Disclaimer: Some are still saying Saban. Some are saying Disney. Others are saying Buena Vista. I'm just gonna spin the roulette wheel and whichever one is right the ball will stop on, 'k? Number seven in the From The Stars series. Ivan Ooze does make his appearance here, albeit briefly and not much as we knew him from the movie. Starhawk owns the concept of Color Withdrawl and kindly relented to my pleas to use it in this series (where we actually see it in effect in this story for the first time!....)

RE-updated, 7/4/03: I accidentally deleted this part of the disclaimer: The Zeo Warriors concept here may sound, to Ellen Brand fans, rather like her Morphin Warriors concept. Rest assured that when I wrote these stories for the first time, I had no real knowledge of her stories. The similarity is by coincidence *only*. Ellen Brand is perfectly aware of this matter, as I contacted her about it before first posting this story, and is agreeable to it :D

CAUTION. Heavy PG-13 rating established here! due to the fact I rewrote a certain love scene in here, making it a bit racier. I wish I'd been a bit more thorough when writing about Sharie and Carlos' first time, but I was always too chicken. Don't worry, I'll never sound like a penthouse letter (filthy-sounding things they are....) but I am also, for the first time, experimenting a little. So bear with me, and if you don't like such stuff, or are a parent reading this with a kid, cover their eyes!

The Hydrohog: H, 2, Uh-oh... By ZeoViolet Teaser:The Hydrohog was big and bad before, right? Under Astronema's thumb, he gets even worse.

"Ki-yah!"

"Ki-yah!"

"Ki-yah!"

"Ki-yah!"

The cries of four teenagers filled the air early one sunny morning in Angel Grove, California. A girl, dressed mainly in purple, was teaching three of her friends in yellow, black, and red some special martial arts moves from her homeworld.

They were in Sharie's backyard, the gentle surf of the nearby lake lapping in their ears and the gentle breeze ruffling their windblown hair, especially those who did not think of tying it up before they began in the first place.

"No, Carlos," Sharie patiently told her boyfriend. "Lock your feet in *this* position first, *then* kick up." She demonstrated the move again.

"Like this?" He tried again, this time keeping his balance so he did not fall forward.

"That's a lot better," she favored him with a smile, her purple eyes dancing merrily into his black ones.

Carlos looked into those bottomless depths and could only grin back, albeit, he suspected, a bit foolishly. Those eyes had the...strangest way of confounding him at times...it took him a minute to tear his eyes away enough to keep on practicing.

"Where is Cassie already?" panted Ashley, flopping onto the sand to rest. "Surely she could get away from the hospital for a *little* while."

"So she has a new baby sister," answered Carlos, pausing also to breathe. "I think I would want to stick around. I did when each of my brothers and sisters were born, you know."

"Yeah, but you have five of them," said Ashley. "You are used to the routine by now. This is Cassie's first sibling. I did not even have any idea her mother was *expecting* until a week ago when we were looking for the Nightstriker Warrior powers, and she was muttering about it before she went to sleep."

"Then you heard about it first," said Andros. "I did not learn until about three days ago when her parents showed up in Angel Grove and I saw them for the first time."

"Cassie was somewhat afraid," said Sharie shortly. "Her parents had trouble concieving, and she had been sure she would never have a brother or sister. She did not want to say anything, in case something went wrong."

"Nothing did go wrong, did it?" asked Ashley, grabbing up a water bottle and taking a drink. "You were in the maternity ward that shift yesterday, Sharie. You were there when she was born."

Sharie shrugged, then smiled in spite of herself. "So I did the actual delivery, yes, nothing went wrong. They named her Lydia. Real pretty baby. She comes home soon. I think TJ is giving Cassie a ride from the hospital, at least he told me. They should....wait, they are here."

By now, no one bothered to ask how Sharie knew these things before anyone else--except for sometimes Ashley--knew about them. And sure enough, a moment later, there was a sharp whistle, followed by a couple of "Hey, guys!"

Across the sand, laughing, came running up a tall boy in blue and a tallish girl in pink. Both were laughing, near hysterics, and were shoving each other around playfully. Sharie glanced up and sort of grinned in amusement at their playfulness, and the others sort of jogged each other in the ribs and snickered.

"Sorry we're late," Cassie huffed upon reaching them, slapping away TJ's hands a final time and trying to regain some semblence of dignity. "Numbskull here forgot to put gas in his car, and then you get the picture."

"If you had not been pestering me so much, I would not have--"TJ began playfully, but Cassie shoved him lightly.

"Dont listen to him," she continued sweetly. "We're here, aren't we?" she told him musically.

"So how's the new sister?" Carlos asked, cutting off any reply TJ might have made.

"Lydia?" asked Cassie, suddenly turning a bit dreamy. "Oh, she is so cute...I just hated explaining to my parents why I could not always be on call to baby-sit. You should have seen their reactions to my telling them I was a Power Ranger. Sharie saw their reactions, too."

"Was it wise telling them in the middle of your mother's labor?" asked Sharie mildly. "That may have been the reason Lydia was born so soon afterward. And when they saw *I* was not in the least fazed by the news..."

Everyone was exchanging amused glances by this point.

"Well, come on," said Andros, unable to hide a smile. "I want to learn that 'hurricane eye' move you promised to try and show me, Sharie."

****

Astronema blinked at the bright morning sun which beat down on the desert terrain of a little-known planet in the StarFire galaxy.

*Why did I even bother to come?* She desperately wished for the cooler air of the Dark Fortress, which was never without air conditioning, except for the quarters of the monsters that needed hotter climates.

*How I seriously *hate* these stupid meetings of Evil Powers. They are so boor-ring! Nothing really interesting has happened to me since I took care of Dark Dresden.*

Around her was the usual clatter of other evil people rudely shoving each other around, a few among them being Lord Zedd, Rita Repulsa, King Mondo and company, Master Vile, and Divatox, among some other well-known and not- so-well-known villians. They were simply here for one of their usual evil gatherings for the purpose of plotting as much misery as possible for the good side.

Astronema was too preoccupied with thoughts of how to destroy the Power Rangers this time to really pay attention to the activity around her, until a rather loud arguement between Lord Zedd and Rita, his wife, caught her ears.

"That was hardly *my* fault, my dear," snarled Lord Zedd. "Remember, it was you idea about the Hydrohog in the first place."

"Are you implying that this was *my* fault, radiator-face?" she screeched at him, trying to ignore the ache in her back.

"Yes!" it was short and sharp.

"Oh, you....how!..." she demanded, placing her hands upon her swollen waistline. "How do you concieve that this was *my* fault?! If I weren't carrying this kid of yours I would..."

"Silence! I don't want your constant grating, whining voice to harm our upcoming little bundle of misery. Of course it was your fault! The Hydrohog almost had the sniveling Alien Power Pests by their gills, but in the end, they still beat them! He was a complete, worthless waste of time!"

"Don't forget, Fence Face, *you* were just as enthusiastic about this plan as I was. I seem to recall that you...."

Astronema stepped closer to them, and they stopped, aware that she had been listening. Rita gave her the evil eye.

"Butt out. I do not recall this being any of your business," she snapped, placing her hands to her aching back.

"I could not help but overhear, Rita dear. What is this about a Hydrohog?"

"Why would *you* want to know?" the witch snarled defensively.

"Ignore her," sighed Zedd. "She has been worse than her usual miserable self since she became pregnant."

"As if this was all my doing! I did not want a kid in the first place, but don't forget, my *dear* husband, you were there also! The kid did not just get in here by magic!"

"Shut *up* already, or I'll...." Zedd snarled, then sighed and turned back to Astronema. "Sheesh. Can't keep her mouth shut. Anyway, the Hydrohog, well, we brought him to Earth over a year ago to destroy the Aquitian Rangers who were on the planet, since Master Vile had turned back time and made the rangers children. The dumb monster almost succeeded, but failed at the last minute."

"Where is he?" the Princess of Evil asked, eyes glowing with mischeif. "I think I have a plan for this Hydrohog--the new, improved Hydrohog, that is."

"Hmmm....last I heard, he was laying low somewhere in this very galaxy, I believe. But don't waste your time with him. He is worthless."

"I don't think he will be after I get through with him. I will make him so powerful and invincible that he will destroy those pesky power brats once and for all! Not even the Aquitian Rangers or the Zeo Duo from Triforia will be able to stop him." She laughed and evil, creepy laugh that even made Rita flinch, and the child inside her kicked ferociously.

****

Astronema quickly went about her business locating the Hydrohog. Rita had grudgingly given her the algarhythms specific to this monster, saying, "You are making a big mistake."

It did not take her long to find him. He was hiding out on a barren planet just light-years from the Aquitian system. Blatantly ignoring his commands for her to leave his lair, she paid him an unwelcome visit.

"All right, whaddya want?" He bellowed, grudgingly allowing her inside. "Can't a monster be alone, by himself, for a couple of centuries?"

"Not in this case," she answered, surveying his bare existence. How could he survive here, when he was supposed to be a water-monster? "I have a job for you."

"Don't want it. Still too embarrassed--not to mention sore!-- about what happened on Earth--curse those Aquitian Rangers!"

"Let me put it this way," said Astronema sweetly, then she verbally pounced upon him. "Too bad. You will take this job, or I will destroy you here and now!" She pointed her spear at him threateningly.

"Wh-who said I would not take the job?" Hydrohog stammered, glowering in fear, for he had heard of Astronema's prowress. "What d'ya want me to do?"

"I want you to go back and, once and for all, destroy the Lightstar Rangers on Earth."

"What? No way! If the Aquitian Rangers managed to defeat me--though it took them forever--then surely these "Lightstar Rangers" will be able to!"

Astronema gave him a cheshire smile, and her voice became that of a bargainer. "Of course, I would not want to send you there in this condition." She ignored his bristling at her choice of words. "I plan to make a couple of improvements on you, increase your power and the like. Then defeating them will be no problem, and you will be amply rewarded. Now, do we have a deal?"

He had his own bargaining chip. "Only if I can also destroy those damned Aquitian Rangers for all the misery they have caused me."

"Fine. You might also consider getting rid of the Zeo Duo that bother me by showing up once in a while."

"Zeo Duo?" he questioned. "Oh, you mean that weakling Trey of Triforia? Sure I will get him easy, but who is the other?"

"Boy, you must have been laying low to not have heard," sighed Astornema. "The Zeo Violet Ranger, his sister, Sharie Triesta. She is very much alive. Watch out for that one, she is stubborn. I hope you know something of the weaknesses in Zeo Energy."

"Oh, nothing to it! Sure, I will get her easy. Let's get started."

"Fine. Come with me to the Dark Fortress so we can see what we can do."

"Okey-dokey. By the way, do you have any water-worlds I could plunder? I am really thirsty."

Astronema just rolled her eyes.

****

Trey ducked, trying to not hit his head on the ceiling of the cave as he pulled on the last of his tunic. "How did you find this place anyway, Delphine? I have never seen anything so beautiful."

She was seated beside him, already fully dressed herself. Her dark eyes watched the hypinotic, colorful waves dancing on the prism-like walls, creating astonishing rainbow effects that were strangely hypnotic and, she noted with some amusement, a bit....erotic as well. "I was exploring nearly a century ago when I found a small tunnel deep in the ocean depths. I followed it up here and was immediately enchanted. I told no one but Cestria of my discovery, and I don't think she has told anyone but Billy. I think they are the only other ones to ever come to this place."

"And I can see why," he admitted, finishing pulling on his clothes and sitting beside her, their feet dangling off the ledge into the water. "I did not expect to lose control like that, Delphine." He chuckled.

"Neither did I," she sighed, leaning against him as his arms went around her. "No wonder Cestria and Billy started coming down here so often. This is what happened, no doubt."

"Was it that bad?" he teased, and she blushed slightly even as she laughed.

"Absolutely not. Gods, I never reacted like that before. Just watch out if you tell your sister about this place. She drags Carlos down here, and they will be all over each other."

Trey burst out laughing so hard he nearly lost his breath. "Delphine, I don't think I have ever heard that type of humor come out of your mouth before. Besides, if we went around telling everybody about this place, we would never have any privacy. But," he stopped laughing, but his grin did not fade. "I think this place was used sometime in the distant past, and forgotten about. When we swam through the tunnel, it did not exactly look naturally made."

"It is not," was her reply. "Obviously, this place was frequented by others, long ago, then forgotten about."

"I wonder why," he murmured, nuzzling her neck and kissing it. "I would think this would have remained a hot spot. Look at what happend to us."

Delphine shrugged and tried not to get too lost in what he did to her this time. "I don't think we should be gone for much longer. Somebody will come looking for us, I am sure."

As if on cue, Delphine's communicator went off at that exact moment. She sighed and reached over to where it was still discarded. "Yes?" she said into it as she reattached it to her wrist.

Billy's voice came over the comm system. "Uhh...sorry to disturb you, Delphine, but the scanners have picked up something unusual. You had better come look at this."

"We are on our way." She and Trey glanced at each other, sighed, and fixed their still-dishevled clothes before teleporting way. Both were fairly certain, now, how Billy had found them. He had guessed they were here, because his voice came in on such a direct frequency. Had he not known where they were, he would have used a broader-band Aquitian freqency to contact them, and he would have sounded somewhat fainter as a result.

****

They materialized in one of the control centers, full of sensory devices blinking and blipping. Billy was standing over one of the consoles, his usually-calm face rather grim. Cestria was standing beside him, her dark eyes wary. The other Aquitian Rangers, Tideus, Aurico, Cestro, and Corcus, were nearby, whispering.

"What is happening?" asked Delphine, coming over at once and peering over Billy's shoulder. She glanced up at him next, taking in the worried look in his blue eyes.

"This." The human boy indicated the readings displayed before them. "Some of our sources have told us that a meeting of evil villians took place earlier in a nearby planet at the other end of this galaxy. Many of them were the typical evil ones we know of. That is bad enough. But these here are a set of readings I never hoped to see again." He sighed. "Some of these readings are indegenous to only one known monster--the Hydrohog."

Delphine went pale with surprise and suppressed anger. "The Hydrohog! I thought we had gotten rid of that reprehensible creature once and for all."

"He was laying low," answered the former blue ranger. "And that is not all. He is on the Dark Fortress, and the readings show he is getting much more powerful. The Dark Fortress is slowly but surely headed for Earth."

"Then they must be warned at once," spoke up Aurico.

"That is not the whole of it," said Billy grimely. "From what I can tell, Astronema is making him powerful enough to easily defeat the Lightstar Rangers, not to mention he will start in on the Earth's water supply again. Even the saltwater oceans. Earth and it's inhabitants will be dead within days of dehydration of this succeeds."

Trey looked both alarmed and thoughtful. "My sister is on Earth as well, but if things are as bad as you say, then she will have a hard time getting to him, if he gets to her first." He bit his lip, worried, and wondering what could be done. He had heard plenty of the stories of the Hydrohog already. Sharie had told him that the time Master Vile had turned back time, she had been reduced to a nine-year-old temporarily, and she had seen what had gone on.

Corcus, the ranger who was usually very quiet and lurked in the background, spoke up. "If this is all the case, then I suggest we all go to Earth. Maybe if all of us together try it, we can do something before Earth is doomed."

Delphine raised an eyebrow at the rest of the team, who nodded assent.

"Very well," she relented. "We will go to Earth as well. But I don't think we should say why until we get there. I on't want to chance a message of ours being overheard by ears who do not need to hear it."

Trey agreed, but said, "However, I will give Sharie a short notice as to our arrival. They deserve that at the very least."

They began preparations to leave.

****

Meanwhile, as the Lightstar Rangers finally finished with practice, it was getting awfully warm outside. They had just changed out of their practice clothes and had settled down to rest and talk beneath a large tree by the lake, when Sharie raised her head, clearly sensing someone driving into the drive out front.

"Who is it?" asked Carlos, who by now recognized the look on her face.

"Uncle Marek and Aunt Marisha. They've brought Toby and Tami," she mused. *And I wonder if Aunt Marisha is finally going to tell me what she has been hiding from me ever since she got back...*

Nobody flinched, for they knew full well that Sharie's relatives knew their identities. Marisha had even helped save their lives once.

A moment later, indeed, they came around the house, the twins running merrily before them. Looking at them laughing and poking each other, one would never have guessed they were deaf....except they were eerilie silent, speaking with gestures.

"Heya, kiddo," said her uncle, hugging her lightly and kissing the top of her head. "Defeat any cheesy monsters lately?"

"Not all week," said Sharie, grinning and turning to her Aunt, who greeted her in a similar fashion.

"I guessed as much," Marisha said, amused. "Seeing you are all in one piece, anyway."

"I thought you had another convention to go to," Sharie said, opening her arms to the twins, who bounded forward and hugged her, hard.

"Where are the kittens?" signed Toby as soon as he was released.

"Topaz and Violeta are down by the water," she answered with signs. The children ran happily to greet Sharie's cats, who greeted them back just as enthusiastically.

"We ducked out, for once," said Marek nonchalantly. "Besides, we have an announcement to make, when the timing is right, I hope--ow!" He winced as Marisha nudged him in the ribs. "Oh, okay, hi kids," he said, finally noticing the others present. The group laughed, for his cheerful mood was easily infectuous.

Before anything else could be said, however, Sharie's communicator intoned. Instantly, all went quiet.

"Go ahead, " She said quietly into her communicator.

Her brother's voice was heard, speaking in a little-used Triforian dialect, which nobody could understand. "This is Trey, Lalinka. The Aquitian Rangers and I are coming to Earth right away. I thought you should know."

"The Aquitians? Why?"

"I don't dare to say it here, Sharie. We will say so when we get there. Are the others with you?"

"Yes, and my relatives are here, too. Go ahead and teleport to the lake behind my place. we should have some relative privacy here."

"Then we will be there momentarily. Out."

Sharie raised an eyebrow, concerned at her brother's abrupt good-bye. He never did that unelss something really serious was on his mind. She lowered her wrist and spoke quietly.

"That was Trey," she said needlessly. "He and the Aquitian Rangers are coming to Earth immediately. They will be here soon."

"Why?" asked Carlos. Andros was instantly on alert.

"He would not say. We will find out when they arrive."

A moment later, six flashes of color coalseced in place nearby, when the light faded, the Auqitian Rangers and Trey were in their place. Sharie quickly beckoned them over.

"Now would you mind telling me what is going on?" she asked her brother, folding her arms and giving him an "i'm waiting" glance.

"It's a long story," he began quietly. "But from what is known, Earth could be in grave danger."

"How so?" asked Andros, immediately alert.

Quickly, they related what had happened.

"Oh, no, not the Hydrohog *again*!" groaned Sharie. "I thought he had gotten rid of."

"That is something along the lines of what I said," said Delphine, her mouth grim.

"Do you know how soon he will be here?" asked TJ, rubbing his dark chin thoughtfully.

Tideus shrugged. "In as little as a couple of hours." Left unspoken was the implication that they faced the problem of rehydration until then. Sharie fixed that problem as soon as she saw his look.

"See the lake behind us? The water comes from an unusual underground volcanic source, so it does not run dry and it is well within your requirements for purity. You are free to use it as often as you need to while you are here. Besides that, it is out of public view."

Delphine flashed her a grateful smile. "Thank you so much, I was wondering about that. I am glad to not to have to worry about it."

"Finding a place to rehydrate is a problem?" asked Marisha thoughtfully. Delphine nodded. "Has anyone worked to solve that problem?"

"Never successfully as yet," said Delphine. "Billy came close once, but it crashed."

Marisha did not let the matter rest. "The lake would be fine in ordinary circumstances, but what of an emergency?" she said. "It cannot be very easy if you are not conscious."

"That is true," said Delphine. "It has nearly cost us our lives numerous times because of this."

Sharie knew what was on her aunt's mind. Since her neice was a frequent intergalactic traveler, she had a unique way of accessing information on the physiology of aliens, and she was wondering if it was possible to actually build such a device as an emergency rehydrator.

"We can work on it later, if you want," she answered her aunt's unspoken question. "You may have a point." Marisha nodded in agreement and fell silent.

Sharie brushed the damp tendrils of hair from her forehead. Her bangs were wet, and the skin of her body was glistening from the warmth as everyone began to realize just how hot it was becoming. She pulled a purple scrunchie from her wrist and tugged her hair into a ponytail on top of her head. Ashley and Cassie saw her and quickly imitated the action. This left out the boys, for while TJ had no hair and thus did not care, Carlos and TJ had longish, heavy hair on their heads. Both boys only had the habit of pulling the top half of their hair off their faces, so they had to suffer.

Sharie finished fixing her hair, which seemed to do her little good, she mused. While the thick curly gold mass was now off her face and ears, it still hung thickly more than halfway down her back, very uncomfortable in the heat. Sighing, she stood up. "Ice water, anyone?" she asked.

"Please," chorused all the thirsty humans and Trey. Sharie smiled to herself and went to a nearby "villa" or "summer cottage" that existed on her property, though she kept it unused except for this purpose. She returned a moment later bearing a tray with several glasses in one hand and lugging a pitcher with more of the liquid in the other. While she had been gone, the Aquitians, also distinctly uncomfortable, had already slipped away and rehydrated.

She noted with a mixture of concern and amusement that some of her friends, particularly TJ, were gulping the water rather greedily.

"Goodness, Teej," she remarked, grinning, though her eyes were concerned. "When was the last time you drank anything?"

"Not since yesterday morning," he answered sheepily.

She looked at him reprovingly. "I'm tempted to ask the same of the rest of you," she said, only mildly amused, "But I doubt if I would get a straight answer. *All* of you know that it is the hottest part of summer right now."

"Yes, Sharie," said Carlos, a bit mockingly. She turned and gave him a Look, but it did not last when he grinned mischeviously and kissed her.

She was blushing a bright red when he released her, and her eyes were a bit over-bright. He was grinning amidst the knowing looks and giggles of their friends.

"You," she whispered, "Are a little *too* distracting, Perez." She kissed him again quickly. "Later," she whispered, before pulling away and trying to hide her red face.

"Aunt Marisha?" she said, trying to draw attention from herself. "What was it you had wanted to tell me? Or is this private?"

