Chapter One:

Two Months After Pluto's Death:

Luna and Stone had been a couple since before Pluto had died, but they had been closer since his death. They trained together, and when she worked on projects for weapons or other tools that might help the team, Stone tried to help her in any way he could. Luna and Stone were both worried that any battle they entered could be their last. They had seen battles in the time since they had buried Pluto, but Andros was pushing himself to take the worst of the blows, trying to keep everyone else safe.

"Everyone report to the bridge. This is an emergency," D.E.C.A. announced as Luna was putting the final touches on a new weapon for Andros.

"Come on," Stone said, reaching for her hand. "Duty calls."

Luna took Stone's hand and they ran for the bridge. When they got there, the rest of the team was there.

"We're on our way to Tarmac-3, which had gained their freedom from Rita Repulsa a few years ago. They're under attack again," Andros explained.

Everyone took their posts and started working on their duties. As they neared Tarmac-3, Luna called Stone over to her. She looked worried.

"What's wrong?" he asked her.

"There's a massive explosive on that planet," Luna replied, pulling up a map that scanned the area of the attack. "It is focused here, in the center of where their government buildings are. The charge is big enough to blow a hole that could swallow the Astro Megaship."

"What do we do about it?" Stone asked his girlfriend.

"We do nothing. I go in and try to diffuse the detonator. The rest of you hold off the invaders while I do so I don't have to worry about being attacked while diffusing a bomb that large," Luna said to him with a weak smile.

"We have to tell Andros, Zhane, and Vanya. Before we hit the planet's surface," Stone replied as he squeezed Luna's hand, trying not to show just how much he didn't want her to diffuse the bomb, but tell the others Tarmac-3 was a lost cause.

Luna got up, squeezing Stone's hand, and he got up with her. They walked over to Andros' station. He looked up at the two of them and she knew he could tell she had bad news.

"Zhane, V, come here. I think whatever Luna is about to tell me, we should all hear," Andros said before even asking her what she had to say. The brother and sister came and stood on either side of Andros. Finally, he asked Luna, "how bad is whatever you found on your scans?"

"There is definitely an invasion on Tarmac-3, and our best course of action is for the four of you to deal with that while I deal with the other, more urgent, issue, Andros."

"What's that?" Zhane asked before Andros could.

"There is a bomb, possibly surrounding at least one of the government buildings in the center of that area…" Luna replied.

"So diffuse the bomb, we'll handle the invaders," Andros said simply.

"There's a catch about that bomb," Stone said to Andros, looking at Luna.

"What's going on? What aren't you telling us, Luna?" Andros asked with worry in his voice.

"Andros… you and the rest of the Rangers… you need to evacuate the area of civilians and move the fight at least a kilometer from the government center before I try to diffuse this bomb... For safety reasons," Luna replied.

"Why do we need to give you so much distance Luna? We won't even be able to keep an eye on you to make sure nobody attacks you," Zhane pushed.

"Because…" Luna started, looking from her hands to Stone, who nodded at her to tell everyone, "because the charge on the bomb is enough to blow a hole in the planet deep enough to swallow the Astro Megaship."

"Wait, you want us to leave you alone to diffuse a bomb that can blow a hole in the surface of the planet so big it could swallow this ship?" Vanya asked Luna, to which she nodded.

"No, absolutely not. I'll figure out how to diffuse the bomb," Andros said.

"Andros! You can't!" Zhane and Vanya yelled at him once.

"I don't like the idea of Luna doing this, but I agree with Zhane and V on this, Andros. Luna is the one who has the most tech experience. Out of all of us, she has the best chance of diffusing that bomb with a minimal chance of discharge. If she can't do it, the next best tech on the team is V. None of us are going to let her go," Stone said sadly, looking at Luna.

"I won't risk her life. We can't lose another Ranger," Andros said, determined in his decision.

"Andros," Luna said, reaching out to him with the hand Stone wasn't holding, "you are this team's leader. We have followed you into many battles in the time we've been Rangers. Your strength lies in strategy and combat. I can fight but I'm also the tech expert here. This, diffusing this bomb, this is one of my strongest contributions to this team."

Zhane looked from Luna to Stone to Andros. He knew Andros would never okay this plan and that Stone probably hated the idea of Luna being in danger. He also knew she was their best chance of diffusing the bomb.

"Luna, diffuse the bomb. The rest of us will handle evacuation and enemy invaders. We're trusting in your skills," Zhane said at last.

"Zhane!" Andros exclaimed.

"She's right, Andros. This is our best bet. You won't make the call. As your second in command, I'm going to. Everyone, get ready, we'll leave for the planet's surface in thirty minutes," Zhane said, dismissing Luna, Stone, and Vanya.

"What if something happens to Luna, Zhane? It's not just her who will be affected. We all will, especially Stone," Andros said. "I can't let anything happen to her."

"Andros, you're my best friend. You're like a brother to me. But you need to stop trying to blame yourself for what happens to all of us. We all have military training. We all have different skills. And we all chose to become Power Rangers knowing there were certain risks. As much as I'd like to protect Luna for the sake of everyone here, she knows the risks of what she's doing and she's still choosing to do it. Don't try to take that from her. Don't make everyone else on this ship feel useless because you can't stop blaming yourself for what happened to Pluto," Zhane said before walking over and putting his hand on Andros' shoulder. "Come on, we need to go get ready. We've got a party to crash in less than half an hour and we need to get ready."

Luna and Stone got ready to go to Tarmac-3 and went to the Simudeck. She had asked Andros to meet her there when he was mission ready, but in the time until then, Luna and Stone just stayed in silence. Stone was holding Luna, knowing she was taking on the most deadly part of the mission because it was what was best for the team. Ten minutes before the team was supposed to leave for Tarmac-3, Andros finally joined them.

"You wanted to see me, Luna?" he asked.

"Yeah, Andros, I did," she said, reluctantly pulling herself out of Stone's arms and walking over to a table by the wall, opening a case. "This is your new weapon, the Spiral Saber. It can be combined with your Astro Blaster to make an even more powerful weapon and it's also programmed to make your make your Galaxy Glider hit hyperspeed. I want you to test it out before we go to Tarmac-3."

"Can't this wait until we return?" Andros asked Luna.

