The Force of the Ninjetti
by Kay Enasni and Cynthia

The sun rose once again on Angel Grove, a town beset by monsters for almost five years now. Ever since the first one, though, the Power Rangers had protected Angel Grove. Today was no different, as the five young people responsible for the safety of their town and the planet played frisbee in the park.

"Catch it T.J.!" Carlos called, just as he released the Frisbee with the flick of his wrist. He knew that T.J. wasn't paying attention, which was his point at throwing it at him. Carlos gasped as the plastic flying disc impacted on T.J.'s head with a hollow clunking sound.

"Ow!" T.J. fell, rolled over on his side and pulled the frisbee up from underneath him, then hurled it back at Carlos. Laughing, he caught it.

"Poor T.J., knocked out by a frisbee!" Cassie said, putting her hands on her hips. "What a strong fearsome leader we have!"

"I was not knocked out. I have a head like a rock!" he reached up, balled up his fist and gently tapped his head.

Ashley laughed, shaking her head. "He can say that again!"

"A big THICK rock!" Justin added, grinning from ear to ear.

"Now, I wouldn't go THAT far!" T.J. told them, climbing to his feet.

Carlos covered his mouth to choke back a laugh. "I would!"

"Come now, Burrito boy... you know I could kick your butt any day of the week if I wanted to! Big rock head or not," a sly grin slid across T.J.'s face, and he cracked his knuckles loudly. The girls and Justin jumped back, but Carlos just stood there, laughing.

"Yeah, right!" he retorted in a teasing tone. "You wish!"

"Wanna bet?" T.J. balled up his fists and took a boxing stance, and then began to bounce around Carlos, who just laughed harder and harder.

Justin pointed at the Red Ranger, giggling. "Look, T.J. looks like a kangaroo!"

"Yeah, a big old red kangaroo!" Cassie added.

T.J. stood still, then drew his face into a pout. "Shut up!" he demanded, but his solemn expression dissolved into laughter. Ashley giggled, then toppled to the ground, pointing at T.J.

"Look everyone! It's T.J.! The friendliest bouncy rock headed red kangaroo ever to bounce through Angel Grove! He's been called the new 'Barney' by 'USA Today'!"

"Now that's going a little TOO far!" T.J. exclaimed.

Carlos clapped T.J. on the shoulder, smiling at him. "Come on, Teej. We're just teasing you. You're not the new Barney."

"Good."

Justin started laughing again. "Yeah, you're the new Lambchop!"

Carlos dropped his knees, and began to roll on the ground, laughing his head off. Ashley laughed as well, and pointed at the Green Ranger just as he began turning blue in the face.

"He looks like he's going to explode!" she commented.

Cassie giggled. "Oh, man. Are we all crazy or what?"

"Or what," Justin said.

Carlos stopped laughing to look at the younger ranger. He bore a confused visage, and squinted. "What are we?"

"Or what!" Justin repeated, eyeing Carlos strangely. "Don't you get it?"

"But that's what he just asked, Justin. What are we?" Ashley said. She too looked confused. These two were like two peas in a pod, they didn't get anything, did they? Jocks and cheerleaders tend to be like that.

"Or what. . ." Justin sighed and shook his head.

"Oh! I get it!" Carlos exclaimed. "That's funny!"

"Yeah! It's funny!" Ashley repeated and the two of them started rolling around, laughing crazily. T.J. started laughing as well and toppled over, and Cassie soon followed. Justin snorted, clicking his tongue and shaking his head.

"I don't get it," he himself was trying hard not to laugh, after all, it was very funny watching these people, who were supposed to be older and more mature than him, rolling around in the grass, getting all dirty, and laughing like idiots.

They were all laughing so hard, they didn't notice the periscope peeking up out of the water and focusing on them. The person on the other end would do anything to spoil the fun the five Rangers were having, anything at all!

Ashley bumped into Carlos, starting to calm down her laughter. But as she saw the look on his face, and all the grass that they had both acquired in their hair as they had rolled around, she started up again.

Justin grabbed onto Cassie's arm and pulled her to where she was standing. "Come on!" he whined.

She laughed over at T.J., who had gotten up and was playing with the frisbee by himself, and having a fit with it at that! And not only that, but Carlos and Ashley had begun a tickle fight with each other.

Rolling his eyes, Justin stated, "Silliness is spreading!"

"Spreading all over!" Cassie continued, and she looked at Ashley. "Your turn!"

"All over the Earth!" Ashley nudged Carlos.

"Over the Earth, and across the galaxy!" he shot a glance at T.J.

"Across the galaxy and BACK!"

Cassie giggled. "Twice over!

Justin sighed and gave in. Laughing with full force, he added. "And over and over!"

"FOREVER AND EVER!" Carlos yelled, and he got up and dashed for the picnic basket. "Let's eat!"

Divatox spun around, her gloved fingers clenched onto the handles of her periscope, and her eyes plastered into the viewfinder. Her ruby red lips were curled into an evil sneer, and a growl slowly escaped the gaps between her teeth.

"Whatcha doin'?" Elgar came sauntering up to her, and clapped her on the back with his large, gangly hands. She spun around and slapped him, eyes wide with anger.

"Don't touch me, you fool!" she demanded. "I was watching the rangers, what else do you think I would be doing?"

"Watching the home shopping channel?" he asked. That reply was only met by another vicious slap.

"I told you, when I am at the periscope, I am watching the rangers, you twit!"

"Ohhhh, 'kay!" he said, "So like, what are they doing now?"

"Having fun, and laughing their silly little heads off." She spat. "Ha! I'll give something to laugh at! I must find a way to destroy their puny little powers!"

"The. . .uhhh. . .best way to do that, Auntie D, is to like. . .capture one of 'em, and some junk, and like. . .get Porto to check out their Turbo Charger thingies and figure out how to like, make 'em not work." Elgar looked very exhausted after that outburst, and dizzily backed into the wall.

Divatox stood there, staring at him, utterly dumbfounded to say the least. "Elgar. . .," she whispered, teeth clenched. "If I didn't know it was impossible, I'd swear that you just had an idea! And a good one at that!"

"I had an idea!? WOAH!" Elgar jumped around a bit, only to hit his head on the ceiling and topple to the ground. Divatox came and stood over him, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Don't get used to it," she muttered, "It wont ever happen again."

He rubbed his egg-shaped head, and looked up at her dizzily. "Uhhh, whatever you say, Auntie D."

"RYGOG!"

The large monster came over to her, and took a low bow. "Yes, oh captain of captains?"

"Take some Piranatrons to the park and go capture me a Power Ranger!" she commanded, balling up her fists and grinning mischievously.

"Do you have a preference?" he rumbled.

"Not really, but either the Red or Blue ones will do nicely," she nodded at him. "Now go do it!"

"And so it is done!" Rygog bowed once more, then waved his hand and dozens of Piranatrons appeared next to him. "I'm outa here!" and with that, he and the Piranatrons disappeared in a flash of red.

Divatox began to cackle gleefully. "Viva la Diva!" she screamed. "Oooh, goody, goody, goody! I'm gonna win this one!"

"Uhhhh. . .yeah!" a dizzy Elgar replied, and the echoing of his voice was drowned out by the shrill laughter of Divatox, as it rang through the SpaceBase, and out into the cold void that surrounded it.

Cassie laid out a blanket, pulled out the picnic basket and set the food out on it. It had been a major battle keeping Carlos away from the food before she had even had a chance to set it up, and now Ashley, T.J. and Justin were holding him down as she did so. They practically had to tie and gag him! She made sure everything was set up perfectly, then turned to face the others, smiling.

"Turn the animal loose," she told them, staring Carlos in the eye. As their fingers let go of his arms and legs, he lashed out and made a mad break for the blanket. When he had reached within the range of three feet from it, he made a leap, not unlike one seen in a soccer game, and he went crashing into the picnic basket.

"Carlos!" Cassie whined, and she grabbed hold of him and pulled him away from the food. "Are you that hungry!?"

He nodded eagerly, a wide grin creasing his face. She shook her head and slapped him lightly. "I think it would be more polite of you to wait for everyone else to get over here before you devour all our food," she said as she held tightly onto his arm. He sat still, looking her in the eye. "Is that understood?"

"Si, mama," he said, "I'm sorry." And as he said so, the others came and sat down at the blanket, and began to serve up some food for themselves.

"Good," she giggled a little, then grabbed a sandwich off of a plate laying on the blanket nearby, and shoved it into his mouth. He somehow managed to chew it up, and more surprisingly swallow the entire thing.

"Good food, Cassie!" he exclaimed after he had done so. He grinned and grabbed a handful of potato chips, and shoved them into his mouth as well.

"I'm an expert peanut butter and jelly sandwich maker! It's my specialty!" she picked another sandwich off of the plate for herself, and slowly began to nibble at the crust.

"Hey, I brought the drinks!" Ashley yelled.

"Gee, you're so talented at buying soda!" T.J. teased.

"Hey, I thought that I brought the drinks!" Justin insisted, then began to laugh.

"Guys, this is. . .Piranatrons!" T.J. growled, on his feet even as he spoke.

"Oh crud," Carlos leapt to his feet, glaring at the fish headed creatures that had appeared and surrounded them. "Why now!? I was still eating!"

Ashley shrugged, going into a fighting stance. "Who knows? But let's kick some fin!"

"Right!" Justin exclaimed, and dashed into the midst of the Piranatrons. Before he could so much as touch one, they shrugged, took hold of his arms and legs, refusing to let go "Hey! NO fair! I didn't get to do anything yet!" he wiggled and twisted in their grip, trying to break his way free.

Carlos ran out, beginning to kick some of the other Piranatrons away. The others dashed out after him, setting out to free Justin from their grip. Justin too, had a plan of his own. He managed to get his head to where one bound his wrist, and clamped his teeth down on the Piranatron's hand. It yelped, and hopped away from him, holding onto its hand. The other Piranatrons, after seeing what he had done to their colleague, dropped him and stepped away. Justin laughed, and karate chopped one in it's neck. Burbling like boiling water, it dissolved into the ground.

The other rangers too, got into the thick of the battle. T.J. did a low roundhouse kick, sending a few falling to their rears. Cassie back flipped over some of them, hitting them in their heads and sending them flying. Carlos used his soccer style kicking technique to send a few of them flying into the branches of nearby trees. And Ashley full out pounced on them, squashing them. The fish-headed monsters fought back to the best of their abilities, but that simply was not enough. Only a few remained in moments, and they were weak and straggling.

Then, as if things weren't already bad, Rygog appeared out of the blue, with a whole new squadron of Piranatrons. "Rangers!" He snarled, holding his sword out before him. The Piranatrons charged, sending the tired Rangers sprawling on the ground. Justin, hit hardest of all, went hurtling into the nearest tree, much to his dismay as Rygog stepped over his friends, coming towards him. The monster seized him by the shoulder, dragging him to his feet with his sword to Justin's throat. "Queen Divatox requests your presence at the Space Base, Power Brat."

"Hey! Put me down!" Justin kicked and struggled, but as Rygog's blade neared his throat, he stopped, staring with wide and terrified eyes at it.

"JUSTIN!" Cassie screamed, trying and failing to stand as a Piranatron delivered a powerful kick to her ribs.

"See ya later, Rangers!" Rygog waved his arm, and he, the Piranatrons, and Justin vanished.

This was met by screaming and rioting by the Rangers that they had not taken. They all dashed up to a standing position, grabbing for their Turbo Chargers. Hate glinted in their eyes.

"NO!" T.J. yelled. "JUSTIN!"

Carlos growled down deep. "Let's get to the Power Chamber and find a way to get him back! I don't want to think about what they might do to him!"

"If Divatox does ANYTHING to him, I swear. . .," Ashley swore even as Carlos spoke. She nodded briefly. "Let's go," their decision was met only by silent nods from Cassie and T.J.

And with that, they dissolved into 4 streaks of multicolored light, and disappeared, on their way to the Power Chamber.

"Let me go, you disgusting . . .things!" Justin struggled with the Piranatrons as they dragged him into Divatox's throne room. She smiled a little at his nerve, he wouldn't stop fighting even when he'd obviously already been defeated! She raised an eyebrow as he pulled away from the Piranatrons and backflipped to the wall. Oh, please let him do what I think he's going to do!

"Shift into Turbo!" he growled, pulling his Turbo Key out of a back pocket. With a flick of his wrists, his Turbo Chargers appeared on them.

"Now, Elgar!" Divatox snapped. Her nephew stepped out of the shadows and seized Justin's arms, holding them apart so he couldn't activate the morphing sequence. He looked up, eyes wide with startlement.

Divatox laughed as she had him chained to a wall. "Welcome, Little Boy Blue!" she grinned at him evilly. She reached out and touched his cheek gently... her long nails traced his high cheekbone. He shook his head and turned it away from them, squirming and writhing in the chains.

"Let me go!" he demanded.

"Oh, I don't think so!" she laughed. "Oh, no!" she removed her hand from his face, reached up to his wrists and tore the Turbo Chargers away from him.

"NO! Give those back to me! Give them back!"

"I think not! Porto!" she crooked her finger, motioning to the large monster across the room. He wobbled over to her, holding out his hands. In them, she placed Justin's Turbo Chargers. "Take these, and find a way to destroy those Rangers' powers!"

"Of course, my queen!" Porto made a short bow, and wobbled out of the room, Turbo Chargers in hand. Justin struggled and screamed.

"Give me those back!"

