The Truth

He had no idea where he was but he could feel his body trying to reject whatever was inside him. He felt exhausted, weak, and feverish. His hands wouldn't stop shaking and his breathing each time he inhaled made the heaviness in his chest more unbearable. The power inside him was trying to fight off the effects the fight was killing him expending all his reserves, he didn't know how much longer he was going to be able to hold on.

He could hear people talking around him and when he finally got himself to open his eyes he wondered if what he was seeing was real. The Phantom Ranger was staring down at him and vague images of all his teammates were standing beside him as well. He closed his eyes again trying to see if he could focus, but before he got the chance to open them, he felt someone pick up his arm and instantly a stab of pain went through his wrist.

He threw his head back and involuntarily his mouth opened even though he was forcefully trying to clench his teeth. His whole body was tense as his back arched upward off the bed. The pain was excruciating and he wasn't sure when it would end until numbness started to settle into his arm reaching up to his neck, through his chest and then his body slowly started to go limp. Darkness surrounded him once more.

NEW POV

"He is stable for now, and in better condition then what he once was." He felt himself breathing a sigh of relief but he knew that Carlos wasn't in the clear yet. It had been a miracle that they were able to get him here in time, and TJ still wasn't sure if he knew how it happened.

"Rangers, I know that you have every right to want to be at your teammates side and see him safely recovered, but there is much we need to discuss and we cannot afford to lose anymore time." The legendary Ranger was insistent; and as much as TJ didn't want to leave Carlos, he also knew that the Phantom had a reason for being here. He was taking time that could be spent elsewhere to help them, which told the blue ranger that it had to be important.

"Then we should go to the bridge," He heard Andros say, "DECA let us know if Carlos wakes up or if there is any change in his vitals."

"Certainly Andros." And so they all left the infirmary with Andros Ahead of them all.

Walking out of the lift TJ saw everyone starting to sit down, but Phantom stood over in a far corner so that everyone could see him. Ashley had been the last one to come in. She took her time and made her way toward Andros in the front of the bridge. Everyone could tell that something was wrong with her, and he could tell Andros looked worried. He was a little anxious himself, he knew she was hurting, and it made him wish he had said something while they were in medical. He had been letting this go for too long and if they didn't act soon she could end up lying next to Carlos.

"…After I had left Hurccuron as you know I was badly wounded. Even after several weeks I was still feeling the effects of Astronema and Ecliptor's attack. It was while you were fighting on Earth when I received a message from my command telling me that they had tracked Dark Spectors' new location. I apologize but I could not wait for your return, and I could not leave you more information than what my message contained; there was too much risk involved. It took me months but I did eventually find Dark Spector, and what's more Zordon was also with him. If I had had the strength, I would have taken Zordon back myself but I could not and I did not have the resources to be able to send out a signal to call for help, without giving myself away."

Phantom then sighed and started pacing the room as he spoke. "Astronema was there as well. They were both interrogating Zordon, and as strong willed as our leader can be; he could not stand indefinitely against the powers of evil. I do not know how long he has endured this kind of torture, but I do believe that this is the first instance that they have been able to compel him to speak."

"But the fault is mine for Zordon's lapse. There was a point where I was almost discovered and Zordon, knowing at that point that I was there, divulged information to divert their suspicion. I wished things could have turned out differently but the information that was told no ranger has ever heard. So you must understand that the forces of evil also know what I am about to tell you and have known this for much time now."

"I could not find you sooner because my escape did not go unnoticed and the second I was discovered Astronema sent a team of Barox after me and it has been weeks that I have been trying to lose track of them and a fortnight since the last I've slept but I was finally able to escape."

Cassie shifted, "You said that the Gaia system would fall if Earth wasn't protected? What did you mean by that?"

Phantom nodded his agreement, "Yes, Zordon has hidden a weapon on the planet Earth, one that could destroy this galaxy if put into the wrong hands, and could take over the universe if used in the right way. We must make sure that evil does not harness it."

"Why would Zordon create a weapon with so much power that it could easily fall into the wrong hands?" Ashley asked. TJ saw Phantom shift his attention to Ashley,

"Zordon did not create this weapon. It is from the old world of evil times. When Malival, a ruler before Dark Spector's time, lead. Another being similar to Zordon, Janesson created it to defeat Malival, but before the weapon could be completed Malival corrupted it, and instead of its sole ability to be used for good, evil as well had the ability to wield it."

