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 Posted: Fri Aug 20, 2010 3:19 pm
Plot: The fight against Gromm is over. Victory has been had, everyone has gone on with their lives. Of course, peace is never eternal, even when the peace is threatened from within by discontent.
(In progress)
1. Things uncertain
2. Don't leave
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Posted: Fri Aug 20, 2010 3:20 pm
Chapter One: Things Uncertain
It didn’t seem as if it should be over. Not this way. Not with things the way they were. Oh, things had ended happily enough for everyone, but something still didn’t feel right. Gruumm was gone, Doggie had been reunited with his beloved wife Isinia. She should have been happy at the end of their one major threat. Instead she was antsy, feeling as if she was missing something important. For such an intelligent woman this didn’t sit well at all. Her every instinct was telling her that something was horribly wrong, and yet everyone was going on like all was well. All was not well. Their B-Squad had broken apart, Jack was gone. Sky was the red ranger now, with Bridge being promoted to blue ranger. They were short a ranger now, and the team wasn’t the same.
Of course, all this paled to one very clear truth. Kat Manx no longer felt right being at SPD. Commander Fowler had offered her a position back at headquarters once again, and this time she intended for the move to be permanent. She couldn’t stay near everyone, not now. Isinia would give Doggie every reason he needed to go on, to keep fighting. Her role in everything was over now that her best friend’s wife was returned to him.
It was…it was upsetting her, she realized. It hurt that she was so quickly forgotten. She, who had stood faithfully by his side all these years, who had helped him through the hell of loosing everything because she knew how he felt, she knew his pain. One look at his beloved and she was forgotten. Her best friend, and he wouldn’t even glance her way now.
The dark haired Felinian let her head drop forward, feeling tears burn her eyes. She refused to break down now. Maybe later, when her bags were packed and she was well on her way to headquarters, but not now. If she lost it here someone would find her and figure it out. The last thing she wanted or needed was to worry the rangers. Or worse, worry Doggie.
So, after squaring her shoulders and steeling herself for what was to come, Kat started packing her things. This time she would leave before anyone realized she was intending to go. It would make things easier for everyone in the long run if she didn’t tell anyone she was transferring. The rangers may have wanted her to stay, but she felt as if she was no longer needed. With Gruumm defeated the rangers weren’t as likely to need a lead scientist to keep their equipment up to par.
Of course, there were still other criminals out there still other criminals out there for them to deal with, but any scientist could help them there. It didn’t have to be her any longer. What use was she when the equipment she’d needed to develop was now mostly obsolete. SPD would go on, training of the cadets would continue, but it could go on without her.
It had gotten dark by the time she’d finished packing. The base was so still and quiet that she found herself somewhat comforted. Only the night shift would be out at this time. With any luck she would be long gone before the rangers or Doggie awoke for the day once more.
Bags packed, Kat exited her quarters and headed for her lab. On the way she stopped a few cadets and ordered them to bring her bags to the loading bay. With that done the dark haired scientist entered her lab for what she believed would be the last time. She sat at her desk and got out a small stack of paper and envelopes. While she would leave without talking to anyone again that didn’t meant she wouldn’t leave them some form of explanation. After all it wouldn’t due to have the base on high alert because they didn’t know where she was. She’d been kidnapped before so it wasn’t that unrealistic.
Her first letter was to the remaining members of B-Squad. It explained her reasons for leaving and gave a very specific note to each of them. She told them how proud she was of what they had accomplished in the past year and that she wished them all well in their career as Power Rangers.
The next letter was to her loyal lab assistant Boom. That was mostly last minute instructions for him and letting him know that her replacement would be there at the end of the week. She also warned him not to blow up the lab in the meantime. After all, it would look really bad on her part if her lab assistant blew up the lab before the replacement head scientist arrived.
Her final letter was also her hardest to write because it was for Doggie. For a long time she simply stared at the blank paper with no idea what she would say to her friend. Because she knew him and because they’d been friends for so long she wanted his letter to be special. After nearly an hour’s hesitation she finally started writing. The result was nearly four pages of near incoherent babble. It wasn’t like her at all, but it was conveyed everything she needed to say. Kat only just managed to sign it before she heard footsteps outside her lab.
The Felinian quickly gathered up her letters and ducked out of sight just before the doors opened and Boom came wobbling in. She sighed and stepped back into sight. If she hadn’t known that her assistant was a sleep walker she would have wondered what he was doing there at two in the morning. Easily circling around the snoozing male Kat finally her way back down the corridor.
