In the Next Essences Fic
Hardly anyone remembers her anymore. She isn't listed in the computer at Angel Grove High. I had Billy check that for me. No one back in Stone Canyon remembers her. I cried myself to sleep the first few nights after things were back to normal with the thought that someone who had done so much and been so warm and loving and alive wasn't even considered to have existed by the people she had grown up with, with only two exceptions, myself and Rocky.
And I want them to remember her. I want to remember her, to have other people remember her. That was why I got in touch with her as soon as I could after things settled. I told her how things had changed, and though I never said one word to her about how I felt, I did sort of let her know how I missed her. Words couldn't really express how I felt. They were just cheap copies, fake fumblings to utter things that couldn't be reduced to mouthings.
Our exchange of mail was somewhat sporadic, due to just how far back she was in Africa, but we did exchange letters, and she did send the key to Auric to Tanya. Oh, Tanya. She is such a sweet girl, so full of life and laughter, but she isn't Aisha. And Aisha is who I want. I want to be with her so badly it hurts, and no one knows. Tanya doesn't suspect that she's just a friend.
There's another reason that I want to tell Tanya the truth. Beyond the fact that it isn't right to live a lie for as long as we have been. And it doubly isn't right to keep Tanya from being with the person she's really in love with. I'm not all that certain if she's noticed it, but she's been giving Rocky some very interested looks lately.
I don't mind. After all, I've been in love with someone else since the first moment that I met her, so I don't feel betrayed or anything like that. I actually feel glad. I'm going to have to help them realize what's on their mind, however.
They're not the only ones, though. Oh, sure, Kat and Tommy have been dating off and on for about a month now, but they're too afraid to really say how they feel about each other. And I've lost track of the number of times I've caught Jason doodling Kim's name in his notebook for school. He's just lucky Emily hasn't caught him yet. As for Trey....well, he doesn't exactly react to things the same way we do, but he has mentioned that since he's staying on Earth for a while, he wouldn't mind meeting 'a nice young person of the female persuasion' to spend some time with. There's a dance coming up at school next month. It's not really my style to try and set people up, but maybe I can do something.
Hmm. Someone for Trey. Someone equal to him in a fight, someone very caring and supportive, someone who could deal with the fact they might be dating a prince from another planet. Maybe Zordon can suggest someone. After all, it's been with his help that I've finally figured out where my heart really lies. He taught me how to see clearly, so I know that Tanya and Rocky, Tommy and Kat are all in love with who they are in love with. And that I know who I am in love with.
I was a fool about love for a long time. Perhaps now it's finally time to grow up and do what I've been wanting to do for months. I teleport to the Power Chamber. "Zordon, I want to bring some people here. To talk to them. To find out how they feel. To---" the words fail me. Zordon's don't.
"To learn of love. I believe I know who you want to speak to. They are all free right now. Incoming teleportation." I would never have really thought Zordon would do this for something as simple as love...but we have been rather in 'down-time' lately since the destruction of the Machine Empire. He's always been like a father to us, anyway, to semi-quote Kim, and what father could ever turn down a chance to see their children happy?
Zack, Trini, Kim, and Aisha all are in the Power Chamber just a few
seconds later. "Hi, guys," I look at them all. "We need to talk."