Tying Things Up – The Transdimensional Archives

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DISCLAIMER: Anything in this story belonged to Saban and his minion except for Anya and James Mallory. These two belonged to me and my minion, well, if I have a minion that is :)

TIMELINE: From the title you can guess that this takes after "'The Mark of the Silver Ranger' unless you can't read, of course.

<h5><center> Tying Things Up By Raye </center></h5>

"Tommy!" Billy was surprised when he saw Tommy and then his other friends teleported in. Tommy, seeing Cestro on the viewing globe, realized that Billy has contacted the Aquitain Rangers. He walked up to Billy at the same time glancing at Cestro.

"Look, Billy. We got something to tell you," he blurted out before his old friend could say a thing. "You can't go back to Aquitar because Mr. Kaplan said the school's computer hadn't messed up and he had to withdraw your diploma. You have to go back to school again if you want your diploma," said Tommy, all in one breath. He saw Billy's disbelief look and quickly continued.

"Please don't think that I'm telling you this because I want to make you stay here." He paused. "No, I mean... I want you to stay. We all want you to stay. Since you left, things felt differently without you and we want you back because we miss you and we hope that you..."

What he saw on Billy's expression made him stop. His old friend is looking at him with mixed emotions. Tommy could see his pain, his joy and his anger playing across his face. But that was not the reason that made him stop. It was Billy's flooded red eyes. Instantly Tommy realized that Billy has been crying. For a while, none of them said anything.

"Are you alright, man?" Tommy asked, swallowing his own tears. The others looked on in silence. They had never seen Billy shed a tear before. He always struck them as a very strong friend who is always there to offer a shoulder to cry on. This is another side of him they never seen before and they don't know what to do.

Billy wiped his tears. "Yeah, well." He managed to smile. "Thanks for telling me, Tommy but..."

"Please, Billy. We want you to stay," Kat pleaded. Billy shrugged, obviously uncomfortable by the sudden confrontation.

"I am staying," he told them. The others looked at each other, happy and not believing at what they've just heard. But before they could ask Billy what he meant, he continued. "I was calling Cestro to say good bye and..."

Suddenly he was swept into a group hug, led by Kat and Tanya. Each poured out tears of happiness and relief because they are together again, because Billy has returned to the place where he truly belonged. While the Earth Rangers stayed in the hug, Zordon, Alpha and the Aquitian Rangers looked on in silence.

Remembering the Alien Rangers, Billy tried to squirm free. "Uh... guys. This is touching, really. But I think I really, really need to talk with Cestro and the others now."

The Rangers jumped back as quickly as they formed the group hug. Rocky noted that Billy's face is as red as Tommy's shirt when he faced Cestro once more. "Um... Cestro, guys," he tried to start but didn't know what to say.

"We understand, Billy," said Cestro, his head cocked to one side. "You will be terribly missed here but we think that you are where you belonged." Then he paused. "I hope we can work together again, someday."

"Of course, Cestro. Aquitar is like my second home now," Billy promised. "When you need me, I'll be there to help."

Cestro nodded. "The others wishes to say good bye too," he informed, stepping aside to make way for Aurico, Tideus and Corcus.

Aurico stepped forward. "On behalf of Rangers of Aquitar and the whole people of Aquitar I would like to thank you. We're in your debt forever." Together, the three male Aquitian Rangers made an Aquitian gesture that only Billy could interpret as their way of saying thank you. Then they stepped aside to let Delphine talk to Billy.

"I hope we'll see each other again, Billy," said Delphine, her emotion still under control. Billy could guess that she didn't want to show her real feelings in front of the other Earth Rangers.

"You can count on it, Delphine," Billy promised. For a moment, something like a brother-sister feeling was exchanged between them but no one noticed it except Zordon.

Then Anya appeared, smiling. Rocky whistled. "Billy, the Silver Power is yours and yours only," she said, her voice like the flow of a river. "Like the first Silver Ranger, my great, great, great, great grandfather, the Silver Power is non-transferable and you will keep the power until the day you die, when at that time, you may choose your successor to carry out the Silver Legacy."

Something glistened in her eyes but she continued. "There would be a time when you hear voices speaking to you. Trust it. It is the voice of the first Silver Ranger, guiding you in spirit." She paused. "Good bye, Billy. I will never forget that talk we had."

"Me too, Anya,' said Billy, softly. "Maybe someday you can come and see Earth, your other home."

"I'd love that." Was all she said before Cestria appeared. Billy felt a lump in his throat.

"I'll miss you, Billy," she said, well aware of the other Rangers' presence. So, she decided not to reveal what is really going on between her and Billy. "'Let them think we are lovers until Billy is ready to tell them the truth,' she thought.

