Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers, but I do own my song: "Dreams".
Author's Notes: This is a rewrite of an old story of mine, hopefully made better. It is set five years after 'Countdown to Destruction'. Please note that there is character death in this, thus the angst label. I hope you enjoy.
By: Jade Daniels
"Okay Cassie, look this way please. Now, you remember what to do, right?"
Cassie Chan raised an eyebrow as she looked at the director, but nodded. "After so many rehearsals, Michael, I think I should." Wearing a silken dark pink nightgown, she stretched out on the white satin sheets that lay underneath her on the large four-poster bed. Her long hair was done up with tiny crystal clips, with a few thin tendrils framing her face. Matching crystal earrings sparkled from her ears.
This entire setting was dressing for something Cassie had dreamed about doing for much of her life: her own music video. She had only been in the music industry for a couple of years, yet already she was being considered a singing star. Her first album had already gone to platinum, and her current one was also selling well. Not only was she popular on Earth, but also her voice was reaching other planets in the universe, through Earth's new intergalactic connections.
This music video was for her latest single, titled 'Dreams'. Many thought it to be a poignant song, telling of a love that was never fulfilled. Few people outside of her fellow Astro Rangers realized exactly what that song meant to her. Once, she would never have thought to express her emotions so publicly, but Cassie had learned during her time as a Ranger that such an act could sometimes be cathartic.
"Cassie, are you ready?" asked the director. While she had been lost in her thoughts, he had been fooling around with the lighting and the microphones, trying to get everything right. Michael Lombardy was a well-known director in the music industry, and Cassie knew that she was very lucky to be working with him.
She nodded in response. Michael smiled enthusiastically, "This is going to be your best video!" He raised his hand. "Cue the music. Action!"
A slow melodic introduction began to play through the surrounding speakers. Cassie closed her eyes as she turned her face towards the large window beside the bed. Simulated moonlight spilled through the sheer curtains, giving her face an ethereal glow. One last thought drifted through her mind as she began to sing: where are you Phantom?
"I dream of someone someday...."
Finally, the video shoot was over. Having to sing the song repeatedly had drained her emotionally, while the long hours recording had drained her physically. Despite having recorded many videos before, this one had been particularly demanding. Thus, by the time she got back to her apartment, Cassie was only in the mood to remove her black jacket and sink into her couch. The melody still played in her head, reminding her of what the song meant to her. Memories, unbidden, returned to her mind.
Five years ago, she had chased the Phantom Ranger to no avail. Like his name, he had remained a phantom to her. After the final battle where Zordon had sacrificed himself, the Phantom Ranger had disappeared. He had left no message for her nor anyway of contacting him. Many times afterwards she had thought about him, dreamed about him, wishing she knew where he was. It seemed ridiculous, to be in love with someone she barely even knew. Even now, she didn't understand why she was still in love with him. All that she knew was that her feelings had remained. It was as if some magnetic force was forever drawing her to him.
As the years passed, she had believed that the feelings would eventually go away; that she would finally throw away such a childish fantasy and settle down. Cassie had even dated other guys, hoping to feel something for one of them. Unfortunately, she could never muster more than a lukewarm affection for any of the men she dated. In the end, if they did not end up tiring of her indifference, she would break things off with them. It seemed as if nothing could compare to the Phantom Ranger.
Tears of frustration sprung in her eyes as she recalled her most recent dreams about the Phantom Ranger. They were fantastical dreams, always about her and him living together somewhere far away in the galaxy. Their lives would be free of anything to do with being a Power Ranger. Although their friends would remain, it would only be in a social setting. Yet, those were just dreams, ones that had nothing to do with the reality she had to live in.
Where was he? Did he even think about her at all? The questions constantly plagued her mind. Sometimes, she just wanted to scream out loud. Five years of waiting had to be long enough! She couldn't go on waiting anymore.... If only she could truly believe that. Having already tried and failed many times before to forget about the mysterious Phantom Ranger, Cassie knew that he was not an easy man to put out of your mind.
"I love him too much to forget him," she whispered. "And I can't help but wish that he loved me too."
"Was that someone I found just a lie? / Did this love wither and die? / Will I ever see my dream standing there? / Did he ever really care?"
The haunting melody played through the speakers of the small nondescript vehicle. No one took much notice of it, or the passenger inside as it remained parked on the dark street, just outside of a local bar. Inside the vehicle, a young man stared out of the vehicle's window, waiting for his contact to arrive. While he knew that he should be concentrating on his assignment, his thoughts couldn't help but drift towards another subject: Cassie Chan. Likely it was the current song playing on the music channel that making him think of her, but then, she had been intruding a lot in his thoughts lately.
He missed her. He loved her. He wanted to be with her, and yet, he couldn't. Being part of the Galactic Intelligence Agency unfortunately meant that relationships were forfeit. Even relationships between agents were rare, as they were often far too complicated to maintain. Which meant that while he was working for the GIA, Cassie Chan was off limits.