Luna didn't answer him. She sadly looked at Stone.

"Luna wants you to test the weapon now in case she doesn't come back, Andros. She wants to know that you have the basics of your new weapon in case something goes wrong down there, so she can make any last minute adjustments now," Stone answered him.

"Luna, you can't think like that," Andros said. "We'll find a way to do this and come back as a team."

"I appreciate the sentiment, Andros. Really, I do. However, all of us knew going into the military that any mission could be our last. Being a Ranger is the same thing. I'm grateful that I've had the team, but if I die saving others, I can accept that."

"Luna…" Stone started to interrupt his girlfriend.

"No, Stone. I'm not giving up on living, but all of us knew the dangers that we would be in, that we would be walking into when we became first soldiers, then Rangers. I vowed to protect the universe from evil. We all did. All I'm saying is that I will keep that vow with my last breath. I'm sure the rest of you feel the same. I don't want to leave you, Stone, but we are a source of hope and good fighting in the war against Dark Specter and his force of evil minions. We never know when any of us will die. Just…" Luna started but froze.

"Just what?" Andros asked.

"If I do die, there's a map in my quarters. It's to part of a lesser inhabited part of Triforia… where I buried my parents. Don't give my body to the military. Please, bury me with my parents. Ask Trey to help you find the location, since you probably shouldn't just show up on his planet like that."

"Why on Triforia?" Stone asked.

"Because I'm not completely human. My father was related to Trey. It's why Trey was so happy to host us. He's my cousin," Luna said.

"Wait, your cousin is the Lord of Triforia?" Andros asked, to which Luna just nodded. "Why didn't you tell us on Triforia?"

"Trey and I have decided that since I'm only half Triforian that we would live our separate lives, instead of him asking me to join him on Triforia permanently after the loss of my parents. However, we both always knew if the other was in need, we'd always be there for each other. It is, however, why I snuck off with Trey for a while," Luna explained. "Now, Andros, we only have a few minutes. It's time to test the Spiral Saber."

Andros got into the sim and Luna started it. As Luna watched the stats on the Spiral Saber, how Andros handled it, looking for anything she needed to adjust, Stone just stayed behind her. Stone held her, whispering how much she meant to him and how much he loved her, no matter what happened on the mission. Luna didn't turn to Stone, but returned the sentiment, a tear slipping down her cheek as Andros came out of the simulation.

"The weapon is great, Luna. It feels fantastic in my hands," Andros complimented her work.

"I just need to make a few minor adjustments. We'll be a few minutes," Luna replied.

Andros looked at her, trying to hide the pain, then at Stone, who didn't usually show many emotions, but was showing them to Luna. He nodded at them and decided to go find Vanya. Zhane and Vanya were on the bridge.

"V, can we talk for a minute? Zhane, Stone and Luna are going to be a few minutes late. She's putting some final adjustments on the weapon she's been working on for me," Andros said before he led V away, towards the engine room, the last place Zhane would think to spy on him.

"What's going on, Andros?" Vanya asked when they got into the engine room.

As soon as he let the door to the engine room close behind them, Andros turned and kissed Vanya. He shocked both of them by doing it, but seeing how hard it was for Luna and Stone, who had been together for a while, he didn't want to go on one more mission without her knowing how he felt. Vanya got into the kiss, which shocked Andros more, but made the kiss even more amazing. When they finally pulled away from each other, Vanya wouldn't look at him.

"Did I upset you by kissing you, V? I know I'm older than you and your brother's best friend…" Andros started rambling.

"No," she said, putting her finger over his mouth. "Before Pluto died… I wanted to tell you that I kinda felt something other than feelings as a friend for you, Andros. After his death, you were so intent on doing almost everything alone, I didn't think I could talk to you anymore. You were pushing us all away."

"V, no. I wasn't trying to push you all away. I was trying to keep you safe. Pluto was the youngest of us. His death was hard. None of us could get to him to try to save him. I didn't want that to happen to anyone else, especially not you or Zhane. You two mean more to me than anyone else in the universe," Andros explained. "That day you came to my quarters to talk, I was thinking about how I was starting to see you more as a woman instead of Zhane's kid sister. I just didn't want to say anything and risk ruining anything between us or me and Zhane. And I know I kissed you that night in my quarters then we never spoke about it, but I had never kissed anyone before and looking at you, I wanted to kiss you. Now, I can't avoid what I did back then or how I still feel."

"And now? This kiss is more than saying something, Andros," Vanya asked.

"Now, I will deal with Zhane after the mission. I just needed to tell you that you're important to me, V. I needed you to hear the words from me. The thought of anything happening to either of us and not telling you… it's become unbearable," Andros said as he kissed her one more time before leading her back to the bridge, where they joined Zhane, Luna, and Stone, before heading out to Tarmac-3.

Once they dismounted the Galaxy Gliders that Luna had built for each of them on the planet's surface they were right into the shuffle. Andros, Zhane, and Vanya immediately started evacuating as they fought the invaders, protecting every being fiercely. Stone made sure Luna made it to the detonator safely. As soon as they reached the bomb, Luna set to work, not noticing for a few minutes that Stone hadn't left her, she was so focused on diffusing the bomb.

"Stone, please, you need to go!" she exclaimed.

"I can't live without you, Luna!"

"Power down!" Luna ordered the Astro Morpher. "No matter what happens, part of me will always be with you, Stone. I love you. You know that. But you're needed by V. You know that Andros and Zhane team up in battle, she needs you right now. I've got a bomb to diffuse."

"Power down!" Stone ordered his Astro Morpher, so he could kiss Luna. "I love you so much, Luna. Please, don't let this be our last kiss."

"I promise, I will do everything to come back to you, Stone. Just please, I can't focus with you so close to the bomb. You need to get at least a kilometer away."

Stone gave Luna one more kiss and morphed back into the Black Ranger, running into battle to join Andros, Zhane, and Vanya. They were okay, but he understood why Luna sent him away. She couldn't stand the idea of being the one to take his life… intentional or not. Just like he hated himself for siding with Zhane in this strategy, he just knew it was the best strategy to get everyone off-planet safely at the end of the day.