Billy's eyes watered. "I'll miss you, Cestria. I'll cherish the time we have forever." He swallowed. "Thank you for the sacrifice you made for me," he said, meaning the entire charade they put on in front of the other Earth Rangers.

Cestria nodded. "I love you, Billy of Earth, my new Silver Ranger."

"And I love you too, Cestria of Aquitar, my savior."

Then Cestro returned to the screen. "Your things will be teleported to the Power Chamber in a few minutes."

"Thank you, Cestro."

"Good bye, Billy Cranston."

"Good bye, Cestro. I shall miss Aquitar greatly."

Then there was silence as they broke contact. After a minute, Billy wiped his tears and faced his friends. "Well, aren't you guys going to say welcome back?" he joked.

That brought a new round of group hug in which Billy gasped. "Alright, okay already." His eyes glistened. "I got to wait until Cestro teleport my things here."

"Do you need help?" asked Adam.

Billy shook his head. "Nah, I can handle it. Why don't you guys go and grab a milkshake or something. I'll join you when I'm done." When none of them move, he frowned. "Go ahead. Scoot. I'm not going to disappear or anything."

Realizing that Billy want some time alone, Adam said. "Come on, guys. I think we had just left the Juice Bar without paying." He ushered them out. The he and Billy exchanged knowing glances as Billy smiled at him, gratefully.

Half an hour later, Billy found himself arranging his telescope near his bedroom window. He was glad that his father was not at home or he would have to explain to him about his disappearance. As he ruffled through his things, his eyes landed on the group photo. His gaze focused only on Trini. Suddenly, his mind went back to the angel in his dream.

After a while, he picked up his phone and dialed the number Trini gave him before she left. He felt that he must do what he's supposed to do years ago. He heard the phone rang three times, before someone picked it up.

But it was the phone machine that answered him. For a moment Billy was discouraged but when the phone machine beeped, he found himself saying. "Hi, Trini. It's Billy. I've just returned from Aquitar and I feel like I need to tell you something." He paused to take a deep breath. "I love you, Trini Kwan. I always have been. But only until today that I have the courage to say so. If you love me too, call me back, please. I need to hear from you." With that he hung up, feeling slightly dissatisfied. He then tried Zack's number.

"Hey, Zackman here."

"Zack, it's me."

"Hey, Billyman. Since when they have a phone line to Aquitar?" his mischievous friend joked.

Billy had to laugh. "Nah, I'm back on Earth. Tell you later about it." He paused. "Listen, I tried to get through to Trini earlier but she's..."

"Trini?" Zack repeated. "Oh, she's gone to this field trip or something, said it would be a perfect opportunity for her to spend time with Stan."

"Stan?" Billy echoed, swallowing a lump.

Zack didn't suspect anything so he continued. "Yeah, he's Trini's new serious boyfriend from England. Really smart dude."

"Oh." Was all Billy could managed. "How's Jason?"

"Jason? He's doing great." Then he lowered his voice. "He doesn't speak much now. What's going on there? He seemed to be isolating himself from his female friends at the conference."

"I don't know much. I just got here, remember?"

"Well, fill me in when you know. I want to help him get over it," Zack said. "Oops! Got to go, Blue. I got this date I can't make to wait any longer. Ouch, that hurts, Sheila." Zack scowled as Billy chuckled. He remembered that Zack has this inkling to nickname him "'Blue' ever since he moved to Switzerland. And that name stuck even when Billy wasn't the Blue Ranger.

"I better leave you before you're all black and blue."

"Ahh... what a guy would do for love."

"'Yeah, what a guy would do,' Billy repeated, bitterly in his mind. He was embarrassed, thinking of the message he had left for Trini. He thought she love him. And he never thought she would love another.

"Call you later, Zack," he finally said.

"Do that okay, Blue. Bye."

"Bye."

When he hung up, Billy slumped on his bed, feeling as if he wants to cry his heart out. Then remembering his other friends waiting for him at the Juice Bar, he quickly get out of the house to forget. Forget about Trini, forget about the message he sent her, forget about Stan, especially forget about his feelings for her.

As he walked through the park, he felt that he had never seen Earth so beautiful and realized that he missed it. The green grass, blue sky and singing birds are everything compared to the blue sea, blue sky and swimming fishes of Aquitar.

Suddenly he stopped when he realized where he is. The basketball court, where he and the old team used to play. Where Trini had tried to teach him to play while Jason and Zack were involved in a game of their own. It was then that Billy noticed how beautiful Trini was and it was the beginning of his first serious crush.

Although he had dated different girls after that, he never gotten over his crush on Trini. And when Trini left, that crush developed into love and sense of longing.

But now... Billy couldn't think further. He slumped on the picnic table, putting his head into his hands, moaning. He got a new power but he lost Trini to some English guy.

