Carlos knew with pessimistic certainty that his day was not going to go well. He was right, too. The disastrous events began with an argument at the breakfast table and ended with a kiss, and the events in between were by themselves enough to wish he had not gotten up that morning.
It was very seldom that Andros ever got really worked up over anything. However, when Carlos came for breakfast that fateful morning, he found his fearless leader in a heated discussion with his fearless second-in-command.
"Suppose this really is necessary," T.J. was saying. "I still say it's impossible. Do you have any idea of the logistics involved?"
"I have a very good idea of the logistics," Andros replied. "Ask me sometime next week, and I'll probably know exactly what the logistics are, and I still say we can do it and we have to do it."
"There's gotta be some other alternative," said T.J.
"All right," answered Andros. "Name one."
"What are you two fighting over?" aksed Carlos, taking a seat at the table.
"Operation Z," said Andros, as if that explained everything.
"He wants to find a permanent hiding place for Zordon," T.J. explained. "Somewhere we can leave him so we don't have to keep cruising all over the universe to keep him from being recaptured."
"That doesn't sound like such a bad idea to me," Carlos opined.
"It sounds like a great idea to me," said Andros. "The way things stand now, we're at too much of a risk. Yesterday we got attacked by Quadrafighters. The day before that, a fleet of vagrant Quantrons started firing on us just for spite and took out all the power in megadecks two and three, which wouldn't have happened if the main thrusters hadn't been damaged the day before that by those Tenga Warriors. So then we had to stop the ship and fix the megadecks and the thrusters, which was how the Quandrafighters caught up to us. And when we take time out to fix the damage they did, we'll be sitting ducks for whatever else might come along."
"All right, all right! We know all this already," said T.J. "It's not the idea I'm so opposed to. The idea is good. It's the way you want to carry it out that's bugging me."
"What does he want to do?" asked Carlos.
"He wants to build a new version of the Power Chamber. Nothing wrong with that, but get this: he wants us to build it all by ourselves!"
Carlos whistled. "That would be a lot of work. How much planning have you done for this?"
Andros took on an expression of wounded pride. "I've been planning. I would have said so, too, if T.J. had let me."
"All right, then, I'll listen," said T.J. "What have you got?"
"I discussed it with Zordon and Alpha - and Tommy, too. They've all had some good suggestions. Tommy suggested we go talk to a friend of his on Aquatar, Billy Cranston. He's supposed to be an expert at inventing things, and he has a record of finishing very large projects in small amounts of time. Tommy said that if anyone can pull this off, he can."
"I thought you wanted us to do everything ourselves," T.J. said, "for security reasons."
"Other Power Rangers don't count," said Andros. "We just need to keep our enemies from discovering our plans. Anyway, Alpha and I put our heads together and worked out some rough plans. Would you like to see?"
Andros reached into a pocket and withdrew a folded sheet of paper. Clearing a space on the table, he spread it out so that his teammates could see. T.J. and Carlos studied it carefully.
"Hmm," said T.J. at last. "That doesn't look so bad. We just might be able to swing this, after all."
"That's what I've been trying to tell you all along," Andros replied.
"Of course, there are a few bugs to work out, like power supplies," T.J. continued thoughtfully, "but maybe this guy Billy can help with that. I'd say this is definitely worth looking into. Sorry for doubting you, Andros."
"No problem," said Andros.
Just then, the rest of the team arrived. They noticed the plans and asked what was going on, so Andros and T.J. filled them in. The idea was met with instant approval.
"So, when do we start?" Cassie wanted to know.
"Well, we haven't had a whole lot of time to plan this out yet," said Andros. "The first thing to do would be to go to Aquatar and talk to Billy, and we'll see where we need to go from there. At any rate, we won't be seeing Earth for a while. The project may take months to complete."
"We ought to do something fun before we leave," said Ashley. "We can have a going- away party!"
"Hey, I'm always ready for a party!" Zhane enthused.
"Let's go to a concert!" said Cassie.
"Or the beach," Karone suggested.
"No, we ought to do something we can only do on Earth," said T.J.
Ashley had an idea. "I know! There's a carnival in Angel Grove today. We should go see it."
"Sounds like a great idea to me," said Andros. "I haven't been to a carnival since I was a little kid."
"I've never been to one at all," Karone added. "Can we go? Please?"
The vote was unanimous. The Power Rangers were headed for the carnival!
Hidden in the deepest shadows he could find, Blackwind considered his next move. His soul was complete again, returning to him his most basic essentials of being, and thus, a small part of his former power. The subsequent item on his agenda would be to recharge his Heart Crystal, which would give him back most of his feelings and emotions. At the moment, those he had were frightfully limited, and life seemed rather stale and flat without them. However, he was somewhat constrained by the Heart Crystal's special properties: to recharge it, he would have to find a power source suitable to its own traits. It would be necessary to find a powerful source of joy, anger, fear, hate, love...
Love! Now, there was an idea worth pursuing! Though not anything Blackwind had ever experienced firsthand, he had often heard that love was the most powerful force in the universe. It seemed that something in the manner of a love spell might be just what the doctor ordered. Blackwind turned the idea over in his mind, planning and plotting until he was certain of his success.