The battle was intense. Every so often, Luna would check to see if everyone was okay as she worked on the bomb. The Red, Black, Pink, and Silver Rangers had the enemies retreating. Stone had some hope that they would make it through this mission safely.

"I think I've got it! I'm making my way back to you guys!" Luna called over her communicator.

"Stone! Go meet her and make sure she gets to us safely," Andros called to him.

Stone nodded and started making his way towards where he had left Luna hours before. He was maybe a quarter of the way there, Luna was almost half a kilometer from the bomb when she just stopped. She looked back towards where she had been working and didn't take another step.

"I'm sorry everyone. Stone, I love you," she said, and then half of the bomb went off.

"NO!" Stone screamed. "LUNA!"

"Stone. Status report…" Andros called to him.

Stone couldn't answer him.

"I'll go check, Andros. You and Zhane have things here pretty much under control," Stone heard Vanya call to their leader.

Not long after the communications, Vanya was holding him, crying. He got up and held her, feeling the tears on his cheeks under his helmet. After that, things were blurry for Stone.

"Andros, she's… Luna…" Vanya called to the team leader.

"What is it, V?" Zhane asked his sister.

"There was an explosion… Luna… I'm pretty sure she's gone," she replied. "I'm going in to get her."

"No! Vanya, stay where you are," Andros called back. "Have Stone do it!"

"He can't. He's in bad shape. He's not responding, Andros. I'm going in, before things get worse," Vanya replied before calling out, "Galaxy Glider! Hang 10!"

"Vanya! No!" Zhane called.

Vanya got onto her Galaxy Glider and crossed the quarter of a kilometer from where she and Stone were to where Luna wasn't moving. She jumped down off her Glider and struggled in the intense heat from the blast zone, but got Luna onto it. She went straight back to the Astro Megaship, placing Luna in the infirmary so she could try to check her out. She ordered D.E.C.A. to teleport Stone back to the ship as she tried to help Luna.

She wasn't sure how long she had been in the infirmary with Luna. She had quickly realized that she couldn't save her so she started cleaning her up. Vanya removed the Blue Astro Morpher from her friend's wrist, and changed her into some of her nicer clothes. Even when she was done, Andros and Zhane weren't back from Tarmac-3. She moved Luna's body into the healing chamber and returned to the bridge.

"D.E.C.A., open communications to Trey of Triforia, please," Vanya said sadly.

"Yes, Vanya… Communication established," D.E.C.A. replied.

"Vanya of KO-35, what can I do for you?" Trey asked.

"Trey… I need to speak to you about our Blue Ranger, Luna," she replied, forcing herself not to cry.

"She's told you she's my cousin, hasn't she?" Trey asked.

"Yes, she did."

"Then she must have been in fear for her life. Is Luna alright?"

"Trey… no, she's not," Vanya replied. "We were called to Tarmac-3 to help defend it against an invasion. As we neared the planet, Luna detected an explosive device strong enough to make a hole in the planet big enough to swallow our ship. As our expert in those areas, she insisted she diffuse the device. I'm not sure what happened from there, she had said she had diffused it, but a few minutes later, she said she was sorry and told Stone she loved him. I went to check on Stone and Luna because they weren't answering the communicators and found him unresponsive and Luna unmoving approximately a quarter kilometer from where Stone and I were, a half kilometer from the original point of the device.

"Not wanting to leave her there any longer, I ignored Andros and Zhane to use my Galaxy Glider and bring her back to the ship. I… I tried to save her, Trey. It was too late. So I cleaned her up, nobody will see her covered in ash and soot. We know where she wants to be buried, but we will need your help."

"Thank you for caring for my cousin Luna so lovingly. You showed that you have a big heart and tremendous courage to do this, Vanya," Trey replied. "Where are your team leaders?"

"They haven't returned from Tarmac-3 yet. That's why I wanted to let you know about Luna. You deserve to know. She was descended from both Triforia and KO-35, she was a hero, and she chooses to be buried on Triforia. Luna specifically requested we not bring her body back to the KO-35 military."

"Thank you, Vanya. I know this can't be easy for you. You are the youngest on the team since the loss of your Yellow Ranger, and now, you are the only female left on the team. My heart goes out to your team, because while Luna was my family, your team was like a second family for all of you… I understand the loss of any member of your team is like the loss of a loved one," he said, before becoming a bit more serious. "However, I shall coordinate with Andros and Zhane. Please, make sure they reach out when they return."

"I will, Trey."

"Take care of yourself, Vanya."

After the communications were closed, the stress of the day hit Vanya.

"D.E.C.A., please alert Andros and Zhane that I am in my quarters when they return," Vanya said as she ran off to her quarters, no longer able to hold back her emotions any longer.

Andros and Zhane finally returned to the Astro Megaship, exhausted after another hard-fought battle, knowing things weren't going to get any better back on the ship.

"D.E.C.A., where are the other Rangers?" Andros asked.

"Stone has been in Luna's quarters since right after I teleported him back to the ship on Vanya's orders. Luna was placed in the healing room after Vanya cleaned and changed her. Vanya has retreated into her quarters. She requested I alert the two of you that she of her location upon your return," D.E.C.A. replied.

"Thank you, D.E.C.A.," Zhane said, turning to Andros. "Stone or V?"

"Stone needs some space. You check on V. I'll contact Trey and see what his orders are. I will notify the KO-35 elders of Luna's loss but tell them her body disintegrated in the blast. I'm not giving them a chance to try to fight her request on what happen to her in death," Andros said.

"Alright."

Andros went to the bridge while Zhane went to his sister. When she saw him, she just ran into his arms, something she hadn't really done in a while. Zhane led her back to her bed, and let her lay down, leaning on his leg the way she did as a kid, while he stroked her hair.

"We'll make it through this, V. You know we will. We'll find a way to help Stone, and then the four of us will make it through this together."

"I cleaned her up, so you and Andros didn't have to."

"We know. D.E.C.A. told us. You didn't have to do that, Sis. But what did you do with her Astro Morpher?"

"I put it in the vault with Pluto's."

"How do you know that code? Only Andros and I are supposed to have that."

"I can't compare to Luna, but I'm decent with tech, remember? I was able to decipher the code."

"Impressive," Andros said from the doorway.

