Power Rangers Lost Galaxy, Heather Ray [books to read for beginners .TXT] 📗

then glanced at Leo, who was stifling a chuckle. "I'm gonna get you for this!" he growled.

"Trust me... you'll thank me for this!" Leo said, slapping the horse's side. The mighty stallion instantly responded, bounding into the corral at full gallop.

"Whoa!" the terrified Green Ranger screamed, relinquishing the reins. He wrapped his arms around the animal's neck, and held on for dear life.

"Damon!" Maya cried, urging the mare to follow. Leo released the laugh he'd been struggling against, and headed for the exit of the Forest Dome.
Chapter Two

It didn't take long for the horse to shake off its rider. With one powerful hind kick, Damon completely lost his grip and tumbled to the ground, rolling away from the horse to make sure he wasn't trampled.

His head spun as he tried to sit up. Nausea seized his stomach and he moaned softly, wondering how he'd gotten himself in this particular situation.

"Damon!" a voice called. He turned to see Maya leaping off the chocolate mare, and rushing to his side. She knelt on the dirt, slowly lifting his head and shoulders off the ground and onto her lap. "Are you okay?"

He shook his head to clear the dizziness, and smiled weakly. "Nothing's broken; but I think I left my stomach back at the stable."

Maya grinned, helping him stand up. She kept her arm around his waist to keep him steady, and guided him back to the white horse. Damon's eyes widened in panic as the horse stared at him again.

"Are you nuts?!" he groaned, digging his heels in the dirt. Still, Maya continued leading him forward.

"Relax, Damon," she insisted, "Thunder's a mild-tempered horse. Trust me, he won't throw you again. I promise."

Damon frowned, but for some reason Maya's assurance was enough to ease his terror. He haltingly took the reins, and watched as Maya walked in front of the animal, stroking between its eyes.

"Now listen, Thunder," she urged, locking eyes with the animal, "Damon is my friend, and I want you to treat him nicely. Be on your best behavior, and maybe you'll find an extra sugar cube once we're finished. Deal?"

To Damon's amazement, the horse's head jerked in a gesture that looked remarkably like a nod.

Maya beamed happily. "Terrific! Thanks, Thunder."

She hugged the horse's neck before walking back towards the mare. "I'll get back on Hershey," she called to Damon, smiling brightly, "Thunder will be on his best behavior."

"Best behavior," Damon repeated under his breath. He then gazed back at the horse, bracing himself as he balanced himself on the saddle, "People don't name mild-tempered horses 'Thunder'..."

His knuckles were white as he gripped the reins. However, the horse barely moved, shifting its weight slightly as it craned its neck. Moments later, Maya was beside them, sitting on Hershey's back.

"All set?" she inquired.

Damon nodded, turning his attention forward.

"Now, all you have to do is nudge him slightly with your heel," Maya instructed, trotting in front of them, "We'll start out slowly, and do a few circles around the corral. If you feel up to it, maybe we can take the riding trail to the stream?"

"Whatever you say," he answered, watching Maya and Hershey pull ahead. He then gently tapped Thunder with his shoe, and braced himself. He released a long breath as the horse trotted after them at a slow, steady pace.

"Thanks, Thunder," he whispered, his grip loosening to a more comfortable hold. He smiled slightly as he watched the trees and grassy meadow pass by at the speed of a crawl.

Chapter Three

"Damon! Slow down!"

He released a thrilled laughed, leaning forward on the animal as they climbed the hill at a full gallop. Once they reached the top, he could finally see the cool stream he'd heard babbling in the distance.

"Slow down, Thunder!" he called, steadily pulling on the reins. The horse obeyed, easing into a fast trot as they approached the water. The horse then whuffled, making its way to the bank and bending down to drink the crystal clear water.

Damon's heart still raced with adrenaline as he jumped off Thunder. He stroked the horse's neck affectionately. "Great race!" he congratulated his partner.

"It wasn't a race, Damon!" Maya called, as she and Hershey bounded towards them from the top of the hill, "You shouldn't be galloping out here. You could get hurt..."

"Nah," he answered, waving his hand dismissively, "Thunder and I have an understanding." He crossed his fingers. "We're like this!"