It was a beautiful day for a carnival, bright and sunny with a few fluffy clouds. There was a large turnout for the celebration - it seemed like everyone in Angel Grove had come to ride the rides and see the sights. There was a Ferris wheel, a merry-go-round, swings and slides, plus all kinds of games, booths, and shows. The air was filled with the scents of popcorn, hot dogs, and other delights, and the sound of calliope music from the carousel mingles with the shouts and laughter of happy people.
"Wow, look at all this!" Karone exclaimed. "What are we going to do first?"
"I want to go on the Ferris wheel," said Ashley. "You ought to try it, Karone - with a suitable companion."
"Smelling that popcorn is making me hungry," said Cassie.
"Same here," said T.J. "How 'bout I buy us some cotton candy?"
"What do you want to do, Carlos?" Andros asked.
"I don't know," said Carlos. "I might just wander around and look at stuff for a while."
"Okay, then, it sounds like we're splitting up," T.J. said. "We can meet back later by the merry-go-round and then get lunch."
Everyone agreed to the plan, and each went his or her separate ways: Andros, Ashley, Karone, and Zhane in the direction of the rides, Cassie and T.J. in search of cotton candy, leaving Carlos by himself. He watched them go, thinking rather glumly that seven wasn't a very good number of people. Someone always seemed to get left out...and it seemed that the someone in question was usually him.
That grated on him. He wondered why he was the only one who couldn't seem to pair off with anyone. He had dated Ashley for a while, but that had been before Andros had come into the picture. After the adventure on Imberwyst, he had forged a close friendship with Karone, and some tiny hidden part of him had entertained a faint hope that it might possibly become more than a friendship, but so far she had remained loyal to Zhane. Though he knew it was probably wrong of him, he couldn't help feeling the smallest bit jealous. Wasn't he as good as Zhane and Andros? Why shouldn't he have a girlfriend, too? He tried to quell such thoughts; he was here at this carnival to have fun, not brood over his life's lack of romance. That was what he told himself, but he wasn't quite convinced.
Wrapped up in his own thoughts, he didn't hear the sound of a soft chuckle.
"Aha!" said Blackwind to himself. "So you want to improve your love life, do you, Carlos? I think I might have just the remedy for you!"
center>~*~
Blackwind knew, of course, that getting his chosen carrier to do his job was not going to be as easy as it was the first time. The Rangers all knew what he looked like from Andros's descriptions, and they would be distrustful of anything that resembled one of his Life Crystals. Still, it was not an impossible task, just one that would require a little finesse. Now that he had his Soul Crystal recharged, he had magic enough to make the necessary arrangements. Though he could not change the crystal, he could disguise it. Though he could not disguise himself, he could "convince" someone else to do the talking for him, if only for a little while.
Some time later, Carlos was walking down a path lined with colorful booths where people could try their hand at various games of skill and chance. He looked at them without really seeing them, until he became aware that someone was calling him.
"Hey! Hey, you! You in the black T-shirt!"
Carlos turned to see the proprietor of one of the booths beckoning to him. "Are you calling me?" he asked.
"Yes, of course, young man!" the man replied. "I couldn't help notice you looking a bit down. Why don't you try your luck at my game? You're guaranteed to win something. It always seems to make people feel better to win prizes, and you look like you could use a picker-upper."
"Well...why not? Sure, I'll play. How much is it?"
"One dollar per chance," said the game man. Carlos paid his dollar, and the game man handed him a dart. "Just toss this at a balloon. Yellow balloons are for small prizes, red for medium, blue for large, and purple lets you take your pick."
Carlos gripped the dart carefully and stared at the arrangement of balloons on the back wall. They were set up in a sort of bull's-eye pattern, with one purple balloon in the exact center. Though Carlos was really more of a soccer player, his athletic skills carried over into almost any sort of game. When he pitched the dart, it flew straight and true, scoring a perfect shot in the middle of the purple balloon. The game man applauded.
"Well, well! Today is your lucky day!" he said. "What will you have, young man? A hat? A T-shirt? A teddy bear to take home to your girlfriend, perhaps?"
Carlos looked downcast. "I don't have a girlfriend."
"I don't believe it! For real?" said the game man. "Well, we'll just have to do something about that." Rummaging in a box behind the counter, he brought out a silver necklace, on which hung a brilliant purple stone in a silver setting. He handed it to Carlos.
"What am I supposed to do with this?" Carlos asked dubiously.
"This," said the game man seriously, "is a love charm. It'll bring you good luck. Satisfaction guaranteed!"
"I don't know if I believe in good luck charms," said Carlos.
"Keep it anyway," the game man advised. "The stone is real amethyst. If the love charm doesn't work, you can at least give it some lucky lady and impress her."
"Maybe I'll do that," said Carlos. He tried to ignore the little voice in his mind that reminded him that Karone's favorite color was purple. "Thanks."
