Disclaimer: It's the little things that change your life. Except when it's the big things or the medium-sized ones. Power Rangers--life change, straight up--are the property of Saban.
Every Morning
by Starhawk
"Incoming message from the Aquitian Rangers."
He pulled the pillow up over his head and ignored the sound, hoping it would give up and go away. There was perhaps little hope of that, but his sleepy brain didn't care. It stubbornly refused to rouse him for something as trivial as a voice that wasn't Ashley's trying to give him information he didn't want.
"Incoming message from the Aquitian Rangers," DECA repeated, louder this time.
He curled up, hiding underneath his sleeping bag and trying to hold on to the wisps of dream that still clung to the edges of his consciousness. The pillow didn't insulate him from the voice, but it was a comforting sign of indifference and he hoped the voice would take the hint.
"Shut up, DECA," he heard a new voice mutter, and he vaguely registered it as Zhane's.
"Not until you wake up," DECA replied impertinently. "Incoming message from the Aquitian Rangers."
Andros poked his head out from under the pillow, blinking in the sudden bright light of the observatory. "Tell them to go back to sleep," he mumbled, and he heard Zhane chuckle appreciatively.
"Tell them yourself." DECA was irrepressible. "Incoming message from the Aquitian Rangers."
"All right, all right," Andros grumbled, pushing the sleeping bag away and forcing himself into a sitting position. "I'm coming."
His friend snuggled further under his sleeping bag, and Andros fumbled for his pillow. "No you don't," he warned his friend. "If I'm getting up, you're getting up."
"Make me," Zhane answered, his reply muffled by the sleeping bag.
Andros hefted his pillow and brought it down on his friend's head half-heartedly. "Get up."
"No." Zhane retreated further under his sleeping bag.
"Yes," Andros insisted, hitting the lump that was Zhane again with his pillow. The lump didn't move.
"Incoming message--"
"I'm coming!" Andros exclaimed, abandoning his pillow and pushing himself to his feet. "DECA, make Zhane get up."
"Hey!" Zhane threw off his sleeping bag and glared up at him. "That's cruel and you know it!"
"So get up!" Andros retorted, holding out his hand to his friend.
Zhane sighed, but he reached out to take the hand offered to him. Andros yelped as Zhane tugged sharply, sending Andros sprawling across his sleeping bag as Zhane scrambled up and out of the way. "DECA," Zhane mimicked, looking down at Andros smugly. "Make Andros get up!"
"Incoming message from the Aquitian Rangers," DECA repeated, sounding stern and completely unamused.
Andros rolled his eyes. "So tell them to wait!"
"We're not eleven anymore, DECA," Zhane reminded her.
"Well, you are," Andros put in.
"Hey!"
DECA's camera blinked in a subtle semblance of resignation. "I will ask Cetaci to wait."
***
She was standing by the window in their darkened room when the computer terminal chimed. Not by nature an early-riser, she wasn't sure what had awakened her this morning. Maybe something in the air, or maybe some inner restlessness, the sense of something she hadn't done yet but couldn't quite remember. Whatever it was, it had prodded her out of bed first, for once, and she glanced over her shoulder at the sudden noise.
The terminal was flashing a blue triangle symbol at her, indicating a private message from Linnse. She was willing to bet it wasn't for her, and she wasn't about to wake Saryn. Crossing the room as quietly as she could, she tapped in Saryn's "record" code, shunting the message into the Aquitian equivalent of voice-mail before the terminal could chime again.
No sooner had she done so than the terminal chimed once more, and for a brief moment she thought she had done something wrong. But Cestria's yellow wave symbol had replaced Linnse's ID, and Cassie rolled her eyes. It was going to be one of those days.
"Important?" Saryn's voice asked quietly, and she tried not to jump.
"Nope," she answered, entering the "record" command again.
She turned, about to ask how he'd slept, but his smile caught her by surprise. "Good," he said, before she could open her mouth. "Come back to bed."
Startled, she laughed. "Saryn!"
