Adam sat in his room, silent. His mother had tried to get him to come
downstairs for dinner, but he didn't. He wanted to stay in his room, in
the dark, the heavy, silent darkness of grief his only companion.
"Why?" he whispered. "Why Tanya? Why Justin? Why?"
"Well, Lord Zedd, what is next on the agenda?" King Mondo
asked as Lord Zedd opened the ancient text.
"The next monster appears to be a python monster--Pythor. Steel coils
and a deadly electric shock are its weapons," Lord Zedd read from
the description.
"Hmm. My dear, I think we can improve on that design slightly, don't
you?" Queen Machina mused.
"Yes, I believe we can. Zedd, I shall send you the augmented specifications
after we have completed them." King Mondo and Queen Machina teleported
back to their base.
"Well, I'll give you this, Zeddy. Your plan seems to be working,"
Rita admitted grudgingly. "Too bad Zordon has a reserve to call on.
At this rate, we'll use up all the monsters in the book before the Power
Rangers are defeated."
"I know, Rita, but their numbers are dwindling. Zordon will be hesitant
to bring new blood into the team. There are only so many he can call on."
Lord Zedd turned to the wall of dartboards. Black shrouds hung on the boards
with Justin and Tanya's pictures on them. "It is only a matter of
time. Adam is deep in grief after Tanya's death. Rocky is absorbed in guilt
for both deaths. One of them will be next, I can guarantee you that."
Aisha walked slowly around Angel Grove, reacquainting herself with the area. It was so familiar to her, more familiar than when she visited Stone Canyon. Angel Grove held a deep connection for her. Maybe it was because of the time warp, maybe it was because of the people, but when she was in Angel Grove, she felt more whole than she had in a long time. She fingered the communicator on her wrist, realizing that she had missed its familiar presence when she was in Africa. Maybe being a Power Ranger was her destiny. She had given up the powers once. She felt a twinge of sorrow when she remembered Zordon giving her the Yellow Turbo powers. She hadn't known Tanya that long, only the brief time that they were both in Africa, but she felt a deep ache at Tanya's death. Maybe the time warp had linked them somehow. Aisha felt the same feelings that Rocky had felt at Justin's death. I sent Tanya back to Angel Grove to take my place. Maybe it was me who was supposed to die, not her, she thought. It was a distressing thought for someone usually upbeat. She tried to push it to the back of her mind and enjoy the day.
The phone rang at Park's house. Adam listened to it ring once, twice,
then he heard his father's voice answering the phone. Heavy footsteps echoed
on the stairs and down the hall to Adam's room.
"Adam?" his father asked. "Adam, Aisha's on the phone for
you. Do you want me to take a message?"
Aisha? Adam thought. "No, that's okay Dad. I'll talk to her."
He picked up the phone carefully, like it was a snake about to bite. "Aisha?"
"Hi, Adam," her familiar, cheery voice cut through the fog in
Adam's brain. "How are you holding up?"
Adam waited until he heard the click that signaled his father was off the
line. "Not so good. I didn't know this much hurt was possible. I really
miss Tanya," he said, a little sob coming into his voice at the end.
"Do you want me to come over? We can talk, really talk, like we used
to."
"Really?" Adam thought about it. He hadn't been out of his room
since last night. He needed to talk to someone. Aisha had been one of his
closest friends. They used to really share feelings and thoughts. Maybe
they still could. "I'd like it."
"I thought you'd agree. I made up a batch of our special cookies just
in case."
In spite of himself, Adam grinned. For Rocky, the answer was ice cream.
For Aisha, it was double-fudge chocolate chip walnut brownie cookies. Whenever
the three of them had a session, it was upset stomachs for a week. "Okay."
Adam took another cookie. "Aisha, when your grandmother died, how
did you feel?" he asked through a mouthful of cookie.
"Sad. I had warning, though. I knew she had heart problems and she'd
been getting worse as time went by. I guess what I mostly felt was a sense
of unfinishedness. I felt like there was so much more she could have taught
me that she wouldn't have the chance to, now."
