Disclaimer: As always, the characters of Power Rangers, no matter how badly I rearrange them, do not belong to me. ^_^ The characters Marie Fox and Cyndra belong to Greeneyes.
Epilogue
By: Jade Daniels
There was no such thing as a happy ending. At least, not the kind of happy ending that came out of fairy tales, where no one got hurt physically or emotionally. Those kind of endings always had the bad guys dead, the good guys living, with the hero in shining armour getting to be with his beloved and everyone in the whole land being blissfully happy and getting along like the best of friends.
Too bad real life wasn't like that.
Real life meant dealing with death and broken hearts. It meant that someone's luck would run out. It meant that not everything ended up the way you planned, and not always for the better. TJ Johnson shook his head at his thoughts. Happy endings that came out of the fairy tales came once in a blue moon, if ever. All he could say about this adventure was that it was an ending. An ending to a horror that he never thought he would see, or wanted to see again, in his lifetime. It was an ending that was better than most would have thought, considering the circumstances that had led to this conclusion.
In the Blue Astro Ranger's opinion, there had been too many sacrifices. One life was too many. But it hadn't just been one. There hadn't been many here on Earth, but there had been more than enough. And those deaths had been a small part of the total tally of the billions that had been counted across the galaxy. Dark Specter's forces had managed to ravage through too many planets. But none of those deaths had impacted like the deaths of Zhane, Ecliptor and Zordon. At least, not for the Power Rangers of Earth and Kerova.
TJ sighed, remembering. Andros and Marie had taken Zhane's death very hard, especially Marie. It was obvious that the former Silver Ranger had meant a lot to her. There had been times when the Blue Ranger thought that she would never come out of her depression. It had taken her so long to recover from it. Even though he had never known the Silver Kerovian Ranger, TJ felt like he knew him, from the many stories that Andros and Marie eventually told about their friend. He had been a big part of their lives. And he had been their true mission, to save him from Cyndra's control. And in the end, they thought it had been for nothing.
At least they had Cassie and Billy to help them through those few months. Otherwise.... I don't want to think what might have happened otherwise.
Then there was also Zordon. TJ remembered wondering how the Rangers would get along without him. After all, he had been a part of many of their lives. To suddenly be without him, it had almost been unthinkable. There were so many more things that he could have accomplished…. But in the end, Zordon had given the universe a greater gift than any of them could ever have imagined. With his death, a great magic had been set free, one that helped to wipe away the darkness and evil that Dark Specter had brought upon many people.
Lord Zedd, Rita, Scorpina and Divatox were all examples of that freedom. None of the Rangers had ever known that these villains had long ago been corrupted by Dark Specter's evil. Now that the evil had been washed away, they now had a second chance at making a life for themselves. With the eventual blessings of the Galactic Courts, Zedd, Rita and Scorpina were now living their lives on Earth. Divatox, after it was discovered that she was the sister of Dimitria, was now spending time on Inquirius.
Life continued.
Yet even though life continued, there was still time to remember, and to celebrate the victory. It was the one-year anniversary of the victory of the Day of Victory. The intergalactic reporters had dubbed the name, mostly as a mockery to Dark Specter's name of the "Day of Destruction". The Rangers, along with their friends and family were holding a small celebration of that anniversary. It was an anniversary that held memories for many people and they were all here today.
TJ looked around the room, watching the different people that had come. There was music floating softly throughout the room, gentle enough to not be intrusive. It was a beautiful song, one that had been written by Cassie. Over the past year she had been gaining fame as a singer and songwriter. The Blue Ranger saw her talking with Andros. They looked very much like a couple in love, having gotten engaged just a month ago. They wouldn't be married for a few more years yet, at least, not until Cassie finished school at Angel Grove University. Even a year later, TJ still felt a slight twinge of jealousy when he looked at them, but it was no longer the all-consuming hatred that it had once been. He was happy for the two them and knew that he could get on with his own life.
