Fractured Fates (S.P.D./inSpace Crossover/Power Rangers, prompt 9 ~ hallways
I has sleeping kitties in my room. And Challon is on YahooMessenger. ♥ And I'm going Easter Egg Hunting in a couple hours. I'm hoping these are signs of the day improving.
Title: Fractured Fates
Author: Tsukino Akume
Relationship: Zhane/Sky Tate, Jack Landors/Syd Drew
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers, because I probably wouldn't have done this to it even if I did. This is all purplestripe66's fault.
Warning: Character with depression/health issues
Summary: When Andros put Zhane into cryogenic stasis, he didn't wake up until he was completely healed - twenty-four years later. Zhane finds a new team, and S.P.D. tries to deal with the aftermath.
List of 22: 9 ~ hallways
Author's Notes: Zhane/Sky bonding is fun. It was also very hard not to make them start making out already; apparently ZhaneMuse was very eager.
Zhane's parents being Rangers is a reference to Fade to Darkness, because I love his family background in that too much. ^.^;; And Zhane trapped in ice is a nod to phantom_blue and challon86 being silly.
"Zhane! *Zhane!* Would you wait up already?"
He stopped with a sigh, leaning against the wall as Sky jogged up to him. "What?"
Sky shot him an irritated look. "Are you actually avoiding me?" he demanded. "I've been trying to track you down for hours!"
"Mopping every single non-carpeted floor of the base with a sponge is sort of time consuming," Zhane informed him, feeling tired and annoyed. "Cruger needs a better hobby. It's going to take me months of planning to find the right prank to get him back for this."
Sky leaned in close, keeping his voice low. "Some advice, Ranger to Ranger? *Never* prank Cruger. It's not worth it."
"You almost sound like you're speaking from experience," he said warily.
Sky merely shrugged, and he raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "Let's just say I have some experience with punishment duties," Sky said lightly.
Zhane shook his head. "You'd better be careful Sky, or I might start thinking you have a sense of humor."
"I'm talking to you, aren't I?" Sky shot back.
He laughed, surprised. "Okay, good point. So what did you want?" he added, reaching down to drop his sponge in the bucket he'd been carrying around. He paused to stretch his arms over his head, arching his back briefly before dropping his left arm with a wince.
"I wanted to ask you why you were so against me using Jack's morpher." Sky's eyes narrowed. "What was that?"
"What was what?" he returned, leaning back against the wall casually.
"When you were stretching. You made a weird face," Sky informed him suspiciously. "What's wrong with your arm?"
He gave him a puzzled look. "Nothing's wrong with - *ow*!" He jerked back, clutching his left shoulder and glaring at Sky. "What is *wrong* with you?" he demanded. "You don't just go around grabbing people!"
"I live with Bridge. I'm used to having to find hidden injuries," Sky retorted, looking annoyed. "What did you do?"
"Nothing. Just a little too long polishing floors is all."
"You're right handed," Sky said flatly.
He rolled his eyes. "Man, who knew you were such a worrywart? I'm *fine*, okay? Nothing to worry about. And what do you mean about Jack's morpher?"
"Somehow I doubt that," Sky muttered, looking irritated. He sighed. "When Jack offered me his morpher earlier, you asked why and said I already had one. I wanted to know why you didn't think I could handle it."
Zhane blinked. "Wait, you heard me? I thought you guys were just ignoring - " He stopped, frowned, and gave Sky a weird look. "Why *wouldn't* you be able to handle it?"
"I didn't say I couldn't," Sky snapped back, looking really annoyed now. "You did."
"No, I said you already had a morpher," he countered. "I never said you couldn't handle Jack's."
Sky scowled. "Then why didn't you want me using it?"
He blinked at him, genuinely startled by the question. "Because it's not yours," he said simply. He sighed at the look on Sky's face, shaking his head. "You were given the Blue Morpher for a reason, Sky. You're meant to be the *Blue* Ranger - not Red. Taking Jack's morpher didn't change anything about you that wasn't already there."
Sky blinked slowly. "I wasn't keeping it," he said finally. "Jack lent it to me because my father was Red."
Zhane stared back blankly. "So? What does that have to do with anything?"