"I'm sorry guys. I know I'm not supposed to be in the vault, but it's where her Astro Morpher belonged."

"We'll let it go for now," Andros said. "We're making our way to Triforia."

"And our elders?" Zhane asked.

"Have no idea that it's because we have a body on board," Andros replied. "They believed me when I told them that there was nothing to return to KO-35."

"And Zordon?" Vanya asked.

"Same orders. Keep fighting. He'll decide when the time is right to replace the fallen Rangers," Andros explained.

"We should go and try to calm Stone down," Zhane said.

"No," Vanya said. "I'll do it. You guys still smell like the fires on Tarmac-3. That's only going to upset him."

Vanya left her quarters before they could argue, finding out that Stone had moved from Luna's quarters to his. She knocked on the door and waited for a response. When none came, she entered anyway.

"Stone?" she asked entering cautiously.

"Our leaders couldn't face me?" he asked angrily.

"It wasn't that. They were both going to come see you. I stopped them, worried they'd upset you… They still smell like fire, Stone. I thought they should at least shower before they tried to see you."

"Vanya… I…"

"I know you love Luna, Stone. And I'm sure you're hurting right now."

"I want to see her, but I can't see her like that."

"She just looks like she's sleeping. I tried to save her when I got back here with her. It's why I didn't come to you when you were brought back. When I realized it wasn't possible, I cleaned her, changed her into some of her nicer clothes, and she's in the healing room, where it's cold. We're on our way to Triforia."

"Wait, you did all of that on your own?"

"Zhane and Andros were still on the battlefield. I had D.E.C.A. teleport you back after I managed to get Luna onto my Galaxy Glider and back here. So, yeah, I did. I wasn't going to ask you and you were the only other person on the ship."

Stone got up and pulled Vanya into a hug.

"Thank you, V," he said as he held her. "Will you bring me to see her, before we reach Triforia? I don't know what's gonna happen once Trey gets his hands on her body."

Vanya saw that Stone struggled saying body.

"Of course I will, Stone," she said as she led him to the healing room.

Luna was covered in a sheet, but she carefully pulled it back so Stone could see his lost love. She went to leave him, but he stopped her.

"You can stay with me… I want you to stay," Stone said.

"I'm not going far, Stone. I figured you might want a few minutes alone. I'll be in the engine room. When you want me, just call for me," Vanya replied and walked out to the engine room, which was just outside the door to the healing room.

Stone looked at Luna, trying to find the words to say goodbye to her. His mind still couldn't process that she wasn't just sleeping. It made his heart hurt.

"I knew from when we met in training that you were something special, Luna. You were so smart and tough. Nothing stopped you from being in the top ranks of everything. When we were sent to Eltar with Pluto, Andros, Zhane, and Vanya, I wasn't surprised that Zordon had picked you to be one of his Power Rangers. I was shocked that he picked me. But you…" he said, starting to choke up. "You were perfect for the job. Caring and tough, smart as hell. You were an amazing Power Ranger, Luna. I just can't believe you're gone. I fell so hard for you and now you're gone. I know you didn't do it on purpose, but it still hurts. We're bringing you to your cousin Trey. Andros is keeping his word about that. But I miss you so much already, Luna. I don't know how I'm going to go on without you. I love you forever, Luna. My heart is yours and we will be reunited one day. Until then, just know that I will never stop thinking about or loving you."

The Rangers reached Triforia and brought Trey on board with some of his people to retrieve Luna. He greeted each Ranger expressing his grief to them for their loss of Luna, as well as his gratitude that they had become a second family to her. Finally, the Rangers led Trey and his people to the healing room where Luna had been kept for the trip. Trey seemed both grief-stricken and relieved at the sight of his cousin.

"Vanya of KO-35, please step forward," Trey requested, and after encouragement from both Andros and Zhane, Vanya did. "I want to express an even deeper gratitude to you, for trying to save Luna's life and for seeing to it that neither I nor any of her loved ones had to see her in the shape I'm sure she was in after the explosion. You have my eternal thanks for being a friend to Luna not only in life, but also in death."

Vanya bowed to the Lord of Triforia, unsure of what else to do. She joined the ranks of the Rangers, all in their Megaship uniforms instead of their Ranger uniforms. When Trey had his people put Luna's body on a stretcher to bring her off the ship, Trey led the procession, with Vanya and Stone right behind him and Andros and Zhane bringing up the rear. When they got into his home, Luna's body was taken away to be prepared for a Triforian funeral.

"You have all seen many battles, and been through so much for such young beings. I insist that you stay in my home until Luna has been buried," Trey told Andros and Zhane.

"We don't want to inconvenience you," Andros said.

"It is not an inconvenience. It is an honor. Your team helped protect Triforia once before, and now, you have returned my cousin. Please, I understand you must be taking this hard, but I insist that you stay here instead of cooped up on your ship while preparations for the funeral are completed."

"Thank you, Trey. Again, the four of us are truly sorry for the loss of your cousin, Luna," Andros said.

A few days after the Rangers reached Triforia, Luna's funeral was held. It wasn't at all like the funerals on KO-35 for the military dead. Trey had announced to his people the significance of the Rangers' presence and how Luna connected into his family. The citizens of Triforia seemed to mourn the loss of Luna along with the Rangers and Trey. Finally, when the actual funeral was held, it was just the few members left of Trey's family, since Luna's mom didn't have any living family, and the Rangers. Vanya found the ceremony a little comforting, the way they spoke of Luna's spirit being reunited on the spirit plane with her parents now that her final mission had been completed.

If this was true, dying couldn't really be all bad, could it? Vanya thought to herself.

After Luna was buried, Trey insisted the Rangers spend another few nights on Triforia. He wanted to know more about Luna because they hadn't seen much of each other in years. Andros and Zhane agreed, not having the heart to deny him a chance to understand Luna more. So the Rangers each took a turn telling Trey stories about their interactions with Luna. When it was time to go, Trey asked Stone and Vanya to stay behind as Andros and Zhane got the Astro Megaship prepared with the supplies he was giving them. Confused, the Rangers split up, Stone and Vanya staying with Trey.

