moment. She turned the watch over in her hands for a few moments then whispered. "It's not complete."
"I don't understand." Summer whispered from the sidelines. "What's going on?"
Shiva turned to look at her briefly as she explained. "A Fayth is a willingly soul taken from its body to serve as an Aeon, a summons. Sir Dillon believes that is what Lord Ziggy has done. But this…" She looked back down at the watch in her hands. "It's barely half a soul. It's like it's been torn in half. Without the other half it wouldn't work as an Aeon." She explained. Then she paused and turned to look at Dillon. "But it would prevent him from dying fully. It would create a link to the living world, preventing the other half of his soul from breaching the Heart Wall, thus unable to return at all."
Dillon let out the breath he hadn't known he was holding, feeling faint with relief. "Can it bring him back?" he asked.
"I don't know." Shiva answered truthfully. "I didn't know something like this could be done. I don't know how he even thought to do it. But theoretically, it should work."
"Wait." K said, stepping forward. "His body is dead. He has no pulse. I've checked. Several times."
Shiva gave her a look that said she was being stupid. "Are there not several chemicals on this world that create a death-like state while the person is still alive?" she asked. "The body dies when the soul has entered the Heart. Until that time, it is stuck between death and life. It will die if left without a soul for too long but that should not have happened yet. It has not been long enough."
Dillon stared at the watch in her hands then looked up to meet her gaze. "How do I do it?" he asked.
"The bit of soul in this is still asleep. Wake it up and it should call back the other half from where ever it is now." Shiva answered. Dillon nodded. "Let's do this then." He told her.
-0-0-
Dillon wasn't sure what Shiva did to him but he suddenly found himself in a wide but mostly empty room. The walls towered above him and led into blackness. The room was lit by torches and a strange white-gold glow that seemed to seep out from the walls. He turned to look behind him and founded an opening covered by a shield-like piece of stone by pale green coverings that came out of the ground and seemed to be as thick of shells yet looked like silk. He frowned and looked down at himself. He was wearing the all black outfit he had seen only once before when he had visited the heart, only now it was outlined by threads of white-gold.
He walked farther into the room, his feet not making a single sound against the cold stone floor. In the middle of the floor was a perfect half-sphere of raised glass. And laid out across it, sound asleep, was Ziggy. The boy was breathing and his skin was a healthy color again. He rushed forward, dropping down next to him on the glass and shook his shoulders. "Ziggy! Ziggy, wake up!" He said in desperation. "Please wake up!"
Ziggy groaned, his eyes slowly sliding open to gaze at him in confusion. "Dillon…" he muttered, his brow furrowing. Relief, rich and liberating, crashed through him and he pulled the boy into the tightest hug he could, tears pushing at his eyes. "You're okay. Oh god, you're okay." He breathed against Ziggy's curls. He pulled back and framed his face in his hands, pressing their foreheads together. "Ziggy, my Ziggy." He whispered. Ziggy felt warm and reassuring, felt alive.
Ziggy kept looking at him with wide eyes, clarity and realization slowly returning to his eyes. "Dillon?" he whispered again, his own hands coming up to frame Dillon's face. Ziggy smiled then, warmth and love bright and clear in his eyes. A few tears slid down Dillon's cheeks as he once again pulled Ziggy close. Ziggy didn't say anything about the tight grip, remaining soft and plait and warm in the circle of his arms. After a few long moments, Ziggy finally whispered against his ear. "Dillon, let's go home."
He nodded in agreement, moving his hands to clutch at Ziggy's. He lifted them both to their feet and turned them towards the exit. The pale green shells lifted away as they approached and the shield-like stone lifted up, allowing them to leave. Ziggy tightened his grip on his hand and smiled slightly at him before plunging into the black emptiness that lay beyond the room.
-0-0-
The first thing Dillon was aware of when he came to was the tight band of warmth around his hand. He stared blankly up at the ceiling for a long moment before realizing that someone had moved him into K's lab and that the warmth was Ziggy's hand, slowly increasing the pressure of his grip. He turned his head to look next to him and saw Ziggy sleeping peacefully on a metal bed next to his, the slow rise and fall of his chest becoming more apparent by the minute.