"Don't mention it," said the game man. He smiled, and for some inexplicable reason, Carlos had to suppress a shiver.
Carlos left the game area turning over the strange necklace in his hands. He decided he would feel silly wearing it (the stone was at the center of a disc with floral designs all around it, not exactly his style), but he somehow felt oddly attached to the thing. There was something about the feel of the chain, the smoothness of the cool metal, the brilliance of the stone that was somehow fascinating, and he couldn't quite resist the impulse to touch and admire it. He was so busy doing so that he wasn't looking where he was going, and the next thing he knew, he had collided with someone.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" said a female voice, vaguely familiar.
"No, really it was my fault. I wasn't looking where I was going," Carlos replied. He looked up to see who he was apologizing to. "Hey, I know you! You're...Felicia, right?"
The girl smiled and blushed. "That's right. I'm surprised you remembered."
Carlos was a little surprised, too. Felicia had been in one of his math classes, but he had almost never spoken to her, or she to him, except for once when she had asked him for help on a homework assignment. It had turned out that he had done his homework in study hall on account of his having soccer practice that evening. After that, she had never really spoken to him, except to say hello if they happened to bump into each other somewhere, as they had now.
"What's that you've got there?" Felicia had noticed his prize.
"It's a necklace. I won it in a game," Carlos explained.
"Did you really? That's really cool. I never win anything," said Felicia wistfully. "I always wanted to win one of those big stuffed bears, but I guess I'm not good enough."
Carlos wondered if maybe this might be a good time to see if his new good luck charm really worked. "Are you here with anyone, or are you by yourself?"
"I just came by myself. How about you?"
"Well, I came with my friends, but they all took off somewhere and left me, so if you'd like to hang with me awhile..."
Felicia smiled brilliantly. "I'd love to!"
"Great," said Carlos. "Maybe I can win you a prize, too."
"Oh, thanks! That mean so much to me. You're so sweet!"
With Felicia by his side, Carlos set out to enjoy the carnival. He touched the necklace and smiled. *Maybe this thing really does work after all!* he thought.
Blackwind could not help but view his latest accomplishment with mixed emotions. True, he was glad that his plan had worked out so well. The love spell on the necklace combined with the power of the Heart Crystal should be enough to generate a strong power source to yield quick results. On the other hand, he couldn't suppress a twinge of jealousy. As long as the magic was working properly, Carlos could have every woman in the general area falling all over him if he chose, but what about Blackwind himself? In his former life, he had never lacked such diversions, but it had been centuries since he had been able to enjoy any kind of physical contact with anything. He missed that almost unbearably...and the crystal that would restore his physical self, the Blood Crystal, would have to be the last one he used. He sighed. Patience would have to be his watchword, but patience had never been one of his very few virtues. Still, he consoled himself with the knowledge that his wait would be over very soon...
Aboard the Astro Megaship, the teens were done with their vacation and were getting back to work on their preparations for Operation Z. At least, most of them were trying to work. Though Carlos was supposed to be helping with the system checks, his mind kept wandering. He kept thinking back on his afternoon with Felicia. She had never paid any attention to him before, nor had he ever paid much attention to her. Today, however, the rules seemed to have changed. Her entire attitude suggested that she felt it was an incredible stroke of good fortune for him to simply say a kind word to her, and he was slowly but surely convincing himself that it was the necklace that had done it. Surely it must have been more than a coincidence that had caused him to bump into her, and to make her spend the day with him. There was something about the purple crystal that had the look and feel of magic.
That idea made him just the tiniest bit uneasy. He still remembered what had happened to Andros when he had carried Blackwind's Soul Crystal, but he couldn't bring himself to believe that the crystal he carried now had any relation to the one Andros had been given. That crystal had done nothing but bring out the worst in Andros: anger, hate, and violence. What relation could a love charm have with something that obviously evil? And how in the world would one of Blackwind's Life Crystals end up as a prize for a carnival game? Carlos found the idea inconceivable. Anyway, the crystals didn't even look the same. While this one was purple, the other had been blue.
On the other side of the room, Ashley was totally absorbed in her task, checking a heap of equipment to make sure everything was in perfect working order. Andros ran a tight ship; everything would have to be checked and rechecked before setting out on their mission. Maintaining security during the mission was vital, so there would be no stops anywhere between Earth and Aquatar.
Watching her work, Carlos slowly hatched an idea. It was a wicked idea, he knew, but one with undeniable appeal. If the charm really worked (and satisfaction was guaranteed!) then he ought to be able to get back what he had lost. No one would think he had been encouraging her in any way - he hadn't told anyone about the love charm - so it would seem to be all her own idea. No blame could possibly fall on him, so...why not give it a try? A little voice in his mind told him that what he was planning was dishonest and unkind, but the allure seemed to strong. He shoved the little voice away. Taking the crystal in his hands, he gazed deep into its shining depths.
"Let's see what you can do," he said softly. "Make Ashley fall in love with me!"
A fire seemed to spark deep within the crystal, and the light was reflected in his own eyes. He smiled.
