Chapter 6 Reaching for the Stars

        Two weeks passed before Dana was aloud to leave the hospital for the trip to Fatos. By then the new team was firmly installed and the other rangers had everything ready to go. The last thing needed was Dana's medication. Kelsey made the trip to the hospital's pharmacy.

Once that was done the group gathered in Dana's room. She was dressed in a pair of stretch jeans, white sneakers, and a pink T-shirt. Her face had mostly returned to normal but for the silver shields that covered her still healing eye sockets. They'd had to do two full inucliations and restructure the sockets but she was functional thanks to the accelerated healing that the pink power granted to all of it's holders.

"Ready?" Ryan asked his sister and she nodded.

"As ready as I'll ever be." She said and new cane in hand she lead the way from the room. She still didn't like using it, she felt to vulnerable, and to helpless, but for now there was no help for it. She'd learned during her stay there. As soon as she'd been well enough she'd had a mobility instructor there to teach her the basics. The lessons were short as she had still been weak but now she was stronger and was more worried about trusting the long stick than anything else. It was hard to go from complete freedom, not having to even think about it to having to depend on a stick. She'd found that her friends were very willing to help, to be supportive and to even joke around with. Now young thing was going to be tested. She just hoped she was ready.

***

The drive from Mariner bay to the NASADA spaceport in Angel Grove barely took thirty minutes and then it was that. Carter thought about what they were about to do and hoped they could do it. He hoped he was not about to lead his friends to their deaths.

Glancing in the rearview mirror he saw Dana sitting between Kelsey and Chad. The three were quieter than normal but with their mission ahead it was understandable. He just hoped Dana was really ready for this. She was much better but she'd been very quiet for the last few days. It was as if she'd gone completely inside herself. That worried him. He hoped this was not going to be too soon.

*****

The six stood before the starship, unmorphed and their backpacks on their backs.

"You will have to stick together on this trip." Captain Mitchell addressed the group. "You will have no recourse but to depend on your skills and those of your fellow rangers. Although you've done this since becoming rangers the situation before you is in many ways more dangerous. I cannot tell you of what's coming but that if you do not put your trust in each other and yourselves you will not survive." He said and Dana wondered if he was saying this for the sake of the others. She trusted them, believed in them. She knew that they might not trust her though; after all she was not a whole person.

"Carter, this is a great responsibility, leading a team on this sort of a quest, only one other team bas survived it. If you lose faith in your ability, then remember I chose you because I know you to be strong, clever and have more physical and mental endurance than anyone I've ever known."

Next the captain stood before Kelsey.

"Kelsey Winslow you were chosen for your daring and that will be a major asset." She saluted and he moved Joel.

"Joel, you won't be flying but you will need ever bit of your spirit." One more solute and he was standing before Chad.

"Chad, calm and wisdom will allow you to counsel your friends." Chad saluted and William Mitchell reached his son.

"Ryan I know it's a lot to ask after all you have also been through but..."

"I'll protect her with my life." The titanium ranger said also saluting. His father nodded then moved on to the last in line his throat constricted. She was his little girl; she'd been through things he could only imagine. Now she was going to be a galaxy away from them, and in the dark. Clearing his throat he spoke at last.

"Dana, this will be one of the hardest things you've ever had to do but I know you, your the heart of the team. You will both come through this and bring your fellow rangers back."

"Thank you father." She said feeling as if she'd cry. Then he was hugging her, and then Ryan joined them.

"Take care of each other."

"Always." Dana said and she lifted a hand to find her father's cheek, kissing it before stepping back.

"Time to go." Carter said after a nod from Andros. Solemnly the group began to board the shuttle.

"Joel." Ms. Fairweather called running up to him.

"Yeah?" He asked and found her kissing him. He could only hug her and kiss her right back.

"B careful." She said before stepping away from her.

"You know it." He flashed her his world famous grin and board the ship.

Dana took her brother's arm to board the shuttle as much for guidance as for support. They'd both need it now. She was worried about her friends. Chad had been too quiet ever since the mention of the mission, Kelsey was too solemn and Joel's cracks were falling short of funny. Then there were Carter and Ryan, they'd both gone all grim. She didn't know just what was going to happen now but she did know that if they were all so self contained none of them would survive.

***

It was Ashley who gave THE LIGHTSPEED RESCUE RANGERS the Tour of the star explorer.

"You will be here for 3 days so we picked out your rooms. Dana you and Kelsey will have the first room on the left." As she explained

Dana wondered what to do next. She wanted to do a little exploring of the room; the thing was she'd feel really silly if the others knew exactly how. She was forced to wait until the end of the tour. It would be rude after all they were helping her friends defeat Bansheera. She owed them just for that alone.