There was a long moment of silence as they stared at one another. "You really don't get it, do you?" Sky murmured, more to himself than Zhane.
"Honestly? No," Zhane informed him bluntly. "My parents were Rangers too, but you don't see me complaining over my position on the team."
Sky jerked in surprise, eyes widening. "Wait, your parents were Rangers, too?"
He nodded. "Yellow and Blue Kerova Rangers. But I'm not a Healer or a Tactician- I'm me." He sighed as Sky started to shake his head in confusion. "Let me try and simplify it for you. At the Eltarian Ranger Collegiate, where I was taught what it means to be a Ranger, they told us that every Ranger has a team, and every Ranger has a place on that team."
"But wouldn't that mean that their place wouldn't change if they changed their color?" Sky argued.
He shook his head. "Each Color is a place. We have all different names for it, but it means the same thing. Your place is the Blue S.P.D. Ranger. You're the strength of the team. That's just who you are. You can't let Jack offer you his morpher and become someone else - it doesn't work that way."
Sky's eyebrows went up. "You tried to offer me *your* morpher," he pointed out.
He grinned briefly before shaking his head again. "Different concept. Jack gave you his morpher to use it. I was offering you mine as a sign of trust, to show that this is my team."
For some reason, that seemed to startle Sky even more. He gave Zhane a considering look. "You really believe that now?"
Zhane sighed as his smile faded, glancing to the side for a moment. "Andros was my partner," he said at last, his voice quiet. "I gave my life for his. But when I went to see him, before I came back here to help ... I realized that ... my place was never supposed to be with him." He turned met Sky's eyes, swallowing once. "My place is here. With you."
There was a long silence as they stared at one another. Zhane wondered what Sky was thinking and tried not to fidget. It wasn't like him to put himself on the line like this. But Sky deserved to know what had changed his mind.
"Well, we're glad to have you," Sky said finally.
For some reason, Zhane felt a little disappointed by his response.
At last he shrugged and offered Sky a bright grin, reaching down to grab his bucket and sponge. "Well, I'd better back to work and stop blocking the hallway," he said cheerfully. "See ya around, if I don't pass out from the fumes in a small closet somewhere. Start looking for me in a week or so, would you?"
Sky rolled his eyes. "See Kat about that shoulder!" he called after him.
Zhane raised a hand in acknowledgement, having absolutely no intention of doing anything of the sort.
****
Exhausted and sore, he slouched against a wall, battered sponge and empty bucket on the ground beside him. His head lolled back, and he let out a weary sigh. "Cruger, you will *pay* for this," he muttered under his breath.
He didn't know what time it was, just that the sun had gone down hours ago. The other Rangers had wandered by at various points to see how he was doing and exchanged pleasant conversation before heading off again. But Bridge had finally wandered away ages ago, and he hadn't seen anyone since. It had to be nearly morning by now.
His stomach rumbled loudly, and he glared down at it. "Yes, I know we missed dinner. But unless you plan on convincing our legs to move, we're not going anywhere."
There was a soft chuckle, and he looked up to see Sky watching him in amusement. "Long day?"
He moaned pitifully. "I can't feel my hands, and I'm too hungry to move." He turned mournful eyes on Sky. "Carry me?"
Sky snorted. "I doubt I could carry you if I tried - which I wouldn't. You'll have to move yourself."
"Come on, I don't weigh that much," he wheedled.
Sky actually smiled. "Nice try. But I don't encourage Syd's princess act, so why would I put up with yours?"
"It's not a princess act," he protested. "It's a plea for help from your wounded teammate." He pouted at him. "You're so cruel, Sky."
"Yeah, I get that a lot," Sky humphed, reaching down to pull him to his feet.
He'd grabbed his right hand, not the left, Zhane noted with interest. "Why?" he asked.
Sky held on until he steadied himself. "Why what?"
"Why do you get that a lot?" he repeated. "You're not cruel."
Sky raised his eyebrows. "Have you been paying attention at all? I'm not exactly a nice guy."
He laughed. "Of course you are. You're one of the nicest guys I know." He reached down to grab his bucket and winced at the ache in his back. "I've been paying attention to all of you. Watching people is the easiest way to get to know them."
"Your observational skills could use some work," Sky informed him.