His gaze turned towards some of the ex-Rangers that were standing together in a group, separated from the others. TJ could understand why. They had known Zordon best and could only really share their memories of the Morphin' Master with each other. There was Jason and Trini Scott, newly married a few months ago. Standing with them were Rocky DeSantos, Zack Taylor, Tommy Oliver and Adam Park.
As he continued looked around the room, he saw a few of the other couples that had come. He spied Carlos talking with his wife Kahva. She was a sparkling beautiful woman who was truly the perfect compliment to the Black Ranger. It had been a shock when Carlos had told the Astro Rangers that he wasn't human. But considering how many different species they had already met, the shock had worn off quickly.
TJ saw that Ashley was standing by herself. That wasn't a big surprise to him; her experience as the Yellow Psycho Ranger had left her badly scarred, inside and out. TJ knew that Ashley still felt guilty about what she had done as the Yellow Psycho Ranger. Even after a year, she still was unwilling to be with anyone other than her friends. No one knew what to do, except be her friend and give the Yellow Ranger the space she needed. As clichéd as it sounded, TJ realized that only time would be able to heal her wounds.
There was another group of former Rangers: two Pink and two Yellow. Kimberly Harte, Tanya Sloane, Katherine Hilliard and Aisha Campbell were standing together, slightly apart from the other groups. Near them were Billy and Marie. Those two had just come back from a visit to Aquitar. They were looking very happy and in love. TJ thought it was the happiest that he had seen Marie in a long time. Of course, the rings on their fingers might have had something to do with it.
"Life always goes on," he whispered to himself, just amazed to see such a sight.
"Yes it does," a soft voice replied, as a hand lay on his shoulder. TJ looked up into the brilliant violet eyes of Karone, who no longer referred to herself as Astronema. Like with the other former villains, Zordon's magic had affected her as well. As always, it amazed TJ to see such a change in the Amethyst Ranger, now that Zordon's power had burned the last bit darkness from her that the Amethyst Power had not. With that last fragment of evil gone, Astronema had vanished, leaving behind Karone. Although she would never be the woman she could have become had Dark Specter's evil not touched her, she had now gained a sense of lightness that hadn't been a part of her before.
"Time doesn't stop for anyone, not even the great Zordon." She smiled gently.
"Reading my mind again?" he asked wryly. She shrugged, obviously unwilling to answer. He smiled at her silence. "You know, only you would say that. The Day wasn't exactly a minor incident you know. It affected not only just this world, but hundreds of others."
"It's been a year since then though," she reminded him, crossing her arms. The sternness in her violet eyes softened. "I know it sounds harsh, but you can't just wallow in the past. Today is a time to remember what happened, yes, but the past can't just rule your life. If you let it, you'll never live." She waved her hand, letting the gesture encompass the entire room. "That's what all of us are here for, to remember, but also to celebrate. To let those memories bring us peace."
"I know," TJ replied with a shake of his head, "But it doesn't change the fact that there were deaths. Deaths that we couldn't stop." He couldn't help but think of all the destruction that had happened. Aquitar. Eltar. Kerova. Earth.
"No, it doesn't," admitted Karone, a flicker of sadness crossing her eyes. He winced inwardly, having forgotten she had lost someone she cared about as well, Ecliptor. "But even though there were thousands of deaths, billions of lives were saved. That's got to count for something." She let out an exasperated breath. "Look TJ, you're one of my best friends, but even I will use whatever power is at my disposal to get you to have some fun tonight." She held out a hand towards him. "Dance with me?" She tilted her head towards the empty dance floor.
He smiled and took her outstretched hand. "Your wish is my command."
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
With watchful eyes Andros watched as TJ and Karone stepped out onto the dance floor. Those two looked very close; Andros remembered that they had been ever since Karone had helped the Blue Ranger get through the Passion Fever spell. As he continued to watch them, he had to wonder if there was something going on between them that he should know about.
"Andros, will you stop watching them?" Cassie's teasing voice drew his attention back to his fiancée. As always, he felt a delicious delight as he looked upon the woman of his dreams. Her brown eyes sparkled with amusement as a teasing smile played upon her oval face.
"I'm not watching them!" he protested. His own lips formed a smile as he drew Cassie into his arms. "I'm watching you."