Zordon and Janesson defeated Malival with the assistance of this new weapon, and so then it was put to rest until it would be needed again. It was placed on a planet that had never seen war from other galaxies, staying dormant for the time. It wasn't long after, when Dark Spector came capturing Janesson; he tried to find out where the weapon had been hidden by torturing him. If it weren't for Zordon coming at the right time to heed Dark Spector away, the weapon would have been discovered. In the end Janesson did not survive the attack and Zordon was left alone to defend all that was good. But this weapon still remains hidden, with its incomprehensible power."

There was a long pause, where no one said anything. He noticed Ashley take a deep breath and close her eyes. TJ could only imagine what she was thinking because she had to have come up with the same thing he had.

"If you have not guessed it yet, Earth is the planet that was chosen to hide this weapon. It was the preferred choice, because of its reputation for peace and ignorance of known matters throughout the Universe. Being that Earth is the only planet in the system that has life it was assumed that it could easily be left alone, but times have changed and the forces of evil have found value in Earth and Gaia. What was thought as protection and invisibility from evil has now turned to make it weak and vulnerable. If they are able to conquer this planet the system then goes with it and there will be no doubt that they will find the weapon."

No one said anything. He didn't want to think about how much responsibility The Phantom had just put on their shoulders. They weren't just talking about their planet anymore they were talking about the whole system and galaxy. What ranger team could handle that responsibility? He was trying to remember the diagram of the Milky Way Galaxy that Andros had shown them a few days ago. If both the Dark and Gaia Systems fell to the enemy then it wouldn't be too hard for Dark Spector to take control of the Degobah System as well.

He turned his head to look at Andros and could see his face pulled in concentration, "And who's to say after that, that Astronema wouldn't find the Kerova System a good base of operations?" TJ could hear sarcasm hinted in Andros' voice. Phantom turned toward the red ranger and crossed his arms. "The Degobah system would also be an easy target, but I wouldn't be surprised if Nebula went down first since Eltar has already been taken." Nobody said anything, because everyone knew that Eltar had been their strongest safe hold and Zordon's home. TJ could feel a huge weight settling in the room.

It was Cassie who finally broke the silence easing into another topic; "Why didn't you contact us while we were fighting, we could have helped you more if we had known it was you?" TJ raised his eyebrows as The Phantom spoke, "At the time I could not afford to give my position away. It was necessary that my communication remain silent so that Astronema did not know where I was. Hopefully she believes that I am still under the pursuit of the Borax but seeing as I fought on earth she might already know that I escaped. I am sorry if I offended you but it was the only way."

TJ looked at Cassie when she spoke again, "Thank you by the way," The Phantom Ranger glanced up to look at her. He tilted his head to the side giving away his confusion. "I mean for taking care of that Velocifighter." Her small smile made her eyes light up and when he looked back at the Phantom Ranger he saw him nod in return understanding her sentiment.

Before anyone said anything else Ashley shifted in her chair and abruptly stood up. She walked out of the bridge without saying anything not even trying to be subtle, which left everyone to stare after her in silence.

NEW POV

The moment she knew she could be free, Ashley walked out of the bridge as quickly as she could and out of sight. She didn't have a plan but it just seemed important to get away. She hadn't wanted to hear about what had happened with the Velocifighter and it's destruction, because she was still trying to get over the fact that she had lived through it. She had been right there in the midst of it all and her memory of it was still so powerful.

Continuing to walk forward, she found herself in front of the same corner where she usually found Cassie deep in thought. It looked very inviting, especially since her head was starting to hurt again, worse than before, and her hand, which hadn't seemed to bother her earlier, was burning at her side. It was part of the reason why she didn't want to demorph right away because she wasn't sure what would happen.

Trying to ignore her physical needs she sat down, and the first thing that came to her mind was that they weren't just dealing with the threat of their own planet, and things weren't as simple as they use to be. Her next thought was one that had plagued her since the moment it happened and Cassie's gentle reminder made it all the more real.