He never does notice K suddenly sitting up straight in her chair next to them, or her running to get the others, and he defiantly doesn't notice the others pouring into the room. What he does notice, is Ziggy's eyes slowly fluttering open to stare at him. His eyes were a familiar dark brown, but now they glowed with an internal power, holding all the mysteries of the universe. Ziggy stared back at him for a long moment before a small, warm smile, one that felt immensely personal, something just for him, crossed his lips. Ziggy squeezed his hand harder briefly to show he was awake and aware. "Hey."
Dillon returned the brief pressure. "Hey." He echoed.
Then suddenly the others were there, pulling them both into sitting positions and clapping them on the backs, smiles and tears all around. He nodded in reply to whatever they were saying, not tearing his eyes away from Ziggy as the younger man stood up from the table he'd been placed on, stumbling a little before righting himself, and returned the smiles. Dillon sat up slowly, watching as Ziggy laughed and spewed apologies to the others; smiling kindly at Tenaya and engulfing the young woman in a hug, telling her something he couldn't hear. There was something different about the boy, some strange air around him that seemed almost otherworldly. He stood up fully and finally approached the younger man. Tenaya saw him and backed away. Ziggy turned to him with soft eyes and his familiar smile.
Dillon punched him.
Ziggy stumbled back, head turned down by the strength of the hit, as the others gasped in shock. Slowly, Ziggy looked up at him with wide, hurt brown eyes, moving one hand to lightly touch his jaw. "That was for leaving, you moron." Dillon hissed angrily. "And this," he continued, dropping the sour tone, "is for coming back." Then, before everyone, he grabbed Ziggy's shirt to haul him close and dragged him into a rough, almost desperate kiss. He poured all his recent heartbreak, grief, and deep relief into it, hoping Ziggy understood that he never wanted him to do anything so stupid again. Ziggy kissed back, sighing against his lips softly, his fingers threading through his hair. He could distantly hear the other Rangers whistling and laughing as they watched, but he gave them no mind.
They pulled apart slowly, only after they realized that breathing was a necessity, not an option. Ziggy was flushed, wide-eyed, and all smiles, his breathing slightly heavier than normal. Dillon rested his head against Ziggy's, letting their breath mingle. Something felt different, nothing big or important, just a little off. It took him a minute but after that, he realized what it was. Before they'd left to rescue Tenaya, Ziggy had tasted like the strawberries Flynn had put into the morning's smoothies. Now, Ziggy tasted only like sheer, raw power. Dillon could feel it, really feel it, thumping along every line of Ziggy's body. It was like standing next to a small sun, the intensity and power overwhelming and awe-inspiring. Never had Ziggy's power been so apparent.
"Dillon." Ziggy whispered, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Hm?"
"I love you."
Dillon grinned slowly, pulling Ziggy into another kiss. Next to them, he heard Scott shout, "Oh thank God. Finally!"
Ziggy giggled a little into the kiss and Dillon thought that yeah, this was enough.
-0-0-
Dillon hadn't let the younger man out of his arms for what little was left of the day. Midnight had been fast approaching when they woke up, and by the time Ziggy had gone through all the tests meant to ensure he was perfectly okay and the team had had a small party in the kitchen, it had been half-way to sunrise. The entire time, Dillon hadn't let Ziggy go, always keeping one arm around his shoulders or waist, afraid that if he let go the younger man was going to disappear, or that he was going to wake up and this was all going to be a dream and Ziggy was still dead. So by the time everyone retired, no one even thought twice that Dillon followed Ziggy into his room, one hand still latched around the Summoner's wrist.
Ziggy gave a grimace when he saw the half-packed state of his room and turned around to engulf Dillon in a hug. Dillon blinked in confusion but held the boy to him until Ziggy pulled back and moved the boxes off his bed so he could fall down onto it. Dillon toed off his shoes before lying down next to him, wrapping his arms around Ziggy's waist. "You should have told me earlier." He whispered.
"About what?"
"About you loving me." He replied. He heard Ziggy's smile when he whispered, "I've told you now."
He smiled slightly and shifted, resettling with his head on top of Ziggy's chest, listening to his heartbeat. "I love you too." He said. One of Ziggy's hands came up and ran through his hair. That, combined with the rhythmic beating of Ziggy's heart against his ear, was enough to lull him to sleep. The fact that Ziggy's started to hum the 'Hymn to Fayth' didn't help.