She laughed, threading her arms around his neck. "Right." She tilted her head back as she looked up at him. "So you're not being the nosy big brother who doesn't know when to keep his nose out of his sister's business."
"Okay, okay," relented Andros with a sigh as he glanced back at the dancing couple. "But are they…..?" His voice trailed off as he continued to watch them.
Cassie shrugged. "I honestly can't tell you. Your sister hasn't told me anything about her love life lately. I think she knows how overprotective you can be sometimes. Come on honey; stop worrying. Karone is a big girl and if she is seeing TJ, well, he is a good man."
"I guess I am being dumb, aren't I?" he asked with a wry smile.
"You were just being a big brother," she said, laying her head on his chest. He smiled, dropping a kiss onto her head as he drank in the scent coming from her ebony locks. It was times like these that he felt just so lucky to have this woman in his life. He had been very lucky this past year, despite everything that had happened.
"You know, there was a time when I never thought I'd hear that said to me," he whispered. He felt her stiffen within his arms and knew that she was remembering what had happened after Zhane and Zordon's deaths.
It had taken him a long time to get over both of their deaths, especially Zhane's. Zhane had been part of the small family that had been the Kerovian Power Rangers. It had been bad enough when he had returned to Kerova to find the others gone, but Zhane…. Zhane had been his brother. Andros could still remember how the platinum haired Silver Ranger had been the life of any party. Zhane's charisma just soaked into any room, charming anyone and everyone he met. He had been the one who had made them laugh during times when there was nothing they could do but cry. But those memories were no longer tinged with the heavy grief he had felt before. Andros knew that Cassie had been worried about him during that time, thinking that he might never get over it. If it hadn't been for her, Marie and Karone, he might never have.
"I do know," Cassie finally said. Considering how many times he had lamented to the Pink Ranger about not being able to find his sister, then finding her but having her so far away mentally, Andros knew that Cassie did know. "It's amazing how far she's come in such a short time." She followed his gaze to look at TJ and Karone. They were a handsome couple. Karone's currently purple hair fell in a curly waterfall down her back, a stunning contrast to the short black dress that she wore. TJ was in a simple blue shirt, matched with a pair of black pants.
Cassie was right about how far Karone had come. A year ago, she had kept her mind locked away from him, whereas now, she was willing to share a mental rapport with him. He knew much of it was because of the cleansing that Zordon had done for her. Andros knew that he owed much to the Morphin' Master for having his sister back in his life.
"You're brooding again," Cassie noted. Andros saw that she was looking at him again. The teasing smile was back on her face. Before he could make any comment, she was dragging him towards the dance floor. "I think your sister had the right idea. Let's dance."
Andros chuckled, letting her drag him along. Cassie was the real treasure in his life. She was his other half, his lifeline, his love. "I love you Cassie," he said as they started to dance.
"I love you too," she replied, drawing his head down for a kiss. As he held her in his arms, Andros knew that he would never let this woman go.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Billy smiled in remembrance as he looked at the woman sitting beside him. It's been almost two years since we met. The Silver Ranger used his free hand to trail his fingers through Marie's red hair. Now that they were no longer active Rangers, she had allowed her hair to grow longer. The auburn locks now traveled down to her waist. We both are so different from who we were two years ago.
Marie was such a tough person then, with walls a mile high built up around her heart. All she thought about, all she cared about was vengeance and destroying Dark Specter. Her world, her family, her entire life had been taken away from her. Revenge was all that she had left. She wasn't Marie back then, all she was the Gold Astro Ranger.
But now? Now, she's softer. Still tough, but softer in so many ways. I don't think she ever expected to make friends with the rest of us. I don't think she expected to be friends with me, much less become.... A lot of it was when Andros came back into her life, I know, but I think, it started before that too. I think she's returned to being the person she was before Dark Specter came to Kerova. She has everything again. She has family. She has friends. She has a new life and a new purpose. And.... she has me.