"Once you get settled we'll show you the Simudeck`. You can do some training or whatever you like there." Andros sc when they wound up on the bridge.

"Come on." Kelsey tried to take Dana's arm to lead her back to their quarters but her friend pulled away.

"I can do it. Just talk and I'll follow your voice." Dana told her.

Ryan caught the slight flinch of the yellow ranger. He had been feeling bad for his sister so hadn't even noticed just how Kelsey was doing. Now he noted her thinness, the bags beneath her eyes and the lack of color to her cheeks.

"Come on." He said taking her arm in a completely unexpected gesture as he led her from the room.

Carter waited until Dana started from the room, and then followed a few steps behind. He'd seen what she was trying to do, even understand it. He'd do the same thing, he tended to try and do things himself.

Carter's attention was brought back to the present when Dana veered off to the right, her cane off to the left, and her right shoulder connected hard with the wall.

"Stupid wall!" She growled kicking it. Then blushed when she realized they were probably all watching her.

"Come on." Dana felt Carter's hand on her shoulder and she jerked out of his hold.

"I'm not a baby! I have to do this myself!" She said in frustration, adding. "If I don't we'll all die?" She said and turning abruptly she started off again. Dana misjudged the angle and bounced off the other wall. "Arg!" She growled again and he wished there was a way to help her. The thing was he knew that sometimes you just had to do it yourself. He'd been the same way until...

****

It took Dana over twenty minutes to reach her room. Once there she stalked in, letting the door slide shut behind her. Then she let the tears of frustration come. She was going to get them all killed if she didn't get this right.]

Taking a deep breath the pink ranger pulled herself together, she could do this, would do this. That in mind, she propped her cane against a wall and put out her hands.

***

Kelsey sat on the ridge overlooking the ocean. The water was blue, all but the foam breaking against the rocks. It was the color of the soft blue clouds spotting the azure sky. How had this all gone so wrong? They were supposed to be the good guys, fighting the evil, righting the wrongs. Yet her best friend was hurt beyond repair, the team was splintering. She could feel it. Chad was going even deeper inward, Joel was not laughing anymore, carter was always watching Dana with a helpless look on his face, and Ryan, and this was tearing him up. He'd not even really had time to talk to Dana about what happened.

She didn't know about him but she wanted to know why Dana had been in the park. It was not like her to take such risks. Kelsey was sure that her friend hadn't been thinking of the risks of walking alone in the park.

"Mind some company?" Kelsey looked up to find Ryan standing there and shrugged.

"Free Simudeck." She muttered.

For a while both sat listening to the breakers crash of the waves on the jetty and the sound of sea gulls overhead. It was not usually a scene either would have enjoyed but right now the peace was what they all needed. Kelsey wished suddenly for her repelling gear.

"She didn't mean to snap at you." The quiet assurance in his voice had Kelsey looking at the light haired boy. The wind was blowing his blond hair, the spray dampening his face and his silver eyes were understanding. She marveled at that, he was so understanding, after what he'd gone through growing up it didn't make much sense.

"How can you be so accepting?" She blurted out the question. Ryan looked from her to a turn diving beneath the water. Kelsey thought after a few more minutes that Ryan wasn't going to answer but then he shrugged.

"The last month my life went from revenge oriented and alone to being a member of a team and having a family."

"Then to have Dana get hurt..." Kelsey shook her head.

"It's odd, you'd think I'd not feel anything for her, you know since I was only 6 at the time of the accident but things started to change during the battle when I tried to kill her with my axe. It was almost like I was attacking a part of myself, the brainwashing was starting to break then I think. She kept trying to get through to me but..."

"It would be hard. When people tell you the same thing over and over again it gets to you, causes reactions." She said king that all too well, not many knew about what had happened with her grandmother but maybe now it was time to tell him. "Carter Dana and Chad are the only ones who know about my Grandmother." She looked down at the black rocks jutting out of the water; still she felt his eyes on her. "She's very rich, very and after my mother married my father she disowned her, thus disclaiming me." Thinking back she swallowed hard. "She did after my father left us. She took my mother back but only spoke to me to say how much of a disappointment I was. Even as she helped you she'd say I was just like Dad and a bum. I was seven then and I heard it all the way up. My mom couldn't say anything in my defense or grandmother would have put us out, mom was not useless but there was just no work in town she didn't want to leave Mariner bay, it was where she grew up. So we stayed and whenever we saw her Grandmother would say something..." She said resting her hands on her knees. "If it was not for becoming a ranger...." She felt the hand on her arm. Looking up she found an understanding look in his mesmerizing silvery

Eyes.