Divatox cackled. "Nope!" and to seal off her reply, she slammed him in the stomach with her balled up fist. He gasped loudly, and his eyes bugged out. He went limp in his chains, unable to breath. Screaming with vile pleasure, she kicked at him.

"Stop it! Leave me alone! Give me my Turbo Chargers back!" he groaned, unable to lift his head to look at her.

"NOPE!" She stepped aside, gesturing to a group of Piranatrons nearby. "Have fun, boys!"

And then they stepped in her place, beating and kicking with all their might. Poor Justin hung there, unable to fight them back, unable to save himself. After what seemed to have been hours, they stepped away, leaving him bruised, battered and bleeding. Justin screamed as Divatox stepped back in, and kicked him square in the knees with her boots. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut, closing out her image. He groaned softly, panting for breath.

Then Divatox grabbed hold of him by the chin, and stared at his closed eyes. Slowly, Justin reopened them, only to find himself staring into her eyes. She smiled seductively, licking her lips with the flick of her long, reptilian tongue. Justin gasped, then gulped loudly.

"Ever been kissed, little Ranger boy?" she asked, stroking his cheek once more. He shivered under her touch, and shook his head slowly. She laughed. "Well, you're about to be."

Justin whimpered, and turned his head away from her. He made himself clamp his mouth shut, afraid of what was going to happen to him. Her grip on his chin tightened, digging her fingernails deep into his skin and jerking his head back to face her.

"Now that's not nice at all! That's no way to treat someone who is gonna give you the kiss you're never going to forget!"

Justin's heart pounded like a jackhammer as he stared straight into Divatox's eyes, whether he wanted to or not. Then his heart almost stopped completely as she bent forward, swift as a snake, and fastened her lips on his. He stood in shock, which turned into disgust and horror as he felt his mouth opening in response to her tongue forcing it's way inside, unfolding to unimaginable lengths as it slipped down his throat. Burning, raw agony sprang up all through him, mixed with disgust and hatred of this monster masquerading as a woman.

When he tried to pull away from her, the tongue, now somewhere down deep inside of him, wrapped around, tightened, and held a tight grip on his windpipe. He tried to shriek with horror, but found it impossible. Not only that, but he was starting to lose consciousness. It seemed an eternity until she pulled away from him, her tongue slurping out of his insides, and back down into her evil mouth. Her lips curled with a smile of satisfaction, and she began to laugh at him.

Justin immediately began gasping to regain the breath that he had lost, eyes wide. He trembled all over, and the burning sensation... the fire that was eating him up inside... was stronger than ever. It hurt. . .hurt so bad. . .

"I could do a lot more to you than nearly rip your windpipe out," she stated simply, placing her hands on her hips. "As a matter of fact I could kill you, but you're too important to my plan."

"My. . .throat. . .on fire... "

She backhanded him across the cheek, almost snapping his neck. "Oh, don't be such a baby! You'll live," she shrugged suddenly, grinning. "Maybe."

"Kiss him again!" Rygog was nearly jumping up and down, giggling with demonic glee. "That was hilarious! A classic!"

Divatox looked back at Justin, hanging there so helpless in those chains that she had bonded him in, hurting from the beating she and the Piranatrons had given him, and dying from the damage that she had done to his insides with her 'Kiss of Death'. She shrugged, lifted his head to look up at her once more and said, "Oh, why not?" and then plunged her mouth back down, before Justin could so much as cry out a word of protest.

Cassie dropped to her knees and filled the Power Chamber with a long, shrill scream. Her eyes filled with tears as the image of what Divatox was doing to their friend loomed on the viewing globe. "We have to help him! We have to!"

"I'm going to kill her," T.J. growled, cracking his knuckles. "SLOWLY!"

Carlos dashed over to the control panel, and immediately began punching buttons. Alpha ran over, grabbed hold of his wrists and pulled him away.

"Yo! Carlos, don't go messin' with da controls, dude. They're fragile!"

"GET US THERE NOW!" Carlos demanded. "Don't you see she's hurt him ENOUGH! We have to get to him!"

Cassie came up beside Carlos, and pulled Alpha's hands from his wrists. "Yeah! Get us there now, or consider yourself scrap!"

Alpha nearly toppled over backwards, giving a sideways glance to Dimitria. She just nodded, and he turned to the control panel and began to enter in a code of some kind. "I warn ya, Rangers. . ." he said softly, sounding very hurt. "That this is gonna be real dangerous. Youse need to keep a lookout for yourselves. I don't wantcha gettin' hurt up there... "

T.J. nodded. "We know, Alpha. But we have to do it. We can't just stand there while Justin is getting his insides ripped out by that. . .that monster!"

Ashley stood there, eyes locked on the globe. "She has her tongue shoved down his throat! We have to get to him! She. . .she could kill him!"

"OK, Here ya'll go!" he pressed the last button, and away they went; on their way to save their friend from the clutches of the Evil Space Pirate, Divatox.

Divatox slowly lifted her lips away from Justin, pulling her tongue back into her mouth as she did so. She laughed throatily, glaring down at him, when all of a sudden she heard a low growl sounding from behind her. She attempted to spin around, but before she had a chance to move, a hand slammed into the back of her neck. Her eyes bulged, and turning on her heel, she moved to face her attacker. Then she was met with a powerful slap on the face, before she could see who had hit her. Her vision blurred, and she backed into Justin, who let out a loud grunt. The attacker grabbed her by the neck and dragged her away from him, and threw her into the wall.

Divatox's head swam, and she dizzily climbed to her feet. After shaking her head a few times, she saw Carlos standing in front of her, fists and teeth clenched, ready to strike her again. From behind him she could see Cassie running to the battered Justin, hanging in chains on the wall across the way from them; and in the doorway, she could see Porto standing there, holding Justin's Turbo Chargers in his hand and cackling evilly.

Divatox leapt away from Carlos, laughing. "Pathetic little Power Brats! My plan is complete! And there is nothing you can do about it either! Porto!" she nodded at him. "Do it!"

"You're going to be OK, Justin. . .don't worry," Cassie grabbed hold of the chains and tugged with all of her might. He looked up at her, eyes wide, red and swollen from tears and unbearable pain. His breath. . .oh, it terrified her to hear his breathing, he rasped, and wheezed, and the sounds of things rattling in his lungs resonated within him. There were bleeding cuts and bruises all over the bare areas, like his arms, neck and face, and she assumed there were many more that were hidden by the torn clothing that half- way clung to him with the dampness of cold sweat. The chains rattled and cracked then broke loose, and Justin crumpled and began to fall. Cassie caught him carefully in her arms. She rolled him over on his back, squatting down, and wiped the sweat, blood and tears off of his face.

He moaned quietly, gazing up at her with imploring eyes. "Save. . .yourselves... " he rasped. "My. . .Turbo Charger. . .Porto. . .,"

Carlos began to advance on Divatox, reaching deep in his pocket for the key that would activate his Turbo Charger, and in turn, the Green Turbo Ranger powers. "You're going to pay for hurting my friend, Divabitch... "

"Oh, you Rangers think you're so great!" she laughed. "Well, I've got a surprise for you! Porto, you big marshmallow! Have you done it yet!?"

"Waiting, my captain, for the right moment!" he giggled, quaking all over like a gigantic balloon being battered around by a little child. "Oh, this is going to be GREAT!"

Snarling, Carlos pulled his hand out of his pocket and thrust it out at her throat, pinning her to the wall. He bore his teeth, growling like a wild wolf when it has trapped it's prey.

T.J. came up behind him and took hold of his shoulder. "Come on, let's morph and take her down. Cassie's got Justin, we can blow this pop stand once we get rid of her!"

"Not before I repay her for what she has done to Justin!" he turned his face to T.J., eyes narrowed. Divatox sighed, then kicked her foot as hard as she could in a sensitive male area, and his slit eyes became wide. "L. . .let's morph!" he squealed, finding his voice was three octaves higher, and backed away from the cackling Divatox quickly.

Cassie ripped the bottom of her shirt off, and tore it into tiny bandages, beginning to tend to Justin's wounds. As she did, he screamed and bucked, then became limp, nearly falling into unconsciousness. She nodded for the other three to morph. "Go ahead!" She yelled. "Finish her off! He's not doing too well!" Almost lovingly, she brushed the damp hair away from Justin's face, then kissed him gently on the forehead. "Don't worry, Justin, we'll take care of you."

Immediately he began to squirm again. "My. . .Turbo Charger. . ." he cried. "Take it from. . .Porto. ..get my. . .Turbo Charger!"

"We'll get it before we leave!" she eyed Porto suspiciously.

"Beware, rangers! HAHA!" He rested his hands on a lever, ready to yank it down at any second.

Magically, in the hands of the green, yellow, and red rangers there appeared a key. Like three little marionettes; in perfect precision they instinctively went into a stance, holding their keys out at the ready, before them and all in the room. Their eyes narrowed, faces solemn and serious. Their voices cried out simultaneously. "Shift into Turbo!" and down went Porto's hands, and the lever with them.

And then, with the lever pulled, the power of millions of lightening bolts surged through the keys. Screaming in agony, the half-morphed rangers crumbled, squirming around on the ground. Divatox howled with laughter, watching as the power swirled around them all, draining their power...

And then it stopped, and the rangers lay there, unmorphed, hurt, and powerless.

"Sorry, Rangers!" Divatox came by each of them, planting her boot in each of their stomachs. "Or should I say EX-rangers!"

Cassie clung onto Justin, hot tears streaming down her cheeks. "Wh... what happened?" she whimpered, just as Justin groaned, then fell unconscious in her arms. At the same moment, her own key had sent a shock through her, but not nearly as bad as what had been through the others it seemed.

T.J. rolled on his back, jumping back so that he could stand. From there, he helped Carlos and Ashley get up. "She destroyed our powers!"

"That's right, little rangers!" Porto screamed. "And there's nothing you can do about it!"

Laughing evilly, Divatox motioned for Piranatrons to come nearer. "DESTROY THEM!" She ordered, and they began to advance on the shaken group of teenagers. Cassie stood, holding Justin close to her.

"Not a chance, Divabuttocks! Come on guys, let's teleport our butts out of here while we still can!" and before the Piranatrons could reach them, they disappeared into the night.

"Let them go!" Divatox put her hands on her hips, a devious grin curling her lips. "They have no powers... they can do NOTHING to stop us!"

Minutes after their arrival in the Power Chamber, the shocked rangers were leaning against each other, rubbing their heads. They all felt numb, as if this was all one horrible, awful nightmare. Justin wasn't really dying in front of them, their powers weren't gone, Divatox wasn't already sending her minions to pillage Angel Grove. . .

Everything was fine.

But no, it was not fine. Nothing was fine anymore. Justin was on the brink of death, lying out on the table under the watchful eyes of Alpha 6. Their powers were gone; destroyed with the single pull of a lever. And Divatox was slowly trapping them in their fortress; monsters surrounding the Power Chamber inched closer and closer, sealing them off.

Cassie turned her tear streaked face up to the plasma tube, looking at the white veiled woman within. "What did she do to him, Dimitria?"

"It is hard to tell. . .," the gentle voice echoed softly through the Power Chamber. "She could have punctured his lung with the tip of her tongue, ripped some veins out. Sadly, I fear the worst."

"Alpha, can you help him?" T.J. asked, coming up behind the robot as he tended to Justin.

"Yo... I'm no surgeon , T.J, but I'm doin' what I can... "

Suddenly, Justin jerked out of his coma, wheezing, rasping. His arms reached out, eyes became wide. "Mom! Where are you. . .mom, I can't see you!" he cried deliriously, gasping for a breath. "I can't see anything!"

Carlos came over and gently took hold onto Justin's hand. "Shhh. . .it's going to be alright, Justin. Calm down."

"I can't see! Where is my mom!" he wailed, then started a shuddering cough, sending his body into convulsions.

"Help him, Alpha!" Carlos begged, wiping tears that began welling up in his eyes.

"Yo...Carlos, calm down, buddy. I'm tryin', I'm tryin'!"

A crackling sound filled the building, and a streak of blue light rocketed from the ceiling. It materialized, and there stood one of the Rangers' most dear friends and allies, the Blue Senturion.

"What has happened?" he inquired with his intercom type voice. "I felt the disturbance, and came to your aid, but when I saw the horde of monsters, without you fighting them, I felt there was more to the problem than some mere disturbance."

"Oh, Blue Senturion!" Cassie practically pounced into his arms, sobbing. "It was awful, just awful! Divatox sent Rygog down, and kidnapped Justin. She. . .she kissed him, and now he's sick, really, really sick! She took. . .she took his turbo chargers, and she destroyed our powers and we don't know what to do!"

"We're at the end of our rope," Ashley admitted. "We need your help. Is there... is there anything you can do?"

"You won't be safe here for long," he stated. "The monsters are closing in."

"But Justin is dying!" T.J. exclaimed, pointing over at him. "We can't just leave!"

"You're going to have to!" the Senturion yelled, sounding very worried. "Hear me out, you're going to have to leave here, and fast! You haven't much time! I might know someone who can help us, but if we don't leave now, he'll die for SURE! You need to flee from here, all of you!"

"Why? The monsters can't get in here!" Cassie insisted. No sooner had she said that, when scores of Piranatrons poured in from the ceiling, landing all around them.

"I told you! THAT is why!" the Blue Senturion ran to the table, and lifted Justin up cautiously, then dashed for the control panel.