Billy gathered the Gold Ranger into his arms. Her eyes were closed as he held her beside him. He knew that she was still tired from the trip back from Aquitar. His eyes took in every detail of her face that he could see in the fading sunlight from the window they were sitting beside. This is what is meant by perfect love. I know it is. As cliche as it sounds, I truly feel like she is the other half of my soul. I know I couldn't live without knowing that she was by my side. And I know that I never want to be without her. Two years ago, I never thought I would ever meet a woman like Marie. But then, I never imagined I'd be able to take on Ranger powers again.
Billy smiled again at that particular memory, feeling the weight of his morpher in his pocket. He hoped he wouldn't need it soon. He was actually looking forward to retiring – a second time - from being a Ranger. The Aquitarians had been approached by NASADA to help with a project called Terra Venture; a space colony that would bring hundreds of people out into space in search of a new home. The Aquitarians in turn, had asked Billy to be their Earth liaison, a job that he really enjoyed doing.
It's amazing how my world has been turned upside-down. I went back to Earth, something I thought I would never do.... And I made peace with some haunting memories. The future is looking pretty good, especially now that I have Marie by my side.
"What are you thinking of?" Marie's emerald eyes had opened and were now staring into his blue ones.
Billy smiled. "I was thinking of how lucky I am to be with you. Of how amazing it is that you fell in love with me. Of how I want to be with you from now, until the end of time. Of how much, I love you."
Her soft hand caressed his face. "Funny, I was thinking the exact same thing." She looked at her hand, the one with the precious ring he had given to her on Aquitar. He had a similar one on his own hand. "Remember the words. 'With this ring is the promise that we will be bound by soul forever. It is a reminder, a symbol, to remember the future.'"
He nodded. The words were from the binding ritual he had spoken to her when he had given her the ring. It was a Kerovian custom, one that he had been very happy to do. "With this ring is the promise that we will be bound by soul forever. It is a reminder, a symbol, to remember the future," he repeated, his voice just a bit hoarse as he remembered the beach on Aquitar where he had proposed to her. She had looked so beautiful then. And when she had accepted the ring, he knew that he had been the happiest man alive at that moment.
Their lips met, neither noticing as the last sliver of sunlight faded away from the sky, or even the room around them.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
"The two of them look very cute together," Kahva noted with an amused smile.
Carlos followed his wife's gaze towards Billy and Marie. The Silver and Gold Rangers looked very wrapped up in each other as the two stared out of the window. He chuckled. "Well, considering that they just got engaged, it's understandable."
"You're right," she nodded, with the amused smile still on her face. "I remember what that feeling was like. All giddy with not a care in the world except for the one you love." Kahva turned to look at him. "Thank you for bringing me here. I'm glad I got to meet your friends."
"I'm glad you got to meet them too," Carlos replied with a grin. The Rangers meeting his wife was something he had wanted to happen for a long time, ever since Karone had found him out. He remembered how shocked the others had been when he had told them of his true origins. The shock hadn't lasted long; the Rangers were experienced enough with other cultures to not really care about their own friend's origin, but it had been a surprise nonetheless. Thankfully, them meeting Kahva had gone very smoothly on both sides. "They really like you."
"I really like them too," Kahva said. She tilted her head; a sign Carlos knew meant that she had something on her mind. "Sol… Carlos, I know you spent a lot of time here, and for awhile, I had wondered what kept you on this planet." She held up her hand as her husband tried to speak. "Please, let me finish. I think I know now what it was, besides your Ranger duties. It was your friends. It was this planet itself. Am I right?"
Carlos was silent for a moment, contemplating his wife's words. "Yes. I love being here. Even before I became a Turbo Ranger, I knew this planet was a good place to be. The people here, despite their problems, are good and worthy of a chance to make better lives for themselves. I've… I've come to consider this a home. I'm going to be sorry to leave here."
"What if you could stay?" Kahva asked suddenly.
Carlos frowned as he looked into her eyes. "Stay here? What do you mean?"
"I mean, we could move here. We've lived for so long back at home, perhaps it is time we consider building a new one?" Kahva's eyes sparkled as she spoke. "I think, right now, you belong here my love. And I see no reason to tear you from this place."