The first letter was taped to Sky’s door wince she knew he was the most likely to see it there. The second she gave to R.I.C. so that Boom would get it for sure. Doggie’s letter she held onto for the longest time before finally taping it to his door with a careful touch. With his sensitive ears she couldn’t risk being loud. With her final task completed Kat headed towards the loading bay. Unfortunately, someone had already sent her bags on ahead to the launch zone. She sighed again and huddled her black coat around her.
The launch zone wasn’t far, just about a mile and a half down the strip. For some reason she felt more like walking anyway, as it would give her time to be alone with her thoughts for a little while longer. She really would miss this place. She’d miss the memories she’d made and the friends she’d be leaving behind. The rangers would probably demand that she return to the academy once they awoke the next morning, but she knew she’d have to stand firm and refuse them. Kat didn’t think she could tolerate living around Doggie now that he had Isinia back.
She really was happy for them, but seeing them together was breaking her heart. Did she care that much for Commander Cruger? In fact she did, and more so. It wasn’t a hard thing to determine. They’d been together for a long time, why wouldn’t she start caring about him? He was a loyal, courageous creature, filled with a strong sense of right and wrong. He was everything she’d ever sought in a companion. Lord only knew how much she enjoyed being around him. She had thought…well more like hoped, that he felt the same way she did. But caring about someone as your friend and loving them were two very different emotions. She didn’t doubt that Doggie cared for her, she was his closest friend after all. She was not so certain that he’d ever felt more than friendship for her. That was alright. She’d known that nothing could ever happen between them. He had too big of a chip on his shoulder for that. Too much heartache and grief lingered in the big Sirian for him to see what was right in front of him. That hadn’t stopped her from staying at his side and helping him in any way she could.
As she exited the building her train of thought shifted, going more towards the large blue dog that was her dearest of friends. When she’d first joined SPD he’d been a wreck, barely able to function as grief and regret seeped from his very soul. It had hurt to see anyone in that much pain, so she’d reached out to help. At first he hadn’t seemed as if he wanted anything to do with her, being what she was. After awhile that changed, he changed. He wouldn’t fight anymore so she suggested that he become a sort of mentor to future generations, so he had. Then the nightmares had started, shaking his belief in what they were doing. So she’d given him something to believe in, she’d made the SPD morphers. She gave him command over Power Rangers. History told of the valiant groups of individuals that had fought off evil countless times, saving not only Earth but other worlds as well. Doggie had been enchanted by the tale and had quickly brought her plans before Birdie Fowler, the highest command SPD had. So they’d started training the people they thought had the best potential. Those five became their A-Squad.
Right after that he’d started having trouble focusing. The nightmares had gotten worse and he started loosing his will to keep on going. He had, in his opinion, nothing left to keep him going. He didn’t want to let vengeance be his only reason for continuing to live. So she’d set herself up to be his reason to keep going; by giving him someone to protect. He was a fierce protector too, often scaring off anyone that so much as looked at her wrong. He’d calmed down after awhile, but still remained her ever stalwart protector.
Then they’d been offered the chance to set up an academy for the training of future rangers on Earth. Kat had been excited as she’d never been to that particular side of the universe and wanted to see what it had to offer. The remains of what appeared to be a command center were discovered a week after their arrival by one of their A-Squad rangers. There they’d stumbled upon the history archives of the original Power Rangers. Shortly after that they finally found an agreeable location to set up the academy. The original choice had been a medium sized city called Angel Grove, but it was later rejected by Commander Fowler. So they settled where they could and started recruiting cadets.
There were other thoughts drifting around in her head too, some of them she didn’t want to dwell on right then. She drew herself from her thoughts at the soft sound of footsteps rapidly approaching her location. The Felinian fell into her fighting stance, ready for whatever was following her. This time of night it couldn’t be anyone she wanted to see.
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Posted: Fri Aug 20, 2010 3:22 pm
Chapter Two: Don't Leave
Something was wrong. His every instinct was screaming at him that this was true, and he always trusted his instincts. It was such a strong feeling that he’d been woken from his sleep. By the time his mind caught up with his body he was already out of bed and heading towards the door. Once he realized what he was doing he backtracked to get dressed before making to leave again. Of course, his movements woke up his sleeping wife, and that wasn’t good at all.
“Doggie?” She questioned, her lilting voice sounding as if she were still half asleep.
