Cataclysm (Tsukino Akume, Drama/Friendship)
Cassie is being difficult again. I don't like like this. -Kicks CassieMuse-
Title/: Cataclysm
Author/: Tsukino Akume
Relationship/: Andros/Ashley, Zhane/Karone, mentions of Cassie/Phantom
Rating/: K+
Warnings/: emotional trauma, mentally disturbed people, depression
Disclaimer/: If I owned the Power Rangers, this universe would exist. We would have known who the Phantom Ranger was - and it *would* have been a girl because I'm weird like that - and team snuggles would be mandatory every episode. As none of that is cannon, it's safe to assume that I don't.
Summary/: When Astronema was defeated, the Astro Rangers gave up more than their Powers. Reporters, fans, and long-lost relatives are coming out of the woodwork as the team struggles to adjust to it all. Bright Skies Universe.
Theme/: #77. Devotion
Author's Notes/: This chapter fought me for days, until I finally gave up on my original plan for it. I'm not sure that this is better, but it seems to work well enough.
Love to lunaria_kitty for beta! ♥
"I don't see why we're even still bothering to do this," Cassie muttered, glaring at the map. She marked another spot and reached for one of the charges they'd been working on.
On the other side of the room she heard T.J. sigh irritably. "Because we sent out a message to Earth saying that we'd get rid of the Dark Fortress. We don't need it, but we can't leave it hanging around for anyone else to use, so blowing it up is the best option we've got. We've been over this a dozen times already."
"I get that part," she snapped back. "I just meant I don't know why we're doing it *now* after - ow!" She yanked her hand back as something zapped her, cursing under her breath.
She glared down at the red skin on her fingertips as if it was the source of all her problems. Maybe if she glared long enough, everything would just magically fix itself. Andros would stop blaming himself for Zordon's death, the former Rangers wouldn't blame him either, the whole world wouldn't know who they were anymore, her family wouldn't be ...
She sighed, because she didn't even know what she wanted them to be now.
An arm came around her shoulders. "I'm sorry," T.J. said quietly. "Does it still hurt?"
"Which one?" she asked dryly, holding up both hands. The red fingers of her left were already fading to their normal color, while her right hand was still wrapped in bandages from its abrupt meeting with the wall earlier when she'd lost her temper.
To her surprise, T.J. took first her left wrist, then her right, kissing each hand gently. It made her smile a little. "Thanks," she murmured.
He squeezed her a little tighter. "No problem."
She leaned her head against his shoulder with a sigh, staring down at the map. "Are we really doing the right thing?" she asked softly. "It just seems like there's got to be a better use for the Dark Fortress. I mean, it's working great as a Ranger Base, isn't it?"
T.J. let out a slow breath. "Yeah, it has been," he agreed. "But we can't rely on the other Rangers forever. Especially now, after ... " He trailed off, and she wrapped her arms around his waist to hug him briefly.
"Yeah," she muttered, feeling bitter.
"You know I love you, right?" T.J. asked suddenly.
She looked up at him in surprise and found him watching her with a solemn expression. "You and Ash ... you're like the sisters I never had," he told her seriously.
She blinked, then slowly smiled at him. "You've been part of my family for more than a year, Teej. After everything ... " She shrugged, the smile turning wry. "How could we not be?"
He smiled back. "Yeah. I guess you're right."
She leaned her head on his shoulder again, squeezing his waist a little. "You know ... you remind me of my brother sometimes." She said eventually. "Mitch, not Tony," she added, because even if T.J. didn't know them, there was still a difference.
"How's that?"
She shrugged a shoulder. "It's the way you are with the rest of us. You both have this thing about taking care of everyone. Mitch didn't used to be like that, but since Sammy ... " She sighed, closing her eyes for a moment.
"So when's your dad coming?" T.J. asked after a pause.
"Tomorrow." She swallowed. "Mom's bringing the whole family to Angel Grove for the weekend before school starts up again."
"You nervous?"
She laughed softly, turning into him a little more. "Terrified," she whispered.
He pulled her into a full hug, his chin resting on her head. "No matter what happens, you know you always have us, right?" he reminded her quietly. "If you need *anything* ... we'll be there in a flash."