"Stone, I could tell by your stories how much you truly loved my cousin. It wasn't a physical love, but a deeper, meaningful love. I am truly grateful that she had someone like you in her life to love her unconditionally," Trey started. "This is why I want you to have this heirloom. It has been passed down in the family for generations."

"But I'm not a Triforian," Stone said, not sure what to do.

"No, you're not. However, am I wrong in my assessment of your feelings for Luna?"

"Not even a little bit. I would have given my life to save hers."

"Which is why I feel you should have this heirloom, Stone. It was passed by Luna's father to her to give to her firstborn child. With her loss, I feel it is only fitting that you, being her love, be the one to inherit the heirloom," Trey said, handing Stone a locket that had the crest of Triforia, with a picture of Luna on one side, and who must've been her parents on the other.

"Are these Luna's parents?" Stone asked.

"Yes, that is my uncle and his wife. Luna was their pride."

"Are you sure that I should take this? It has the crest of Triforia on it."

"Stone, Luna has worn this heirloom for half of her life. She was loving, and I could tell that she loved you. It is yours to remember that love," Trey said finally.

"Thank you," Stone barely got out, bowing to Trey.

"Now, to you, Vanya. I have something that Luna asked me to hold onto for you in case of these circumstances," Trey said, handing Vanya a computer drive. "After the fall of your Yellow Ranger, she wanted to make sure your team was not left in trouble in case of her loss. This drive has copies of the data on all of the projects she was working on at the time as well as the projects she planned on working on in the future. Luna felt that you would best be suited to take up this work in addition to your other duties."

Vanya looked at the drive. Luna had so much faith in her that she had left this with instructions to be given to her? Vanya was determined not to let her down.

"I will try to live up to Luna's legacy, Trey," Vanya said, bowing to Trey.

In the aftermath of the funeral, Andros told Zhane how he felt about Vanya. It caused tension and Zhane made it clear he did not want Vanya and Andros alone. Angry at Zhane for the way he was behaving, Vanya and Stone started spending more time together while the team leaders argued over her. Stone was able to show Vanya around Luna's lab so she could start the projects in her downtime. He was also able to sit down and go through the drive with her, letting her know which of the projects were completed, in progress, or not started at all. The projects in progress were all kept in specific places and Stone showed Vanya were to find them. In return, Vanya became Stone's training partner. They quickly became in sync with each other.

One night while she was lying in bed there was a knock on the door to her quarters. She ignored it. Still the knocker entered.

"V?" Andros asked gently. "Are you awake?"

Vanya rolled over, excited to hear Andros' voice, until she saw Zhane with him.

"If the two of you are here to argue, please do it somewhere else," she said to them.

"V, you're my little sister, the only family I have left. Andros is my best friend. You can't tell me that you didn't expect me to have some kind of reaction to finding out that the two of you were kissing behind my back."

"Neither one of us could help that we started feeling something for each other, Zhane! It's not like we did this to spite you," Vanya snapped at her brother in annoyance.

"I know, V. You're right. But this all came out of left field. It's been just you, me, and Andros for so long, that hearing this, I didn't know what was gonna happen. Maybe I was worried what the two of you had would tear us apart."

"The only one doing that is you, Zhane. Because of the way you've been acting towards Andros, I've been avoiding both of you. I'm spending all my time working on projects left by Luna and training with Stone. You're tearing the three of us apart. Is it worth it, Zhane? With everything we've all been through in the last two years, is it worth it to deny Andros and I this time?"

Zhane looked between Andros and Vanya. He didn't know what to think anymore.

"What exactly is going on between the two of you?"

"I think I'm in love with Vanya, Zhane. I tried not to… I didn't want to cause any trouble between us, but I couldn't help it. She's beautiful, smart, caring, a warrior… how could I not fall for her?"

Zhane shook his head, not sure what to make of his best friend's admission. He turned to his sister.

"Vanya?"

"Before Pluto died, I wanted to tell Andros that my feelings were starting to change… that I was feeling something more than I'd ever felt for him before. I didn't get to because we were called to the bridge for the mission to Mirinoi. We kissed that night, but we didn't talk about it until right before the Tarmac-3 mission when Andros kissed me again. My feelings for Andros grow stronger every day, Zhane. I hate that I feel like if I spend time with him I'm betraying you, but I feel like I'm betraying myself by not. So I find ways to keep myself busy, hoping the two of you will work this out, because until now, I had no say in this."

Zhane stayed quiet for a while. He was really considering what Andros and Vanya had said to him. There was only one thing to do.

"I'm not a fan of this… but I'm gonna have to get over it," Zhane started, bringing smiles to Andros and Vanya's faces. "I'm miserable fighting with both of you and obviously the two of you are miserable being away from each other. So all this is really accomplishing is making the three of us miserable. We have better things to do with our time."

Vanya jumped up and hugged her brother, giving him a kiss on the cheek. Zhane pulled Andros in on the hug. It felt almost normal to the three of them again.

"Just know if you hurt V, Andros, I'm gonna kick your ass."

"I would never hurt her."

Two Months Later:

It had been two months since Luna's funeral. After finally working things out with Zhane, Andros and Vanya were officially a couple, though they didn't flaunt it in front of Zhane or Stone. Vanya had upgraded some of their tech and weapons, including Zhane's Silverizer, making it the Super Silverizer with Luna's plans. With the blueprints, she was able to add a blaster mode to the sword mode, making it an even more powerful weapon than it already was.

There had been many more battles since Luna's death… even more than between when she and Pluto had died, but the remaining Rangers were making it through. It was after a battle on Zordina, where Zordon himself had asked the Rangers to go in order to protect the Lost Zords of Zordina from falling into the hands of the United Alliance of Evil, that Andros took Vanya on their first date off the Megaship. They went to see Hailey's Comet, a very normal fist date for new relationships. After a beautiful night, they returned to the ship and to their separate quarters. Even though they were officially together, neither was ready for the relationship to progress past kissing. However, this beautiful night was the calm before the storm. A few days later, Zordon contacted the Rangers again… with another important mission.

"Rangers! You are needed on your home planet of KO-35. Darkonda has released a horde of Barillian bugs on your people. The scientists are trying to create an antidote to their bite, but the people are in danger. Be careful on this mission, Rangers, as a sting from a Barillian bug can turn you into one of them before it kills you. Go now, and may the power protect you."

