Power Rangers Fan Fiction ❯ Too Great A Leap ❯ An Order ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

It's safe to say that "The Rangers' Leap of Faith" was my favorite episode of Power Rangers in Space for a lot of reasons. It never fails to make me cry, it never fails to put me on the edge of my seat, and it's always worth another viewing based on the fact that I always notice something new. It's kind of never the same episode twice.

I recently viewed the episode again, and like a bolt of lightning, an idea struck me. If I believed in muses, I guess you could say that at that moment, someone sort of tapped me on the shoulder and said,

"Hey, Celly, what if, when Astronema asked Ecliptor to come with her to safety, instead of him saying no and doing the honorable, self-sacrificing thing, he DID go with her??"

The gears began turning inside my wee noggin, and I realized that could be a fantastic opportunity to explore both sides of Astronema/Karone. Both of her worlds literally colliding. No choice but to confront the demons on both sides.

This fic begins toward the end of "TRLoF", and then veers off in its own direction. I'm determined not to uproot canon, however.

Please let me know what you think of this fic. :)

Non Anime: Power Rangers Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Angst | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 07.31.2007 | Updated On: 07.31.2007 | Pages: 3 | Words: 2.1K | Visits: 759 | Status: Work In Progress

"You... traitor!"

Astronema turned, seemingly in slow motion, and her eyes filled with terror.

Darkonda had survived. Of course he had; it took more than a simple knock to the ground to eliminate a warrior of his caliber. She'd barely stunned him; truly, she was fortunate that he hadn't recovered more quickly. She'd had adequate time to free the Rangers and take care of a few confused Piranhatrons before he made it to his feet.

Ironic, she realized, that her last moments on this mortal plane consisted of a technical evaluation of her use of time in betraying the United Alliance of Evil. After all, in some strange way, it was just another mission to her.

Granted, it had been one of the most important missions of her life. She briefly wondered what Ecliptor would think, but quickly put him out of her head. No good could come of dwelling on him now.

Was there time to run? She looked behind her at the Rangers, who, she was certain (though their faces were obscured by their helmets), had come to similar conclusions. No time to run. No PLACE to run.

She panted, both out of exhaustion and her sudden knowledge that she was about to die.

Darkonda raised his sword.

I tried, she thought, closing her eyes. I tried.

She felt a hand on her arm. Andros.

Andros. Brother... I want to see you, one more time.

She opened her eyes and started to turn toward him, when she was suddenly blinded by a brilliant green flash. She threw her arm over her eyes, and felt someone from behind her trying to push her to the ground.

An explosion, then, which caused her ears to ring and her head to spin.

A chorus of screams greeted her ears when she first regained her senses. The mechanical whines of the Quantrons and the Piranhatrons pulsed all around her in a chaotic, patternless roar. The Rangers were assessing the damage to their teammates.

She opened her eyes and tried to blink away the bright blue spots in her line of vision. The Rangers had suddenly fallen silent, and they were all looking in the same direction; toward a small cluster of bushes.

Yes. A moment later, she heard it, too. Heavy footsteps. The sound of clanking metal. Startled Piranhatrons emitting angry, robotic curses.

And, above all of it, his voice.

"Get out of my way, you tin monkeys!"

She felt her blood run cold, and then, all at once, there he was.

And all at once, he was all there was.

"Ecliptor!" she cried, unable to keep the girlish, (once disgustingly) human joy out of her voice.

He saw her, then, and, visually confirming that she was safe, he allowed himself to collapse to his knees.

She was next to him before he even hit the ground, and for half a second, they reassumed their traditional postures; he kneeling in service before the feet of his princess, she standing tall and dignified.

And, then, she, too, fell to her knees before him. The significance of the gesture was not lost on the injured cyborg, and he slowly and painfully met her gaze.

She was breathless, perspiring. One hand flew to her mouth to stifle an untoward burst of emotion. The other, she tenderly placed on Ecliptor's shoulder.

The humiliated Piranhatrons were all around them, now hungry for vengeance after being shoved aside like so much refuse; and the Power Rangers began fighting them back. Astronema was only vaguely aware of the impending danger as she caught her breath, and finally spoke, in a reverent tone; one which surprised Ecliptor greatly. He had never heard her speak in such a way, to anyone.

"Ecliptor, you saved my life... again!”

He said nothing, and she suddenly returned to her senses.

"Come on," she said, taking his arm and helping him to his feet.

"No," he said suddenly, with effort. He made a small gesture of pushing her away. "You must go. Dark Specter will be back for you."

Her eyes widened, and she looked at him, aghast.

"No!" she cried in horrified disbelief. She grabbed his arm and pulled him close to her. "I can't leave you like this!"

"Get going," he reassured her, pulling away with some difficulty. "I'll survive."

She looked him over quickly. His back had been torn wide open, somehow, and there was hardly an inch of his body that didn't have either exposed circuits or ominously fizzling wires. She shook her head.

"No..." she said, shaking her head, her voice thick.

"Karone," Andros said suddenly, putting his hands on her shoulders with firm but gentle urgency. She turned and looked at him, and for a moment, it was just like he was looking backward in time, at the little girl she'd been before she was kidnapped. Every bit of malice, every impure, darkly adult thought in the woman's mind had been replaced with an expression of horror in the face of crudely defined injustice.

"No," she said, quietly, insistently. "No! No! I let Darkonda take away everything I ever cared about once. I'm not going to let him do it again."

She turned back to her wounded second-in-command, and shook her head.

"You're coming with us."

"Astronema..." Ecliptor said, looking behind him at the army of Quantrons who had been alerted to the situation, and who now had their former Princess in their sights.

"N-Now! That's an order!" she barked, her voice cracking. "Now, can you walk?" She didn't give him time to answer, and instead slipped her shoulders under his arm. "We have to be fast."

"Princess, you mustn't…"

"Shut up.”

***