She had almost died today…

NEW POV

Andros walked down the corridor not knowing why he was following her but he knew something was wrong. Things had been fine when the team had been talking with Phantom, but towards the end she seemed distracted. He was worried about her the moment he saw her. She was still morphed sans helmet, but her face looked pale and the burn marks on her gloves were nothing to scoff at. They were one of the first things that he noticed when he saw her after the fight. Something had happened while he was gone and he intended to find out what it was.

He stopped in his tracks and knew that his suspicions were correct when he saw her sitting by a window staring out at the stars. She looked sick, and her burn marks seemed worse looking at them from where he was standing. It made him wish he had said something the instant he saw her. She needed to go to medical, but he didn't know how much he could push her at this point. It had been so long since someone had needed to lean on him, and for some reason he longed to help. He wanted to be able to give something back and show her how much she meant to him because of what she had shown him.

Hesitantly he walked in her direction and just as he was about to reach out and touch her shoulder he stopped himself. He felt as if he was invading and possibly overwhelming her, but something told him that she needed someone close by.

"Ashley?" He saw her flinch from the broken silence. Had she really not known he was here? She didn't turn to face him but continued to stare out the window and it made him feel all the more empty inside to see her like this. As gently as he could he reached out and placed his hand over top of her shoulder. He could sense her tension even before he touched her. It hadn't been long, but when her hand gently clasped his it gave him the courage to speak again.

"Ashley what's wrong?" He could see out of the corner of his eye tears starting to run down her cheeks, he panicked not sure what to do, but purposefully remained calm on the outside so as not to make her uncomfortable.

"Ashley….?" She swallowed hard in an effort to calm herself, but she was struggling. That was when he decided to kneel in front of her. He looked into her eyes and only hesitated briefly before he decided to start brushing the tears away from her face. As she started to speak he wasn't surprised at how torn her voice sounded.

She was scared, terrified in fact. He didn't blame her though, because he was thinking about Carlos, in the medical bay, comatose. TJ and Cassie seemed to have fared pretty well, but when Ashley admitted what had happened to her it was near torture for him. Before he was able to change his mind he sat down beside her and pulled her into his arms.

He remembered feeling, just how Ashley felt, when he was first testing out his powers, terrified. She was still so innocent and full of life and hope. And if he admitted it to himself he knew it was probably one of the reasons why he liked her so much, because he evied that in her and loved to be around who she was.

"It's ok Ashley…." He put his hand on her head gently brushing her hair with his fingers, "It's over and you're safe. We're all safe." He heard her exhale sharply and could tell that her tears were still coming. "Shhhhhhh, its ok" He whispered soothingly. It seemed to work, and after a while she started calming down.

Soon he felt her arms loosen their grip and her breathing starting to become slow and deep. She had fallen asleep. Waiting a few moments more to make sure, as carefully as he could he cradled her in his arms. She felt weightless as he shifted her into a more comfortable position.

"DECA, can you teleport me to the medical bay." Instantly he saw a shade of red and yellow and then the infirmary replaced the window that had been in front of him. Gently he walked over towards one of the beds and laid her down, cushioning her head.

Taking her hand in his he pulled off her Morpher and instantly her uniform faded. Her flight deck uniform was torn where her hands showed the electrical burns. Setting her Morpher down beside her he gently pulled her out of her flight jacket and rolled up the sleeves of her shirt.

NEW POV

Everyone had scattered after Phantom had spoken with the team. She didn't know where they were going but it didn't seem to matter at the time, because she was finally alone with the one person that she wanted to be alone with.

"But I don't understand… How can you just…leave?" His head turned down almost guiltily but with his uniform covering his face it was hard to tell.

"I wish you would not ask. Please believe me when I say it is for the greater good." She almost glared at him for that.

"How do you know?" She said frustrated. At that point she knew that her tone had set his response when Phantom's head jerked up and voice snapped back.

"Do not question what I believe to be true and what should be the best for both of us." She felt her cheeks burn and a knot formed in the pit of her stomach. That was the first time that he had ever snapped at her. Trying to ignore her feelings of hurt she focused on his words, because what gave him the right to decide what was best for her? She felt like they had been back and forth with each other since the first time they had met.

"…Why are you fighting this?"

NEW POV

He couldn't look at her, what came across her face, the way she reacted; it was going to break him. She didn't need the burden of his feelings.

