Disclaimer: "When The Angels Fall" is written by Sting, from his amazing album "The Soul Cages." I get much of my inspiration from him. The Power Rangers belong to Saban Entertainment, but Chrissy is pure me. Enjoy.
When The Angels Fall
by Kittie
"Rocky!"
Tommy's cry echoed out over the battlefield, his voice a mixture of fury and terror. "What the Hell are you doing?"
The Blue Ranger didn't answer. He just grinned behind his helmet and continued to cut a deadly path through the attacking cogs, heedless of his own injuries.
Red Ranger flinched as Rocky took yet another hit. The other boy staggered but kept going, his arm blades whirling expertly, dismantling cogs left and right. "Tanya! Get over there and help him out," Tommy ordered, unable to break away from his own battle.
Yellow Ranger nodded and did a graceful series of flips over to Rocky. The two of them soon dispatched the remained of the cogs.
Mondo's newest monster, the Merciless Modem, hissed angrily. "Next time Rangers," it said predictably, "You won't be so lucky!" In a flash of light, it was gone.
The rangers regrouped. "Rocky, what the hell was going on out there," Tommy demanded, still breathing hard from the exertion.
Rocky shrugged. "Who cares? I kicked ass."
"We care, Rocky," Kat said quietly, placing a calming hand on Tommy's arm. "You're going to get yourself killed if you keep this up."
Rocky turned to her, then, his silence chilling. Tanya cleared her throat. "Let's get back to the Power Chamber."
* * *
Billy barely looked up as the five exhausted Rangers teleported in. "That was a rough one," he said needlessly, "But the next one will be worse. Mondo's probably recharging that silly modem as we speak."
"Rocky, look," Tommy tried again, struggling to keep his voice calm. "We know you're going through a lot of cogs out there, but you also took a lot of hits. You can't keep going on like this."
Rocky shook his head. "I'm fine, Tommy. I can hold my own."
"Maybe so," put in Adam, "but this is a team. Don't forget that."
Rocky snorted as he demorphed. "Whatever."
Billy raised an eyebrow. "You don't like working with the team?"
"I didn't say that. And stop picking on me."
"We're not picking on you, we're worried about you," Tanya clarified. "You've been so reckless... lately."
Everyone knew what she wanted to say. Ever since Chrissy's death. That was what it all came down to. It was as if the formerly carefree and fun-loving boy no longer cared whether he lived or died. In battles or in his normal life, it was the same. He'd pick fights with unsavory people in unsavory parts of town, drive way too fast on residential roads.... And Adam suspected he'd been getting drunk on occasion as well. His behavior on a few mornings had screamed "hangover."
Rocky sighed. "Okay okay, I'll tone it down. You happy now?"
The Rangers shot each other worried looks. What could they say? How could they be sure he meant what he said?
Billy decided for them. "Rocky... perhaps we should talk. Will you join me in my quarters?"
Rocky started to protest, but a stern look from Billy was all it took. "Okay," he said simply.
* * *
Rocky sat uncomfortably on the edge of Billy's bed and looked around the room idly. Billy seemed to be in no hurry to start talking; he was puttering around the room, straightening his belongings, preparing a CD to put into the player.... Rocky took in all of this dispassionately. Billy had apparently moved his entire room here to the Power Chamber at some point... he had no idea when. He'd known about the relocation of the lab- Billy had been glad for the extra space and equipment. But why the older boy was now living here too was beyond him.
Billy finished whatever it was he was doing and took a seat next to Rocky on the bed. "You comfortable?" he asked quietly. Rocky shrugged, and Billy smiled slightly. "I thought you'd say that. You don't seem to have much of an opinion on anything lately."
"I guess not." Rocky turned his attention to the CD Billy had chosen. It was quiet, melancholy. It was too soft for him to hear the words, but something about the melody was drawing him inward.
"You like that?" Billy asked after a moment.
"Hmmm?"
"The album? it's one of my favorites."
"What is it?"
"Sting. The Soul Cages."
"Oh. It's nice."
"Yeah. I thought it was fitting."
"How so?"
"Well...." Billy looked pensive. "It's all about love, it's about loss... it's about life. It's about us."
Rocky's eyes grew far away. "About us...." Dimly, he felt Billy's arm drape itself across his shoulder and pull him closer.
