Shining Dawn Black Ranger Story Prologue

Starlight Rangers
Whisper of a Vacant Dreamer
Prologue

Cloud covered skies, gray fading to black, leaking heavens tears. These, are the best days. At least, in Elizabeth's opinion. Sitting under the overhang of a covered park bench, this is what she thought; this is what she was enjoying. To her the rain was something that was calming, clean, pure, and beautiful. The only thing that compared on this level was the snow, and she didn't get to see that very often, now that she was away from her mountain home.

Taking a deep breath, inhaling the saturated air she listened to the constant beating of the rain. She opened her eyes and looked through the tinted glass overhang above her. The sky was dark now; she had stayed out far too long, and fell asleep without knowing it. Her back and muscles complained as she requested them to move.

The rain was beginning to slow now, and the night sky could be seen past the clouds in the distance. Yes, she had stayed out far too long, and the horizon showed that the sun would soon rise. The rain was continuing to slow down more and more as the minutes seemed to slip past her secretly.

Her body’s muscles transferred a message to the most important one, her heart. Giving out a throb and a quickened pace of defiance as she tried to get to her feet. She sat back down before she fell down. Breathing heavily, though trying not to, from both the quickened pulse and the pain she looked back up to the sky. The pain would go away soon, she hoped. She very much wanted to go home and drink some hot chocolate or tea... whichever was the closest when she got there.

Suddenly, the sky slipped. A single star flew across the sky as Elizabeth's eyes returned from a blink. Instantly her she thought of the one wish she'd always had, other than her childhood wishes of 'Happiness', 'Friends', and the ability to travel the universe with super powers, like some video game hero come to life.

"I just want... to be healthy. To have the strength and power... to make a safe world... for my family." she breathed to the star before her eyes lost its former place in the sky. "Whatever it takes..."

"Is that so?" came a voice from behind; startling her and making her heart throb once again. Resulting in a jerk from being shocked and almost letting out an embarrassing noise of fright. Looking back behind her to find the one responsible for not allowing her heart the chance to slow down, she found no one there.  "Beautiful night, is it not?" She swung her head in the other direction. Her guest was no longer behind her… Now a dark haired man stood at the other end of the bench she was sitting on, his face to the sky as one eye looked over towards her. Elizabeth's pulse quickened even more. This man hadn't been there a moment ago, and yet he wasn't wet from walking in the rain, and… he was shirtless.

Her face grew hot, she couldn't help it. She mentally slapped herself, thinking that now wasn't the time to be embarrassed by a half naked man. She just nodded an answer to his last question.

The strange man lowered his head and turned towards her, now looking at her with both eyes that, to her, had a strange feel to them. "Tell me, what's your name?"

She blinked, not believing what was happening, and as the man began to lean in closer she instinctively grabbed something and threw it at him. Sadly, and embarrassingly, it was her hat that had managed to stay on her head when she dozed off some time ago. The brown Cabelas hat made impact on the man's face as Elizabeth scooted as far as she could to the other side of the bench. The hat slid down and landed on the other end of the bench. The man's face held an odd and almost humored look. Like her actions amused him in some strange way.

Her heart continued to race, and it hurt. It was getting harder to breath, but she wouldn't show this pain to anyone, especially to some strange guy who just showed up out of nowhere. She clutched the arm of the bench from pain, asking herself why she wasn't running. She knew that she couldn’t get far like this, but she could’ve at least tried. It was just… even though she was freaked out, something told her legs not to move, not to leave.

As the man’s expression turned more to a smirk he stood up straight and reset a pair of glasses that had been knocked askew by the brim of her hat. "You've got fight, that's good." He stepped around the side of the bench and came around the front, stopping only a few steps away from Elizabeth. He bowed and offered, "I can help with that wish, if that's what you want."

Elizabeth's mind was racing faster than her heart, trying to figure out how this stranger could help with her health issues after several doctors couldn't even treat the symptoms effectively. Her mind was telling her it was impossible, while her Heart and soul begged her to take a chance. Little did she know her face was a billboard, showing her expression a little too well.

With a satisfied smirk he held out his hand, just several inches from her face. "I can make your wish come true."

Dryly swallowing, she forced her shaking hand to rise and merely said, "Prove it."
Upon touching his hand he gently wrapped his fingers around her small hand, and the world slowed down for a moment. His hand was warm, and her hand seemed to hum like it was waking up from loosing it’s circulation and falling asleep. The man continued to keep his smile as he asked her once again, "What's your name?"

Shakily, she replied "Elizabeth."

"Tell me again, Elizabeth, what’s your wish?"

Another dry swallow she tried to get words past her pounding heart she again replied, "Health and Strength, to make a safe world for my family! Whatever it takes.”

His smile grew as her heart quickened more, impossibly more, excruciatingly faster. "The power to protect comes at a price. So just remember that Karma will always return for you." He gripped her hand tight and the pain exploded to an incredible amount.

She couldn't bear it. Her body felt as if it was in lava, her heart was vibrating, she couldn't breathe, tears of pain and frustration rolled down her cheeks, she couldn't hold them back. It was growing, somehow, and it was getting to be far too much. Her jaw forced freedom from its clenched muscles to let out a cry from her very soul.