"I wish I had told her sooner," he whispered. Then his mind went to another issue at hand. Now that he has returned, his friends might want to know all about his life on Aquitar and Cestria. And Billy knew that at least one of his friends might be wondering on how he could let Cestria go so easily and might ask him about it. "'What should I do?'

"Why not tell them the truth?" a voice from nowhere said. Startled, Billy turned to see a man of twenty years old appeared. He was handsome with brown hair and intelligent green eyes.

"Who are you?" Billy asked. The man propped next to him.

"I'm James Mallory. The guy who chose you to be his successor."

Billy stared at him, disbelief. "You were the first Silver Ranger?"

James Mallory nodded and smiled. It was then that Billy noticed there's a white light around the older guy. "Yes. I'm here because I want to help you settle a few things so it won't bother you much later."

"Such as?" asked Billy, curious at what the first Silver Ranger, Anya's great, great, great, great grandfather has to say.

"Your power for once." The older guy grinned. "Being the Silver Ranger not only entitled you the responsibility to protect Earth but now you have the job to take care of the whole universe too."

Billy blinked. "Like Trey?"

"Trey?" James echoed, frowning. "Oh, you mean the current Gold Triforia Ranger." He shrugged. "Something like that. And a lot more."

Billy's eyes widened. "A lot more?"

James clapped Billy's back. "Let's stick to one thing at a time." He paused. "The Silver Power is actually a mystery. You'll discover its secret as you get along with it."

There was silence. "Why did you chose me as your successor? Why not someone like Tommy, a great leader?"

"I don't know," James answered, his eyes is looking at something faraway. "Maybe because of that vision."

"What vision?"

James blinked a tear away. "After my family died, I just couldn't go on. I was in verge of giving up my life, giving up my power to another candidate when I saw this vision. A baby with light brown hair and clear blue eyes and he was in a woman's arm. They looked so beautiful together that I reached out to them. That's when the child look at me and I never felt so at peace." He paused. "Then I saw that child grew into a young man, where he walked on his own path, giving hopes and taking none for himself. A pure young warrior with a pure soul. That's when I realized that I must go on. For the future. For the boy's future."

He looked at Billy who is listening intently. "You were that baby, Billy," he revealed. Billy stared at him, surprised. "You were meant to be my successor. The next warrior in the Silver Legacy."

Billy exhaled, trying to swallow what he had just learned. "How did you know it was me?" he asked, shakily. "I mean there ought to be others who look like me."

James smiled gently. "Aside from the vision of the future that the Silver Power gave me, there is another proof." He looked at Billy. "Did you know that aside from white, silver is also the color of purity? And very much parallel with the color of blue."

"I don't understand."

"When you took the Silver Crystal, did you feel that you were drawn to it?"

Billy frowned. "I don't know. I thought that the idea of being a Power Ranger again made me accept the crystal."

"But did you feel the same when you tried to accept the Gold Triforia Power?"

Billy looked at James as realization began to hit him. "No," he said slowly. "I felt that it was my obligation to receive the Gold Power before it is truly lost."

He looked away. "I mean I was pretty bummed when my body couldn't take the Gold Power but when I think about it, I felt even worse when I lost the Blue Power." He looked back at James. "Why?"

"Because the Gold Triforia Power was not meant for you. Nor the Yellow Zeo or the Blue Zeo. Not like how the Blue Morphin and the Silver Power meant for you." He looked up, staring at a distance farther than time itself. "Maybe it was fate that save me and my power, unlike my other teammates."

"What happen to them?" Billy asked gently. The older Ranger smiled weakly.

"I'll tell you some other time, Billy. Right now, we have more important matters to talk about."

Billy blinked. "What? What matters?"

"Like your feelings, how painful it was for you to be the only inactive Ranger around. Only to be a watcher. And why you left for Aquitar. They will have questions, you know, why it was easy for you to leave Cestria like that."

Billy groaned so James quickly continued. "I'm not saying that you have to deal with it right now. But in time, you will have to tell them the truth. And the sooner the better, before it poison your mind and hurt you and your friends."

Then James looked at him in the eye. "And when you're ready to talk about it, I'll be there. Just call for me, okay?"

"Okay," Billy said softly. Suddenly a great burden was lifted off him. He didn't need to tell his friends the truth now. And when they hear the pain he went through, he knew that they would understand him. That they would be with him.

"Thanks, James," he said, jumping off the picnic table. "I'm glad you're my predecessor. You've been a great help." He can't wait to join his friends.

"Billy, one more thing," James said, stopping Billy. The current Silver Ranger looked at him, his heart beating.

"'Oh, no! Don't touch that subject, please,' he prayed. He had been afraid that the spirit of the former Silver Ranger might bring it up, which is one reason why he can't wait to join the others.

But the spirit looked at him knowingly, prompting for him to say it.

"If this is about Trini," Billy said first. "Then, I don't want to talk about it."