His smile widened, and his gaze wandered suggestively across her body. "I am serious."
She folded her arms, trying to pretend that those blue eyes had no effect on her. "Nice try. Don't think I've forgotten about last night."
He frowned, lifting his gaze to meet hers again. He didn't ask, but there was a wary look on his face all of a sudden, as though he was sure she was about to bring up something he didn't want to talk about.
She shook her head, instantly regretting her vague choice of words. "I mean this," she said, holding her arms out to her sides. "I can move without wincing."
His expression went from wary to guilty in the blink of an eye. "You are feeling better," he said evasively. "I am glad."
She raised an eyebrow at him. "You thought I was asleep, didn't you."
He sighed. "Is it such a crime to wish you well and untroubled by pain? I do not heal just anyone, you know."
"But you didn't *have* to heal me," she insisted, trying to suppress a flash of guilt all her own. She could at least be grateful. "I have the Power too. You don't have to take care of me all the time."
He shook his head, not taking his eyes off of her. "I love you, Cassie," he told her, suddenly gentle. "I do not ask you to give up your independence, but I do ask that you let me care for you at least as much as you care for me. It is only fair, I think... do you not agree?"
She could only look at him, struck by his words and unsure how to reply. He was right; he had to be when he put it like that. So why couldn't she let him do this for her if he chose?
"Are you not worth protecting, Cassie?" he asked quietly. "Do you not trust my judgement?"
She shifted uncomfortably, trying to make some sense out of her thoughts. "No, of course--of course I trust you."
"Then trust me when I say that I love you more than anyone or anything else," he told her. "That love is not misplaced. You are worthy of all that I can give, and more."
She bit her lip, trying to breathe shallowly so as not to sniffle. "I love you, too," she whispered. "I swear I don't know what I did to deserve you."
He stood up, slipping silently through the shadows to her side. "You didn't have to do anything," he murmured, wrapping his arms around her. "You are just... you."
She sniffed, feeling a single tear trickle down her cheek as she leaned into his embrace. She didn't know what made her cry; she wasn't sad. In fact, she couldn't help a wavering smile at the thought that "you are just you" was probably the most inarticulate thing he had ever said. "Thank you," she whispered, feeling his arms tighten around her.
The door chimed, and she felt him sigh. She had to giggle through her tears, wondering who else could possibly want their attention. "Tell them to go away."
Saryn lifted his head from hers and raised his voice. "Go away."
Her giggles turned into full-fledged laughter. "I was just kidding!"
"I was not," he retorted. "I do not wish to talk to anyone but you. For the rest of the day, if possible."
The door chimed again, and she pushed him away gently. "I'll get it," she said, a smile lingering on her face as she brushed the tears away. "I love you," she added, and was rewarded by an answering smile.
He reached out to stroke her cheek as she stepped back. "I love you too."
***
"Morning Teej!"
TJ grunted in response, squinting at the irritatingly cheerful yellow blur that greeted his arrival in the Glider holding bay. "How are you so awake?" he grumbled, making his way over to the Synthetron.
"How are you so asleep?" she replied pertly, from her place at the table.
"Because I'm normal," he muttered.
"No, you're outnumbered," Ashley corrected. "It's three against one."
He frowned at the Synthetron, trying to remember the right code. "Three, huh?"
"Me, Kerone, and Tessa. We're all awake."
"Girls," he muttered, tapping the control panel half-heartedly. It hummed momentarily, and he crossed his fingers. Somewhat to his surprise, the smell of pancakes wafted out when he opened the door, and he took them quickly before DECA could change her mind.
He stopped beside the table, regarding the predominantly blonde gathering. "Morning, Tessa," he said, a little surprised to find her there. He sat down beside her just as Ashley laughed.
"That's nice, TJ," she teased. "Don't say good morning to anyone else."
He looked at her for a moment, debating whether to remind her not to confuse him this early in the morning. "Good morning, Ashley," he said at last. "Morning Kerone."
