The Terran Ranger Saga - The Preliminaries Volume 3, Heather Ray [urban books to read .TXT] 📗

That afternoon in Philadelphia, the harsh November winds were stronger than usual. It was so cold, in fact, that there were very few people in the park. The snow fell lightly, adding a fresh dusting to the snow that fell late in the evening. Here in the park, Alexis Darling got reacquainted with her best friend since kindergarten--Dawn Adams. Denise had insisted that Alexis get out and enjoy the cold weather. So, she had taken the liberty of calling Dawn to ask Alexis to go skating. The two girls were magnificent figure skaters, and they've spent a good portion of the winter on the frozen lake in this very same park. Dawn was busy updating Alexis on the gossip that she missed during her three weeks in Angel Grove, even though Alexis wasn't paying rapt attention.

"...and then Trish told Andrea that Nichelle had kissed Peter, right in front of Peter's girlfriend Felicia. And so Felicia dumped Peter, and now Peter wants to get back together with her, because Nichelle had kissed him because of a bet and that he didn't even like her..."

While Dawn talked and talked, Alexis stayed uncharacteristically quiet, watching the birds fly from bare tree branch to bare tree branch. Then she tried to count the snowflakes--heck, anything was more interesting than gossip about people she didn't even know well. Soon, the girls reached the frozen lake, which was all but abandoned because of the bitter cold and powerful winds. But neither girl minded the cold weather. They both sat down on a bench and began tying their skates.

"See ya on the ice, Loser!" cried Dawn, leaping out onto the ice and skating onto the middle. She then performed spins and leaps to impress the few people watching. Alexis smiled as she watched her friend skate. Dawn was an excellent skater, but Alexis was magnificent. Alexis finished tying her bright purple skates and sailed onto the ice with the grace of a soaring eagle. She closed her eyes as she glided on the slick ice, instinct guiding her safely across and around the lake. The wind blew in her face and wove through her red hair, once again giving her the sensation of being airborne. After what seemed like mere minutes, a frustrated yell snapped Alexis back into reality.

"ALEXIS!!"

cried Dawn, "Snap out of it!!"

"Huh?" she said absently, coming to a stop on the ice.

"I said I'm going to get a coffee across the street. Ya want?"

"I'll meet you there in ten minutes," said Alexis, adjusting her scarf, "I wanna skate a bit more."

"We've been here for over an hour!" said Dawn. "You'll get sick!"

"Has it really been that long?" asked Alexis, startled, "I'm fine. In fact, I feel better right now than I have in days. I'll be right with you."

Dawn shrugged and hurried to the cafe. Alexis once again closed her eyes and sailed gracefully over the ice. She saw herself as the Purple Ranger, flying through the air majestically. She then saw the Red Ranger waving to her from the ground.

"Nice moves Red," said a gentle but masculine voice.

"Jason," she whispered. She then opened her eyes, and saw a tall figure in a red sweater on the edge of the lake. "Jason?!"

She practically jumped at the sight of him, and fell backwards. Turning red with embarrassment, she struggled to once again stand on her feet. When she succeeded, she skated over to him.

"Jason," she panted, her face still nearly as red as her hair. "What're you doing here?"

"Well, I..uh..that is, the guys and I wanted to see you again before we go to Switzerland."

"The guys?" she said. "Where?"

She looked over his shoulder, and saw eight other teens, bundled up in color coded winter wear. She ran to them and embraced them all at once.

"Guys, what are you all doing here?!" she cried in excitement.

"We came to visit," said Kim with a bright smile. "You're not surprised, are you? I mean, just because you moved across the country doesn't mean we can't be friends!"

Alexis looked at Rocky, and noticed that he was wearing the red communicator. She then looked at the wrists of Aisha and Adam. She then smiled widely and hugged the three of them again.

"I should have known Zordon would have chosen you three!" she cried happily. "Congratulations, guys! You'll make great rangers!"

Alexis then looked around expectantly. Her face fell, and she turned to Tommy.

"So, where's the Purple Ranger?" she asked. "You could have brought her with you, ya know. I'd like to meet the one Zordon chose to carry on for me."

"What makes you think that we'd be so eager to find a Purple Ranger? After all, we have a perfectly good Purple Ranger right here!" said Tommy, pulling his hands from his jacket pocket. In his left hand was the purple morpher, and in his right hand was the purple communicator. Alexis' jaw dropped.