Her aunt also blushed slightly, and looked at her husband.

"What does it really matter?" he asked. "The twins also need to know, let's tell them."

Marisha swallowed and looked her niece in the eye. "Well, Sharie, I did not want to say anything until I was absolutely certain, but...." she fidgeted, and glanced downward at herself, then raised her golden eyes back to Sharie's.

Another brilliant red flush crossed Sharie's face, and her eyes also inadvertently traveled downward, then back upward to lock with Marisha's again.

"Is it true, then?" she said in a low voice. "You managed to...without medical intervention?"

Marisha's eyes became misty, and she nodded. "It is true. And it is a miracle that I thought could never be repeated after the twins, but I am going to have a baby, Sharie."

She was watching her niece closely, trying to gauge her reaction. Sharie's hand covered her mouth for a moment, then she removed it and smiled. "I am so, so happy for you," she whispered. She reached out and hugged her aunt, hard.

"Thank you, dear," said Marisha, hugging her back. "That makes us very happy to hear that."

"How far along are you?" asked Sharie, when her aunt released her. She was mildly surprised to see her aunt lower her eyes, seemingly embarrassed.

"Well--" she said. "I hate to admit this, but I am nearly four months along by now. I lived in denial the first few months, child, because I was certain it was only my imagination--and I am a doctor myself! I finally found out for certain a month ago, then I stayed quiet so I could be sure I would not miscarry. But now it is getting too hard to hide this, my clothes are getting tight. But I am also certain the baby is out of danger."

Sharie nodded slowly, tempted to ask why Marisha had not come to her sooner if she was that afraid for the baby but wisely deciding not to press the issue. She cocked a head toward the nearby twins, still playing with the kittens. Her own brother was out of earshot and had not heard, either. "Toby and Tami do not know?"

"Not yet. But I think they have been wondering at the secrecy lately."

"I wondered that, too," said Sharie dryly. She sent a quick mental message to Trey. *Trey, could you bring the twins over here, please?*

A moment later, he came, pulling a twin by each hand. They did not protest, but they did look concerned. Gently, Marisha broke the news to them, and Sharie, with Trey right behind her, gauged their reaction. They looked shocked at first, then Tami signed one question.

"After the baby is born, can I baby-sit?"

"I'll help her," volunteered Toby immediately. Marisha grinned in relief and hugged her children tightly.

Sharie smiled, glad to see such a positive reaction. She leaned back against her brother, and for a few minutes, despite the danger hurling at them from across space, everything was right in the universe.

****

"Have you done tests?" Sharie asked a moment later. "Do you know if it is a boy or girl, and the deafness factor?"

"Actually, yes," said Marisha. "I am carrying a girl, and I am happy to say this baby, if nothing goes wrong, will be able to hear."

Any further conversation was interrupted when Sharie sensed someone else pull up. To everyone's surprise, it was Ashley who spoke first.

"It is Johnathan!" she cried happily. She suddenly blushed and looked at the Aquitians. "He is my brother. And don't worry, he knows."

Delphine only nodded as Sharie disappeared into the house to answer the doorbell that would undoubtedly ring. She did not exactly wonder at how Ashley had known, because Johnathan was her twin. Did not most twins know these things? Toby and Tami seemed to...

She returned a minute later with a handsome boy behind her, with short brown hair and brown eyes like Ashley's, and the faces were undoubtedly similar.

Ashley ran up eagerly to greet him. "Johnathan Andrew Hammond, how on Earth did you know I was here?" she asked teasingly. "I thought you were working on your marine biology project."

"I finished it already. Was not that tough. And Mom told me where you would be this morning. I was surprised you told her, we had gotten used to you disappearing at all hours of the day and night." He caught sight of the Aquitian Rangers. "You been busy?" he asked without a hitch.

She nodded. "Long story, tell you later. Why were you looking for me, though?"

"It is private." He pulled her to one side and quickly whispered into her ear. Her brown eyes widened, and she almost frantically whispered an answer.

He spoke aloud. "All right, that is all I wanted to know. I've gotta run, okay, Ash?" He hugged her quickly, making it plain how close they were. "Please be careful, all right? Try to stay in one piece, for my sake at least. Mom and I may have gotten used to the idea of you gallavanting around the universe, we don't have to enjoy all the risks to your neck you take."

She looked a bit sad as she hugged him again, harder. "We accept what we must, John-john." for once, he did not even blanch at her nickname for him. "I will try to be careful, but there are no garauntees where I work at."

"I expect that is all I can ask. I just don't want my twin sister to perish right before my eyes, not like..." he stopped, clamping his mouth shut and swallowing. "Anyway, Ash, you keep your head above water and trouble, hear? Love ya, gotta go!" he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and hurried off.

Ashley sighed as she returned to her friends. She slumped to the ground beneath the tree, her expression morose. "He is too worried about me," she mumbled to no one in particular. She did not elaborate, and nobody really asked. Everyone but the Aquitians knew, and nobody cared to rip open the girl's still-fresh wounds from the Emotional Wrangler that had hit her nearly six weeks before.

Marek glanced at his watch. "Sharie, dear, it is time for us to leave," he said, a bit aplogetically. "We do have some things to attend to." He blasted a sharp whistle, one of the few sounds that either twin could actually hear. They glanced up, and at his "let's go" signal, they came reluctantly running. Sharie's kittens ran behind them, meowing unhappily at having their friends leave. She made a signal to them, and they turned and leaped upon her shoulders, snuggling down and nuzzling her neck for comfort. She waved good-bye to her relatives and returned the discussion back to the Hydrohog.

****

****

This time, discussion fell to how to defend themselves from the Hydrohog this time around.

"What about Earth's water supply?" asked TJ. "If the Hydrohog is as cruel as you say, he will probably go for the freshwater supply first--he must know that we cannot live on saltwater from the oceans."

"The water from my lake, because of it's source, does not run dry," said Sharie. "Nor does it ever flood. It is safe for drinking by humans or for use by Aquitians. The last time Hydrohog was here, he did not detect the body of water because of the Zeo presence from my powers prevented him from sensing it. That is why Zordon did not, either."

"Your point being...?" prodded Carlos.

"My point being is that I am going to set a special forcefield over the lake that, hopefully, will deny the Hydrohog access to it, while letting the Aquitians, and whomever else needs to, have access to it. I will program the field to reject anything evil."

"Can you construct such a device?" asked Tideus.

"I already have them. They guard a couple of my Zords. Remember, Zordon used similar devices around the Command Center. It would only take a few minutes to rig one up to suit my purpose."

"I hope it works," remarked Andros.

"I hope so too, but it should. Another question is if the Hydrohog gets ahold of one of his victims."

"What happens?" asked Trey, concerned. Delphine had only said it had a "deadly effect" on her and the others.

"With a touch, he can easily strip a great deal of water from an Aquitian's body," Sharie answered seriously. "It nearly killed the whole team the last time it happened. I was hidden when I watched it, and I ran to make sure Uncle Marek at the hospital would make emergency water avalible to the child-rangers, should they ask. And they did. I was struggling to loosen the Hydrohog's grip on the cumulus clouds, so Billy's device would make it rain."

"Is that why it rained?" asked Delphine.

"Not exactly. I had never encountered any monster like the Hydrohog before. So my attemps mostly only served to temporarily slow his water- sapping rate and loosen his hold on hte clouds enough for Billy's beam to work. Had it not happened, it would not have rained--but all the credit goes to Billy. At least he managed to do it. Basically, the warning is watch out for his touch. This time, he might try it on a human, and I don't know what exactly would happen."

A hot wind was blowing her ponytail into her face. Impatienly, she tossed her hair. "I think we should do what needs to be done. Delphine, do you have your battlezords ready?"

"Yes, but they have never been able to defeat the Hydrohog. We only defeated him last time with the ShogunZords Zordon lent us for our use while on this planet."

Sharie frowned. "I believe the ShogunZords were put out of commission the first time the Power Chamber was destroyed. It would take far too long to get them up and working again, for Zordon is no longer able to do so. I would have to rewire them so the can directly work from the Morphin Grid. We don't have the time."

Carlos spoke up. "Querida, what about all those Zords you have under your thumb? I have seen a few, they have awesome Power. I even ran the Hurricane-Mountain Lion Thunderzord for you that time. Surely you have a couple that could work."

She frowned. "I expect so, but few would be appropriate for battling such a creature as the Hydrohog. Some do not react well to water, others are not strong *enough*, believe it or not, or they are much too strong for use on a planetary surface."

Suddenly, a brilliant flash filled the sky above them, remeniscent of a teleporter beam. Something fell out of the sky and landed with a *splash*, right in the lake, near the shore.

"What was *that*?" gasped TJ.

"I don't know, but I am going to find out," she said quietly. "Stay here."

"Be careful, Querida," warned Carlos.

Sharie quickly kicked off her sandals and crossed the berach to the shore of the lake. Ashley, concerned, slipped up behind her, just in case. Sharie knew she was there but only made a "stay back" gesture behind her back when she reached the shore.

Lightly, she stepped in, her small feet scarcely making a dent in the sand. When the water was knee-deep, she came to the object, approaching cautiously. She could see what appeared to be a bottle or container of some kind, with something else attached to it. Carefully, she picked it up. Nothing happened, so she slowly drew it out of the water and waded ashore.

"What is it?" asked Ashley, who had not moved.

Sharie pulled the waterproof envelope attached to the bottle. "I don't know, but look at this."

The label was in a strange language. "What does it say?" asked Carlos as everyone crowded around.

"It is my name," she answered, opening it. A flat recording device fell into her hand.

"Stand back," she said as she activated it, setting it on the ground.

A holograph of a young-looking man began to speak in one of the hard-to- understand intergalactic dialects only Sharie, Trey, Delphine, and Cestro could understand with any comprehension.

"Sharie Triesta, my friend, I recently infiltrated a confrence of an evil group of aliens near Aquitar. Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd were arguing about the Hydrohog, though Rita, I'm afraid, is very pregnant and should not have been arguing like that. Astronema overheard them and interceded, asking about this monster's wherabouts. Shortly thereafter, I learned that she was making him much more powerful than ever before. Be warned: She is bent on destroying the LIghtstar Rangers, and since rumor has it the Aquitian Rangers are with you also, they will also fall under her targeting expertise. This bottle I have sent you is very old, but be careful with it's contents. To the whole group, use it wisely. It may help you defeat the Hydrohog permanently. Sharie, I hope this helps a little in repayment for all you did to help me when I needed it. Again, thank you. Your grateful friend, Ryches Ma'Jnak ChaaSinTa.

"Ryches!" exclaimed Delphine. "Sharie, you are friends with this villian? But he is evil, though no one has heard from him recently."

"He is evil no longer, and never was by choice," she answered evenly. "Seven years ago, I released the hold of an evil spell that was controlling that man. Turns out he is an alien price from a distant world. He left to try and atone for his actions. I have not heard from him since then, either, until now. It seems he never forgot me, either." She shrugged, picking up the artifact. "Let's see what this is, exactly."

She examined it closely, straining to make out the faded symbols on the sides. "Delphine, these look like your old symbolic language writings. They are faint, but..." She did not finish her sentence as Delphine edged closer for a better look. "It is, but it is too faint to read clearly. May I suggest you open it, Sharie, and see what is inside, and if it is useful as Ryches says?"

The girl nodded, carefully examining the latch. Delicately manipulating it with her slim fingers, she was able to carefully open it, and it gave with a squeaking groan. Out fell a parchement, sliding onto her palm. It appeared to be of sturdy material, but old nonetheless.

"Let's go into the nearby villa," she said suddenly. "There is room for all of us, but I do not care to expose this parchment too much to the elements."

When they had gathered inside, she reached up and turned on an overhead light, which was very bright. As the otehrs gathered round, she carefully opened the parchment, spreading it flat upon the table.

It was a map--of the Earth, but in the same old-style symbolic writing of Aquitar. Still, it could be read by those trained to do it.

Swallowing her surprise, Sharie asked, "Cestro, did your people ever visit the earth about a thousand years ago?"

He looked confused. "Why, no, not that I ever heard of. None of us ever visited your planet until Master Vile turned back Earth's time."

"Obviously, they did."

"How is this possible? We have no record of...wait. This parchement is one thousand years old?"

Sharie nodded. Cestro frowned as he thought.

"I seem to recall that during that time, the parts of space containing our galaxy and yours, among oters, was suffering from an attempted overrun by evil. In case our people were forced to escape Aquitar, several teams were sent out in powerful ships capeable of pulling together to form colossal assault Zords. Seperate, they were smaller fighting machines, ships to live on. These were necessary to defend themselves in unknown territory. Anyway, these teams went out to find worlds that were relatively empty and capeable of supporting our people, should we be forced to leave. I recall that a few of the teams simply disappeared and were never heard from again. It would seem that one of those teams headed over into this direction, and reached the Milky Way Galaxy."

"Obviously, at one point, they came to Earth and stayed," said Sharie. "This map, in part, indicates there they left their fighting machines on this world. They wrote on part of the other side--by this point, they had been here for three years."

"How could they have survived so long on this planet?" asked Aurico. "We were not here long, and we still became ill quite often--Earth's atmosphere is harsh to us. More importantly--if they stayed here, why did they never return and how did this artifact end up in Ryches's hands?"

Sharie bit her lip. "I do not know how this artifact made it back into space. But they probably did what I did when I first came to this world-- force themselves to adapt, any way possible. I did, and I am quite healthy. It is likely they did the same."

"Where are the fighting machines supposed to be at?" asked Carlos, unable to read what was written so long ago.

"Let me see...here," She pointed. "Off the coast of the pacific--nearby in fact, but deep down." She looked thoughtful. "If the Zords are still intact, then they would be perfect for helping us defeat the Hydrohog."

"Then we could get the Megazord to do some hauling," said Andros. "And we just got the new Voyager Zords from Jupiter last week. Let's get started!"

****

It took about an hour, but the Megazord did it's job swiftly, locating and teleporting to an unused plain three enormous Zords, in perfect shape. They did not even have to be drained of water. The systems, once activated, worked well.

But it was hauntingly empty. All that was found were diaries explaining that the occupants had discovered how they could stay alive on Earth and had gone to live with the primitive inhabitants of a nearby tribe in the Americas.

Delphine looked a bit sad. "And without the water from Eternal Falls, they would have aged and died within two hundred years," she said. "But if they interbred with your humans, they might have descendents still living around here somewhere."

"Let me see that map again," said Sharie suddenly, pulling another rough sketch out of the diary. She was suddenly very pale, and her eyes were glittering with the light of possible discovery. "Did they say...the tribe of the WaterWalkers? Oh, my...this cannot be real!"

"What are you talking about?" asked Cassie, who stared, uncomprehendingly, at the diaries.

"Uncle Marek, that's what! I believe....he told me, more than once, that long ago, some people from a distant world, dependent on water, came to live with his tribe. They had nowhere to turn, but since they could do so many magical things, they were welcomed and allowed to stay. They married within the tribe, had children who could do strange, wonderful things. It gave them and advantage in battle, in hunting, in fishing. Mental powers, water prowress. And many of their descendends were also highly sensetive to dehydration. Gods, Uncle Marek is that way, I have seen him! And the Twins have extraordinary mental abilities...." She shook her head. "Wait until I tell him this."

****

The Dark Fortress, they knew, had settled into orbit around Earth, but nothing was happening as yet. They had the new Zords up and running. Marisha had come, and with Sharie's and Delphine's help, had managed to build a very good Emergency Rehydrator, for use when an unconscious aquitian could not stand up. Basically, it filled with water at a verbal command.

That evening, Sharie was talking to Billy. She had liked him when she visited Aquitar, and they had become good friends. They corresponded regularly.

This time, though, she was surprised to see Cestria with him. Both Billy and Cestria were glowing with some happy secret. After exchanging general information, they told her. Sharie grinned with the shared secret.

"Congratulations. Do you want me to tell the others, or do you want to tell them yourselves?"

"Go ahead," said Billy sheepishly. "You can tell them. Cestria and I have a few things to take care of here."

Sharie suspected she was grinning a bit foolishly as she shut off the comm system. The others arrived just then, so they did not know why her eyes sparkled so over a happy-looking face.

"So what's your secret?" teased her brother. "You going to tell me?"

"Maybe," she teased back. "It has to do with Billy and Cestria. They were just on the Comm system seeing how everything was going."

"Anything else?" he caught her from behind and hugged her, while she bent over his arms, giggling.

"Maybe."

He caught her ribs, tickling her, and she howled a protest. "Trey!"

"Well? You going to tell me yet?"

"Why should I?" she squirmed, trying to avoid his fingers, her giggles making her ponytail fall into her face. "You don't respect me enough..."

"No, guess not..." he yelped as she caught him and tickled him back in one of his few ticklish spots, just below his left ribcage. Since he knew how merciless she could be, he backed down. "Ah! Okay, you win, Lalinka!"

Delphine had been quite unable to hide her amusement as she watched the brother and sister's playful antics. They were also not unaware of the others, gathering around and exchanging snickers.

"Really," said Trey at last. "Unless it is such a grand secret, Lalinka, what's up?"

"Billy and Cestria," she said, grinning. "They just told me. They are going to have a baby!"

Especially the Auqitians exchanged glances, and Aurico smirked. "No wonder they declined to come. They've been married less than a month."

Sharie decided not to tell them yet that Cestria was slightly *over* a month pregnant. They did not need to know everything.

"So she's due...when?" asked Cassie with interest.

Delphine thought a moment. "That would depend on how far along she is, but the typical pregnancy for us is six months."

She had never seen so many shocked looks.

"...*Six*?" squeaked Cassie. "Gods, you guys are lucky. My mother carried my sister for *nine* months!"

"Aunt Marisha is nearly four months," Sharie offered slyly.

"I would never have guessed it from her size," remarked Delphine. "But...nine?" she added silently, *boy, do I feel pity for you...*

Sharie wondered if she should mention that it was even shorter for Triforians. Five months was all that was needed.

****

"They came from Aquitar, hmmm?" asked Marek later that afternoon, when he stopped by. "Well, I don't know quite what to say to that...except it matches the stories my ancestors told. And also why some of us have such unusual abilities...like my sensetivity to water, and the twins' unusual telepathic ablitiy." He shrugged. "Remind me, though, to have you run a genetic test to be completely certain--after, of course, the danger has passed."

"Right, Uncle Marek," Sharie said with an amused grin. She had known that her relatives would be so used to aliens by now that this news would not really frazzle them for long.

**** "Are you done yet?" whined Hydrohog. "You've shot me so full of that suff I could explode."

"Quiet!" snapped Astronema. "We are nearing completion. You will attack tonight."

"But--"

"No buts! I have interesting news for you. Not only are the Lightstar Rangers on Earth, so is the Zeo Duo and the Aquitian Rangers--you can take them all out at once, can you not? They must have known we were coming."

"Goody. Then I can get rid of them all that way, indeed! They will be unable to stop me now--bwahahaha!!!"

"Don't jump into the pool with that attitude, Hydro-nut, or you just may drown. Remember what I told you? A couple of the more powerful ones could pack you a wallop. Watch your back."

"Okay, okay. Now, I want some more water before I finish off those fish pests and their friends."

Astronema's face reflected the second thoughts she was already having about this mission.

****

"He is coming," whispered Ashley. "I can feel it to my toes. And great danger, as well--my intuition is just screaming the word."

She did not care how much she was revealing of her abilities. She just *knew* something terribly wrong was going to happen.

"Me, too," said Sharie, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot. "I have the forcefield up around my lake, just in case. Water will be there in case it is needed."

They did not have long to wait. A minute later, wailing sirens warned of impending danger. Andros brought up an image on the viewscreen, and although nobody really cared to see it, there was the Hydrohog, terrorizing some kids at the Angel Grove Northeast Lake.

"HAAA HAAAA!" he was bellowing. "So much water--and all mine, this time! What shall I take out first--ocean water, river water, or lake water? Hmm, decisions, decisions."

"I say we take out this hydro-creep before he inflicts too much damage," said Carlos as he watched, concerned.

"Right, let's not waste any more time. Let's Rocket!" Andros, followed by his team, flipped open their morphers and activated the "3,3,5 morph" sequence. They momentarily closed their eyes as energy from the Morphin grid flooded their morphers, and in turn, their bodies, lending them the necessary strength needed to take on their foes.

"It's Morphin Time!" The Aquitians and the Triforians heralded their own timeless call, crossing their wrists and letting the Power flood through them, along with the valuable protection it offered.

In twelve flashes of light, they vanished, teleporting to the lake, which was by now empty of the scattering civilians.

He saw them come. "Well, well, well. If it isn't the power brats! Guess what, I'm baaaack! And this time, you can't stop me! Earth's water supply is *mine*, and will stay mine, understand?"

"Not if we can help it," said Cassie, hoping she was not speaking too soon.

"You can't, sorry," he remarked, as a whole load of Astronema's goons appeared around them. "Say goodnight, Gracie."

Within seconds, they were neck-deep in monsters, so many it was quickly proving hard to beat them off.

One of them launched himself at Sharie, running right into her, crashing her into the sand. She lay still for a moment, until he paused over her-- then responded with an expertly-placed kick right where he could not afford to be hit, and his soprano yelp proved it. She jumped up and cuffed him, knocking him away from her. He rolled away, groaning, covering his most sensetive area and whining in agony.

Two more hurled themselves at TJ. "Astro-axe!" he called, summoning his main weapon. When he swung it, it struck his enemies, causing sparks to fly as they landed with a sickening "thud."

"Looks like you 'axed' for that one," the blue ranger quipped.

Carlos beat off another with a tornado kick to the face, followed by a side kick to it's midsection.

"Boy, you should really try Maalox, it works wonders," he observed as the goon lay on the ground, clutching its stomach in pain.

Another burly goon was cornering Corcus and Trey, quipping, "Now, now, let's just cut this out, shall we?"

So saying, the monster launched several whirling blades at them, which exploded upon impact, sending the two hapless rangers to the ground. Sharie, furious at this indignity to her brother and friend, took a flying leap, knocking him in the head before landing between him and the stunned Trey and Corcus.