Kerone nodded to him, and he took a second look at her plate. "Wait," he said, frowning a little. "Are you eating?"
"No," Kerone replied calmly. "I just put this on my plate because it looks nice."
Beside him, Tessa giggled, and TJ squinted at Kerone. "Don't say things like that when I'm still asleep," he told her sternly. "I can't tell if you're joking."
"She's eating," Tessa said, taking pity on him. "For once. Just eat your pancakes; we'll take care of the conversation."
He gave her a "very funny" look, but he was about to follow her advice when something occurred to his still-drowsy mind. "Hey, where's Carlos?"
Ashley glanced around as though he might come out of the woodwork at any moment. "I don't know. He's probably down on Aquitar talking to--"
She broke off suddenly and obviously enough that even TJ noticed. "Talking to who?" he asked, stopping with his fork poised over his pancakes.
"I'll call Andros and see if Carlos is down there," Ashley said hastily, lifting her arm off the table and touching her communicator. TJ saw Kerone and Tessa exchange glances, and he had to wonder if he was supposed to know what was going on.
"Hi Andros," Ashley said, her voice lightening noticeably. "We're looking for Carlos--is he around?"
Andros' voice came back clearly over her communicator. "I thought he was still on the Megaship."
Kerone tilted her head to regard the camera by the door. "DECA, is Carlos on board?"
"Carlos left the Megaship at 12:32 last night," DECA told her.
TJ looked up, surprised. "Did he say where he was going?"
DECA's camera light flashed at him. "He took Mega V2 to Earth."
"We're going to need him here," Andros said, apparently overhearing the conversation. "DECA, can you contact him?"
DECA was a little slower to answer this time. "I can not," she said at last. "Carlos left his morpher on the Megaship, and he is not answer hails to Mega V2."
TJ shot a look at Ashley and found her staring back worriedly. "I'll go after him," she announced, getting to her feet. "Kerone, can you tell TJ what's up with the debriefing and stuff?"
Kerone looked uncertain. "If there's trouble, maybe I should go with you."
"No, Carlos probably just slept in. I'll be fine," Ashley promised. "I'll get Billy to teleport me, and we'll be back in a few minutes."
***
He wasn't consciously aware of the tapping until he heard an exasperated voice whisper, "Carlos Vargas, get out of bed this instant!"
"Huh?" He opened his eyes to find Ashley glaring through the open window at him. "Ash?" he mumbled, pushing himself up on his elbows. "What time is it?"
She rolled her eyes. "Who cares? And why didn't you tell anyone where you were going?"
He shrugged as best he could, blinking the sleep out of his eyes. "I needed to be alone for a while. What's going on?"
"Everything," she informed him. "Hurry up and get dressed; we have to get back to Aquitar."
"Aquitar," he complained, throwing the light comforter off. He had slept in his clothes from yesterday. "Why? We have school today."
She snorted. "It's almost lunchtime here, Carlos. If you were going to school, I think you overslept a little. We've got more important things to do--come on!"
"Not until you tell me why," he insisted, turning his back on her as he swung his legs over the side of his bed. "What are you in such a hurry for?"
She sighed impatiently. "Andros and Zhane are meeting with Cetaci and Delphinius now to plan the public broadcast of Dark Spectre's defeat. That's going to be in a few hours, and we're all supposed to be there. Then there's a ceremony honoring everyone this evening, and the rehearsal for that is right after the announcement or speech or whatever."
He tried to process that, tried to reconfigure his day from one of avoiding everything Ranger-related to one of complete insanity. "Why?" he muttered under his breath.
He meant it rhetorically, as a sort of general question to the universe, but Ashley must have overheard. "Because we're awesome!" she exclaimed. "We won, in case you forgot!"
He looked over at his shoulder. Her enthusiasm was not helping his state of mind at all. "What put you in such a good mood?" he grumbled.