She smiled, blinking back tears. "I know."
They stood that way for several minutes, her leaning on him as they just hugged. No one was looking for them just yet: Zhane and Ashley were still trying to console Andros, while Karone had taken Carlos to tour the Dark Fortress again for anything valuable they might have missed. It had only been barely an hour since they'd left Rocky's, but they were all too agitated to sit still.
"Do you miss your family?" she asked suddenly.
T.J. stiffened slightly. "I'm with my family," he reminded her finally.
She rolled her eyes, knowing he wouldn't see. "You know what I meant."
There was a long pause, and at last he sighed. "Yeah," he muttered. "I guess I do. But I'm still not ready to ... to deal with everything, you know? I'm still trying to focus on what we need to do, and having my parents rail on me about being a Ranger isn't exactly what I need to hear right now."
She nodded against his chest, because she could understand that. "My mom still can't believe it," she said quietly, smiling a little at the thought. "She said she doesn't want to think about it anymore than she has to, because it makes her want to lock me in my room for the rest of my life." Her thoughts moved on to the rest of her family, and she sighed. "I don't know what everyone else thinks about it yet. I'm scared to ask."
"Because you don't know if they'll be jealous or proud or mad or just not even care, and you don't know which is worse," T.J. whispered, and the desolation in his voice made her squeeze him tighter again.
Eventually she just nodded, because there wasn't much she could say to that.
" ... Guys?"
They both looked up.
Ashley was standing in the doorway to the glider bay, looking worried and uncertain. "Are you okay?"
They glanced at each other and shrugged. "No," T.J. said simply.
"I will be," Cassie told her. "What's up?"
Ashley bit her lip. "Well ... I was thinking. You know how Andros said today is the Festival of Remembrance on KO-35?" She hesitated. "I had an idea ... "
****
The side of Angel Grove Lake they'd chosen was surprisingly quiet for New Year's Eve, but most people had gone further into the park for a better view of the fireworks display. D.E.C.A. had sent them down to a more isolated beach, which helped. They could just barely hear the sound of people laughing in the distance, but it was far enough away that it wasn't distracting from what they'd come to do.
Cassie looked down at the rose-shaped candle that Ashley had given her. They probably could have found something else, but Ashley had insisted she'd rather use her Christmas present for this than anything else. At least this way they'd be used for something that mattered.
"So what do we do now?" Zhane asked, staring down at the candle cupped in his hands. The flame flickered gently in the breeze.
"There really isn't any specific way of doing this," Ashley explained, looking faintly embarrassed. "But I've seen it somewhere before, and I thought it might be a good way to honor your festival while we're on Earth."
Andros glanced up at her from his own candle, and something seemed in his face seemed to soften. "Thanks, Ash," he said quietly.
She flushed slightly, trying to smile. "Well, since this was my idea, I guess I'll go first."
She stepped to the lakeside and knelt down, pursing her lips for a moment as she stared at her candle, thinking. "For Blue Senturion," she said finally. "Wherever he is." Carefully, she placed the candle into the water, giving it a gentle push to send it further out. "Thank you for all you did for us," she added quietly.
T.J. came forward as Ashley stood up and moved out of the way. "For the Power Chamber, and the Turbo Zords," he murmured. "Thank you for all you did for us." He closed his eyes, visibly swallowing. "I'm sorry we failed you," he finished, his voice so soft Cassie would never have heard him if she hadn't been standing as close as she was.
She swallowed hard, blinking back tears of her own.
Carlos was next, squeezing T.J.'s arm as he passed. "For Zordon," he said simply. "Thank you for all you did for us." He paused, his expression darkening. "I'm sorry we couldn't do more for you."
Her throat was tight by the time she moved to take his place. "For the Phantom Ranger," she told her candle, knowing no one would be surprised by her choice. "I don't know where you are now or if you're safe, but we wouldn't be here today without you. Thank you for all you did for us."
For a moment, she watched the candle float away from her towards the others. *Was* Phantom alive? Why hadn't he come back like he'd promised? Had something happened?
"Please be all right," she whispered, heart aching. A tear finally slipped down her cheek, and she brushed it away, sniffling, as she stood.