"You will have to, Billy. In time," said James, walking up to him. He looked at Billy, gently. "Don't worry about love, Billy. Someday, you'll find it." Then he smiled mischievously and winked. "Or in your case, it might be sooner than expected."

Billy blinked in surprise. He started to ask what he meant, when Billy heard someone called for him. Billy turned around only to see Adam, running towards him. When he turned back to the former Silver Ranger, the spirit is gone.

"Hey, Billy. What are you doing here?" asked Adam, panting.

Billy turned back to the person he always considered as his best friend. "Nothing. I was just thinking."

"About what?" asked Adam gently. He knew Billy would feel out of place after he moved back to Earth. The guy had missed out a lot of things and Adam wants to help him fit in again.

Billy knew Adam meant well but instead he just said. "Things." He shrugged. "Hey, Alpha just told me that Lord Zedd and Rita has moved back into their old palace. When did that happen?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Right after they blew up the Machine Empire to smithereens."

"No kidding. Why are they here then?"

"Let's sit and I'll tell you what happened," said Adam, pointing at the picnic table Billy sat earlier.

"Alright. After the Machine Empire was bombed, Lord Zedd and Rita moved back to the Moon Palace but only to discover that they have a lot of repairing to do to get back on track. By that time, we really have a lot of time for ourselves since Mondo's gone and Zedd and Rita busy getting things back together."

Adam paused. "But little did we know that Mondo and his court had time to teleport to safety back to their main fleet in another galaxy. So, while we were resting and Zedd renovating, Mondo planned a comeback."

Billy frowned. "Mondo must've a pretty huge fleet to make a comeback that fast. I mean his flagship here must have been totally destroyed."

"That I had to agree," said Adam. "Anyway, we never expected him until Alpha detected an attack on the moon. He told us what was happening right before Mondo launch a second attack, on us."

"And since Zedd's people are still half of their full strength and that Mondo had divided his force to occupy us, the battled ended up a tie."

"A tie!" Billy chuckled.

Adam smiled, controlling himself from laughing. "I know it sounds weird but it really happened." He paused. "And anyway, we defeated Mondo's attempt on us while Mondo and Lord Zedd made a deal that whoever gets to destroy us first, they could make the claim on this planet."

"So, now both parties are trying hard to defeat us?"

"Yeah. And I personally do not favor any of them," said Adam, shifted uncomfortably. "Which is why we're so glad that you were here to help us this time. Or else, Mondo would've won."

Billy patted Adam's shoulder. "Don't worry, Adam. I am here now and I'm here to stay. I have a responsibility here and that is to help my friends when I can." He looked around. "It's good to be back."

"It's good to have you back, Billy."

Then there was a touching moment between them.

"Hey, the others are waiting for us at the Juice Bar. Why don't we hustle and join them now." Adam suggested.

"Only if you're buying." Billy teased.

But Adam didn't smile. "I'll buy you anything, Billy," he said, seriously.

"Adam."

"I really miss you, Billy. You have no idea how painful it was," Adam choked.

Billy's eyes misted. "I think I do, Adam. I miss you too." They hugged.

A moment later they pulled apart, blinking the tears away in embarrassment. "Uh... I think we should join the others now," said Billy.

"Yeah, we better."

"Why don't if I buy you a drink and you can buy mine." Billy suggested. Adam nodded in agreement. Then Billy looked at Adam, mischievously. "And maybe while we walk to the Juice Bar, you can tell me how in the world did you managed to contact me on Aquitar when all the communication system were down."

Adam looked away, embarrassed. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Why not? I heard enough from Rocky and now I want to hear from you about that particular "'little junk' you built. You know, from an inventor to another inventor."

"Billy." Adam warned.

"Why not?"

As their voices faded away, an apparition appeared. The silver clad young man watched as the two young Rangers teased each other, the last word he had said to one of them still ringing in his mind.

"Don't worry much about love, Billy. Someday you'll find it," he repeated. Then finished what he was going to say before the Green warrior showed up. "You will find a love that is so pure and true that it could withstand anything even death itself. And the more obstacle you two face, the stronger your love will be and the brighter your future. Just hang in there, young Silver Ranger." He looked up to the east side, where the Power Chamber proudly stood. "Watch, Master Zordon of Eltar. The Silver Legacy will once again make you proud."

Then, he, James Mallory, the first and former Silver Ranger, Zordon's first student were gone, sleeping away until the time when he is needed. His legacy has ended.

And the Silver Legacy continues with Billy Cranston, the second Silver Ranger, former Blue Morphin Ranger and Zordon's first student in the second line of Earth Power Rangers.

Next: There's a new girl in school. But she is not what she appears to be. Meanwhile, the Rangers are on a quest to find the Medallion of Power, the only thing that holds the ultimate essence of Earth. But can they find it before Mondo does?

p