At her table, Ashley suddenly glanced up as if she had heard a surprising sound. Then her gaze fell on Carlos - or, more precisely, on the crystal. Its purple fire was mirrored in her in her own eyes as well.
"Wow," she said softly. "I never noticed how handsome you look in that uniform, Carlos. You are amazing! I'll do anything you ask me!"
"Good," he replied with a smug smile. "Go find Karone and tell her I want to have a word with her."
"Whatever you say," she replied.
Carlos watched her with the purple fire burning in his eyes.
Divatox the Pirate Queen was suffering from a case of complete and utter boredom. Since the fall of the Confederation of Evil, there had been very little for her to do. A fair number of her troops had fallen in the ill-fated strike against the universe, and more had been destroyed in the battle among the monsters for leadership. Afterwards, she had melted a few Pirhanatrons to vent her frustrations. Many of her followers had deserted her, and those few she had left were more intent on nursing injuries and keeping out of sight than helping her return to power. Much as she hated to admit it, there was no course of action to take but to let her soldiers recuperate and search for some way to rebuild her armies. Naturally, this put her in a bad mood. She hated waiting!
She remembered almost fondly the time she had spent contending with the Power Rangers. At least it had given her something to do, something to think about. She would have beaten them, too, she thought bitterly, if the Dark Specter hadn't interfered. Just for something to do, she decided to check up on her old enemies.
It took her a while to find them - her periscope's scope was rather limited - but she did finally come across them. She recognized Cassie and T.J., but not their two companions, a couple of new guys...attractive, she decided, but not her type. None of the four were doing anything of interest to her, so she changed her view to another room. There, she found Ashley and - she had to look carefully to be sure - her old rival, the former Princess of Evil. Well, she certainly had changed! The two girls were arguing over something, it seemed, though it was difficult to tell what they were saying. And sitting off to one side, watching the proceedings with a look of condescending amusement, was...Carlos?
"Well!" she exclaimed. "He's undergone some improvements!"
She smiled. Today might not be so boring after all!
While observing the actions of his crystal carrier, Blackwind became aware that he was being watched. No, that wasn't quite right; it was the carrier that was being watched. Blackwind didn't like that. He had many enemies left in the universe, and he felt uneasy about the prospect of being spied on. He would make sure that his crystals were never used in any way that would not benefit his own survival, but in the hands of another experienced magician, they could become dangerous weapons - against him and the rest of the universe. Still, there was no large problem yet. Being insubstantial had one advantage: it was remarkably easy to get from one place to another in almost no time at all. Blackwind turned around, and was simply and suddenly gone.
He reappeared in his desired location and inspected his surroundings.
"Humph," he said to himself. "Tacky, tacky, tacky! Someone has no idea of artistry."
Still, he was not there to look at the decor, but to find the spy. Slipping silently through shadowed rooms, he searched until he found...a woman, watching something (or, more likely, someone) through a periscope. Blackwind instantly understood. Once activated, the spell he had placed on the necklace would hold the attention of any woman who happened to look at the carrier. Naturally, this woman would be affected as much as anyone else. Blackwind couldn't help but be a little bit jealous once again. This person, whoever she was, seemed to him to be quite attractive, and if someone would just find her some proper clothing, and maybe do something about her makeup and that ridiculous purple dye in her hair...Blackwind got halfway through imagining what that would look like before he stopped himself. This was not the time for such things. Still, it couldn't hurt to at least talk to her...
"Are you admiring my new possession?" he asked.
Divatox jumped. She hadn't realized that there was anyone watching her. Her mind had been on other things.
"Who's there?" she demanded. She was mildly alarmed, but also curious. Whoever had spoken had a magnificent speaking voice, deep and rich, with an intimation of power. She wanted to see who it belonged to. The Black Ranger was temporarily forgotten; she was willing to consider any opportunity that came her way.
"I am here, as much as I can be anywhere," Blackwind replied. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Blackwind, King of planet Kaira." He executed a graceful bow. "I am at your service."
"I'm sure you are. I'm Divatox - Queen Divatox," she replied, mildly disappointed. The stranger was only a shadow - a very nice shadow, as shadows went - she would have liked to see the man who had cast it - but a shadow nonetheless. "What was that you just said about a possession?"
"I was referring to the Black Ranger. He now belongs to me," Blackwind explained. "He is currently under a very subtle and insidious little spell...which has had some interesting side effects, as you seem to have noticed."
"What would you want with the Black Ranger?"
"I am using him as a power source. He and his Ranger friends are unwittingly helping me to restore my former powers. I was not always as you see me, you understand. It seems that the spell I'm using causes a remarkable attitude adjustment in my chosen helpers. I judge that very soon, he'll be turned completely evil."
"Can I have him when you're done with him?"
"What would you do with him if you had him?" Blackwind asked, with a hint of a smile.
"I can think of a few things."
"Are you implying what I think you're implying?" No doubt about the smile this time.
"Maybe. How good is your imagination?"
Blackwind shook his head. "I wish I had known you before. We might have been very good friends, I think."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing," said Blackwind. "Nothing at all. I'd better go collect our friend Carlos, before he starts getting into trouble. I'll return shortly."
