The Tale of The Dragon and The Tiger

Chapter Eighteen: Quinn

   "He's working with Rita." I whispered to Jason between periods.
   The other Rangers piled in around me as people trudged between classes. Jason scratched his chin. "Are you sure?"
   "Please, he's my twin brother. He can't lie to me. He was very evident on making it certain he wasn't with her. Which is always a red flag to me." I said crossing my arms. "But I'd need more time to figure out her plan, though if she's just as you guys say she is, Rita could be spoon feeding it to him. Giving him bits and pieces to execute before the big unveiling."
   "Sounds like her style." Trini groaned. She rubbed he collar bone in phantom pain.
   "I'll keep an eye on him today and see if he won't talk to me more, though I doubt he'll be talking to me very much."
   "You do that." Jason nodded. "And we'll meet you after detention today to head over."
   They all dispersed. "Hey Jason." He turned back to me. "I'm sorry about earlier. I know how much this team means to you and I don't want to take it from you."
   "It's alright Quinn. Zordon told me you were the best bet to lead the team if anything happened to me or anyone else. I believe him. You've got potential."
   "Thanks." I said. He turned to walk away. "Hey Jason."
   He turned back, slightly annoyed. "Yeah?"
   "Could I... um, spend the night at your place tonight. I can't go back home and staying with Alpha and Zordon doesn't give me much time to sleep." I blushed a bit. Asking my crush to sleep over at his house sounded like-
   "It's a date then."
   This made me blush even more.

  After detention, we all piled in the van and made our way out to the gold mine.
   We trained, rested, and trained some more.
   Zak had been complaining about a small tick in the Mastodon zord's step, so while they sat outside, I tinkered with the zord's mechanics.
   I popped the gear back into place and wiped the grease off onto my pants. "Okay, that should do it." I rolled out from under the zord's stomach and payed its metal exterior. "It had a loose gear. I just had to knock it back into place and tighten the valves around it."
   "Thanks Quinn." Zak said patting my back.
   Alpha pushed past us muttering to himself. "Where where where?"
   "Hey Alpha, you alright?" I asked.
   "Oh me? Yes yes. I'm fine. Just trying to find a place to put your new zord." He said scanning the area. His eyes locked on a large hollowed out cave near the top of the carven's ceiling. "There! Tigers live in caves ,right?"
   "My zord?" I asked.
  "Well yeah." Alpha said, a bit sarcastically. "Why wouldn't you get your our own zord?"
   Cave rumbled as something moved deep inside it. Twin beams of light shot from a dark hole in the rock wall as a gigantic mechanical white tiger stalked out. Its mouth hung open naturally, and its gate was as graceful as the real thing, if a bit slower. It's metallic body was made of ivory like metal stripes with black plating. It had the same grey underbelly and mechanics of the other zords. It's teeth glinted harshly in the yellow light of its eyes. A dark glass cockpit was placed in the center of its forehead.
   The tiger prowled over the other Rangers and bent its head down to me. It was amazingly terrifying. To have something that big stare at you, like an equal.
   Like the different part of the same machine.
   The tiger roared and the walls shook as it bounded up and jumped into its crevice. It turned around and laid down, placing it's head on it's paws. The lights in its eyes went out and everything was silent, save for the ringing in my ears.
   "Alpha it's amazing!" I exclaimed. "How did you have time to build it?"
   "Ever since you uploaded that data base I started repurposing parts of the ship."
   "Well it's great. Thank you." The white light of the moon shone through the water above the atrium. "I suppose we should go and get some rest."
   The other Rangers stretched and we left. I took one last look at the tiger and smiled.

   Jason let me stay at his house. His step dad didn't mind and neither did his mom.
   He let me sleep in his bed while he took the floor. And as soon as my head hit the pillow, I was out.
   And the dreams started.

  I stood in the center of Angel Grove. It was barren and empty of life. Save for the army of rock monsters in front of me.
  Leading them was a man dressed in green armor. A woman in matching attire strode beside him with a golden staff. The Rangers laid on the ground beside me, broken and lifeless.
   "You'll loose them all." A female voice cackled. "Even your brother. Give up and I will spare him."   
   I balled my fists. If I gave up, I would loose my friends and get my brother.
   But if I fought...
   I would have a chance, however slim, to save them all.
  "Nice try bitch." I snapped my wrist and Saba appeared in my palm. "But I'll take my chances."
   A piercing scream sliced through the air and made me clutch my ears. Two diamond shape green eyes shone through the darkness before me. The mechanical dragon opened its mouth, engulfing me in green fire.
  
  I woke up screaming, with Jason by my side. He squeezed my hand as I buried my face in his chest. She was going to destroy us.
   And we were the only ones who could stop it.