Author: Jadelyn Ja Lee
Story: Inheritance
Pairings: Sky/OC (Aimee), Bridge/Z, Jack/Syd, Tommy/Kat Manx
Disclaimer: I own no one.
Summery: Sequel to Through Her Eyes. 20 years after Gruumm's defeat, a new generation rises to face an enemy from within…
Author Notes: Yay, Inheritance is finished!
Simon: River! River? Are you okay?
River: I swallowed a bug.
"Piper, I have a question for you."
The sound of her brothers voice in her quarters cause Piper to shriek and drop the pile of clothes she'd been about to fold. She turned to find Troy leaning against the wall, the door open and a few curious cadets watching and listening. Piper sighed and motioned for him to come in, which he did. As the door slid shut, she flopped on her bed.
"You want to know why you weren't told about Nikki?" She guessed. Troy had been suspiciously quiet since the attack on the base and she had known it was only a matter of time before he came to her.
"Actually, dad already talked to me about that. He said that he had meant to tell me but he never got the chance; Apate was keeping a firm hand on me." He replied. Piper sat up on her elbows and looked at him.
"Okay, so…what do you want to know?" She asked, confused. Troy frowned.
"If you could release Apate from Nikki, why didn't you do it sooner?"
Piper sighed and leaned back down. Staring at the ceiling, she collected her thoughts. "Honestly? I didn't know how or if it would even work. Eli mentioned it off handedly and…I guess I needed my powers so badly and wanted it to work so badly that everything else was over-rided." She paused. "Tyche is pretty powerful. I don't think I realized how powerful she was exactly until that day. I didn't know anything I'd been taught on the astral realm until, well, that day. Now I'm getting my memories back in bits and pieces."
Troy's lips twitched as Piper suddenly laughed. "What's so funny?" He asked. She turned to him, eyes bright with mirth.
"You're so much like your namesake it's insane. He's a big goof too." She told him. Troy grinned, absurdly pleased with that bit of knowledge. Her smiled faded, replaced with an expression of uneasiness. "Are we okay, Troy?" She asked tentively.
Troy flashed her a smile. "Always rugrat, always."
"You can't be serious."
Nikki turned around, sighing. She'd known the moment she'd handed in her resignation that Piper wasn't going to be thrilled. And judging by the expression on the other girls face, she'd severely underestimated how angry the 1st year would be.
"It's for the best." Nikki told her as she went back to packing her belongings. Piper stepped into the room, the door sliding shut behind her.
"You're quitting. You're letting your team down." Piper replied. "How is that for the best?"
"They won't be put in danger cause I'm too weak to fend of evil!" Nikki yelled, suddenly losing her temper. Piper blinked.
"Who the hell said you were weak and when can I hit them?!" She demanded. "Cause they were dead wrong! You're one of the strongest women I know!"
Nikki laughed derisively. "Oh real strong, letting Apate take over like that." She sneered. Piper frowned.
"Apate…she could have chosen anyone. Why do you think she chose you? And none of this weak nonsense." Piper warned. Nikki scowled.
"I was an easy target, I was connected, I was already evil? Take your pick." Piper flinched at the self discrimination in the older girls voice.
"No. Because she knew I wouldn't be able to hurt you." Piper informed her. Nikki blinked.
"Huh?"
"Whatever you might tell yourself, you are not evil, you are not weak. Apate chose you because your heart has always been good, because you were a ranger. And she knew that when things came to a head, I wouldn't be able to kill you." She explained. Nikki still looked confused and Piper sighed.
"Have you noticed anything…odd, about me and Eli lately?" She asked, hiding the pain. Nikki frowned.
"Your way less lovey dovey, why?" She asked, confused. Piper looked out the window, her expression wistful.
"We got into an argument when we were deciding what to do during the attack." She explained. Nikki grimaced.
"Whatever it was, I'm sure it wasn't enough to tear you two apart indefinitely." She tried consoling the younger girl but Piper didn't smile.
"I told him to leave."
Nikki gaped, stunned. Piper had spoken so softly but the words seemed extremely loud in the suddenly cold room. "Why are on Earth would you do that? You two have always been inseparable!"
Piper turned to the former pink ranger and Nikki's blood ran cold at the other girl's words. "He wanted to sacrifice you to kill Apate and I wouldn't let him."
"What do you mean 'to kill Apate?'" She asked, her voice low. Piper's eyes glimmered with tears.
"It's why she chose you, Nikki. You were, are, an innocent. As long as she was a parasite, depending on a host to survive, she was extremely vulnerable. If the host was killed, she would die with her. She chose you because she knew that when the time came, I wouldn't be able to kill her if it meant killing you." She explained softly. Nikki just stood in the center of the room, stunned, as Piper got up and walked to the door.
"So you see, you're not evil or weak….you were convenient. She could have just as easily chosen someone else…Zippy, Kelson, my mom, granddad, Trini, Thomas…Troy. It had nothing to do with you as a person, but everything to do with my weakness." She whispered before slipping out the door.
"Tommy, may I speak to you about something?" Zordon spoke softly as the door closed softly behind him. Tommy looked up from his office desk, smiling warmly.
"Of course, of course. Have a seat!" He grinned and then chuckled, never having thought he'd ever get to say those words to his mentor. Zordon smiled as well, knowing where his thoughts had strayed. He sat, robes arranged neatly. "It's about Tyche."
The happiness Tommy had been exuding faded as did his grin. "What about her?" He asked warily.
Zordon sighed. "You know of the prophecies, what Tyche must do, do you not?" He asked delicately. Tommy sighed.
"I do but I don't see why we can't have someone else do it, someone more….experienced. Damnit, Piper can't even control Tyche, how is she supposed to do what that stupid prophecy says she has to?" He demanded. Zordon frowned.
