Guardian Angel
by: Ellen Brand

Spiritual possession really stinks, Mike Corbett thought to himself. For one thing, it's BORING. The Magna Defender, with his usual iron control, had shoved Mike's mind and spirit down into some dark corner and locked him there. Most of the time, Mike couldn't so much as shift him, although he was aware of everything that went on around him. Only when his "guest" came close to harming Leo could Mike find the strength to interfere, and then only briefly.

It was currently night on Terra Venture, and as usual, the Magna Defender was spending the evening on a Forest Dome hillside, staring up at the stars, and probably plotting vengeance. Mike couldn't read his tenant's thoughts unless they were directed at him, but he could sense emotions, and besides– if Scorpius had slaughtered his son, (or your little brother, a small voice added,) he would have been doing the same thing.

As Mike sat in the back of what had once been his mind, pondering another evening of stargazing and boredom, he slowly became aware of something tickling at the back of his mind. Reaching out, he recognized it as coming from his link to Leo. Cut off from the rest of his mind by the Magna Defender's occupation, Mike had found that the psychic connection he and his brother shared had amplified several times. Now it seemed to have opened up again, and was- playing music? Without a second thought, Mike dived into the link, following it back. Spending the evening with his brother was infinitely better than another night here, even if Leo were unaware of him.

Hear that? Mike thought to the Magna Defender, knowing that the other was ignoring him. That's YOU. All you live for anymore is revenge. That was something Mike devoutly hoped would never happen to his brother, but he wasn't that worried. The other Rangers would keep an eye on him, and keep him from falling into that pit. Even Kai, as much as the two fought, had given Leo something to latch onto.

Even as he thought this, Mike found himself in the apartment that the three male Power Rangers shared. Kendrix and Kai had had to do a lot of juggling to get the assignments worked out, but it was a lot more convenient for Ranger business. Leo lay sprawled on the couch, obviously exhausted and locked in deep sleep. Mike wasn't surprised- that was when the link between them opened to the fullest extent. What did surprise him was Leo's companion. Kendrix sat at one of the tables, working on something and occasionally breaking off to check on Leo. It was she that had turned on the music that Mike was hearing.

Now if that didn't describe his little brother, Mike couldn't think of a single thing that did. Ever since Mike had fallen into the chasm, Leo had been punishing himself, for not being the one to fall, for not being capable of taking on Mike's duties– in short, for not being MIKE. Every day, Leo pushed himself to the edge trying to emulate his brother, and every night, he fell into bed exhausted. As for Rangering- Mike couldn't decide whether Leo threw himself into that to distract himself from the painful memories- or because it was the one area in which he could never be compared to his brother.

Sometimes it seemed that the only peace his little brother found was in sleep- and sometimes not even that. How many nightmares had Mike sensed at the other end of the line, unable to even reach out and shake his brother awake? When the link was open, he could chase the dreams away, to an extent, but sometimes even that wasn't enough. Most of the time, however, Leo's sleep was dark and dreamless, taking him away from a world in which he had nothing left. Funny. I chewed you out about stowing away, for acting without thinking about what you were doing. I was the one guilty of that, though. You're all the family I have, Leo. I guess I didn't realize how much it would hurt you to stay behind on Earth. I never realized that I'd be leaving you alone.

Mike understood now, though. Even with the other Rangers around to support him, Leo's pain was almost unbearable for Mike to watch. More than anything, he wished he could just reach out and let his brother know of his presence, hug him and tell him everything would work out. But he was no more solid than a beam of light, and even that was denied to him.

A gentle tugging reminded Mike that he'd been gone from his own body for too long. Heading back, he let the music follow him, washing through the link. Poor Leo, he thought, not without amusement. You never did like rules, and you hated authority. Now you ARE authority. He had to wonder, though, how long his brother could hold up under the twin strains of a Ranger's constant danger, and his own conflicts with rules and regulations.

Settled back into his own body, Mike's thoughts turned once again to the Magna Defender. He wasn't an evil person– Mike had figured that out within a few minutes of being taken over. It was just that he'd convinced himself that ANY means was worth it, if he could avenge his son. Nothing mattered, if it meant he could find his peace. That was easier than believing in the codes of honor he had once held.

It scared him, sometimes, how much Leo and the Magna Defender had in common. The idea that his laughing, loving little brother could ever turn into a vengeance-driven shell sent chills up and down his non-existent spine. But they WERE alike, down under all the layers of pain, and for that, Mike yearned to reach out and help, to break the dark isolation that seemed eternal. But he was no more successful here than with Leo.

Sleep tight, little brother, Mike called across the link. Your 'guardian angel' is on the job, keeping the nightmares at bay for a while. It wasn't much, but it was all he could do. And for now, it would have to be enough.