She stared at him in disbelief. "Oh, I don't know, maybe the fact that my team just defeated one of the biggest villains in the universe? The fact that I and everyone I care about survived?" When he didn't answer, she added, "The fact that it's a beautiful day and the universe is throwing a party for us; I don't know! Everything! What is there to be *un*happy about?"
He sighed. "Nothing, I guess."
She put her hands on the screen and regarded him quizzically. "Aura loves you, you know."
He stiffened, feeling as though someone had just boxed his ears. "What?"
"She loves you. She told us. Now stop moping and come on!"
"Ash--I can't... I said... how did you find out?" he managed at last, shifting to face her.
"She told us," Ashley repeated impatiently. "And you obviously care about her. Can we talk about this one the way? We have more people to pick up."
There was no use trying to get anything out of Ashley when she was in a hurry, so he just ran a hand through his hair and gave his room a token glance. "I don't suppose you noticed if my parents' cars in the driveway?"
She rolled her eyes. "They don't know you're here? No, I didn't. You could always come out the window the way Cassie does."
He almost smiled at that thought. "Yeah. Right. I'll meet you out front."
The house was deserted, and he made his way out the front door without incident. The driveway was completely empty, and Ashley was fidgeting in front of the garage when he stepped outside. "Can we go?" she repeated. "Billy's waiting to teleport us all back and we still have to get the others."
"Who are the others?" he asked, wondering if breakfast and an explanation were in his foreseeable future.
She gave him a passable "duh" look, and he wondered if she'd been taking lessons from Andros. "Jeff, Emily and Rocky. We'll have to come back for Justin and Ali later; they're in school."
"So are Jeff and Emily," he pointed out, realizing she meant for them to drive. "Wait here."
He ducked back into the house and grabbed his keys, remembering to lock the door behind him this time on his way out. "All right. So tell me what's going on."
"I did," she insisted, disappearing into the garage. He followed a little more slowly, walking around to the driver's side. "We have to pick them up so they can come to the rehearsal and know what they're supposed to do," she continued as he climbed in beside her. "Jeff only has morning classes on Mondays. I don't know about Emily, but it won't kill her to skip a class or two."
"Listen to you," he said, as he started the car and backed it out of the garage. "You've become little Miss Delinquent."
"I don't see you in school," she retorted, twisting to help him get out of the driveway. "You're clear on the right."
He pulled out, heading for the end of the road. "I hope you know where to find all these people. And you'd better tell me what you know about Aura, or we're not going very far."
***
"What's going on?" Kerone whispered, sidling up to Cassie.
The Pink Ranger jumped, putting a hand over her heart as she glanced at Kerone. "Everyone's startling me today; sorry," she muttered.
"You okay?" she asked curiously.
Cassie nodded. "Yeah. It's just... I have this feeling I'm forgetting something, and it's going to sneak up on me at the worst possible time."
She reached out and touched Cassie's shoulder reassuringly. "It'll be all right. So what's everyone doing here?"
Cassie gave her a smile before rolling her eyes at the crowd of people mobbing the newly repaired control room. Only about half of them were clustered around Zordon's time warp; the others were either milling or engaged in heated debates with someone else. Often several someone elses. "Andros calls it a debriefing. I call it a nightmare. Didn't DECA give you the message?"
"She said the Rangers were needed in the control room of the Aquitian Ranger dome." Kerone surveyed the chaos warily. "I said that didn't mean me; she said it did. TJ and Tessa are here too... somewhere."
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Cassie press her fingers to her temples. "You guys can take over for me, then," the Pink Ranger said. "I'm going to take a break."
Kerone gave her a sympathetic look. "Do you know when the broadcast is?"
"Andros said he'd call us," Cassie said. She held up her morpher. "I'll be there for it. I just need to get away from all these people for a little while."
Kerone glanced around the room again, wondering how long this had been going on. "I can't imagine why," she said dryly.
