Disclaimer: I do not own the Power Rangers, they belong to whoever owns the copyright at the time of reading. I especially do not own this team of Power Rangers. They along with the enemies they face were a part of Ryuranger's Ultimate Power Rangers series. I always felt their deaths needed a little more and so I decided to give them my own tribute.
His name was Akuma. Tommy Oliver knew him as the Dark Man. Existence had known a lot longer as Death. Just a few years earlier he had revealed his true purpose and goal to Tommy, seeking the help of the young man to destroy the Wheel of Time and free them from its control. And Tommy had refused to do so, forcing a stalemate that had led to the Dark Man retreating.
And since that day the Dark Man had once again studied what had become the Pattern of the Age in an attempt to unlock its secrets. He had moulded, manipulated, created and eliminated forces on both sides of the struggle between good and evil. He had planted ideas that led to new soldiers, he had stepped in to remove pieces from the game when their actions risked his plan. And through it all he had kept his eye on Tommy Oliver and the young man's successor: Simon Kiden.
Simon was an interesting specimen. If not for Tommy's actions then Simon could have been the Hero of the Next Age. But that possibility had gone when Tommy refused to end the cycle. Still the boy had proven a valuable tool as both an instrument to bring about the destruction of the Wheel of Time and a means to manoeuvre Tommy into doing it for him.
The pattern had been revealed, events had played out and Tommy had arrived at a point where the Dark Man once again believed him to be ready. It was not the exact path he had wanted the Dragon to take, but Tommy was stubborn and had to do things in his own way.
"And now he has learnt the Ultimate Secret," he whispered to himself.
The Ultimate Secret, the final truth... a revelation so stunning and unnerving that it could drive the most powerful beings to the brink of insanity. He was sure that having discovered the secret that Tommy would succumb to some sort of emotional outburst and complete his destiny.
"It's only a matter of time," he decided before taking a closer look at what the Dragon had been up to. "That... was not what I expected. How did they get there?!"
Beyond the perception of most being stood the Wheel of Time. Tommy had seen it once before after the battle with the Mogralord. Now he stood before it once more, but this time he was not alone.
Around him were his family and friends. Those that had stood with him and those that had fallen along the way. Even Dr Cranston had accompanied them to this place although it was not by choice; Billy would have preferred to skulk about in his office scheming with his peers. Kimberly, Trini, the Turbo Rangers and so many others all returned for this moment.
"I have learnt the Ultimate Secret," he stated as he used the Power to bring forth the objects he desired. "I have seen the truth and have shared it with you. Now one thing remains."
He sat down with the boat he had constructed high above the Wheel of Time. Kimberly, Ashley and Tyler joined him. He took up the oars, aware that in the other boats he had conjured his friends and associates were doing the same. And with a happy sigh of insanity he cast off, allowing the current of the One Power to push the boat along. And as they were carried forward, the four occupants started to sing...
"Row, row, row your boat..."
Behind them another boat had cleared the Wheel of Time and had been pushed out across the great lake that Tommy's broken mind interpreted as the Pattern of the Age.
"Gently down the stream..."
More and more rowing boats moved across the fabric of existence, using the One Power as a giant waterfall. More voices joined the singing, infected by the knowledge Tommy had shared. At one point Tommy looked up to see Billy arguing with himself as his older self tried to take charge and his dark counterpart attempted something underhanded with the oar.
"Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily..."
The boats flowed onwards as more and more joined the cue for the makeshift ride. And has they cascaded across the Pattern of the Age, Tommy wondered what awaited them at the other side? After all: Life is but a dream.
End
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