Always a Ranger - Part 18
Absent Friends
By Jeannine Trevizo
Kimberly hung
up her phone and sighed. She’d just gotten off from talking with Tommy about
the mind controlling fossilized monster that he and Mercer had made. He hadn’t
mentioned it before, and she realized that he felt guilty not for just making
it but for not mentioning it to her sooner.
It amazed her
still at how powerful the Oliver guilt complex was. Some days she wondered if
even his being happy would allow him to
Still, while
Tommy had been feeling the guilt, someone else had more this time around.
Poor Kira,
Kim thought with a pang of despair. The girl was not getting a break. First
being made a ranger, and then
But Kira
wasn’t weak. She was probably the strongest of the team, even if Kim wasn’t
about to tell Conner and Ethan that and injure their male pride. Still, Kira
was a yellow ranger, and they made them tough. Aisha was one of the strongest
women Kim knew. They had fought side by side for over a year and never once did
Kim ever think that ‘Sha wouldn’t have been able to whip any of the male
rangers in a fair fight.
And there was
Trini…
No, being a
yellow ranger was about being able to handle whatever came your way, to fight
through the tough times and be everything a ranger could be.
Kim just
hoped that she was right to think that Kira had that same intestinal fortitude
that her predecessors had. Of course, there was a way she could make sure that
the new yellow ranger was okay…
Turning
around in her sparse apartment, Kim’s gaze fell on the computer. The fact that
she knew Kira, Ethan and even Conner lived on these things was enough to
surprise her. Still, it was a help to know that she didn’t have to melt her
telephone bill to check in with the team.
Calling Tommy
however was a matter of hearing his voice.
She still
didn’t know how the hell she’d gone for over six years without hearing him say
her name.
Firing up the
PC, she wandered away as it started, grabbing a bottle of water. She knew that
she most likely was going to be there for a while. Coming back, she saw her
desktop active, and she quickly turned on her internet connection and then
opened up her AOL IM service.
As she
expected, she found one of the team in her buddy list online. And it was the
one she wanted to talk to. With a mouse click, she opened an IM box and shot
off a message.
On her end of
the country, Kira had been doing her homework for Ms. Robinson’s geometry
class, pouring over the graphs and equations when her computer announced an IM
with its usually bright chime. Tossing the book aside, she bounded off her bed
and slid into her desk chair. There on her screen was a message from Kim.
Frowning,
Kira wondered what Kim knew. Just getting a message from Kim was great, but she
had to wonder if Dr. O or one of the guys had told her what had happened, and
now Kim was checking up on her. Not that she was angry… if anyone could
understand, it was Kim. Hayley had tried, but she didn’t know what it was like
to be a ranger.
Kim did.
Kira closed
the message and then clicked the chat icon, opening up a chat room for her and
Kim to talk.
TERRA_GIRL:
Hey Kim. What’s up?
PNK_CRANE: I
just talked with Tommy. He said you had a tough time?!?
TERRA_GIRL:
:-(
PNK_CRANE:
What happened?
TERRA_GIRL:
Dr. O’s old experiment zapped me.
PNK_CRANE:
How’d that happen?
TERRA_GIRL:
Mercer convinced Randall to let him take the science classes to *his* museum.
TERRA_GIRL:
That’s where the creepy skull thing was that took over my mind.
PNK_CRANE: And
then you stole the last bone piece that Tommy had in the cave?
TERRA_GIRL:
Yeah. That totally sucked.
PNK_CRANE:
But that wasn’t all… ?
TERRA_GIRL: I
was rude.
PNK_CRANE:
huh?
TERRA_GIRL:
The whole ‘possession’ thing was really bad. It treated Conner and Ethan like
shit.
PNK_CRANE:
Did you talk about it now that you’re back to normal?
TERRA_GIRL:
Sort of. They understood.
PNK_CRANE:
Then what’;s the problem?
TERRA_GIRL: I
just wonder if the thing would have hypnotized either of the guys as easily as
it did me… :-(
PNK_CRANE:
WHAT?!?!
TERRA_GIRL:
Kim?