***
He could sense the crush of minds and emotions on the other side of the door, but they remained safely distant behind the empathic shields Cestria had helped him to press into service earlier in the morning. Even Linnse's feelings were a vague presence on the edge of his mind, noticeable only when he looked for them, and he welcomed the relief of a *quiet* that had been emphatically absent in his life lately.
"I've never been so glad to be wrong," Linnse admitted, smiling at him. She wore her ceremonial Ranger sash over her Defense uniform, and he reached out to straighten the silky blue material for her.
"I must apologize for my behavior as well," he said, a little sheepishly. "If I had better understood your motives, I would have spoken to you long before this."
She laughed. "Well, I was wrong first. I'm truly sorry for that."
"Forgiven," he assured her, pulling her into an affectionate embrace. "Thank you for worrying, Linnse."
"That's what friends are for," she answered, hugging him in return.
He felt the familiar presence slip past his shields as though they weren't there, but it wasn't enough warning for him to pull away from Linnse before the doors opened. Cassie halted in the doorway, surprised at the sight before her, until she remembered to step through and let the door to the control room close behind her.
"Cassie," he began, but she just smiled.
"Hey," she said, coming forward as though there was nothing unusual about the situation. "What's up?"
She was blocking him somehow, but her tight control said louder than words that she wasn't as casual as she sounded. "You," he said, stepping away from Linnse. He gave his friend a pointed glance, but she had already turned toward Cassie.
"I want to apologize," Linnse said. "I was wrong to accuse you of treason. I was worried and upset, but that's no excuse. I didn't know you then--"
"You still don't," Cassie interrupted, a little suspiciously.
"No. But I'd like to, someday, if you can forgive me." Linnse practically radiated sincerity to his eyes, but Cassie didn't look convinced. "I know I've made things difficult for you lately, and I'm sorry. All I can say is that I thought you were... a very different person."
"We were both operating under misconceptions," Saryn put in. "I fear my misunderstanding aggravated the situation as much as yours did."
Cassie gave him an odd look. "What are you talking about?"
He exchanged glances with Linnse.
Linnse shrugged. "I thought you wanted to kill him," she said bluntly.
His lips twitched. "I thought Linnse was jealous."
Cassie bit her lip, and he watched her worriedly until he realized she was trying not to smile. "So did I," she admitted.
Linnse sighed, but she took it in good humor. "Well, at least you think alike. I'd better get back to that insanity they're calling a debriefing before Tari's second does something drastic." She paused, then added, "I'm truly sorry for any injury I caused you, Cassie."
Cassie hesitated, but she nodded before Linnse could slip away. "Thanks," she said quietly. "Maybe we can... get to know each other better sometime."
Linnse smiled. "I'd like that." She moved forward as though to head back through the door to the control room, and he could see Cassie's surprise when Linnse hugged her instead of walking on past. "Take care of him," he heard the former Eltaran Ranger whisper.
Cassie returned the embrace carefully, looking over Linnse's shoulder to smile at Saryn. "I will," she promised.
Then Linnse was gone, and Cassie shivered a little. "That was kind of spooky," she murmured, looking over her shoulder.
He understood the sentiment, even if he didn't share it. "She wants to like you," he said quietly, watching her stare after Linnse.
"Yesterday, I would have said that was crazy," she said, turning away from the door to regard him. "But today..."
She didn't finish the sentence, but she didn't seem to need to, either. "How are you?" she asked at last. "How did it go with Cestria?"
"It went well," he said, with an inadvertent sigh. "It's--I can not even describe how good it feels to have quiet again."
"I can tell," she said with a smile.
"Of course," he agreed, studying her. "You would be able to."
"Does she know--I mean, what did you... actually do?" Cassie asked tentatively.
He knew what she was asking, but he didn't look away. "She only helped me re-establish some basic empathic shields, of the sort anyone needs to survive day-to-day. I did not say anything to her, but I suspect one of her teammates told her what I did yesterday, for she hinted that there was a great deal more I could learn."
"And--do you want to?" She took a step closer, her feelings close and comforting.
"It is a skill I think I should learn to use," he said quietly. "Or at least control. I can only think that Lyris would... approve."