"D.E.C.A., set a course for KO-35, maximum hyper-rush speed," Andros said.

"Course set for KO-35, maximum hyper-rush speed," D.E.C.A. confirmed.

It seemed to take forever to reach KO-35. When they were in orbit, they grabbed their gear and Morphed, using the Galaxy Gliders to go to the planet's surface. Everything was chaos. The few people that were still outside were running around frantically. There was a small army of Quantrons attacking and then there were the swarms of bugs bigger than a person's face flying around trying to sting everyone.

"Take out as many of those bugs as you can! V, get to the hospital! See where the scientists are with the antidote and see if you can help them with it," Andros called out. "The rest of us will deal with the Quantrons and bugs."

Vanya drew her Astro Blaster and started shooting down every bug she saw as she made her way to the main hospital on KO-35. When she rushed through the doors she could hear the people cry out in fear.

"Power down!" she ordered her Astro Morpher, so the people of her planet knew she wasn't the enemy.

"Vanya?" asked one of the elders, that upon looking, Vanya recognized as Tykwa. "Is that you?"

"Yes, Ma'am," Vanya replied. "I'm here to help. Can somebody please show me to the lab where they're working on the antidote?"

Vanya was taken to the lab where the doctors and other scientists were hard at work.

"What do you want?" One of the scientists asked angrily.

"I'm here to help. I'm…" Vanya started but was cut off.

"A Power Ranger. Why do you think you can help us?" he asked her.

"I've been working on the tech, medical, navigational, all of it, aboard our ship. I took over for Luna who fell in battle. I've been asked to come here to try to help you out by the Red Ranger. You never know. You might be missing a key ingredient or piece of tech that isn't native to KO-35 that I may have aboard our ship. Don't disregard me just because I'm a Power Ranger."

"Fine, come here and take a look at these formulas for the compound," a doctor said to Vanya.

Out on the battlefield, Andros, Zhane, and Stone quickly dispatched of the Quantrons. The bugs were a bigger problem. The three were trying to watch each other's back, to ensure none of them got stung, but there were a lot more bugs than there were Rangers. No matter how hard they tried to keep the Barillian bugs away from them, there were more around.

"We need to split up, try to break up this swarm!" Zhane exclaimed.

Andros hesitated, but agreed. He, Zhane, and Stone ran in different directions, trying to draw the Barillian bugs away from the populated parts of the city, into the woods, where the citizens of KO-35 would be safe. They were trying to prevent anyone who hadn't already been stung from getting stung now.

Back in the hospital, Vanya saw the problem with the formula.

"Right here, this is the issue. This ingredient, it's not something we grow or manufacture here on KO-35. That's why your attempts at curing anyone whose been bitten have failed so far. You're missing an ingredient," Vanya explained.

One of the scientists looked over her shoulder at the ingredient that she said was missing. Going over what was actually added into the mixture that created the antidote, she quickly realized that Vanya was correct.

"She's right. It is missing. It could be why other ingredients aren't synthesizing to make the formula a viable cure," the scientist who checked her work agreed. "But if we don't have the ingredient here, where do we find it? We need this antidote as soon as possible."

"Hercuron. But the other Rangers and I have fought a few battles over there. We've gathered supplies and samples of different plant-life out there. I'll return to the Megaship and ask D.E.C.A. if it is in our inventory. If we have it, I will bring it immediately. If not, I will go to Hercuron using maximum hyper-rush speed there and back to retrieve it. Either way, I will get you that last ingredient," Vanya promised.

Vanya hurried out of the lab and upstairs. As she got into the lobby she Morphed back into the Pink Ranger. Once she got outside of the hospital she called her Galaxy Glider and returned to the Megaship.

"D.E.C.A., I need you to check our inventory, quickly. We need an ingredient for the Barillian bug cure on KO-35. I'm inputting the data into the computer now. If we have it, let me know where it is. In the meantime, show me the other Rangers."

"Yes, Vanya."

The other Rangers appeared on the viewing screen. They were struggling to keep the Barillian bugs off of them and out of the city. It didn't seem like they were having an easy time.

"Vanya, as I continue to scan the inventory logs, I need to inform you that some of those who have turned into Barillian bugs are trying to breach the hospital. If they get in, they can destroy any chance of completing the cure."

"Damnit," Vanya cursed, bringing her wrist closer to her face. "Andros, Zhane, Stone! We have an emergency! I'm on the Megaship to see if we have the last ingredient needed for the cure or if I need to go get it. But we've got some giant Barillian bugs that used to be human trying to break into the hospital! Tykwa is in there! If they get in there, there are a lot of people they can attack and they can destroy the progress on the cure! I'll have to start from scratch up here on the Megaship!"

"We're on it, V!" Andros replied.

"Vanya, there is a large quantity of that specific item in the inventory. In addition, I have checked for the other ingredients necessary for the cure. All of them are present on the Astro Megaship," D.E.C.A. informed Vanya.

"What are you telling me about the other ingredients for, D.E.C.A.?"

"Returning to the hospital on KO-35 is ill-advised. In the current situation, the probability of your success in reaching your destination with the last ingredient for the cure is minimal. The best possibility of success comes from you synthesizing the cure here on the Astro Megaship and returning to KO-35 with it in hand."

"Are you sure this is the most logical course of action, D.E.C.A.?"

"Yes."

"Then let's get to work."

D.E.C.A. helped Vanya by telling her exactly where each ingredient was. As she got it into the lab, D.E.C.A. not only walked her through the steps of making the cure, but even ensured it synthesized correctly and as quickly as possible. She just needed to get it done and get down to the planet's surface with it to help those in need.

Stone knew he was in trouble. One of the human-sized bugs stung him. It was becoming difficult for him to hold his kama. His body, from the sting radiating outward was cold. The rest of him felt hot and he could feel he was sweating. Stone was struggling not to lose his Morph, it was taking every ounce of his energy to hold onto it and keep focused enough to fight.

"Stone, are you okay?" Zhane called to him.

"I'm… I…" Stone was trying to answer him, but it was hard. Finally his willpower was gone and he lost his Morph. "AAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

"Andros, do you have a visual on Stone?" Zhane asked.