The large Sirian paused, his instincts still screaming at him to get going. “Go back to sleep Isinia. I’ll return when I can.”
“What’s happened?” The female sat up, holding the blankets close to herself. She was still shaken from her time captured by the Troobian army, and he didn’t blame her for being scared. Still, it almost bothered him how much his once strong wife had changed. She was skittish, always hiding close to his side when they were in the hallways together. It was like she didn’t believe she was safe even with him right there at her side.
Cruger sighed, turning back to face his frightened wife. “I don’t know yet, but I intend to find out. Don’t worry, my love, just go back to sleep.” He tried to sooth her, and was pleased to see her slowly settle back down after a long moment of staring at him quietly. With that behind him he headed for the door, pausing again once he’d opened the door that led into his quarters. There, taped delicately to his door, was a letter.
He recognized Kat’s handwriting immediately, and it set off alarm bells in his head. He stepped from the room, letting the door close behind him so that he could lean into it and read what his head scientist had left for him. It must have been pretty important if she hadn’t been able to wait until morning to-
“No…”
He read the letter again, this time focusing entirely on the words. Kat had left the academy, left her position there as the lead scientist, had instead taken up a post back at headquarters at Fowler’s insistence. She’d done this before, that wasn’t the part that bothered him. What bothered him was one single line in her letter that should never have been there.
‘I feel as if I no longer belong here.’
How could she even think that? After everything they’d been through, after fighting so long at each other’s sides, how could she believe that she didn’t belong? It was confusing and it hurt him to think that she’d gone because of something he could have straightened out. She’d been his place to belong for years, why couldn’t she let him help her when she started feeling like that? It didn’t make sense, there had to be more to this than what he was seeing.
With a low growl the commander marched himself down the hallway, steadily picking up his pace the further down the corridor he got. He had to find her, had to make her realize that her place would always be here at SPD academy. As long as there was still a chance of bringing her back here he would take it. He was about halfway to the command deck when he realized exactly what had to have made her want to leave so badly.
Once Isinia had been rescued from Gruumm he’d been entirely focused with her. She’d been so unsteady at first that he’d been afraid her body would simply shut down and he’d loose her all over again. The fear of that happening had demanded that his attention never waver. Had Kat really believed that he no longer wanted her around? Sure they argued sometimes, but what friends didn’t? She couldn’t leave, he’d…everything would fall apart. That was exactly what had happened the last time.
Finally he caught her scent, the distinct smell of apples that always seemed to follow her wherever she went. His nose twitched, another growl rising through his throat. He was going in the wrong direction. After an abrupt change in direction he used the lead he had to find her. It wasn’t long before he’d broken out into a full out sprint, his senses all cast out in order to find his friend. A sort of panic started settling over him after nearly twenty minutes when he couldn’t find her anywhere he looked. Her scent was all over the base, making him trace her back and forth until he was exhausted.
Right around the time he was ready to stop and go and wake the rangers for assistance he caught something much stronger than what he’d been following. There was Kat’s natural scent, but there was also…His ears twitched. He could hear footsteps far ahead of him, also noticing the soft voice humming some unnamable tune.
“Kat..” He knew it was her, that voice and the smell told him that much. But she was further ahead of him than she should have been, and he almost wanted to morph just to have that added burst of speed in reaching her. He wasn’t exactly desperate to catch up with her, but it was pretty close.
Kat Manx had been a godsend. She’d come into his life during a time when he had absolutely no drive or devotion to live. The recent loss of his home, his people, and his wife had devastated him. He no longer wanted to fight, had sworn never again to take up his sword. She’d appeared one day, some weeks after another team had found him and brought him back to headquarters. Back then she was just an ordinary scientist, albeit one with a rather sharp tongue. She’d introduced herself to him then started trying everything in her limited power to help him. He hadn’t wanted her help, but help him she did. She never gave up on him no matter how stubborn he became, and in the end it probably saved his life. Her constant belief in him gave him strength to continue, her devotion to her work and the cause had revived his own hope for the future. Even when nightmares plagued him she continued to work towards a better future. She’d coaxed him through the rough patches, taught him to live again. It was her gentle persuasion and stubborn determination that had drawn him to taking up a position of a mentor for SPD. He hadn’t been willing to go back on the field, so she’d suggested the alternative. Kat was always doing things like that for him, always thinking of ways to make his pain a little more manageable.