Dillon swore he couldn't have been out for more than a few minutes when he woke up again, but the sun just coming up said otherwise. He and Ziggy must have shifted during the sleep because they were on their sides, Ziggy curled up against his chest. And Ziggy was staring blankly past his shoulder, wide-eyed and breathing heavily. Dillon sat up immediately. "What's wrong?" he demanded.
Ziggy slowly lifted his gaze to stare at him. "I get it now." He whispered his tone soft. "What my dreams were trying to tell me. I get it now."
Title: Hymn to Fayth
Summary: AU. Ziggy awakens an ancient power within himself and ends up joining the Rangers before he could ever join the Cartels. Dillon is guided to Corinth by a mysterious voice and learns the values of trust, friendship, love, and faith.
Rating: T
Pairings: Dillon/Ziggy
Disclaimer: I do not own the Power Rangers or anything related to the franchise. I do not own anything recognizable as from one of the Final Fantasy games.
AN:This chapter has the scene I've been envisioning since pretty much the beginning. I have been waiting for ages to get to this point. And now that I'm here, posting it, I kinda, feel a little sad. This story is one of my babies. I've never worked so hard on a story before I now that its almost done, I kinda don't want it to end. I don't want to let it go. Two or three more and I'm done. It makes me sad.
Anyways, enough with me feeling sorry for myself. Onto the chapter, which is my longest one yet, I believe.
Hymn to Fayth
Chapter 15
It felt like all the color had been drained from the Garage, leaving it dull and empty. Ziggy's laughter, which had always echoed through the building even when he was gone, had disappeared. The other Rangers moved sluggishly, their eyes always on the ground, and a defeated hunch to their shoulders. Gemma was crying silently in the corner but no one went to her, not her brother, not even Flynn. The original three Rangers were sitting quietly in the kitchen, Summer nursing a cup of coffee, and Flynn with his head buried in his arms. Tenaya was lying on the couch, one arm thrown over her eyes and muffed sobs echoing out. She hadn't moved from that spot since she'd arrived back half-a-day ago. It was dark and sad, depressing, and it seemed like everyone was afraid to move very fast or speak too loudly, when they did speak at all.
Doctor K observed it all from her place near the door to her lab. She had very little details about what had happened during the mission but in the end, all she really needed to know was that one of her Rangers, one of her closest friends, was dead. The hows and whys, didn't really matter anymore. She turned away from her broken team and entered her lab. The debris had been cleared away while they were gone and she had managed to get a few computers working again. The table Dillon had been resting on yesterday was now occupied by Ziggy's body. She had talked to Colonel Truman; he would be buried tomorrow. Dillon was slumped in front of the table, staring blankly in front of him. She gulped thickly when she looked at him. Dillon hadn't moved, hadn't said a word since he'd come back. She walked forwards slowly, one hand reaching into her pocket to grasp the item hidden there. "Dillon." She whispered.
He looked up at her slowly, brown eyes hollow and dead. He stared at her for a long moment as if he couldn't understand what he was seeing before he muttered, his voice cracking harshly, "Doc…?" Her heart broke all over again as she stared back at her Black Ranger. She drew her hand out, revealing the watch she'd found tucked into Ziggy's jean pocket. When she had first found it, it had been hot to the touch, Ziggy's power still locked in the metal of the object. Now it was barely lukewarm as the power started to fade. She held it out to him, watching as he stared at it in confusion. "It was in his pocket. I don't think it works anymore." She whispered.
Dillon reached up and took the watch from her, staring down at it sadly. K stared down at him for another moment before kneeling down in front of him. "Do you want to talk?" she asked. Dillon shook his head slightly, making her sigh. "Dillon, about his things… We've been thinking that you should be the one to go through them. For closer. And so that you could figure out what you want to keep." Dillon merely shrugged one shoulder, not looking at her. "I can't make this go away for you, Dillon. But if you want to talk, I will listen." She said after a pause. She didn't think he'd take her up on her offer. She reached forward and patted his knee gently before standing and walking towards the door. She paused briefly then turned to look at him.