"I'm still having trouble realizing that Tanya's actually gone. I
keep thinking that I'll see her in the youth center, or at Ernie's dance
club, singing her heart out. She was offered a recording contract,"
he told Aisha. "She turned it down because she would have had to leave
Angel Grove." And give up being a Power Ranger, were the unspoken
words. "She should have gone." Adam felt the tears start to fall
again. "She should have accepted the recording contract and gotten
as far away from Angel Grove as possible!"
"Adam, if Tanya had taken the contract, Zordon would have found someone
else to take her place. That person might have died instead of Tanya. I
came back to replace Tanya. Don't you think Zordon would have called Tanya
back to take that person's place?"
Adam wiped his eyes. "I know, Aisha, I know. I've told myself that
so many times. It doesn't help. Nothing does."
Watching Adam, Aisha wished she could do more for him. He'd been there
for her so many times, offering a comforting shoulder, a friendly word,
she felt helpless now watching him cry over this girl he had known for
only a short time, but loved so completely. She could only offer cookies
and a cheerful smile to let him know that he wasn't alone. And that she
would do as long as he let her.
Rocky picked up the phone, then set it down. He
desperately wanted to
talk to someone, but didn't know who. Adam was probably too upset to talk.
Rocky thought back to the time before Aisha left. The three of them had
shared some real heart-to-hearts. He made up his mind, picked up the phone
and called Adam.
Adam and Aisha heard the phone ring, then Adam's father knocked on the
door. "Adam? Rocky's on the phone, and he wants to talk," Mr.
Park said.
"Okay, Dad, thanks," Adam replied, picking up the phone. "Hello?"
"Adam?" Rocky's voice was ragged.
"Rocky? Dad said you wanted to talk."
"Yeah. Y'don't mind, do you?"
"No, I need to talk, too. Aisha's here, and she brought her cookies.
Rocky, you're always welcome."
"Thanks," Rocky said. Adam could hear the audible relief in Rocky's
voice.
The three of them sat on the floor in Adam's room. All that was left
of Aisha's batch of cookies were a few crumbs. Rocky had hardly eaten any.
The talking had kept him too busy.
The wall clock read eleven twenty-eight. All of them were having trouble
keeping their eyes open, but none of them wanted to split up. In the back
of Adam's head was the vague thought: If we stick together, nothing
bad can happen. Fortunately for them, their parents were used to the
friends' all night sessions. Mr. Park had called Mrs. DeSantos and the
Campbells, all of who had figured that it would be another all-nighter.
Aisha nodded off first, curling up in the papa-san chair by the window.
Rocky was next, drifting off on the flip-flop chair by the desk. Adam sat
on his bed, trying to fight off sleep. He didn't want to fall asleep, to
relive Tanya's death in his dreams. He couldn't fight it forever, though,
and as the hands of the clock clicked into one o'clock, he finally succumbed
to a dark, dreamless slumber.
"You see?" Lord Zedd crowed. "Now is the ideal time for
a monster!"
"Yes, and we have finished the skeleton!" King Mondo told them.
"May I present Pythor, our latest masterpiece!"
Rita looked at the metal python skeptically. "I thought you said you
were going to make improvements on it. That thing looks exactly like the
original plans!" she complained.
"Ah, Rita, you will see the improvements we made once Pythor has one
of the Power Rangers in its clutches," Queen Machina admonished.
Morning arrived, and with it, a call on the communicators. Groaning,
Rocky answered first. "Whaddist?" he mumbled, blinking repeatedly.
"Rangers, report to the power chamber. Another of the monsters has
been spotted," Zordon's voice, weary, reported.
Stifling groans, the three replied, "We'll be right there, Zordon."
Shuffling to their feet, they transported out.
In the power chamber, the group slowly assembled. Katherine looked haggard
and worn, her pale blue eyes shadowed and bloodshot. Her hair was in a
mussed ponytail and her unusually baggy clothes hung on her slight frame.