"I'll be looking forward to that."
"I'm sure you will." Blacwind turned and faded out of view.
Meanwhile, Andros, T.J., Cassie, and Zhane were still busy with the preparations for their journey. While Cassie ran systems checks, Andros and T.J. debated over what should be included on their list of supplies. Zhane, with notepad in hand, was on his way to the cargo areas to take inventory when he heard the sound of voices raised in a heated argument.
"Hey, guys," he said, "am I going crazy, or does it sound like there's a fight going on?"
"Huh?" T.J. got up and joined Zhane in the doorway. "You're right. Kerone and Ashley are yelling about something. Wonder what's going on?"
"We'd better find out," said Andros. "It must be something pretty serious to get them that upset."
The foursome headed out to check on their friends. Coming closer, they were able to make out parts of what was being said.
"No way!" Ashley said. "You can't have him! He's mine!"
"Dream on!"
"I saw him first!"
"Well, he asked for me!"
"You've got a boyfriend, remember? Go on back to your blond blockhead."
"No way! You're crazy!"
"I'll make you leave if I have to."
"Ha! You couldn't."
Just then, the rest of the Ranger burst into the room. They found Ashley and Karone glaring at each other in fury, while Carlos watched calmly from a corner.
"Would somebody like to tell me what's going on here?" T.J. demanded.
"Nothing," the girls said in unison.
"Don't lie to us," said Andros. "We heard you shouting. What's wrong?"
"It's just a misunderstanding," said Karone sulkily.
"Uh-huh. Sure," Zhane replied. "Like we really believe that. Come on, the truth now."
"Can I be excused?" asked Carlos innocently. "I've got stuff I want to do."
"No, don't go!" Ashley begged.
"Go on," said T.J. "We'll handle this."
Carlos nodded. "Thanks," he said. He got up and left.
Turning back to Karone and Ashley, Andros asked, "Now, could you tell us what this is all about?"
"I..." Ashley suddenly looked very confused. "I forgot."
"You forgot?" T.J. repeated incredulously. "How could you forget? You were shouting about something at the top of your lungs a second ago."
"I don't know," Ashley replied. "I really can't remember. I just remember working on a stack of tools, and then everything is blank. I can't explain it."
"How about you, Karone?" Zhane asked.
Karone thought hard. "I can't remember, either. Funny, I had it just a second ago, but now it's gone. I can't even remember why I came here."
"That's weird," said Cassie. "You aren't putting us on, are you?"
"No, this is for real," Karone replied. "Something has happened that I can't explain."
"Maybe Carlos can explain," Andros suggested. "Wasn't he here the whole time?"
"That's right!" exclaimed Ashley. "Where did he go?"
Karone closed her eyes in an attitude of intense concentration. "Uh-oh."
"Uh-oh, what?" asked T.J.
"There is magic here."
"Magic?" Andros repeated. "You don't suppose...?"
T.J. snapped his fingers. "Carlos must have picked up another of Blackwind's crystals... Oh, no, and we let him get away!"
"We've got to catch him," said Kerone seriously. "Under Blackwind's power, there's no telling what he might do."
"Maybe it isn't too late," Andros said. "DECA, seal off all exits. No matter what, don't let Carlos escape."
DECA replied, "Carlos has already left the ship."
While the other Rangers had been talking, Carlos had hurried away in search of a hiding place. In retrospect, he decided that bringing in both girls at once had been a bad idea. Now his cover was probably blown, and he wasn't quite sure what to do next. However, that question was decided for him when he ran around a corner and found himself face to face with Blackwind.
"Where are you off to, Black Ranger?" the shadow asked smoothly.
"I've got to get away from here," Carlos said frantically. "They're going to find out about the magic, and they'll be angry. They're going to come after me!"
"Ah, yes. So true," said Blackwind. "Someone should have warned you that magic won't hold in the face of true love. Your young lady friends will be coming around very soon, and then you'll be in trouble...unless, of course, you let me help you."
"What can you do?" Carlos asked.
"Just look me in the eye and listen to what I say," Blackwind said persuasively. Carlos did as he was told. A spark seemed to flash between his eyes and Blackwind's. "I am your master now! You will obey me and only me. I control your mind. You will think nothing but what I tell you to think and do only what you are commanded to do. Is that clear?"
Carlos nodded.
"Good. Then follow me. There is someone waiting to meet you." There was a swirl of dark mist, and Blackwind and the Black Ranger vanished.
"Any luck finding him?" Andros was supervising the effort to locate their missing comrade.
"Not a thing," T.J. replied.
"Nothing here, either," added Zhane. "It's like he just dropped off the face of the Earth!"
"Keep looking. He couldn't have gone but so far," Andros said. "Or could he? If he's running from us, where would he go?"
"It's hard to say," Karone replied. "I can't imagine what he would be thinking right now. But as long as he has that crystal, he's dangerous - to himself more than anyone else."
"What I want to know is, what made him decide to take it?" Cassie asked. "He knew what happened to Andros. Wouldn't he have realized he was heading for trouble?"