"Please Cassie…. You don't know what you're saying." He needed to convince her that this wasn't the time and that what they were doing could put them both in danger, especially her because of who he was. But why was it so much harder to say out loud.

When he noticed her step towards him, he involuntarily stepped backwards. He knew what he wanted in his heart, but he also knew what the galaxies needed of him. Evil was taking a whole new step to power and the closer he got to her now the more difficult it would be for him to leave.

"Cassie you must understand…. The forces of evil are becoming more powerful, too powerful. I must return to where I can be of most use." She didn't pause,

"That's ridiculous. You can't expect to be able to handle the responsibility of everyone yourself! What about your happiness; and the goodness in you? Why are you denying yourself?"

He didn't know what to say, he hated his hesitation. Why was it so much easier to talk politics than it was to talk to who was probably going to be the love of his life? But he knew he needed to stay strong for her sake, "Phantom…." He looked up to face her, "What happened that made you think you need to take care of everyone but yourself?"

He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. Cassie was walking towards him again and he found that he couldn't move. "You can't expect that of yourself. No one person can take on that responsibility."

"I have too…" He whispered and Cassie signed again; she was in front of him now. He swallowed hard. He knew that she was going to break him. It was only a matter of time.

NEW POV

He was laying down on his bed with his eyes closed trying to calm his mind. Astronema had really given them a beating and he was just as happy to try and be normal for a few hours. He felt like it had been the longest day of his life and they hadn't even gotten close to finding Zordon, and Carlos had ended up in the infirmary because of it. But was it because he turned his back on them? Had he done the right thing?

He had abandoned two of his teammates on that planet and he couldn't help but question what would have happened if he had gone after them. So many thoughts were swirling around in his head and guilt was settling in. He was exhausted and all he wanted to do was sleep but he had a feeling that it was long in coming.

Shaking his head lightly he forced himself to clear his head. He was tired and concentrating right now was out of the question. He had made the right decision; he just hoped that Andros and Carlos understood.

NEW POV

He jerked his hand away feeling the slight numbness settling in from the live wire. Ashley's morpher had some serious work to be done and since he was sitting here doing nothing he figured he might as well give it a try. DECA would probably fix it when he got bored, but in the mean time it kept him busy.

Andros was facing away from Ashley trying to ignore the fact that she was in the room with him; but he couldn't help turning to check on her every few minutes. He was glad that she was finally resting since she had been so exhausted, and overwhelmed. He couldn't help but feel protective of her at this point.

Turning back Andros continued working, trying not to blame himself for things that were out of his control. He thought about TJ and wondered how he was doing. The blue ranger had made difficult decisions today, and he knew that he should commend the Blue Ranger for what he had done because TJ had done well.

He continued to make progress on Ashley's Morpher until he heard something shift behind him. He turned around and noticed the girl on the patient bed trying to sit up, "Ashley!" Dropping his tools he rushed to her side. "What are you doing?" He pushed her shoulder down so that she was lying back on the bed; she didn't resist.

"I just thought I'd try and sit up." She shrugged her shoulders and he couldn't help but smile down at her.

"You should rest. The power works better and faster if you aren't straining yourself while you're healing." She gave him a half smile back but he could still see exhaustion filled in her eyes, her face devoid of color. How could he have let this happen, he should have been there.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked softly, confusion evident in her expression. He blinked not sure exactly how to respond. When the silence lingered Ashley lifted her good hand and reached out to touch his cheek. He almost pulled back but convinced himself not to move. It took a few moments but when he felt comfortable he found himself leaning into it and closing his eyes.

"I'm ok Andros." She said brushing his hair away from his face. "Please don't blame yourself for what happened." Her voice was gentle and soothing just like he had been when he was talking to her earlier. "There was nothing you could have done, this isn't your fault."

He didn't know what to say or how she had known but her words comforted him. Her hand then reached out farther, tucking a strand behind his ear. It felt good as her hand lingered, brushing against his cheek. Then all of a sudden before he realized what was happening she was pulling herself closer to him. As her hand had gone around his neck he automatically brought his arm behind her back to support her while she sat up. She kissed him, hesitantly, seeming unsure of his reaction and he let her kiss him. He continued holding her not wanting to let go and finally when he gained the courage he kissed her back as gently as he could. He would have kept that moment forever if he could but she pulled away leaving him with his heart pounding in his chest and an ache that he couldn't ever remember feeling before. Both of them sat there staring into each others eyes and he couldn't help but wonder how she had come into his life.