The only thing he hadn’t understood about her was why she set herself up to be under his protection. Even without raising his sword he’d come to defend her, usually against miscreants that dared try and attack her. He growled again just thinking about it. It was around that time that he started teaching her to defend herself. Even though he hadn’t wanted to he’d come to depend on her random bouts of drawing danger to herself, forcing him to come to her rescue. Once she could defend herself those times became fewer, until she hardly needed his protection at all. Still he remained ever vigilant on her behalf.
He pushed these things from his mind, once more pushing his body to its limits. Her scent was nearly overpowering now, the strength of it telling him that she was close. Once he saw her slender form in the distance he slowed, settling his frayed nerves before approaching her. She’d taken a fighting stance he noticed. Typical Kat.
Doggie presented himself to her, crossing his arms across his massive chest and leveling his best glare at her. “Where exactly are you going at this time of night Miss Manx?”
Her stance fell. “Doggie?”
Ah, that. The sound of his name on her lips had always shot a strange thrill through his body. He’d never figured out why she caused the reaction with something so simple, but there it was. He ignored this for the time being, stepping forward again until he was right in front of her. She looked unharmed, which was a relief. It was never good to harm Kat Manx, not if you had a wish to live. It was one of the reasons he’d been so furious when Banaag had kidnapped and nearly killed her. It was only a side fact that the General had also been the one leading the troops against his people, had in fact been the ultimate reason he lost Isinia.
Cruger shook himself from his thoughts, focusing back on the dark haired Felinian in front of him. “Kat, why are you doing this? There’s no reason for you to leave.” He spoke steadily, his gaze locked on hers for any sort of reaction or movement. When she just returned his gaze silently he faltered, stepping back enough so that he wasn’t crowding her. That look was always his undoing, the single thing that could make him regret or refrain from an action. She looked unhappy, rather with him or with something in general.
“Tell me what’s wrong. Tell me, so that I can make things right again.”
She shook her head, her dark curls moving around her face with the movement. “There’s nothing for you to fix. Doggie, I just don’t feel like I need to be at the SPD Earth base any longer. Its nothing you or anyone else has done, really.” She wouldn’t look at him, her lovely eyes cast to the ground. It set off those alarms in his head again. Kat never averted her gaze, not from him. It reminded him too much of how timid his wife had become, and he didn’t wish to see it from his confident friend as well.
“Kat please. Don’t look away. If nothing is wrong then why-”
His words were cut off by a small hand placing itself gently against his chest. She never had been able to tolerate seeing him out of sorts. It was why she was his closest friend. The dark haired woman knew him better than almost anyone else, Isinia included. She’d seen him at his worse and drawn him back to be his best. His attention went to the top of her head, because that was all she was showing him.
“Doggie…it’s…I…” She sighed, her head finally tilting back to give him her full attention. “You need time to be with your wife. I feel like a third wheel with her here and me here too. Its time to let me go. I’ve done what I set out to do, now I need to go where I can be of some use. The rangers don’t need me anymore. Any scientist could do what I do. SPD will keep running rather or not I’m there to-”
He couldn’t stand it anymore. He had to make her stop, had to make her see reason. “You are still needed. No one can do what you do. Everything runs this smoothly because you are there, because you know the technology the best. You created the SPD morphers and all the related weaponry. How could anyone replace you?”
She laughed, a soft, almost sad sound. “You’re sweet, really.” Her eyes held such sadness in them that he almost looked away. He stopped himself at the last moment though because he was determined to help her through this.
“Stay.” Stay with me. He wanted to say the words so badly, but something held him back. Some unnamed force kept him from speaking those words that he was certain could get her to remain on SPD Earth base. He wanted her to stay, wanted to continue to have her steady presence and support at his side where she belonged.
Kat stepped back from him, removing her hand from his person. Her smile faltered, the sadness in her eyes becoming stronger than before. “I can’t. I won’t. Let me go Doggie. You have your life, your purpose. Let me find mine again. Please, don’t make this any harder than it already is.”
The large Sirian put himself in her path, almost taking his fighting stance. “I won’t let you do this. Not to the rangers and-” Not to me. Again he couldn’t finish his sentence, and again he cursed himself for it.
The scientist sighed, settling herself to one side. “You have no choice. This is my decision and its already been made. Stand aside Commander Cruger. I don’t want to fight you, but I won’t miss my transport to headquarters.”