"Is that so?" Maya challenged with a smirk. "Thunder, let's bring Show-Off here down to size!"

The horse grunted, quickly lifting his head. He then shoved Damon with his snout, sending the Green Ranger into the shallow river.

"Ack!" Damon grunted, leaping out of the calm water as soon as he recovered his bearings. His jaw chattered as he stared at the streams of water pouring from his drenched green overalls.

Maya broke into laughter as she approached the stream, offering her hand. "Need help?"

A mischievous grin appeared on his dripping lips as he grasped her hand. "About as much as you do!"

Maya squealed as Damon pulled her into the water. She fell into his arms, and together they tumbled back into the rolling stream, gasping for air and struggling to calm their laughter. After a few moments, they managed to compose themselves enough to wade to the water's edge.

"So how do you like it?" he inquired, pulling her onto the bank.

"That water's freezing

!" she forced through chattering teeth.

Damon found himself studying the Yellow Ranger. She shivered with cold, her thick auburn hair clinging to her skin and clothing. His smile melted into a concerned frown as he escorted her back to the waiting horses.

"Wait here a sec," he told her, hurrying over to a small shed about fifty yards in the distance. She twisted her long hair, wringing out the excess water as she watched Damon disappear into the shed. After a few minutes, he returned with gray blankets stacked in his arms.

"What's all this?" she asked.

Damon spread one blanket onto the grass as if he were setting up a picnic. He then draped the other over Maya's trembling shoulders. She blinked in surprise as he took her arm, a broad smile appearing as he rubbed her forearm with both hands. "You've got goose bumps!" he realized.

She rolled her eyes. "That's what happens to cold skin." She gathered the edges of the blanket into her lap as she sat down on the other blanket, and watched as Damon sat down beside her. "Where did you get these?"

"From that emergency booth," he answered, jerking his thumb toward the shed.

"Emergency booth?"

"Yeah. Each Dome on Terra Venture has emergency supplies on hand just in case something happens. In the Forest Dome, there're emergency booths every half a mile along the stream, just in case some klutz falls in." He grinned at her.

She pursed her lips to stifle a laugh, and looked away from his amused gaze. "Sorry I had Thunder push you in," she said quietly, "I didn't realize the water was so cold."

"It's programmed at sixty-five degrees," he informed her, stretching his limbs and lying flat on his back. He propped his arms beneath his head, and stared up at the sky dome above them. "The atmosphere's set at seventy, but I bumped it up to eighty."

Maya frowned in bewilderment. "How? Why?"

"I patched into the environmental controls while inside the supply booth. There's an interface there, and I know how to access the main program. And as for why..." He shrugged. "Well, you were cold."

Embarrassed, Maya looked away from him. "You didn't have to do that!" she reproached, "I would've been fine."

"It'll also help us dry off faster," Damon pointed out, closing his eyes, to block the glare of the holographic afternoon sun, "We can't ride Hershey and Thunder while sopping wet, can we?"

"Good point," she conceded, "So what do we do in the meantime?"

"I don't know," Damon confessed, glancing at her.

She smiled, her fingers toying with the edge of her blanket on a sudden nervous impulse. "Well, tell me a little bit about yourself."

Chapter Four

"... and when Pop-Pop found me covered in motor oil, he was practically rolling on the floor!"

Maya was giggling fiercely at the story, lying propped on her elbow beside Damon. "Twelve year old Damon, always getting into trouble!"

He shrugged innocently. "Being a mechanic is in my blood. Three generations before me, starting with Pop-Pop, who worked for Ford Motors during the Twenties."

"You and your great-grandfather seem rather close."

He nodded, wistfulness sobering his smile. "Yeah, we were."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Maya said awkwardly, "I didn't know he passed..."

Damon shook his head. "He didn't. He's ninety-seven, and still going strong."

Maya frowned in confusion. "So, why did you say you were close?"

Damon sat up, a heavy sigh escaping him. "Well, I'm never gonna see him again, so we don't really have a relationship anymore," he revealed in a low voice.

Maya watched him, sympathy making her own shoulders sag. She'd never noticed the sorrow he felt for leaving behind his friends and family. With all the battles they'd fought and dinners