“Hey Ashley!” a voice from behind yelled, “Ashley wait up!”
Ashley turned around and saw Rocky running towards her. As he ran a book
fell out of his hand, “Aww damn,” he commented as he bent over to pick
it up. Ashley smirked.
Cute butt, she thought to herself. Ashley just stood there and waited for
Rocky to hurry up.
“Can I walk ya home?” he asked when he finally reached her.
Sure why not. He heard in his head, “Ok... cool,” Rocky smiled.
Ashley had known Rocky and the rest of the ‘gang’ for almost a year now.
At first she hadn’t wanted to admit it, for reasons unknown, but she was
starting develop strong feelings for Rocky. He was the one she hung out
with most of the time. She would either be helping him with homework, getting
tips on her karate moves or just hanging out.
When she was with the girls she went shopping, practiced her gymnastics,
went to the movies (along with everyone else) or go to the park and play
some Frisbee or something. Either way she loved spending time with Rocky
the most.
“Ashley look out!” Rocky hollered to her.
Just then several cogs flipped over her head and began attacking. Ashley
sweep kicked two to the ground. She threw her backpack at one and then
kicked it away.
Rocky did a spinning roundhouse kick and sent three of the cogs flying.
He punched another one and then kicked it in the stomach.
A cog snuck up behind Ashley and grabbed ahold of her. She tried to break
free but it was no use. Let me go metal heads! She thought as she kicked
furiously to get away.
Suddenly out of nowhere the zeo rangers appeared. All four striking a pose
and then jumping into action. The red one immediately went after the cogs
holding Ashley captive. He kicked them away from her and then helped her
up.
“Are you ok?”
Ashley nodded and then pointed to Kat who was having some trouble with
the trash-for-brains machines. The red ranger ran off to help his girlfriend.
From there on Ashley watched the fight from behind a tree.
The others were so caught up in the fight that they didn’t see Archerina
and Prince Gasket sneaking up behind Ashley.
A metallic hand fell upon Ashleys shoulder surprising her so and she spun
around. She gasped and started backing away.
“Do not be afraid.... we are here to help you,” Archerina said in a sing
song voice.
Yeah right. Where have I heard that before. Ashley thought.
“We mean you no harm, my child,” Prince Gasket reassured or tried to anyway.
What do you guys take me for? An idiot? They both heard in there heads.
Sheesh give me a little credit. The voice continued.
Prince Gasket swung at Ashley with his sword in outrage. She ducked effortlessly
and kicked him into Archerina knocking them both onto the ground.
Is that the best you can do? You bolts-for-brains. Taunted her voice.
“She’s got spunk doesn’t she my love?” Archerina commented.
“Yes. She certainly does,” Gasket replied.
And I bet you hate that don’t you. Come on, you know you wanna say it.
Teased Ashleys voice or what appeared to be it anyway.
“We hate spunk,” they both said.
Told you ya did. Ashley smirked. All bad guys hate spunk well maybe not
all but pretty much the majority of them do.
“Enough of this nonsense!” Gasket blurted out.
Archerina and Gasket crossed their weapons together which created a beam
of energy that was sent barreling into Ashley, crashing her into the tree
behind her and rendering her unconscious.
Satisfied with a job well done Archerina and Prince Gasket disappeared
and left Ashley laying under the tree knocked out.
The green zeo ranger drop kicked a cog, while his girlfriend Tanya was
busy beating some cogs down as well. She kicked it in the back knocking
it over and then brought her foot up under it kicking it in the stomach.
Tommy finished off the last one by kicking it square in the chest and then
knocking the cog into one of the wooden posts on the playground.
The rangers looked around to make sure no one was in site and then powered
down.
“Hey where’s Ashley?” Kat asked.
“I don’t know... maybe she went to the Youth Center or her house,” Tommy
suggested.
“Kat and I will go to her house and see if she’s there,” Rocky said.
“Adam, Tanya and I will go see if she went to the Youth Center,” Tommy
finished.
“Right!” the rangers agreed and went there seperate ways.
************************************************************************
Twenty minutes later Rocky and Kat stood outside on Ashleys doorstep. Rocky
reached up and knocked on the door. No answer. He knocked again. No answer.
“I guess she’s not here,” he concluded.
“Well maybe she has the music on or something. See if the doors unlocked,”
Kat said.
Rocky turned the door knob and opened the door. The two went inside and
shut the door behind them.
“Ashley!” Rocky yelled.
“Anyone here?” Kat asked, “Hello?!”
“Guess you were right Rocky. Well if she’s not here then the others have
probably found her at the Youth Center. I mean where else could she be?”
Kat said.
“Ok. Let’s get going then,” Rocky replied.
************************************************************************
“Hey Ernie,” Adam greeted.
“Hi guys. What can I do for you today?” the stout man asked.
“Is Ashley in here? You know Ashley Cranston...” Tommy wondered.
“Oh. You mean the handi-capped girl. The one that can’t talk. No, I haven’t
seen Ashley all day today. Sorry,”
“I guess that means Rocky and Kat found her,” Tanya said.
Just as the three friends started walking out the door they ran into Kat
and Rocky who were just coming in.
“Where’s Ashley?” Tanya asked.
“What do you mean?” Kat replied.
“You mean she’s not here with you guys?” Rocky asked a little confused.
“No. Ernie said he hasn’t seen her all day,”
“Woah wait a minute she’s not at her house either?” Adam blinked.
“Then she must still be at the park somewhere....” Tommy said.
“Well wait are we waiting for then? We gotta get to the park,” Rocky anxiously
remarked.