"You'll pay for that, you violet menace," the monster snarled, drawing a sword out of nowhere and lunging for her.

"Zeo Power Blade!" she called, her violet power staff transforming into a sword of notable strength. The duel was on.

Swords clashing, the monster tried in vain to kill Sharie as she slowly manuvered him away from where Trey and Corcus were trying to struggle to their feet, still stunned.

"Hold still, you little devil!" He snarled, stabbing at her. "Let me put you out of your misery!"

"I feel fine, thank you. I have no need of your services." She knocked him upside the head, causing sparks to fly. He swore some very interesting words before swinging at her wildly. She ducked and crawled between his legs.

He was caught by surprise by the move, just long enough for her to get up and kick him in the back, sending him sprawling on his face and earning him a mouthful of sand. As he sputtered, she drew her Zeo Laser Pistol and blasted him into oblivion.

Just as the rangers were getting the upper hand of things, Delphine, Ashley, and a couple of the others took to attacking the Hydrohog, who had already dried up the lake. He kept flitting here and there, confusing them. FInally, Delphine missed a blow and he grabbed her arm and twisted it painfully behind her back, holding her immoble.

"Now, my little fish freak!" he sneered, "I am going to do what I did last time--and this time, make sure of the job!" He clamped his hand on her shoulder and started to drain the water from her body with a force much faster and deadlier than the last time he had done this. She did not even have time to scream as she quickly went limp.

Ashley's brain was screaming, "Danger! Save her!" Heedless of the danger to herself, and not pausing to think, only knowing that she had to save Delpine before it was too late, she launched herself at the fat alien, knocking Delphine out of his grip. The white ranger slumped, unmoving and uncomprehending, to the ground.

He grabbed her angrily. "All right, Miss Yellow, if you want the same that badly, you can have it!" He clamped down on her shoulder, and started to initiate the same process, causing Ashley to shriek in pain.

But something went wrong. He yelled also as he realized this was not right. It burned, it burned like fire! It seared his senses worse than anything he could ever before recall.

"AAAHHH!! What is happening?! What did you do! I feel like I am on fire!" He dropped Ashley, now also limp, to the ground, where she lay unmoving. He was obviously not well, either.

"I will be back!" he snarled. "You'll see! Just you wait!" Grumbling in pain, he vanished, along with each and every other monster that had come wtih him.

Extremely worried about their friends, everyone demorphed and ran over to the fallen rangers.

Ashley and Delphine were already demorphed, having done so as soon as the Hydrohog had released them.

Sharie reached them first, silently cursing herself for not having seen this coming. She motioned the others back with one hand as she quickly felt their wrists with her other hand, feeling for pulses.

"They're alive," she said through gritted teeth. "But just barely--they are deathly ill and need emergency care. I need to get them to the Megaship, now! And the Emergency Rehydrator is there also." She effortlessly lifted the taller Ashley into her arms as Trey lifted Delphine into his. She saw the haunting worry in his eyes and knew he was reliving scenes he did not care to remember. Ashley was a deadly pale color, and Sharie could hear her beginning to wheeze. They teleported at once.

They rematerialized in the Medical Bay.

****

"DECA!" Sharie ordered flatly. "Activate the emergency rehydrator!" DECA wisely did not argue at the commanding tone of Sharie's voice as Trey placed the limp aquitian on the correct table. The sides of the new device came up and immediately filled with water to the correct depth.

Even unconscious, by instinct, Delphine immediately began the rehydrating process, which brought her halfway conscious. But something was not right, it could be seen right off. The effort seemed weak, and it brought gasps of pain to her lips even as she opened her eyes. She literally felt as though her body were on fire.

"What is happening?" she gasped weakly, tears of pain in her dark eyes and her lips trembling with the effort. "It should not feel like this..."

Trey, feeling utterly helpless as the woman he loved struggled for life, clutched her feverish hand tightly and tried his level best to mask the worry in his eyes. "Shh. Just do your best, Delphine. I love you, and I will be here."

Sharie watched, her concern growing, as Delphine's vital signs fluctuated wildly out of control. Something more was wrong here than met the eye...very wrong. Her sense of foreboding grew. She had placed Ashley on a biobed and hooked her up to monitors, but there was little else until she knew what was happening here. She hooked her up to an intravenous line, but her breath was coming in ragged gasps and her pallor was the stony grey of impending death. Sharie felt chills run up her spine...this was not good.

Finally, through painful effort, Delphine managed to rehydrate to the point to where she was immediately out of danger. With a sigh, Trey shut off the rehydrator and lifted Delphine out of it, through a forcefield that immediately dried her. He transferred her to a bed next to Ashley's, laying the tired aquitian on it carefully. Delphine was so tired she could barely move, and her color was not far from Ashley's.

Trey caught his sister by the arm and pulled her aside. "Sharie, that was very unusual...do you know what happened?" he asked ferverently.

She pulled her arm away, not quite sure how to phrase a reply. "I'm not sure," she said at last as she set up more scanners. "I don't think they Hydrohog intended for this to happen, however." She saw his questioning glance, but before she could elaborate, Ashley began to wheeze loudly and pull really hard for air, a bluish cast coming over her face. The alarms she was hooked to started to go off...really, really loudly.

Trey had never seen his sister move so fast. "What is happening?" he asked as she had to forcibly shoo Andros from the girl's side so she could read the scanners.

"Bronchiospasm, similar to a severe asthma attack," she said, trying to keep her cool. "DECA, replicate me some albuterol, quickly!" Again, the computer obeyed without complaint, and the necessary medication promptly appeared in the dispenser. Sharie snatched it up and quickly ran back to the biobed, snatching a respirator mask and tube off the wall. She quickly slipped the medication into the proper wall compartment and held the mask to her friend's face.

"C'mon, Ash, breathe deeply," a few heard her mutter. Somehow, Ashley seemed to understand, for she made more effort, and the medication began to quickly work, opening her airways and letting more oxygen into her lungs. The teen relaxed and her breathing grew easier. She became still and quiet once more.

Sharie sighed, pale, as she bent over the scanners again and allowed Andros back near his girlfriend. She had not expected a reaction like that, and it caused her to suspect that Ashley had had trouble with asthma in the past.

She felt utterly helpless as she prepared medication to try and lower the fevers of those affected, wondering desperately what was causing such a strange reaction in them. Could Astronema have done something wrong while giving the Hydrohog so much power?

Another, more unlikely possiblity was that human physiology and that of the Hydrohog did not mix, but this was less likely because Delphine, to a lesser extent, had also been affected, her body showing similar signs of rebellion. Maybe it was a little of *both*, Sharie mused irritably, she just did not know!

It was not until she had checked over her basic readings thoroughly that she formed a very loose, partial hypothesis.

"Poison," she half whispered to herself.

"What did you say?" asked Andros, who would still not leave Ashley's side, though most everyone else had gone to do more upgrades on the Zords. "Poison? How?"

Trey, who had been mulling by Delphine's side, looked up also. "What do you mean, poison?" he asked, his voice taking a deadly tone.

Sharie inwardly flinched, though she knew the comment was not directed at her. "I am not exactly certain. I cannot find any evidence of any known substance, but the physical signs are there."

"How did it happen?" asked Andros, face ashen.

"I have little idea, really. My guess is Astronema had something to do with it--but I doubt if it was done on purpose."

"What do you mean?" asked Delphine weakly. "I felt nothing different from the last time he did that to me, until..."

"My *loose* hypothesis is that something happened to the Hydrohog's physiology when Astronema made him so powerful. She heightened his ability to sap water from other's bodies, for example, so he could do it to any aquitian in a swift, deadly manner. She probably did not think of the side effects should the person survive the attack. And she did not think about how it would affect a human. Delphine--" Sharie wondered if she should say anything. "Ashley kicked the Hydrohog away from you. She saved your life, but she was affected differently, I believe, because her physiology is somewhat different from yours. My guess is that contact between them caused a chemical reaction that was poisonous to both. Had the Hydrohog not had his abilities enhanced, he still would have had a much harder time drawing the water from a human body than an aquitian."

"Then why did it affect Delphine also?" asked Trey tightly.

Sharie again flinched at his tone. She knew her brother was barely controlling his anger. She sent a wave of reproving emotion flashing into his mind before she answered. "I think that when Astronema enhanced the ability, it also became somewhat changed and unstable. She either did not notice, or figured it would make no difference, because the Hydrohog intended to kill his victim. It was this instability that caused a reaction in Delphine as well, but to a slightly lesser degree. In short, again, you have both been poisoned."

"How will Ashley be?" asked Delphine, inwardly knowing she would dread the answer.

Sharie sighed, clearly frustrated. "Honestly, I do not know. She is severely dehydrated, her fever is higher than yours. Her lungs are in a delicate state, besides other things and systemic damage. I have an IV line in her, but the aftereffects of the Hydrohog's touch is still working, she is absorbing very little. Medications to lower either of your fevers is just not working. If it keeps up..." she did not finish her sentence.

Andros had to poke her. She looked into his emotion-heady eyes, not wanting to tell him what she strongly suspected.

"Tell me," he said gruffly.

She swallowed. "Her prognosis is not favorable."

"Fatal?" he mouthed the word.

"Possibly."

At that, Delphine tried to rise, struggling to sit up and not succeeding. "No! She saved my life!" A wave of dizziness and Trey's hands forced her back down, and she started a painful coughing. "There must---be something....that can be done!!"

"I have tried poison neutralizers, none are working. I doubt much more can be done until I can isolate and determine what is affecting you both."

Ferverently, she set out to do just that.

****

"Fool!" snarled Astronema in a rage. "Idiot! Buffoon! No good bag of polluted water! You are completely worthless! Why didn't you destroy them?!"

"Forgive me, Princess," quivered Hydrohog. "Something happened that I did not expect when I tried to drain the Yellow Lightstar Ranger. She burned me! I became to weak to carry on. I promise, as soon as I recover, I will attack again, and succeed this time!"

"Very well," sighed Astronema reluctantly. "How long will it take?"

"Another day, maybe two. I don't know for certain."

"Hmmph," she snorted. "Very well, then. I will give you another chance. If you fail me again, I personally will drain you dry!" The Hydrohog gulped at this.

Walking away, Astronema muttered, "I believe Rita was right about that moron after all."

She went about to contact them. She had more questions.

****

"Yes, what is it?" snarled Zedd as agonizing wails filled the background.

"Astronema grinned at the small viewscreen. "I need to talk to you about the Hydrohog. My what is that racket?" she chortled.

"Rita is having our little bundle of misery," he snapped. "Damn, she sounds worse than she did when she *discovered* she was pregnant."

"As if this was my fault!" Rita gasped between contractions. "I did not want a kid in the first place, and I did not put it there myself. You had more than a hand in this, Zedd!"

"There, there, my queen," Finster was heard to say in the background. "You must relax so the babe can be born! The more you rant and rave, the longer this will take."

"Oh, who asked you!" Rita screeched in pain. "Get out of here until I want you! LEAVE!"

"No, my queen."

"Finster! You dare to tell me no!"

"I dare this time. Zedd told me not to leave you until the child is born, and in this circumstance, I feel that his orders supercede yours."

"I don't care what he says! You will leave me alone, you son of a---" Whatever it was she had intended to finish the sentence with, a sharp, tearing contraction cut her off, and she screamed in agony.

With a sigh, Zedd turned back to Astronema. "What did you want to talk about, again?" he asked.

She was smiling, clearly amused. "The Hydrohog. I am having a bit of trouble."

"So he's proving as worthless as I said, hm?" he asked over the noise of Rita's screeches.

"Somewhat, but I am taking care of him." Over the noise, she asked her questions, and he answered them as best he could, as the noise grew louder.

It was cut off by Rita's sharp scream, and Finster could be heard saying, "Push, my queen."

"I *am* pushing, you blue jackal!"

He did not show any further sign of pity for her after that comment. "Push harder. The child is almost here."

For once too much in pain to argue, she obeyed. A moment later, loud, furious screams filled the room.

"You have a daughter!" called Finster over the racket. "And she sounds mighty cross, too!"

"Wonderful!" said Zedd happily. "Excuse me, Astronema." he disappeared for a moment, then came back holding a tiny baby girl, startlingly beautiful with a shock of red hair and golden eyes--that special color that was neither yellow nor brown, but the same flashing gold as the shiny metal, or those of a cougar caught in a flash of sunlight. Most of her other features had a distinct Asian touch to them, the eyes almond-shaped and the jaw small and stubborn. The newborn had stopped wailing and was looking around in curiosity.

"Whadya think?" he asked Astronema proudly. "Had such hair and eyes myself, before my accident with the Zeo Crystal."

"She looks human," Astronema observed.

"So do my people, why should my daughter be any different? Just because I look this way did not mean she would also."

*But considering her family tree,* Wisely, Astronema did not say this aloud. "What about her name?"

"Alyssa. After my mother."

"How's Rita? I don't hear her anymore."

"Out cold--let her stay that way for awhile. It is finally quiet."

"I cannot blame you on that. I will cut off now. Good-bye." She thoughtfully left Zedd happily reciting evil nursury rhymes to his new protegee. She had work to do on the Hydrohog.

****

Back in the medical bay that night, things went from bad to worse. Delphine could barely keep herself hydrated to the point of consciousness, and her color was terrible. Her fever still raged, and Sharie knew it was only going to get worse for the Aquitian, though she did not dare voice this. It would send her brother, the way he was, over the edge.

Ashley was deteriorating rapidly. Sharie had added a second IV line to her other arm, but she was still dry, her body refusing to cooperate. Her breathing had become so bad she was now permanently hooked to a respirator. Her fever was raging, and kept going higher, and Sharie did not voice her fear of impending brain damage if this kept up. At one point, Sharie had her placed in the emergency rehydrator full of cold water just to keep her fever down to the point it would not fry her brain. It was clear she did not have much longer...

Through extreme effort, she had finally, also, managed to isolate the subasance that was doing this to them, but that would be of little comfort unless she could find something to stop and reverse the effect. This she was desperately trying to do, exhausting herself in the process. She became pale and looked half-out-of-it. Trey, watching her at one point, could not even recall her eating that day, but he did not suggest that she stop, because she would have been miffed at him had he tried. The way she looked, he did not dare disturb her. He simply stayed beside Delphine, helping when he could, and trying to keep his rolling emotions under control. Now he wished he had the degree of his sister's stringent self- control. At least she was remaining calm. Andros...he remained slumped by Ashley's side, focused on nothing but her. He had lost so much, and they knew that this was not another blow he needed right now. Everyone else was staying up, trying to get everything in shape, foregoing on sleep to be prepared for the next attack.

Early in the morning, Sharie was busy concentrating and fighting off a headache and her own impending exhaustion, when Ashley gasped in pain, her body starting to shimmer yellow off and on.

"What is happening?" asked Trey, alarmed as Andros went completely white.

"Something she does not need," said Sharie unnecessarily, passing a scanner over the fallen girl. "Her body is so weak it is beginning to reject her powers. She must get rid of them now, or it will only hasten her demise."

"Won't color withdrawl do that?" asked Andros softly, clutching his girlfriend's hot, fever-red hand.

"In this case, it won't be as bad as the powers fluctuating and causing cardiac arrest!" said Sharie, implying that speed was of the essence. "Find somebody to take them and get them here. Somebody has to take the Yellow Ranger powers, we need every person we can get."

"What about Johnathan?" asked Andros, trying to focus. "He knows our secret, and I don't think it would be too hard to convince him."

Sharie nodded and hit a couple of nearby buttons. There was a flash, and there stood Ashley's twin, yawning and very surprised. He was dressed, but his hair was still tousled.

He looked around, astonished. "Wha-what am I doing *here*?" he blurted in shock.

Sharie stepped forward, hoping his reaction would not be to extreme, considering what had happened to his twin brother a year ago. "Johnathan...there is something we must tell you." She gently pulled him over to his sister's biobed. He went ghostly pale to see his sister lying there as if dead, except for the odd shimmering of her body.

"No!" he gasped. "Oh, please, don't tell me she is..."

"She's not dead, but she is very ill," Sharie spoke quickly as the boy moved to take his sister's other hand, the one Andros did not have. She outlined what had happened as swiftly as she could.

"Now, her body is rejecting her powers. Johnathan, you know her secret, and you are trustworthy. I ask you to take control of Ashley's powers for the time being."

His jaw dropped. "Me? I never thought I would be asked to--" He looked at his still, grey-faced sister, pain etching on his face. "All right, I will do it--for your sake, Ashley." He raised tear-filled eyes to Andros. "What must I do?" The boy in red gently removed Ashley's morpher from her wrist. He handed it to Johnathan. "Put it on."

Ashley's twin obeyed.

"Open it up and type in the numbers 4,6,4." Johnathan did so.

"Now, hit the activator button. It will transfer the powers." Andy obeyed, and there was a flash of yellow light. He stood there then, wearing a modified form of the ranger jumpsuit, without the skirt.

"How do you feel?" asked Sharie.

"Fine, but a little strange--I thought yellow rangers were generally female," he sounded a bit embarassed.

"Not always. Tideus is the Yellow Aquitian Ranger."

The boy removed his helmet. "How long must I hold on to these powers? Especially if Ashley--" understandably, he left the words dangling in the air.

"If Ash should not make it, you could keep the powers and join us, or give them to somone else that could be trusted. No one will force you into this role."

He swallowed. "Count me in for as long as this takes, then." He clutched his sister's hand, demorphing as he did so. Suddenly, he paused, growing dreadfully pale. He held his sister's hand tightly as sudden tears wet his face.

"What is it?" asked Andros, surprised by his reaction.

"I can feel her! She is still there, in there somewhere! She tried to contact me, letting me know she knows I am here!" He saw Andros's astonished look and went on. "Well, what do you expect? We are twins. Most have telepathic bonds, only..." he blushed. "Ashley goes beyond normal twin telepathy."

To everyone's surprise, Sharie spoke. "I thought so. I have often sensed some strange things out of her. I think all of us at one time or another have had her finish our sentences or something like that. This just confirms it."

Sirens began to wail, making them all jump.

"What is happening?" Sharie gasped, startled, the wailing siren screaming into her pounding head.

"A large group of quantrons are in the main park," said DECA matter-of- factly.

"Wonderful," muttered Sharie. "You guys go. I need to stay here and watch Ashley and Delphine." She saw Delphine fight the urge to get up. But she and Sharie both knew that if she tried to get up, she would end up on her face.

****

In the middle of the fight, Astronema appeared.

"Well," she said cattily. "It looks like most of you are here. Had to see for myself how the two downed power brats were." She looked around thoughtfully. "I see Delphine is stil gone. And who are you? I doubt if you are a woman," she snickered.

"I remember you. I am Ashley's twin. What do *you* care?" Johnathan snarled.

"Oh, yes, I remember you, the snoop I almost killed some weeks ago. Oh, well, just wondering." She waved her hand, and she, along with the quantrons, vanished.

The rangers shrugged at each other and demorphed. This time, Carlos was returning, along with Trey, Andros, and Johnathan, back to the medical bay. He wanted to see Sharie.

They found her working hard over samples of possible antidotes. By now, her face was grey with exhaustion and her eyes reflected the pain of a whanging headache. Shadows were beneath her eyes, like they were with everyone else who had stayed up all night, or most of the night.

"You okay, Querida?" he asked. "You look like you are about to drop yourself."

"I am okay. I am trying to concentrate on these samples." She sighed and rubbed her pounding head. "I have got to find a cure for this, before Ashley--"

"It is hard to concentrate with you like this, no? Treat your headache, at least," he remarked.

"Maybe." She pulled wawy and started to rise. Suddenly, a dreadful feeling surged through her. Intuition and instinct spurring her on, she quickly crossed the room and grabbed a cortical stimulator just as the biomonitor flatlined.

Ashley went into full cardiac arrest.

Sharie quickly slipped the device onto Ashley's forehead. "DECA, now!" she ordered. Ashley's body jerked as she was being electrocuted back to life. No effect, the biomonitor line twitched once and stayed flat.

"Again!"

*BZZZT*

Nothing.

"Again!"

*BZZZT*

Sharie's heart nearly stopped along with Ashley's, and Johnathan looked like he was going to faint.

*Beep, beep...beep...*

Sharie slumped in relief, momentarily, over the biobed. She was shaking like a leaf. When she straightened, her hands flew to her face in surprise. It was wet.

Impatiently, she scrubbed at her face, ignoring her momentary lapse of control. "That was close. I don't think I want to do that again. I dont' think she would be able to survive it. She is too weak to withstand any more shocks." She wiped her face again, wondering why she could not get ahold of herself. "Dammit! I should have moved faster! I could have prevented this! I have got to find that cure, and soon!"

She sighed, getting ahold of herself, as she checked the readings again. "I only hope it is not too late already," she whispered.

Unfortunately, Johnathan heard that. "What do you mean?"

"Exactly that. Ashley's fever, and oxygen deprivation...I fear brain damage. I would have to do scans, but even that won't do everything. I want to see if her *mind* is intact." She sighed. "Johnathan, would you have any objections to my trying to contact her telepathically?"

"I would rather it be you than me. I am too afraid of what I would find if I attempted it."

She nodded, trying to clear her throbbing mind. Standing beside the fallen teen, she closed her eyes, focusing on easing her mind into Ashley's. At first, she felt nothing, no response. She feared the worst, that Ashley was no more than a vegetable. But as she dug deeper, she began, to her considerable relief, to sense some stirrings of self. She felt sudden emotions emanating from Ashley's mind--fear, mixed with despair.

*Ash?* she sent. *Can you hear me?*

Surprise registered. *Sharie? Where am I? Is that really you?* The link was weak. *Get me out of this place, please! I hate it, it is so dark, just me...* a silent mental sob sounded. *I can hear you all, sometimes, but I cannot get to you!*

*You are in a type of coma, Ashley. I will try to get you out, but you are sick. I needed to find out if you were still in your own mind, though. I must leave now, Ash.*

*Please keep trying, Sharie! I cannot stand this place!*

*I will try.* Sharie gently eased out of Ashley's mind, opening her eyes again, to find the others staring at her.

"Well?" asked Johnathan, his face a pasty color.