"What happened?"

"Carter, see we were on this mission and I had to get this Crystal from Grandmother. She almost didn't hand it over, and he... He talked to her and convinced me to not give up. When we lost it..." tears filled her eyes and then she smiled. "We did get it back and for the first time there was both respect and pride in her eyes when she looked at more." She smiled remembered. "We've been better since then but I don't know sometimes I can still hear what she always said and it hurts." Again they sat in silence, both uncertain what to say or do.

"That, at least I haven't had to deal with, the whole situation has not let there be time for any of that." He said a rye smile crossing his lips.

***

"You ok man?" Joel asked Chad who was sitting on the floor in a corner of their quarters. The blue ranger had been too quiet lately and his friend was really starting to worry. Chad was like that from time to time but usually he gave them all words of wisdom. Now...

"Yes, I've just been thinking that maybe we're not meant to beat the queen." Ha said.

"What? Man that's crazy. After all we've given up and lost we have to be."

"Then what was the point to what Dana's going through? She's good, she never hurt anyone..." The blue ranger exploded.

"I don't know man." Joel said his friends lack of optimism shaking him to the core. Chad was the one to always believe... If he was like this... "Maybe it's so that we could learn about this power, so we could have a chance to find and to destroy Bansheera." Joel said thoughtfully. Chad looked deep in thought but said no more as he closed his eyes.

**

Cursing Dana rubbed the top of her head. Why was it they always put shelves at her head level? Were they trying to make things difficult for blind people?

It struck her that the star-explorer was not built for the blind. Anything ranger oriented was. That was why she would never be one again. That would be so hard. She was having enough trouble walking without injuring herself. The urge to hurl her cane across the ground was intense; instead she took a deep breath and began again. She could do this would do this...

***

Carter found he couldn't just sit and wait so found himself wondering the ship. He entered the bridge to find Andros seated in the captain's chair looking up he didn't seem surprised to see him there.

"It's hard to wait." The astro ranger said nodding to another chair to his left.

"Yeah, knowing what hangs in the balance and that your team is coming apartment at the seems." He murmured.

"I just keep thinking that if I'd just done something different, if I'd asked Dana to five Ryan the tour, that she'd still be alright and that we'd all be alright." Carter sighed glad to have someone who'd understand. The mission the astro team had had one of the hardest missions in the history of the rangers, they'd done it.

"Thinking like that can just get you and the others hurt. Do you know that my sister was kidnapped when we were little, for years I felt it was my fault? Because of that I tried to keep my search for her a secret from the others." Andros's eyes went slightly distant. "Because of that Carlos nearly died. It took that and Ashley to teach me just how a team works." Andros smiled slightly at the name of his wife. "The situations seem different but their not. You have all just been knocked for a loop, you found out just how vulnerable you are, and it scares you. All of you. The thing is you have to get past that, to take the risks, to remember that things do happen for a reason and that you were the one to show Ryan around for a reason."

"I don't know, seeing Dana's frustration and pain over the last few was just makes it hard to believe in fate or anything else."

"Funny you say that. I used to believe only that being alone 1 could do anything."

"And now?"

"I told you, the strength of the team is key."

Carter sat thinking about that.

***

Dana let out a whoop of victory, she'd done it, she knew every inch of the room and the last three times around she'd not even bumped anything but what she was looking for. Just then the door and she wondered who it was.

"Hello?"

"Sorry, I should have knocked." Ashley said and Dana was too happy about her new accomplishment to be annoyed at the intrusion.

"It's ok. What's up?" The pink ranger asked.

"I was doing some reading about Fatos and I can't tell you what's coming but I have an idea of how to prepare you." Ashley said and Dana frowned.

"You think you can? But I'm useless." She couldn't even tell the flipping time.

Ashley saw the frustration cross her face. Made her way to stand a little closer.

"I know it's hard to believe, Dana but you have another sense you haven't even tapped." The one time yellow ranger said softly then added. "Put your right hand out in front of you." Confused Dana did and was surprised to feel a slight brush of something against her palm. Closing her fingers she found the spinning ball UN attached to anything.

"Woe, how'd you do that?" Dana beard herself ask. Ashley just laughed and proceeded to explain about the development of her own Telekinesis.

"You really think it will help?"

"Yeah, you never know when you'll have your hands full and still need to throw things."

"Your right." Dana smiled and asked. "Think you can teach me?"

"On one condition, let's go grab some dinner first."

"You're on." Dana laughed realizing that she was actually a little hungry.

TBC