"I think you need to talk to Tenaya." She told him. "She blamed herself for all of this and nothing I say has convinced her otherwise."
Dillon looked up at her again, a bit of life returning to his eyes at the mention of his sister. "It's not her fault." He said. She nodded. "I know that but she needs to hear it from you."
"Why me?" he muttered and she had to resist the urge to walk over and slap him. "You're her brother." She answered once she was sure she could keep her voice soft and even. "And because, we all lost Ziggy but without Ziggy, I think you lost yourself." She turned and left him alone.
It was a few hours later that Dillon finally came out of the lab and walked over to the couch. Everyone paused in order to watch him, unsurety and hesitation in their gazes. Dillon stopped in front of the couch and grabbed the arm Tenaya had flung over her eyes, using it to pull her up into his arms. He held her tight, like he was afraid he'd loss her too if he wasn't careful. For a long moment, he didn't say anything, just held her close and ran his fingers through her hair. "It's wasn't your fault." He whispered finally. "I don't blame you."
Those words seemed to be a bit too much for the poor girl and she started crying in earnest, clinging to Dillon like he was her only safe harbor. Then everyone was crying somehow. Gemma walked over from her corner and let Gem and Flynn wrap her in their arms. Scott held Summer to him, letting her tears soak his shirt. Even K leaned back against the counter and let a few tears fall slowly down her face. Dillon…didn't cry.
They could have stood there for hours before Tenaya finally stepped away, a few tears still falling down her face. "I'm sorry." She choked out. "I am so sorry. About everything." Dillon gently grasped her chin and made her look at him. Once he once sure he had her attention he told her, "This isn't, and never will be, your fault. Never let anyone tell you differently." He pulled away after another minute and looked up at Ziggy's room. He took a deep, but shaky, breathe and told them. "I'm, uh, Ziggy's things…"
"Do you want help?" Summer asked gently. Dillon seemed to consider it for a brief moment then shook his head with a weary, torn expression. "No. I need to do this alone." He whispered. Tenaya laid a gentle hand on his arm in reassurance before she turned and walked over to K, burying herself in the younger woman's arms like she had with Dillon. Dillon watched them for a few minutes then took a deep breath and walked towards Ziggy's room. He paused at the door then slowly entered. All the power that had always echoed around the room, a constant reminder of Ziggy's presence, had drained out, leaving it empty and lifeless. A few boxes had already been placed on the bed.
He leaned against the door for a few minutes, merely staring around the room, and then slowly walked over to the dresser. Several different items and pictures had been laid out across the surface. There was a letter opener that looked like a very small claymore, a white drawstring bag full of marbles, a small blue feather, and a beat-up black and silver shell. All those got set aside in the box closest to him. Then he got started on the pictures. There were hundreds of them, most of them small enough to fit in a wallet. Quite a few of them were of the team and he put all of those away in a separate box for the others to look through for themselves.
Then he found a good-sized one, hidden near the back but at the perfect angle for one to see it from the bed. It was in a simple light brown frame and it looked like the newest in the group. It was a picture of him, Ziggy, and Tenaya. He didn't remember anyone taking it, which he should because they'd all posed for it. Ziggy stood between him and Tenaya, a bright smile on his face. Tenaya had latched onto the arm closest to her and was holding it close, sticking her tongue out at the camera with a wide grin. He himself stood with his arm looped around Ziggy's shoulders, his hand buried amidst the boy's curls, tugging Ziggy towards him. He sat down on the bed, staring at the picture. The Ziggy in this picture was the one he'd fallen in love with, the one that could smile without a care in the world. This was the Ziggy he'd never get back.
The first tears he'd had since the Venjix facility burned at the back of his eyes as he carefully set it in another box, for all the things he wanted to keep. A few minutes later, Ziggy's white coat was carefully placed around it as he went through the dresser.
Once all of Ziggy's clothes had been carefully folded and put away, he walked over to the desk. There was much there except some pencils and the notebook Ziggy had written in on occasion. He tucked the pencils in one corner of a box. The notebook he stared down at for a few minutes, undecided on if he wanted to keep it or not. Then he reached out and flipped to the last entry, hoping that maybe Ziggy had written something there to explain why he'd chosen to die. Ziggy's small, thin handwriting dominated the page.