She smiled up at him. "I think you're right. And I'm glad."
He took a deep breath. "There is something else I have been meaning to ask you--a favor I wonder if you could do for me. You can of course say no," he added quickly, before she could answer.
She gave him an odd look. "Anything for you," she said, a smile still tugging at her lips as she repeated the words they had given each other during a time that seemed so long ago now. "You know that."
"This is... unusual," he warned her, watching her closely.
She shrugged. "Okay."
He reached up and wrapped his fingers around his ruby, pulling the necklace off in one smooth motion. He held it out to her without a word.
She stared at it, and then at him. "What are you doing?"
"This is the favor," he said steadily. "I wish you to keep it for as long as I can be without it. And then I wish you to take it again, afterwards, and again, until you do not need to give it back."
He could see the comprehension in her eyes, and he could feel the sadness she was trying to suppress. "Saryn--" She swallowed hard. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"
She was scared for him. He could feel it; there was no blocking her out, it seemed. "I do not wish to be dependent on it any longer," he said softly. "No one can give me any medical reason why I should be. I healed, Cassie. I *healed*. I... wish to recover the rest of the way now."
She tried to smile. "Maybe you have," she offered, gazing at the necklace in his hand.
He shook his head. "I have not," he said gently. "I know it. I have always known it. Until you, I didn't care."
She looked up, searching his expression. "I love you," she began, but he shook his head again.
"I am doing it for myself as much as for you, Cassie. I wish to control my own destiny again. And as long as I am living in the past, I can not do that."
This time she did smile a little. "Yeah," she agreed softly. "Okay. I understand that."
"Then you will do it?"
She hesitated. "I will... but... what about the Phantom Ranger?"
He had wondered how long it would take her to think of that. She was so used to "Saryn" that he simply wasn't "Phantom" to her anymore. He didn't want to go back to the way it had been. "I will still be the Phantom Ranger in battle. The rest of the time, I will simply be Saryn."
She stared at him as though she thought she might have misunderstood. "*All* the rest of the time?"
He nodded.
"You'll tell people who you are?" she whispered.
He nodded again, taking secret pride in the expression of hope and delight on her face. He wasn't prepared for her to throw herself at him, wrapping him in a hug that almost took his breath away, but he took full advantage of it. He lifted his free arm and slid his necklace over her head, tugging her hair free awkwardly with one hand before returning her embrace for all he was worth.
***
The Glider holding bay came into being around her with a glittering flash of yellow. She blinked, a little startled as she looked around. This wasn't quite what she had expected.
Alone at the table, Zhane looked up from his half-finished meal. "There you are," he remarked, apparently unfazed by their abrupt arrival. "We were wondering if you'd ever get back."
Side-by-side with Carlos and flanked by Jeff and Emily, she looked around the holding bay again. "I thought Billy would teleport us to Aquitar," she explained, still a little puzzled.
Zhane shrugged. "He probably wanted to spare you. Trust me, you don't want to be down there. *I* certainly don't want to be down there. Hey Carlos. And Emily and Jeff," he added, returning to his food. "Hungry?"
"*We* ate breakfast," Ashley informed him. "Is Andros still there? When's the broadcast?"
"Andros says any minute now," Zhane answered calmly, lifting his juice glass.
Ashley stared at him. "And you're *here*?"
Zhane shrugged again. "'Any minute' in this kind of situation usually means 'sometime today'. He'll let us know when they're about to go on the air."
Ashley sighed in exasperation. "I'll go find out what's going on. I'll be right back."
"No way!" Carlos objected as she reached for her morpher. "I'm going with you."
"Trust me, Carlos, you wouldn't be able to talk to Aura in the chaos down there even if you could find her," Zhane interjected, spearing a piece of fruit with his fork. He missed. "You might as well wait for Ash's report."
The last thing Ashley heard before the world flared sparkling gold was Carlos' indignant exclamation. "Does *everyone* know about that?"