"Yeah, he's down! He's…" Andros started. "Zhane, he's starting to transform! He's been stung!"

"While he's down, get him out of the building, let V know to get him onto the ship! We have enough giant bugs to exterminate down here!" Zhane replied.

Andros did as Zhane said. When he got Stone outside he reached out to V on the communicator.

"V, teleport Stone back to the ship! He's been stung! He needs to be locked up so he doesn't damage the ship or hurt you! And please, Zhane and I are alone here now, please hurry with the cure!"

On the Astro Megaship, Vanya got Andros' communication. The cure was almost done, but Stone was now in danger.

"You heard him, D.E.C.A.! Teleport Stone!" Vanya exclaimed as she grabbed a syringe full of a sedative, before going to meet Stone.

Once Stone appeared on the ship, before he could even get his bearings, Vanya stuck the sedative in his neck. With the sting from the Barillian bug, it made him angry at her, but she started to run towards where she was going to lock him up. One of the cargo holds with no ventilation shafts, and doors he wouldn't be able to break until he made a full transformation, especially once the sedative kicked in. Vanya was hoping to stop that from happening.

She locked him in and, with her heart hurting for her friend, she ran back to the lab to finish the cure. Thanks to the equipment on the Astro Megaship she had been able to produce nearly a thousand doses of the cure in one batch. She quickly packaged them for distribution in the vials that were sent to her from the hospital right after she had teleported Stone to the ship.

"Andros, the cure is ready. I'm sending it down to you to test," she said on the communicator. "There are distributor weapons on the top of the boxes. Load a cartridge of the cure into it and just shoot at those affected. Let me know how it works."

She had D.E.C.A. send the cure down to the planet's surface. Vanya anxiously waited to hear from Andros or Zhane. She was pacing back and forth when Zhane's voice finally came over the communicator.

"You did it, Sis! Between the work done before you got here and the work you did, the cure is working perfectly! We need you down here to help us cure as many people as we can," Zhane said.

"What about Stone?"

"When we heal as many as we can down here you can take a dose to him on the ship," Andros said. "But our priority is to those down here first."

Vanya wanted to argue, but he was right. They vowed to protect others. That was their mission. To protect the universe. Hoping Stone could hold out until they calmed things down on KO-35, Vanya returned to the planet's surface.

Between destroying the last of the Barillian bugs that were flying around the planet and actually curing those who hadn't died from their stings, Vanya, Zhane, and Andros were busy for nearly a day. Finally, they were at a point that Andros and Zhane could handle it on their own, she took a dose of the cure and went back to the ship to find Stone. What she did find wasn't good.

"D.E.C.A., what is Stone's status in the cargo hold?"

"Stone has completed the transformation. At this point, he is anticipating the door being opened so he can escape. Use caution."

"Open the door, let him out. Lock all doors on the ship so you lead him to where I'm going, the vault with the Astro Morphers. Bring the temperature up so it's safe for me to open the vault door."

"Yes, Vanya."

Once the Stone-creature was free, his instincts told him to hunt for someone to hurt. He started running around, not able to go anywhere but in specific directions, which drove him into a frenzy. Finally, he came into a hall with someone he could hurt.

"Oh, Stone. I'm sorry," his target said to him.

He started towards her, but she was quick, and had good reflexes. It was going to take even better reflexes from him to get her, but he would. The chase continued, but she stayed in the hall. She pulled some sort of weapon out and pointed it at him. He used this as his opening. When she used the weapon, he dodged out of the way of the blast and stung her. She cried out in pain and dropped the weapon, running into the room next to the hall. He followed her.

The room was dark. He could hear her labored breathing and sniffling. He knew he could destroy her. Suddenly, he was blasted with a cannon of some sort. It knocked him to the ground.

Vanya left the vault with Pluto's Cosmic Cannon as soon as she knocked Stone to the ground. She knew she wasn't going to have much time and this was the only choice left. There was no way to get another dose of the cure to the ship before he killed her. She closed the vault and locked it behind her. That was when her knees gave out and she started crying.

"D.E.C.A., put the vault into deep freeze to protect the Astro Morphers."

"It will extinguish all life still inside the vault. Do you want me to proceed?'

"Proceed as ordered."

"Freezing the vault," D.E.C.A. said.

"I'm sorry I failed you, Stone. I really tried to save you," Vanya said, crying, as she curled up in a ball, no longer able to think clearly after being stung herself.

Andros and Zhane had just finished taking care of things on KO-35. They carried the last of the cure into the hospital for the doctors and scientists to have in case of an emergency, and then made your way outside.

"Andros, Zhane, are you leaving so soon?" Tykwa asked.

"We're going to be in orbit, Tykwa, but one of ours was stung and we haven't heard from my sister in bit, since we sent her up to the ship with a vial of the cure for him. We need to check on them," Zhane replied.

They said goodbye to Tykwa and left for the Astro Megaship.

"D.E.C.A., where is Vanya?" Zhane asked.

"Vanya has been stung by Stone. She is on the floor outside the Astro Morpher vault."

"Why is she there?" Andros asked, trying not to let the panic set into his voice.

"She is there because that is where she faced the transformed Stone."

"D.E.C.A., where is Stone?" Andros asked, afraid of the answer.

"Stone dodged the cure when Vanya tried to cure him. As a result, she has locked him in the Astro Morpher vault and ordered me to revert the temperature to normal, storage temperature."

"That could kill him!" Zhane exclaimed.

"I gave Vanya this warning. Her order was still to proceed."

"Andros, go get a cure for V. I'll go after her."

Andros nodded at Zhane and left. He wouldn't fail Vanya. He wouldn't fail Zhane. They were the only three Rangers left. No matter what it took, Andros would make sure Vanya survived the sting.

Zhane went down to the vault. In the hall outside the vault V was on the floor, fully restraint in solid metal. Looking at the device that now held her so she couldn't hurt anyone he saw that there was a sensor on the lock.

"D.E.C.A., how did Vanya get locked in these?"

"In her last moments of clarity she slid the bindings on herself. They are built with sensors that I can control. Once she had them on, she ordered me to lock them as tight as I could without causing her internal injury. She did not want to risk being a danger to either you or Andros upon your return to the ship."