I am sorry Dillon. This is something that I feel I must do. I hope that in time you can forgive me for not telling you the truth. If I had, you would have had to choose between me and Tenaya. You would have chosen me. You would have hated yourself, for the rest of your life for giving up your sister, but I know you would have chosen me. I couldn't make you do that. It would have torn me apart, seeing you like that.
And I'm sorry I didn't tell before this, but I do care about you, a very great deal. Don't worry much. Please do me a favor and just living. And please don't cry.
I still believe you're going to save me Dillon. With all my heart, I believe that.
Ziggy.
Dillon stared down at the words for a long time, taking slow, shaky breaths. "Save you?" he finally whispered. "How am I going to save you? You died." He bit his lip and flipped back a few pages, scanning through the entries, looking for clues, for a reassurance that everything was going to be okay. He stopped when he saw his name again, reading the entry more carefully. Several of the lines had been written very carefully, while others looked like they'd been rushed through.
I guess I can't deny it anymore. This isn't friendship, not anymore. Not by a long shot. I can't keep lying to myself.
I love Dillon.
See, that wasn't so hard, now was it? Who am I kidding? I'll never be able to say it aloud. Not to him. I can barely say it to myself. I won't, I can't, lose him. I'll fall apart. So, I'll keep this to myself. For now at least. When the war's over, I'll tell him. When he doesn't have so much to worry about.
Then, I'll tell Dillon I love him. For sure. Or at least, before this tears me apart.
Ziggy.
Dillon had been hanging on an edge since Ziggy had died. The only reason he hadn't fallen apart with the others was because a large part of him had died with Ziggy, leaving him feeling dead inside. Every part of him had gone cold without Ziggy's smile. This pushed him over that edge. I love Dillon. He blurred into movement, grabbing the notebook and throwing it across the room as hard as he could. It hit the far wall, pages tearing out of the bindings and falling to the floor. His knees gave out and he sunk to the floor, leaning against the wall next to him. Tears poured in waves down his cheeks as he finally fell fully apart, the dead hollowness that existed in his heart no longer enough to keep his pain at bay. He tugged his knees up and buried his head in his arms. "Why?" he choked out. "If you loved me so much, then why did you leave me?"
-0-0-
Tenaya stared at the closed door to the room that used to belong to Ziggy. Slowly, she pulled herself out of K's arms, frowning at the closed door. She had a bad feeling. K's eyes blinked slowly open to stare at her tiredly, still red from the few tears she'd shed. Tenaya glanced back at her briefly and smiled weakly. She hadn't meant to wake the doctor after she had finally managed to fall asleep. "What's wrong?" K asked, sitting up on the couch as well.
"It's Dillon. I don't think we should have let him do this alone." She muttered. K stared at her for a moment then nodded. "No perhaps not. Go." She told her. Tenaya smiled as much as she could at the one person she had never imagined would become her friend then stood and walked slowly up the stairs. She paused outside the door, much like her brother had, then entered. Boxes sat half-filled on the bed. Papers were scattered across the floor on one side of the room. Dillon was collapsed against another wall, sobbing brokenly into his arms. The sight tore at her heart. No matter what he said, Tenaya knew the blame for this sat partially on her. She shouldn't have run.
She walked forward slowly then dropped to her knees and gathered her brother to her, holding him close like he had held her. He didn't even seem to realize she was there, remaining limb in her hold as tears rolled down his cheeks. She didn't say anything, just rocked him back and forth slowly and tried not to absorb the emptiness of the room. The sun had long since set by the time Dillon cried himself dry and finally realized she was there. "'Aya?" he asked, looking up at her slowly. There was something broken in his gaze.
She gulped and nodded, pulling away slowly. "Are you alright?" she asked.
Dillon stared at her for a moment then shook his head. He looked like he was struggling to say something before he finally choked out, "He was my Summoner, my Ziggy. I was supposed to protect him. And now he's gone." Tenaya bit her lip as her brother pulled away from her to look around the room in sorrow. There was nothing she could do to help him. "I ruined his book." Dillon said after another minute, sounding faintly hysterical and staring at the pile of papers across the room from him. In the middle of the pile was a small notebook. She stood and walked over to it.
