Here we go again. Once again life interfeared and crap happened. But still I keep going. This chapter is the result!

Enjoy!

Half and hour later, the three humans and the dragon arrived in a clearing near the water. The land was surrounded by leafy foliage and the air was clean and sweet smelling. It was already dark and Jason and Zack were still sleepy, but they waited on TorrEnt to give them instructions.

Up ahead they watched the young man walk up to a big dragon with similar coloring as Shuma and slowly go down on all fours on his knuckles and bow his head to the ground.

A tense moment passed as the dragon eyed the visitors and soon Zack and Jason copied their guide.

The bigger dragon huffed to himself and gently touched his snout to TorrEnt's head as if bestowing favor on him and the young man rose to his feet.

TorrEnt looked back at them and smiled. "You may get up now too. DreyGa is please with your show of respect and welcomes you."

Jason rose to his feet along with Zack and felt the elder dragon eyeing him again. He swallowed harshly. Why was the dragon looking at him so?

In the next second he heard a voice in his head.

::Blessed be Dragon Kin. You have no need to fear me. Please come forward.::

Jason did so and felt the warm breath of the dragon on his face.

::I sense the spirit of the dragon within you. A Ninjetti spirit such as yours is rare on this planet. I sense much might and power within you. Why have you and your companion come. You may speak out loud. I understand your speech.::

"My sister, the Crane Ninjetti was hurt by a monster. The master healer RuTan sent Zack and I here to gather some medicinal plants to use in some potions. We were told that Glowbrite grew in your caves."

::RuTan and Dulcea are friends of this clan as is their son. They have done great service for us. The Glowbrite you seek is indeed in these caves. Only those with the dragon spirit in them may swim the caves safely. In the morning TorrEnt can take you. But for now, you may rest without fear of harm coming to you.::

As the dragon was speaking a baby dragon had come towards Zack in curiosity. This one was no bigger then a terrier with a tiny spine and a tiny pink and green frill around her neck. She sniffed his feet and then his legs and then looked up at him with big green eyes and made a short series of chortles and other noises. Zack looked down at her not sure how to respond.

TorrEnt came towards them and immediately the tiny female rubbed her neck up against his leg. The other man chuckled softly and made familiar noises as if talking to her.

Zack watched them curiosly. Then TorrEnt spoke to him.

"Her mind is not developed enough for thought speak. This is Neekta. She's my little sister." He paused to pick her up and looked her strait in the eyes and she chortled again and nuzzled against him. TorrEnt sighed. "She's too curious for her own good and often gets into mischief."

"What kid doesn't?" he asked grinning. Already the young dragon's charm was getting to him.

Just then another dragon walked up to Zack and bumped against his leg demanding attention. "And who's this one?"

This one was two times bigger and was the size of a collie. He had a ridge around his skull and was bright green and had specks of blue here and there. Zack gazed down into his amber eyes.

::Urchin!:: A young voice yelled in Zack's head making his ears hurt. He immediately covered them groaning. ::My name is Urchin! Who are you?::

"Yes, Urchin, we know about your thought speak." said TorrEnt, massaging his temple. "Please Urchin, don't scream your thoughts. It hurts!"

The older youngling lowered his head in shame. Zack chuckled and knelt down to his level. "It's okay Urchin. Just don't be as loud next time." The little green dragon looked up at him again and then nudged his leg again and then sat down next to him.

::I'm glad to see that you get along with the young ones. They will never leave you in peace now.:: DrayGa thought at them gaining their attention. ::It is passed time for sleep now. May the 'Great One' watch over your dreams tonight.

Jason and Zack bowed to the older dragon and then followed TorrEnt to a nearby cave that was bigger then they expected it to be. The floor was covered with soft pelts and moss.

"There should be plenty of room for all of us to sleep comfortably. Rest up. Tomorrow will be a full day."

The two rangers laid out their own pelts and settled down for the night.

Zack closed his eyes and was about to fall asleep when something bony nudged at his foot. He opened his eyes again and sat up to see Urchin looking at him expectedly. Zack sighed again and nodded at the young dragon who promptly walked up beside him and sat down laying his head on Zack's stomach and started snoring.

Jason couldn't sleep for a little bit. His mind was full of the things that the elder dragon had told him. He'd known he had the spirit of the dragon within him that he'd communed with during the healing ritual. But apparently there was more to it. Those whose spirit communed with that of a dragon's were very mighty and powerful. They held the same rank as the falcon and were even more revered.

It was natural of course with Jason and Tommy being on the same level. When Tommy had joined the team and later been made leader they'd become co-leaders. Both working in tandem to keep the other rangers alive. And now he knew why. With Tommy out of the fight due to his bond with Kimberly. He was the natural leader and he would bear his responsibility with honor. He would avenge Kim and make Malicore pay a deeply painful price. He'd make sure of it.

He looked over at TorrEnt and smiled at the sight that greeted him. Little Neekta was curled up on the other's chest and she was snoring softly and her big brother had draped an arm over her back.

Later that night, Kimberly sat with her lover and her daughter as they reclined in their sleeping quarters.

Kimberly wasn't sure if she could bear to find out what had happened with their daughter. She looked at Tommy as he scooted closer to her and wrapped a comforting arm around her.

Kim bit her lip and then took a deep breath before giving her daughter a reassuring smile. "Crystal Honey, there's a lot that we need to discuss. I know it's gonna be hard but I want to know what happened that night you escaped."

"If it gets to much stop okay? No one is forcing you to do anything here." Tommy said noting how his daughter shifted on the pelt.

