Cataclysm (Tsukino Akume, Drama/Friendship)
I don't like this chapter, which makes me sad 'cause I was looking forward to it. But it didn't want to come out quite like I'd hoped. So I moved on.
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/: #78. Butterfly
Author's Notes/: Yes, I know Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation sucked, and the Shell Shocked episode sucked even harder, but I suffer from an inability to *not* try to make sense of things. Which means I can't just ignore that it happened. -Sighs- On which note, the personalities for the Turtles shown (briefly, for the anti-Turtle fans) in this chapter are based more off the movies than the series, because I identify better with those versions. And the Next Mutation turtles were all either drunk, high, or both. You cannot convince me otherwise.
The information about the symbolism behind butterflies and groups of butterflies is true, for anyone who's curious.
The Megaship had its own gossip network. Cassie wasn't entirely sure how it worked, seeing as she didn't recall sharing her conversation with Andros or their meeting with Trini with anyone. Yet it was clear the next morning that everyone knew about it. Just as it was clear that everyone knew not to talk about it.
Instead they made casual conversation over breakfast as they sorted through their morning mail. Cassie sipped at her juice as Carlos and T.J. bickered good-naturedly over Carlos feeding his MiniDragon from his plate as it perched on his shoulder. Zhane was snickering over one of his letters with Ashley, who was trying not to giggle as she lectured him for laughing. Andros went through his own mail with the same solemn air he always did, which made Karone's similar behavior even cuter. The atmosphere wasn't awkward, but it wasn't as relaxed as it should have been, either.
Which made Karone's sudden sharp gasp all the more obvious.
"Karone?" Ashley ventured hesitantly, looking concerned. "What's wrong?"
"It's not another Make a Wish request, is it?" Carlos asked, looking uncomfortable. His dragon made an odd squawking noise as he shifted, settling down again after he offered it a piece of bacon.
Andros frowned. "Karone?"
She bolted from the room, dropping the letter she'd been reading.
"Karone!" he shouted, chasing after her.
Ashley was halfway out the door to follow them when she glanced back. T.J. had risen to his feet, looking worried. Carlos and Zhane exchanged glances.
Cassie picked up the letter off the floor, anxious to know what had upset Karone so badly. Her eyes skimmed over the paper, and she sucked in a breath. "Oh ... Oh, no .... "
I know this may be an odd request, seeing as we were only acquainted for a day, but we don't have many friends to invite. And, well ... I believe Venus would have wanted you there.
Sincerely yours,
Donatello
"Cassie?"
She looked up, blinking back tears as the others stared at her. She swallowed, but her voice still came out choked. "Venus didn't survive Astronema's attack."
****
They'd known, in the way that it was a distant thought, that there had been other battles besides the one in Angel Grove during Astronema's last attack. The Former Rangers had told them, after all. But it hadn't been something to be concerned about. There was the reconstruction to deal with, and helping Karone to heal, and school, and Carlos' kidnapping, and ...
The distractions were legitimate, but it didn't make her feel any better.
Zack hadn't given them many details about the attack on New York other than the fact that he was there, but there was a report on the Dark - Ranger Base. Cassie shook her head, sighing to herself. Too much information in too short a time, she decided. It was hard to remember what or where anything was anymore.
According to the report, Quantrons had invaded New York in less than an hour, setting up camps just like they had in Angel Grove. Zack had originally fought out in the open, the way they all had, before being forced to withdraw due to exhaustion. At that point, he noticed a group of 'vigilante-style fighters' slowly taking out small groups of Quantrons at a time, moving subtly enough to be nearly unnoticeable at first.
Until they'd liberated one of the larger camps.
It was a little odd to think of the Turtles using subterfuge against Astronema's armies when she remembered the playful and energetic way they'd fought together before, but she supposed they were called the *Ninja* Turtles for a reason.
From what she read, she guessed that Zack hadn't met the Turtles directly. He seemed to admire the 'vigilante's' work, but had been concerned for their safety. Which, seeing as he hadn't known who it was, she reluctantly supposed she could agree with.
But the report didn't bring her any closer to understanding what had happened to Venus. Was it the Quantrons? A monster Zack hadn't come across? An accident maybe? What *happened*?
She huffed in frustration, leaning forward to press her forehead against the console in front of her. Part of her acknowledged dimly that even if she *did* know, it wouldn't change anything. Venus was still gone. But she *had* to know, for Karone's sake if nothing else.
Karone had calmed down in the time since she'd bolted away from breakfast, but 'calmed down' really only meant that she'd stopped crying. Andros had tried to argue that losing Venus hadn't been her fault, that she'd been brainwashed by Dark Spectre, that she hadn't even *been* there. But Karone was inconsolable. The last Cassie had seen her, she'd been wandering the Dark F - *Ranger Base*, with a blank look on her face. They'd all been taking turns checking up on her, but she seemed to want to be left alone.