Dillon watched as his sister bent down to retrieve the thrown notebook, gathering the mess of papers and placing them back into the book before walking back over to him. He took it from her gently and opened it, letting the loose papers slide into his lap. He ruined it. He'd never be able to fix it. He carefully picked up the loose papers and winced when he saw several had been torn right through the middle when they'd fallen out.
A single, whole paper fell from the group to flutter to the floor.
He picked it back up, placing it on top of the pile. Then paused when his eyes caught a familiar word. Ziggy's light, chipper voice echoed in his head. "Then let's call it our Hymn to Fayth." Written out across the page in black ink in Ziggy's familiar scrawl was the word Fayth.
Fayth: A soul willingly taken from its still living body and sealed inside a ceremonial stone carved to imitate its new form in order to become an Aeon.
There were a few more entries under that but Dillon couldn't tear his eyes off that one sentence. His heart pounded in his ears. Ziggy, he… no, no, it was a stupid hope. But it was hope all the same. He stood slowly, grasping at the desk next to him for support. "Dillon? What's wrong?" Tenaya asked. He handed her the stack of papers even as he pulled his watch from his pocket. It was still slightly warm and he thought maybe he knew why now. Tenaya still looked confused. "He called it our Hymn to Fayth. I thought he was talking about belief." He told her. He took a deep breath and turned the watch over.
Etched into the back was the simple image of a man wielding a staff. It defiantly hadn't been there before they'd rescued Tenaya, before Ziggy's death. He smiled, just slightly, and showed it to Tenaya. "He wasn't. He was talking about his plan."
Tenaya frowned, glancing from the pages in her hands to the watch and back again. She paused suddenly, her eyes lingering on the same sentence his had. Finally, she shook her head and looked up at him. "This doesn't mean you can save him, Dillon. He might really be gone and I don't want you getting hurt."
"No, you're wrong. He's been trying to tell me this was his plan all along. I just wasn't listening." Before she could say anything, Dillon brushed past her and out the door.
-0-0-
"Shiva!"
All the Rangers jumped at the sudden shout and turned to watch Dillon descend the stairs. He looked… alive. He paused to give them all a brief smile, freezing most of them in place, before shouting again. "SHIVA! I know you can hear me! We need to talk!"
Tenaya was hurrying down the stairs as well now, papers held tightly in one hand as she descended. K moved over towards her immediately. "What is he doing?" she asked in concern. Tenaya glanced at her brother then back over at them. "Either he's grasping at straws or Ziggy's smarter than we ever gave him credit for." She told him.
The air shifted and suddenly the ice goddess was standing in front of Dillon. Her eyes were dark and hollow, eerily reminiscent of how Dillon's had been earlier. Her shoulders were slumped and there was an air of defeat around her. The grace, the arrogance that always surrounded her was gone. The Rangers were obviously not the only ones who had been so devastated by Ziggy's death. "Yes, Sir Dillon?" she asked quietly.
"Catch." Dillon told her, throwing her the watch. She caught it reflexively then froze, her eyes flying wide in surprise. She didn't lower her arm from where she had caught the watch, instead turning her hand to face her so she could stare at the new carving on the once smooth surface. She turned her head back to Dillon. "There are no new Aeons." She told him quietly. "I would know if there were."
"But it is a Fayth." Dillon said, making her nod. She brought the watch closer for a better inspection and frowned. "As this always here?" she asked. He shook his head. "It's Ziggy's." he informed her.
Shiva jerked her eyes back to his for a moment. She turned the watch over in her hands for a few moments then whispered. "It's not complete."
"I don't understand." Summer whispered from the sidelines. "What's going on?"
Shiva turned to look at her briefly as she explained. "A Fayth is a willingly soul taken from its body to serve as an Aeon, a summons. Sir Dillon believes that is what Lord Ziggy has done. But this…" She looked back down at the watch in her hands. "It's barely half a soul. It's like it's been torn in half. Without the other half it wouldn't work as an Aeon." She explained. Then she paused and turned to look at Dillon. "But it would prevent him from dying fully. It would create a link to the living world, preventing the other half of his soul from breaching the Heart Wall, thus unable to return at all."