***
"We have to include the Alliance and Defense," Andros argued. "I know they didn't fight directly, but--"
"It is a message from the victors," Cetaci insisted. "I do not see why they should be included. They did not do anything."
"Defense ships fought with us," Saryn interjected quietly. "Alliance ships defended Aquitar. In any event, it is not so much a question of participation as it is of representation. Who we fought *for* is just as important--if not more--than the fact that we won."
There was silence for a moment, and then Andros nodded. "I agree. We should have at least Zordon and Linnse with us."
Cetaci looked irritated, but she didn't reject the suggestion out of hand. "Once we start including people, where does it stop?"
"It was not a Ranger battle," Saryn told her. "No single planet was at stake. It is correct to include representatives of those who supported us."
"She's right, though," Andros said, suddenly understanding what Cetaci meant. "Do we stop with Zordon and Linnse, or do we include the Alliance commander stationed here at Aquitar too? And what about the leader of the Defense wing that was with us at Rysia? How many representatives are enough?"
Saryn sighed. "It is usually better to keep matters like this as limited as possible. Whose idea was it to include all the Rangers?"
Neither of them answered, and finally Cetaci volunteered, "I assumed the Aquitian Rangers would be present. I may have... accidentally conveyed a similar message to the other teams."
"The Aquitian Rangers should be present," Saryn agreed. "It is your planet. But you could represent the Astro Rangers, Andros, and if you could choose someone to represent your other team, perhaps we might include only you three, Linnse, and Zordon. Along with Cetaci's teammates, of course."
Andros glanced over at Cetaci, who nodded once. "All right," he said finally. "I suppose Linnse was technically in charge of the fighter wing with us anyway--"
"She was," Saryn said firmly. "And Zordon can be counted upon to speak for most of the Alliance. We are not likely to offend anyone if we keep it to the five leaders, plus this planet's own Rangers."
"Wait," Cetaci broke in, giving him an odd look. "Five? What about you?"
Saryn returned her look impassively. "I did not lead."
Andros opened his mouth to protest, then closed it again slowly. If Saryn led, then so had Kerone. And Ashley. And Zhane. They were all leaders, in their own way, but what mattered to the universe was who wore the leader's emblem. And the Phantom Ranger didn't.
"Then you should represent the Defense," Cetaci argued.
The lift door slid open and Ashley stepped out, pausing at their serious expression. "Sorry--am I interrupting?"
"No, of course not," Andros assured her, catching Cetaci's glare out of the corner of his eye. Some things never changed. He held out his hand to her. "Are people getting restless?"
She shrugged, catching his hand casually as she joined them. "Just wondering what's going on."
"There is a change of plan," Saryn put in. "In an effort to make the process go more smoothly, only the team leaders will broadcast."
"Cool," Ashley said fervently. "You don't know how glad I am to hear that. So how long? Do you know?"
They exchanged glances. "Now," Cetaci said, speaking for all of them. "I will clear the control room." She turned and stepped into the lift Ashley had just vacated, and a moment later it was gone.
"I still think you should be with us," Andros told Saryn. It might be impossible to convince the other Ranger, but he was going to try anyway. The Phantom Ranger might not be a leader in the eyes of the universe, but Saryn was, and he had done as much for this mission as any of them.
Saryn shook his head. "I did not lead," he repeated.
Ashley looked at him in surprise. "The heck you didn't. Why wouldn't you be on the broadcast? You have more experience than all of us put together."
He hesitated, and his answer wasn't quite what Andros had expected. "I fear I would be a distraction."
Andros frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Saryn, where's your ruby?" Ashley interrupted.
Andros gave him a startled look, and Saryn sighed. "That is precisely why I would be a distraction. I wish to reclaim my identity--I will no longer be only the Phantom Ranger."
He looked at Ashley sidelong, and found her looking right back at him. "Maybe that's the reason you *should* be on the broadcast," he said slowly.