Sharie discovered she was shaking, and she felt very cold. "Her mind is still there, intact. I had to really dig to find her, though. She is running out of time, guys." She sounded bitter.

She said not another word, silently going to check their conditions. Delphine was definetly worse. She could barely keep her dark eyes open anymore. Her color was taking on the same fatal grey as Ashley's. Sharie was detecting signs of anemia.

Ashley's heartbeat was slowing, and Sharie made the painful decision to place her on full-fledged life support.

With a sigh, after doing so, she bent over her work again. She guessed that Ashley had no more than a few hours left, she would probably be gone by evening. Delphine was gradually weakening, Sharie though the woman had days at most. With renewed vigor, she desperately sought the cure.

Everyone moved around her very carefully. Sharie could feel her own mind barriers beginning to slip as her exhaustion grew, Trey's despair, and when Johnathan was forced to leave for an appointment, she could feel his agony. Andros's desperate sense of loss. Her own headache.

*I am going nuts!* She thought. Only Carlos strove to keep up a cool front, to get her throught that long, painful day.

At last, Sharie raised her head, it was the middle of the afternoon, and to her horror, as she cheked the monitor, she saw that the heart rate was nearly nonexistent. Ashley was nearly gone. Her heart was in it's deathbeats.

Frantically, she punched her last sample into the computer. This was it. It was this, or nothing. Carlos was there as the computer ran the test, wrapping his arms around her. For a moment, she clung tightly as time seemed to slow.

Then the analyzer beeped. Sharie, with a sinking heart, turned to gance at the results. Suddenly, her eyes widened and she let out a shreik.

"It is positive!" she gasped. "It is the cure! Now, I only hope we are not too late!" She shoved the sample into the synthetron as Ashley's heartbeat continued to slow. "Two doses, DECA!"

A hypospray and two dosage containers appeared. Sharie did not waste a second. She jammed a dosage container into the hypo and pressed it to Ashley's arm. It hissed faintly. Sharie rapidly repeated this action on Delphine before turning back to Ashley's monitor.

Her heart beat once.

It went flat.

Sharie stopped breathing in utter terror. No one present made a sound.

Then it beat again.

And again.

The beats picked up, came faster, more strongly.

Sharie resumed breathing with a sigh. She noted, faintly, that Delphine's signs were also beginning to stabalize.

"They will both make it," she announced softly, tears of relief in her eyes.

Suddenly, everyone present seemed to relax. Carlos bounded over and hugged her tightly. "You did it, Querida! You did it!" he gushed, kissing her face.

"Maybe so, Carlos, but I am glad it is over." She kissed him briefly on the lips. "Goodness, I am dead-tired."

"And good riddance. Go look in a mirror, Querida. Seems to me you need to crash for a couple of hours, at least."

She leaned on him tiredly. "I cannot, yet. I need to keep an eye on these two for awhile, at least until Ashley awakens."

"How long will it take for them to heal? And what about side-effects?" asked Andros, color slowly returning to his face.

"They should be basically back to normal within hours, now. They will still be weak for a few days, but otherwise all right. The only side effects I can think of will be considerable fatigue for the next few days, also, so they will need to rest, if possible. *No* fighting unless it is absolutely necessary. They should not be surprised if the thought of eating for the next day or so makes them queasy. Other than that, they should be fine." Sharie leaned heavily on Carlos and stifled a yawn. He slipped his arms around her and supported her while leading ehr over to a chair.

"Sit down, already, Sharie. Your face is whiter than Delphine's ranger uniform." This drew snickers from some of the others. "At least get rid of your headache. I can tell it hurts you so much *I* can practically feel it."

She smirked tiredly. "I know," She grumped good-naturedly. "Stepping on my head with the astro-megazord would be nicer than this."

"Wanna try it and see?" he asked, laughing softly.

"No thanks, a rain check...a looooong one." Carlos chortled at her remark, and hugged her.

Sharie downed some medication to get rid of the pounding and bent back over her work. She smiled at Johnathan's delighted expression when he was told his sister would be okay.

Delphine woke up, weak, and there was no mistaking the dread on her face when Trey wordlessly lifted her up and carried her to the rehydrator again. She did not relax until she discovered that her rehydrating process was painless this time, and color replaced the grey in her face.

When he lifted her back out, he set her carefully on her feet, encouraging her to stand. She stumbled for a moment, then stood. She was weak behind the knees, but she stood.

"You feeling okay?" he asked gently, supporting her.

"I'm fine." neither noticed Johnathan whisper to Andros, and the boy in red looking at his watch. Quietly, they both vanished.

"Are you sure?" Trey asked her.

"Tired, Trey, but truly, I am fine." She had an inkling why he was so upset. His arms came around her even as she looked up into his haunted eyes, full of love and pain.

"I am not that easy to get rid of," she whispered. "You are stuck with me, Triesta."

"I would not have it any other way." Forgetting that Sharie and Carlos were nearby, watching in amusement, he tilted her mouth up to his and kissed her, gently at first, then with a gradually increasing passion.

Sharie pulled Carlos over to an unobtrusive corner of the room. She preteneded to show him readouts that were necessary to the mission, and he pretended to be interested. They both could not help but steal occasional glances, however, feeling like little children as they could not quite hide their grins, either.

After what seemed at least a minute had passed, Carlos looked at them again and whispered, "Don't they ever come up for air? Do they usually stay under for that long?"

"Sometimes, I've seen them. Leave them alone. They got interrupted yesterday to come here, I know it." For some reason, she blushed. Carlos raised an eyebrow at her, but did not press the issue.

It took the two lovebirds a little while longer to pull apart, realizing where they were. Quick as a flash, Sharie and Carlos bent their heads over the readouts, but especially due to the amused quirks around the corners of their mouths, neither Trey nor Delphine were fazed. However, Sharie was unprepared when her brother again snuck up behind her and caught her in her ribs, tickling her again.

"Trey!" she squealed, dropping the readouts as Carlos snickered. Squirming, but unable to get away because he was stronger than her, she gasped, "Is tickling me your irresistible fetish?"

"No, but getting even with you is."

"What for?" she squealed.

"Ohhh...for spying?" he guessed, still tickling her mercilessly as Delphine and Carlos exchanged amused glances.

"We were not spying...at least I wasn't!" she cried out, struggling. "Blame Carlos! He asked me if you would ever..."

"Querida!" Carlos admonished. "Don't tell them our conversation, or I will tell them about what you said about them on Aquitar!"

That comment stopped Trey up short, but he held onto his sister and would not let her go, although he tried not to grip her too hard. "Tattling, Lalinka?"

"No!" She denied. "What I say and what Carlos probably presumed are two different things!" *And what I am saying is a total untruth!*

"Oh?" he said mildly, hugging her from behind and still gripping her arms firmly. "What exactly did you *say*, sister mine? Then we can all be the judge."

"Nothing of importance, Trey. Gods, you are as bad as our father was. Both of you would love to pounce on me and tickle me."

"Who would fault us, Sharie? It was often the only way to get your little nose out of books or off the computer."

"You usually did more than that. Stomping into my rooms, shutting off my computer, and dragging me off for a hike was something else you did a lot. Let's see, what else? Getting me interested, then obsessed, with Triforian martial arts, taking me swimming, teaching me our people's dances..."

"Trey taught you to dance?" asked Carlos, amused by the thought.

"Sure. That usually is the responisiblity of an older sibling, or a parent or uncle if the child is the oldest. My family was always trying to drag me from the computers for awhile. I think they were afraid I would take root in front of it."

"Not exactly, Lalinka, but you are close." Carlos noted that Sharie had successfully diverted them from the subject of her mouth, but Sharie dropped it all altogether as she squirmed again. "Trey, let me go. I do have to check on Ashley."

He complied this time, and while she was struggling to disentangle herself from his grip, they heard a faint moan.

Ashley was waking up.

****

As quickly as she could, Sharie made her way over. Ashley moaned again, her brow furrowing and an IV-pierced hand lifting to her forehead. Her eyes slowly blinked open, dazed and confused. Her mouth opened a little and shut. She was too dry to talk.

Sharie stood in her line of sight. "Ash, can you hear me?" she asked softly, knowing that sound could possibly be a little sensetive to her friend.

Ashley gave a weak nod.

Sharie felt for a pulse, it was quite strong now, though somewhat irregular. It would take time for both Ashley and Delphine to heal.

"Do you know who I am?" she asked, looking the teen in the eye again. Ashley gave another weak nod and sighed, her breath still wheezy.

Sharie also noticed when Ashley's hand moved from her head to her throat, and she swallowed painfully, indicating her dryness. Sharie understood at once and got her a bottle of water. She removed the respirator from Ashley's mouth, since it was no longer needed.

Ashley winced in pain at the first swallow, but the cool liquid eased the fire in her throat, and she drank greedily, not stopping until there was none left.

"Thank you," she squeaked, laying her head back down. She was so dizzy...

"Do you know why you are here, Ash? Do you remember what happened?"

Ashley looked confused for a moment, then her eyes widened and slowly nodded. She started, then attempted to raise up so she could look around for Delphine. "Delphine...she was..."

"I am right here, Ashley," said the Aquitian softly. She still had difficulty walking herself, Trey had to help her over.

Ashley slowly relaxed. "Thank goodness," she whispered. "How long was I out?"

"Since yesterday. It is late in the afternoon of the next day," said Sharie softly. "You nearly died, Ash."

"I know." something flickered behind Ashley's eyes as she said this.

"How do you know?"

"I..." she hesistated. "I felt my heart stop. It burned. I remember the void I was in. I remember talking to you, and sensing....Johnathan! Was Johnathan here?" She started, eyes wide. "For a moment, I felt he was...and I wanted to tell him I was okay..."

"He was, Ash," Sharie attempted to calm her friend. "He knows. Notice your morpher is gone? He temporarily took your powers when your body rejected them."

"She glanced instinctively at her wrist. "Johnathan, a Power Ranger?" she smiled weakly. "Who'd have ever thought? By the way, why am I wearing these?" she indicated her wrists, where the IV's still pierced them. "Are they really necessary?"

"Afriad so. When you were under, the Hydrohog had sapped a dangerous amount of liquid from your body, and even with these, you were absorbing very little. Now they need to stay in place until at least most of your liquids are replaced and your electrolyte count is not so much out of whack. By the way..." she repeated her stern warnings about overdoing it.

Ashley sighed. "Yes, doctor," she mimicked, with a weak smile on her face. They knew it was because Ashley was a very active girl and hated to be confined anyplace.

Johnathan and Andros chose to return at that exact moment, and you could not imagine the depths of their delight when they found Ashley awake. They pounced on her at once, talking a million miles a minute.

Ashley, though she looked glad to see them, also looked a little overwhelmed. Sharie saw this and interceded. "Okay, guys, she is awake, but she has not been for long, and she is still very weak. I know you are glad to see her, but don't overwhelm her, okay?"

They nodded, looking a bit contrite. Johnathan gingerly removed the morpher from his wrist and held it out to Ashley. Ashley shot Sharie a questioning glance, and the girl moved to help her sit up. By now, she was hardly dizzy at all.

"I think you would want this back," remarked her brother. "Being a Power Ranger is interesting, Ash, but you are much more used to it than me."

"Don't put yourself down," said Andros. "You did a great job with the quantrons."

"He fought a battle?" Ashley asked as she accepted the morpher from her brother. "Then you really are a genuine Power Ranger, John-john." He blushed, but she did not notice as she stared first at her morpher and then at her IV-pierced hand. "Sharie, could I remove these yet? They are a pain--and a hinderance."

"Not yet. Sufficent water has to flood your tissues to get them working again. When you can walk to my satisfaction, then soon afterward, I will remove them. End of discussion."

"Ash, do you remember what happened just before you collapsed?" asked Andros, repeating Sharie's earlier question.

She nodded. "I know that my brain was screaming at me to save Delphine before she was killed by that monster. I just reacted." She glanced at Delphine and blushed. "I am glad you are okay, Delphine."

The woman smiled. "I never got a chance to thank you, Ashley. I am grateful to you for my life, and I owe you a debt I can never hope to repay."

Ashley's face colored further. "You owe me nothing. It is a job as a Power Ranger to help each other. I simply did what had to be done, though I am glad I was successful."

****

It was another hour before Sharie would allow Ashley to attempt to walk.

"I feel fine," the girl complained as she swung her legs around. "You said I was cured."

"I said you were cured of the poison. I did not say you were cured of the side effects of what happened, or the drain you took. Your body took serious water damage, Ash. You cannot rehydrate like an Aquitian, so it is taking you longer to recover. Be glad the cure I administered is speeding up the process, or you would be wearing them overnight."

"Is that why I have been so thirsty?" Ashley mumbled as she scooted to the edge of the biobed.

"Yes. Partially, it is a side effect from your experience. You and Delphine both will need a lot more water for the next few days than you would normally have, and I expect you to stick to it."

Ashley nodded as she locked her arms around Sharie's neck, allowing the smaller girl to ease her to the ground.

When her feet touched the floor, her knees gave way, And she sagged against Sharie's smaller frame for a moment. The girl supported her until Ashley felt the blood start to move in her legs again. Then she stood, panting, her face flushed with effort. Shakily, she stood fully and felt her knees support her this time.

"Is that enough?" she asked tiredly.

Sharie gave her a critical look, then nodded. "If you promise to drink as much water as you should, I will remove the intravenous lines. But I also want you to stay in the medical bay overnight, just to be sure. But if things continue to improve, then you should feel much better tomorrow."

Sharie yawned the last words and dropped into a nearby chair, her face pale. Ashley noticed the circles under her eyes. "Did you even sleep last night?" she asked.

"No. Many of us did not. The Aquitians were busy with the zords, the others with the Megaship upgrading her, and Andros was glued to your side. I was up all night looking for a cure to your condition."

"If Ashley is well enough, Querida, we need to talk," said Carlos. "Where are we going to put the Aquitians? They were up all last night and are by now exhausted, like you are."

"They can stay at my place. Plenty of room there, and the lake just behind. Especially Delphine will need such close access."

Carlos nodded as Sharie removed the tape holding the IV lines in place as Ashley winced. Carefully, so as not to cause more pain to the girl, she pulled the needles free of Ashley's hands, but swiflty enough so that there was no blood. Ashley sighed in relief and flexed her almost-numb hands, to encourage blood flow.

As Sharie tossed the lines down the recycler, an enormous yawn almost split her jaw in two. She sagged against the wall for a moment, then took a deep breath. It was still too early for bed yet, but somehow she could hardly wait for the time to come.

****

She gave the Aquitians the typical tour of her large place and warned them against touching anything without asking her how it worked first.

"I don't want any accidents, not after the past few days," she said. "If one of you gets electrocuted, your dryness won't be due to the hydrohog's touch, I assure you."

She showed them to seperate bedrooms and how to get outside for access to the lake.

"I know most of you will still be busy until late," she said at last. "So I will let you get back to the zords or wherever you are working."

All the Aquitians, save Delphine, were finishing up the new zords for use, so they scattered. Sharie had suggested that Delphine rest that afternoon and evening, she herself needed rest beyond anything she could recall needing. Trey was finished with the pyramidas and had not slept himself recently, so he was sticking around, also. Besides, Sharie knew that he did not care to leave Delphine any time soon, after the recent events that had unwantedly plagued them.

****

It was getting later as Sharie dragged her radio out, along with her favorite romance novel, to her favorite overhang by the lake. She was exhausted and could not think of anything else to get her to relax her stiff muscles. She had laid aside her book for the moment and had drawn her knees up to her chin, absorbed in the soft song that flowed out of her radio.

No, I'm not making that promise again,

Nothing can change my mind,

Nothing at all....

Thankfully, she was not too carried away by the music, or she would not have responded to her intuition to look up and move. Delphine was coming across the sand, albeit very slowly, her face again pale, and she looked like her knees were going to give way any second.

Sharie was on her feet and at Delphine's side within seconds. She caught her friend just as she stumbled, no longer able to support her weight. Not asking questions, she helped Delphine to the water so she could rehydrate.

"Thank you," said the Aquitian afterwards, settling down beside Sharie on the overhang. "I was not sure I would make it."

"Should you not have come sooner?" Sharie asked practically, turning her ignored radio down somewhat.

"It happened too suddenly. I was feeling fine one moment, the next I was so weak and dizzy I nearly blacked out. I had to literally drag myself outside."

"Next time, teleport. If you are worried about the energy drainage, then I will hook your signature up and piggyback it to my power sources. I never have to worry about it."

Delphine nodded absently as the quiet music from the radio reached her ears. "What form of music is that?" she asked, cocking her head. It had a pleasing sound, rather like the soft rhythms of her own world's music.

"Just soft music, it is one of my favorite Earth styles. This would be the type typical for dancing to. You should see Trey's collection of music, though. He is a big fan of music from this planet--except the hardier types, which those from the darker sides prefer, no doubt."

"What's this about dancing and my musical tastes?" said a familiar voice, and Sharie squirmed, then ducked away just in time. She knew that her brother would have pounced on her and tickled her again, like he had done earlier.

"Aw, darn," he pretended to mourn, settling down beside Delphine instead. "You caught me that time, Lalinka."

"That is because you are predictible, Trey Triesta," she teased. "I just mentioned to Delphine that you have a taste for Earth music, that is all. You really must show her your collection sometime." She reached over and kissed him lightly on the cheek before turning off her radio and reaching for her novel. "I will be by the fountain. The sun is getting low and the light lasts longer there. You two will have the area on this side to yourselves for awhile, it would seem."

Both Trey and Delphine picked up on her subtle hint and blushed. They understood she was trying to tell them she was giving them ample time alone together--and total privacy.

She supplemented this idea with a faint, knowing smile as her fingers absently found the bookmark and she wandered off down the beach, leaving them alone.

Once she was out of earshot, Delphine sighed. "Gods, I cannot believe she just did that. She set us up....on her own property."

"Is that so bad?" Trey teased, leaning down and kissing her full lips. Her body seemed to allow her the strength necessary to respond to him with her typical fire, and both soon found themselves breathless.

"Not really," she said at last. "I just feel a bit...odd, having a romantic rondevouz on your little sister's property." "Trust me, Delphine," he chuckled. "If she minded in the least, knowing my sister, we would have permanent chaperones. She would see to that, not set us up." He kissed her again, lightly. "How do you feel? Strong?"

"Relatively so..."

"Remember that secret place you showed me yesterday?" he said. She nodded, turning faintly pink as she remembered what the trip had led up to. "I have my own out-of-the-way place here."

"I thought this place belonged to your *sister*?" she commented as he took her by the hand and pulled her toward the stone wall and garden area.

"Well," he admitted. "Sharie showed me this place first, but since she never uses it--at least, I don't think--she suggested I could use it when I needed to be alone. She has her own nooks and crannies she goes to be alone. The only times she ever comes here are to gather some of the flowers when they bloom, and then, rarely."

He led her to a small, closed-in area, a small nook in the garden wall, surrounded by the high stone and several flowering bushes, and a tree. It was very hard to find, too easy to miss unelss one really looked for it. They were virtually garaunteed privacy.

"The flowers smell wonderful," she noted as they settled on the cool grass. It looked like a paradise one would read about here.

"Some of them are roses," he answered, indicating a couple of the bushes. "I would get you a couple, but I do not have pruning shears on hand, and they have thorns. How about a couple of lilacs?" He reached up into a tree and pulled a few from the branches and gave them to her.

"They smell wonderful," she was delighted, inhaling their intoxicating scent. "Are you sure Sharie won't mind you've picked them?"

"No, they are her favorite flower and she has lots of these trees scattered about. She won't mind as long as I don't overdo it. Besides, she said that this is basically my area, and everyone needs a place to meditate."

"She is right," said Delphine, smiling a heart-warming smile at him. "She is so much like you it amazes me. No wonder Carlos is so crazy about her."

Their lips inched closer, and she murmured, "no wonder I feel the same way about you."

He smiled at that, his finger lifting her face to his before his mouth sealed over hers, at first gently, then with an increasing passion as she leaned into him. He groaned and pulled her into his lap, neither of their hands staying still, and Delphine showing no indication that she lacked the strength for this.

"Here?" she gasped at last. "Are you sure it's okay?"

He nodded breathlessly. "I think she planned it this way. I hate to admit it, but she knows me even this well. And I will be frankely amazed if Carlos does not show up tonight." Her hands were already impatiently tugging on his tunic and he forgot everything else as he pulled her against him and let his senses be set on fire as passion took complete hold.

****

Meanwhile, Sharie was quietly reading her book and had pushed her mind barriers up so she would not inadvertently sense what she had no doubt was going to happen. She had sensed their passion once, when they had been trapped on some unnamed planet, and it had felt very strange, and intrusive since it was from a source outside her own body. She did not care to feel it again.

"Boo!" Sharie jumped, startled, to find Carlos behind her. "Ahh!" she shreiked in surprise.

Realizing who it was, she shot him a look that contained daggers. "Carlos Perez, you scared me!"

"Sorry, I just could not resist the opprotunity so blatantly staring me in the face. Where are the others?"

"Everyone's gone but Delphine, Trey, and myself," she began, then turned red as he cocked an eyebrow at her. "Those two are uh...alone," she said at last.

"Oh..." he said slowly, then wisely diverted from the subject. "Are you busy?"

"Not at the moment; if I don't relax, I will be a basket case."

He settled down beside her. "You bet you do, Querida. You've had a rough couple of days." Without thinking, his hands slid to her shoulders and began to massage the tenseness out of them. She made no objection, he mused, and within minutes, she was sagging against him.

"Thanks," she mumbled. "I needed that, I suppose."

"But it would never occur to you to ask," he teased gently, and she smiled, turning around to face him.

"I guess not..." she smiled, and her arms slid around his neck. "I am glad you came, though, Carlos."

"We are always here together, Querida," he reminded her gently, tapping her chest. She smiled, a bit dreamily, he mused, as his arms slid around her waist and his mouth lowered gently to hers.

It started out innocently enough, but they had both forgotten that it was much easier to ignite their passion when Sharie's emotional barriers were not so uptight, and after the past couple of days, they most certainly were not now. He felt a tremor take her body and a whimper stifle in her throat as the pressure of her lips against his became harder, more ardent.