Tommy was in equally poor shape, his hair hanging in dark straggles, not
even pulled back.
"Rangers, Lord Zedd and King Mondo have sent a new monster to Earth.
This one is named Pythor," Zordon informed them. Alpha brought a picture
of Pythor onto the view screen. "Its weapons are its crushing steel
coils and an electric shock. Please, my Rangers, take extreme caution,"
Zordon pleaded.
"We'll do our best," Tommy said flatly, his voice as worn as
his appearance. In flashes of light, they transformed and teleported.
"Please be careful," Zordon murmured, echoed by Alpha's slow,
mournful "Ay, yi, yi."
Adam leveled his Thunder Cannon at Pythor and fired. It didn't phase
the metal beast which kept advancing. Katherine's arrows bounced harmlessly
off the steel skin of the creature. Nothing seemed to stop this monster.
"Guys, we need the Turbo R.A.M," Tommy spoke. They combined their
weapons into the miniature race car which sped towards Pythor. With sinuous
motions, Pythor dodged all the blasts from R.A.M.
"It isn't working," Katherine moaned. "Tommy, what are we
going to do now?"
Tommy sighed. "I don't know, Kat, I don't know."
Adam looked at the monster. "Maybe a close range blast will disrupt
it," he said, retrieving Thunder Cannon from R.A.M. and advancing
towards Pythor.
"No, Adam, it's too dangerous!" Aisha exclaimed. "We have
to work together!"
Adam advanced towards Pythor, cautiously, hoping it wouldn't notice. With
spring-like accuracy, Pythor struck, trapping Adam in its coils.
"Adam!" Aisha and Rocky yelled. Blue energy surrounded Pythor
and Adam as the electric shock kicked in. Adam's agonized screams echoed
throughout the battle field.
"No!" Rocky screamed, firing his Hand Blasters at Pythor. Tommy
lunged at Pythor, beating it with his Lightning Sword.
Adam's screams grew more tortured. A series of loud "schiink"s
sounded.
"What was that?" Katherine asked, fearful. Her question was answered
as a large steel spike appeared, knocking off Adam's morpher. As his costume
disappeared, more steel spikes appeared, most of them bloody from puncturing
his body.
"Adam!" Aisha howled. Star Charges held high, she rushed in,
applying the strongest setting she could to Pythor. Her yellow energy mixed
with Pythor's blue energy, arcing higher and higher around the threesome.
The others tried to help, but weren't needed. With a final shriek, Pythor
short-circuited, his coils falling apart, releasing the bloodied body of
its victim.
Aisha and Rocky rushed to help their fallen friend. "Adam, can you
hear me?" Rocky asked.
"Rocky," Adam moaned, a trickle of blood running from the corner
of his mouth. "It wasn't your fault," he whispered, coughing
and choking as more blood came from his injured lungs. Aisha clutched Adam's
hand in hers.
"It's going to be okay, Adam," she said, tears flowing freely
as she tried to smile. "You're going to be all right!"
Adam looked at Aisha, his dark brown eyes peaceful. "Aisha, don't....don't
stop smiling. Ever. You had one of the most beautiful smiles. It's what
I always remembered about you."
Rocky scrubbed his eyes with the back of his gloved hand. "Adam..."
"Rocky, remember what I said. It wasn't your fault. I think I knew
this would happen." His voice grew weaker as he said, "I wanted
it to happen." Adam's eyes grew distant as he murmured "It's
so bright... so warm... " His eyes widened. "Tanya?" he
said, and was no more.
Aisha finally gave in to the tears and sobbed over Adam's body. After a
few moments, so did Rocky. Aisha and Rocky clung to each other sobbing
over what they had lost--their anchor.
Tommy and Katherine stayed back. They knew that although Adam had been
their friend, too, the friendship they had had with Adam was nothing compared
to the bond of the three teens who came from Stone Canyon and became Power
Rangers.
Fading Pink
Back to End of the Rainbow
Back to the Castle
E-mail
Me