T.J. was waiting when she moved back, wrapping an arm around her again and squeezing gently.
It was Zhane who came forward next, kneeling down in the sand as Ashley had done. "For the Kerova Rangers." His voice was soft and almost cold, and if she didn't see the shine of tears in his eyes, she would have wondered if he even cared. "I love you. I'll wait for the day we see each other again." He bowed his head, and she could see his hands were shaking as he clenched them into fists. "Thank you for all you've done for us," he choked out.
He was crying when he finally stood up, wiping ineffectually at his face. Ashley was at his side in an instant, tears in her own eyes as she hugged him. He squeezed her back, burying his face against her shoulder as he shook with sobs.
Cassie sniffled again, feeling another tear slip down her cheek. T.J.'s arm tightened again, and she found herself reaching for Carlos' hand without thinking about it.
"For Ecliptor."
The sudden voice startled her, and she turned to look at Andros as he knelt beside the water. His expression was blank again, but a wealth of emotion shone in his eyes. "You were one of my greatest enemies, and in some ways, my greatest friend. Thank you for all you did for my sister."
He glanced up as Karone's hand touched his shoulder, and she joined him in the sand. The look on her face was as empty as Andros' as she put her candle into the water. "For Dark Spectre," she said softly, and Cassie's eyes widened. "You were the only one to look at me, a tiny, weak creature with nothing special to offer, and see the potential for what I could be. You made me Astronema, and gave me the Dark Fortress in return for my devotion to you. Without Astronema, I never would have found my brother." She reached out to take Andros' hand, ignoring the way he stared at her. "You're the reason we're all friends now, that we're all here together. Thank you for all that did for us." Then she paused, and her expression hardened. "Burn in hell," she hissed.
A loud cheer went up in the distance, and bursts of color shot up into the sky, illuminating everything around them. But Cassie continued to watch the seven tiny white candles, floating along gently on the water. "We should do this again next year," she said softly, squeezing Carlos' hand again as she leaned into T.J.'s side.
"Yeah," Carlos agreed quietly. "We should."
They watched in silence as the candles continued to burn, the fireworks continued to light the sky overhead, and Zhane continued to sob quietly in Ashley's arms.
Title/: Cataclysm
Author/: Tsukino Akume
Relationship/: Andros/Ashley, Zhane/Karone, mentions of Cassie/Phantom
Rating/: K+
Warnings/: emotional trauma, mentally disturbed people, depression
Disclaimer/: If I owned the Power Rangers, this universe would exist. We would have known who the Phantom Ranger was - and it *would* have been a girl because I'm weird like that - and team snuggles would be mandatory every episode. As none of that is cannon, it's safe to assume that I don't.
Summary/: When Astronema was defeated, the Astro Rangers gave up more than their Powers. Reporters, fans, and long-lost relatives are coming out of the woodwork as the team struggles to adjust to it all. Bright Skies Universe.
Theme/: #77. Devotion
Author's Notes/: This chapter fought me for days, until I finally gave up on my original plan for it. I'm not sure that this is better, but it seems to work well enough.
Love to lunaria_kitty for beta! ♥
"I don't see why we're even still bothering to do this," Cassie muttered, glaring at the map. She marked another spot and reached for one of the charges they'd been working on.
On the other side of the room she heard T.J. sigh irritably. "Because we sent out a message to Earth saying that we'd get rid of the Dark Fortress. We don't need it, but we can't leave it hanging around for anyone else to use, so blowing it up is the best option we've got. We've been over this a dozen times already."
"I get that part," she snapped back. "I just meant I don't know why we're doing it *now* after - ow!" She yanked her hand back as something zapped her, cursing under her breath.
She glared down at the red skin on her fingertips as if it was the source of all her problems. Maybe if she glared long enough, everything would just magically fix itself. Andros would stop blaming himself for Zordon's death, the former Rangers wouldn't blame him either, the whole world wouldn't know who they were anymore, her family wouldn't be ...
She sighed, because she didn't even know what she wanted them to be now.
An arm came around her shoulders. "I'm sorry," T.J. said quietly. "Does it still hurt?"