"Rocky... I know you miss Chrissy-" Rocky shuddered convulsively as he mentioned her name, and Billy gathered the younger boy into a hug. "I know you miss her, but this isn't the way."
"I... I don't know...."
"You're throwing your life away, Rocky, and she wouldn't have wanted that. She loved life."
Rocky pulled away violently. "And she lost her life, Billy! She lost her life saving me! It's not fair that-"
"She lost her life saving, me," Billy corrected quietly.
"What?"
"I was dying, and she traded places with me. I would gladly have given my life for your happiness, Rocky, but she didn't want that. She made the decision, and we have to honor that."
"I...." Rocky deflated, his eyes filling with tears. "I can't.... I just can't."
Billy nodded. "I want you to hear something, Rocky." He stood and walked over the the CD player, where he fiddled with the controls. The song playing in the background stopped, and another began. Billy turned the sound up.
So high above the world tonight
The angels watch us sleeping
And underneath a bridge of stars
We dream in safety's keeping
But perhaps the dream
Is dreaming us
Soaring with the seagulls
Perhaps the dream
Is dreaming us
Astride the backs of eagles
When the angels fall
Shadows on the wall
In the thunder's call
Something haunts us all
When the angels fall
Billy sat back down next to Rocky and closed his eyes, silently moving his lips along with the words of the song. Rocky stared at him, his heart almost breaking. _Chrissy used to do that...._
Take your father's cross
Gently from the wall
A shadow still remaining
See the churches fall
In mighty arcs of sound
And all that they're containing
Yet all the ragged souls
Of all the ragged men
Looking for their lost homes
Shuffle to the ruins
From the leveled plain
To search among the tombstones
When the angels fall
Shadows on the wall
In the thunder's call
Something haunts us all
When the angles fall
"I know you're hurting Rocky," Billy said, turning to face him, "And I know you're lost right now. You're searching for a way to fill the void She left in your heart, and you haven't found it. You can't hide behind your jokes and your games, and even your religeon has failed you. And now you're looking for peace in Death."
These are my feet
These are my hands
These are my children
This is my demand
Bring down the angels
Cast them from my sight
I never want to see
A million suns at midnight
Your hands are empty
The streets are empty
You can't control us
You can't control us anymore
Billy took his hands and looked deep into his eyes; deep into his soul. "You can't let this control you, Rocky. Don't let this defeat you. Please."
Rocky froze. "B... Billy...?" He shook his head. Something wasn't right. "Billy, you're...."
"I couldn't let Him control me Rocky," Billy said quietly, his eyes far away. "That was what He wanted. He couldn't stand to see me stand on my own. I was His creation, and I betrayed Him. In destroying me, He thought He could destroy all of you. Don't let him win, Rocky, please. I... I don't want him to win."
Rocky was crying freely now. "Chrissy...? No... you're dead...."
"We've won, Rocky," Chrissy told him. "Don't you see? If you go on... we've won."
"I can't go on without you Chrissy. I love you."
"I love you too. I never felt love... before. I found it with Billy, and with you. Our love is still here, and it always will be."
"But you're never coming back."
"I never left."
She (he?) leaned forward and kissed his cheek, then blushed brightly. "Billy would kill me if I did what I wanted to do."
Rocky blushed too. "Yeah I guess so," he mumbled.
"The song's over," Chrissy said absently, staring off into the distance. "You heard it, right Rocky? You heard everything?"
"I heard. I'll miss you...."
"I'll be here, always. In your hearts." She placed a hand on his breast, and he covered it with his own. Billy's hand was a lot smaller than it should have been....
"Don't go," Rocky begged, sensing somehow that she was fading. "Stay with me. Please...."
She shook her head. "I can't. It's not... it's not time."
"Time? When will it be time?"
"We will be together again, Rocky, I promise. Somehow, someday.... All of us will be together." Billy's face shifted, changed; and finally, Chrissy sat before him. His Chrissy. "I love you always."
She kissed him, and time stood still.
When the angels fall....
Rocky opened his eyes. He was cradled in Billy's arms. Not Chrissy's... Billy's. Billy sighed. "You okay?"
Rocky sat up slowly. "She... she was here."
"I know," Billy nodded. "I felt it."
"Then she's alive? Somewhere... she's alive?"
"In our hearts...."
"That's what she said.... In our hearts. I don't understand."
Billy hesitated. "Me neither," he finally admitted. "But I don't think we have to."
They sat in silence.
End