PNK_CRANE:
Sorry, I just hate hearing… well seeing you type like that.
TERRA_GIRL:
What do you mean?
PNK_CRANE:
You’re a yellow ranger.
TERRA_GIRL:
Yeah, so?
PNK_CRANE:
That means you come from a long line of tough, resilient women rangers.
PNK_CRANE:
You are more than just the girl on the team. You’re the yellow ranger.
TERRA_GIRL: I
never…
PNK_CRANE:
What?
TERRA_GIRL:
Really thought too much about the other yellow rangers.
PNK_CRANE: Why
not?
TERRA_GIRL: I
don’t know. I mean, Conner met Jason a few months ago.
PNK_CRANE: I
know I still am jealous he was out there first. :-(
TERRA_GIRL:
But you’ve been here twice. And I guess I considered meeting you was meeting my
ancestor.
PNK_CRANE:
Hey, I’m not that old. Another word please!
TERRA_GIRL:
Sorry.
PNK_CRANE:
Anyway… I’m not.
TERRA_GIRL:
Not what?
PNK_CRANE:
Your predecessor.
TERRA_GIRL:
PNK_CRANE:
Sure, but you’re also yellow. And the terra grips… that’s old school yellow
ranger all the way.
TERRA_GIRL:
So, who should I be comparing myself to?!?
PNK_CRANE: No
one Kira, that’s the point.
TERRA_GIRL:
Seriously Kim…
PNK_CRANE:
Well
TERRA_GIRL:
What?
PNK_CRANE:
There have been a lot of yellow rangers
TERRA_GIRL:
You’re stalling.
TERRA_GIRL:
Why?
PNK_CRANE: I
just…
TERRA_GIRL:
Kim, are you okay?
PNK_CRANE:
It’s just hard thinking about this.
TERRA_GIRL:
???
PNK_CRANE:
I’ve ‘served’ with two yellow rangers Kira.
TERRA_GIRL:
Okay…
PNK_CRANE:
Aisha was the second. God, she was fierce.
PNK_CRANE:
When we got the Ninjetti powers, her spirit animal was the bear.
TERRA_GIRL:
WOW! That’s cool!
PNK_CRANE:
She was tough.
TERRA_GIRL:
Okay, so what about the first...
As soon as
Kira typed the words, Kim sat there and stared at them. She knew that Kira
would ask. And the truth was that she had a right to know the woman who had
blazed the trail for every yellow ranger to follow in her wake. She’d mentioned
Trini back when she’d first met Kira and the new rangers, but she hadn’t talked
for very long about her, and she wasn’t sure if Kira remembered. But it didn’t
matter. What did matter was that Kim just wished that that woman was around to
impart her own wisdom, rather than have it come second-hand from her.
The sudden
stop to their conversation brought Kira up short. Did she do something wrong?
TERRA_GIRL:
Kim????/
PNK_CRANE:
Remember when we first met and I mentioned our friend Trini?
TERRA_GIRL:
Oh yeah, I forgot. So she…
PNK_CRANE:
she died.
TERRA_GIRL:
:-o
TERRA_GIRL: I
forgot… I’m sorry. She wasn’t a ranger then, right?
PNK_CRANE:
No, she hadn’t been a ranger for a long time when she died.
TERRA_GIRL:
But she was still the first.
PNK_CRANE:
The first. The best.
PNK_CRANE: I
miss her
PNK_CRANE: It
was. But she still lives on in the memories of the team.
TERRA_GIRL:
I’m sorry
PNK_CRANE: Me
too. You would have liked her. Like I said before, you remind me of her.
TERRA_GIRL:
Really?
PNK_CRANE: Yeah.
Kira suddenly
heard her chime sound, and looked to see the message notification letting her
know Ethan and Conner had just logged in. She and Kim had been talking for a
while, and she felt better, but she knew that they all could use a dose of Kim
talk.
She quickly
jumped back to her chat window with Kim to ask permission.
TERRA_GIRL:
Hey Kim, Ethan and Conner just logged on. Should I invite them in?
PNK_CRANE:
Sure.
Kira then
fired off the chat invites to the guys and waited. It wasn’t long before the
new sigs appeared in the chat room.
