Disclaimer: Power Rangers belong to Saban. I have not been paid. Blah-blah-blah, yakitty-smakitty. This is an addendum to "A Different Shade of Blue". Someone asked how Billy Jr. reacted at the end of the story and well, here it is.
The Journal of William James Cranston Junior
Age 10
My first memories of my father are when I was almost four years
old. I was in the park with my mother and aunt Kim. A man in black armor
appeared and I took him to my mother to see if she could help him.
My mother sent me on my way to play with the dogs in the park. I next met
him in the Power Chamber. I had been playing chess with Alpha and winning
when Cassie came in and asked me to come out with her. My mother was leaning
against the man in the armor, except this time he had his armor off.
He looked almost exactly like the few pictures my mother had of my father.
Except the man in armor was older. My mother and the man were both crying.
This was also the first time I met Dulcea of Phaedos.
Mother explained to me that this was my father. When he had destroyed the
flagship of MasterVile he had teleported out at the last moment. He hadn't
managed to escape unscathed. His memory had been temporarily wiped.
He had spent the time between when I was born and when he first arrived
in Angel Grove healing and training. When he was determined fit enough,
Dulcea sent him to Earth. That is where he first met the Turbo Rangers.
Father was very happy to see me, after he recovered from the shock of meeting
a son he didn't know he had. When he asked Mother how I came about, she
mentioned a shower and the night on Phaedos. I've never seen anyone blush
so red before or since.
That night and the following three days, I spent with aunt Kim. When I
saw her later, she had a very big smile on her face and she was so relaxed.
It seems that they also needed to get a new bed. My parents from then on,
slept on a futon.
The next few years were quite enjoyable. My father's very presence, once
it was found out he was alive was enough to prevent inter-galactic villains
from coming to Earth. I guess when you have a reputation as the killer
of great evils, the lesser ones leave you alone. Someone told me that when
Divatox found out who the Phantom Ranger really was, she left so fast she
curled her hair. Of course, uncle Rocky said it a different way but when
he says it that way around my mom she hits him. As do every other woman
in the house.
Uncle Rocky is a funny man. He told me when I get older that he'll teach
me how to pick up women. When I said lift with the legs and not with the
feet, he couldn't stop laughing. He finally stopped but only because aunt
Kat kissed him on the lips. How can people DO that? It's disgusting!
I don't want to forget to talk about Mother and Father's wedding. It was
in the park and I got to hold the ring! That was so great! All my
aunt's and uncle's were there. Even Alpha-5 made it for the wedding.
The ceremony was short. The reception was interesting. Uncle Rocky called
it a "fuster-cluck", whatever that means. He can be so strange
sometimes. Someone that Mother knew in high school named Jason Scott showed
up. He was real drunk and mean. Father just stood there and didn't do anything.
When uncle Tommy tried to get Mr. Scott to leave and was pushed aside,
that's when Father moved. I have never seen anyone or anything move so
fast. He got the punch that Mr. Scott was going to hit uncle Tommy with.
My father never even moved. The fist just stopped on his face.
When my father turned his eyes so that Mr. Scott could see them, Mr. Scott
backed up. The only other people to see what Mr. Scott saw were uncle Tommy,
uncle Rocky and uncle Adam. They looked scared as well.
A pretty blonde woman ran into the room. She was followed by aunt Kat,
aunt Kim and aunt Tanya. Aunt Kim is real brave, she went and stood in
front of Father so that he wouldn't see anyone else. The others pulled
Mr. Scott away. When Father made a move to follow, aunt Kim stayed in front
of him. Father finally stopped trying to get past aunt Kim and instead
sat down. Mother and aunt Kim sat beside him and they both held him.
Eventually the party started again. I stayed with aunt Kim that night then
the rest of the week as well. I remember asking her what she saw in my
father's eyes that scared everybody. She never does tell me.
Age 15
Phaedos sucks! Day in, day out, all day, every day it's train and
train and train and train. And if I'm not training, I have to do schoolwork.
