A/N: This is a not-dream interlude to mark the break between the Kerova Astros and the Space Astros, just one final farewell to my OCs for now.
Andros stumbled through a coniferous forest, pushing aside branches from the younger trees as he moved. He could hear familiar laughter ahead of him, which drew him on even as something in his mind warned him to be careful.
"Zhane, I'm going to kill you!" Loryn shrieked as Andros stumbled out of the trees.
The yellow ranger was storming out of a pond, dripping water and with a string of waterweed perched on her head.
Zhane was ducked behind Neverro, clutching his stomach as he laughed. "You said you needed to cool off," he gasped out between bursts of laughter.
Neverro looked at the advancing Loryn, then at Zhane and pointedly stepped aside, "For the record, you brought this on yourself."
"What?" Zhane asked, he gasped his chest and trying to look horrified even as he couldn't stop grinning, "Betrayal!"
"Maybe Andros will save you," Jos called as he came up beside Andros. "You're late, kid. Analyn was advocating we start the picnic without you."
"Picnic?" Andros asked, confused.
"Yeah, picnic," Analyn said, popping up on his other side and kissing his cheek. "Zhane brought the good stuff."
"Andros, save me!" Zhane shouted as he sprinted across the clearing. He grabbed Andros's shoulder, push-pulled him forward and ducked behind him.
"Really?" Andros asked, unable to stop the smile as he looked over his shoulder.
"She's going to kill me this time," Zhane said.
Jos and Analyn moved away as Loryn approached, still dripping from her time in the pond. "Do you protect him?" Loryn asked.
Andros tilted his head a little, feeling Zhane clutch his arm. "Are you going to kill and or maim him?"
"Only if he struggles," Loryn said.
"Then no," Andros freed his arm. He grinned at Zhane, "You deserve this." Then he gripped Zhane's shoulder before his friend could run. "Keep the bleeding to a minimum, Loryn, please."
"Yes sir," Loryn said as she latched on to Zhane and started back across the clearing.
Zhane dug his heels in, howling as Loryn approached the pond, aiming for a rocky ledge that lifted above the water.
"He won't get hurt will he?" Andros asked as Jos rejoined him.
"No," Jos said, "it's deep around the rock, and you know Loryn will push him hard enough he won't scrap the side on the way down."
Loryn had Zhane on the rock, and had let go to give him a push when Zhane stopped yelling, turned, and leaped off the cliff.
"Zhane!" Loryn howled.
Zhane laughed as he backstroked away from the rock, "You were going to push me in anyways, Loryn! What are you so mad about?"
"I don't think you were supposed to jump," Neverro said as he came up beside Loryn. "You were supposed to be pushed."
"But I wanted to jump," Zhane said, "I just didn't want Loryn to kill me."
"I'm really thinking about it," Loryn promised him.
"Enough," Andros said. He would have continued but a loud crashing noise from across the clearing preceded a human running into the clearing chased by a giant spider. As the human tripped and fell, the spider vanished in green and black sparkles.
"What was that?" Jos said.
"How did that disappear?" Andros demanded.
"Uh oh," Zhane said as he climbed out of the pool.
"Zhane?" Andros said.
"Zhane?" The human said sitting up.
"Carlos," Zhane said as he left the pond, "Hi! How are you?"
"Let's see," Carlos said, "I'm in a coma at the hospital practicing my astral projections like you taught me and then I'm here, in a decidedly solid body, and you cannot believe how weird that is, being chased by a giant spider. What the hell is going on and where the hell am I?"
"This is the Grid," Zhane said after a long moment, glancing over at Andros.
Andros stumbled back as the memories hit. The notice of Loryn and Neverro's death, finding Jos and Analyn's morphers on the bridge. Zhane in stasis so he could heal, hidden off the engine room. "Zhane," he said, unable to keep from hating how needy he sounded.
"It's okay," Zhane said, "its okay. I brought you here while you were sleeping so you could see us all." They were all staring at Andros as Zhane approached him. "We always say we can find each other here, remember?"
Andros threw himself at Zhane, hugging him with all of his strength. Zhane stroked his head, holding him just as tightly.
"What is going on?" Carlos asked, "What's the Grid?"
"This is the place where the Power Rangers get their power," Zhane said as he cautiously released Andros. "The spirits of Rangers who have passed on reside here until they're ready to fight again, or their teammates catch up, and living Rangers come here for advice, guidance, and to strengthen their powers. These are my teammates, Jos, Analyn, Neverro, and Loryn, who were lost to us, and Andros, who is still fighting. Andros, this is Carlos of Earth. He's like me, unconscious and injured. I think he'll be a Ranger in the future, he's got all the potential for it."
"He will," Neverro said, startling Andros. He'd forgotten the others were watching the exchange even as he leaned into Zhane more. "I may not be able to see auras like you, Zhane, but I can tell a fellow Black Ranger when I meet them."
"Green and Black," Zhane said. "He's got the strength for both."
An alarm ripped through the dream, jerking Andros awake. "What?" He asked.
"Sedren is requesting aid," DECA said as Andros rolled out of bed and pulled his boots on.
"Set a course for Sedren," Andros ordered as he pulled on his jacket and ran for his door. "Let them know we're coming."
An idyllic day in the woods was nice enough in peacetime, Andros thought as he entered the lift. This was a day of war.
/../../..\..\..\
Andros stared at the Rangers as he ran for them, hoping he wasn't about to get shot for his efforts. He'd thought there was something familiar about them, but it hadn't been until he was reaching for the black morpher that he had a flicker of memory. A day in the woods, laughing with his teammates, and a kid chased by a giant spider.
Andros dumped the black morpher in the green ranger's hands and hoped that Neverro was right about his successor.
"Let's Rocket!"