"It's hard to say," said Andros. "Blackwind's magic is pretty hard to resist. I should know. I've been there. Besides, Blackwind isn't stupid. He knows we know about him. He probably used some kind of trick."
"From now on, we're all going to have to be extra careful," said T.J. "There's no telling who's gonna be next on the hit list or what the next crystal might do."
Cassie looked up from her computing. "I've finished searching the Earth. There's no trace of Carlos or Blackwind."
"Well, spread out the search boundaries, then," Andros said. "He's out there somewhere. We've got to find him before something bad happens."
The other Rangers nodded, and continued with their work.
Divatox was searching through her closet when Blackwind returned.
"I've brought you back your Power Ranger," he said.
She jumped. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"
"Sorry," said Blackwind, sounding genuinely contrite. "I can't really help it. Do forgive me."
"Oh, well, I guess it doesn't matter," Divatox replied. It was a surprising remark, since she seldom, if ever, forgave anyone for anything. She returned to her search, scowling in frustration. "Drat! I don't have anything presentable to wear!"
"Ah, yes," Blackwind said, smiling slightly as he detected an opportunity. "The eternal problem. Perhaps I could suggest something...if it isn't presumptuous to try to improve upon perfection. I've been told I have very good taste."
"Well...I guess it couldn't hurt," Divatox replied.
"Very well, then," said Blackwind, continuing to smile. He was quite pleased with himself! "Hold still for just one moment, and I'll see what I can do."
He closed his eyes and bowed his head, concentrating intensely, trying to muster the power to carry out his intentions. He raised one hand, and black and red sparks of light gathered around his fingers like exotic fireflies. With a graceful gesture, they were sent to swirl around the pirate queen. Around and around they swirled, until she was totally hidden by the glimmering lights. Then, they landed on her in a rush, leaving her appearance pleasantly altered.
Blackwind opened his eyes again to admire his handiwork. Her flamboyant clothing had been replaced by an elegant red dress, sequined with tiny rubies set in subtle patterns. Matching jewelry had been provided, rubies and diamonds, impressive in size and brilliance. He had also taken the opportunity to tone down her gaudy makeup and turn her hair back to its natural color. Now, he decided, she looked truly beautiful. Perhaps it was because he had been alone so long...or maybe not.
"Very impressive. You look fit to dazzle anyone, spell or no spell," he said. "Have a look at yourself and see what you think."
She checked her reflection in the mirror, and her face lit up with delight. "It's gorgeous!" she exclaimed. Her expression changed to one of speculation as she studied the brilliant stones that made up her necklace. "Are these real?"
"Of course. I am a king, after all," said Blackwind. "Keep it, if you like."
"The necklace?"
"The whole ensemble. It suits you well...and I'm certainly not going to wear it!" He permitted himself a small laugh, and she laughed also.
"Where is the Ranger?" she asked at last.
"He is preparing himself to meet you," Blackwind replied, serious once again. He had been enjoying himself until that point. However much he would have preferred it otherwise, he was still only a formless shadow, and for all his gifts and charming words, she would never consider a shadow as anything other than, say, a useful ally. That would change someday soon... but, blast it, soon wasn't good enough!
"Is something wrong?" she asked. "If there's a problem..."
"It's my problem, not yours," he said. "I will go retrieve your Ranger now." Impulsively, he produced a rose out of thin air and handed it to her with a bow and a flourish. Then he vanished, fading away like smoke on the wind.
Divatox remained where she was, staring thoughtfully at the rose, as if trying to read the answer to some question in the folds of its petals.
Zhane was hunched over a computer, busily pushing buttons. Suddnely, he sat bolt upright and exclaimed, "Hey, guys! I think I found him!"
The others were at his side in an instant. "Where?" Andros asked.
"I'm not exactly sure yet. The computer's still getting the exact coordinates," answered Zhane. "He's almost completely faded out. I wasn't even sure it was him for a second."
The computer blipped, indicating it had finished its job, and Andros called up a visual. The viewing screen showed an image of a strange, golden, fish-like craft, docked within a massive structure of twisted metal.
"That's Divatox's sub!" T.J. exclaimed. "That computer must be messed up. What would Carlos be doing there?"
"Hey, this computer works," Zhane insisted. "I should know. I had to check it this afternoon for the trip, remember?"
"Which brings us to question two: Why is Carlos on Divatox's space base?" asked Andros. "Is it possible that she could be the one who captured him? We only guessed it was Blackwind, but maybe..."
"No, Blackwind is involved with this somewhere," said Karone. "The spell pattern is unique to him."
"The computer says the same thing," Zhane added. "He and Carlos are both on that ship."
"That would mean Blackwind must be allied with Divatox," said T.J.
"It would make sense," said Karone thoughtfully. "She chases after every man who crosses her path, and Blackwind is supposed to be very charming."
The other Rangers gave her strange looks.
"Well, that's what I heard," she said sheepishly.
"I don't even want to know," said T.J. "Those two are bad enough on their own. Who knows what they could do working together?"