He grinned. "You want to be the perfect cadet, so you can be the perfect Ranger," he began, "Never mind that there's no such thing. So you go out of your way to be just like Cruger: strict, law-abiding, disciplined, stand-offish. But the reason you want to be a Ranger is to help people, because you admire what your dad was doing when you were growing up. But you don't want anyone to know how much you actually care, so you act like a real jerk even though you're actually concerned. And deep down, you like to goof around and have fun just as much as the rest of us - you just bury that because you're afraid it won't help advance your goal."
Sky stared at him. "I want to honor my father's legacy," he said eventually. "Not just that I admired him."
Zhane shrugged. "Not much of a difference. I admired my parents for what they did, which is why I joined the collegiate." He swung the bucket around on his right shoulder, turning to face Sky and walking backwards toward the elevator. "But the fact that you showed up to check on me just now shows that you're not as heartless as you want me to think," he pointed out.
The corner of Sky's mouth was threatening to twitch. "I'm on night duty."
"And that includes checking up on me?" Zhane shot back. He smirked. "Face it. You were worried."
"How would you know?" Sky retorted.
The smirk faded a little and he shrugged, turning to face forward as he walked. "Andros was the same way. You remind me of him a lot."
Sky remained silent as he pressed the button for the lift. "What was he like?" he asked finally.
Zhane sighed quietly, a reluctant smile crossing his face. "A workaholic. He wanted to be a Ranger because he thought it would help him meet his goals, so he was determined to be the best student and Ranger the collegiate had ever seen. About ran himself into the ground to do it, to." He sighed again as the door opened at last, moving into the lift and leaning against the wall. "But he was the most loyal guy I ever knew. He went on the most dangerous missions to prove himself, but he'd never leave a teammate behind. The sort of guy you want at your back, you know? He was always so serious, but ... " He grinned a little. "Once you figured out the way inside his defenses, he could be really fun. He'd never admit it, but we had some pretty wild times back then." The smile remained for several moments before fading again.
"Were you together?"
He blinked, turning to give Sky an odd look. "Why do you ask?"
Sky shrugged, shifting a little uncomfortably. "Something about the way you talk about him, I guess."
He shook his head slowly. "No ... But everyone else thought we were. We were close, and I don't mind people knowing when I love someone - even if it's like a brother. It doesn't matter to me how they see it." He shrugged a little. "It used to drive Andros nuts at first when I'd kiss him in public, but he got used to it."
Sky started a little. "You kissed your brother?"
"I'm an affectionate guy," he returned flippantly. "I'd kiss you if I didn't think you'd hit me for it."
He was rewarded with a bright flush and Sky coughing awkwardly.
He grinned. "Don't worry. Like I said, I'd rather not get hit for it," he teased, unexpectedly pleased by Sky's reaction.
Sky muttered something under his breath.
"What was that?" he asked sweetly.
"What'd you do to your shoulder?" Sky asked abruptly.
He blinked at the change of subject and sighed. "Do you ever let anything go?"
"No," Sky returned. "What'd you do to it?"
He shrugged his right shoulder. "Don't remember."
Sky's eyebrows went up again. "You remember being at the Eltarian Ranger Collegiate, but you can't remember how you hurt your shoulder a few hours ago?"
"My memory's a little spotty lately," he said lightly, ignoring the way his heart pounded at the thought. "Must be a side effect of being trapped in ice for so long."
Sky frowned. "Side effect?" There was a pause, and suddenly he was glaring. "You still haven't had a physical with Kat yet, have you?"
"Don't need one," he retorted. "I'm in perfect shape - you saw for yourself."
Sky's scowl didn't fade. "You need a complete standard physical through S.P.D. Testing your skills isn't the same. Who knows what happened to your Powers while you were asleep?"
He paused, blinking. "Wait, what?"
"I *said*, who knows what happened to your Powers while you were - "
He grabbed either side of Sky's face, yanked him close, and kissed his cheek, cutting him off in mid-sentence. "You're a genius," he declared happily. "I owe you. Seriously, I do."
Sky's cheeks flamed as he stumbled back, staring at him. "What was *that* for?" he demanded.