He had never even meant to meet her, or any of the other Earth Rangers for that matter. Unlike them, as part of the GIA's Elite Rangers, he specialized in performing covert missions. Teams like the Power Rangers of Earth, or the Alien Rangers of Aquitar specialized in fighting monsters out in the open. He was what the humans called a spy. He had been on Earth for a reconnaissance mission when he had first made contact with Cassie. Unable to help himself, he violated his code, and began helping in their battles, giving himself the name "Phantom Ranger". He had known it to be appropriate at the time, as he realized he could never remain long after the battles.
He knew he had never deserved her love, and he had not expected to fall for her either. After all, she was a human, an alien from some little backwater planet. But.... He shook his head in wry remembrance. There had been something undeniable when he had first laid eyes on her... something magical. He knew then that he would be forever drawn to Cassie Chan. Unfortunately, circumstances were set that prevented them from being together for more than a few seconds.
When he had been asked to explain his actions to his superiors, he didn't. What could he have told them? That he had fallen in love with a beautiful woman from Earth and that was why he had helped? Laughable. Ridiculous. Stupid. Yet, his words must have gotten through to someone, as he was offered one last assignment before he could retire from the agency. Apparently, love was not a foreign concept amongst his superiors. Unfortunately, the mission was very dangerous, and was to run for at least five years. Tonight was the last piece of his mission. If all went well, he would be finished his assignment, and finally be able to go to Earth. After that, he knew that all he could hope for was that Cassie would be able to forgive him for leaving her five years ago.
It was then that he spotted his contact proceed inside the bar. Shutting down the vehicle, he stepped out and looked around to see if he had been followed. Spotting no one, he headed towards the bar himself. Inside, it was filthy, dank, and dark, exactly what his contact had asked for. Now, if only the contact would talk. With the credits he needed to bribe the creature, he hoped that all would go according to plan.
"I'm being a self-pitying idiot, aren't I?" Cassie sighed as she looked at her old friend and fellow Power Ranger, TJ Johnson. The two were sitting on a bench in a park, where they would be able to see if anyone was eavesdropping. TJ knew that Cassie's star status and the fact that they were both former Rangers meant that she usually had at least one photographer following her around. Neither of them was currently seeing anyone, so any relationship rumours wouldn't hurt anyone else. That was why they had decided that being out in the open would be better than meeting in some secluded area.
TJ shrugged as he leaned back against the park bench. He had had this conversation at least once a year for the past five years, ever since the Phantom Ranger had disappeared. He knew the amount of effort Cassie had put into trying to find the elusive Ranger, only to end up empty handed. Despite all of the intergalactic contacts the Astro Rangers had, and all of the technology at their disposal, they had come up with nothing. After three years, the rest of the Rangers had given up. It was as if the Phantom Ranger had vanished from the galaxy.
Only Cassie remained vigilant, believing that someday she would find the man she loved. But once in a while, doubt would begin to seep into her heart and mind, making her believe that she was a fool for pursuing this practically pointless crusade. He often wondered himself, why she continued doing this. TJ was all but certain that the Phantom Ranger was never returning to Earth, although whether or not it was by choice remained a question.
"You're not being a self-pitying idiot," he finally said. "You're acting like an idiot in love." He gave her a knowing look. "Cassie, you already know what I'm going to say. I've been saying the same thing for the past five years. I'm not going to tell you to keep on waiting. But I'm also not going to tell you to give up. You will let go when you are ready to let go."
"Well, that's a lot of help!" she replied, frustration evident in her voice.
"What do you expect me to say Cassie?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "I won't say you're doing the right thing because I don't know if you are. You know yourself that he may never come back. If that happens, what are you going to do? You may have to find a way to continue on without him. You've been doing a pretty good job of that already."
"So what you're telling me is...."
TJ shook his head. "Wait, I'm not finished. Second question is, what if he does come back? Can you be with a man whom you haven't seen in five years? Can your relationship survive what I would imagine to be some pretty hefty baggage? If it can, then I'll be the first to congratulate you."
Cassie let out a deep breath. "I don't know what to do. I don't want to look back at this and regret that I didn't try hard enough, you know? But I also don't want to look back and think that I could have spent my time elsewhere. I just wish I could make up my mind...."
TJ wrapped his arms around her. "I hope you do soon. At least then, the rest of us won't have to hear about it anymore!" He flashed a grin at her.
She responded by punching him lightly on his arm. "You're mean!" But even as she said that, she laid her head on his shoulder. "Thanks Teej."
"You're welcome Cass," he replied, "And I do hope you find your happily ever after."
The already desolate looking bar looked as if chaos had blown through it by the time the Ilya Ayle and rest of the medical team arrived. Signs of what could have been a small war were seen everywhere. Glass, furniture, various liquids and bodies were strewn all over the floor. Blood of all imaginable colours decorated the already dirty walls. Those who were still alive were barely conscious. Only a soft moan prevented many of them from being quickly labelled dead.