"We'd better get there fast, before something happens," Cassie said.
"Right," Andros replied. "DECA, set in a course and fire the thrusters to maximum hyper- rush velocity."
The engine glowed brightly as it charged up the hyper-accelerator, blasting the ship through space in a burst of blue light from the after burners.
The Black Ranger had undergone a few subtle changes. He had removed his jacket with its official Power Rangers insignia, baring the form-fitting black shirt he wore underneath. He also wore the necklace now, but it no longer looked silly. In the light of the glowing gemstone it held, even the floral designs looked sinister. He was leaning against a wall, half-hidden in the shadows, waiting patiently. Though his eyes glowed faintly with the light of the Heart Crystal, his face was blank and expressionless.
"Hello, friend," said Blackwind. He did sarcasm very well when he was in the mood for it; only a careful listener could ever tell he wasn't sincere. "Are you happy to see me again? No, I wouldn't suppose you would be. I have someone I want you to meet. I do hope you'll be civil to her; she is royalty, after all." Carlos remained impassive, not hearing a word that was said.
As if on cue, a door opened, and Divatox made her dramatic entrance. Blackwind rather regretted that. It had been foolish of him to make those changes on her, he thought. It was an eternal torture to him to be forever wanting something he couldn't have, but he still couldn't resist the temptation to make her over into his ideal...and now here she had to go flaunting it! With a valiant attempt to get his emotions under control, he took his place as intermediary between her and the ensorcelled Power Ranger.
"Carlos, meet your queen," he said. "She is your absolute ruler. You will obey her in all things. Is this understood?"
"Yes, master," Carlos replied. He bowed to Divatox. "I am at your service."
The gesture, the words, even the tone of voice were so like what Blackwind had done at their first meeting that Divatox glanced at him.
Blackwind shrugged, understanding her confusion. "He is under my control, and therefore, an extension of myself. There's bound to be some similarities between us."
"I see," she replied. "Stand up, Ranger. I have plans for you."
"NOT SO FAST, DIVATOX!" interrupted a voice. Instantly, the Power Rangers rushed into the room.
"Oh, no, not them again," she moaned.
"Friends of yours?" asked Blackwind.
"You don't know the half of it."
"Give back Carlos right now," Andros demanded, "or you two are in big trouble."
Divatox smiled nastily. "I don't think he wants to go back. Why don't you ask him about it?"
"Come on, Carlos," T.J. urged. "You can fight the magic! Don't let them do this to you!"
"I don't know what you're talking about," said Carlos coldly. "I belong only to Queen Divatox."
"That's right, you do," Divatox replied. With a triumphant smile, she pulled him closer and kissed him.
"Ew, gross!" said Zhane.
"I did not just see that," muttered Cassie in disbelief.
Blackwind closed his eyes and shook his head in a gesture of despair. "I've created a monster," he said.
"Psst!" T.J. whispered to Andros. "Don't just stand there! Get rid of the crystal!"
"Right," Andros replied. "Um, how am I supposed to do that?"
"Oh, that's easy," said Zhane. "You just do something stupid to distract them, like this." Pointing, he shouted, "Hey, look! It's Maligore!"
"Huh? Where?" Divatox glanced all around in confusion.
That was all the opportunity Andros needed. He half-ran, half-dove toward Carlos, brandishing his Spiral Saber, intending to smash the crystal into a million pieces. Blackwind saw what was happening.
"NO!" he shouted. Quick as a thought, he flew toward the Red Ranger's target and grabbed the precious crystal, snapping the chain of the necklace. There was a burst of light as the love spell disintegrated, throwing Andros and Carlos in two different directions.
The whole time, Zhane was howling with laughter at Divatox's gullibility. "Man, that was the oldest trick in the book, and they still fall for it every time!"
Carlos picked himself up off the floor.
"Man, what a headache," he muttered. "What's going on? What am I doing here?"
T.J. came to help his friends to their feet. "Believe me, Carlos, you do not want to know."
Somewhat dazedly, Carlos wiped his mouth with the back of one hand and was surprised to come up with a smear of red lipstick. "You're right. I don't."
"Come on, let's get out of this place," said Andros. The other Rangers agreed. They didn't want to spend another minute in the subcraft. They all vanished in bursts of colored light.
Blackwind barely noticed when the Rangers left. He was preoccupied with his crystal. However disastrous his experiment with the love spell had been, it had still completed its ultimate function; the Heart Crystal was fully charged. He drew in its newfound power like a drowning man would draw in a breath of fresh air.
It was only when he had completed the process of re-energizing that he noticed Divatox. She seemed to be in the grips of intense disappointment, beating a fist on the top of a table with her face buried in her arms, saying, "Not again! Not again! Why did this have to happen again?"
As out of character as it was for him, Blackwind felt a stab of pity for her. It was his fault, in a way. He had never meant to do her any harm by all this. Perhaps it was because his heart was in working order for the first time in centuries. Whatever it was, he found himself wanting to comfort her somehow.