"Oh, CRAP!" T.J. screamed, grabbing onto Carlos and Ashley's wrists. Cassie followed them quickly, and they all huddled together as Piranatrons crept closer to them and closer.

"Alpha, set a teleportation course for Phaedos, and hurry!" Blue Senturion demanded, just as monsters bashed the door down, and ran inside, joining their friends in surrounding the Rangers.

"Phaedos! Got it, Blue!" Alpha began to punch at the buttons as Dimitria came down from her plasma tube.

"Come Rangers, we must leave now!" she nodded at the Blue Senturion, and before she could say anything to him, they were being teleported, on their way to the Planet Phaedos.

The monsters crowded around the panel where the rangers had just stood, gaping at the empty area in disbelief.

"Uh oh, they got away," Elgar said as he entered and stared around. "Auntie Di is not gonna like this one little bit!"

"You're right I don't like this!" Divatox growled. "They got away!"

Porto looked up from a computer console. "I'm tracking them, my queen! They're on their way to Phaedos!"

"Phaedos?" Divatox screamed the word at the top of her powerful lungs. "NO!"

Rygog checked over the controls. "There is now ay we can stop them until they reach the planet, either!" he reported, shuffling away from Divatox as he did. She had a habit of striking down people who made her angry.

"Send a squad of the best Piranatrons to intercept them as soon as they're on the ground," she ordered. "And I want Justin and Carlos brought to me, both in one piece!"

Elgar frowned, as much as he was capable of frowning anyway. "Uhhh. .why them two, Auntie?"

"Just do it!" Divatox screamed as Rygog ordered the Piranatrons to Phaedos. "Good!" she approved of his instant obedience to her wishes.

Porto came over to her. "Rest assured, captain, that they'll never reach the Monolith!"

"They'd better not!" Divatox growled. Porto shook his head, which had the effect of shaking his whole body really.

"Oh, no, they won't even get close!" he promised her.

Divatox glared at them all, her eyes flashing. "If they do, you'll all pay for it!" she promised, pleased by their shivering fear of her. "Now, get some monsters ready! We're going to take Earth by storm!"

"This is going to be fun!" Rygog declared as he started to gather up the mosnters. Divatox laughed with evil agreement as she turned to Earth. Mine, all mine, at long last!

The little group appeared on the rocky shores of Phaedos, with Cassie and Ashley still hovering protectively over Justin. The Blue Senturion looked around, and the Rangers had the distinct feeling that he would've been nervous if he were capable of it. "Here we are at last!" he declared. His voice sounded somewhat more human, startling them all, though it was still the same voice they had known for so long.

"We are safe, for a little while," Dimitria informed them. "We are not needed for this, Rangers, and will return to you when your quest has ended."

Before any of the Rangers could say or do anything, both she and Alpha had vanished completely. Ashley bit her lip, then glanced around. "It doesn't look like anyone is here," she said at last.

"Do not let the landscape deceive you," their robotic friend warned them. "There is great power on this planet."

Carlos glanced around, there was something unnervingly familiar about this place. "Great Power?" he asked. The Blue Senturion nodded.

"Far greater than you have ever known, Carlos," he told the Ranger.

T.J.'s eyes widened. "Wow! How do we get it? We've got stop Divatox, she's going to be wrecking Earth without us there!"

"Be patient," the Blue Senturion told them. Cassie was still checking over Justin.

"I hope he's going to be okay," she murmured. The Blue Senturion came over to her and she had the strangest feeling he would be smiling if he were capable of it.

"If we can find someone to help us in time, he'll be fine," he told her. T.J. looked around.

"Who can help us?" He wondered.

The Blue Senturion gave what might have been a short laugh. "You'll see!" was all he said, no matter how hard they tried to get it out of him. Carlos looked hard at Justin, feeling a strange desire to protect him, no matter what the cost to himself.

"I hope we see soon!" he declared. "Justin doesn't look good!"

As the Blue Senturion came over to take Justin in his arms, T.J. asked worriedly, "Is he going to be okay?"

"He's not doing well at all," their friend sounded concerned. "Do you know what she did to his insides?"

Cassie told him, "According to what we saw on the Viewing Globe, nothing good!"

"I don't like that tongue of hers!" the Senturion had sounded less and less like his normal self ever since he'd arrived in the Power Chamber! "This is not good at all!"

"And that's even worse!" Ashley groaned as she pointed to a batch of Piranatrons that appeared a few feet away.

"Everyone watch out for yourselves and each other!" the Blue Senturion snapped as he pulled a shield from somewhere, holding it over Justin. "They're up to no good!"

The Piranatrons charged them, as the Rangers who were capable of it fell into fighting stances. The Blue Senturion was shooting at the creatures as fast as he could while still defending Justin, while a few feet away, Cassie was already having to deal with three of the fish-headed things. Her eyes widened as she saw Carlos in danger.

"Carlos!" she called out, slamming a Piranatron into a rock. "Look out behind you!"

The powerless Green Ranger turned, just in time to see himself get grabbed by the Piranatrons. "Lemme go, sushi-breath!" he growled, struggling as best he could. Obviously, this batch of Piranatrons was smarter than usual, as the one holding his left arm replied to him.

"Never, Ranger!" it hissed at him. "Divatox wishes your presence on the Space Base!"

It's companion, holding his right arm, laughed. "She wants to shove her tongue down your throat!"

The scream Carlos let loose with shattered the eardrums of four Piranatrons, and didn't do Carlos' fellow Rangers much good either. But it did get them to drop his arms and back away, holding what would've been their ears if they had any. Ashley rubbed her ears and frowned.

"Uhhh. . .good job, Carlos," she said finally. He smiled at her, then pointed behind her.

"Watch out!" was all he had time to say as a Piranatron hit her in the back. That seemed to turn the tide of battles in the enemies' favor, as all over the beach, the fish- monsters started to gang up on the Rangers.

The Blue Senturion growled in disgust as one of the Piranatrons seized his shield and started slamming him about the head with it. The intergalactic police officer shielded Justin as best he could, especilly when he saw one of the monsters starting to grab for the semi-conscious Ranger.

"You know, this sucks!" T.J. cried, and things didn't get any better when one of the Piranatrons started to blast the Blue Senturion with his own weapon!

"Blue Senturion, Justin!" Carlos screamed as the Piranatrons began to drag Justin away.

The monster laughed hideously. "Divatox wants you, little Ranger!" he told them. Whatever else he might've said was lost as a cloaked figure leaped down from the heights above them to kick the creature away. The Blue Senturion seized Justin away from the thing, almost smiling, if he were capable of it.

"Good timing!" he told the person, who turned out to be a tall, golden-haired woman as she threw off her cloak.

Carlos triple spin kicked five Piranatrons that were around him, and almost laughed. "Looks like the help you talked about has arrived!" he said. And she looks so familiar! This whole place does, but I know I've never been here before! What's going on here?

"Finally!" Cassie groaned as she kicked a Piranatron. The strange woman grabbed every Piranatron she could, then pulled out a staff, twisted it in the middle, causing it to come apart. She spun both halves expertly about, creating a harsh whistling noise that no one there seemed to be able to stand the sound it made.

Except Carlos. He stood there, eyes wide as the Piranatrons burbled and finally dissolved, vanishing from Phaedos. The woman turned, sliding her sticks back together, and her eyes flew wide open as she saw Justin.

None of the Rangers had ever seen someone move so fast as she did as she ran over to their youngest member. He opened his eyes slowly as he looked at her. "The. . .noise. . .stopped."

"I'm sorry," she said softly, tenderly. "But I had to get those things away from you."

"Mom!" Justin's eyes went wide with joy. "Mom!" he was doing everything he could to wriggle out of the Blue Senturion's arms. The woman carefully removed him and held him gently against her, tears sparkling in her eyes. "You're here!" he whispered. "I thought I'd never see you again!"

She frowned. "What?"

"Well... .I just never thought that I'd see you... living on another planet and all." Justin told her.

She frowned even more, as the Blue Senturion stepped forward. "I am the Blue Senturion, at your service, ma'am," he said, then quickly introduced each of them. "We have come for the Great Power you guard here."

She nodded, and stood up, Justin in her arms. "I am Dulcea," she introduced herself. "Guardian of the power of Phaedos, and Justin's mother."

"Hurry up, hurry up!" Divatox roared. "I want tons of monsters and millions of Piranatrons!" she demanded.

Porto looked over at her. "I'm preparing them as fast as I'm able!" he told her. Divatox glared at him.

"Faster! Faster!" she screeched as she looked around. "Where are those Piranatrons with my two Rangers?"

Rygog went over to the sensors. "Checking the scanners for them now!" he told her. A few moments later, with Divatox urging everyone to hurry whatever they were doing, he looked up. "Uh-oh. . .!"

Divatox whirled on him. "What? Uh-oh? Did I hear you say uh-oh, Rygog?"

"Uhhhh. . .no, my queen," he tried to cover up what he'd said quickly. She marched over to the consoles, glaring at him with glowing eyes.

"What's going on?" she demanded to know. Rygog fell back, not wanting to face her when she was this angry.

"Some force that was not the Rangers destroyed the Piranatrons!" he finally reported as her eyes glinted with rage.

Divatox's voice nearly shattered the Space Base. "What?"

Rygog continued his report quickly. "They nearly had the burrito boy and the pipsqueak and nearly destroyed the Blue Senturion and everything!"

The pirate queen of evil glared all around as if her moronic crew had the answers. "Who dared to do this?" she demanded finally. Rygog whispered the name at last.

"Dulcea," he winced as Divatox recited some incredibly nasty names. When Rygog told her that Dulcea was apparently Justin's mother, she said even worse things about the warrior woman. Rygog tried to be assertive.

"We need to do more than this! The Piranatrons weren't enough, we can't let them reach the monolith! If they do. . .it'll be. . .well, not real good!"

"I know that!" Divatox snapped, then laughed harshly. "But don't concern yourselves, no one has ever survived a trip to the monolith!"

Porto had information Divatox didn't like, though. "Not true, my captain! There is a record of one group of warriors making their way there!" he shut up at a viscous glance from Divatox.

Rygog tried to distract his queen. "Dulcea hates you with a vengeance for what you've done to her son, that's for sure!"

"Send the most hideous monsters we have to destroy them all!" Divatox declared, ignoring both of them. Porto nodded and cackled eagerly. He started to gather up his most evil monsters, to the background noise of Divatox snickering. "I will not be defeated by children and a dried up old relic like Dulcea!"

"Victory is ours!" Rygog declared, to Divatox's fierce agreement. "I can feel it, it is within our grasp!"

Divatox threw herself into her throne. "Yes, and I will rule forever!"

"Long live Queen Divatox!" they all declared, gathering around in proper humble positions.

"Oh, yes, forever!" she purred. Rygog cleared his throat and brought up what might be a delicate subject.

"Do you still wish that one Ranger as your mate?"

Divatox nodded, the Green Ranger had figured in several of her romantic dreams for weeks! "Certainly! So he can see how miserably he and his friends failed their world!"

"You are so cruel, my captain!" Rygog declared. Divatox laughed.

"Flattery will get you nowhere!" She almost smiled at him.

"I'm not flattering, it's the truth!" Rygog complimented her. Divatox smiled, and held her hand out to him.

"I know, I know! You may kiss my hand!" as he reached for it, she jerked it away, grinning. "Gotcha!"

The Rangers stood in a small bunch, watching as Dulcea did something they couldn't quite identify to Justin. He looked happily up at her. "Wow!" He smiled. "I feel so much better now, Mom!"

"I'm glad," she smiled at him as he got up and hugged her.

"I feel tip top, one hundred percent!" He looked completely back to normal, back in the perfect health he'd enjoyed before Divatox had gotten her claws onto him.

Cassie smiled. "Thanks, Dulcea," they were all grateful she had healed him. "You're a great mom to him, he looks like nothing ever happened!"

"We will be forever grateful to you, Dulcea, Master Warrior of Phaedos," Carlos smiled and bowed extravagantly. "I am Carlos Valesquez, at your service forever and a day. Justin is one of my best friends."

Dulcea nodded and bowed in return. "You have come for the Great Power?" She had barely spoken to the small group; her entire attention was focused on Justin.

"Yes, we have," Carlos nodded. "The Turbo powers were destroyed by Divatox, and now she is probably having a field day pillaging our planet. And not only that, but she seems to be after Justin and myself as well."

"Mom," Justin reached inside his shirt and pulled out a necklace. Dulcea smiled at the sight, and pulled out an identical one. "You remembered!"

"How could I forget?"

Justin glanced over at the others, and smiled a trifle. "Oh, you guys know about my mom, don't you?"

T.J. was almost frowning. "That she's supposed to be dead, that's what you told us, anyway!"

"Cause that's what I was supposed to tell you," Justin said matter-of-factly.

Ashley frowned. "Ummm. . .I don't get it."

"Uhhhh. .. you tell them," Justin glanced at Dulcea, who nodded and smiled.

"To give the bare essentials of it. . I gave birth to Justin and sent him to Earth. I visited him as often as I could, which wasn't nearly as often as I wanted to. But a short time ago, I discovered I was no longer allowed to go to Earth. In my last visit, I gave Justin his half of this necklace, and kept the other half for myself. No matter how much time passed, we would always know each other by them. He was to tell anyone who asked that his mother had died," she explained quickly.

"And that's what happened," Justin nodded. "I didn't let anyone know the truth."

"So, is Mr. Stewart really Justin's father?" Carlos wondered. Dulcea shook her head.