Dillon let out the breath he hadn't known he was holding, feeling faint with relief. "Can it bring him back?" he asked.
"I don't know." Shiva answered truthfully. "I didn't know something like this could be done. I don't know how he even thought to do it. But theoretically, it should work."
"Wait." K said, stepping forward. "His body is dead. He has no pulse. I've checked. Several times."
Shiva gave her a look that said she was being stupid. "Are there not several chemicals on this world that create a death-like state while the person is still alive?" she asked. "The body dies when the soul has entered the Heart. Until that time, it is stuck between death and life. It will die if left without a soul for too long but that should not have happened yet. It has not been long enough."
Dillon stared at the watch in her hands then looked up to meet her gaze. "How do I do it?" he asked.
"The bit of soul in this is still asleep. Wake it up and it should call back the other half from where ever it is now." Shiva answered. Dillon nodded. "Let's do this then." He told her.
-0-0-
Dillon wasn't sure what Shiva did to him but he suddenly found himself in a wide but mostly empty room. The walls towered above him and led into blackness. The room was lit by torches and a strange white-gold glow that seemed to seep out from the walls. He turned to look behind him and founded an opening covered by a shield-like piece of stone by pale green coverings that came out of the ground and seemed to be as thick of shells yet looked like silk. He frowned and looked down at himself. He was wearing the all black outfit he had seen only once before when he had visited the heart, only now it was outlined by threads of white-gold.
He walked farther into the room, his feet not making a single sound against the cold stone floor. In the middle of the floor was a perfect half-sphere of raised glass. And laid out across it, sound asleep, was Ziggy. The boy was breathing and his skin was a healthy color again. He rushed forward, dropping down next to him on the glass and shook his shoulders. "Ziggy! Ziggy, wake up!" He said in desperation. "Please wake up!"
Ziggy groaned, his eyes slowly sliding open to gaze at him in confusion. "Dillon…" he muttered, his brow furrowing. Relief, rich and liberating, crashed through him and he pulled the boy into the tightest hug he could, tears pushing at his eyes. "You're okay. Oh god, you're okay." He breathed against Ziggy's curls. He pulled back and framed his face in his hands, pressing their foreheads together. "Ziggy, my Ziggy." He whispered. Ziggy felt warm and reassuring, felt alive.
Ziggy kept looking at him with wide eyes, clarity and realization slowly returning to his eyes. "Dillon?" he whispered again, his own hands coming up to frame Dillon's face. Ziggy smiled then, warmth and love bright and clear in his eyes. A few tears slid down Dillon's cheeks as he once again pulled Ziggy close. Ziggy didn't say anything about the tight grip, remaining soft and plait and warm in the circle of his arms. After a few long moments, Ziggy finally whispered against his ear. "Dillon, let's go home."
He nodded in agreement, moving his hands to clutch at Ziggy's. He lifted them both to their feet and turned them towards the exit. The pale green shells lifted away as they approached and the shield-like stone lifted up, allowing them to leave. Ziggy tightened his grip on his hand and smiled slightly at him before plunging into the black emptiness that lay beyond the room.
-0-0-
The first thing Dillon was aware of when he came to was the tight band of warmth around his hand. He stared blankly up at the ceiling for a long moment before realizing that someone had moved him into K's lab and that the warmth was Ziggy's hand, slowly increasing the pressure of his grip. He turned his head to look next to him and saw Ziggy sleeping peacefully on a metal bed next to his, the slow rise and fall of his chest becoming more apparent by the minute.
He never does notice K suddenly sitting up straight in her chair next to them, or her running to get the others, and he defiantly doesn't notice the others pouring into the room. What he does notice, is Ziggy's eyes slowly fluttering open to stare at him. His eyes were a familiar dark brown, but now they glowed with an internal power, holding all the mysteries of the universe. Ziggy stared back at him for a long moment before a small, warm smile, one that felt immensely personal, something just for him, crossed his lips. Ziggy squeezed his hand harder briefly to show he was awake and aware. "Hey."
Dillon returned the brief pressure. "Hey." He echoed.
