The End of Days
Title: The End of Days, Chapter 8
Author: Griddlebone/eggplantlady
Prompt: #094 - Good Luck
Fandom: Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers
Genre: Divergence/AU/Post-Apocalyptic
Word Count: 1200
Rating: T
Summary: Faced with an uncertain fate, Tommy makes a request.
Previous installments are here.
Tommy Oliver had never been blessed with particularly good luck. Anything that could go wrong generally did, so he was somewhat surprised when it was not all that long before the woman who had locked him up returned to let him out.
"That's it?" he asked.
Without looking particularly enthused, the woman replied, "It kept you out of trouble, didn't it?"
He had to grudgingly admit she was right, although he was not about to tell her that he did in fact have a knack for accidentally getting into trouble.
"Kimberly and Trini have given their testimony and the elders have made their decision," the woman went on. "Come along."
Tommy wasn't sure he liked the sound of that, but figured he didn't have much choice in the matter and might as well face his fate head-on. He followed her back down the hallway and into the maze that was the Stronghold, and was thoroughly lost by the time they reunited with Kimberly and Trini.
The girls were not alone. They were accompanied by a cluster of adults that could only be the elders everyone had been talking so much about. Tommy was a bit disconcerted to find that none of these so-called elders was past middle-age. It was really starting to sink in that this place wasn't at all like the Earth he called home, and he had to wonder just how tough it might be to survive here.
For a long moment the group of elders simply observed him in silence. He felt nervous under their scrutiny. Had someone forgotten to tell him he was supposed to bow, or say something, or show some other sign of respect? Ultimately, it was one of the elders that broke the silence. "We have some questions for you, young man."
"Ask away." Questions? He could handle questions. He had been half expecting a fight. Although after the way Trini had interrogated him when she found him, maybe he was right to expect the worst.
"What is your name?"
"Tommy Oliver."
"Trini and Kimberly tell us that you have no memory of what happened to you before they found you yesterday," the elder, who looked like she must be related to his old teacher, Ms. Appleby, went on. "Is this true?"
"Yes," he said without hesitation. It was close enough to true, at least, and he didn't want to create any more fuss or confusion than he absolutely had to.
"And why have you come here?"
"I don't know. Because Trini and Kimberly brought me here, I guess." He had a feeling he had just made a pretty critical mistake, but tried not to let it faze him. It wouldn't be the first time he had majorly messed something up.
One of the other elders, a man with salt-and-pepper hair, spoke up. "Do you even know where you are?"
"Not really, no. Kimberly told me what it's called, but I don't have any idea where this place is or why it's even here." Honesty was the best policy, right? Kimberly had mentioned something about 'rangers', but while he liked the sound of that he had no real idea what it meant. He hoped that one of the elders might see fit to enlighten him.
None of the elders looked pleased by his answer, or the least bit inclined to answer any of his implied questions. Tommy sighed. "Look," he said, "I may not know what's going on here, but I've heard and seen some things that worry me and I'd like to help if I can."
"You believe you can help us?"
It sounded really presumptuous when they put it like that. Of course, these people did not know his history as a Power Ranger. But he was becoming more and more convinced that the people of this world needed help. Trini had mentioned spies and slaves, and from what he had seen, the land was little more than desert. Even if he never told them about the Power Rangers, he thought he could be an asset to them. He was strong. He knew how to work hard. And he knew how to fight. The rest he could learn as he went. If nothing else, it would give him something to do until he figured out how to get home.
The only hard part, really, would be convincing the elders that letting him help was a better option than locking him up and throwing away the key.
"I won't know until I try," he told them.
This earned him nothing more than unimpressed looks from the amassed elders.
"Look at him," Kimberly piped up suddenly. Her obviously unwanted contribution to the discussion drew the elders' ire momentarily away from Tommy, for which he was grateful. "He's obviously no weakling. And he managed to keep up with Trini for an entire day. We have a couple of empty beds. Why send him to the cities and try to find another candidate later when he's already here?"
"Because," came the sharp answer, from a tall, thin woman who had not yet spoken up, "we have no proof that this man is trustworthy. We do not know where he came from or who he serves. The safest option is to send him to the cities and find others to work as Rangers."
"What makes orphans and thieves better candidates than someone with amnesia?" Kimberly demanded.
"Kimberly Hart, you will be silent or you will be removed from these proceedings."
"You're making a mistake," Kimberly insisted.
Watching this, Tommy felt suddenly torn. He was not sure if it was real or all in his head, but he felt a strong attachment to Kimberly and Trini, and he didn't like the idea of being separated from them. But at the same time, if there were cities elsewhere in this world, those might offer a better opportunity of finding a way home. This Stronghold seemed like little more than an outpost in the middle of nowhere.
But one thing was certain. If the elders sent him away now, he would never get another chance to come back.
"I want to stay," he said suddenly. "I want to learn everything you can teach me here."
"And why is that?" asked one of the elders, eying him critically.
"I don't know much about this place," he admitted. "But if I can do good here, then that's what I want to do."
The elders clustered together, apparently discussing what he had just said. After a lengthier debate than Tommy would have liked, they turned back to him.
The one that looked like Ms. Appleby stepped forward, as if she were the group's spokesperson. "Is it your desire to become a Ranger and serve this Stronghold, Tommy Oliver?"
With conviction, he told them, "Yes."
Kimberly looked elated. Trini looked almost guilty. The elder's gaze hardened into a fierce glare. "Is it?"
"Yes," he said with less certainty. A moment later, deciding that maybe he really wasn't as sure as he thought he was, he added, "What exactly is a Ranger?"