Would it be rude to just ask them? she wondered briefly before changing her mind. She was frustrated; not insensitive.
At last she got up with a sigh. Maybe a change of scenery would help. She'd stop by to check on Karone, and then head back to the Megaship for a snack.
She found Karone in her old bedroom, which wasn't much of a surprise. She was sitting at the vanity, chin resting on folded arms as she contemplated a glass jar in front of her. She didn't look up when Cassie cleared her throat awkwardly, lingering in the doorway. "Karone?" she asked hesitantly.
"Did you know that in some cultures, butterflies are considered a symbol of the soul?" Karone asked softly, still staring at the jar.
Cassie swallowed, taking a step closer. She was surprised to see there was actually something *in* the jar, but it was too small to be sure what it was. "No, I didn't," she admitted, feeling a little embarrassed. She'd always liked butterflies, but she hadn't thought about any symbolism behind them.
Karone nodded absently. "Although swarms of butterflies are considered a bad omen. Which is kind of sad, because they're very pretty when you see them all together."
She wasn't sure what to say to that, but Karone was finally talking, and she didn't want her to stop. "It sounds like they would be," she said eventually.
Karone turned abruptly, looking up at her solemnly. "Will you take this with you to the funeral?" she asked, picking up the jar and offering it to her. "I wanted to set it free for her, but ... " She stopped, closing her eyes. "I don't think they'd want me there," she finished quietly.
She wanted to protest, to tell her that of *course* they did, that they'd understand, but the words stuck in her throat. She swallowed hard, stepping forward and leaning down to kiss Karone's cheek as she accepted the jar. "I will," she promised.
Karone nodded in thanks.
There was a butterfly in the jar, she realized as she walked away. It was a beautiful shade of turquoise, the same color as Venus had worn. She wondered where Karone had found it.
****
"Thank you for coming," Donatello told her solemnly. It was a startling change from the goofy, fun-loving Dontallo she'd met eleven months ago, and she didn't like it.
"We wouldn't have been anywhere else," she told him honestly. Hugging a turtle was awkward, but judging by the way he leaned into her, he'd needed it.
The funeral was surprisingly beautiful, simple as it had been. She wasn't quite sure how the turtles had known about this farmland area, let alone that there even *was* farmland near New York, but it had the space and privacy they'd needed. The funeral pyre had surprised her, but after thinking about it a little - namely because she didn't want to ask - she supposed it was safer to burn Venus' body. There had been music, a simple piano instrumental that Michaelangelo said she'd liked.
Cassie honestly hadn't known Venus that well, but she imagined she would have enjoyed the thought and effort the others had put into it. From what they'd said, they hadn't known her for very long either, but she had still managed to make an impact on their lives.
Michaelangelo had cried throughout the entire ceremony, leaning heavily on Donatello as the other did his best to comfort him without breaking down himself. Raphael was silent and stiff, stepping forward to help light the pyre only when prodded. As it was, he looked like he wanted to get away as soon as possible. Leonardo had gone even colder, staring straight ahead with a blank expression on his face. He only spoke once, when he'd thanked them formally for coming.
It was odd. When they'd met the Ninja Turtles, they'd all been goofy and strange and full of laughter. Venus had struck her as the only mature one in the group. But now ...
Meeting Splinter was an ... interesting experience. In any other circumstance she might have been grossed out - she'd never liked rats, too many bad experiences when she was little - but Splinter was obviously grieving as well. He thanked them politely for coming and carried on general conversation when it was clear the boys couldn't, but his eyes were pained.
For some reason, it made her wish her dad was there.
"Do you need anything?" Ashley asked softly as Cassie finally stepped away from Donatello. "Is there anything we can do?"
Raphael went to say something, but fell silent with a wince when Donatello stepped on his foot. "Thank you," Donatello replied, "But we'll manage."
"Keep in touch?" Michaelangelo asked hopefully, sniffling slightly.
T.J. gave him a warm smile. "Now that we can most *definitely* do."
"Thank you again, Astro Rangers," Splinter told them, bowing.
Andros returned the gesture. "We all lost something to Dark Spectre," he said softly. "But it's times like these that remind us who our true friends are."
"I don't care about Dark Spectre," Leonardo spoke up suddenly, his voice hoarse. "But I want Astronema's head on a plate."
"Leonardo!" Splinter said sharply, but he didn't apologize.
The sudden silence was deafening.
"We should go," T.J. said at last, swallowing awkwardly.
"Yes," Splinter agreed with another bow. "Forgive us for keeping you."