"Why do you do that? I've noticed Tyche does as well." He asked. Tommy blinked, startled by the sudden change in topic.
"Do what?" He asked confused.
"Refer to Tyche as if she is separate from Piper. She is not. They are one and the same." Zordon replied, still puzzled. Tommy frowned.
"But I thought they were different…Tyche's like Cratus or Dike. A separate entity sharing Piper's body for a time….Right?" he asked, worried. Zordon's eyes widened and he slowly shook his head.
"No, they are not. Piper and Tyche are one in the same. Tyche is Piper and Piper is Tyche. It matters not what name they use—they are the same." He repeated. Tommy felt his stomach drop to somewhere around his knees.
"Then…When this is all said and done…Piper will be facing Apate…and she won't be able to get rid of Tyche?" He asked, fear laced in his voice. Zordon looked at him pityingly.
"No. Tyche is Piper and Piper is Tyche. She will have to face that reality eventually." The great mage paused before adding softly, "As will you and your children."
Tommy didn't reply as he gazed at the latest family portrait he had of the Tate family. Sitting on the settee, snuggling, were Aimee and Sky. Sitting on the ground in front of them were the twins in the middle with Paige on Thomas' side and Piper on Troy's. And lying directly in front of the twins were Luke and Leila. Piper was smiling brightly, shining in the presence of her family. Something within Tommy resolved as he gazed at his granddaughter. Piper will survive, he thought.
"She has to."
"So, you're coming back in a month, right?" Ella asked as they waited for the boarding call for the transport shuttle that would take Claudia back to Mirinoi for the summer.
The smaller girl smiled. "It's all arranged. What about your parents?" She asked the girls. Alycia, Ella, and Piper exchanged grins.
"I overheard mom and Aunt Z arguing who was getting you for the first week—both seemed to think they should." Alycia told her. Claudia giggled. Piper rolled her eyes.
"I don't think they realize mom has already had me clean up my room in preparation of you coming." She informed the Mirinite. The girls all laughed as Eli, Troy, Thomas, Jon, and Kelson came up behind Claudia and engulfed her in a group hug. Claudia laughed and hugged them all back, one by one. The group settled down, talking and laughing as they waited.
Claudia's eyes found Alycia and Ella's and she smiled sadly when Ella glanced worriedly at Eli and Piper. They'd barely spoken since the argument and even now had several people in between them as they talked. It was saddening.
"Claudia?"
The small girl looked up and brightened. "Nikki!. Hi!" She exclaimed, jumping to her feet to give the older girl a hug. The former pink ranger stiffened before awkwardly patted her back. Still smiling, she pulled back.
"I didn't think you were going to come." She smiled. Nikki shifted uncomfortably.
"I had to apologize before you left." She replied softly, avoiding Claudia's gaze. The soon-to-be second year blinked.
"But you don't have too!" She exclaimed. "It wasn't your fault; I don't blame you!"
Nikki shifted. "If I hadn't let her in, I--" she began but was cut off by Claudia.
"Not another word." The small girl said firmly. Surprised, Nikki looked up. Claudia's face was set, eyes hard. "I'm not going to accept an apology from you because you don't have to give one."
Nikki stared at the younger girl for a few minutes before slowly nodding, her shoulders relaxing a bit. Smiling, Claudia pulled Nikki down in between her and Troy, who immediately wrapped an arm around the former pink ranger's waist. She remained silent as the group talked but slowly, inch by inch, she relaxed.
When the boarding call came, Claudia hugged everyone, including Nikki. Ella, Alycia, Eli, and Piper were last.
"Keep an eye on them, will you?" She whispered as she hugged Alycia and Ella. Both girls nodded, understanding what she meant. She turned to Eli and gave him a quick hug, followed by Piper. Smiling brightly at the group, she picked up her carry on and headed for the shuttle. A few steps away from the door, she turned around and ran back.
"Two things." She whispered. She turned to Eli and Piper. "You two are being idiots. Deal with your issues or I'll be very cranky when I get back." She told them to the others delight. Eli and Piper glanced at each other uneasily. Claudia turned to Kelson and threw herself at him, kissing him square on the mouth. Kelson stumbled but eagerly kissed her back. Finally, Claudia tore herself from the blonde and picked up her bag, face a bit pink as the group stared at her in shock and amusement.
"Um….bye!" She squeaked before rushing to the shuttle. The group watched as the shuttle took off, waving. When the shuttle had disappeared from sight, the group turned to Kelson who smiled goofily back at them.
"I'm gonna date that girl when she gets back."
End Notes: Whew! Inheritance is finally finished!
As always, thanks to all the reviewers and readers: EnigmaForum, the real vampire, garnetred, Jordan, Tierra, Lauren, TricksterWolf, angellwings, BellaCordelia, DracoWolf88, general-joseph-dickson, Estel Kenobi, Carline, Lady-Payne, L123o123v123e123, & Silver-Mystic-Angel! Your input and feedback helped me when I faltered.
Now, for a bit of news: I will not begin writing/posting Birthright, the sequel, until December, at the earliest. I need a bit of a break from the Heritage Universe before I begin the next fic. This doesn't mean I will stop writing all-together but until then, it'll be small fics, I doubt any will be longer than 10 chapters. (considers) Well, I might start diving into Dark Wings, but that won't be posted here cause if I do write it out, its gonna be Mature. That'll be posted at my LJ, if anywhere. And Aoife and I have been planning a massive Buffy the Vampire Slayer/PR crossover so I might start working on that. It'll all depend on how my classes go.
Again, thank you to everyone who's read, everyone's reviewed, and everyone who's left feedback. It's been fun!