Ashley nodded vehemently. "You have to start somewhere. If not now, then at the ceremony this afternoon. That won't be any better than this, will it?"
"No," Saryn admitted. "But it is..." he trailed off, and they waited for him to explain why the ceremony was the better time to do it. "It is later," he finished at last.
Ashley actually laughed. "It'll be all right, Saryn. I think you're incredibly brave to do this. Now both of you, get moving--Cetaci's probably got the place evacuated by now. We'll see you at the rehearsal afterward. Go, go," she added, making shooing motions.
Andros squeezed her hand before letting go, and she smiled at him. He took Saryn's arm and steered the older Ranger toward the lift. He could feel the other's reluctance in every step he took, and when the door closed behind them, he asked quietly, "Are you sure you want to do this?"
Saryn gave him a surprised look. "Of course," he said. Then he seemed to reconsider. "Well," he amended honestly, "I am sure I would like to have it done. I am not sure I will enjoy actually doing it."
"I know that feeling," Andros muttered sympathetically. "But things work out, even when you don't expect them to."
"I know," Saryn said simply. "I have faith."
The lift opened onto a control room that looked almost deserted compared to the melee that had converged on it earlier. Zordon still presided over the room from the security of his time warp, but the space looked much larger now. Aura, Cestria, and Delphinius stood more or less at attention near the middle of the room, while Billy played idly with one of the consoles. Linnse looked up as they arrived, and Cetaci motioned to them to join her in front of the main screen.
It was then that Andros realized what he had forgotten. *The other team,* he realized, and when he glanced at Saryn he knew he wasn't the only one who had just remembered.
Ashley had gone to get half the team, but he thought Zhane had said something about Rocky not coming back with them as planned. Rocky would have been the logical choice as Red Ranger, but failing that...
There was really only one person other than Justin that he knew well enough to say anything about on that team. Justin wasn't there, so he tapped his communicator. "Cassie," he said aloud. "Is Tessa with you?"
There was a brief pause. "Yeah, she's right here. What's up?"
"Send her down here," Andros told her. "She just became the leader of the Earth team."
"But she doesn't even have a uniform!" Cassie objected.
"Neither does Saryn. Unless she has a serious phobia about cameras, ask her to come down. Please."
Tessa appeared less than a minute later, looking terribly apprehensive and more than a little out of place in her pale pink t-shirt and jeans. "Right here," Andros said, motioning her to his side. "I promise you won't have to say anything," he added in a whisper as she joined him.
"Are you sure?" she whispered back, looking around the room nervously.
"Positive. The screen is the camera, so just remember to look over there the whole time and you should be fine."
"Stand up straight," Saryn offered quietly. "Do not frown, and do not worry. Those are the three rules of good presentation."
"And *don't* put your hands in your pockets," Linnse added, when Tessa shifted uncomfortably. "Put them behind your back."
"Don't listen to them," Andros told her. "Do you meditate at all?"
To his surprise, she nodded hesitantly. He smiled in relief. "There you go then. Pretend you're meditating on the blankness of the screen."
"Pretend it has a really great screensaver," Billy put in from behind them. "In fact, I could probably--"
"No," Cetaci interrupted. "No screensavers. Are we ready?"
"No," Saryn said suddenly. He held out one hand, catching Andros' eye and inclining his head.
Andros grinned and put his hand on top of Saryn's. He heard Billy chuckle, and a moment later the Blue Ranger joined them. Aura stepped forward to put her hand over Billy's, and then Cestria and even Linnse. Cetaci regarded the ritual with mild disdain, but when Delphinius joined in, she followed suit.
Andros cocked his head at Tessa, and she hesitated. "Come on," he said. "You fought, remember? You're one of us."
She smiled a little, and carefully put her hand on top of Cetaci's.
"One," Andros said, knowing they didn't have the gestalt to pull it off without counting. "Two... three--"
They didn't all shout, but everyone pulled their hands out at the same time. And even Cetaci and Linnse said the words.
"Power Rangers!"
fin