"You would do that?" asked Carlos, unsure of what to think. For Kahva, this would be a big sacrifice, leaving her home and all the friends she knew.
Kahva nodded. "Yes, for you, I would. Besides, it is not like I couldn't go back once in awhile, or even communicate with our friends and family. It would not be a hardship to do that. What would be a hardship is to live without you." She scrunched her nose. "A trifling thing to say, but it is true. Besides, if it doesn't work out, there are always other options for us to explore."
Carlos could think of nothing else to say, except, "Thank you." He tucked a hand under her chin, lifting her face up. He smiled. "I knew there was a reason I married you."
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Ashley took another sip of her drink as she leaned back against her chair. Her dark brown eyes scanned the room, watching everyone else either talking or dancing. She smiled to herself. It was the first time in months that she finally got to be alone. Since she had awakened to find herself on board the Astro Megaship, the other Rangers had been constantly hovering over her. Ashley knew that they were only concerned about her welfare, but sometimes she had to wonder if the others didn't think that maybe she might slip back into being an evil Ranger. After all, no one really knew what had happened to Cyndra. The bitch might still be out there, waiting for a chance to come back.
Ashley sighed, noting that this wasn't the first time her thoughts had turned down this path. In fact, her mind had been dwelling on these thoughts more often of late. Maybe it was because of the anniversary; it forced her to remember what she didn't want to. The hatred. The killing. The destruction. She had been an unwilling part of all of it. Yet, she remembered that one part of her that had craved the hatred, killing and destruction. Had that part of her been there before Cyndra had cast that spell on her? Was it still a part of her now?
If I don't know, how can I say I've recovered from Cyndra's spell? Maybe the others are right. Maybe I will become an evil Ranger again. Despite the fact that she knew no one else had ever returned to being an evil Ranger, Ashley couldn't help but believe that sometimes. It was the reason why she had lately been considering retiring as the Yellow Astro Ranger. The past months hadn't brought too many major crisis, and those that had come, the others hadn't needed her help. There were more than enough Rangers on the team now anyway, and there would be more, once it was decided who would get the Red Astro Morpher that Karone had taken from the Dark Fortress.
"Hey, can I sit here?" Ashley looked up to see Cassie standing by the table, gesturing to the chair beside her.
The Yellow Ranger nodded, watching as Cassie slid smoothly into the seat. "Where's Andros?"
Cassie chuckled. "He's still not convinced that Karone is a big girl, so he's gone off to talk to her." Her dark eyes turned serious. "Besides, I wanted to talk to you."
"Another pep talk?" The sarcastic words came out before Ashely could stop them. She shook her head. "I'm sorry Cass, it's just that…"
"You're tired of everyone hovering over you, telling you to cheer up?" the Pink Ranger guessed. Ashley nodded. "I can understand that. When I was little, I had laryngitis just before this big audition I had wanted to try out for. For weeks afterwards my parents and sibs gave me these pep talks to try and get me out of my depression." She gave Ashley a small smile. "Not the same thing I realize, but close?"
Ashley returned the smile. "I guess." She shook her head. "I'm not depressed though Cassie. You don't understand. You can't. No one ever made you an evil Ranger, not even for a few moments. I felt this part of me that loved what I was doing as a Psycho Ranger. Aren't Rangers supposed to be above that kind of thing? It makes me wonder if I was the right person for the job after all."
"You are," Cassie said, in a tone that Ashley rarely heard from the Pink Ranger. "You are the right person to be the Yellow Ranger. Never doubt that! Damn it Ash, you're a human being, with flaws just like the rest of us. No one said that Power Rangers are supposed to be infallible or that they can't be selfish, or even have that tiny part of them that wants to be destructive. We're not gods and we're not perfect. You're not the only one who's been an evil Ranger. I'm sure they've gone through the same thing as you. And look at Karone. She was the Princess of Evil!! And now she's a Ranger, just like you." She sighed. "Sorry, forgot that you didn't want the pep talk. But seriously Ashley, think about what I said, okay?"