************************************************************************
Ashley moved her hand and brought it up to her head. She groaned in pain
as she moved her head. What happened... Ashley thought. As her eyes fluttered
open the sun shone down upon her. She immediately put a hand over her eyes
to block the bright light.
“Ashley! Where are you?!” she heard someone yelling.
She struggled to her feet and stumbled out from behind the tree holding
her head. Something warm trickled down the side of her cheek and the back
of her neck. Tanya was the first to see her.
“Hey guys! Over here, I found her!” Tanya called to her friends.
Everyone came rushing up to Ashley, who was stumbling around like a drunk.
“Ashley what happened?!” Kat asked sounding concerned.
Archer.... Gas... cross weapo... bla... blast. They all heard. Suddenly
without warning Ashley passed out. Conveniently Rocky was there to catch
her. The others helped him lay her down on the grass gently. When he looked
at his hands they were red and sticky with blood. They saw blood running
down the side of her face.
“Guys go call 911!! And hurry!” Rocky told his friends in a state of hysteria,
“hang in there Ash... helps on the way,”
Rocky and the others sat in the waiting room of Angel Grove Memorial Hospital.
The mood was heavy and depressing. Kat looked up when she heard a doctor
enter the room.
“Are you teens here to see Ashley Cranston?” he asked his voice low.
“Is she going to be ok?” Kat suddenly asked.
“Well she took a really nasty blow to the head. We haven’t detected any
brain damage, but unfortunately she’s lost a lot of blood. We believe that’s
why she passed out in the,”
“Can’t you just give her a blood transfusion?” Rocky piped out.
“It’s not that simple. First we have to find a match, but at this time
and point it’s not necessary,”
“Can we see her?” Tanya asked.
“She’s still unconscious, but you can go in. Just one at a time please.
If and when she regains consciousness she’ll need her rest. I’ll keep you
updated on any further developments,”
“Thank you. We’d appreciate that,” Adam said.
Tommy ran after the doctor, “Excuse me, but why do I get the feeling there’s
something you’re not telling us?”
“I didn’t want to scare the others but if you guys hadn’t found her when
you did. She’d be dead by now. The bleeding was so severe it’s amazing
she lasted that long,”
Tommy looked at the doctor for a moment trying to decide if he was telling
them everything or not. I wish Ashley weren’t hurt. She’s better at this
stuff then I am. He thought to himself. Deciding he had been told everything
he walked back to his friends and sat down.
“Where’s Rocky?”
“He went in to see Ashley. He said he wants to be there when she wakes
up,” his girlfriend answered him.
***
Rocky peeked into Ashley’s room, afraid of seeing the worse. She actually
looked peaceful just laying there. Although she was all banged up and there
were i.v. ‘s in her arm inserting fluid into her still body. Rocky pulled
a chair over next to her bed where she lay and sat down.
“Ashley I know you can hear me in there,” he began, “I just came to say...”
Rocky was interuppted by his communicator. He sighed, “Come in Zordon I
read you,”
“Rocky meet the other rangers at the park,” a voice said.
“Right I’m on my way,” before he left Rocky leaned over and gently kissed
Ashley on the forehead. “It’s morphin time,” he whispered, “Zeo Ranger
III Blue,”
A group of doctors came and saw the blue zeo ranger looking down at Ashley
and sliding his hand across her forehead and down her cheek.
The blue zeo ranger looked up, nodded at the doctors and then teleported
out in a blue flash of light.
They looked at each other and then at Ashley. It was strange that the rangers
had never visited any of the other clients there. Maybe they knew her.
The doctors just shrugged.
***
Meanwhile in Angel Grove Park the rangers fought some cogs. Just when it
seemed like things were looking up, they took a turn for the worse. King
Mondo appeared out of nowhere with a hideous looking monster by his side.
“Rangers, I’d like you to meet your doom,” he said and then disappeared
his evil laugh echoing through the park.
“I am Soul Trapper,” the monster introduced himself in a gruff voice. He
took out a bottle filled with a clear liquid that looked like water and
threw at the rangers. It landed in the ground and sat there.
“Ooo a bottle, I’m so scared,” Tommy gawked, “what’s supposed happen anyway?”
he picked up the bottle.
“Tommy no!” Kat knocked it out his hands and it went flying through the
air. Suddenly exploding while still air borne.
“Why you little...” Soul Trapper growled and charged at Kat. He swung his
blade like arm and slashed at her. Kat fell backwards onto the ground.
Tommy kicked Soul Trappers arm to the side and kneed him in the stomach.
Then tried to punch him but it was countered and he fell over.
“Tommy!”
“I’ll save you Kat!”
“Am I really that predictable? I meant are you ok?”
“Oh that... yeah sure sure,” he stood back up.
“Which one of you rangers wants to go against fear first?”
“Fear? Who’s fear?” Rocky’s face under his helmet was filled with puzzlement.
“Ahh I see we have our first contestant...” Soul Trapper grinned evilly.
He shot out a beam of all sorts of colors at the blue zeo ranger.
“What’s happening to me,” Rocky doubled over clutching his stomach.
A spirit form of Rocky flew out his body and over to the Soul Trapper.
Soul Trapper opened his mouth and let the spirit flow in.
“Muhahaha! His soul mine,”
The blue zeo rangers body fell limp to the ground with a thud.
“Oh no! Rocky!” the rangers gasped in unison.
Without warning Soul Trapper blasted at the other rangers. Hitting Kat,
but no one else. Soon the pink zeo rangers once moving body lay lifelessly
on the ground at her boyfriends feet.
“Ta ta rangers, muhahaha,” and with those words Soul Trapper disappeared
along with Rocky and Kat’s souls.
The rangers looked at each other in fear of what might happen to their
friends. They all thought the same thing, what now?
T B C . . . .