Zhane grinned wildly, grabbing his bucket as the elevator doors swung open at last. "I just figured something out. You're the best, Sky. I'll get back to you on that favor, okay?" he called, pointing at him before he turned and ran for Kat's lab.
Title: Fractured Fates
Author: Tsukino Akume
Relationship: Zhane/Sky Tate, Jack Landors/Syd Drew
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers, because I probably wouldn't have done this to it even if I did. This is all purplestripe66's fault.
Warning: Character with depression/health issues
Summary: When Andros put Zhane into cryogenic stasis, he didn't wake up until he was completely healed - twenty-four years later. Zhane finds a new team, and S.P.D. tries to deal with the aftermath.
List of 22: 9 ~ hallways
Author's Notes: Zhane/Sky bonding is fun. It was also very hard not to make them start making out already; apparently ZhaneMuse was very eager.
Zhane's parents being Rangers is a reference to Fade to Darkness, because I love his family background in that too much. ^.^;; And Zhane trapped in ice is a nod to phantom_blue and challon86 being silly.
"Zhane! *Zhane!* Would you wait up already?"
He stopped with a sigh, leaning against the wall as Sky jogged up to him. "What?"
Sky shot him an irritated look. "Are you actually avoiding me?" he demanded. "I've been trying to track you down for hours!"
"Mopping every single non-carpeted floor of the base with a sponge is sort of time consuming," Zhane informed him, feeling tired and annoyed. "Cruger needs a better hobby. It's going to take me months of planning to find the right prank to get him back for this."
Sky leaned in close, keeping his voice low. "Some advice, Ranger to Ranger? *Never* prank Cruger. It's not worth it."
"You almost sound like you're speaking from experience," he said warily.
Sky merely shrugged, and he raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "Let's just say I have some experience with punishment duties," Sky said lightly.
Zhane shook his head. "You'd better be careful Sky, or I might start thinking you have a sense of humor."
"I'm talking to you, aren't I?" Sky shot back.
He laughed, surprised. "Okay, good point. So what did you want?" he added, reaching down to drop his sponge in the bucket he'd been carrying around. He paused to stretch his arms over his head, arching his back briefly before dropping his left arm with a wince.
"I wanted to ask you why you were so against me using Jack's morpher." Sky's eyes narrowed. "What was that?"
"What was what?" he returned, leaning back against the wall casually.
"When you were stretching. You made a weird face," Sky informed him suspiciously. "What's wrong with your arm?"
He gave him a puzzled look. "Nothing's wrong with - *ow*!" He jerked back, clutching his left shoulder and glaring at Sky. "What is *wrong* with you?" he demanded. "You don't just go around grabbing people!"
"I live with Bridge. I'm used to having to find hidden injuries," Sky retorted, looking annoyed. "What did you do?"
"Nothing. Just a little too long polishing floors is all."
"You're right handed," Sky said flatly.
He rolled his eyes. "Man, who knew you were such a worrywart? I'm *fine*, okay? Nothing to worry about. And what do you mean about Jack's morpher?"
"Somehow I doubt that," Sky muttered, looking irritated. He sighed. "When Jack offered me his morpher earlier, you asked why and said I already had one. I wanted to know why you didn't think I could handle it."
Zhane blinked. "Wait, you heard me? I thought you guys were just ignoring - " He stopped, frowned, and gave Sky a weird look. "Why *wouldn't* you be able to handle it?"
"I didn't say I couldn't," Sky snapped back, looking really annoyed now. "You did."
"No, I said you already had a morpher," he countered. "I never said you couldn't handle Jack's."
Sky scowled. "Then why didn't you want me using it?"
He blinked at him, genuinely startled by the question. "Because it's not yours," he said simply. He sighed at the look on Sky's face, shaking his head. "You were given the Blue Morpher for a reason, Sky. You're meant to be the *Blue* Ranger - not Red. Taking Jack's morpher didn't change anything about you that wasn't already there."
Sky blinked slowly. "I wasn't keeping it," he said finally. "Jack lent it to me because my father was Red."
Zhane stared back blankly. "So? What does that have to do with anything?"
There was a long moment of silence as they stared at one another. "You really don't get it, do you?" Sky murmured, more to himself than Zhane.