Author: Griddlebone/eggplantlady
Prompt: #094 - Good Luck
Fandom: Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers
Genre: Divergence/AU/Post-Apocalyptic
Word Count: 1200
Rating: T
Summary: Faced with an uncertain fate, Tommy makes a request.
Previous installments are here.
Tommy Oliver had never been blessed with particularly good luck. Anything that could go wrong generally did, so he was somewhat surprised when it was not all that long before the woman who had locked him up returned to let him out.
"That's it?" he asked.
Without looking particularly enthused, the woman replied, "It kept you out of trouble, didn't it?"
He had to grudgingly admit she was right, although he was not about to tell her that he did in fact have a knack for accidentally getting into trouble.
"Kimberly and Trini have given their testimony and the elders have made their decision," the woman went on. "Come along."
Tommy wasn't sure he liked the sound of that, but figured he didn't have much choice in the matter and might as well face his fate head-on. He followed her back down the hallway and into the maze that was the Stronghold, and was thoroughly lost by the time they reunited with Kimberly and Trini.
The girls were not alone. They were accompanied by a cluster of adults that could only be the elders everyone had been talking so much about. Tommy was a bit disconcerted to find that none of these so-called elders was past middle-age. It was really starting to sink in that this place wasn't at all like the Earth he called home, and he had to wonder just how tough it might be to survive here.
For a long moment the group of elders simply observed him in silence. He felt nervous under their scrutiny. Had someone forgotten to tell him he was supposed to bow, or say something, or show some other sign of respect? Ultimately, it was one of the elders that broke the silence. "We have some questions for you, young man."
"Ask away." Questions? He could handle questions. He had been half expecting a fight. Although after the way Trini had interrogated him when she found him, maybe he was right to expect the worst.
"What is your name?"
"Tommy Oliver."
"Trini and Kimberly tell us that you have no memory of what happened to you before they found you yesterday," the elder, who looked like she must be related to his old teacher, Ms. Appleby, went on. "Is this true?"
"Yes," he said without hesitation. It was close enough to true, at least, and he didn't want to create any more fuss or confusion than he absolutely had to.
"And why have you come here?"
"I don't know. Because Trini and Kimberly brought me here, I guess." He had a feeling he had just made a pretty critical mistake, but tried not to let it faze him. It wouldn't be the first time he had majorly messed something up.
One of the other elders, a man with salt-and-pepper hair, spoke up. "Do you even know where you are?"
"Not really, no. Kimberly told me what it's called, but I don't have any idea where this place is or why it's even here." Honesty was the best policy, right? Kimberly had mentioned something about 'rangers', but while he liked the sound of that he had no real idea what it meant. He hoped that one of the elders might see fit to enlighten him.
None of the elders looked pleased by his answer, or the least bit inclined to answer any of his implied questions. Tommy sighed. "Look," he said, "I may not know what's going on here, but I've heard and seen some things that worry me and I'd like to help if I can."
"You believe you can help us?"
It sounded really presumptuous when they put it like that. Of course, these people did not know his history as a Power Ranger. But he was becoming more and more convinced that the people of this world needed help. Trini had mentioned spies and slaves, and from what he had seen, the land was little more than desert. Even if he never told them about the Power Rangers, he thought he could be an asset to them. He was strong. He knew how to work hard. And he knew how to fight. The rest he could learn as he went. If nothing else, it would give him something to do until he figured out how to get home.
The only hard part, really, would be convincing the elders that letting him help was a better option than locking him up and throwing away the key.
"I won't know until I try," he told them.
This earned him nothing more than unimpressed looks from the amassed elders.
"Look at him," Kimberly piped up suddenly. Her obviously unwanted contribution to the discussion drew the elders' ire momentarily away from Tommy, for which he was grateful. "He's obviously no weakling. And he managed to keep up with Trini for an entire day. We have a couple of empty beds. Why send him to the cities and try to find another candidate later when he's already here?"
"Because," came the sharp answer, from a tall, thin woman who had not yet spoken up, "we have no proof that this man is trustworthy. We do not know where he came from or who he serves. The safest option is to send him to the cities and find others to work as Rangers."
"What makes orphans and thieves better candidates than someone with amnesia?" Kimberly demanded.
"Kimberly Hart, you will be silent or you will be removed from these proceedings."
"You're making a mistake," Kimberly insisted.
Watching this, Tommy felt suddenly torn. He was not sure if it was real or all in his head, but he felt a strong attachment to Kimberly and Trini, and he didn't like the idea of being separated from them. But at the same time, if there were cities elsewhere in this world, those might offer a better opportunity of finding a way home. This Stronghold seemed like little more than an outpost in the middle of nowhere.
But one thing was certain. If the elders sent him away now, he would never get another chance to come back.
"I want to stay," he said suddenly. "I want to learn everything you can teach me here."
"And why is that?" asked one of the elders, eying him critically.
"I don't know much about this place," he admitted. "But if I can do good here, then that's what I want to do."
The elders clustered together, apparently discussing what he had just said. After a lengthier debate than Tommy would have liked, they turned back to him.
The one that looked like Ms. Appleby stepped forward, as if she were the group's spokesperson. "Is it your desire to become a Ranger and serve this Stronghold, Tommy Oliver?"
With conviction, he told them, "Yes."
Kimberly looked elated. Trini looked almost guilty. The elder's gaze hardened into a fierce glare. "Is it?"
"Yes," he said with less certainty. A moment later, deciding that maybe he really wasn't as sure as he thought he was, he added, "What exactly is a Ranger?"