What else could be done, except to respond in kind? His senses fell out of control really fast, but he did not realize this or care as he gathered her close to him and reached up a hand to pull her hair out of it's ponytail, so it fell down her slender back, over her shoulders, and his. The feathery softness of her curls made him crazy to feel something more than their light teasing torment against his skin.

She inhaled sharply as his lips left hers and started to wander a trail down her neck, his hot breath and soft lips sending her senses into a dizzying talispin she could not control. She closed her eyes and breathed out softly, completely lost and willing to stay that way. It was getting too hard to stop herself, or what her body and heart told her was right, when this happened, and she was sick of stopping just as she fell out of control, or being interrupted by circumstances not within her control. She pressed closer against him, making no objection as his hands started to, of their own violation, to tug her tucked-in shirt free from her jeans shorts.

He was out of control, he knew it. He could not stop himself. Her scent, her lips, her body, every soft spot and curve, it was sending him into a maddeningly hot, swirling place from which there was no return, and he wanted to take her with him.

But he had a strong sense of honor, and he knew that if any objections had to be made, it was now. His hands had found their way under her shirt, and he was doing things to her she had never really thought about before, or what their effect on her could be. Her mind screamed it's agony when he disengaged his lips from hers. "Querida..."

For once, she was not going to listen to practicality. She was going to listen to reason, and reason told her to stop his objections. And reason was also her body, her heart, her soul.

"No!" she pleaded, kissing him again with so much fire he groaned and returned it eagerly, forcing her lips open beneath his so his tongue could find entrance into her pliant mouth. She moved against him, tugging at the buttons of his shirt until he was partially exposed, her hands sneaking inside.

"Sharie!" he gasped, torn. She was provoking him, outright provoking him, which he had not expected. Gods, her *hands* were all over him...

"Don't stop," she pleaded as his hands seemed to be everywhere at once, his lips ravaging hers with a fiery candence, covering her full lips and growing increasingly wild, the need to breathe all but ceasing.

"I have---to say...." he gasped between kisses, the last thread of his control straining. "Are you...sure? This is your last....chance...."

For answer, she disengaged her hands long enough to hit her teleporter button, her lips not leaving his. They vanished in a swirl of light, only to reappear in her bedroom.

"I am sure," she whispered, tugging him backwards until they crashed upon her bed. He knew that no more action could convince him of her certainty than this. He gathered her close as, with his last coherent thought, he prayed that it would turn out the way both seemed to need it to be.

He heard her faint moan as his hands snaked up under her shirt once more, his fingers finding her breasts and lightly beginning to massage them.

Somehow, he could feel her hormones reach a fever pitch, and her essence in his mind flared sharply.

A part of him was deeply stunned to realize that he was feeling her ecstacy along with his own.

His surprise registered faintly in her mind as an astonished, *Querida?*

"It sometimes happens, this, I think Trey told me," she gasped breathlessly. "Ah!"

His curious, exploring fingers had caused her nipples to harden in response to his gentle teasing.

"If two humans are truly in love, they can....too..." she whimpered. "At least, they forget where one of them ends and the other begins....they're so close...."

"Shall we try for that?" his voice had deepened, taken on a husky edge she'd never heard before....a male in the throes of passion--maybe because her fingers were playing across his body, touching him in areas she'd never dared touch before, slipping inside his jeans in a surprise quest to know him....*all* of him.

Her touch was light, curious and slightly uneasy....but the slightest contact shuddered through him like fire.

After a moment, certain she was not hurting him, her touch became bolder, and throttled a cry from his lips. "Querida!"

"Yes," she whimpered, finally answering his question. He tore her hand from his body and turned her around to face him. Gently he lifted her shirt over her head, his mouth replacing one of his hands in rapid succession.

Through a haze of intense, shared feeling, they weren't sure just how the rest of their clothes managed to get removed, but the next thing either were aware of, they were both entirely naked on her bed, writhing and twisting with awakened, raw, virgin desire.

A small part of Carlos was also a bit panicky. He had seen magazines and tapes, true, but that did not, it seemed, really prepare him for the real thing. He did not want to hurt her.

She seemed to read his thoughts again along with feeling his burning desire alongside her own, in her mind and heart. "Let's just keep doing this," she gasped, feeling his free hand trail from her breasts to lower, teasing gently at her navel. "We...will find out what feels best."

Dimly, Carlos decided to take her word for it. He couldn't think anymore, anyways, all he could do was act. His hands slipped lower and lower, finally reaching places of her body he'd never dared touch before.

When his fingers first gently touched her there, he could feel her barely stiffen and press her legs tightly together for a moment....but the flare of fire he felt told him she really, *really* wanted this.

*Open your legs, Querida,* the thought, barely words, more like a desperate emotional request, had her complying. With a small sigh, she relaxed, opening her legs and granting him access to the place where she was throbbing the most, in the fiercest, insanest swirling of fire she could imagine existed.

"Carlos!" She could not believe he hadn't done this before. After a few hesistant, exploring touches, he seemed to instinctively find the right spot he was looking for, and suddenly sent a fiery wave of sensation coursing throughout her body, radiating from that spot clear to her toes and drenching her clouded brain with even more intoxicating sensations. His other hand, and his tongue, continued to gently massage her breasts, and she felt like she was madly rushing into a pinnacle, being shoved right to the brink.

Somehow, her hand found his lap again, and once again began gently exploring him in the same manner as he'd been doing to her.

A strangled cry came out of his mouth before he raised up in response, removing his mouth from her breast and clamping it tightly over hers instead, his cry being muffled by her lips and also catching the very faint sound that came out of her mouth as his own fingers did not cease, either.

Both were total fire, jolts of electricity jerking through them again and again, feeling like a huge crescendo, a gradual buildup....and both not only feeling themselves, also feeling the other. Sharie had been right, he could hardly tell anymore where he ended and she began.

All at once, just as he was about to burst, he felt a faint thread from her, a faint whisper of a new desire.....one that caused his heart to race madly, not only with desire but fear.

*Please, now.*

Gasping, he tore his mouth from her trembling, full lips and raised up, his inky eyes meeting her purple ones, eyes that were burning with such intense desire light seemed to blaze from them. He could feel electricity jolt through them both as just simply meeting the other's gaze did this to them.

"Now....you want it now?" he rasped huskily, to be sure.

She said nothing, only nodded....barely. She removed her hand from him and reached up, locking her arms around his neck and burying her face in his shoulder, where he felt her nod again.

Carlos drew in a shuddery breath as he moved fully over her this time. More than anything he would loathe hurting her, but if they were truly as similar as she claimed they were, then surely this was also....three- fourths of human women had hymens as virgins, and surely Sharie had an intact one as well.

"I will bear it," she whispered softly against his shoulder. "Even if it hurts. I want to be one with you, Carlos."

Vaguely Carlos nodded, fighting for all the control he could muster. She raised her hips slightly, and he grasped them gently, steadying them both.

Sharie wasn't making a sound, but her breathing was rapid, her eyes were darkening even further with fire--and just a flicker of fear, fear of the unknown.

Carlos, whose eyes never left hers, positioned himself carefully, straining to not simply make one quick plunge and be done with it. Rudely tearing through her did not seem the right way to do this.

Suddenly, Sharie's eyes widened imperceptibly, and a faintly surprised flicker crossed her gaze, one Carlos did not miss....he felt it too. She was suddenly feeling....*him* there, right at the entrance into her tight sheath. The feeling of the unknown invasion caused her to feel surprised, but also sent a new wave of unknown electricity bolting through her nether reigons.

She drew in a quick breath as she felt him slide in futher, a couple of inches--not only of fire, but also a burning, vaguely uncomforable sensation of stretching. She was very tight, and Carlos, as she'd found out, was not small by any means.

He moved back and forth within her a couple of times, barely inside her, but getting her used to the sensation--as well as himself. Even at this stage he was about over the edge, and she gasped suddenly and arched her back, he knew she was also welcoming this new, unknown heaven.

She made no sound all this time, but he did see her lips, trembling, desperately trying to form the word, "Carlos...."

Finally, as he pushed in once more, he encountered a blockage.

Sharie felt him suddenly press against.....well, of course it was her maidenhead, but it was one part of her body she'd never really taken into thought before. Through all the fire coursing her body, though her very bones were melting and she ached for him to fill her completely......again came that faint twinge of unease.

Carlos drew in a deep breath, exercising all the control he could muster. He drew back once more, seeing her eyes close. Quickly, before either could look back, he bent down, clamped his mouth hard over hers, and gave one quick, light, merciful lunge, feeling something rip and tear beneath his insistent pressure, and he was suddenly completely within her body.

****

Sharie's breath was almost stolen from her completely when Carlos's mouth clamped over hers. It only made her more aware of him drawing back, readying himself and her--and suddenly, she felt him drive forward.

He pressed hard against her virgin barrier, which suddenly ripped and tore apart. A fiery burst of pain radiated from between her legs, overwhelming all other feelings, and Sharie completely froze. Carlos' mouth over hers caught her startled shriek of pain.

Carlos could feel her pain as his own the instant her innocence ripped. It was so strong it caused even him to inwardly wince. He stopped, somehow knowing that he must let her get used to him.

For several moments, he did not move, just held her there, having seen the expression of pain that had crossed her face, having muffled her shocked cry--then her amethyst eyes opened again.

Her eyes were damp with tears, but they did not overflow.

And she *smiled* at him.

Sharie knew he felt it within the pain radiating from within her eased and ebbed away after a few seconds. She felt full to bursting, and now that her hymen was gone, besides the burning pain of being stretched--it also felt *wonderful*.

She saw the look of intense relief and love that covered his face, and she could feel it along their link.....now they were one. *Completely* one.....just like Trey and Delphine had to be by this point themselves. Now Sharie realized she was beginning to *truly* understand why--understand in a way that, despite what they might say, no virgin really could until they felt *this*.

"Querida," he murmured, reaching down and gathering her close to him. Her arms came around him tightly as, softly as he could at first, he started to move within her.....fully within her. Gently, then gradually harder.

Sharie began to breathe silently, but very hard. Only Carlos, so close, could hear the sound of air rasping in her chest.

Oh, gods, she was flying! They both were! Fire after wave of sheer fire danced like molten lava along their bodies, radiating not only from their joining but also from their hearts. Sharie lost all sense of surroundings, of being on anything but air, of being hurled into one incredible abyss. From behind her closed eyelids, starburst after golden starburst exploded, making her feel that much closer towards the ultimate heaven, each incredible thrust driving them both onward towards some ulitmate goal, some brilliant paradise that neither could really fathom, yet somehow knew was there and that they must strive to reach it.

She could feel Carlos alongside her, and his essence in her mind was getting larger and larger, doubling her pleasure as she felt his alongside hers. It continued to grow in intensity as his thrusts within her grew harder and all the more desperate, reaching a fast, electric tempo of desperation, of striving.

Carlos also felt lost, of drowning, of sobbing, of reaching, of feeling a bright light just beyond their reach. Sharie's presence in his mind was growing as strong as his own, and moreso. He could hardly tell them apart now, and the fire jolting through them both was almost there....almost close to an incredible peak.....promising an intense explosion......the ultimate heaven.

Beneath him, Sharie suddenly stiffened for a moment......and he felt her begin to spasm, her sheath contracting around him sharply and her arms spasmodically gripping him so tightly he could barely get any breath.

At that exact moment, the blinding whiteness also rushed over him, setting his body completely asunder with wild shocks of lightning.

The light of promise, the brightness of the ulitmate heaven, that Sharie had sensed was just beyond her reach, suddenly rushed at her, and at once, overwhlemed her with an incredible burst of ecstacy, and obscuring those starbursts behind her eyes with an intense white light, and radiating something through her--a huge hot wave of passion that flooded all her senses and obscured anything else, only sent her and Carlos hurtling heavenward.

One heartbeat later, something even more incredible happened.

Her essence in his mind exploded, and suddenly he could not tell himself from herself. They were one. He could not sense her thoughts or memories, of course, but all this sheer feeling, all she was feeling right now......their essences collided and fused, along with their burning passion.

Carlos, unsure of who he was at the moment but not caring, lunged once more into her and felt the long-sought explosion, felt her final ascent into a whirling, twisting paradise, flying free of any earthly constraints and soaring with the stars into a mad exotic whirlpool of ecstacy.

Carlos gave only a faint, strangled cry to reveal all that he was feeling at the moment. It was all he could do.

Sharie made no sound, but the tears that suddenly pearled her cheeks were from sheer happiness.

****

For many long moments, they held, feeling the sheer electricity binding them so close continuing to hold them aloft and soaring, until Carlos felt they would go mad from the sheer ecstacy of it--but finally a sheer peace crept up from their toes and went northwards, causing a great sigh to shudder through Carlos's body and a long, soft breath to be issued from Sharie's lungs.

Gently Carlos collapsed atop her, utterly spent and completely sated. He buried his face in her tousled platinum curls and smiled, ever so slightly, to himself. He could once again feel himself, and knew she was probably aware of who she was again, too.

Sharie smiled as her arms gently moved to hug him softly, but firmly. She was more than fulfilled. She'd been sent airborne beyond her wildest dreams or expectations. Her mother, Trey, anybody she'd ever spoken to who said they enjoyed this sort of thing--they knew what they were talking about.

From somewhere in the area of her narrow shoulder, where is face was buried, she heard him raspily ask, "Querida? I did not hurt you more than I could help?"

"After that?" she rasped, amused. "Carlos, I hate to inform you of this, but most girls have to face that the first time, you know. You were....I can't find the words to describe what we just felt, only that it was incredible--and so are you." Absently she kissed his dark head, wondering if he knew of the wonderful gift he'd given her, bringing this side of her, the side she always had thought would be cold and untouchable, to life....flaringly, burstingly, ecstatically to life!

She heard his amused sigh, and he leaned up on his arms to look down into her eyes--noting the tears that had pearled her cheeks. If he hadn't known she'd been telling him the honest truth, he'd have been afraid she was lying to reassure him.

"So incredible you cried, Querida?"

"Oh, you!" she giggled, leaning up and kissing his mouth hard.

"Gonna cry every time?" He grinned mischeviously and nibbled her chin with his lips.

"Probably not," she smiled, and shivered as his action caused a new course of flame to lick through her. "I just got to be one with you, Carlos, for the first time--and it made me so incredibly happy I could not help the tears this time."

"Funny," he rasped, and she was startled to notice tears in *his* eyes momentarily, as well. "I kinda feel the same way."

"Oh, Carlos," she sighed, deeply touched but smiling as well. Her smile at him told him how much his feelings had struck her square in the heart. "Shall we sit here and do nothing but cry for awhile?"

"Querida!" he protested, catching her against him and tickling her neck with his tongue. She knew how deeply he felt; it matched her own feelings. It did make him incredibly happy, and for a few moments, he did want to cry--but she was causing him to laugh instead.

Her wild giggles told him he had found a ticklish spot. For a few minutes, they both got involved in silly love-play and forgot about the time. If Carlos hadn't been so aware that Sharie was very tired, and probably, having been a virgin, very *sore* as well, he'd have happily done another round. But he was too considerate to press the issue, and instead played along with her giggles and exploring fingers.

Finally, Sharie glanced at the clock, and stopped cold in her tracks.

"It is about sunset," she said regretfully. "Somebody may show up soon, Carlos, and Delphine and Trey will probably come out of hiding at any time now."

He blushed and nodded, both reaching for their clothes and hurriedly dressing. After Sharie had pulled her shoes back on, Carlos snatched her closely to him, and to his surprise felt her heart beating in time with his own.

Her eyes met with his, and he became aware of something else....her essence in the back of his mind. In their incredible dedication to each other, a strange bond had been forged. It had been there, he suspected, from the time he first met her.....but this, what had happened, had made it more prominent, and him more aware of it.

His wide eyes somehow told her this, as well as his incredulous, wondering, "Querida...."

She smiled at him, and he knew that she was as incredibly happy about what had transpired between them, and what this bond meant, as a result.

He had been about to ask if she'd ever regret this, their first time, but seeing her now, the words died away in his throat as he knew the answer before he asked.

Gently, instead, his mouth lowered to hers, only symbolically sealing for eternity what was already sealed in their souls.

****

It was lucky that by the time they managed to get back outside, and to the beach, only then did Trey and Delphine also choose to show themselves again, and they weren't exactly caught.

Sharie caught sight of the pair first and nudged Carlos, but said nothing. She noticed her brother's face had a telltale flush to it, as well as Delphine's, and his pupils were slightly dialated. *Oh, yes,* she thought, trying unsuccessfully to hide a smile, *I understand fully, and I mean *fully*, what you were up to.....*

It made her aware that she, herself, probably suddenly exhibited the same essence of a person well-sated, and she knew her lips were kiss-swollen, and the same telltale flush on her own face.

She might as well not hide it from him. She knew he'd been expecting her to do this sooner than later anyway, and as close as she and Trey were, he was bound to notice immediately that a certain innoncence she had possessed was now gone. Truly, now, a major portion of the adult world was open to her.

Seeing the two younger ones there, the older ones flushed and said nothing. Delphine saw Sharie and Carlos clasping hands, like lovers, and turned bright red--not because she noticed, but because she knew Sharie full well knew what they'd been up to.

"Uh....afternoon, Trey...." Carlos, also blushing for some reason, tried to say a few words. "Were you....having a good time?"

A rather surprised look crossed Trey's face, and as his own words sank into his mind and he realized what he'd said, Carlos also looked surprised--then mortified.

Delphine became scarlet, turning and burying her face in Trey's slightly- rumpled tunic.

Sharie could not help it. She had to cover her mouth with her hand to keep from breaking into peals of laughter.

"I did not mean it that way!" Carlos hastened. "Sharie said you were busy, and...."

Trey, his cheeks flaming, nodded briefly at Carlos in understanding before shooting Sharie a vague, "loud-mouth" Look.

Carlos's communicator went off at that exact moment, and the boy in black was glad for the distraction.

"Probably TJ," said Carlos, blushing. He reached out and, almost desperately all of a sudden, pulled Sharie into one more, heated kiss right in front of her brother--not that she really cared. More than anything, he wanted to stay with her tonight, but with certain others around, and what was happening in general, it was out of the question. They both knew it. "I will see you tomorrow, Querida," he promised at last, letting her go. "I love you."

"I love you too," she whispered, smiling sadly as she watched him vanish in a swirl of black light.

Her sigh was deep after he was gone, and Trey finally began to take notice. "Been busy yourself, Lalinka?" he asked casually, trying to forget Carlos' embarassing words--and he was a bit startled when her breath caught. When she turned to face him, her cheeks were red flags themselves, and a certain...look in her eyes caught his attention.

"Well..." she stumbled. "Carlos came shortly after you and Delphine....left, and he knew where I was."

Her brother gave her a slightly embarrassed look. "You deliberately set us up, Lalinka."

"So? Your time on Aquitar got cut short. And especially after what happened, I figured you could use a little time alone together. I assume you enjoyed yourselves."

He flushed scarlet. "Seems you did, too, Lalinka," he quipped, tapping her own kiss-swollen lips lightly. He had only meant to joke, but he was a bit surprised when her cheeks turned redder than his, and her eyes lowered and she actually turned her back for a moment.

It took a moment for her posture to convey what she could not exactly say aloud. But somehow, it clicked in his mind. And knowing that she had never acted like this before at the mention of Carlos....

*Just so that you are completely certain about this, Lalinka,* he sent. He knew she was nervous about what he would say, and if she was this nervous, then it had to have been her first time.

*I am!* Her vhemence surprised him. *I have never before been so certain about anything in my life!*

She got an odd look on her face, then he heard, tenatively, *Trey, will you do me a favor?*

*Sure, Lalinka, anything.*

*Don't let word of this get to Mother. At least not yet. Please.*

He was dumbfounded. *Sharie...our mother has been under the impression you and Carlos have been...intimate for quite some time, now, because of how close you two are and how much you love each other. I never contradicted her because I was not sure how you two felt about the whole situation, but she has made no move to condemn you.*

She looked relieved. *That's good, then. But still...don't say anything, yet.*

*I won't, Lalinka, you have my word.*

Delphine had been watching the silent mental conversation. She did not know what they were saying exactly, but she got the gist from their postures and body language. She simply said nothing. It was not her business.

****

She had remained oddly quiet for the rest of the evening, and Trey did not wonder why. If the other Aquitians had not been around, she would have had Carlos spending the night with her, no doubt. But everyone still had a lot on their mind, so it was not possible.

She seemed overly tired, and it was dark out. The other Aquitians were arriving and discussing tomorrow's strategy, but she stayed aside, not paying attention. Trey was about to go up to her and suggest she go to bed, but her distance had seemed to take a new dimension. Her eyes seemed to have an added glaze about him, and she was already dressed in her nightclothes. When he came up behind her and put his arms around her, and scarcely felt her acknowledge him, that he got really worried. He also felt the faint rumble of her stomach beneath his hand and wondered why she had not eaten...in fact, he could not recall her having eaten since....he had not personally seen her eat today or yesterday, that much was certain.

"Lalinka?" he asked, releasing her and slowly turning her around so she faced him. Her eyes were completely empty and reflected his image back to him, he was certain she was barely seeing him there. He looked her over carefully, noting her strange symptoms and hoping ferverently she was not ill.

Her nightgown was just plain white, her hair was unbound, her feet were bare. He noticed nothing remarkable about how she was dressed until it dawned on him she was wearing nothing purple whatsoever.

*Of course!* He cursed silently. Color withdrawl. Maybe when she had changed it had slipped her mind to put on something purple, and within minutes, she would have spaced out on them altogether, becoming even more exhausted in the process. If left untreated too long, he knew, it could give her a whanging headache or make her ill. And with powers of her nature, it would usually hit her twice as hard as a regular ranger.

He sighed and let go of her. She made no move that said she had known he had moved away. He looked, hard, into her eyes, until she blinked and vaguely saw him.

"What?" she mumbled half-heartedly. "Stop....stop staring."

"Tell me of something purple in your room you can wear, Lalinka, and quickly, so I can go get it."