"Honestly? No," Zhane informed him bluntly. "My parents were Rangers too, but you don't see me complaining over my position on the team."
Sky jerked in surprise, eyes widening. "Wait, your parents were Rangers, too?"
He nodded. "Yellow and Blue Kerova Rangers. But I'm not a Healer or a Tactician- I'm me." He sighed as Sky started to shake his head in confusion. "Let me try and simplify it for you. At the Eltarian Ranger Collegiate, where I was taught what it means to be a Ranger, they told us that every Ranger has a team, and every Ranger has a place on that team."
"But wouldn't that mean that their place wouldn't change if they changed their color?" Sky argued.
He shook his head. "Each Color is a place. We have all different names for it, but it means the same thing. Your place is the Blue S.P.D. Ranger. You're the strength of the team. That's just who you are. You can't let Jack offer you his morpher and become someone else - it doesn't work that way."
Sky's eyebrows went up. "You tried to offer me *your* morpher," he pointed out.
He grinned briefly before shaking his head again. "Different concept. Jack gave you his morpher to use it. I was offering you mine as a sign of trust, to show that this is my team."
For some reason, that seemed to startle Sky even more. He gave Zhane a considering look. "You really believe that now?"
Zhane sighed as his smile faded, glancing to the side for a moment. "Andros was my partner," he said at last, his voice quiet. "I gave my life for his. But when I went to see him, before I came back here to help ... I realized that ... my place was never supposed to be with him." He turned met Sky's eyes, swallowing once. "My place is here. With you."
There was a long silence as they stared at one another. Zhane wondered what Sky was thinking and tried not to fidget. It wasn't like him to put himself on the line like this. But Sky deserved to know what had changed his mind.
"Well, we're glad to have you," Sky said finally.
For some reason, Zhane felt a little disappointed by his response.
At last he shrugged and offered Sky a bright grin, reaching down to grab his bucket and sponge. "Well, I'd better back to work and stop blocking the hallway," he said cheerfully. "See ya around, if I don't pass out from the fumes in a small closet somewhere. Start looking for me in a week or so, would you?"
Sky rolled his eyes. "See Kat about that shoulder!" he called after him.
Zhane raised a hand in acknowledgement, having absolutely no intention of doing anything of the sort.
****
Exhausted and sore, he slouched against a wall, battered sponge and empty bucket on the ground beside him. His head lolled back, and he let out a weary sigh. "Cruger, you will *pay* for this," he muttered under his breath.
He didn't know what time it was, just that the sun had gone down hours ago. The other Rangers had wandered by at various points to see how he was doing and exchanged pleasant conversation before heading off again. But Bridge had finally wandered away ages ago, and he hadn't seen anyone since. It had to be nearly morning by now.
His stomach rumbled loudly, and he glared down at it. "Yes, I know we missed dinner. But unless you plan on convincing our legs to move, we're not going anywhere."
There was a soft chuckle, and he looked up to see Sky watching him in amusement. "Long day?"
He moaned pitifully. "I can't feel my hands, and I'm too hungry to move." He turned mournful eyes on Sky. "Carry me?"
Sky snorted. "I doubt I could carry you if I tried - which I wouldn't. You'll have to move yourself."
"Come on, I don't weigh that much," he wheedled.
Sky actually smiled. "Nice try. But I don't encourage Syd's princess act, so why would I put up with yours?"
"It's not a princess act," he protested. "It's a plea for help from your wounded teammate." He pouted at him. "You're so cruel, Sky."
"Yeah, I get that a lot," Sky humphed, reaching down to pull him to his feet.
He'd grabbed his right hand, not the left, Zhane noted with interest. "Why?" he asked.
Sky held on until he steadied himself. "Why what?"
"Why do you get that a lot?" he repeated. "You're not cruel."
Sky raised his eyebrows. "Have you been paying attention at all? I'm not exactly a nice guy."
He laughed. "Of course you are. You're one of the nicest guys I know." He reached down to grab his bucket and winced at the ache in his back. "I've been paying attention to all of you. Watching people is the easiest way to get to know them."
"Your observational skills could use some work," Sky informed him.