"No, he agreed to act as Justin's father, and legally adopted him by Earth law," she growled lightly. "ANd I believe I shall discuss with him the neglect of my son when I am able to."

Justin put a hand on her arm. "But mom, that wasn't his fault," he looked thoughtful for a moment. "Mom?"

"Yes?"

"Who is my dad?"

"You will know soon enough, Justin!"

"Is Justin even my real name?"

"You will know that too, but not right now."

"So it isn't," Justin looked almost accusingly at her as she wrapped him in a warm hug.

"Justin, everything will be revealed in the proper time."

"All right, Mom!" Justin grinned, leaning against her and relaxing in the warmth of her love.

Ashley looked from one to the other of them. "So, lemme get this straight. Justin's not from Earth, that guy isn't his dad, his mom is you, and you're not dead," she cocked her head to one side. "Why don't I get it?"

"Cause you're a cheerleader!" Cassie muttered. Ashley looked over at her fellow female Ranger.

"Hey!"

"Just kidding, Ash!" Cassie giggled. Ashley grinned back at her mischeviously, as Dulcea stepped away a little.

"And now, it is time," she glanced over to the center of the temple ruins, where a fire started to burn as she did so. The Blue Senturion jumped back a little at that; he'd been near where the fire now burned happily. Carlos glanced around at his friends.

"I fear. .. well. ..not only fear but know that Divatox is going to be very angry with you when she finds out that you have helped us."

Dulcea glanced first at the Blue Senturion. "Sorry about that," she told him. "I think I can handle Divatox," she told Carlos, who nodded.

"I'm sure you could," he smiled. "You handled Piranatrons like no one I've ever seen before."

"Practice," was all she said as she came over to where the metallic cop stood. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, I am fine, Dulcea," he replied. "Thank you for asking."

She smiled a little at him. "Do you want to remain as you are?" she asked suddenly. He looked at her, in shock.

"What are you talking about?" he remembered so little from when he was not the Blue Senturion, it was almost funny. All there was in his memory banks was a sense that he was not fully human or robotic.

"The Power of Ninjetti can restore you completely to who you once were," Dulcea told him. That seemed familiar, as if she'd said something like that to him before . . .

He stared into the fire, and made his choice. It was really the only one he could make. "I would like very much to be the way I was before."

"Then stand with the others, Blue Ranger," she told him. He nodded and bowed his thanks as he stood in a semi-circle around the fire. She looked at them all, pulling the sacred powder out of it's bag. "Buried deep within each of us is an animal spirit waiting to be released. Close your eyes."

They did so, and she blew the dust into the fire. It flared up as high as it could go, and when it died down again, six people in red, white, blue, yellow, pink, and black stood around the fire. The one in blue looked down at himself, then jumped and screamed in shock and pleasure both.

T.J. smiled briefly as he once more resumed the Red Ranger position, then looked over at the newcomer. "Woah! Who are you?" He wondered. That's where the Blue Senturion was standing!

The Blue Ranger looked down, then looked over at the others. What's been going on? None of these are my friends, but they all look so familiar . . ."I. . .I'm Billy Cranston. Who are you?"

"Wow!" Cassie started at him, heart pounding. Man, he's good-looking! "But, what happened to the Blue Senturion?"

"Blue Senturion?" Billy repeated the words carefully. "What are you . . .wait a minute . . ." he frowned as memories flicked through his brain. "The Power Chamber . . .I . . .I was a robot!"

Justin nodded. "Yeah, you were our friend!"

"I was the Blue Senturion?"

"You sure were!" Ashley nodded. Billy glanced around, trying to piece together his memories again.

"All I remember . . .the Power Chamber . . .you . . ." he pointed to Justin. "You were hurt, and I made you come to Phaedos."

The youngest Ranger nodded. "You saved my life."

"Wow," Billy smiled a little. "The . . .last thing I remember before that. . .the operation, I was at an Aquatian hospital after that accident. . .," he shuddered as that memory flowed through his brain. "The horrible accident."

Dulcea cleared her throat, getting their attention. "You were made human and whole again by the Power of Ninjetti."

"I thank you, Dulcea," Billy smiled. "With all of my heart."

The Guardian smiled mysteriously at him. "You are welcome, but now we have something that must be taken care of."

"I remember," Billy nodded. "The Turbo powers were destroyed."

Ashley winced in remembered pain. "Don't remind me!"

"And now it is time for the power of Ninjetti to be reborn," Dulcea gestured towards their ninja-like gear. Carlos winced at the symbol on his. Oh, it just had to be that, didn't it?

Dulcea stepped towards Ashley, once more in yellow. "Ashley, strong and courageous, you are the Lion."

She nodded. "And I'm ready to rip Divatox apart!"

Dulcea smiled and stepped over to T.J. "T.J., you are the Panther, powerful and wise," she told the Red Ranger.

"Thanks Dulcea, we really owe you a lot!" T.J. told her as he high-fived Ashley. Dulcea went up to black-clad Carlos and frowned.

"Carlos?" She asked. "Carlos, is something wrong?"

"I'm a bat."

Dulcea smiled. "Yes, a bat!" she told him. "Cunning, swift, keen-sighed, the master of the night!"

"Oh . . ." Carlos looked a bit confused. "Uhhhh... thanks!" Dulcea smiled and went on to Cassie.

The Pink Ranger grinned as Dulcea looked deep into her eyes. "Cassie, free- spirited and smart, you are the Eagle!"

Next was Justin, who bounced up and down in his white uniform. "Justin, clever and agile, you are the Dolphin."

"Thanks, mom!" Justin laughed, he'd never been happier in his life, even knowing what Divatox was going to be doing to Angel Grove! Dulcea came next to Billy.

"It has been some time, hasn't it?" She asked. Billy nodded.

"Yeah, it has. And I already know what I am!"

"You are the Wolf," Dulcea reminded him and told everyone else. "Cunning and swift!"

"I have so much to thank you for!" Billy told her. Dulcea shook her head.

"Only doing what is right," she reminded him, then raised an eyebrow as he continued to stare at her. "Billy?"

They were all startled to see Billy step a little closer to Dulcea, wraps his arms around her, and pull her into a deep and passionate kiss. She was startled for a moment, then leaned into it, enjoying it with all her heart. The other Rangers stared, but none so hard as Justin, whose eyes looked about ready to fall out. After a few moments, Billy stepped back, shaking his head and looking very confused!

Dulcea stepped away from him, a strange expression of regret in her eyes, then looked at all the Rangers gathered there. "To be in harmony with your spirit animal is to have the force of the Ninjetti. To those who are Ninjetti, anything is possible. But I'm afraid you must complete this quest on your own," she glanced over them all; T.J., Carlos, Ashley, and Cassie were all surprised, but accepting. Justin's eyes had nearly tripled in size, and it didn't look like Billy was going to say anything coherent for a while. "May your animal spirits watch over you!" she transformed into a snowy owl and soared out of the temple.

The others all looked at each other, the same question plain in their eyes. What is going on here? Billy ignored them, going over to sit by the fire. "Why did I do that?" he murmured. Still clear in his mind was what he had seen: the vision of a lavish wedding, his wedding, and standing next to him as his bride and love was . . .Dulcea. "Why did I see that?" A name had pinned itself into his brain. Ralien. "Who is Ralien?"

"Mr. Cranston?" he looked up to see the Red Ranger standing there.

"Hmmm? Oh, please, no, not Mr. Cranston! That's my dad!" he grinned some. "Just Billy."

The younger boy held out his hand. "Billy. Hi, I'm T.J.," he glanced down at his red uniform. "Red Ranger still it looks like!"

"Nice to meet you, again, obviously, not that I can remember."

"Nice to meet you, too," T.J. was actually honored.

Billy glanced back into the fire, then over at his new teammate. "You were the leader, I assume. Good job, this is a really good team that you have here."

"Thanks," T.J. grinned, then sighed. "Didn't do a good enough one, obviously."

Billy looked at him, and saw the same concern for his friends that Jason and Tommy had always had. "You know Tommy, right?" Stupid question! "He was the leader the first time I came to Phaedos. All leaders have bad things happen once in their careers." Though I must admit, Tommy went through enough for three leaders!

"This was the worst, though!"

Billy shook his head. "Believe me, I understand. I've been a Ranger, or one who helped the Rangers, longer than anyone, I think."

"Really?"

"I was the first Blue Ranger," Billy would never forget that day, as long as he lived. "And was the Blue Ranger until the Zeo Crystal quest. Then I gave up the power to Tanya, and helped out in the Power Chamber until. . .I wound up on Aquitar," he shuddered for a few moments. The accident. Cestria saying she hated me for being crippled. Then. . ."Then I was the Blue Senturion, obviously. And now, here I am."

There was only one thing T.J. could say to all that: "Wow!"

Billy shrugged. "I guess. I don't really understand what happened back there just a minute ago. I never thought about Dulcea that way before."

"She didn't look like she minded that much," Heck, she looked like she wanted you to keep going!

"I know," Billy nodded. "And she didn't kiss like she minded much either. I just don't understand what I saw and said and did. It was. . .strange," he pondered for a few moments. "We never saw her again after the last quest. I wonder if we will after this one."

T.J. shrugged a little. "Maybe she can explain it sometime?"

Billy sighed. "It's just confusing. I mean, the Black Ranger. . .I've never met him before, but he seems so familiar!" Like I knew him in another life or something!

"Carlos," T.J. glanced around to see Carlos and Ashley talking quietly in another corner of the temple. He looked a little agitated about something, she appeared to be calming him down.

"Yeah, Carlos," Billy nodded confirmation; that was who he had been thinking of. Well, that, and Dulcea.

"He's a nice guy," T.J. offered. Billy glanced over to the newly made Black Ranger. Billy nodded.

"I'm sure of it. Any Ranger is a friend of mine," the oldest Ranger glanced across to where Justin was staring up at the star-filled sky. There was an unspoken agreement that they would be staying there that night, and moving on in the morning, to the monolith. "But the White Ranger also gives me a strange feeling, like I'm attached him in some way. I don't understand any of this, I've never met any of you before except as the Blue Senturion." So why do I feel so. . .drawn. ..to those two, to Dulcea. . .and even to you, T.J., though it's not quite as strong.

"That is weird," T.J. stretched a little, yawning. Billy got to his feet.

"I guess I'll figure it out eventually," he called out to the others. "We need to leave for the monolith at dawn's first light, which means we have to rest before then, so that we can be at full strength to face the challenges on the way to and at the monolith itself."

T.J. nodded. "Let's all get some sleep," the others were already starting to curl up in various positions around the temple grounds.

Ashley glanced over at Carlos, thinking over the conversation they'd just had. He had been wandering around the temple, looking a little sad. When she'd managed to get him to talk he'd told her, "I feel like I've been here before, but it isn't the same as I left it."

He hadn't been able to tell her more than that, and he was every bit as confused as she was over it, if not more so. Finally he'd just lain down, and headed off into slumberland. She yawned a little, sitting near him, and decided that was a very wise decision.

She didn't notice Billy crouching next to the fire, eyes boring into it. "I wish I knew what was going on," he whispered. "I wish I knew," he laid down, starting to doze off. He thought he caught a glimpse of warm and loving eyes watching him from beyond the fire's light, but fell asleep before he could be sure.

"I wish I could tell you, my love," Dulcea whispered, wiping away a tear. "I wish I could."

"Wake up, everybody!" Justin screamed at the top of his lungs. T.J. rolled over to stare at him; it was fairly safe to say that the Red Ranger was not a morning person!

"I'm up, I'm up!" Billy came to his feet ."What is it now?"

T.J. growled, "It's Justin with a death wish, obviously!"

Their youngest friend shook his head hard. "Teej, come on, Carlos has disappeared!" that did it, everyone was on their feet a few moments later, screaming out various forms of the word 'what'. As they started to look for him, a figure moved into the temple grounds.

"What? Why aren't you guys asleep? Go back to bed!" it was Carlos, but it wasn't. The accent was gone, he seemed to be standing a little bit taller, and there was a strange look in his eyes.

"It's morning!" T.J. protested. Carlos shook his head.

"Merely four in the morning," he told them, which got Justin a dirty look from T.J. "Not late enough to wake up. You have an hour and a half yet to sleep."

T.J. then glanced back to the Black Ranger. "Carlos, are you okay?"

"Who is this Carlos you speak of?" Carlos wondered. "I am Ayond, Master Warrior of Phaedos, and if you wish to have all of your energy, you had better rest this final hour and a half! Don't make me pound it into you!" he glanced at each of them, and as his gaze fell on Billy, he bowed low. "Oh, my! I apologize, mhtml>

Billy, the smartest and most intelligent person for thousands of miles around, responded in his usual fashion. "Huh?"

"Carlos, what's wrong with you?" Ashley wondered. Carlos almost glared at her.

"I am not Carlos!" he insisted. "I command you all, go back to sleep! Why are you resisting the most powerful warrior in the whole universe?"

"Uhhhh. . .," Billy glanced at the others. "Let's go back to sleep now."

"You heard your Emperor!" Carlos snapped. Everyone sort of looked at each other, then settled back down in their sleeping areas as Carlos walked around, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Um, we're going to sleep now!" Ashley told him. Carlos nodded.

"You had better!" he leaned against a pillar and closed his eyes, falling back to sleep himself. It seemed like only moments before it was dawn, and everyone had to get up again. Everyone was also staring at Carlos! "What's everyone looking at me for? What did I do?" his voice was back to it's normal inflections and accent!"