She was silent, and he had to shake her to get her attention again. "S- scrunchie...nightstand," she said at last. "Why..."

"You have color withdrawl, Lalinka," he said. "Stay here."

She nodded once, slowly. "Forgot..." was all she said, before her eyes glazed over again, obviously expecting him to help her and trusting him to do it.

He sighed and moved away, calling to Delphine.

"Could you keep an eye on her?" he asked. "She's suffering from color withdrawl, and I don't trust her not to accidentally do something wrong when she is like this. I have had it before, and it can turn the sharpest person into a dazed-out drone."

Delphine nodded and pulled the spaced-out girl aside and pushed her into a nearby chair. The girl went without protest, looking through her as if she did not exist. Delphine had no doubt that, according to the girl's warped- out mind, she did not exist at all. Sharie had gone so passively, she had probably not registered Delphine beside her in the least.

****

Trey was glad he did not have to hunt long before he found the scrunchie she had indicated. Gods, he hated color withdrawl, he knew how if felt and always tried to make sure he wore something golden so he would not have to be affected. It only did not affect a Ranger when they wore something with their designated color. Sharie's eyes might be purple, but they certainly were of no protection. Picking up the scrunchie, he turned and made his way back downstairs.

****

She should not have forgotten, that much she could recall. She could see what was going on, but could not absorb it. The noise in her ears was immense, and she was very tired. It registered faintly that she was hungry, as well, but she could not recall why, or what to do about it. Faint shadows lingered on the edge of her vision, but they seemed...ghostly, disembodied. *People*, her mind thought dully, but she did not exactly comprehend the word.

It was just barely perceptible that a disembodied hand lifted her arm, and slid a purple scrunchie onto her wrist. She saw a faint sparkle as the Power found a conduit back to her, and suddenly, the buzzing in her ears stopped and she realized she could hear and see clearly again.

She blinked, startled by all the clarity, and she turned to try and focus on the body whose hand had put the scrunchie on her arm.

"Trey?" she asked. "Did...was I....did I have...."

He seemed relieved. "Yes, you did. You can see me and make sense of me now?"

She nodded. "Yeah, thanks."

"Fine, then on to the next item of business: When did you last eat anything?" he asked. Her pale pallor had not left, and he was fairly certain now lack of food was the culprit.

She shook her head, as if trying to clear it of the last of the fuzziness. "Not since...before this whole mess started, I think. About...forty-eight hours ago. I was going to after I had changed, but as you saw..." she lowered her eyes. "It had ample opprotunity to slip my mind."

*And yet, she found the strength to be with Carlos* he mused, and she shot daggers at him with her sharp gaze.

*I heard that, Trey!* she shot at him. *That is not funny.*

*Why were you listening?* he sent back mildly.

*It takes a few minutes to get all my barriers back in place after withdrawl, you know that,* her tone had barely softened as he pushed her toward the kitchen.

****

It was not the last of her strange actions that night. Somewhere in the depths of the dark night, long after everyone else was in bed, she had another of those nightmares she dreaded.

As Trey woke up and heard her muffled cries, he sighed as he pushed back the covers and went to awaken her, no matter the danger for awakening someone from a dream like this. He was glad the aquitians were sleeping in a seperate wing, and would not have to be woke up by the noise. It would have embarrassed Sharie to no end. Heck, she had never wanted *him* to know about it.

He had to call her and shake her hard before clarity entered her eyes and she realized it was not her assailant holding her down, but her brother. She sighed in both relief and regret that he had to wake her up from this yet *again*, and she relaxed against him, scrubbing irratably at her face.

"I'm sorry you had to hear that," she mumbled groggily. *Because he will start asking questions again...*

"Rather my hearing it than letting you suffer alone," he reassured her, hugging her. "I don't suppose you want to tell me what you saw."

"It's not that I don't *want* to, this time," she mumbled. "I just can't find the words to say it with."

He understood this time and did not press. It had hurt her terribly when he had tried to force it out of her last time, and he had come to realize that if she could not say it after gentle prodding, it was not worth opening old wounds so much to get it out of her, and she would say it when she was ready.

After she was asleep again, he sighed and went back to bed, only to find Delphine in the hall.

"Is she okay?" the woman asked, worried. "I was just coming back from rehydrating, and I heard her cry out."

"She will be fine," he said. "She has these sometimes. And it is the devil trying to get it out of her. Don't let on that you know right away. She does not want anyone to know."

She nodded. "Goodnight, Trey," she said softly, leaning up to kiss him lightly.

"Night, Delphine," he said, hugging her before going back to bed. Delphine stared after him, concerned. She knew it distressed him when anything happened to his sister, and he was nearly the same uptight individual when it came to matters like this. She still did not understand how anybody could suffer that much anguish and get away with it, and she could only pray that they could resolve it one day.

****

Exhausted as she was from two days of no sleep, plus the combined effects of color withdrawl and a nightmare to boot, Sharie found herself awakening just before sunrise the next morning. She was so completely worn out, she wanted to lie in bed and whimper, but she could not have gone back to sleep if she tried. Somehow, she felt that the problem with the Hydrohog was going to be resumed today, and she wanted to end it all when the time came.

Sighing, she kicked off her covers and climbed out of bed, heading for the shower, hoping the cool liquid would drag her out of her stupor. She had slept with the scrunchie on her wrist, and now, so soon after suffering from color withdrawl, she hesistated to remove it even to bathe. So she did as quickly as possible before the buzzing returned to her ears. She quickly dressed in a button-down violet shirt, slipping her locket--the one she never removed for anything--down underneath her shirt, and tucked the shirt into a pair of knee-length jean shorts. White socks and purple tennis shoes completed the outfit. She brushed out her long damp curls and let them hang loose, except for a purple headband that held it off her face. She was too tired to try and arm-wrestle it into a ponytail.

Her stomach alerted her, and she felt a sense of renewed guilt. She inadvertently glanced down at her frame, noting she was still quite pale and had probably lost more than a pound or two due to her negligence. Sighing, she glanced in the mirror one final time and headed downstairs.

****

"The Hydrohog could renew his attacks at any time," said Andros, glancing at the rest of the group again gathered in Sharie's backyard. "He may try to infiltrate some of Angel Grove's other water sources before he does, to gain strenght, no doubt. Or he may have already done so. I suggest that some of us go and investigate these places, and see if he has been there...or if he does, to set the alarm.

Both Ashley and Delphine voiced that they did not want to remain on the sidelines any longer, and wished to help.

"What is the harm in some simple scanning?" asked Ashley irritably. "I hated being cooped up in the Medical Bay all night. Tired as I am, I have to get outdoors for awhile."

"I also don't want you or Delphine fainting on us while we are busy," objected Sharie practically. "It will be all too easy for that to happen for a couple of days, yet."

"We will be careful, honest. I just don't want to sit around on my arse doing nothing."

The White Aquitain Ranger was in full agreement with the Yellow Lightstar Ranger on this point.

Sharie grudgingly agreed, and when search parties were formed, she made sure that both women were in her group, along with Trey and the twins. Marisha and Marek were at an emergency meeting, and since law dictated that the kids, geniuses or not, could not be left alone for long, then they had grudgingly asked Sharie to keep them with her, only making them leave in case of an emergency.

"We could help anyways," signed Toby. "We know how to handle the scanning instruments as much as you do. We don't want to be 4X4's around anyone's necks."

"You will *never* be that, Toby," Sharie was swift to assure both kids with a hug. "You know what to do in case of an attack.....basically, run like mad, teleport if you can, or defend yourselves like I taught you, if need be."

The group relocated to Angel Falls, which had been the site of trouble in the past. It was also a pure water source, and Sharie wanted to take no chances.

When a hawk sailed overhead and let out it's high-pitched screech, everyone winced, but the twins gasped, and covered their ears. They exchanged "good- grief" glances and reached into their ear canals to pull out their tiny hearing aids and turn them down.

"That was loud," agreed Ashley. "But it at least got rid of the song that was going through my head and driving me nuts."

"I hate it when that happens," Sharie remarked. "You could have tried singing it."

"Maybe. But singing is more of Cassie's department."

"I have heard you sing. You have a nice voice."

"I don't care to make a career of it. Why don't you ever sing? I have never heard you do it, and your voice is so soft and clear. You probably have a pretty voice yourself."

"I have not sang in years, Ash. I have little reason to." Sharie suddenly found herself squirming as Trey's eyes bored into her back.

"So?"

She was saved from having to answer by an unfamiliar voice breaking in. "Now I am seeing things. Delphine, Trey? What are you doing here?"

Surprised, they turned to see two boys, former rangers. One was Jason Lee Scott, former red and gold rangers, and Adam Park, former black and green rangers. Between them, they were absently swinging a little girl with long black hair and snappy black eyes, her asian features clearly evident.

Sharie saw her brother catch sight of the little girl and his eyes widened in shock, which he quickly tried to hide.

"Hey, guys," said Adam cheerfully. "Long time no see. What are you all doing here? I hope there is not trouble...especially if you have children with you, which might be a good thing." He nudged the girl forward. "I have to babysit tagalong here, and she was as bored as we were."

"My name's not tagalong," she said smartly to her brother. "It's Anna."

Sharie chuckled. "Nice to meet you, Anna," she said. She glanced at the two boys. "I am afraid there is trouble. The Hydrohog is back, so I would be careful if I were you. I had to keep an eye on the twins. They are my cousins, but their parents are at an emergency meeting."

"I gathered that there was trouble if the Aquitian Rangers were here," said Jason soberly. He watched as Anna tugged her hand free of her brother's firm grip and hesistantly ventured toward the twins. "Don't go far, Anna," her brother called after her, and Sharie wondered why he was so overly nervous.

"I hope she speaks clearly to those two," Sharie remarked. "They are deaf, but they can lipread."

The old sparkle came back into his eyes. "Anna's pretty smart. She knows the basics of sign language, at least. She will be fine." he blushed, and for some reason, looked guilty. "But I still do not want her wandering far. I don't care for a repeat performance of nine and a half months ago."

"A repeat performance?" Sharie echoed, bewildered. "I am sorry, Adam. I have never spoken to you before this, though I saw you on Aquitar. That must have sounded nosy."

"I know you are Trey's sister," he assured her with a smile. "So I trust you. The incident I was referring to....Gasket and Archarina once kidnapped Anna, held her hostage--relatively speaking--for two days. I about went insane with worry. But--" he smiled in his sister's direction, "It all turned out for the best. Anna--somehow, she touched those two, and they grew to love her enough to let her go. So I got her back without fuss...and they were taught a rare lesson."

"Nine and a half months?" Sharie asked, thinking back. "Why, that was the time during the appearances of the mysterious Gold Ranger, I seem to recall." She flashed her brother a "you-tell-me" look.

"Trey was there, yes," said Adam. "Now I understand why he vowed so to help me find Anna. I thought he was a bit more empathic to the situation than the rest."

"I did not care to have you go through what I went through," said Trey quietly. "I was determined to help in any way I could."

Sharie smiled inadvertently as she glanced back at the children, now showing Anna the scanning devices and trying to describe what they had been doing. "Her name is Anna?" she asked. Adam nodded. "Now some mysteries of Gasket and Archarina are finally falling into place."

Adam raised an eyebrow at her.

"They have changed, from what I know. They still rule their planet, but their people are no longer so slave-driven. They are leading better lives for what they do. And they have constructed a daughter." Sharie thought a moment. "Did Anna ever have a rag doll that she carried with her...a Raggedy Ann?"

"What do you know about her?" asked Anna, who had overheard. "I gave her to Archarina. I did not want her to think I had any hard feelings for what she did. And I wanted remind her that you don't have to be bad to get what you want. If she could profess to feel love for a strange girl, then maybe she could change in other ways--Gasket, too."

"That Raggedy Ann was her greatest treasure," sighed Adam. "And Archarina knew it."

"That doll is being put to good use," said Sharie with a smile. "I saw them when I infiltrated their world recently. Their daughter was playing with it. And you won't believe her name...they named the girl Anna."

Anna flushed red, and her head bowed. "I only wanted to show them that they did not have to be so mean to others to be happy," she confessed, embarassed. "I did not know they would take it so literally."

"It seems you made a pretty powerful impression on them," said Trey gently. "I told you that once."

"*You* were the guy in the gold suit I saw?" she asked, wide-eyed. He nodded. She grinned. "Adam had told me at the time that you were hanging around helping. He said later you were a leader of another planet, but Jason had to take your powers for a time."

"That is true," said Trey. Though the girl was smart, he could still see it, and she was a bit taller than he had seen her last, her eyes reflected the same deep wisdom and endearing qualities that he was sure had changed the hearts of Gasket and Archarina for the better.

"So what are you doing here?" asked Jason nonchalantly, looking again at the odd mixture of rangers that had come to Angel Falls. "I come here sometimes because it is a good place to meditate. Adam was bored, and kidsitting his bored sister, so I invited them along."

"Searching for Hydrohog infiltration," said Sharie, watching Anna race off back to the twins. "He may try to do something to this water source, or use it to power up somehow. I don't want to take any chances."

Sharie got up, in the meantime, and headed for the waterfall, noticing that there was an odd darkness behind it as she got close. Daringly, she sepped onto a narrow rock ledge and behind the waterfall, not noticing the cool dampness on her clothes. She suddenly felt oddly compelled to come back here--

She felt she had to shout to make herself heard over the gentle roar of the falls. "Hey, guys, did you know that there is a cave back here?"

"What? No," said Jason, coming over and peering behind the falls. "I never thought to look when I came here before. I was content to watch it from this side." He cast an inadvertent glance at the twins, then said to Sharie, low, "I assume the children are privy to a few things..."

Sharie nodded. "They have been on the edge of adventures themselves. They know quite a lot. And they have teleporters. I never cared for them to be bait."

By now, the attention of everyone had been caught, and they were gathering behind the waterfall, ducking behind the rainbow-hazed mist.

"Wow. This place is cool," said Anna, ever the scientist. Still, she did not object when Adam found her hand and clutched it, a reflex he had developed after her kidnapping.

It was dim inside, with just barely enough light to see by without breaking an ankle. The cave appeared empty and a little small.

"Looks like a dead end," whispered Ashley.

"No....wait," said Sharie, running her fingers along the wall. Her sensetive fingertips had found a few oddly-shaped holes, and she squinted and peered closer as she felt their shape. "Trey, look at this!"

He came over, peering to see the vague shadows. The top hole was their very own helmet designs, the ones below were a group shape of the former Zeo Chards that the Zeo Rangers had used.

"Do you think...?" whispered Sharie. "Whatever is behind here has to do with the Zeo Crystals?"

Jason and Adam came over to see for themselves, and Jason frowned. "Wait a sec. I seem to remember Zordon telling me, right after the Muranthias mess, that there was something that had to do with the Zeo Crystals hidden somewhere along the North River. The Falls are part of the North River. He only said that at least two Zeo sources could unlock it, to gaurantee against theft, I suppose. Trey, Sharie, that would only be you two now. I don't know what happened to the crystals Adam and the others used. It disappeared after the Command Center was destroyed, TJ told me."

"Then let's see," said Sharie, unable to contain her curiosity. She and Trey summoned their power staffs.

"Golden Power Staff!"

"Violet Power Staff!"

The twin weapons appeared in their hands. Trey and Sharie looked at each other for a moment, then held them before the lock. Power suddenly flashed from the staffs and hit the lock, and there was an audible *click* as a door formed out of nowhere and swung magically open. A dim glow could be seen from the doorway.

"You guys stay here," said Sharie quietly. "I am going in."

"I am coming with you, Lalinka," Trey hissed firmly. "I don't want you hurt."

He was surprised when she made no objection, but nodded reluctantly, not wanting him hurt, either. Silently, the two Triforians crept inside.

They entered a room that was eerilie glowing several different colors at once. On the wall, in several different languages, was an inscription, reading,

i"Beware! All those who enter this room must be pure of heart, or they will not live to leave it. If you are evil, do not step beyond the seal on the floor."i

"The 'seal' on the floor consisted of a huge, bulky Zeo Crystal. Around it, there were several designs. Five were designs from the Zeo Team, three were of shapes not seen on the Zeo Crystal, and *three* were of the design that matched the ones shared by Sharie and Trey. Remembering the ledgend of the origons of the Zeo Powers, the rumor that a third power had been derived from the Gold appeard to be true. Sharie's was violet--what was the third? It had been lost to history.

Brother and sister looked at each other, nodding. Carefully, they crossed the seal--and froze as some supernatural force held them in place. Both got the distinct feeling they were being scanned.

Suddenly, they found themselves released, and some unseen presence seemed to give them the go-ahead, for a small spotlight appeared out of nowhere, highlighting a trunk in the corner.

Sharie glanced questioningly at her brother, before going over and kneeling before the trunk. Hesistantly, and with the utmost caution, she lifted the latch.

As Trey knelt beside her, she lifted out several parchements. She glanced at one, automatically starting to read it.

To her surprise, she realized she was holding an important piece of history. It was about the Zeo Crystal--the ancient, complete one. The parchement told how it had been broken apart over the eons and distributed to the known and unknown universe.

Three crystals, still joined in a trifold clump, had ended up on Triforia before splintering again to three new units--Gold, Violet, and *silver*. It was known as the "Colors of the Three Sisters."

Earth had the "Group Unity" crystals: Pink, yellow, blue, green, red...and white. White? Sharie thought absently as she read on, entranced. Somewhere in Aquitar's depths were Lavendar and black. Edenoi had orange, aquamarine, and copper. Inquiris had peach and grey. A distant planet called Mirinoi had a "Rainbow" crystal, shades from other crystals, and had been made into swords, caught in stone.

All these, and many others, were hidden and scattered throughout the known and unknown universe, either currently in use or laying in wait, undiscovered.

Sharie was about to return the parchments to the trunk, when something else caught her eye. She could not stop herself from pausing to read it.

Anybody who had come into contact with the Zeo Energy field would also be able to tap the Morphin Grid through their own beings. These powers bestowed on such individuals were called the Zeo Warrior Powers. Quite a bit less powerful than the regular crystals, they needed no other power source, and were still quite fit for self-defense. They were not fit for conquering an enemy, however. But the user would find that they would have more protection, and access to certain weapons.

If the person had never morphed, their color would assume that closest to their personality. If they had morphed, then they would take on the color they had held as a Zeo Ranger. They did not have to be a Ranger to be a Zeo Warrior, as long as they had access to the energy field for a time.

"Zeo Warrior Powers, hm?" asked Trey from behind her as she finally put the parchments back in the trunk and picked it up. "That sounds handy, in case we are ever caught again without our powers, we would still have some means of defense."

When they told the rest about it, outside, Jason looked interested, but spoke up. "Won't what happened to me last time happen now? I do not care to go through a repeat performance. I was ill for a long time even after I gave the powers back to Trey."

"I don't think so. Your link would be in perfect harmony with your body, as Adam's would be to his." Sharie waved her hand, teleporting the trunk away for later study. But first, they had to finish their work.

It seemed danger never left them alone, for one minute, they were working peacefully, the next they were being surrounded by Darkonda, monsters, and Quantrons.

"You can't teleport," sneered the leader easily. "I've made sure of that. However, hand over the parchements."

"No, I will not allow you to have them, you do not deserve them," Said Sharie firmly, already preparing inwardly to take care of this loser. Adam had reached frantically for his sister and had pushed her behind him. She obeyed without hesistation.

"Suit yourself." Darkdona shrugged. "And a pity, too. You have kids with you. Oh, well, attack!"

With a flurry, they did, overwhelming the group in seconds.

"It's Morphin Time! Gold Ranger Power!

"Violet Ranger Power!"

"White Aquitar Ranger Power!"

Let's Rocket!"

Despite the weakness of Ashley and Delphine, for this morphing was necessary, not only for self-defense, they had to help protect Jason, Adam, Anna, and the twins, who had few means of protecting them anymore.

Despite their best efforts, a few of the quantrons managed to get to the defenseless inner group. Instantly, Jason flipped a tornado kick in the face of a quantron while Adam did his best to crowd the kids behind him. Gods, this was straight from his nightmares! He had never intended for Anna to get in trouble again...

Suddenly Toby and Tami looked at each other for a moment, their golden eyes locking as they sent silent words to each other. They broke away from Adam and attacked the nearest two quantrons bearing down on them, completely fearless. To Adam's astonished eyes, they had obviously been taught well, their small bodies still felled the enemy quite easily.

He heard Anna's astonished gasp from behind him, and he felt her squirm. Suddenly, she managed to break free.

"Anna!" he hissed. "Stay by me!"

"If they can do it, I can!" she hissed back, her black eyes clearly determined.

"Don't you remember what happened last time?" he reminded her as the chaos continued to reign around them. "You were still snatched from us, and held hostage for two days! And the twins are two years older than you--with two year's more experience. And as much as Sharie has gotten into trouble, from what I have heard, they are used to it."

Anna suddenly looked past him and gasped. Frantically, she tugged on his shoulders. "Oh, Adam, *duck*!!" she squealed. Without thinking, only sensing danger, he obeyed, just in time to avoid a swordblade from a nearby monster that would have otherwise found his neck and severed his spinal cord.

Suddenly, Jason remembered. "Sharie!" he called. "What about those 'Zeo Warrior Powers?'" he asked quickly. "Do you really think they will work?"

"You and Adam could try!" she called back, knocking another quantron away. "You have nothing to lose, and your friend is frantic about his sister. I cannot say I blame him."

Jason nodded. Pausing, he looked inside himself. He was not sure how he suddenly knew the call, but he said, clearly, "Zeo Warrior Power!"

There was a flash, and suddenly, he was standing there in a black-and-gold, vaguely ninjetti-style costume. A golden headband was tied around his head, and a sword was on his back. There were phaser pistols at his waist.

"Cool," he remarked. "Hey, Adam, Morph! This works!"

Anna had just struggled free of her brother again, her gaze still stubborn. He realized he would have to let her remain that way--at least until he tried these new powers. Even as she flung herself on a quantron who tried to attack *her*, he called as quickly as he could. "Zeo Warrior Power!"