"Which one?" she asked dryly, holding up both hands. The red fingers of her left were already fading to their normal color, while her right hand was still wrapped in bandages from its abrupt meeting with the wall earlier when she'd lost her temper.
To her surprise, T.J. took first her left wrist, then her right, kissing each hand gently. It made her smile a little. "Thanks," she murmured.
He squeezed her a little tighter. "No problem."
She leaned her head against his shoulder with a sigh, staring down at the map. "Are we really doing the right thing?" she asked softly. "It just seems like there's got to be a better use for the Dark Fortress. I mean, it's working great as a Ranger Base, isn't it?"
T.J. let out a slow breath. "Yeah, it has been," he agreed. "But we can't rely on the other Rangers forever. Especially now, after ... " He trailed off, and she wrapped her arms around his waist to hug him briefly.
"Yeah," she muttered, feeling bitter.
"You know I love you, right?" T.J. asked suddenly.
She looked up at him in surprise and found him watching her with a solemn expression. "You and Ash ... you're like the sisters I never had," he told her seriously.
She blinked, then slowly smiled at him. "You've been part of my family for more than a year, Teej. After everything ... " She shrugged, the smile turning wry. "How could we not be?"
He smiled back. "Yeah. I guess you're right."
She leaned her head on his shoulder again, squeezing his waist a little. "You know ... you remind me of my brother sometimes." She said eventually. "Mitch, not Tony," she added, because even if T.J. didn't know them, there was still a difference.
"How's that?"
She shrugged a shoulder. "It's the way you are with the rest of us. You both have this thing about taking care of everyone. Mitch didn't used to be like that, but since Sammy ... " She sighed, closing her eyes for a moment.
"So when's your dad coming?" T.J. asked after a pause.
"Tomorrow." She swallowed. "Mom's bringing the whole family to Angel Grove for the weekend before school starts up again."
"You nervous?"
She laughed softly, turning into him a little more. "Terrified," she whispered.
He pulled her into a full hug, his chin resting on her head. "No matter what happens, you know you always have us, right?" he reminded her quietly. "If you need *anything* ... we'll be there in a flash."
She smiled, blinking back tears. "I know."
They stood that way for several minutes, her leaning on him as they just hugged. No one was looking for them just yet: Zhane and Ashley were still trying to console Andros, while Karone had taken Carlos to tour the Dark Fortress again for anything valuable they might have missed. It had only been barely an hour since they'd left Rocky's, but they were all too agitated to sit still.
"Do you miss your family?" she asked suddenly.
T.J. stiffened slightly. "I'm with my family," he reminded her finally.
She rolled her eyes, knowing he wouldn't see. "You know what I meant."
There was a long pause, and at last he sighed. "Yeah," he muttered. "I guess I do. But I'm still not ready to ... to deal with everything, you know? I'm still trying to focus on what we need to do, and having my parents rail on me about being a Ranger isn't exactly what I need to hear right now."
She nodded against his chest, because she could understand that. "My mom still can't believe it," she said quietly, smiling a little at the thought. "She said she doesn't want to think about it anymore than she has to, because it makes her want to lock me in my room for the rest of my life." Her thoughts moved on to the rest of her family, and she sighed. "I don't know what everyone else thinks about it yet. I'm scared to ask."
"Because you don't know if they'll be jealous or proud or mad or just not even care, and you don't know which is worse," T.J. whispered, and the desolation in his voice made her squeeze him tighter again.
Eventually she just nodded, because there wasn't much she could say to that.
" ... Guys?"
They both looked up.
Ashley was standing in the doorway to the glider bay, looking worried and uncertain. "Are you okay?"
They glanced at each other and shrugged. "No," T.J. said simply.
"I will be," Cassie told her. "What's up?"
Ashley bit her lip. "Well ... I was thinking. You know how Andros said today is the Festival of Remembrance on KO-35?" She hesitated. "I had an idea ... "
****
The side of Angel Grove Lake they'd chosen was surprisingly quiet for New Year's Eve, but most people had gone further into the park for a better view of the fireworks display. D.E.C.A. had sent them down to a more isolated beach, which helped. They could just barely hear the sound of people laughing in the distance, but it was far enough away that it wasn't distracting from what they'd come to do.