T.J. looked hard at him. "Don't you remember?"

"Remember what?"

Everyone exchanged glances, until Billy asked, "Carlos, do you have a sleepwalking problem or anything?"

Carlos shrugged. "Oh, that! I forgot to tell you, I'm a chronic sleepwalker. My parents said I claim to be the most powerful warrior in the whole universe!"

"I sleptwalked once," Ashley giggled. "My parents say I was swearing I was a piece of toast! I kept trying to crawl into the toaster, too!"

Carlos smiled at her. "I think mine is a little more realistic than yours. They took me to a psychiatrist, and he couldn't do anything for me," he shrugged. "So I suffer from sleepwalking."

"Weird," was T.J.'s comment.

"My family and I got used to it," Carlos told them. "I guess so used to it that I forgot to tell you!"

"Guess so!" Cassie grinned at him.

Carlos glanced around at everyone. "So I'm not losing my mind if that's what you were thinking!"

Billy cleared his throat. "You were calling me the emperor!"

Justin nodded. "It was a bit scary!"

"I'm sorry," Carlos apologized for a few moments, then Billy sighed.

"I'm going for a walk," he told them. T.J. advised him not to be gone long, since they had to start soon. "I won't. I just need to think a little."

The younger Rangers watched as their newest member walked away from them. There was never any argument over whether he would join the team or not, they all knew they could use the extra help, and he was one of the most experienced Rangers around.

"I hope he's okay," T.J. whispered. Justin shrugged.

"It'll take some time," he said. "He's been through alot!"

Billy walked quietly through the temple grounds, thinking. He suddenly felt eyes on him and looked up. "Who's there?"

"I am," Dulcea stepped out of the shadows. He felt suddenly nervous, but suddenly comfortable at the same time.

"Oh, Dulcea," Billy smiled at her. "How are you today?"

"Well," she nodded. "And you?"

Billy glanced around. "I'm all right. Confused, but all right."

"Confused?"

He nodded. "About what happened last night," Oh, that's so very specific, Cranston! A LOT happened last night!

"Don't be."

"And why not?" he smiled a little, he seemed to be doing that a lot around Dulcea, and it was only one of the things confusing him.

Dulcea smiled at him in return. "You will understand in time."

"But. . . you didn't care about what I did. . .," he mused. Dulcea nodded.

"You're right, I didn't!"

"You were. . .," he remembered it perfectly. "Your hands, your mouth. . .I didn't understand."

"You will," she told him in that maddeningly calm way of hers.

"I want to understand now!" he almost wailed. "It's so confusing!"

She touched his shoulder lightly. "You have something that must be done first."

"I kind of liked kissing you, Dulcea," he told her. She smiled warmly at him.

"I noticed."

"And how?" when she only nodded, he clarified. "How could you tell?"

Her response somehow didn't surprise him. "Because I did too."

He glanced out towards the monolith. "I'm going to have to go," he looked back at her. "Tell me, Dulcea, is the journey going to be the same as it was before?"

She shook her head. "No. It will be far more dangerous and difficult."

"As I had anticipated," Billy smiled. "But I'm sure we'll make it."

"I know you will."

Billy glanced at her, wondering why he didn't want to leave her. "Thank you, Dulcea, and I hope it's soon when I figure all this out!"

"You will," was all she said.

"It's been nice seeing you again," he realized he was making up things to say to her, just so he wouldn't have to leave her presence! This hadn't happened the last time he was there!

"And nice seeing you, too."

"Thank you for everything you have done for me," he told her. "How can I ever replay you?"

She shook her head. "There is no need."

"Come on," he smiled a little. "If there's anything I can do to repay you. Something simple that can serve as payment until I can come up with something better."

Dulcea glanced at him, then smiled. "Well. . . ,"

"Just name it," Billy told her. "We have nearly an hour."

She stepped closer to him and wrapped him into a warm and loving kiss, which he found himself returning. Oh, who cares WHY! This is RIGHT! When they finally broke apart, he looked at her. "This feels natural, I don't know why."

Dulcea nodded. "I know."

"Do you know why?"

"Yes."

His eyes widened briefly. "Did we used to know each other?" How can that be? I'm only nineteen!

"Yes."

"How?"

She shook her head. "I can't tell you that now."

Billy found himself chuckling, even as he started to kiss her again. "When I was younger, things were never this confusing! But this is a nice kind of confusing!"

"Indeed it is!" they might've went on to do more than kissing, if Justin hadn't come around the corner.

"Billy, come on!" he told the older Ranger. "We're going to get an early start," he waved to Dulcea. "Hi, Mom!"

"Hello, Justin," she smiled a greeting to her son.

"Wish me luck!" Billy told her. "I'm going to go now."

She smiled at him. "Good luck, Billy!"

"I'll come back once I know what's going on," he promised, still with an arm around her waist. Justin cleared his throat as Dulcea nodded. Billy made his way back to the temple, leaving mother and son alone for a few moments.

"See ya, mom!" Justin hugged her. "We'll get the power!"

"I know you will!" Dulcea told him as he ran off after Billy. She looked after them both. "Come home soon, my love."

Carlos grinned and waved at them as they ran up. "Hey, you guys! Took you long enough!"

"We're all ready to go!" Ashley was bouncing a little in her eagerness. She was more than ready to kick some Divatox posterior!

"Let's get moving!" was T.J.'s advice as they headed off. Dulcea watched them go, smiling gently to herself. As they were out of sight, she turned back to the temple, heading to the place that had been her home for so long. She was startled when something seized her from behind in a tight grip. A hideous voice whispered into her ear, "You will never win, Empress!" just before a stunning blow knocked her unconscious.

The remade Count Nocturne threw Dulcea to the ground in front of Divatox. "Here she is, Queen Divatox!"

The pirate queen kicked Dulcea in the ribs with all her might. "Well, well, well, the might empress of the universe, reduced to a mere prisoner!"

Nocturne laughed as Dulcea tried to regain consciousness. "She barely put up a fight!" he told Divatox, who ordered Rygog and Elgar to chain Dulcea to the wall. As Dulcea's eyes slowly opened, Divatox smiled. "All chained up with no place to go?" she said mockingly. Dulcea growled at her.

"Divatox! I'm not surprised, to say the least!"

"I finally will get rid of you!" Divatox promised her. The pirate had several interesting plans in mind for this woman, and even more interesting ones in mind for her husband!

"Why do a stupid thing like that?"

Divatox grinned wickedly. "Simple. I want your husband."

Dulcea laughed at her. "He doesn't even know that he's my husband, you fool! Leave him be!"

"I don't think so!" Divatox had been plotting this for some time!

"He is on an important quest," Dulcea told her. "And if you so much as lay a hand on him, Ayond will awaken, no matter if it's time or not and reduce you to dust!"

Divatox shook her head. "I will have him when I am ready to have him. Once you're out of the way, and that's going to take a long time! I want to enjoy your death!"

"Isn't it enough that you're planning on overthrowing the entire royal court, but you also want my husband, and plan on killing me as well?" Dulcea drew herself up to her full height and stared down at the pirate.

"You catch on fast!" Divatox mocked her. "And no, it isn't enough!"

"Divatox," Dulcea tried to reason with her enemy. "Ayond will sense that you've imprisoned me."

"So?"

She sighed. "As I said, he will reduce you to spacedust!"

Divatox wasn't impressed, not in the slightest. "I seriously doubt that!"

"And you're not scared?" She's stupider than I thought she was! I didn't think that was possible! "He will crush you!"

Divatox shook her head. "I've already made plans to deal with him! He will be nothing!"

Dulcea felt a sharp stab of fear, if she could take out Ayond, then the Emperor would have no protection! "What are you going to do with him?"

The purple-haired pirate queen laughed. "Now, now, that would be telling!"

Dulcea glared at her. "If I'm going to be dead, then it wouldn't matter!"

"Quite true!" Divatox nodded. "So as soon as you're dead, I'll tell you!"

Dulcea struggled in the chains, to no avail. "Tell me now! I won't remember once I'm dead, and what can I do chained up here? I can't tell anyone!"

"Oh, very well!" Divatox relented. "I have a spell that will unleashing all those nasty trapped emotions with Ayond. He won't know how to deal with any of them, and he'll lose his mind!"

Dulcea growled, "It will never work, Divatox!"

"Yeah, right!"

Dulcea smiled. "My husband will never permit it. As long as my husband is near, Ayond is protected. As long as Ayond is near, my husband is protected!"

"That is what you think!" Divatox laughed with all her wicked heart.

"Yes," Dulcea nodded. "And you will know it when Ayond and Ralien destroy you! You will never win, as long as one member of the court lives!"

"Wanna bet?!"

Dulcea laughed. "You and your allies made an awful mistake thousands of years ago, and once Ralien reaches his twentieth year, then you will all pay!"

"Ohhhh!" Divatox faked fear. "I'm so scared!"

Rygog stepped up. "Would you like me to make her shut up, captain?"

Divatox nodded. "Yes, she's seriously getting on my nerves!" Rygog delivered a stunning blow to Dulcea, who slumped against the wall to the tune of Divatox's hideous laughter.

"The universe will be yours, Divatox!" Nocturne congratulated her. Divatox nodded slowly, smiling.

"And so will the king of the universe!"

Elgar looked at her curiously. "You like blondy, bluie, glow, glitter guys?" he 'urked' as Divatox grabbed him by the throat and glared at him.

"You got a problem with that?"

"Ummmm. . ..well, I don't really think he's your type!" Elgar tried to say. Divatox's eyes flashed with rage.

"When I want your opinion, I'll give it to you!" she told him. Elgar agreed as she dropped him and walked to her quarters, deep in thought. "I still don't think a guy that glows is Auntie Di's type."

"Do you wanna tell her that?" Rygog asked.

"Already did."

"And you see what that got you!" Rygog pointed out. Elgar shrugged.

"That's how she treats me when I say anything!"

"So shut up!" Rygog suggested. He'd lost track of how many times he'd told Elgar that!

Elgar was still trying to think, and smoke was coming out of his ears as he did so. "What makes her think glitterman is gonna like her?"

"I have no idea!" Rygog shrugged. "We just have to deal with her, that's our job!"

"Yeah!" Elgar nodded. "She doesn't wanna marry us, luckily!"

As the small team wandered through the jungle, two of them stopped suddenly. Billy and Carlos both looked back behind them. "What is it?" T.J. asked, worried.

"The Empress," Carlos whispered, his accent gone again. Billy nodded.

"Ayond, we have to go back!" he declared. T.J. stared at them, as did all the others.

"Carlos?" he asked, worried. "Billy?"

Carlos glared at them. "Back away! We must return to the temple!"

Justin felt a thin thread of fear down his back. "You guys?"

"Guys!" Ashley yelled. "What's wrong with you?"

Billy glared at her. "Young woman, young man, have you no respect for an Emperor? Ayond, come, we must return to the Empress!"

They started back up the way they had come. Justin stared, not believing his eyes. "What's happening to them? Look!"

They saw that both Billy and Carlos were starting to change! Both were somewhat taller, Billy's hair was a little more blonde, and longer. His eyes had changed from their greenish blue shade, to a bright sky blue. And strangest all, he had a glowing, glittering tinge to his skin, shining brilliantly in the daylight. Carlos' muscles had almost doubled, his face and eyes became stern; hardened by what seemed to be many, many years of horrible battles. A long jagged scar seemed to have been slashed across his cheek, like the claw marks of a tiger, showing all that he was a battle-hard warrior... though the rangers knew that this was not true. "I have no idea!" T.J. breathed.

Ashley leaped over in front of Billy. "Billy, what are you doing, we have to get to the monolith!"

She was surprised by the look in his eyes. "Young woman, I spoke to you once before. Please respect your Emperor, or Ayond shall tend to you!"

"Emperor?"

He nodded. "Emperor! Now, let me pass!"

Ashley didn't stand aside. "Billy, what is wrong with you?"

"Ralien!" he snapped. "The name is Ralien! I am your emperor, and I command you, step aside!" the tone in his voice was that of true royalty, which left no room for denial. As Ashley moved to the side, he continued, beckoning Carlos to join him.

"T.J.?" the Red Ranger jerked up, his eyes flying open at the voice. He looked around, reassuring himself that everything was all right here. It was just a dream. I freed the Empress from Divatox, and Count Nocturne didn't even exist then! A dream, a mix of past and present. No one remembers anything. Except me. And our enemies.

He looked over to see Ashley looking at him. "What?" He asked, remembering she'd called his name.

"You okay?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

"Sounded like you were dreaming," Ashley told him. She'd been awakened by his thrashing, but then again, she'd always been a light sleeper. "You were thrashing around a bit."

"Oh," he bit his lip, hoping he hadn't talked in his sleep. It wasn't time yet. "Sorry for waking you."

"It's okay," Ashley smiled.

He glanced around. "Did I wake anyone else?"

She shook her head. "Don't think so."

"Good," he smiled. " Now you try and get back to sleep," he chuckled a bit as she turned over and was asleep again in moments. He glanced at the fire, which was starting to die down. Nights on Phaedos were chilly, and with a muttered word, the fire once more burned brightly. So much fun being a wizard at times, too bad I'm not capable of what I used to be able to do... and I wont be until the time is right, was his last thought before he slid back into sleep. They had a lot to do the next day.

The first morning's light skimmed it's way across the plateau , warming the bodies of the six sleeping Ninjetti. As the sun light rolled over her, and glared straight into her closed brown eyes, Ashley awoke with a start. She leapt to her feet, and began bouncing around the rows of slumbering bodies. Grumbling, they pushed themselves up to look at her.