"Thank you, D.E.C.A."

Zhane got closer to Vanya, but he could see she was beginning the transformation. It wasn't progressed far yet, but there were signs. He wouldn't get close enough for her to reach him.

"Are you still in there, V?"

"Zhane?" his sister asked, sounding confused.

"Yeah, V. I'm here. I'm not leaving you."

Andros ran to the hospital as fast as he could when he reached the planet's surface. He needed to get the cure for Vanya. Both her and Zhane were depending on that. As he reached the hospital doors, Tykwa was there.

"Andros, what's wrong?" the elder asked him.

"I need the cure. It's an emergency. Zhane is on the Astro Megaship alone with Vanya and she was stung by Stone," he explained.

"What about Stone?"

"Vanya had no choice but to kill him, Tykwa. He ducked out of the way of the cure she had and stung her. With her being alone on the ship, she couldn't wait until Zhane or I reached her with more of the cure. One of them would have been dead by the time we got there."

"Come with me, Andros," Tykwa said, leading him into the lab. Addressing the staff in the lab she said, "Andros is the Red Ranger, chosen by the Great Sage Zordon, himself to lead the team of Power Rangers. One of his Rangers helped you with the final piece of the puzzle that completed the cure you are now putting away. Now, you are going to give him some of that cure. At least one of his Rangers, the one who helped you finish it, Vanya, the Pink Ranger, is in need of it. Give him at least half a dozen doses for himself and his team. Now. Time is running out."

Within minutes Andros was handed a medical kit with what he needed. After thanking Tykwa for everything and reassuring her the Megaship wasn't moving out of orbit, he returned to the ship. Once there, he rushed to the Astro Morpher vault. As he did, he loaded the cure into the dispersal device.

Zhane wasn't close to Vanya, but he was okay. Vanya was further along in the transformation from the bite than Andros wanted to see. She didn't look okay, but she was heavily restraint. Not taking the time to find out if Zhane found a way to restrain her, Andros got closer to his girlfriend… and delivered the cure.

At first nothing happened. Both Andros and Zhane stood back, nervous that they were too late, fearing that Vanya would have to meet the same fate as Stone. Neither could stand the idea of having to put her down. Their pleas were answered when, after a few minutes, Vanya spoke.

"D.E.C.A., release the restraints, please," Vanya said, wincing. "I'm okay now, thanks."

"Of course, Vanya."

Andros and Zhane rushed her to hug her and she whimpered in pain. They pulled back and looked at her.

"What's wrong? There aren't supposed to be side effects," Zhane asked, the concerned big brother showing.

"It's not a side effect of the cure or the sting. The restraints… I had D.E.C.A. lock them onto me as tight as she could without causing internal injury to ensure I couldn't get out in case I completed the change before you two returned," she said, lifting her uniform shirt to show the bruise forming on her abdomen. "But you saved me. Thank you."

"Are you okay, V?" Andros asked.

"No. I couldn't save Stone… I tried. He wasn't fully transformed by the time I returned to the ship," she said, fresh tears slipping down her cheeks. "I made sure he followed me here, just in case things went sideways. They did. I kept him from getting too close so he hadn't been able to sting me, but as soon as I tried to administer the cure to him, he ducked out of the way of it and stung me."

"That's how you got stung… I was wondering. Your reflexes have always been impeccable, Sis. I didn't think he would just catch you off-guard," Zhane said.

"So what happened after that?" Andros asked her.

"I had hidden Pluto's weapon in the vault. The lights were off in there. I ran in there after he stung me, hoping he'd follow me. He did. When he was on the opposite side of the vault, I shot him with the Cosmic Cannon and ran out of the vault, closing and locking it behind me. Then… I…" she struggled to finish the sentence. "I… I killed him by having D.E.C.A. return the vault to its normal temperature."

Zhane hugged his sister to him. Both he and Andros knew how close she had grown to Stone since Luna's passing. Ever since they had left Triforia the two of them had become best friends. They were almost as in sync with each other as Andros and Zhane were.

"You had no choice, Vanya," Andros said gently. "You tried to cure him. It didn't work."

Vanya pulled away from Zhane.

"D.E.C.A., raise the vault temperature," she said.

"Raising temperature… It is now safe to enter the vault."

Vanya punched in the code to the safe before she pulled the door open.

"What are you doing?" Zhane asked.

"Getting my best friend's body, retrieving his Astro Morpher, and the heirloom from Triforia he wore. Are you two going to help me or not?" she answered.

She entered the vault to find that in death Stone's body had reverted to human form. He lay on the floor of the vault in his Ranger uniform. Vanya made her way to him and knelt next to him. As gently as she could, she removed his Astro Morpher, which changed him to his Astro Megaship uniform. Having easier access to his neck, she reached over and removed the heirloom locket with the Triforian crest, putting it around her own neck for safekeeping until she could contact Trey to find out what to do with it. Then she stood up, placing Stone's Astro Morpher on the Black Astro Morpher holder that was near the Yellow and Blue Astro Morpher holders that held Pluto and Luna's Morphers.

"Vanya…" Andros said to her, but he sounded miles away from her. "Vanya?"

"Hmm?" She replied, finally able to focus on the sound of his voice and find her way out of her grief.

"We'll take care of Stone's body. Go to your quarters and try to rest. You've been through enough today," Andros said.

She nodded at him and was about to leave when she turned back to them.

"What are we going to do with his body?"

"I may need to return him to KO-35," Andros replied.

"Not yet, please. I need to talk to Trey. This locket was Luna's. He gave it to Stone. I need to know what he wants done with it now that Stone is gone. And I want to know if he thinks Stone and Luna should be buried together on Triforia."

"I can delay maybe a few hours, claiming we couldn't answer communications because we had to get the ship back in order after Stone's transformed self was loose before his demise. But that's it, Vanya. I can't push it beyond that, Vanya. I'll give you that, because if Trey felt that Stone was worthy to be passed an heirloom from his family then maybe he does belong buried with Luna," Andros said.

With that, Vanya went to the bridge to contact Trey of Triforia, hoping she wouldn't have to separate Stone and Luna in death. The Triforian funeral really had an impact on her, it gave her hope that maybe one day… even if it never happened while she lived… she would find peace.