He grinned. "You want to be the perfect cadet, so you can be the perfect Ranger," he began, "Never mind that there's no such thing. So you go out of your way to be just like Cruger: strict, law-abiding, disciplined, stand-offish. But the reason you want to be a Ranger is to help people, because you admire what your dad was doing when you were growing up. But you don't want anyone to know how much you actually care, so you act like a real jerk even though you're actually concerned. And deep down, you like to goof around and have fun just as much as the rest of us - you just bury that because you're afraid it won't help advance your goal."
Sky stared at him. "I want to honor my father's legacy," he said eventually. "Not just that I admired him."
Zhane shrugged. "Not much of a difference. I admired my parents for what they did, which is why I joined the collegiate." He swung the bucket around on his right shoulder, turning to face Sky and walking backwards toward the elevator. "But the fact that you showed up to check on me just now shows that you're not as heartless as you want me to think," he pointed out.
The corner of Sky's mouth was threatening to twitch. "I'm on night duty."
"And that includes checking up on me?" Zhane shot back. He smirked. "Face it. You were worried."
"How would you know?" Sky retorted.
The smirk faded a little and he shrugged, turning to face forward as he walked. "Andros was the same way. You remind me of him a lot."
Sky remained silent as he pressed the button for the lift. "What was he like?" he asked finally.
Zhane sighed quietly, a reluctant smile crossing his face. "A workaholic. He wanted to be a Ranger because he thought it would help him meet his goals, so he was determined to be the best student and Ranger the collegiate had ever seen. About ran himself into the ground to do it, to." He sighed again as the door opened at last, moving into the lift and leaning against the wall. "But he was the most loyal guy I ever knew. He went on the most dangerous missions to prove himself, but he'd never leave a teammate behind. The sort of guy you want at your back, you know? He was always so serious, but ... " He grinned a little. "Once you figured out the way inside his defenses, he could be really fun. He'd never admit it, but we had some pretty wild times back then." The smile remained for several moments before fading again.
"Were you together?"
He blinked, turning to give Sky an odd look. "Why do you ask?"
Sky shrugged, shifting a little uncomfortably. "Something about the way you talk about him, I guess."
He shook his head slowly. "No ... But everyone else thought we were. We were close, and I don't mind people knowing when I love someone - even if it's like a brother. It doesn't matter to me how they see it." He shrugged a little. "It used to drive Andros nuts at first when I'd kiss him in public, but he got used to it."
Sky started a little. "You kissed your brother?"
"I'm an affectionate guy," he returned flippantly. "I'd kiss you if I didn't think you'd hit me for it."
He was rewarded with a bright flush and Sky coughing awkwardly.
He grinned. "Don't worry. Like I said, I'd rather not get hit for it," he teased, unexpectedly pleased by Sky's reaction.
Sky muttered something under his breath.
"What was that?" he asked sweetly.
"What'd you do to your shoulder?" Sky asked abruptly.
He blinked at the change of subject and sighed. "Do you ever let anything go?"
"No," Sky returned. "What'd you do to it?"
He shrugged his right shoulder. "Don't remember."
Sky's eyebrows went up again. "You remember being at the Eltarian Ranger Collegiate, but you can't remember how you hurt your shoulder a few hours ago?"
"My memory's a little spotty lately," he said lightly, ignoring the way his heart pounded at the thought. "Must be a side effect of being trapped in ice for so long."
Sky frowned. "Side effect?" There was a pause, and suddenly he was glaring. "You still haven't had a physical with Kat yet, have you?"
"Don't need one," he retorted. "I'm in perfect shape - you saw for yourself."
Sky's scowl didn't fade. "You need a complete standard physical through S.P.D. Testing your skills isn't the same. Who knows what happened to your Powers while you were asleep?"
He paused, blinking. "Wait, what?"
"I *said*, who knows what happened to your Powers while you were - "
He grabbed either side of Sky's face, yanked him close, and kissed his cheek, cutting him off in mid-sentence. "You're a genius," he declared happily. "I owe you. Seriously, I do."
Sky's cheeks flamed as he stumbled back, staring at him. "What was *that* for?" he demanded.
Zhane grinned wildly, grabbing his bucket as the elevator doors swung open at last. "I just figured something out. You're the best, Sky. I'll get back to you on that favor, okay?" he called, pointing at him before he turned and ran for Kat's lab.