Even so, the last thing Cassie saw before the world dissolved into sparkling pink was the cold, angry look on Leonardo's face.
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/: #78. Butterfly
Author's Notes/: Yes, I know Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation sucked, and the Shell Shocked episode sucked even harder, but I suffer from an inability to *not* try to make sense of things. Which means I can't just ignore that it happened. -Sighs- On which note, the personalities for the Turtles shown (briefly, for the anti-Turtle fans) in this chapter are based more off the movies than the series, because I identify better with those versions. And the Next Mutation turtles were all either drunk, high, or both. You cannot convince me otherwise.
The information about the symbolism behind butterflies and groups of butterflies is true, for anyone who's curious.
The Megaship had its own gossip network. Cassie wasn't entirely sure how it worked, seeing as she didn't recall sharing her conversation with Andros or their meeting with Trini with anyone. Yet it was clear the next morning that everyone knew about it. Just as it was clear that everyone knew not to talk about it.
Instead they made casual conversation over breakfast as they sorted through their morning mail. Cassie sipped at her juice as Carlos and T.J. bickered good-naturedly over Carlos feeding his MiniDragon from his plate as it perched on his shoulder. Zhane was snickering over one of his letters with Ashley, who was trying not to giggle as she lectured him for laughing. Andros went through his own mail with the same solemn air he always did, which made Karone's similar behavior even cuter. The atmosphere wasn't awkward, but it wasn't as relaxed as it should have been, either.
Which made Karone's sudden sharp gasp all the more obvious.
"Karone?" Ashley ventured hesitantly, looking concerned. "What's wrong?"
"It's not another Make a Wish request, is it?" Carlos asked, looking uncomfortable. His dragon made an odd squawking noise as he shifted, settling down again after he offered it a piece of bacon.
Andros frowned. "Karone?"
She bolted from the room, dropping the letter she'd been reading.
"Karone!" he shouted, chasing after her.
Ashley was halfway out the door to follow them when she glanced back. T.J. had risen to his feet, looking worried. Carlos and Zhane exchanged glances.
Cassie picked up the letter off the floor, anxious to know what had upset Karone so badly. Her eyes skimmed over the paper, and she sucked in a breath. "Oh ... Oh, no .... "
I know this may be an odd request, seeing as we were only acquainted for a day, but we don't have many friends to invite. And, well ... I believe Venus would have wanted you there.
Sincerely yours,
Donatello
"Cassie?"
She looked up, blinking back tears as the others stared at her. She swallowed, but her voice still came out choked. "Venus didn't survive Astronema's attack."
****
They'd known, in the way that it was a distant thought, that there had been other battles besides the one in Angel Grove during Astronema's last attack. The Former Rangers had told them, after all. But it hadn't been something to be concerned about. There was the reconstruction to deal with, and helping Karone to heal, and school, and Carlos' kidnapping, and ...
The distractions were legitimate, but it didn't make her feel any better.
Zack hadn't given them many details about the attack on New York other than the fact that he was there, but there was a report on the Dark - Ranger Base. Cassie shook her head, sighing to herself. Too much information in too short a time, she decided. It was hard to remember what or where anything was anymore.
According to the report, Quantrons had invaded New York in less than an hour, setting up camps just like they had in Angel Grove. Zack had originally fought out in the open, the way they all had, before being forced to withdraw due to exhaustion. At that point, he noticed a group of 'vigilante-style fighters' slowly taking out small groups of Quantrons at a time, moving subtly enough to be nearly unnoticeable at first.
Until they'd liberated one of the larger camps.
It was a little odd to think of the Turtles using subterfuge against Astronema's armies when she remembered the playful and energetic way they'd fought together before, but she supposed they were called the *Ninja* Turtles for a reason.
From what she read, she guessed that Zack hadn't met the Turtles directly. He seemed to admire the 'vigilante's' work, but had been concerned for their safety. Which, seeing as he hadn't known who it was, she reluctantly supposed she could agree with.
But the report didn't bring her any closer to understanding what had happened to Venus. Was it the Quantrons? A monster Zack hadn't come across? An accident maybe? What *happened*?
She huffed in frustration, leaning forward to press her forehead against the console in front of her. Part of her acknowledged dimly that even if she *did* know, it wouldn't change anything. Venus was still gone. But she *had* to know, for Karone's sake if nothing else.
Karone had calmed down in the time since she'd bolted away from breakfast, but 'calmed down' really only meant that she'd stopped crying. Andros had tried to argue that losing Venus hadn't been her fault, that she'd been brainwashed by Dark Spectre, that she hadn't even *been* there. But Karone was inconsolable. The last Cassie had seen her, she'd been wandering the Dark F - *Ranger Base*, with a blank look on her face. They'd all been taking turns checking up on her, but she seemed to want to be left alone.