"But Tommy," she stammered, "I lost my powers! I'm no good to the team!"

Tommy smiled and turned to Billy, who stepped forward to explain.

"Zordon, Alpha 5, and I have been working extensively to determine the exact amount of power drain your body underwent. I believe we have come to a rather precise estimate of the time it shall take before your body regenerates enough to be able to morph. With the coin helping you, you shall be fully healed in four weeks. Without the coin, it should take about seven months."

"But, still, I live in Philly now," continued Alexis, "I won't be much good to you guys. You really need to find another ranger."

"Well, if we need you, we'll call," said Aisha. "No excuses!"

"But--"

"Stop it, Lex!" said Jason. "Look, that coin is yours. It's been in your family for generations. Zordon gave us our coins, so he has the right to take them and give them to others as he sees fit. He didn't give you your coin, so he can't very well take it, can he?"

Alexis shrugged and attached the morpher to he jeans belt. She then strapped on her old communicator. She then smiled and pulled all nine of her friends into one gigantic group hug.

"You guys are the BEST

!!" she cried. When they parted, Tommy put his hand out into the center of the circle of friends.

"One last time," he said, "for all of us. We're united in duty..."

"We're bonded in love," said Kim, placing her hand on his.

"We serve and protect," said Aisha, joining in.

"With courage and honor," said Adam.

"We fight for right," said Rocky.

"And stand side by side," said Zack.

"Guided by wisdom," said Billy.

"Joined by friendship," said Trini.

"Through thick and through thin," said Alexis.

"Now and forever," finished Jason.

"POWER RANGERS!!"

they all cried, throwing their hands into the air.

The friendship and love that permeated this group of young heroes was practically tangible. They were a family, and no matter how many rangers leave, and how many join, they will always be members of that family. No matter where the road of life may lead, they can always count on each other. Forever. That is the truest of friendships, and therefore the fondest of farewells.

To Be Continued In...

The Terran Rangers/Spiderman - The Preliminaries Volume 4:

Spiderwebs

At St. John the Baptist High School in West Philadelphia, the students scrambled to get to class. A single young woman didn't care much whether she was late or not. Although she was only sixteen years of age, she had learned that there were bigger things to worry about than possible detention. Alexis Darling tugged at the bottom of her plaid skirt, and straightened her vest in the school bathroom. She always hated wearing uniforms, and in Angel Grove, she actually didn't have to. Alexis frowned at her reflection, and after tucking a stray lock of carrot red hair behind her ear, she left the bathroom, heading for her American History class. As she wandered through the nearly empty halls, memories flooded her mind like a raging river.

Alexis had finished freshman and sophomore years of high school at St. John's, and she even started her present year here. That was months ago, when she lived with her mother Amanda Darling in Philadelphia. Then, in November, Alexis and her mother moved away from the East Coast, and settled in Angel Grove, a small and charming city in southern California. For a few short weeks, Alexis enjoyed the warmth of the climate as well as the warmth of the people. She found an instant friend in Kimberly Hart, and she felt she would have been friends with her even if she never became a Power Ranger.

Alexis owned a small golden coin, with the image of an Eagle on its face, since childhood. It was a family heirlomb, and she always wore it on her necklace. Lord Zedd discovered that the coin was in fact the long-lost Purple Coin, and he kidnapped Alexis, and attempted to make her an evil Purple Ranger. Of course, his attempt failed, and instead, the Power Rangers added a seventh ranger to the roster.

Alexis really loved being a member of the Power Rangers, one of the most exclusive groups on the planet. She quickly formed lasting friendships with all the members -- Kimberly Hart, Tommy Oliver, Trini Kwan, Zack Taylor, Billy Mitchell, and Jason Lee. She finally found her niche, a group of teens that really understood her. And she also found love, since she was attracted to Jason from the beginning. But Alexis couldn't remain in Angel Grove, and the Power Rangers had a quick, and drastic, roster change. Trini, Jason, and Zack left the team to attend the Peace Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, and so they passed on their Power Coins to three friends -- Aisha Campbell, Rocky DeSantos, and Adam Park. All three were excellent martial artists, and they were trustworthy, since they managed to keep the secret of the identities of the Power Rangers for a week before actually joining the team. And after only