"Ashley... " T.J. yawned. "Good grief, I wake you up with my kicking and thrashing, and you're more wide awake than any of us!"

"Go back to sleep." A groggy Justin mumbled.

"No way!" she giggled, shaking them each by the shoulders. "Time to get up, everyone!"

Billy sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "My, aren't you chipper this morning."

"She's always like that," Cassie rolled over on her back. "Get used to it."

Carlos curled himself up into a little ball, snoring a bit. After all of that, he was still asleep! Talk about heavy sleepers! Ashley bounded over to him, then began to poke him in the ribs. "Come on, sunshine! Time to wake up, we gotta go!"

He squirmed, whining up at her. His big brown eyes were filled with sleep, and he did not look the least bit happy to see her. "Oh man, Ashley!" he sat up, nearly falling back over as he did so. He stayed silent for a minute, waving his head dizzily to and fro. "You could wake up the dead with your hyperness... " he added finally.

Still bouncing around, Ashley replied. "Come on, lazy bones! Time to get up! We've got some Divabutt to kick!" She squealed as Billy came up behind her, wrapping his arms about her waist and lifting her up the ground.

"Calm down, already! What are you, a cheerleader?" he said, just as a moaning and groaning Carlos curled back up into a ball, claiming that he didn't want to go yet, and that he was still sleepy.

"Yeah, I am!" Ashley told him, wiggling free of his grasped. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she nearly pounced on Carlos. "Wake up, sleepy head! Rise and shine!"

"I'll rise... " he muttered, stumbling to a standing position. "But I'm not going to shine! You hear me!"

"OK, fine, whatever." She grinned. "But at least you're up! Let's go, let's go!" she dashed for the side of the hill, where a long narrow stairway descended down into a gigantic jungle.

"Aww... come on Ash, can't you give any of us some time to wake up a little? We didn't get half as much sleep as we wanted to, what, with T.J. kicking around and waking us all up!"

"Sorry," T.J. looked down, shuffling his feet. "I sorry... "

"But... I'M awake!" Ashley insisted, running around like a chicken with it's head come off. "I'm ready to go!"

"Ashley... we need to at LEAST wake up a little more. We can't search for anything if we're still half-asleep, can we?" T.J. told her, grabbing hold onto her shoulders and making her stand still.

"Besides," Justin said, "We need to find us something to eat. What good are we going to do if we're trying to find a power on an empty stomach?"

"He's got a point," Billy walked around the fire, and a smile curled his lips. "There, just as I thought. She left us some breakfast."

"OK! Fine, eat, eat!" Ashley tried to rush them, but the still sleepy Carlos grabbed her by the arm and pulled her down to sit next to him.

"You're going to eat too... " he said calmly, holding onto her arm with a strength she didn't know that he had. She quieted, and then sat still."

"Good!" Cassie exclaimed, hearing what Billy had said about the food. "I'm starving!"

"There's plenty for all, and them some. All we have to do now, is cook it... ." He lifted the dead animals, two rabbit like creatures known as jackalopes, up by their hind legs. "Any volunteers?"

At the sight of dead animals, the younger team members shrank back. Their voices all echoed in cries of disgust, until Carlos, sighing, stepped forward. "I'll help." He said, and went over to Billy's side. "I hope these aren't sick or anything. I'd hate to think that we're eating a diseased animal." The other four did not like the sound of what he said at all, and retreated back farther.

"It's alright, there's nothing harmful about them. All we need to do is skin them, spit them, and then cook them over the flame." He twisted his torso around a bit, eyes scanning the nearby area for something. "All we need is a knife, and a stick... ." He said thoughtfully. All of a sudden, a long slender object hit his head. When he turned around, he saw a stick laying at his feet, and Cassie with her hands covering her mouth.

"Sorry... I was trying to throw it to you." She apologized to him, turning her face away as Carlos handed Billy a long blade that laid near his feet, and he began to skin the dead animals.

Ashley and Cassie groaned, complaining that now their stomachs didn't feel so well. T.J. had walked off, circling around the fire and watching the two cook with interest. Justin brought his knees up against his face, and was now hiding his face behind them.

"I'm glad I'm not cooking!" Ashley pointed out. "I'm scared of food, unless someone else cooked it for me!"

"Why?" Cassie asked her.

"Did it bite you or something?" Billy laughed a little, preparing the meat of the jackalope on one stick, while Carlos worked on skinning the other.

"As a matter of fact, it did!" She insisted, eyes wide with fear as she remembered that time long ago... well... in cooking class the other day.

Billy bit down on his lip. "What were you cooking?"

"A fish."

Carlos looked at her, then started to laugh. "Ashley, the fish was DEAD!"

"I don't care!" she whined. "The thing was sitting there staring at me with beady little eyes, and when I was trying to prepare it, it BIT me!"

In a hushed voice, though each and every one of them could hear what he said, Billy whispered. "Somebody needs to get their head examined." And that remark was met by a hurt glare from Ashley. He immediately apologized.

"Sokay... " she said simply, shrugging her shoulder.

"I was only fooling around." Billy's voice had become quiet. "I haven't had high enough spirits to even attempt it for years."

She grinned at him, watching as flames licked over the meat that he and Carlos held over the flames. It was turning brown, and the smell drifted over the entire plateau. "I know."

"Do you all realize, that it has been a long time since I have honestly felt my age?" his tone was now serious; his eyes locked on the fire.

"How old are you?" Justin piped in, finding it safe to look up from his knees now that the meat was roasting over the fire.

"I just turned nineteen last April... .at least it was last April from what I remember. What year is it? What month?"

"June, 1998... ."

"Good, then I am nineteen... .it was the same year that I have my last memories in... but it seems so LONG ago. I honestly haven't felt my age ever since I lost the power. Ever since then, up until now, I've felt... nearly fifty or sixty years old."

"You don't look it!" Ashley exclaimed.

"What, nineteen, fifty, or sixty?" he couldn't help but let out a short laugh.

"None of em! You look about our age, or about 17 or something!" all of the others of them were nodding in agreement with Ashley's comment.

Billy actually seemed to blush there for a second, and then he and Carlos both pulled the cooked jackalopes out of the fire. "Breakfast is served!"

Each ranger got an equal share of the meat, and gnawed and bit at it until every last bit of it had been swallowed. They all noticed how good it really did taste, and how much energy that it gave them. If they had been sleepy before eating, they definitely were not any longer!

"Alright!" Billy jumped to his feet, clapping his hands together. "Everyone ready to go now?"

Ashley began to bounce again, smiling widely and laughing. "Let's go! Let's go!" and then she dashed off towards the stairway.

Just then, Carlos stood and stretched. "Let's do this!" he said, then called out for Ashley to stop before she ran off ahead of the others. "I think she's a little anxious to kick Divatox's butt."

"Aren't we all... ." T.J. mused, and he and the others headed towards the stairway. Ashley giggled, beckoning for them to hurry. Justin came to stand besides her first, and he turned around to wait.

The others took a brisk pace as they walked, but Billy walked slowly along behind them. Images of the last time he had been on Phaedos, with all of his other friends, seeking the power... .all of them floated through his head. He seemed to slump back slightly, letting them sink in. What wonderful memories they were... .

"Are you alright, Billy?" T.J. had come up to him, breaking the serenity that had been flooding his mind.

"Just thinking." He answered, looking at T.J. There really was something familiar about him... something he couldn't pin down. He had felt the same about Justin and Carlos as well. That feeling for them was somewhat stronger than him. And then, his feelings for Dulcea... "Look, the sun is already over the horizon! We'd better get a move on!"

Shouting battle cries, threats to evil doers, and other such things, the group of six powerful warriors bounded down the stairway, and into the deep, lush, green Neola Jungle.

Cassie spun about, her black hair flying. Her dark brown eyes drank in the serene beauty of the jungle around her, and she found herself only able to speak but one word. "Wow... " she breathed.

"It's beautiful here, isn't it?" Billy murmered. He seemed to be trying not to break the peaceful silence that this place held, and took a deep breath of the aroma of the fragrant blossoms, and lovely plants that surrounded them. Cassie nodded at him.

Carlos looked around, eyes widened slightly. "You know what, guys?" he pondered. "I'm getting the strangest feeling of déjà vu!"

"How?" Ashley practically demanded, brown eyes intense. Then she laughed. "We've never been here before, silly!"

He shook his head, black curls falling in front of his face. "I know that... but haven't you ever had that feeling before? You know, that feeling you get when you meet someone for the first time, but feel like you have met them before?"

"Well... yeah." Justin said. "That happens to me a lot, actually."

"Me too!" added T.J.

"Well... " Carlos shrugged, wiping a few beads of sweat from his brow that had formed just underneath the headband. "That's how I feel about this place. I know I haven't been here before, but I feel like I have. It's probably just flashbacks from my trips to Brazil when I was a little boy."

T.J. smiled faintly, his dimples deepening. He let out a short, low chuckle. I don't think that is it... "Probably!" he told him.

"Well, Carlos... while you're having the strangest feeling that you've been here before, I am having the strangest feeling that this isn't going to be the same as the journey that I went on a few years ago." Billy nodded slowly. "Probably completely different. Even the path here is different!" his hand jutted out, gesturing to the path in front of them.

"As long as we get through!" Justin was grinning from ear to ear, bouncing along in front of the rest of them.

Billy smiled. "I'm sure we will... ."

"I know we will!" Cassie exclaimed.

And then... they walked in silence; they wanted to bask in the peacefulness that this jungle held, knowing that it would not last, and that they probably would never see it again. They trudged on, for nearly three quarters of an hour, listening to the screeching and chirping of birds, and chattering of assorted animals scurrying about in the trees. Every once in a while, one would point a strange animal out to the another, and they would stand and gawk at it for a moment, and then continued. Then, as everything in the jungle seemed to become silence, T.J. spoke.

"It's so peaceful around here... ." He told everyone, and his voice seemed to echo. "A little too peaceful for my taste."

"Ranger instinct." Billy pointed out, grinning a little. "If anything is peaceful, then it is too peaceful, and it will not stay that way for long!"

Cassie nodded slowly, nervous eyes twitching from side to side, scanning the area around them. She was a little concerned with Billy's lack of confidence, and her every sense was on the look out for any sudden dangers that might occur. Ashley, who stood near her, shuddered violently.

"Is it just me, or is it getting cold?" she inquired.

Justin trembled, breathing out a gust of air. It shown like fog before him. "Nope... it IS cold!"

"This is a jungle!" Billy exclaimed. His blue eyes narrowed with anger. "It's supposed to be warm!"

"This is weird!" T.J. glanced over at Carlos, clapping his hands against his torso. Carlos nodded.

"Something isn't right here. This is something that Divatox would do, I can smell her horrible body odor now!"

Billy stopped in his tracks. "Th... that isn't body odor... " he said, voice cracking. He took in a deep breath through his nose, then gasped in horror. "It's ammonia!"

"She's trying to freeze us to death!" Justin exclaimed. "And just in case THAT doesn't work on us, she's cutting off her oxygen supply!"

"Great! JUST Great!" the wizard, Tayrn Jalas replied, finding himself unable to reverse the changes in the atmosphere. His powers had been weakening, and he could not perform large tasks until the time came. "Ammonia is poisonous! We're going to die!"

Cassie turned her head to look at each and every one of them worriedly. "We've got to get through this! Everyone... RUN!" and on her cue, the Red, White, and Yellow rangers broke off into a sprint behind her. But they were soon haulted by the Blue Ranger's deep-throated command.

"STOP!" His eyes narrowed. "If we run... then we'll use up more air!"

T.J. cocked his head and looked at Billy, as if he expected him to know the answer. "What do you suggest then?"

"I uhhhhhhh... ... " Billy looked around, feeling pretty dumb, then cried out. "Whatever is doing this, SHOW YOURSELF!"

A low, guttural chuckle echoed around them. It was the laugh of their sinister enemy... mocking them. Divatox HAD been the one behind it!

"SHOW YOURSELF!" Billy roared, "NOW!"

Divatox's laugh stopped abruptly, and then before their eyes, she appeared in the fork of a tree. "Oh, very well... " she sneered.

The former Blue Senturion growled up at her, letting one word slide past his frowning lips. "Divatox..."

"Ohhh, you remembered me! Goody goody!" she clapped her hands together, "I suppose I should be thrilled!"

"Shut up and make things back to the way that they were here, or you'll wish you had never been born!" The other 5 of the Ninjetti shrunk back, Justin most of all, as their senior member took control of the situation. As it seemed, he was sticking his own neck into the noose! What he was doing was suicide!

"Oh, you've got to be kidding!" She rolled her eyes, not afraid in the least of this... well... he wasn't a boy, and damn, was he mighty attractive. And oh, brother, did he remind her of someone.

Billy rose up to full height, rolling back his shoulders. He looked almost regal standing there like that! His eyes were as sharp as flint, and his lips were drawn tight as a bow. "I'm not kidding, Divatox." He rumbled, voice deepening. "Change things back, or you will pay. The journey is hard enough without your interference."

"Let me explain something to you, little wolf boy... I am the BAD guy! Can you say bad guy?" she paused for a second, and Billy was silent. "I knew you could! Bad guys... KILL the good guys... .and that's you, remember?"

Billy practically snarled at her, but maintained his stone visage. "Let me explain something to you, Godzilla. The bad guys, NEVER WIN!"