Would it be rude to just ask them? she wondered briefly before changing her mind. She was frustrated; not insensitive.
At last she got up with a sigh. Maybe a change of scenery would help. She'd stop by to check on Karone, and then head back to the Megaship for a snack.
She found Karone in her old bedroom, which wasn't much of a surprise. She was sitting at the vanity, chin resting on folded arms as she contemplated a glass jar in front of her. She didn't look up when Cassie cleared her throat awkwardly, lingering in the doorway. "Karone?" she asked hesitantly.
"Did you know that in some cultures, butterflies are considered a symbol of the soul?" Karone asked softly, still staring at the jar.
Cassie swallowed, taking a step closer. She was surprised to see there was actually something *in* the jar, but it was too small to be sure what it was. "No, I didn't," she admitted, feeling a little embarrassed. She'd always liked butterflies, but she hadn't thought about any symbolism behind them.
Karone nodded absently. "Although swarms of butterflies are considered a bad omen. Which is kind of sad, because they're very pretty when you see them all together."
She wasn't sure what to say to that, but Karone was finally talking, and she didn't want her to stop. "It sounds like they would be," she said eventually.
Karone turned abruptly, looking up at her solemnly. "Will you take this with you to the funeral?" she asked, picking up the jar and offering it to her. "I wanted to set it free for her, but ... " She stopped, closing her eyes. "I don't think they'd want me there," she finished quietly.
She wanted to protest, to tell her that of *course* they did, that they'd understand, but the words stuck in her throat. She swallowed hard, stepping forward and leaning down to kiss Karone's cheek as she accepted the jar. "I will," she promised.
Karone nodded in thanks.
There was a butterfly in the jar, she realized as she walked away. It was a beautiful shade of turquoise, the same color as Venus had worn. She wondered where Karone had found it.
****
"Thank you for coming," Donatello told her solemnly. It was a startling change from the goofy, fun-loving Dontallo she'd met eleven months ago, and she didn't like it.
"We wouldn't have been anywhere else," she told him honestly. Hugging a turtle was awkward, but judging by the way he leaned into her, he'd needed it.
The funeral was surprisingly beautiful, simple as it had been. She wasn't quite sure how the turtles had known about this farmland area, let alone that there even *was* farmland near New York, but it had the space and privacy they'd needed. The funeral pyre had surprised her, but after thinking about it a little - namely because she didn't want to ask - she supposed it was safer to burn Venus' body. There had been music, a simple piano instrumental that Michaelangelo said she'd liked.
Cassie honestly hadn't known Venus that well, but she imagined she would have enjoyed the thought and effort the others had put into it. From what they'd said, they hadn't known her for very long either, but she had still managed to make an impact on their lives.
Michaelangelo had cried throughout the entire ceremony, leaning heavily on Donatello as the other did his best to comfort him without breaking down himself. Raphael was silent and stiff, stepping forward to help light the pyre only when prodded. As it was, he looked like he wanted to get away as soon as possible. Leonardo had gone even colder, staring straight ahead with a blank expression on his face. He only spoke once, when he'd thanked them formally for coming.
It was odd. When they'd met the Ninja Turtles, they'd all been goofy and strange and full of laughter. Venus had struck her as the only mature one in the group. But now ...
Meeting Splinter was an ... interesting experience. In any other circumstance she might have been grossed out - she'd never liked rats, too many bad experiences when she was little - but Splinter was obviously grieving as well. He thanked them politely for coming and carried on general conversation when it was clear the boys couldn't, but his eyes were pained.
For some reason, it made her wish her dad was there.
"Do you need anything?" Ashley asked softly as Cassie finally stepped away from Donatello. "Is there anything we can do?"
Raphael went to say something, but fell silent with a wince when Donatello stepped on his foot. "Thank you," Donatello replied, "But we'll manage."
"Keep in touch?" Michaelangelo asked hopefully, sniffling slightly.
T.J. gave him a warm smile. "Now that we can most *definitely* do."
"Thank you again, Astro Rangers," Splinter told them, bowing.
Andros returned the gesture. "We all lost something to Dark Spectre," he said softly. "But it's times like these that remind us who our true friends are."
"I don't care about Dark Spectre," Leonardo spoke up suddenly, his voice hoarse. "But I want Astronema's head on a plate."
"Leonardo!" Splinter said sharply, but he didn't apologize.
The sudden silence was deafening.
"We should go," T.J. said at last, swallowing awkwardly.
"Yes," Splinter agreed with another bow. "Forgive us for keeping you."
Even so, the last thing Cassie saw before the world dissolved into sparkling pink was the cold, angry look on Leonardo's face.