Crystal looked at her dad. "Its nothing new. Girls like me get taken all the time in the harem. It was simply my time. I knew he wouldn't leave me alone much longer. He'd been staring at me all that week."

Kimberly hissed softly and Tommy placed his hand on Kim's squeezing it gently.

"Crystal...honey. What that guy did was wrong. Ever since he kidnapped us, I've sacrificed myself, both my dignity and body, to keep you from being raped. He took you to spite me...and make me hurt." Kim took another deep breath.

"What he's done and what he's doing now are both illegal. He's a egomaniac that gets off by breaking down and owning women. It's my fault we were kidnapped."

Tommy frowned at her and opened his mouth to disagree but Kimberly continued. "He saw my battle prowess and knew of my ranger past. It was a huge ego boost to subdue me."

"Rangers?" Crystal asked sounding confused. "I heard Malicore talk about that...and he called you that...I didn't....what are rangers anyway?"

"Power Rangers." Tommy said breaking in. "Your mom and I served on earth's 1st ranger team. We fought evil."

"But if you were rangers, then why couldn't you fight Malicore?"

Kim got a pained look on her face and looked ready to cry. Tommy squeezed her hand and spoke to his daughter.

"Your mom was pregnant with you and had given up her powers."

Crystal adverted her eyes and spoke softly. "Then it's my fault...wasn't it? I made you weak...didn't I?"

"No honey. Don't ever think that way! He had you in his grasp...literally. I loved you so much and didn't want anything to happen to you. That's the only reason I didn't fight back. He might have killed you...and that would have hurt me worse then being raped myself."

Kimberly paused to stifle a tear. "You and your father are my universe." Her voice softened. "I'm only sorry I couldn't have prevented it."

Tommy knew where this was going and intervened again. "Look, both of you guys are safe. That's what matters. You'll never be harmed again and he will be brought to justice. I promise you."

Crystal bit her lip. "But dad, Aramor and Timniton got me out of there and saved me! I've been staying on Earth with the guys and Kira. Connor and Kira...they act strange...they...kiss...and cuddle... and Kira's not afraid of him....being with so many guys....and their friends...she doesn't have a master…"

"Girls aren't meant to have masters sweetheart." Tommy answered.

"He's right Chris. And women aren't either...we have boyfriends and husbands and lovers...but never masters."

"Your mom is right. Watch Conner and Kira. He would never hurt her."

"But what about when they have sex? It hurt when…" Chrystal trailed off.

Tommy paled slightly but recovered seeing his daughter close to tears. "When a man and woman have sex the first time it does hurt. But it the man's job to be as gentle as possible.

Kim gave Tommy a look and then looked at her daughter again.

"Sweetheart, there's a big difference between the sex in the harem and what your father and I had. We loved each other very much....still love each other very much...and when we had our first time he was very sweet and gentle about it. What you saw at the harem and what was done to me and all the other girls was just plain rape. We didn't get the choice to refuse."

"What happened to you...was rape."

Kimberly paled and looked at Tommy before asking her daughter the difficult question.

"Crystal, I know it's hard to think about it since it was scary...but we need to know...did he...finish?"

Tommy tensed having realized why his lover was asking. He growled softly under his breath. Crystal flinched and that casued Tommy to snap out of it and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry sweetheart."

Kimberly reached out and took her daughter's hand in hers and squeezed it gently. "He's not angry at you. He's angry at ....that jerk for touching you at all. But sweetheart, I need to know....for your health."

Crystal shook her head. "No, he'd just started when Aramour and his friend showed up." Then she looked at her parents worriedly. "You don't think I'm pregnant do you?"

Tommy let out the breath he'd been holding and relaxed. Kimberly leaned against him sighing.

"No, I don't think he had enough time. Not if he'd just penetrated. I think you'll be okay."

Crystal sighed. "I hope I'm not. If I was I would have to give it up...I'd never be allowed to keep it."

Tommy understood. "Why wouldn't you?."

Because that's what happens when you get pregnant. Mom got pregnant and she had to give it away. We're never gonna see her again. If got pregnant...it'd be taken away the moment it was born."

"But you aren't there anymore, Chris. Would you want to keep it?"

Crystal sighed. "I don't know...I know nothing about being a normal girl. I have no lover to help me out. I don't know how to be a mother."

Tommy smiled. "It's a woman's instinct to be a mom. Your mom had no idea how to be one when we found out you were coming and yet she took great care of you."

Kim looked at Tommy and then at her daughter. "It came naturally to me. I just new how and I had 9 months to prepare....and your wrong about your half sister, Sweetheart. She wasn't taken away. You see, Malicore threatened, or informed me that she would be sold the moment she hit puberty...became a woman."

"I was scared and so I smuggled her out and sent her to earth. Your dad told me that he knows where she is and she's alive and well."

The teenager was shocked. "She is?"

Tommy smiled at her. "She is."

"I sent her to an old friend of mine that your father and I knew back in high school. He and his wife took her in and adopted her as their daughter. She has an awesome life now."

"High school? What's that?"

"It's a place where you learn things. How to read, write, count, learn about history...and everything. You see sweetheart, we weren't allowed to be educated. He wanted to keep us stupid...high school is where teenagers like you, Connor and Kira and Ethan go to learn."

"I teach there."

Kim gave him a shocked look. "You're a teacher?"

Well, how do you like this one and what did you think of the dragons? And the heart to heart talk?

Up next, we learn more about the dragons and even about the Ninjetti.

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