It's BORING! Sure, every couple weeks we stay in Angel Grove for
a few days, but then it's back to the usual. Dad doesn't raise his voice
or even seem to get angry when I complain, he just tells me that if I want
to attain any skill in the martial arts, I have to train.
I know that... but it's so tediously, mind-numbingly, brain cell turning
to Jell-O boring. It wouldn't be so bad if Dulcea showed interest in me.
That what's all the other kids think when I show up at the school to hand
in my take home courses. That I get to score with Dulcea on a daily basis.
AS IF! I tried to bring the subject up with her once and she told
me that the only man she would sleep with is the one who can defeat her
in martial combat. When I pointed out that the only one to ever
do that is my Dad, she just sighed. Then she said my Mom was a lucky woman.
Speaking of that, can't those two ever stop and come up for air?
It's frustrating. Darn, I have to stop writing now, apparently we get to
go to Earth. Oh joy.
* * *
I got selected as a Ranger! YES! I'm the youngest on the team so
far. Justin Stewart is the leader. He's so cool. But he sure backs down
from my Dad alot. I noticed everyone does. No one ever challenges him.
Ever.
The only person I have ever seen dispute something with my Dad is Mom.
He thought what she said over and agreed to do it her way. But she's the
only one. Why does he scare everybody? He's just Dad.
Age 17
I found out why my Dad scares so many people. Until today, I had
never seen him in combat. Dark Spectre unleashed a monster on Angel Grove.
He finally got the nerve to make an attack when my Dad was there. He'll
never make that big a mistake again.
They were visiting me for my birthday and Dark Spectre decided to try and
break up the party. So he sent a monster and some of his super-tengas to
the park. Alpha-6 paged us and so the current Ranger team went to the park.
Mom and Dad went to the Power Chamber.
We fought the monster and tengas. We started to win, when they sent another
monster to fight us as well. Then we started to lose. Before they could
gain the upper hand, we al heard a howl. Then a man in a Ninjetti uniform
that was white with green highlights appeared. He was armed with a sword.
By the time the monsters turned to see him, he had already downed five
of the tengas. We managed to take care of the others and then with the
Ninjetti's help we killed the monsters. The Ninjetti warrior was brutal
in his fighting. He was also controlled, no movement was wasted.
When we got back to the Power Chamber, the Ninjetti took off the mask revealing
my Dad. Now I knew why so many feared him. In battle, if you fought him,
you died. I saw his eyes after he took his mask off, his eyes where those
of a timber wolf. They slowly returned to normal but the image still haunts
me.
On a better note, I met a girl. She likes me. Her name is Vivian Scott.
She's fifteen. She knows that her dad and my dad don't get along, so we've
been keeping this pretty quiet. We don't want no Capulet/Montague type
of thing happening.
Age 19
Vivian was killed in a monster attack. I did my best to try and
stop it. I almost got to her before she was killed. She was six months
pregnant with our son.
The funeral was yesterday. I don't remember much of it. Mom and Dad showed
up, as did all the other Ranger's. Mom and Dad still haven't changed much.
Mom talked with Mrs. Scott. Mr. Scott wouldn't talk to Mom or Dad.
This morning, Dad came into the house and dropped the monster's sword on
the kitchen table. It was covered in monster blood. He then dropped a hand
on the table beside it. The hand didn't belong to the monster that killed
Vivian.
When I asked whose hand it was, he told me Dark Spectre. When I asked why
he didn't kill Dark Spectre he told me it was mine to do. What he had done
was let it know that he was not pleased.
He left me alone so I could cry. He sent Mom down to be with me. I know
now why my father can't cry with me. If he started he wouldn't stop.
Age 23
Dark Spectre is dead by my hand. It wasn't easy and I lost the vision
in my left eye but I gained vengeance for Vivian. Now what do I do?
I see now why my father told me that revenge solved nothing. For the past
four years I have lived on my hatred and now, my focus is gone. Now I have
to learn to live again.
Age 25
I never thought I'd love again. Until I met Tanda Park. Adam and
Tanya Park's daughter. She's 20.
She was set up as a blind date for me. Neither of us expected to meet someone
that we could like. Somewhere in her past, someone really hurt her.