Cassie looked down at the rose-shaped candle that Ashley had given her. They probably could have found something else, but Ashley had insisted she'd rather use her Christmas present for this than anything else. At least this way they'd be used for something that mattered.
"So what do we do now?" Zhane asked, staring down at the candle cupped in his hands. The flame flickered gently in the breeze.
"There really isn't any specific way of doing this," Ashley explained, looking faintly embarrassed. "But I've seen it somewhere before, and I thought it might be a good way to honor your festival while we're on Earth."
Andros glanced up at her from his own candle, and something seemed in his face seemed to soften. "Thanks, Ash," he said quietly.
She flushed slightly, trying to smile. "Well, since this was my idea, I guess I'll go first."
She stepped to the lakeside and knelt down, pursing her lips for a moment as she stared at her candle, thinking. "For Blue Senturion," she said finally. "Wherever he is." Carefully, she placed the candle into the water, giving it a gentle push to send it further out. "Thank you for all you did for us," she added quietly.
T.J. came forward as Ashley stood up and moved out of the way. "For the Power Chamber, and the Turbo Zords," he murmured. "Thank you for all you did for us." He closed his eyes, visibly swallowing. "I'm sorry we failed you," he finished, his voice so soft Cassie would never have heard him if she hadn't been standing as close as she was.
She swallowed hard, blinking back tears of her own.
Carlos was next, squeezing T.J.'s arm as he passed. "For Zordon," he said simply. "Thank you for all you did for us." He paused, his expression darkening. "I'm sorry we couldn't do more for you."
Her throat was tight by the time she moved to take his place. "For the Phantom Ranger," she told her candle, knowing no one would be surprised by her choice. "I don't know where you are now or if you're safe, but we wouldn't be here today without you. Thank you for all you did for us."
For a moment, she watched the candle float away from her towards the others. *Was* Phantom alive? Why hadn't he come back like he'd promised? Had something happened?
"Please be all right," she whispered, heart aching. A tear finally slipped down her cheek, and she brushed it away, sniffling, as she stood.
T.J. was waiting when she moved back, wrapping an arm around her again and squeezing gently.
It was Zhane who came forward next, kneeling down in the sand as Ashley had done. "For the Kerova Rangers." His voice was soft and almost cold, and if she didn't see the shine of tears in his eyes, she would have wondered if he even cared. "I love you. I'll wait for the day we see each other again." He bowed his head, and she could see his hands were shaking as he clenched them into fists. "Thank you for all you've done for us," he choked out.
He was crying when he finally stood up, wiping ineffectually at his face. Ashley was at his side in an instant, tears in her own eyes as she hugged him. He squeezed her back, burying his face against her shoulder as he shook with sobs.
Cassie sniffled again, feeling another tear slip down her cheek. T.J.'s arm tightened again, and she found herself reaching for Carlos' hand without thinking about it.
"For Ecliptor."
The sudden voice startled her, and she turned to look at Andros as he knelt beside the water. His expression was blank again, but a wealth of emotion shone in his eyes. "You were one of my greatest enemies, and in some ways, my greatest friend. Thank you for all you did for my sister."
He glanced up as Karone's hand touched his shoulder, and she joined him in the sand. The look on her face was as empty as Andros' as she put her candle into the water. "For Dark Spectre," she said softly, and Cassie's eyes widened. "You were the only one to look at me, a tiny, weak creature with nothing special to offer, and see the potential for what I could be. You made me Astronema, and gave me the Dark Fortress in return for my devotion to you. Without Astronema, I never would have found my brother." She reached out to take Andros' hand, ignoring the way he stared at her. "You're the reason we're all friends now, that we're all here together. Thank you for all that did for us." Then she paused, and her expression hardened. "Burn in hell," she hissed.
A loud cheer went up in the distance, and bursts of color shot up into the sky, illuminating everything around them. But Cassie continued to watch the seven tiny white candles, floating along gently on the water. "We should do this again next year," she said softly, squeezing Carlos' hand again as she leaned into T.J.'s side.
"Yeah," Carlos agreed quietly. "We should."
They watched in silence as the candles continued to burn, the fireworks continued to light the sky overhead, and Zhane continued to sob quietly in Ashley's arms.