So they were back to formalities then? That was worse than the sadness in her eyes. What else could he do? He didn’t want her to go, but he also didn’t want to have to fight her. He may have been the one who started training her, but her style was uniquely her own now. She’d taken learning to defend herself a step forward, especially after she started helping to train the A-Squad rangers. With a low sigh of defeat he did the only thing that he could; he stepped aside.
If she was really so intent on leaving then he had to abide by her wish. He didn’t want to loose her like this, but once Kat Manx made up her mind there was no changing it. She was as stubborn as he was, and twice as determined on her goals. He couldn’t let her go without one final attempt, so he reached out when she passed him to take hold of her wrist. “Kat….”
Those eyes came to look at him, holding a question that he couldn’t answer for her. For a second he completely forgot what it was he wanted to say to her, instead focusing on the silent question shining in her eyes. Before he could stop himself Doggie brought his other hand around and set it against her hip, using the appendage to draw her towards him again. She was so close that he was overwhelmed by her familiar scent, was momentarily distracted by her warmth and the memory of what this woman meant to him.
He was shaken from his trance when the first tears started down her face. He let her go as if she’d burned him, taking a step back and then forward again. “Don’t cry.”
She shook her head, moving back from him. “Goodbye Doggie.” With those parting words she darted around him and started back in the direction she’d been traveling in. When he made to go after her she picked up her pace, eventually running down the corridor until she was well out of his sight. He was fast, but given the chance she was faster.
Despite everything, despite every attempt he’d made, she still left. Doggie squared his shoulders, fighting off the slight whine that tried to push its way out from his throat. Because he was of a canine like species the sound was possible, but not something he wanted to let out. He would keep trying, even if he had to follow her all the way to SPD Headquarters. No matter what she said he knew she didn’t want to leave. He’d bring her back, and when he did he’d make sure she knew how much she was truly needed; both by the base and by her protective best friend.
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(Kat)
Why did things have to be this way? Why had he come after her when he needed to be with his wife? Didn’t he know he was only making her decision all the harder to keep? From the moment she’d realized who had been following her Kat’s nerves had been jittery. She hadn’t expected him to wake up before she was gone, nonetheless come after her so quickly. So when he’d stepped from the shadows she found herself unable to say anything more intelligent than his name. And this was after he presented himself with a rather smart allec comment and a mock glare. Of course, to anyone else the look was anything but fake.
She watched several emotions flicker rapidly through familiar dark eyes before he started trying to get her to change her mind. The exchange lasted several minutes before she made to leave once more. She was surprised when he placed himself in her path.
“I won’t let you do this.”
Just those words and the look in his eyes made her waver. This was Doggie she was talking about. Her dearest friend and confidant, the one she’d shared everything with for more years than she could count. He would never hurt her, not purposefully. And yet…still she had already decided to leave. It would only lead to more heartache if she stayed. ‘Doggie, I can’t keep doing this.’
She knew her indecision would start to show on her face and in her eyes if she didn’t steel herself now. So she took a breath and let it out before shifting her body to one side. There was no way she could force her way past him, but she had to make him believe that she was willing to try if he didn’t stand aside. Kat issued a thread, forcing herself to use strict formalities to prove that she was being serious. It had the desired effect, though Doggie looked as if he’d been struck. He let out a soft sigh before moving his large frame out of her path. She almost thanked him, but felt as if he’d protest her thanks and so refrained.
The Felinian scientist started to walk past her large commanding officer, but was stopped once again when he grabbed her by the wrist. She had a moment where she considered snatching her arm back and walking away briskly, but it disappeared when he spoke her name. It was the way he said it that caught her, that slight drop in his tone that kept her rooted to her spot. God, why did he have to say it like that?
Kat turned her eyes to focus on Cruger, asking him silently if he could give her a real reason to stay. He seemed almost distracted by something for a long moment before one hand was placed on her hip and used to draw her closer to the strength and warmth of his body. The look from before was back, but it was different somehow. They’d just been made uncannily aware of one another, a sudden awareness that had come far too late. She felt tears sting her eyes, but was unable to keep them from falling. The reaction was instantaneous. Doggie backed off as if she’d burned him, only moving forward again after a moment of hesitation.
“Don’t cry.” He told her, before stepping close enough to carefully wipe the tears from her face. She couldn’t take it anymore. He couldn’t do this to her, not now. He couldn’t make her feel this way when someone else held his heart. All the time they’d spent together, all the hours she’d spent keeping him grounded, and this was how it ended. She didn’t want to be here anymore, it hurt far too much. She moved back from his touch, murmuring a swift goodbye, and ran past him without another look.
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