There was a green flash, and Adam suddenly found himself in a suit similar to Jason's only green instead of gold. There was a tomahawk-like weapon on one hip and a phaser weapon in the other.

Not commenting on his new powers, he turned and felt relief to see his sister, tiny as she was, successfully knock another quantron away from her. The extra lesson she had taken were coming in handy. Still, he remained close by her side, not caring for her to be taken away again by this "Darkonda."

Darkonda suddenly whipped his own phaser weapon and snickered. "I have been waiting to see how this works," he sneered.

He aimed and fired so fast, nobody could stop him. He ended up hitting Trey square in the chest.

Sharie froze in total horror. Oh, gods! It was a scene straight out of her nightmare last night! It had been another old dream of seeing him cut down, but this scene was identical to it! She had never felt so helpless as her brother crumpled to the ground, his staff having been knocked several feet from his hand. He also demorphed, blood soaking his tunic and spreading rapidly.

Little Tami saw this and was also horrified. She ran to get Trey's staff, angrily knocking down the quantron also in persuit of the prize. She got there first, and picked it up.

She was startled when she felt a sudden jolt run through her. The staff-- it seemed to be talking to her! Realizing what action needed to be taken, she gestured wildly for Toby, who came at once. She told him with her eyes, as they ran back to the fallen ranger, to help her grip the staff. He did, and another jolt shook him as well. But for this to work, they needed the power of three.

Toby let go of the staff and ran for Anna. He was glad he could not hear Adam's protests as he gripped Anna's hands and pulled her away from her brother. He gestured the best he could to Anna and hoped she knew enough sign language to understand.

She did. "It's okay!" she yelled back to her brother. "They need my help!"

Why exactly the seven-year-old was not sure, but she did not hesisate when Toby pulled her to the fallen ranger and to Tami, who still held the staff.

"Grip it," his hand gestured. She did not think to disobey.

She felt the sudden jolt, and she understood why they had needed her. She was the only one left with free hands, and the power of three was needed before Trey died. Sharie was simply unable to make her way over, she was so overwhelmed at the moment, though it was clear she was trying.

"Do it!" she called, for she knew what was on their minds. This would save his life, she hoped.

All three children gripped the staff, and closed their eyes. The crystal took over, channeling their lifeforce through the golden powers and exposing them to the energy field that was Zeo. The renewed energy channeled down to Trey's, and healed the boy. Extra energy flowed back into the children, and a sense of well-being flooded all four individuals.

Trey moaned slightly and stirred, opening his eyes. Considering the effects, he knew instantly what happened before he even saw Tami still clutching his staff, or his blood-soaked tunic.

"I....thank you," he whispered at last as Tami handed him his staff. Both she and Toby flung themselves at him, hugging him tightly for a moment as Anna hung back shyly. Trey saw this and gently reached for her hand, squeezing it.

"And thank you, too," he said gently. "I owe all three of you more than I could possibly pay."

"I would do it again," she said softly. "No need to deprive your sister of *you* again." she smiled impishly. "Adam told me that, too."

*Sharie...* the thought echoed in his brain as he scrambled to his feet and sought his sister's gaze. Being morphed, he could not see her face, but her posture was sheer frustration and agony. She dashed the last quantron in her way to smithereens before demorphing again and flinging herself at him.

"I'm okay, Lalinka," he breathed, hugging her shaking body.

"I know...." she said, trying hard not to cry her anguish. "But what I saw was right out of my nightmare last night....except it was Darkonda this time instead of that Dryseran."

She let go of him just as suddenly as she had grasped him, remorphing without a word. Trey bit back a sigh and remorphed also, for the danger was not yet over.

"Trey," she said suddenly, "the kids...when they healed you, they were exposed to the energy field. Do you suppose...?"

"They could try," he answered. Anna heard this, and frowned. Could it really be possible? She saw more quantrons heading in their direction, and she gestured to Toby and Tami, telling them quickly what she thought. They all glanced at Sharie, and she nodded. Even now, Adam was headed in their direction.

The three young ones closed their eyes and looked inside themselves. They did not even really need to call, they discovered, for there were three seperate flashes.

Tami found herself grinning as she glanced down at herself. She was in lavendar, and a silverish-lavendar bow was in her hands, and a bundle of arrows were strapped to her back. A smaller version of the laser pistol was at her waist. She had never done archery, but this was definetly cool!

Toby found himself in silver, a bo strapped to his back and another pistol at his waist. "Totally awesome," was the gesture his hands made, supplemented by his grin.

Anna found her tiny body encased in pure white. Power Daggers were strapped to holsters on her upper arms, and she had two pistols.

None of them could afford to stare long, for they had to duck the several whirling blades Darkonda flung at them in a fury.

"Get the kids!" he snapped to his few followers left. "Take them down!" figuring they were the Ranger's weakest points, he was right.

But he had underestimated their fighting skills, or their new weapons. Tami, while she had never done archery, found herself an expert marksman, and Toby's aim with the bo was swift and sure. Anna was not sure what guided her small hands when she grabbed up her power daggers and used them to their deadly advantage, though she had always been warned not to play with knives. With some basic help from the remaining Rangers, the last of the monsters and quantrons were brought down.

"You will never get away with this!" he cried angrily, determined to do *some* form of harm. He managed to rush into the fray and, before anybody could stop him, he had snatched Toby from behind. Of course, Toby was not strong enough to evade his grasp, and his inner instincts warned him not to struggle, lest his throat be slit.

Darkonda held the others off with these words. "Kill me, and he dies also. I do not care to leave without taking something with me." He promptly vanished.

"No..." Sharie was the first to speak. Her first action was to find Tami, who was standing still as a statue, her huge golden eyes wide in terror. They glazed over as she turned to Sharie, who had demorphed.

"No!" she signed stiffly. "I won't let this happen. I won't lose my other half!"

Her own eyes stinging as she cast all blame upon herself, Sharie hugged the girl tightly. Getting her to look at her, she signed carefully, "Tami, right here, right now, I will promise you this. I will get Toby back. I won't have history repeat itself yet again."

Tami's face was set with determination. "I want to come with you."

"Tami, you cannot," Sharie started to object. "It is too dangerous."

Her eyes snapped as her hands flew so fast she could barely be understood as she fought to say what her jumbled emotions dictated. "Yes, I am! Toby is my twin, my other half! I won't lose him, for I cannot live without half my soul! I refuse to follow the path of suffering you were forced to take, Sharie! Anna did not have to, I won't either!"

Tami started as she suddenly found Anna's hand on her shoulder, and she looked and saw complete support and understanding in the girl's dark gaze. "I want to help also," said the child. "It is not fair that I got to go back to Adam, and Tami must suffer the loss of her twin."

"Anna..." said her brother, coming up behind her. She simply looked into his eyes, and he sighed, then smiled ever-so-slightly. "Anna," he continued. "You are the best thing that could happen to anybody. Don't ever lose it. But, if you insist on doing this, then also let me help. I refuse to leave you alone."

Even as the girl hugged her brother, Jason spoke. "If you need any more hands, I am here fore you, man, limited powers or not."

Sharie glanced at her brother. His dark gaze bored into hers, and she sighed. "You can come," she said to Tami. "But no risk-taking, okay? I do not care to have you *killed* on top of all of this."

The girl nodded, though Sharie sensed that she was mentally crossing her fingers.

****

Sharie was angrily pacing the Megaship bridge, and nothing her brother, Carlos, or anybody else could do could stop her from angrily casting all blame on herself and no one else.

"It was my job to watch them!" she snapped when Carlos tried to tell her that nothing could have prevented it. "Those children might be ultra- smart, but they are still kids! Carlos, I cannot expect you to understand, but when I was sent away all those years ago, I knew more than what most adults would know....but I was still a kid, young and naieve in other ways, and still needing the care of a parent because I was still too little to fend for myself. I am no longer that way, but damned if I am going to let this happen to Toby and Tami!" Angry tears filled her eyes, but her iron will held them in check. They would only make Tami more upset.

Her young cousin must have been lipreading her rant, for Sharie suddenly felt a small hand slip into hers, and tug on it. She glanced down on the dark-haired girl that was more sister than cousin to her. Really, she would not be surprised if the girl blamed her, either...

"Sharie..." the child began with one hand. She kept the gestures simple, but her eyes were empathic. "Sharie, I don't blame you..."

Without a word, Sharie picked up the trembling child and held her close, holding the shaking girl as Tami buried her face in the crook of her neck and held on for dear life.

****

Astronema was impatiently pacing inside the temporary hideout she had set up in another series of caves outside of Angel Grove. The needs of the Hydrohog to recover and attack again were sufficent enough that she had been forced to move so he could have better access to natural resources.

Darkonda arrived with a flash, holding an unmorphed, now-struggling Toby within his grasp. The boy fought to get free, to no avail. Astronema eyed both newcomers malevolently.

"Darkonda, you idiot, can't you stop snatching little kids? Why'd you take this one? I wanted those parchements, I could use that Zeo Power! The Hydrohog is not ready yet!"

"My apologies, princess. The damnable Violet Ranger whisked them away before I could get to them. I was hoping we could use this little runt here as bait. He's Sharie's cousin."

"I swear you are a fool, Darkonda," Astronema shook her head with a sigh. "What's your name, boy!" she snapped at Toby. All he did was stare at her, for he had not heard her and she had spoken with her head turned, and she did not look at him until after she had finished speaking.

"What, are you retarded or something? Answer when I ask you a question!"

Now *that* he had seen. Fury blazed in his golden eyes at being called retarded, and he scowled. He managed to wiggle one arm free of Darkonda's grasp enough to touch his ears and lips, before shaking his head, making it clear to Astronema just what the problem was. Groaning, she rolled her eyes.

"Furie's Wrath, the boy's deaf!"

"So I heard," sneered Darkonda evilly. "So's his twin. But all told, they are pretty smart well beyond their years, also."

She smiled thoughtfully at that. "Geniuses, hmmm?"

"I expect so, Princess."

"Well, then," she smiled. "Maybe he could be of some use after all. In that case..."

Though it had bored her to learn it, she knew how to talk to the boy. Sometimes sign language was the only way to make your demands understood...

She turned to Toby again, her gestures stiff and clipped, with the undercurrent of threat. "You will tell me how to get those Zeo parchments out of the hands of your cousin, and you will tell me now."

His eyes flew open in shock, and he shook his head empathically. He freed his arms enough so his fingers could wiggle, "No! I won't betray Sharie!"

"You will, or you will be tortured until you do."

He still empathically refused. Angry, Astronema had him bound to the cave wall with six-foot chains, ensuring he could move but not get far. She signed, "I will get to you later, then. I have more pressing matters to attend to right now."

****

When Andros had first learned of what had happened to Toby, he had become upset--no, insanely furious. It was Darkonda who had kidnapped his sister in their younger days, and now he had done it again! He swore up and down the bridge of the Megaship for quite awhile, muttering to himself, before Ashley managed to calm him and he noticed Tami staring at him, more than a little shocked at his extreme reaction and wide-eyed. It had not occured to him that, being Sharie's cousin, she would *not* know the story by now.

Quiet now, he went and knelt before her, until he was at her eye level. Since sign language also came with ease to him as well, he signed slowly and deliberately, with great determination.

"Tami, I swear to you, *here and now*, we will find your brother. I won't let that lousy bastard get away with taking any more children, ever!"

She was even more surprised to see the tears filling his hazel eyes as he stared at her. Something was amiss here, she could practically feel it in the air. "Why are you reacting so strongly?" she asked.

"Because," he began, and faltered. His hands suddenly refused to work, and he swallowed and spoke slowly and forcefully, so she would be able to lipread. "Darkonda, many years ago, kidnapped my sister, Karone. I have not seen her since."

Tami's golden gaze went from surprise to both angry at the sheer injustice of it all, and sympathetic. She sighed. "I am sorry, Andros, I did not know. Why...why do bad things have to happen to so many good people? Anna and Adam were very lucky...they just barely escaped such a tragedy." Andros shot a questioning glance at Adam, while Anna lowered her eyes and blushed. "I knew that what I tried to do was dangerous," she confessed. "But it turned out right, in the end. That did not make it anything short of treacherous, though...for Adam."

"Treacherous?" Andros repeated, not sure he really wanted to hear but unable to help himself.

Adam picked up his sister protectively, trying not to let his thoughts flee to the past, to those two horrible days of terror when his sister's wherabouts had been unknown. "Gasket and Archarina," he said softly. "Back when I was a Zeo Ranger....they took Anna, for two days, and I thought I would never see her again. It was Anna's own unselfish love that brought her back to me unharmed."

Andros bit his lip to avoid the onslaught of emotion that threatened to overwhelm him. So at least one family here had been spared such an occurence. "Then you are lucky," he said. "And I can see you fully realize the blessing of her in your life."

Adam nodded, holding Anna even tighter as he laid his dark head upon hers. She hugged him back, grateful all at once, knowing how lucky she had been. She wondered if he remembered that she had been standing right next to Toby when Darkonda had taken him...it just as easily could have been *her*....but it did not detract from her desire to help Tami, her new friend...

Something suddenly broke through Sharie's angry pacing, that something wrong was about to happen...again. She saw Ashley, who was right next to her, suddenly go sheet-white and her knees buckle beneath her.

"Ashley!" Sharie gasped, catching her friend before she hit the floor. Quickly, she lowered her into a chair. "Get some water, quickly!" she snapped to TJ. He did not hesistate to obey her firm, commanding tone of voice.

"What happened?" asked Jason, surprised. The girl in yellow had looked stronger than that....

"Ashley was one of the Hydrohog's victims the other day," said Sharie tightly. "She is not yet fully recovered from the effects. She should never have fought at all. Speaking of which...Delphine....?"

"I am fine, overly tired, but fine. I slipped away to rehydrate, and I came back to find Ashley had fainted."

Indeed, Ashely was out cold, her skin was clammy, her breathing slightly ragged with effort. Sharie, with a sinking feeling, had expected this to happen. *Gods, can't *anything* ever go right anymore?*

TJ came running back, bottle of water in hand. Sharie quickly uncorked it and, supporting the girl's head, forced her to swallow some. It had the intended effect.

"Oh..." she mumbled, regaining consciousness. "What hit me?"

"You fainted," said Sharie softly. "How do you feel?"

"Like someone kicked me in the head and stomach, but I will be fine, I suppose," she grumped, but gave a weak smile. "I will be fine, honest."

Alpha, standing nearby, was bent over the readouts emanating from the console.

"Wait a minute, Rangers," he said suddenly. "I think I have found something...strange readings emanating from some undergound caves in southern Angel Grove."

"I know those caves," said Jason suddenly. "Tommy and I went spelunking with his twin brother and Adam a couple of times."

There was a flash of blue light, and a familiar voice said, "I've been there myself, when I did research often."

"Billy!" both Adam and Jason grinned, giving their old friend bear hugs and slaps on the back. "How are you, man? Where's Cestria? What brought you here?"

"Whoa, one question at a time. Cestria's fine, I came to help, she could not come because...uh..." Billy blushed which the shy boy still did easily. When his freinds raised their eyebrows at him, he grinned, a bit foolishly. "Uh...Cestria and I are going to be parents."

It took them a moment to get over their dumbfounded looks, then they grinned. "Congratulations, man," said Jason. "You two must be proud."

"Oh, we are," the former blue ranger assured him. "We had planned to have a couple of kids if it was possible, anyway." His blue gaze flickered to Tami, who was leaning on Sharie again, her expression numb and morose. "The child's brother...was taken, word has it."

Sharie nodded, gently disengaging the girl's arms from her waist. Tami signed nothing, but her golden gaze flickered in protest. She blinked, startled, when Anna came up behind her and took her hand, pulling her away, her expression sympathetic. Tami did not resist, and seemed glad for the company, though two years seperated her and Anna's ages.

Sharie led Billy over to the console, quietly explaining what had gone on earlier. His blue eyes opened wide when she told him about the zeo warrior powers, and she knew that, if this adventure ever got over with, he would want to examine them for himself.

"And yet, Zordon gave the others the Turbo keys," he mused.

"That is because the warrior powers are less powerful than the regular Zeo Powers. They would not have been enough to defeat Divatox," said Sharie. "They are best used to get out of the thick of things, and if the boys volunteer to show us the caves, then we can find Toby and finally defeat the Hydrohog."

"Of course," said Jason. "But what about Toby's twin?" he gestured at Tami. "And Adam's sister? They will need watched."

From lipreading, Tami had gotten the gist of what he said, and her golden gaze flashed omniously. "I am *coming!*" she signed tersely. "I do not need watched. This is my *brother* we are talking about here!"

Billy raised an eyebrow. He had not known that the girl was deaf. "She cannot hear, and she insists on coming?"

"I agreed to let her do it. She would not take no for an answer, and she has fighting skills of her own," said Sharie levelly. "All three children came into extended contac with the Zeo Energy field, either could call upon their own powers at this point. However, Adam, do you want your sister tagging along as well?"

Before he could respond, Anna loudly gave her own answer. "I want to come! Anna is my friend now, I want to help!"

****

Adam gave a loud sigh. "I have no choice. I cannot drop her back off at my folks. If they knew about this they would freak out. Especially after what happened *last* time."

Sharie felt her face drain of blood as she thought again of her aunt and uncle. Unless she had to, she was not going to spring this news on them if at all possible, unless she had to or Toby was safely rescued. She did not want to chance her aunt having a miscairrage from the shock of never seeing her son again.

Especially since this was her own fault.

"Ay-yi-yi," said Alpha suddenly. "I am picking up some more strange readings, Rangers."

Andros looked at them and frowned. "Those are Darkonda's readings."

"How do you know?" asked Billy.

He hesistated, then with a sigh pulled a silver locket from under his tunic. He opened it, and pulled out a smaller silver disk. "I saw those same readings on the recording I have of my sister's kidnapping. When I saw that Darkonda's matched, I was completely certain that it was indeed, he, that took Karone."

"Would you let me see that, Andros?" asked Sharie gently, knowing how testy he was about the recording. "I need to confirm some things, but I also have an idea, that may be helpful in locating precisely and rescuing Troy-- maybe even defeat the Hydrohog."

Andros's hazel eyes flashed momentarily, and he bit his lip, warring for a moment against his privacy and the need for the greater good. Sharie knew that only Andros and Carlos had ever seen the recording, the others had come across him but had left before they had seen anything.

Finally, weighing the consequences of his actions, he slipped the small silver disk into Sharie's hand. He followed her to a back console, where she slipped the small disk into the appropriate compartment. She activated the readings at the same time the recording was activated.

The scene of a young Andros and a pretty little girl, obviously his sister, playing with a telekenesis ball. The ball went flying, and six-year-old Andros went to get it. Screaming was heard as a blurry figure could be seen snatching the girl, and she struggled and screamed loudly for her brother.

"Andros, help me!"

"Karone? *Karone!*"

Andros slumped while it was playing, burying his face in his hands as the screams shook his mind and temporarily transported him into the past. He was never able to really watch as his guilt had grown, but this recording, and her ring, was his last connections with his sister, and he had to hold onto them.

He jumped as he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder, and he suddenly found himself staring into Sharie's purple eyes, as they gently told him, "I understand."

A shadowy figure was seen running in the trees, with Karone still crying for her brother, then the recording ended.

There was stunned silence on the bridge. Everyone was too shocked by what they had just seen to say anything. Adam reached for Anna, and she went willingly as he picked her up and held her tightly. Nobody made a sound, even when DECA announced, "Recordings match."

Finally, Sharie attempted to stand up, and was somehow unsurprised to find her knees like jelly and she felt rather dizzy. In an instant Trey was at her side, supporting her. Her thoughts whirled. Poor Andros! No wonder he had never shown this to anybody--it was too horrifyingly painful!

Just as suddenly, she let go of her trembling brother--he had been badly affected also--to look at Tami. She was shocked by what she saw.

Tami was still standing as if she was frozen, a look of total horror in her golden eyes and her hands over her mouth. Sudden tears welled in her eyes and started to trickle down her face. Her knees gave way, and she sank down on them, hunched over on the floor, her face in her hands, her slim body shaking with silent sobs.

Sharie quickly went to her young cousin and gathered her up. Tami buried her face in Sharie's chest and shook like a leaf. The girl's telepathy suddenly seemed to go out of control, or Sharie's barriers were not up like they should have been, for even as she heard the girl's voice in her mind, the small hands were trembling, over and over agian, "No! I won't have it! I cannot, I *won't* let it happen to me and Toby. It must never, EVER happen again--to *anyone!*"

****

It did not take them long to decide how to attack. Sharie forbade either Delphine or Ashley to come along, for she feared that another attack would weaken them so severely that they would become very ill again. It was not just the jumping around that was causing the problem, it was the flow of Morphin Energy through their systems that caused such a state.

She, Tami, Adam, Anna, Jason, Trey, Cassie, Andros, Corcus, and Tideus were the ones that were going along, the rest were, by necessity, staying behind to keep monitoring for any signs of the Hydrohog.

Teleporting, the group found themselves a short distance outside of the caves, and they advanced very warily, aware that an ambush could happen at any time. Sticking close together, Adam holding Anna firmly and Sharie keeping a tight grip on Tami, the got closer...and closer...

****

Ecliptor came running. "We have intruders, my princess," he rasped upon reaching Astronema. "It is those pesky power brats. They are headed straight in this direction."

"Damn. Looks like they found our location and are after the boy."

"That's not all. The twin is with them, and another girl I have not seen before. I think she is that other one that Darkonda mentioned--the one he almost grabbed instead of the boy."

Astronema only looked thougtful. "Hmmmm...."

"Well, since the Hydrohog is very nearly ready, he is no longer here. So I am not worried about that. I might let them have the boy, but they will have to still fight for him first. Send a flock of quantrons out to them, start things a rollin'. Oh, Darkonda..." she called musically. He had very nearly ruined her plans, and her cheshire cat smile spoke of the punishment she was going to deal him....but is too gruesome to describe here.

****

The advancing group was harldy surprised when the quantrons attacked. They swiftly called upon their powers for defense, and were morphed several light-flashes later.