NEW POV

She knew she wasn't going to get any answers, and she knew she couldn't push him either. Even though his face was hidden, Cassie could tell just by the way he was standing that Phantom was exhausted,.

"Come on." He looked up at her and she thought she could see surprise in his reaction. She was getting good at predicting his expressions.

"Where are we going?" He asked.

"Its getting late, come on you'll sleep here tonight." He almost looked as if he was going to protest but when she lifted her eyebrows she wondered if it made him think twice. Leading him into the lift DECA brought them to where their rooms were. She immediately went towards one of the guest rooms and walked in when the door opened automatically. Sensing Phantom behind her she asked DECA to turn the lights on and the room lit up.

"If you need anything I'll be right across the hall from you and DECA is always here too." There was a long pause between them until Cassie realized that he wasn't going to say anything else.

"DECA…"

"Yes Cassie?"

"Make sure he gets some sleep."

"Of course…" Cassie turned and gave him a pointed look as she stepped backwards. She walked out and the door closed behind her. She found herself going back down the hall feeling exhausted but she couldn't bring herself to go to sleep just yet. There was so much on her mind and she wanted time to think.

She wished she knew more. There was so much he wasn't telling her, and she didn't understand why. For some reason she felt a pull towards him and in her heart she knew that she couldn't deny it any longer. She had waited too long and she was afraid that if she waited any longer that she would lose him. He was right here but for some reason he was putting himself out of reach. Cassie could feel their connection and she knew that he could feel it too because otherwise he wouldn't have said some of the things that he had mentioned earlier, but he didn't talk about how he felt. Much the way she avoided talking about her own feelings.

NEW POV

He was sitting on the guest bed thinking about what he should do. He didn't understand why he was still here because he was wasting time, there was so much more he needed to be doing right now. His ship needed repairs, Zordon was still out there getting farther and farther from his reach, and he hadn't checked into command like he suppose too. Which could possibly mean that they thought he was dead; but then again this hadn't been the first occasion he hadn't checked in on time.

Standing up he walked over to where Cassie had left, and almost walked into the door when it didn't open automatically. Turning his head he looked up at the AI. "DECA," There was a short pause before she answered, "Cassie insisted that you rest,"

"I do not need to sleep. There are other things that need my attention."

"I apologize, but I cannot grant that request." Phantom sighed, his shoulders deliberately going up and back down when he exhaled,

"As a ranger I demand that you open this door."

"My programming does not extend past the commands of the Astro Rangers." His eyes narrowed. He knew he could easily break down the door, but what would that do besides cause a lot of unneeded havoc. He sat down on the bed again, this time noticing his exhaustion. He realized at that point that he had skipped dinner again, which tended to happen when he was in his uniform all the time. Kaeth worried about him because he didn't eat normally, but there wasn't time, there was so much that he needed to do, Earth needed… His head jerked up.

There was nothing for it; he was literally trapped in this room. "DECA…" His voice wasn't as strong as he remembered it being. "Secure the door and then leave." He glanced at the camera through his slightly closed eyes and when her red light had gone out he lifted his hand up to his chest. His red ruby then appeared in his hand and his uniform disappeared. Instantly he felt his energy drain and he collapsed on the bed underneath him.

NEW POV

"Leave me!" Frustration, anger, irritation, would there ever be a day where she didn't have to live around these robots! She had accounted for everything except the Phantom Ranger coming in at the last second to save both the red and black rangers. He had escaped the Barox, which she hadn't completely thrown out the idea but of all the times to come, she had been so close! She brushed her long blonde hair away from her face while holding her necklace in her hand, the only thing that she had left from her past.

Lying on her bed she continued to ponder what her next plan would be. And the more she thought about it the more she realized how complicated she had made things, when really it was quite simple. What she needed was leverage, something that could put her a step ahead.

"Ecliptor." Her second in command walked into her quarters with his sword in his hand, "Has the Praying Mantis been found?"

"Negative, we are still searching."

"Be sure you find him."

"Yes my princess." He bowed as he walked out of the room.