Divatox screamed, and everyone except for Billy and Carlos clutched at their ears. "GODZILLA!?" she demanded. "How DARE you call me that!?"

"Easy!" Billy exclaimed, grinning... and then he spat on the ground near the tree in which she sat. Eyes flaring red, the pirate queen jumped down from the tree, and landed right in front of him.

"You take that back!" there was an edge of pleading in her voice, and Billy only laughed at her.

"I am NOT!" Divatox tore off her glove, revealing her long, ruby red nails. Then, she drew her hand up into a clawing position, while Billy stood unnervingly still, challenging her. With that, she couldn't take his back-talk and silence any longer, and she lashed out. Cursing and yelping, he jumped back, his hands went up to his face. Thin lines of blood dripped through his fingers, and when he removed his hands his face now bore what resembled the mark of a freshly issued tiger scratch. Carlos's eyes became wide, and he touched his own cheek lightly. His dark eyes clouded and narrowed and then he broke out in a mad dash, snarling and howling.

"The Empress shall die, and the Emperor will be mine, forever!" Divatox cackled with impish glee, holding the tip of a long sword to the nape of Dulcea's neck. "I am so going to enjoy killing you, Majesty!"

"You will never get away with this! Never! My Husband, Ayond, and Tayrn Jalas will save me!" Dulcea struggled with the chains, beads of sweat pouring down her face. Divatox eyed her warily, examining her. She grinned suddenly, and pointed the tip of the sword at Dulcea's bulging stomach.

"I think you'd much enjoy watching me murder your child first," Divatox cooed, and her arm muscles stiffened. Her eyes, hidden behind that dark mast became as wide as saucers, and her jaw dropped. "I can't move my arms!"

"Serves you right." A deep voice purred. "And you wont be able to move them until I move Her Majesty, and the Heir safely back to her husband!" Out of the shadows, came the Lord High Wizard, Tayrn Jalas. Clad in a long flowing red cape, and the hood over his head, he held his fingertips together lightly. A smile curled his lip, and his eyes, they shined brightly, knowing that he had won. From behind him, crept out Ayond. His thick chest and arm muscles were not protected with shirt, nor meaningless armor. His long, jet black hair was pulled back and tied with a crude string, but he was not one to care about vanity. All he wore was black pants, with a belt containing a staff and sword at his hip. On his feet, were strong black boots. He cracked his knuckles menacingly.

"Tayrn! Ayond!" Dulcea cried, pulling at her shackles against the wall. Tayrn pointed at them, and her hands fell free. Quickly, she ran to him. The Wizard turned to his friend.

"Take care of her, for us... " he told the Master Warrior. "Give her what she deserves!"

"Hmph... " he grunted in reply. "Let us give the witch a fair battle, free her arms and return to our Emperor."

With that, Tayrn snapped his fingers, and he and the Empress disappeared. Also, just as Ayond had wished it, Divatox's arms could now move. She dropped her sword, pulled off her gloves and stared at him.

"Come on, macho-man! I ain't got all day!"

Then, he pounced on her, fists and staff flying. Not a single move was wasted, all were direct blows. And not a single blow was taken on his side as well, until she fell back, and flexed her hand. The red fingernails shone in the pale light of the submarine, and she leapt. Ayond screamed, for the first time in what could have been centuries, as the nails impacted with the skin on his cheek. The flesh tore, and bled, and Ayond backed away from her, clutching at his face. She stared, and then started to laugh at him.

"So much for the High and Mighty Master Warrior!" She squealed.

Ayond winced in pain, shrinking back onto his knees. Whimpers escaped his throat, a sound that he never knew he would hear coming from himself. And then grief overtook him, and for the first time ever, in any battle at all... the Master Warrior of Phaedos; Ayond: The Most Powerful Warrior in the Universe... fled...

Divatox laughed out her triumph, but was soon knocked back into the tree as Carlos barreled into her. Air gushed out between her teeth as she impacted, and her eyes bulged with fear and fury. Carlos's fist went plummeting into her stomach, and he swore violently. Divatox could do nothing to ward off his attacks; he had come onto her like an animal.

"Never again, pirate!" he shrieked, losing all control, and his accent as well. Carlos's deep brown eyes flashed with a fury none of his friends had ever seen. His arms and legs sent powerful blows onto Divatox's crumpling body, and the other rangers screamed and backed away with horror. Justin pulled off his headband and tore it, then bandaged Billy's face. He howled with pain, shrinking away, but Justin managed to get the bandages on, and stop the bleeding. The ammonia air seeped into their lungs, and they all began to rasp. The beads of perspiration that had once run down their faces were now frozen solid, and their body temperature had dropped. T.J. curled himself into a little ball, convulsing all over. Panic swept through them.

Divatox shot a quivering glance into Carlos's flaming eyes, and nearly fainted. The fire, the sheer rage and hatred... the centuries of plotted revenge. These... these were no ordinary eyes on an ordinary man. These were the eyes of one who had vowed to destroy her... these were the eyes of Ayond. She rolled underneath his legs quickly, taking advantage of his Non-Ayondish state, and knocked him to the ground as she kicked him square in the knees. He toppled over, and crashed into the tree.

"Fine!" she stood slowly and snapped her fingers. "Everything is back to normal, I hope you Power Geeks are satisfied!" And with that, she was gone.

Ashley caught her breath, breathing in the fresh oxygen deeply, and ran to Carlos. He propped himself up on his elbows, and shook his head. Bits of twigs and leaves fell out of his hair. Ashley held out her hands as she offered to help him up. In seconds, he took hold and she pulled him onto his feet. Everyone else had stopped shivering, and T.J. too was back on his feet, pulling in breath after breath of the cleansed air.

Cassie looked at both Billy and Carlos; Billy still holding onto his face, and Carlos... who didn't seem at all breath, or sweaty in the least. "That... was... so... Amazing!" she exclaimed. "The both of you, that was great! She's gone! The air is clean! We're OK!"

"When you've been through as much crud as I have in one lifetime, you learn not to take any crap from anyone." Billy shrugged, barely noticing the long scratch marks that he wore on his cheek.

Carlos just stood there, a look of accomplished revenge shone in his eyes. Clearly, he was satisfied with getting rid of Divatox. And if she should show up again, boy was SHE gonna get a whooping! But he soon feel out of that and started laughing, then playfully saluted Billy.

"Yes, sir!" he barked, and then stood as still as an army soldier. The others laughed and fell into the same stance at his side, forming a horizontal line in front of Billy.

Billy shook his head as he looked at them, his hands on his hips and wearing a big grin. "You guys... ." He slightly protested; then he too stood straight. "TEN HUT!" he ordered.

Turning on their heels, they spun around and faced the path that they had been following for the past few hours, one behind the other.

"Forward, MARCH!" And then he took his place behind Cassie, the last and line, and off they marched... once more on their way.

Divatox appeared on her Space Base, patting her heaving chest gently. She continually gasped, trying to catch her breath. Rygog at once took notice of her defeat and ran to her, pulling out a chair for her to plop down into. She practically fell into it, and shut her eyes tightly. It appeared that she had just been in quite a brawl! All those Rangers, beating on his captain! Rygog wasn't going to take it!

"My captain, what has happened with the rangers?"

"That damned son of a sea biscuit, stupid wolf boy freakish animal!" she panted, obviously describing the once robotic ranger. She shook her finger at Rygog. "He called me Godzilla!"

"That bad, huh?" he asked, trying to sound as supportive as possible.

"It gets worse pea-brain! Batman Mexico kicked my posterior!" she growled down deep. Carlos seemed so familiar when he attacked her, and all that raw rage and power... it couldn't have been, could it? "I am going to KILL them!"

Elgar narrowed his eyes as smoke slowly began to roll out of his ears. "Why kill em, Auntie D? Wouldn't they like, be more use alive than dead?"

"I didn't say WHEN I was going to kill them, did I?"

"Uh... no... " Elgar confessed. "Nope, you didn't. But then what are you gonna do with em? I know it was my idea and all... I... think. But what are you gonna do with em?"

Divatox grinned menacingly, breathing out short laughter. "First, I am going to make them BEG for mercy from me for what they have done! THEN I am going to marry them BOTH!"

"If you wanna kill them... why do you wanna do a stupid thing like that." Elgar questioned. He rarely understood things like this.

"Cause I wanna make their lives a living HELL for a few thousand years! THEN Kill em!" she explained.

"Why waste all the time?"

"Because I want to!" she roared, and kicked him in the stomach.

He shook his head; swaying from side to side with dizziness and confusion both. "I just don't get it!"

She growled at him, and then pointed at each one of her crew members, only to stop on Elgar specifically. "Understand just this... ALL of you... I get what I want... got it, ELGAR!"

"Uhh... yeah...I think so Auntie D." He shrugged his armored shoulders. "But you want these guys who don't want you and all they wants to do is kill ya, and they aren't your type besides... and that's what I don't get!"

Divatox rolled her eyes and flicked her tongue thoughtfully. She then stated matter-of-factly, "If nothing else... it'll confuse the heck out of people!"

"It sure as hell confuses me!" Elgar declared, then looked through the periscope before Divatox threw him into a wall. "What are you gonna do now?"

"Wait."

Rygog looked at her confusedly, tilting his head off to the side. "Just wait?" he asked her.

She nodded. "Let them get their stupid POWERS... " she told him sarcastically. "I really could care less... PORTO!"

"Uhhh... my captain?" Porto trotted over to her, and presented himself with the best bow that he could manage.

"Make me monsters! Lots and lots of monsters. And make me a lot of Piranatrons... THOUSANDS... no...MILLIONS of them!"

"I thought you said to let them get their powers!" Elgar whined, just as Porto stated that he was already constructing them as she spoke.

She sighed and shook her head. Why should she bother explaining to THIS half-wit... but she did anyway. "When they're ready... I will flood Angel Grove with them! Without Power Rangers to protect it, the Earth will be ours before they can even MAKE it to their stupid powers!" she laughed. "See, Elgar... I know what I'm doing!"

"Good, cause I STILL don't understand."

"That's why I'm in charge, you sniveling little twerp!"

"Well... things are back to normal at least." Cassie sighed. She was getting slightly bored with the monotonous miles upon miles of jungle that surrounded them. It now ceased to awe all except Carlos, and they all were growing dreary. Not only that, but pangs of hunger for a midday meal were gnawing at their guts, and when they could catch a glimpse of the sun above the canopy, it was high in the sky by now. "At least we're making good time now.." she reminded them, and they had. Of course, by now they had expected to reach the monolith.

"As far as I can tell... " Billy muttered.

Ashley had been the only one not to lose any energy from the seemly endless walking. She still had quite a bit of bounce in her step, and with a shrill giggle, she told them exactly how she felt about what so seemed so boring to them. "Gee... this is fun!"

"Don't you ever calm down?" Justin asked. He had been silent most of the way since Divatox had disappeared. She still frightened him, but he knew that he would pay her back for what she had done to him.

"Nope! Never!" she informed them.

T.J. grinned. "Look everyone," he pointed out, remembering what they had been saying about them in the park as they had played frisbee. "Ashley: Caffeine with legs!" This was only met by a sharp glance from Ashley.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, even though she knew exactly what it meant.

"You bounce around like you've had MAJOR infusions of Surge at REGULAR intervals!" he told her.

She laughed. "Oh that!" she said, grinning. "If it comes as far as THAT, what do you honestly think that my blood is made up of! It ain't red and white blood cells, that's for sure!"

"Somehow, I'm not surprised." Carlos laughed at her. "I always thought you were some kind of alien." And that set of a chorus of laughter among the other rangers. Billy soon quieted them with a stern "Shhh!" and looked at them.

"You guys, we really need to keep on the alert you know." He reminded them.

"Yup!" Cassie nodded. "There are probably tons of dangers in this jungle that aren't Divatox... "

"Thanks for the reassuring thought, Cass... " Justin whispered, and all of them glanced around the area nervously. On they walked, for at least a quarter of an hour more, when they were snapped out of their thoughts of intruders by a loud clap of thunder. Justin nearly jumped a foot straight up, shrieking with horror. "Great! I HATE thunder!"

Carlos stopped in his tracks, and listened carefully, silencing the others by holding up his palm. His face was grim, displaying a thin frown and dark eyes. From the looks of things, he didn't like what he heard at all. And before he was able to say anything to the rest of their lot, large drops of rain began to pour down and drench them.

"Oh crap!" Billy yelled. "Just what we need right now!"

"Just LOVELY!" Ashley glanced around, looking out for a place for herself and her friends to get out of the soaking rain.

And there Carlos still stood, still listening. Suddenly, he barked out the loudest most stern command they had ever heard from him as he ran for a nearby tree and scrambled up. "CLIMB NOW!"

"Huh?" Cassie asked, somewhat dumbly. "Climb what? The trees?"

"YES!" Carlos screamed, waving his arms frantically. "Climb NOW! Flash FLOOD!"

Without a word of protest, they all dashed for the trees after him. And all got up within nearly two seconds... all except Justin.

The poor guy, he was trying to climb but couldn't... he kept on sliding down the trunk, and at the same time trying to grab for Carlos's hand as the black ranger reached down to help his younger friend up. But he couldn't make it. Just as he thought he might be able to grasp on the Black Ninjetti's fingers, he suddenly slid back down and cursed to himself. He managed to grab a small branch and started to pull himself up when the water rushed in, at full force.