As she continued to examine bodies, she came across one, lying alone in a corner. He had been a humanoid oxygen breather, as the red blood crusted on his face indicated. His black hair was matted with dried blood; the dead eyes still blazed green. She covered her mouth in shocked recognition; he had once been her partner in the GIA, Tirou Kalren.
"Oh Kalren," she whispered. He had told her of this last assignment and the offer of retirement from the agency. She had thought he had been stupid to accept such a dangerous assignment, no matter the enticement. Already the evidence suggested that something had gone wrong with the mission. Her friend had paid the price. With gentle movements, she closed his eyes. As she moved, she noticed something reflecting light off of chest. Reaching down, she saw that it was a hologram crystal, hanging from a simple golden chain.
Holding it in her hands, she activated it. A hologram of a beautiful humanoid female appeared. She had long black hair, and deep brown eyes. She was wearing a simple, sleeveless pink dress with butterfly embroidery that dropped down to just above her knees. Ayle frowned for a moment, knowing that the girl looked very familiar. Within moments, the medical examiner realized why.
"Cassie Chan." Why did Kalren have a hologram of the famous Earth singer? Ayle didn't think that Kalren had been a fan of Chan's style of music. The medical examiner looked at the crystal more closely, noting that it had been a specially created one. Specialized holo-crystals were not cheap, and Ayle doubted that even a fan of Cassie Chan would have had one made like this. No, something else was going on.
Finally, Ayle remembered Kalren's last conversation with her. He had spoken of why he had accepted this assignment, and the young woman he had left behind five years ago. "This is it, Ayle, my last mission. Finally, I'll be free to.... I'll be free to try and win her back."
"Damn it." Tears sprung to Ayle's eyes as she looked back down at Kalren's body. "I'll make sure she gets this old friend. She deserves at least that much."
The doorbell had only rung once by the time Cassie opened the door. Standing at the doorway was an alien female. Nervous black eyes shone against a delicate blue face. Her long black hair was tied neatly into a simple ponytail. She wore a simple dark uniform, and held a small bag in her hands.
A few moments passed before the alien spoke. "My name is Ilya Ayle. I am a medical examiner for the Galactic Intelligence Agency, and a friend of Tirou Kalren, whom you know as the Phantom Ranger."
"What?" Cassie blurted out. "Do you know where he is? I've been trying so long...."
Cassie stopped as Ayle held up her hand. "May I come in? I will then tell you everything I know."
After a moment's hesitation, Cassie invited the mysterious woman inside. After they had settled into the sitting room, Ayle began her story. Both women had tears in their eyes by the time Ayle finished explaining why she had come to see the famous singer. The two talked well into the night, about Kalren. Despite the almost divine connection she had felt for him, Cassie had known almost nothing about him. Ayle had been more than willing to fill in many of the blanks.
Finally, Ayle had to leave. However, she still had one last thing to tell Cassie. "I know he loved you," she said. "The mission that he was on made it impossible for him to contact you. But if he hadn't loved you, he never would have kept this." Ayle handed over the holo-crystal. "I found that there was a message encoded on the crystal. I'm sure that it was meant for you." With those words, she slipped out the door, leaving the former Ranger by herself.
Now alone, Cassie went back to the sitting room, collapsing on the couch. With trembling hands, she activated the crystal. A hologram appeared, one of her standing in one of her favourite pink dresses. Cassie never knew that he had carried this with him; it was unfortunately, one of the many things she had never known about him. The unrelenting tears threatened to spill over once more, but she held them back.
"At least, I know where you are now," she whispered.
Suddenly, a soft glow shone from the crystal. When the light died down, a hologram of a young man appeared. Recognizing him from the uniform he wore, and from the pictures Ayle had showed her, Cassie knew that the hologram was of Kalren. His face was pleasant, although she doubted most would have called him heartbreakingly handsome. But he was gorgeous to her. His short black hair was spiked, with bangs that flopped forward against his forehead. His eyes were a startling green, almost like shining emeralds. Those eyes stared at her sadly, as if sharing her pain.
"Cassie, I know that you are seeing this message, as this crystal was keyed to your DNA. But, if you are seeing this message, it means that I was unable to come back to you." Kalren sighed. "I'm sorry for having left you so many years ago. I can understand if you can't forgive me for that. Actually, I don't know if you still think of me, or even care about me anymore. Maybe you've even forgotten me." He let out a shaky laugh. "But.... But know that I still do care about you, Cassie Chan. I love you." With those words, the hologram faded away.
"I love you too, Kalren," whispered Cassie, running a finger down the delicate crystal. "I never forgot you. How could I? You were my dream come true...."
And, until her death, Cassie Chan wore that crystal around her neck. Few people ever knew what that crystal represented. And those who did, said that the crystal was the bridge that allowed them to be together, if not in the physical realm, at least, in spirit.