Moments later, Divatox was drawn out of the depths of her despair by the gentlest of touches on her cheek. It was barely even a touch, only a soft brush like a delicate spring breeze, only warm and alive, and with a faint electric tingle. She looked up to see what caused it - and found herself staring into the eyes of the handsomest man she had ever had the good fortune to see: broad shouldered, well-muscled, with jet-black hair and fine clothing, all in all the very picture of sophisticated evil. There was something else about him, too, an aura of power. But what held her attention were those fathomless eyes, black as the skies of the most distant reaches of the universe. You could get lost forever in eyes like that...but by the time she was thinking that, she was already lost.
"Who are you?" she asked in a near-whisper.
He smiled, a smile of faint amusement that only touched the corners of lips. It was the gleam in his eyes that said everything.
"What's the matter?" he asked. "Don't you recognize your partner in crime?"
She recognized that voice! "Blackwind? Is that you?"
"More myself than ever," he replied. "You're staring. Do you like what you see?"
"Oh, yes!" she blurted out. Realizing what she had just said, she tried to stammer some kind of disclaimer, but Blackwind stopped her.
"No need to be ashamed," he said. "Really, I'm quite flattered. I'm a vain creature, you know, and I do like to be complimented."
His eyes were teasing her. She raised one hand, with every intention of pulling him to herself as she had with the Black Ranger, but he drew back.
"No, please, you mustn't try to touch me," he said unhappily. "Despite all appearances, I'm not quite complete yet...I'm still only here in spirit. The crystal I gave to the Black Ranger was one of my Life Crystals, and it has given me back some of my former power, but there are still two Crystals left before I am completely restored. Until then, I am only a ghost."
"But when you finish with those other two Crystals, you'll be a real man."
"Yes."
"Then tell me what I can do to help."
Blackwind smiled.
The Power Rangers had completed their jobs - ahead of schedule, according to Andros. That left them a few hours to spend on having fun. There had been unanimous agreement among the Rangers: they were going to visit Earth one last time. To all seven of them, the beautiful blue- green planet was home to them, even to those who had been born in places far distant. They would miss it very much when they left it.
Everyone scattered hither and yon, each to his or her on favorite places to walk old, familiar paths one last time, and Carlos found himself alone again. He went to the park in Angel Grove, a place of many fond memories. Soccer had always been his chief joy in life, and now he felt an urge to visit the old field and kick the ball around for a while. There was telling when he would get another opportunity; there was no room on the Astro Megaship for a soccer field, and even the wondrous simu-deck wasn't up to creating something of that size.
He went through a few practice moves, maneuvering the soccer ball this way and that. The motions were so familiar that he hardly had to think about them...so he thought about other things instead.
After everything he had been through, he was right back where he started - all alone. For him, there was no one, no Ashley, no Karone, no Felicia. Everything had been owed to Blackwind's Heart Crystal. He felt sorry for himself, but that didn't last but so long. Exercise was good for sparking new thoughts, which were much more interesting to him than the same old things he had been thinking all day. He had a dim recollection of seeing Divatox and Blackwind together on her ship. He wondered what the two of them were doing together. It occurred to him for the first time that maybe it was lonely being a ghost. He wondered if the two of them would stay together. If they did, he decided, it would be a good thing. If they were happy, perhaps they wouldn't cause so much trouble. Another part of him wanted to complain: even Blackwind had a girlfriend now! Why was Carlos the only one who had be alone? He dribbled the soccer ball back and forth until, with a powerful kick, he sent it hurtling into the goal.
"Nice shot!" said a voice.
Carlos looked up to see a familiar person watching him from the sidelines. "Hey, Felicia! What are you doing here?"
"I just came out for a walk, and I saw you practicing, so I stopped to watch," she replied. "You're really good."
"Thanks," he said, wondering where this conversation was going to lead.
"I wanted to thank you for...well, for letting me hang out with you at the carnival," Felicia said. "That sounds stupid, doesn't it? But I was feeling sort of lonely. I just have a hard time talking to people, and you were so nice to me. I didn't even think you liked me. You never said anything to me at school."
"I didn't even know you wanted me to talk to you."
"Sure I did," she said. "I was just to scared to say anything myself."
"Well, you can talk to me now," Carlos replied. "I'd like for us to be friends."
"Really?" she asked. "What are you doing next week?"
"Oh, I'm really sorry, Felicia, but I'm leaving for a trip early tomorrow morning," Carlos said regretfully. "I might be gone for a few months." Felicia looked crestfallen. "But you can e-mail me...and I promise you'll be the first person I come to see when I get back."
Felicia beamed. "I'll be looking forward to it."
They stayed in the park and talked for a while. When at last Felicia had to leave, Carlos watched her go with a feeling of contentment. Everything was going to work out all right, after all. He had a great adventure ahead of him, and there would be someone special waiting for him when he got back. What more could anyone ask for?
Pausing at the crest of a hill, Felicia turned back and called, "Hey, Carlos!"
"Yeah?" he called back.
"I think you're cute!" Laughing, she dashed out of sight.
Carlos returned to the ship with a smile on his face. Life was good!