I think I can finally get over losing Vivian.
Age 27
Tanda said yes. We're getting married in the spring. Mom and Dad
are thrilled for me. I just hope I prove worthy of her.
Age 29
Tanda has had our first child. We named our daughter Rachel in honor
of my grandmother who I never met. I'm working as a liaison with the Aquitaran
Embassy. The Cranston name holds considerable weight in interstellar affairs.
My parents still come to Earth every few weeks. They have met delegates
from the embassies of Aquitar, Edenoi and Eltare. My father still refuses
to use his notoriety for personal gain.
Jason Scott has tried several times to get my father to stand behind legislation
that he developed. My father refuses every time. They still do not like
each other.
Actually, Jason Scott doesn't like my father. Dad could care less. Mom
and Mrs. Scott still see each other occasionally. They became real good
friends when I was married to Vivian. Dad tries to be civil but even I
can tell that he has difficulties sometimes dealing with President Scott.
Age 47
Today I buried Adam and Tanya Park as well as Tanda. They were driving
to meet me at the embassy when the ground car they were in experienced
a full system's malfunction and crashed into a tree. They died instantly
upon impact.
Rachel and Mom are the only ones getting me through this. Mom now looks
more like Rachel's sister than her grandmother. Dad spent the days around
the funeral being there for Rocky, Kat and Aisha. Those three really loved
Adam.
My Dad did to. It's very strange but when those two first met, it was like
they clicked. They were the greatest of friends.
Age 55
Rachel got married today. She married Pietro DeSantos. Rocky and Kat's
grandson. He's just like Rocky was at the same age. But I still like the
kid. Rachel and Pietro will be living on Eltare as part of the first Earth
Embassy there.
Mom and Dad showed up of course. So did Dulcea. She now looks around my
age but alot better. I guess since she isn't the Guardian of the Great
Power she ages. I asked her to dance and she agreed.
We went to my home together. When I asked her if I had to beat her in a
fight, she smiled. She told me that only applied if she was the Guardian.
And she wasn't the Guardian. I kissed her then.
She damn near gave me a heart attack that night. Several times to be honest
about it.
Age 61
Rocky DeSantos is dead. A little kid was drowning in Angel Grove lake
and Rocky jumped in and pulled the kid out. The exertion caused a heart
attack. He died on the way to the hospital.
I hate the fact that I only see family during funerals. Kat wasn't handling
Rocky's death well. Tommy and Kim tried to calm her down. And eventually
managed to do it.
Dulcea, who is living with me, doesn't understand what the problem is.
Rocky died as he lived, a hero. She thinks this is a reason to rejoice.
She's probably right, she usually is. Dulcea respected Kat's grief though.
Rachel and Pietro showed up with their sons, William and Rocky. Pietro
looked almost as bad as Kat did. But he stayed strong for his mother.
Age 89
I'm dying. Everyone I knew growing up is dead. Justin, Kat, Tommy,
Kim, Aisha, Zack, Jason and Emily Scott, Carlos, Ashley, Cassie, T.J. and
Dulcea... Old age got them all. That or accidents. Everyone dies, except
my parents.
I know this, if my parents hadn't taken the mantle of the Guardian of the
Great Power, I would never have had Dulcea. I can't write anymore. Father
developed a device that sends my thoughts directly to a storage system
that prints them out.
I can see Dulcea, Tanda and Vivian looking at me. They want me to join
them. I get out of the bed and I do....
* * *
The man put the journal down. He turned and grabbed his wife to him. And
for the first time in longer than he cared to admit, he cried.
The woman held him to her stomach and stroked his hair. "It's okay
Billy. It's okay."
Trini Cranston then looked down at her husband. She felt relief that he
had finally let it go. She felt the grief welling up in him and she stepped
back. He then did the one thing that she knew he needed to do. He howled
his grief out.
When he had finally finished, she looked at him. "We have visitor's
coming. Edenoi is sending in five potential Ninjetti. Can you handle this?"
Billy Cranston rose to his full height. "Yes. Yes I can."
They then went to meet the Rangers of Edenoi.