Then suddenly the others were there, pulling them both into sitting positions and clapping them on the backs, smiles and tears all around. He nodded in reply to whatever they were saying, not tearing his eyes away from Ziggy as the younger man stood up from the table he'd been placed on, stumbling a little before righting himself, and returned the smiles. Dillon sat up slowly, watching as Ziggy laughed and spewed apologies to the others; smiling kindly at Tenaya and engulfing the young woman in a hug, telling her something he couldn't hear. There was something different about the boy, some strange air around him that seemed almost otherworldly. He stood up fully and finally approached the younger man. Tenaya saw him and backed away. Ziggy turned to him with soft eyes and his familiar smile.
Dillon punched him.
Ziggy stumbled back, head turned down by the strength of the hit, as the others gasped in shock. Slowly, Ziggy looked up at him with wide, hurt brown eyes, moving one hand to lightly touch his jaw. "That was for leaving, you moron." Dillon hissed angrily. "And this," he continued, dropping the sour tone, "is for coming back." Then, before everyone, he grabbed Ziggy's shirt to haul him close and dragged him into a rough, almost desperate kiss. He poured all his recent heartbreak, grief, and deep relief into it, hoping Ziggy understood that he never wanted him to do anything so stupid again. Ziggy kissed back, sighing against his lips softly, his fingers threading through his hair. He could distantly hear the other Rangers whistling and laughing as they watched, but he gave them no mind.
They pulled apart slowly, only after they realized that breathing was a necessity, not an option. Ziggy was flushed, wide-eyed, and all smiles, his breathing slightly heavier than normal. Dillon rested his head against Ziggy's, letting their breath mingle. Something felt different, nothing big or important, just a little off. It took him a minute but after that, he realized what it was. Before they'd left to rescue Tenaya, Ziggy had tasted like the strawberries Flynn had put into the morning's smoothies. Now, Ziggy tasted only like sheer, raw power. Dillon could feel it, really feel it, thumping along every line of Ziggy's body. It was like standing next to a small sun, the intensity and power overwhelming and awe-inspiring. Never had Ziggy's power been so apparent.
"Dillon." Ziggy whispered, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Hm?"
"I love you."
Dillon grinned slowly, pulling Ziggy into another kiss. Next to them, he heard Scott shout, "Oh thank God. Finally!"
Ziggy giggled a little into the kiss and Dillon thought that yeah, this was enough.
-0-0-
Dillon hadn't let the younger man out of his arms for what little was left of the day. Midnight had been fast approaching when they woke up, and by the time Ziggy had gone through all the tests meant to ensure he was perfectly okay and the team had had a small party in the kitchen, it had been half-way to sunrise. The entire time, Dillon hadn't let Ziggy go, always keeping one arm around his shoulders or waist, afraid that if he let go the younger man was going to disappear, or that he was going to wake up and this was all going to be a dream and Ziggy was still dead. So by the time everyone retired, no one even thought twice that Dillon followed Ziggy into his room, one hand still latched around the Summoner's wrist.
Ziggy gave a grimace when he saw the half-packed state of his room and turned around to engulf Dillon in a hug. Dillon blinked in confusion but held the boy to him until Ziggy pulled back and moved the boxes off his bed so he could fall down onto it. Dillon toed off his shoes before lying down next to him, wrapping his arms around Ziggy's waist. "You should have told me earlier." He whispered.
"About what?"
"About you loving me." He replied. He heard Ziggy's smile when he whispered, "I've told you now."
He smiled slightly and shifted, resettling with his head on top of Ziggy's chest, listening to his heartbeat. "I love you too." He said. One of Ziggy's hands came up and ran through his hair. That, combined with the rhythmic beating of Ziggy's heart against his ear, was enough to lull him to sleep. The fact that Ziggy's started to hum the 'Hymn to Fayth' didn't help.
Dillon swore he couldn't have been out for more than a few minutes when he woke up again, but the sun just coming up said otherwise. He and Ziggy must have shifted during the sleep because they were on their sides, Ziggy curled up against his chest. And Ziggy was staring blankly past his shoulder, wide-eyed and breathing heavily. Dillon sat up immediately. "What's wrong?" he demanded.
Ziggy slowly lifted his gaze to stare at him. "I get it now." He whispered his tone soft. "What my dreams were trying to tell me. I get it now."