Author's Note: Thanks to all readers and reviewers! I'm trying my best to finish these last few chapters, so bare with me. My goal is to finish this entire story within this month so it doesn't drag over during the school year… Also, look for time to be catching back up to the present!

Somewhere Only We Know: Chapter XI

"So that's it then," Conner said as he regained his normal breathing pattern. "It can't just be over," he commented.

"Of course it's not over," a menacing voice replied. All heads turned toward the voice and they saw something more terrifying than watching the Megazords go down earlier.

All of them watched in horror as Mesogog twisted and turned and grew in every direction. This was it. This was the final battle, and it was happening right now. There was no turning back, no retreating. They were going to have to face this head on, thinking on the offensive side. Before, they were just defending Reefside from monsters that were seemingly easy to destroy when new weaponry was produced. But now, it was just power against power, and they had every intention to use everything they had in their arsenal to bring Mesogog down.

"You guys ready for one more battle?" Doctor O asked. But the answer was obvious.

"Oh yeah."

Together they morphed and fought, one going after Mesogog after another. Just as one went down in the battle, another one picked the game up. They threw out everything they had to defeat the monster and rid the world of its evils. Conner, with his unbeatable Battlizer, attacked Mesogog with fervor, and for a moment, when Mesogog fell, the battle was thought to be over.

But the unmistakable scene of Mesogog powering through his fall and rising back up as if nothing had ever tarnished him struck the Rangers. And when the monster began to multiply, they were already heading towards fear. They had already tried just about everything, and Mesogog was still alive. This, they knew, was going to require some kind of extraordinary power.

"Guys, we have to use all of our powers. It's the only way," Doctor O said. In the heat of the moment, the other Rangers were willing to try anything to get rid of Mesogog for good. They quickly agreed and nodded their heads, preparing themselves to summon all the powers they had ever since the first day they touched their gems.

"Do it, Conner," Trent said. Even if Doctor O had been at this much longer than he had, even if Doctor O knew much more about fighting and being a Power Ranger, this was all Conner's. He was the Red Ranger. Conner nodded.

"Power Rangers!" the team shouted in unison.

"I summon the power of the gems," Conner stated.

"Dino Gems, unite!" the Rangers shouted.

And with lights, and fire, and sparks, the team went out with a bang, turning their bodies the other way from the explosion, knowing that finally, finally, Mesogog had been defeated and was never coming back.

It was over. It was really all over.

The rangers gathered together as they demorphed after using all their powers.

"Everyone okay?" Doctor O asked.

"I feel… different," Conner said, trying to figure out why he was suddenly feeling out of body.

"Yeah, like normal again," Trent added in agreement.

"Me too," Kira included. All of them stared at their gems, suddenly just looking like plain old rocks instead of the shining mystery they were the first day they found them.

"It's gone!" Ethan exclaimed coming to a conclusion. "The power's gone!"

"It took everything the gems had to destroy Mesogog," Doctor O informed as if he had known the entire time.

The team looked at each other. It was over. It was really all over. Not only the fights, the battles, the stupid monsters, and Mesogog, but also their powers, the one thing the Rangers had thrived on over the course of the year. They missed school for battles. They lost sleep for battles. They traded their everyday normal lives to fight for what was right in the world. Although no one was going to stop them if they had previously walked away from that kind of responsibility, they had sacrificed themselves for the exchange.

"Just like that, life goes back to normal…"

"You're going to prom, right?" Conner asked as he sat down next to Kira at the café.

"I suppose," Kira replied blandly, continuing her work and not looking at Conner.

"I'm on the verge of getting Ethan to go. It's like a mini-reunion for the team," he informed her.

"Although we still practically see each other everyday a week after it's over," Kira commented a bit sarcastically. Conner smiled sadly.

"Are you going with Trent?" Conner couldn't help but ask.

"What difference does it make? He'll be there anyway, right?" Kira retorted.

"Just asking," Conner said putting his hands up in defense. Kira glared at him.

"Well, who are you going with?" she asked back.

"Going to have to check the list on that one," Ethan commented as he strolled in and sat down with them.

"There's a list?" Kira asked looking at Conner. Conner tried to look innocent, but it didn't work. She looked over at Ethan who was trying not to grin too hard. Kira rolled her eyes, shoved Conner a bit in his seat, but smiled.

Graduation had come and gone, and it was the night of prom. In reality, this was the last time the entire group was going to be together. Kira was going away to pursue her singing career, Conner was leaving for his chance at pro soccer, Ethan had plans for college on the East Coast, and Trent was heading to art school in the fall.

Conner, sporting Krista by his side, spotted Ethan on the side of the dance floor playing a handheld video game. He rolled his eyes a bit but smiled. He should've known. Well, at least he was here.

"Ethan, my man!" Conner said walking up to Ethan and greeting him. "Do you remember Krista?" he said introducing her as his date.

"Was she on the list?" Ethan asked in all seriousness. Conner's expression widened in fear. That was not exactly what he wanted Krista to hear about. Ethan quickly covered, seeing Conner's face. "Sure I remember! You're the tree girl," he said. Conner glared at Ethan through his smile.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that," Krista accepted with a smile. "I'm going to get a drink. Do you want some?" she asked looking up at Conner.

"Yeah, that would be great," he said as he watched Krista leave for the moment. Only when she was a good distance away did Ethan dare speak up again.

"Tree girl?" he asked pointing in the direction Krista went. Not that Ethan had extensively and fully read Conner's list, but he never thought that Conner would pick her. "What's up with that?"

"Dude, it's what on the inside that counts," Conner stated.

"Aww! Our little Conner's all grown up!" he joked patting Conner on the shoulder.

"Have you seen Kira?" Conner asked.

"Dude, so not the question you should be asking now that you're on a date with tree girl," Ethan commented with a grin.

"Shut up. We're just friends," Conner said in defense. "Just… have you seen her?"

"Nope. Haven't seen Trent either for that matter," Ethan said knowing what kind of response he was going to get from Conner. As expected, Conner glared at him through his smile as Krista rejoined them. Their heads turned towards the stage as Doctor O stood there.

"Hey guys, I just wanted to say that we've had an interesting year," he started speaking out to the crowd of students. Conner and Ethan looked at each other and smirked. "We've been through a lot. More than any school should have to go through. But we made it, and we're okay," he continued, trying to sum up the whirlwind year quickly. "But that's not important. So let's have fun tonight! And to help us do that, here she is, Kira Ford!" he said as he gestured behind him where the curtains on the stage opened and revealed Kira and her band. The crowd roared and Doctor O left the stage to enjoy the rest of the night like everyone else.

There she was in her entirety. Not masked or marked by the bruises or gear of the Power Ranger suit, but in a dress that suited her style exactly. With her guitar in her hand and singing into the microphone as the crowd cheered, she was right in her element.

And that's when Conner loved her most.