With that, she left Ashley alone, hoping she was leaving the Yellow Ranger with much to think about. Cassie turned back once, to find Ashley walking towards the group of ex-Rangers, specifically towards Tommy Oliver. The Pink Ranger smiled, knowing that this was a good first step for her friend. It would be tough, and take a lot of time, but as Cassie watched Ashley, she thought that maybe now Ashley would be able to start over again.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Karone was without TJ, who had wandered off to go talk to Alpha and a young teen named Justin Stewart. She was glad that the Blue Ranger had finally decided to have some fun, instead of brooding the night away on things that couldn't be changed. Having been left alone, she went to the drinks table and poured herself a glass of juice. She turned back around in time to see Andros walking towards her with a determined look on his face. She laughed to herself, wondering if another 'big brother' talk was coming up. Considering that she had just finished dancing with TJ, probably.
"Alright big brother, what do you want to talk to me about?" she asked as soon as he was in earshot. She put up shields around her mind as she spoke. It wasn't that she didn't trust Andros not to peek, but it was always a good precaution to do so.
His face betrayed his surprise that she had figured out his motive. "I wanted to talk about you," he said lamely.
She rolled her eyes. "Andros, I realize that we have only been siblings really for the past year, but I can tell that you have something more on your mind than just me." She smiled slyly. "Perhaps you were thinking on lecturing me about how I should be careful with the opposite sex or in the trials of love? Andros, please, it was just a dance. I wanted TJ to have some fun tonight."
Karone quietly kept in her mind that the last thing she required was a 'sex talk' from her big brother. Being the Princess of Evil had meant that she had had numerous opportunities to cut a swath through the compatible males in Dark Specter's army. Not that there had been many in the first place. As Dark Specter's heir, many had often kept her at arm's length, which she never had too much trouble with.
"Karone," Andros' voice broke into her thoughts. "I just want you to be happy. I hope you understand that." He frowned. "It's not because I'm being… overbearing that you're planning on leaving, is it?"
She laughed. "No, it isn't. As much as I like Earth, I feel like I need to be somewhere else. And I think that colony project that is it. Besides, who better to help protect Terra Venture than a Power Ranger, huh?" She shrugged. "Cyndra is still out there Andros. So are a lot of bad creatures that Zordon's magic didn't get rid of. I can do more good out there than I can here. There are more than enough Rangers here anyway. And you still have me around for another few years before Terra Venture launches, so don't worry. Who knows? I might change my mind before then."
Even as she said that though, Karone knew how unlikely that would be. One of the mental powers that had cropped up on her was clairvoyance. In four years, she knew where would be; she would be on Terra Venture, ready to explore the universe again. She looked at her brother, smiling at the word she never thought she'd use, sensing that he hated the thought of her leaving, even if it was going to be in a few years.
*Andros,* she tried once more, *I'm not leaving you. Well, I suppose I am, physically, but not really, not when we're only a thought away! Please believe me when I say that this is something I have to do.*
*I hate the thought of you leaving, you know I do,* Andros replied, confirming her earlier senses, *I don't think I'm ever going to be happy about this. I searched for you for many years and now, it seems like we haven't had enough time together. But I do know that if you really feel like you have to do this, I'm not going to stop you.*
*Thank you,* she answered, giving him a peck on the cheek. "Now come on," she said aloud, pulling him towards the dance floor. "You're going to give me a dance."
The party trailed well into the night and it wasn't until late that the guests started getting ready to leave. But before they went back to their corners of the world, there was one final thing that they had to do.
"A toast!" Glasses were raised high into the air. "To those who died. To those who live. To those who are willing to start over again, to make their lives better. On this anniversary, we celebrate and remember. To the Day of Victory!"
And they all had remembered and celebrated, knowing that their world was once again safe from the forces of evil in the universe.
Author's Notes: Well, that was it, the last chapter of Renard D'Or. It's been a fun story to do, even if it did take me forever and a day to complete it. It's my first, but not last, series, so I hope you forgive any and all plotholes, mistakes and anything else that might have come along the way. I do hope you have enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, commented or just plain read this. ^_^
Renard D'Or copywrited 2002 by Jade Daniels