[RED_REX had
just joined chat]
[TRI_BLUE has
just joined chat]
RED_REX: SO
IS THIS A PRIVATE CHAT OR CAN ANY RANGER JOIN?
TRI_BLUE:
Conner, Caps Man!
RED_REX:
Sorry. Forgot.
PNK_CRANE:
Hey guys, what are you doing on?
TRI_BLUE:
Just thought I’d catch the TERRA_GILR…
RED_REX:
Yeah, you were really not happy when you left earlier.
TERRA_GIRL:
Well, Kim and I talked…
RED_REX: See,
I *told* you Kim would fix this
PNK_CRANE:
What, am I superglue or something? :-/
TERRA_GIRL:
not exactly. Just we sort of have gotten used to having you to talk to.
TRI_BLUE:
Yeah. Dr. O is all ranger too, and Hayley doesn’t always get it, you know?
PNK_CRANE: I
do. I’m glad you guys aren’t feeling like I’m meddling.
TRI_BLUE:
RED_REX:
besides, you’re the only person we can talk to that actually tells us what
being a ranger was like.
PNK_CRANE:
Tommy’s not doing that???
TERRA_GIRL:
No, it’s just he’s all leader/inspiration guy. Not stries from the past guy.
TERRA_GIRL:
stories
TRI_BLUE: You
mean like the other yellow rangers?
TERRA_GIRL:
How??
TRI_BLUE:
Hey, you invited us into the chat. All the stuff here, just gotta scroll up.
TERRA_GIRL:
oh
RED_REX: So,
will we meet Aisha then someday?
PNK_CRANE: I
would guess. Once I get settled in Reefside, I’m sure she’d come to visit.
TRI_BLUE:
COOL!
RED_REX: I’m
sorry about Trini
TRI_BLUE: me
too
PNK_CRANE:
Thanks guys.
Kim found
herself wishing more than anything that they really could have met Trini. She
was what a ranger was, just as much as Jason or Tommy ever had been. Still, the
fact that Ethan, Conner and Kira all had extended their sympathies cushioned
the blow of missing Trini.
Her attention
drawn from the chat, she noticed the clock in the corner of her computer
screen. It was after nine her time. Shouldn’t they be eating dinner with their
families or doing homework… Hmmm…
PNK_CRANE:
Hey, shouldn’t you all be doing homework or something?
There was a
pause, and then suddenly, three messages popped up, one after another, and Kim
couldn’t help but grin at the synchronicity of it.
RED_REX: KIM
TRI_BLUE:
Kim!
TERRA_GIRL:
Kim…. :-(
PNK_CRANE:
What? You think Tommy’s gonna let you slide with school work now that he
doesn’t have anything keeping him occupied?
RED_REX:
Well…
TERRA_GIRL: I
was working on Ms. Robinson’s geometry problems.
RED_REX: Ick!
TRI_BLUE: I
finished those yesterday. I’m on to the book report for English class.
PNK_CRANE:
Then you should all get to work before I get in trouble for contributing to the
delinquency…
TERRA_GIRL:
Alright. If for nothing else, if we don’t you won’t talk to us anymore.
RED_REX: you
wouldn’t do that, would you Kim?
PNK_CRANE: if
I had to…
RED_REX: I’m
gone
[RED_REX has
signed off]
TRI_BLUE: Me
too. Latyer Kim.
[TRI_BLUE has
signed off]
PNK_CRANE:
You too Kira
TERRA_GIRL:
okay. And thanks again.
PNK_CRANE:
anytime.
[TERRA_GIRL
has signed off]
Once Kira had
logged off the chat, it shut down and Kim disconnected from IM and then shut
down her Internet connection and the computer.
Maybe she
wasn’t a yellow ranger, Kim thought as she walked towards bed, but perhaps what
she’d learned from the best one could be enough to help the new yellow ranger
through. As she clamored out of her clothes and slipped into a pair of pajamas,
she found herself smiling. Clicking off the light, she slid under the covers
and drifted off to sleep with one last though…
Thanks Trini.
-End-
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