It swirled up, just above the young White Ninjetti's waist, tugging and pulling at him. Yelping, he clung to the branch and Carlos screamed as he tried to reach down to grab hold of Justin's wrist. But just as he had managed to hang onto the sleeve, the powerful current took Justin and started to carry him away as he screamed and cried for help.

Cassie erupted with a shrill and panicked scream. "GUYS! Justin's in trouble!" She instantly tried to jump out of the tree, but Billy grabbed her by the waist and pulled her onto his lap, swearing.

"Don't even think about it!" He demanded, and watched as Justin was swept farther and farther away from him, and disappeared under the water. "Oh, GREAT!"

Before Billy could tell the two other male rangers otherwise, they dove into the water and started to swim as quickly as they could to reach Justin. Billy managed to grab onto Ashley and Cassie before they could jump in as well, commanding them not to jump for their own saftey. A burbling and gasping Justin popped up from under the water, yelling his little heart out for help.

"Why can't we go?" Ashley growled, pulling against Billy. "Justin's in trouble, he needs us!" As she said that, Carlos and T.J. swam on, more or less being pulled by the mighty current.

"Listen to me! Both of you! I am not going ANYWHERE, even if Justin is in trouble. I think T.J. and Carlos can get to him in time. If you two went, it would be putting more and more of us in danger, now please be quiet and hope they can reach him before he drowns!"

The two of them were silent, and watched on in awe as they saw a soaking wet white clothed arm reach out from under the water and grab onto a branch of a tree down the stream. The other arm soon followed, and Justin clung to the branch for dear life.

"We're coming, Justin!" Carlos screamed out to him, getting a mouth full of the water. He spat it out and looked with his water filled eyes to see a blurry red form just in front of him. He blinked the water out quickly to find that it was T.J. and tried to swim faster.

"We can get him!" T.J. told him as they now swam side by side.

Carlos nodded. "Hold on, Justin! We're almost there!"

"What do you THINK I am doing!?" Justin moaned as he tried to get a firmer grip on the branch. He nearly slipped, and his head went under... but then he reappeared above the surface coughing and spattering, and still hanging onto the branch.

Carlos practically got slammed into the tree by the current, and grabbed hold of a higher and more sturdy branch with his left arm. His right arm circled Justin around the waist and the younger boy was pulled against Carlos. "No time to joke around, man... " Carlos muttered, groaning against the strain of the current. T.J. came up a second later, grabbing another branch and onto Justin as well.

"I just want to get it out of my system in case I die!"

"You're not gonna die, Justin!" T.J. exclaimed. "We've got you now. Now all we have to do is hang in there until this stops!"

"I was just making plans!" Justin managed to scream, just as a gigantic wave plummeted down on top of them. Cassie, Ashley and Billy screamed with terror as their friends disappeared under the raging waters. But... was the water subsiding?

Just after the last wave hit them, the waters started to sink away. Carlos, Justin and T.J. were revealed once more, still hanging onto the same tree that they had been when the wave struck. And then... finally... .after what had only been a few minutes... the ground became visible once more and the Ninjetti warriors jumped down out of the trees that they were in. Cassie broke out in a run, quickly followed by Billy and Ashley, and they reached the other three in world-record breaking time.

Carlos and T.J. put Justin down, and he wavered to and fro. He still needed to get his legs back. Rubbing his head, he asked the others. "I... I'm alive?"

"Yeah!" Carlos answered. "Alive!"

"YEAH!" Justin cheered, but then held his head in his hands. "Remind me not to scream anymore... .I've got a headache."

"You've had a rough time... " Billy tried to console him, laying a hand on his shoulder. Justin looked up and stared Billy in his big blue eyes.

"Yeah... ." He managed to whisper, and blinked his eyes many times to clear the water out.

Ashley made it a point to tell them that they were soaked, and they needed to start a fire. "Too bad everything around here is soaked now." She sighed.

"Looks like we're just going to have to walk it off," T.J. shrugged. "I don't think we'll catch cold... the water was warm!"

Giving each other a glance of approval, they started to walk again. The Ninjetti uniforms dried very quickly, and after about an hour, they started up conversation again.

"Carlos, how'd you know about that flash flood?" Cassie asked. She had been curious about that since the entire incident had stared.

"I... just did I guess. I have good ears."

"Really good ears! Enough to save our lives!" Billy pointed out.

"Not all that great." Carlos shrugged.

"They got us out of danger... " Ashley whispered. "You saved us... all of us... .You're a hero and some junk!"

Cassie giggled. "Yeah! Carlos: The Hero!"

And all the while Carlos kept refusing that he was a hero in the flood scene, and they kept telling him that he was one... the scenery around them became darker and more fearsome, until before they knew it... they were standing in the middle of a jungle black as pitch.

Slowly, the blackness faded away around them, and as it did, the Rangers began to wish it hadn't.

They were back in Angel Grove. But it was an Angel Grove from their worst nightmares, quite literally. Piranatrons marched everywhere in neat rows, people writhed and groaned on the ground, only a few feet from corpses of their friends and family. Fires burned everywhere, buildings had been destroyed, monsters tore through the streets, and in the middle of it all, a hideous tower stood, with Divatox's face glaring out over the devastated city.

Ashley's eyes filled up with tears as she took in everything around them. "No. . .no. . ..," she whispered. It can't be. It just can't be.

"We. . . we were sent back. . .," T.J. whispered. The five former Turbos were all in shock, but none more so than Billy. His eyes were wide enough to fall out of his face as he sank to his knees, mouthing a single word of denial over and over. He hugged his arms around him, swaying back and forth, unable to believe his eyes. He had spent most of his young adult life defending this city, now it lay in ruins before them.

Cassie went to Billy, wanting to comfort him, though she had no comfort in her. Tears streaking her own cheeks, she put a hand on his shoulder, hoping that simple touch would be enough. It wasn't.

"No!" the entire planet almost seemed to shake with the force of that cry from the Blue Ninjetti. "No!"

A Piranatron patrol marching a short distance away stopped and started towards them, not noticing the hate-filled glare Carlos shot towards them. "This can't be happening!" Ashley fell into a defensive stance as the Piranatrons started towards them. Cassie shook her head and pulled everyone behind a large pile of rubble.

"Hide!" she whispered. "They're coming this way!"

As they fell behind the ruins, Carlos whispered the others, "This can't be happening! How did it happen so fast?"

Billy sobbed, "We weren't fast enough! We didn't make it to the monolith on time. . .we failed. . .I failed. . ."

Cassie put her hands on his shoulders. "You didn't fail. Things. .just happened too fast," she whispered. "We didn't have time."

"I failed," Billy didn't seem to hear her. "I wasn't good enough. Divatox conquered the planet, we didn't win, we lost!"!

T.J. growled fiercely, "If she cqonquered it, then we take it back from her! Somehow!" he declared.

Justin suddenly dashed out from behind their hiding place, screaming like a banshee. "No!" he didn't care who heard him. "Dad, no!"

"Justin!" Ashley ran after him. "Justin, come back!"

"Dad!" he kept running, slipped, stumbled, and threw himself down next to a body. Twisted in the agonies of death was Dean Stewart, with a dagger sticking out of his chest. Ashley ran after him, calling his name, wanting to keep the Piranatrons away from him.

As she saw what he was draped over, her heart almost broke. "Justin. . .," she whispered. "Oh, Justin, I'm sorry!"

Justin looked at his dad's eyes; wide and glazed over. He ran a hand across the dead man's chest, then grabbed hold of the knife handle and pulled, closing his dad's eyes as he did so. Attached to the knife was a note. Quietly he read it to himself.

Dear White Ranger,
Your father and I had quite a good time before I drove this into his heart. I'm coming for you, and for all the other failed Rangers.
Hate and horror,
Divatox!

Justin balled up the note and threw it as far away from him as he could, sinking to his knees and crying with all his heart. Ashley wrapped her arms around her, rocking as gently as she could, doing what little she could to soothe him.

"I'm going to kill her!" he swore. "She raped and stabbed my father!" his tears overflowed. "This wouldn't have happened it we hadn't failed!"

The Rangers had no words for their friend; what could be said in this situation? Nothing. Nothing at all. They had failed.

Carlos wiped away his own tears, wanting nothing more than just to curl up and die. Leaning against a large cement block, he sighed deeply. "What the?" he glanced around at a sudden noise, and then broke into a mad run to the other side.

"Carlos!" T.J. called out; what did it matter who heard them in this nightmare world? "Where are you going?"

"I've found Dimitria!" Carlos screamed as he scooped their mentor up in his arms and held her close. The others joined him moments later as Carlos wiped blood, tears, sweaet, and dirt from her face. "She doesn't look so good," he breathed, unable to explain why it cut so deep into his heart to see her like this. As she moaned lightly, he held her a little closer. "Dimitria. . please. . .talk to us. We failed. . .we're sorry."

Billy slowly gathered up pieces of a dismembered Alpha 6 as everyone else drew closer to Dimitria. Her gentle hand brushed against Carlos' cheek as Justin sniffed back tears. "We lost everything," he whispered. "Everything!"

"I love you, Dimitria!" Carlos felt as if his mouth were speaking without asking instructions from his brain. "Don't die on us!"

"C... Carlos," the voice was faint and failing.

"Yes?"

"M. . my fault. . ."

Carlos shook his head. "No! It's not your fault! It's our fault! We weren't fast enough to get the Power from the Monolith!" he ignored everything, the Rangers gathered, Billy attempting to put together the shattered droid, all his attention was focused on the woman in his arms. "It was our fault! I failed them. . .I. . .the most powerful warrior. . .couldn't make it to the very Monolith that I guard with my life!"

Everyone stared at Carlos as he spoke; this wasn't quite the Carlos they knew! In two voices he spoke, one the familiar soccer player, the other, older, wiser, stronger somehow. "This isn't fair! Why must these things always happen to us? First Dark Specter sends me and the emperor forward in time as children, freezes the empress for centuries, then Divatox destroys our powers in my second life and destroys this world and all I love!"

"W. . .what?" Ashley felt as if her jaw had been unhinged and was on the ground, a quick glance at the others showed they had equal reactions.

"Should. . .have come with you. . .," Dimitria whispered.

Carlos stared. "But, Dimitria! You did come! You were there; then left us to go on the journey ourselves! I remember as clearly as the day we were married!" he spoke once more in that strange dual voice, shocking all the Rangers, who looked as if someone had hit them on the head with a large board at that utterance.

"No," Dimitria whispered. "Didn't. . .go with you. . stayed. . Power Chamber. . ."

"No, you didn't!" Carlos spoke now alone. "The Power Chamber was being destroyed! You came down out of your tube, and you, Alpha, the Blue Senturion, and us went to Phaedos! Then you left with Alpha!" as Dimitria shook her head, Carlos' eyes blazed. "No! No! No! What you say isn't true! You came, we all know it!"

"No. . .," Dimitria whispered. "I'm sorry. I failed you. You failed. . .."

Carlos put her down quickly and backed away, understanding coming to them all as he did so. Billy stood up. "Dimitria wouldn't have been here, and neither would Alpha! They would be on Phaedos, safe and sound!"

T.J. nodded. "And if they're here, then here, isn't what we think it is!"

"Then this isn't really Angel Grove!" Ashley declared.

"My dad isn't really dead! Everything in Angel Grove is fine!" Justin's voice sounded happier already.

"This was just a test!" Cassie realized. "We didn't fail!"

"We're going back!" Carlos finished it. "And we're gonna get the Power! We won't fail!" his voice echoed all around them, and as the echoes died away, they were once more in the Neola Jungle of Phaedos.

T.J. practically jumped up and down with joy. "We did it! We did it! Well...almost!"

Cassie giggled, "Oh, wow, what a relief to find out that whole fiasco wasn't real! We didn't fail!"

"How could we have even considered the fact that we had failed?" Billy wondered. "We're the Power Rangers; we don't give up like that!"

Ashley laughed. "You know it! Come on, guys, we've still got to get the Py Empe

With renewed spirits, they started off happily, singing songs and dancing, despite the seriousness of their quest. To know they hadn't failed, despite the horrors they'd seen, had infused them with more energy and joy than they had known since Divatox had abducted Justin.

Dean Stewart wandered through Angel Grove; looking for his son. "Justin!" he turned around in place, cupping his hands and shouting through them. "Justin, where are you?" somehow he didn't notice Divatox and her Piranatrons and monsters marching through the streets. He sighed. "Where is my son? How could he have disappeared like that?"

Divatox stared at the human walking through town, and smiled to herself. "Mmmmmm," she murmured. "Very nice."

He stopped and gulped as he suddenly noticed the purple-haired pirate watching him. Divatox chuckled to herself. "Well, well, well, just what do we have here?"

"Uh-oh. . .," Dean whispered as he started to back away. If they've done anything to Justin, I'll KILL them!

"Piranatrons!" Divatox ordered. "Take him!"

As her monsters rushed him, she was nastily surprised to see him take down almost five of them with skilled, practiced karate moves. She licked her lips in anticipation. "I like a strong guy!" as he started to take down more and more of her Piranatrons, she frowned. "Hey, you! Don't wreck all my Piranatrons, I need them to conquer the Earth!"

He glared at her. "So you're Divatox! Tough chance on conquering the Earth, the Power Rangers will stop you!"

"I destroyed those puny Rangers' powers!" Divatox laughed. She deliberately left out the fact that the Rangers were now seeking out new, stronger powers. She rather enjoyed the dumbfounded look in Dean Stewart's eyes, which was replaced by fear as she walked over to him. As he pulled back his fist to str