Sharie and Adam were very adament this time about the two young children staying close behind them as they fought. Neither cared to risk the children getting hurt, though it was plain Tami was trying hard to fight the impulse to simply dash into the cave to find her brother.

Back in the cave, Toby could clearly see the gradual approach of the others as they fought the quantrons, and he knew that rescue was at hand. He began to struggle again as he saw the others approach the cave entrance. He struggled even harder when he saw the lavendar flash of Tami's uniform.

Darkonda was a bounty hunter who was not about to let any prize of his away, no matter *what* Astronema said. He unlatched the boy and held him immoble, and his mind invaded that of the deaf child.

*You won't get away. You're *mine*, my boy!*

To his surprise, he felt an angry response, for he had been unaware the boy had any telepathic ability. *We'll just see about that, you spiney slug!*

Just then, the main cave exploded in energy as the quantrons were driven inside, followed by the Quantrons. Darkonda started to slink away, Toby still struggling in his grasp. He was unprepared when the boy stilled suddenly, took a deep breath, and blasted a very sharp whistle within the limited hearing range he and Tami had..

Tami's head jerked up, and she saw Darkonda bearing her brother away. She gasped and nudged Sharie before blasting a sharp whistle back. Darkonda stopped, surprised. Meanwhile, Asrtonema had vanished and the rangers present had gotten the best of the quantrons.

Tami finally knocked one over with such force--in part due to her powers-- that even Darkonda was surprised by her vhemence. His grip on Toby slackened just a fraction, but it was enough for the boy to sense it. He managed to jerk free and kick Darkonda right between the legs, making the monster howl in pain and drop Toby entirely.

The boy backed away and immediately called upon his Zeo Warrior powers for protection, there being a flash of silver before his anger got the best of him and he launched himself at Darkonda, determined to pay him back for the misery he had caused. He sent a flying leap in Darkonda's face, sending him sprawling. A moment later, a lavendar and white whirlwhind, where Tami and Anna had managed to jerk free and get away from their relatives, and Darkonda felt he could not stand the onslaught of all three little devils. He was kicked again and again, and sent flying, before Anna and Toby ran in one direction, and Tami in the other, as the last of the Quantrons were vanquished.

The silence resounded after Sharie had sent the last quantron packing, and everyone watched, relieved, as Tami and Toby, as well as Anna, were out of reach of Darkonda as he vanished in a huff.

The twins picked themselves up off the floor for one last time, then turned and faced each other for a moment...but only a moment. Then their feet were flying as they hurled themselves into each other's arms, and Tami cried. They hugged with the desepration that twins would feel on being seperated....that any two people so close would feel upon seperation.

"Let's go," signed Toby at last. "I want out of here. I think we all do."

Anna grinned in relief as she made her way back to her brother, and Adam looked slightly stern as he grabbed her up and hugged her hard, before pulling back, his black eyes meeting hers.

"I should say what you did was foolish," he said softly, but the look in her eyes had already convinced him otherwise. "But I would only say it because I was worried. Anna Park...I am very, very proud of you." She smiled again as he hugged her.

"But should we tell Mom and Dad this anyways?" she asked. Adam snickered.

"If we do, it had better be as delicately as possible."

*Likewise,* thought Sharie wearily, smiling wanely as the twins hurled themselves into her arms. Usually she would not have hesistated to tell her aunt and uncle, but now....Marisha was pregnant.

Darkonda was not finished yet. If he could not keep his prize, nobody would. Something materialized in the cave, and a moment later, everything began to shake.

"Run!" nobody really knew who said it, but suddenly everyone was moving toward the cave entrance. The Triforians, each clutching a twin, were last.

The others got out of the cave, but before the last four could, enormous boulders fell over the entrance, blocking it. Sharie could not help it, she lunged for Toby, knocking him out of the way of a rockslide. She grabbed Tami with the other hand and pushed them against a wall, onto the floor, doing the best to shield both small bodies with her own. A moment later, she felt her brother stumble down beside her, joining her as they formed a protective barrier over the children, sheilding them completely.

For several minutes, the shaking refused to cease. Sharie felt like she was suffocating from the dust in the air, she could only imagine what the air was like for the children trapped beneath her.

At last, the shaking ceased, and Sharie lifted her head. She looked around, unable to stifle a couple of sneezes at the dust. The children stirred as they sat up, then began to sneeze also.

"At least when you two were crushing us, you were filtering out most of the dust, too," Toby grumped good-naturedly between sneezes. "Now, what say we get out of here, if possible?"

Trey, using his staff, was able to levitate some of the boulders away, enough for them to get through. Each supporting a twin, they made their way over to and over the pile and outside, to the considerable astonishement to those gathered nearby, including Carlos, who had joined them when he had gotten the news.

"Querida!" he gasped when she had reached him, and she gasped in surprise when he pulled her close and kissed her in front of everyone. "You really know how to bring the terror out in everyone, don't you?" he asked as he held her tightly. "We could not even find your signals. Are you okay?"

"We're all okay," she said, reassuring him. "It just took us awhile to get out."

"Thank goodness," he sighed before kissing her again. "We were worried sick.

****

Back on board the Megaship, the group found themselves having to say goodbye to Jason, Adam, and Anna. The three would have to get back before they were missed, though Tami especially was sad at having to see her new friend leave.

"Trust me, we are all in the same boat no matter where we are," said Anna before Adam picked her up to leave. "I'll see you later, Tami and Toby-- just don't get destroyed in a monster attack before then, okay?"

The twins laughed silently as the three waved good-bye and vanished. They were leaving thmselves, for Marek and Marisha had returned.

Discussion resumed as to what to do when the Hydrohog attacked again. Another of those icy feelings was running up Sharie's spine, and she was fairly certain that the time was almost at hand when they would again be facing their unwanted foe. Zordwise, they were all as prepared as they could be. Trey had the Pyramidas, she had control of her Sphinx Ultrazord, the Lightstar Rangers had the new Voyager Zords, and the Aquitians would be taking advantage of the old zords discovered in the ocean depths.

Sharie also kept an ample supply of the cure she had developed at hand, just in case anybody else fell victim to the Hydrohog's touch. This time, she was taking no chances whatsoever. She was glad the twins were safely back with their parents, and Marisha had not been too rattled when she heard the news. She trusted her neice, and she was used to the strange and unusual happening to them.

Now, with everything ready, the hardest part was to come.

The wait.

****

"There!" said Astronema triumphantly to the Hydrohog. "You are now fully restored, with a little extra power to boot. It is time you get your squishy old rear end p and destroy those rangers--all of them!" "Yeah, yeah," grumbled the Hydrohog, still sore. "I will be more careful this time--my electrons still hurt like...Maybe this time I'll tackle those five fish freaks first, then go for the rest of the power pukes later."

"You won't go alone, whicever you do. I am sending a couple of other monsters with you, to make sure you finish the job this time. You won't come back to me alive if you fail me again."

"Why can't I go *alone*?" the Hydrohog whined. "I have a score to settle!"

"Too bad about that, baitbreath. They will be under your command, understood?"

"All right, okay," grumped the Hydrohog, storming off to make last-minute preparations. "Whatever happens, those power punks are mine! I will attack in the desert, even, if it means getting my hands on them!"

****

Finally, the wailing sirens on the Megaship told them what they had been waiting for.

"Monster mahem detected," said DECA calmly. There was a collective sigh, and everyone more or less was thinking, *here we go*.

"Location?" asked Andros tiredly.

"Angel Grove Desert."

Sharie slumped. "Wonderful, the desert. It is a wonder he did not start up again on the Earth's water supply right away. DECA, is it just the Hydrohog?"

"Negative, Sharie. Three other monsters detected besides the Hydrhog."

Sharie bit her lip in frustration. "That means we have to split up and go four ways, and I still don't want either Ashely or Delphine in combat unless absolute emergency dictates it."

The latter two agreed, though very reluctantly. Ashley still had a headache, and she guessed Delphine was not faring much better. The group scattered to their various Zords, preparing to take on the Hydrohog and company.

****

The fighting was fierce, as Astronema had already blown her monsters up to Zord size, one monster for each Zord set.

The zords dredged up by the Aquitins were doing a great job battling a monster that looked like an elephant that, ironically, squealed like a mouse every time it was hit. The fighting here was pretty even.

The Voyager Zords were joined to form the Voyager Megazord, huffing it out for a monster with no real defenition for it's shape--except when it chose to assume one instead of being a pile of goo.

"I am called IVAN OOZE!!!" bellowed the purple guy, laying it out and sending the Voyager Megazord on it's face. "Nobody MESSES with ME!!!"

Trey had borrowed the Megaship to form the Astro-Zeo Ultrazord, only the second time it had ever been formed. The Megaship added mobility to the rather stiff Pyramidas, and it was able to duke it out with a typical- looking green dinosaur monster with one unusual feature--wolverine-like claws protruding from it's back. Thankfully, the monster was not too bright, and it's fighting skills were terrible.

Sharie found herself facing the unplesant task of duking it out with the Hydrohog open-handed (so to speak). Neither could gain the advantage over the other, and this made the Hydrohog furious as he tried one move after another without success, for the Violet Ranger was evenly countering them with matched moves of her own.

Astronema, impatient for this to be over with, pumped even more power from the Dark Fortress into the goons out in the desert.

The effects of this soon showed, as the monsters began to gain the upper hand. Sharie yelped in pain as a blow from the Hydrohog sent her zord flying, and her as well. She crashed into a nearby console, her whole body throbbing in pain. Reluctantly, she called upon the help of Ashely and Delphine, for every mind was needed to get them out of this mess and figure out how to defeat the monsters.

After a little side discussion with the two, who had joined her and were holding onto the very sides of their chairs while Sharie continued to pilot her zord, they came up with a partial plan that might improve their lot. An Alpha pulse might shrink the monsters so they could be faced head-on.

She did just that, watching as the monsters yelped in misery and pain, and they trembled as they gradually shrunk down to their regular sizes. Now hand-to-hand combat was in order.

They met out in the open desert for the final battle. Sharie made sure that Delphine and Ashley would stay as far in the background as possible, fighting only in self-defense unless actions dictated otherwise.

Andros and TJ found it near-impossible to fight Ivan Ooze. He was swift and slimy, and they cringed in disgust at the ooze that followed his wake. When TJ finally managed to knock him down temporarily, his foot got covered in the purple guk.

"You ooze, you lose," he grumbled to himself. "Yuk!"

Trey found himself being thrown in the air, and when he hit the ground he rolled to a stop, sore and feeling battered. He got stumbling to his feet, his patience completely snapped and his temper frayed.

"That does it!" he snapped. "Time for a Gold Rush!"

Sparks exploded as Trey, now half-invisible, rushed straight through the monster, shouting "Ki-yuh!" The dinosaur monster was thrown aside, but did not explode.

The elephant monster, tired of attacking the Aquitian Rangers, chose Corcus and Tideus, standing together, as his next target. They immediately pulled a classic move--as soon as he reached them, they seperated and went in opposite directions, sending him crashing into the cactus they had been standing in front of, one that was especially covered in needle-like, razor- sharp spines.

"YYYYEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!" he howled in absolute agony, hands over his body filled with thorns, especially his trunk and rear end. For once, the two aquitians lost all inhibitions, and howled in laughter.

Delphine was so tired she could harldy move to fight, and she was being forced to to keep the spiny-backed monster off her and Trey, as he was coming for them both by then. She was weakening, and she knew that she would be unable to stay on her feet for much longer.

Ashley felt even worse. She was completely exhausted, dizzy, and she felt distinctly like she was going to lose the contents of her stomach at any moment. Just in time to avoid a mortal blow by Ivan Ooze, she sank to her knees, gasping and clutching her head. Andros, seeing how desperate the situation really was, ducked over and picked Ashley up and hauled her back out of immediate danger.

Astronema, furious by now at the slowness of it all, pumped even more power into her monsters, though thanks to the Alpha pulse, she could not blow them back up to Zord size. However, things got really out of hand as the monsters began to defeat the rangers quickly, sending in blow after blow that sent the rangers more or less sprawling. Delphine collapsed also, and had to be dragged away to join Ashley.

Sharie was also exhausted, and she realized that whatever Astronema had done to the hydrohog, he now had the ability to drain the strength from her body as she fought him. That was not all, the scanners on her helmet told her. Vast sources of water were disappearing all over the place. The huge clouds forming also attested to this fact.

Something had to be done, and now. Two rangers were permanently down, and the others were desperately trying to protect them from the ever-advancing monsters. Sharie knew she had to act.

She had only one more idea, and she had to get close enough to the Hydrohog to make it work without attracting the monster's attention to her plan.

"Trey!" she called. "I need your help!"

Though he desperately did not want to leave Delphine, Sharie was the only one off to the side, and she was battling the Hydrohog alone. The other three were barreling down on the other rangers. He came at once.

"Distract him, if you can!" she hissed. "I have an idea, but I need my hands free and without him realizing what I am going to do!"

"I'll do my best, Lalinka," he vowed. *And by Triune's Peak, I hope you are successful!*

Moving stealthily away, Sharie secretly began programming her Zeo Laser Pistol to emit an Anti-Proton Hydroburst, with a few other little items that would hopefully ensure the destruction of the Hydrohog--but only if blasted at extremely close range. She would pay the consequences for getting so close, she knew. At least the shock would also cause a cascade reaction and destroy the other monsters as well.

She finished just as the Hydrohog knocked her brother back and prepared to deliver a death blow. Even as he struggled to his feet, his power staff having been knocked from his hand, leaving him defenseless, a violet blur sent them both crashing aside just as the Hydrohog lunged. They hit the ground, Sharie landing on top of her brother.

"I'm going in, Trey," she panted. "This is it, and our only chance."

"Lalinka, no!" he gasped as he realized her intentions. "You will be killed!"

"Trey, I love you, and gods knows I would hate to leave you, but this is a risk that must be taken. The blast will demorph everyone, but will also destroy the monsters if it works right. It must be done."

She could feel him trembling, and he suddenly hugged her, hard. "I love you, Lalinka. May the power protect you." She was sure she caught a sob on the edge of his tone.

"I love you too, Trey. Remember, we are always together here." She touched him, breifly, where the chestplate of his uniform covered his heart. She let go of him then, feeling her eyes sting as she went to complete her job.

"All right, Hydrohog," she snarled. "This ends, here and now. Enough of your misery!"

"You will pay for this, Violet Menace, I swear! I will kill you here and now. Prepare to die!!!" The Hydrohog had clearly had enough of her, she mused, as he launched himself at her, and they fought furiously even as Sharie was continually weakened by his power drainage.

Finally, it got to the point that even a tornado blow sent Sharie sprawling, her pistol flying. The Hydrohog grabbed her up, snarling menacingly, "I don't care how much I will hurt from this, but I will see you dead! Say goodnight, Gracie!" He clamped her on her arm...

The pain was worse than anything she could recall, the fire licking every nerve ending of her body, making her scream in agony even as the Hydrohog also groaned in pain, the fire from the poisonous reaction burning his body as well.

Sharie did not know how she managed it, but with a last burst of strength, she managed to kick the Hydrohog right between the legs. He yelled in startled misery and dropped her. Dimly, she sensed several things, from her brother's horror and pain to the shock and dismay of the others, and the dispair by Carlos, terrified of losing her.

She vaguely realized that he had not held onto her as long as he had done with Delphine and Ashley, and maybe it was the reason she could think at all...

To everyone's amazement, she began to stir, as Hydrohog clutched himself with more than one kind of pain. Weakly, she groped for her nearby pistol, which was still there even though the Hydrohog's touch had demorphed her. She raised it and rasped, "Farewell, Hydrohog!" She fired, her aim dead- on. It started a chain-reaction, the Hydrohog exploding, and fire catching on the other monsters and causing them to self-destruct as well.

Sharie no longer had the strength to move. She slumped again, her world going hazy the rain released from the clouds above soaking her. Vaguely, she was aware of pounding feet in her direction, crying her name--and strong arms gathering her up. It was Trey--and he was trembing so!

She knew that if she died, she did not want him to follow her in death. It was very possible he would at least try. But she had no more strenght to tell him this.

"Lalinka..." he whispered, holding her. "Oh, Lalinka..."

She coughed, wheezing as the poison acted with sudden speed on her T riforian body, clamping her chest in a vise and the mists in her mind turing a pitch black. Another knifing pain shot through her chest and abdomen, and she gasped, shuddered, and went limp, surrenduring to the darkness that promised death.

****

Almost complete darkenss. She was still aware of them all, of their anguish, of Trey's, especially. She could hear his mind, vowing to follow her, he would not be left alone again...she ferverently hoped Delphine could convince him to stay among the living.

She felt Carlos, clutching deseprately at her searingly-hot hand, but she could not reach him. She wished she could, to comfort him, but she could not even reach out with her mind.

Fire was searing every point in her body, the burning in her chest made worse by what little oxygen seemed to be making it's way into her lungs. She felt like lightning had hit her heart as she felt it stop completely, and she could hear the frantic sounds that followed the flatlined biomonitor.

If she died, she figured, Hell could not be much worse.

Several more jolts re-fired her body, and she felt the burning pain as she was electrocuted back to life....only to have her heart stop again moments later. The action was repeated before she felt the hypospray touch her arm, and heard the soft hiss....and the pain lessen at last. Sharie finally relaxed....and could hear no more.

****

"Damn!" Roared Astronema. "Damn, Damn, DAMN!" she paced furiously. "I *knew* he could not do anything right, I just *KNEW*! But I was *so close*!" Her golden hair tumbled into her hazel eyes, so like Andros's, though she did not know this, or of Darkonda's betrayal the day of her long- ago kidnapping. She immediately set out to plan her next conquest, and to threaten Zedd and Rita in case they paid her an "I-told-you-so" call.

****

Trey was staring so hard into space he might as well have been suffering from color withdrawl, others mused, as he stayed by Sharie's side and did not budge. Delphine and Ashely were sleeping, physically exhausted, on nearby biobeds, and everyone let him have his space....except Carlos, who was not bound to leave her side, either.

Trey blinked, startled, as he felt a sudden tug on his hand. He glanced down, shocked, as he found himself staring into startlingly clear purple eyes. Not only was she awake, she appeared lucid!

"Trey..." were the first words out of her mouth. "If you ever again think about killing yourself just because I die, I swear I will..." she gave him a weak smile, even as her words made him realize that she had not been so out of it after all.

"Lalinka," he choked, two lone tears stealing down his face. "How do you feel?"

"Sore," she rasped, coughing. "The others?..."

"Fine. Delphine and Ashley are recovering nearby."

Sharie felt an impatient tug on her other hand, and she knew that Carlos had been waiting to talk to her. Trey graciously backed off for a moment as Carlos leaned down and kissed her, his eyes suspicously wet. "You gave us quite a scare, querida," he managed.

"Sorry." she raised her other hand to her temple, finally noting her two IV-pierced hands. "I was not *that* bad, was I?" she asked mildly.

Trey gave her a pained look and nodded, and she suddenly did not care how dizzy she might become as she reached up and locked her arms around his neck, hugging him hard. "Sorry, Trey, for causing you so much worry. I do not plan on leaving this plain of existence for awhile yet."

"That is good to hear, Lalinka, it really is."

****

Two days later, Sharie, feeling much better, sat by Carlos watching the waves lapping gently on the water of the lake. It was sunset, and the sun was behind them, warming their backs as Sharie absently curled against her boyfriend, one arm tightly around her and the other absently stroking her hair. He seemed uneasy about something, and she wanted him to say it. WIthout moving, she voiced the thought in his mind. He sighed and took a deep breath, glancing down at her for a moment, taking in her pale face, and the fact she had some weight to gain back after the past several days. Should he even tell her? But something told him not to hold back.

"Trey was not the only one who wanted to die the other day when you went down," he confessed quietly. "I wanted to also, Querida. Facing life wtihout you--" he pulled away enough to look into her eyes. "I am not sure I could do it. I have never been sure since you came into my life five weeks ago."

"Carlos..." her hands framed his face gently. "Should I ever die, I would want you to go on. You are young, and I do not want your life cut short because of me, just like I would not want Trey's to do so. I told him as much. I would want you to find somebody else, if possible, and not be alone."

"I could never love anybody but you," he vowed, tears in his eyes. "You die, Sharie Jeanette Triesta, and you take my own soul with you. I won't have it to give to anybody else."

At the look in his eyes, she leaned up and kissed him, gently, trying to absolve his mind from this problem, and she felt a slow fire as he gently started to kiss her back.

"Querida..." he groaned. "You are not strong enough."

"Nonsense," she mumbled. "We may have forever, Carlos, but there is no time like the present to get started."

Somehow, it absolved his doubts, and he gathered her fully to him, kissing her hungrily and sliding one hand behind her knees, the other behind her back, as he scrambled to his feet, her in his arms.

****

Where an adventure begins, it often ends. Delphine curled against Trey as they watched the prismlike effect on the cave walls of the same undergound cave. His arm was around hers and his head rested atop hers. He was quiet, and she could not blame him. Five weeks had passed since he and Sharie had first been reunited, and she had little doubt that while that had been one of the best things to happen to him, during that time also both had been ripped asunder many times by old wounds, pains, and hurts, and new ones had been created, so many that she doubted he had, in the past, not recieved this much pain or joy in the past five weeks than he usually did in a year or more. Their lives had had many major upheavals as they struggled to get used to the rapid changes, and somehow she doubted it was over yet.

As soon as Sharie had convinced him she was strong enough to get around on her own--it had taken her awhile, too--he had come back to Aquitar with Delphine. It was only then that she had discovered he also had a penchant for nightmares, but he did not talk about them, and she could not bring herself to question him. It was a painful time for both siblings, and she could only do her best to help him adjust to the most recent upheavals. She loved him too much to lose him, and she had little doubt if Sharie had died, she would have had a very hard battle to keep him with her. Both her and his sister were the two sole factors Trey could not live without anymore.

She felt his hand idly run through her hair, and she sighed and drew closer. They were stubborn, though, and death would not overcome either easily, she was certain.

She went gladly when he pulled her up so he could kiss her gently. Tonight was a peaceful night for lovers, and she was going to show him that a renewed faith in that trust was well worth it.