10/27/06

Spoilers: PR:SPD episode “History”, the Always a Ranger series and ‘Revisionist History’. This however ignores any suggestion in SPD of a female red ranger.

Disclaimer: Power Rangers belongs to Disney, which considering Disney’s non-violence stance seems hypocritical, but who am I to judge?

Relationships: T/K, C/K, B/H

Summary: History has a way of repeating itself.

A/N: Okay, this is another teaser… sort of. If this appeals at all to anyone, let me know and maybe I can find some more chapters…

Hi all. This is a little piece that has been floating around in my head since I posted ‘Revisionist History’. And as stated in the author’s notes, please let me know if you liked this and if you want more. I hope you enjoy, and now, to the story. . .

Footsteps

By Jeannine Trevizo

-x-

SPD headquarters

2029

There had never been a female red ranger before. Ever.

Some chauvinistic members of the academy had always whispered that no woman had ever deserved the role of leader, to wear the mantle and helmet that so many great leaders had worn.

So when Elizabeth Trini Oliver was chosen… it defied everything that had ever gone before.

Except the truth was that she was simply following in the footsteps of her father.

And her mother for that matter.

For Beth Oliver was second generation ranger. Born of two famous and long serving rangers, godchild of others, surrounded her whole life with the ranger history that she’d ended up embracing. So in that sense, it was no surprise that when she’d ‘graduated’ to be assigned to a squadron, the moment she’d powered up, the red and black of the SPD uniform covered her.

The pride that had been in her parents’ eyes when she’d assumed that mantle tempered the pain that had come before. For her, she had known by the time she was sixteen that she would end up in the SPD academy. It was in her blood; the dedication and desire to protect. But her parents, especially her father was dead set against it.

Which made sense. Both he and her mom had lost a lot of things because they’d been rangers. The last thing either of them wanted was to possibly lose their only child to the ranger life. Beth remembered with clarity that first big fight with her dad over her decision to join up…

<<“You want to what?” Tommy Oliver bellowed as he stood looking his daughter in the eyes. She had inherited more of his height and her mother’s stubbornness than he liked.

“I’ve put in my application for the SPD academy for the fall. I’ll be 18 and I’m graduating high school next month. My grades and test scores should be good enough…” she began, knowing that she had her work cut out for her in regards to convincing her dad she was right.

“That’s not the point. I don’t want my daughter joining the SPD.”

“It’s not your decision. And you have no place to talk dad.”

“You’re my child. I have every right…”

“No, you don’t,” Beth snapped back hotly. “You and mom were rangers. It was never a secret in this house. How could it have been with the old Dino Thunder command center in the basement and all the old stories being told with Aunt Aisha and Uncle Jason and everyone?”

“And that’s exactly why you aren’t living that life,” Tommy stated flatly, his tone going into the range of his leadership voice.

“No, it’s the reason I need to.”

Tommy froze for a moment, lost by his daughter’s words.

“I have a tradition to uphold. I have to do what I can to make the world a safer place. You and mom taught me that I was special, that I had something to offer the world in the grand scheme of things. And I realized that this is it… I’m your daughter, I was born to do this.”>

After that conversation, the decision was made that Beth could go to the academy, and whatever would happen was what was meant to be. Kim, Tommy and the rest of the ranger family watched her progress with attentive eyes. Months ran into years and finally the day came when she

So on graduation day, another first besides Beth’s graduation and ‘position’ was occurring on the campus of the SPD graduation; an entire section of the folding chairs on the grassy parade grounds was going to be filled with her family and friends, who spanned generations of former rangers.

Tommy & Kim; Jason & Aisha; Billy & ‘ranger assistant’ Hayley; Kira & Conner; Trent, Ethan, Kat, Adam, Tanya, Rocky, and even Justin sat in attendance for Beth’s graduation.

“She’s all grown up,” Tommy said, his hand creeping up to brush through his salt and pepper colored hair, an action that his wife and former team mate knew was his frustration showing.

“Yes she is. And she’s doing what she feels she has to. You understand that, or you never would have become the white ranger love,” Kimberly reminded him softly, reaching up to catch her love’s hand.

“True.”

“Are you still upset about Elizabeth’s appointment?” asked Billy as he and his wife sat beside their friends.

“Hey Billy, Hayley.”

“Where’s Michael?” asked Tommy.

Billy and Hayley smiled at that. Their son, Michael David Cranston was 2 years younger than Beth, but with his parent’s brains, he’d graduated 2 years early, and had been made Beth’s blue ranger. A shock to anyone who wouldn’t have realized the fact that it made such sense in the cosmic sense that none of the older rangers had questioned it.

Both sets of parents with their former ranger allies sat in the stands, ready to watch the next generation of rangers graduate and take on their new roles as protectors of the new universe.

And no one could be prouder…

TBC?