Disclaimer: I don't own anything

Okay, for all you that love fluff, here you go. Whew, I'm lucky I got this chapter up when I did. I basically spent most of this week trying to convince my jerk of an ex-boyfriend that it was not me that egged his car; it was my boyfriend and bandmates. Hehe. I just watched and conveniently held the egg carton...

Oh and to all Japanese speakers, sorry if the translation for "power within" is incorrect. I used an online dictionary...

Thanks to the reviewers!

CillatyVer. 2.0: I'm afraid that answer won't be revealed until the final battle, which isn't for another two or so chapters. Hope I keep you hooked long enough to find out...

Ghostwriter: Wonky? Haha, is that a technical term?

kEs-2717: Like it says above, I'm lucky I got it up in under a week...

Titanium Gold: Haha! I laugh in the face of writer's block! Lucky for all you readers, I write out the story before typing it on the computer...

And everyone else: Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I am blown away with all the great reviews!

Warning: Extremely mild implications to sex. Nothing offensive or lewd but just a heads up.

Chapter 11

Strengths of Love and Heart

Hunter ran along the shores of Blue Bay Harbor's beach, his head thrown back in laughter, the energy seeping from his body. Tori trailed after her boyfriend, grinning at his healthy, tan face and the sea-blue eyes shining with pleasure. Hunter halted at the edge of the water and gazed out, glee oozing from his easy stance, his mouth turned upward in his lazy smile. The crimson ninja turned to Tori, the grin threatening to engulf his face.

"Greetings, Gorgeous."

Tori smiled and blushed as she reached up to brush a stray lock of dirty-blonde hair from his forehead.

"Hey, yourself, Dirt Monkey."

Hunter gave her a withering look tinged with affection, "I'm gonna disregard that last statement only because I'm happy not to be surrounded by machines."

Tori glanced sideways at Hunter, her smile widening as she took in his vigorous state, his jubilance stemming only from the simplicity of gazing out at the ocean. Her stare drifted from his tawny locks, to his mouth, and found herself longing to feel the sensation of his kisses.

"So," Hunter's voice jerked the water ranger out of her reverie, and he cocked an eyebrow expectantly, "I haven't seen you in almost a week and haven't kissed you in like two." His mouth quirked upward in a suggestive smile, "Are you gonna come over here or not?"

Giggling, the water ranger launched herself at the crimson ninja, jumping into his arms. Hunter stumbled for a moment, absorbing the impact of the surfer. Leaning down, the two met in a heated kiss, pouring all of the desperation in their days apart into their ardent gesture. Breaking apart, Tori cocked her head at the mischievous glint in Hunter's eyes. Her own eyes widened as realization hit her and she shook her head vehemently at her boyfriend.

"Hunter, don't you - " Her protest was cut off as Hunter sprinted out into the water, an impish grin adorning his features. Tori shrieked as Hunter plunged them into the cool waters of the Pacific. Emerging from the depths, Tori swatted the thunder ranger hard on the shoulder. Glancing at the boyish grin on his face, Tori couldn't hold on to her anger.

"I think this lack of medication is getting to your head." Tori huffed as she leaned in and captured Hunter's lips, entangling her fingers in his silky locks. As Hunter parted her lips, their kiss slowed to a steady, passionate rhythm, and his arms tightened around Tori, clinging to the water ranger, vowing to never let her leave him. When oxygen became an issue, the two separated. Tori trailed butterfly kisses down Hunter's jaw line and neck, and sighing in contentment, they made their way back to shore.

Tori and Hunter snuggled down in a blanket, gazing out into the horizon at the slowly setting sun. Tori cuddled closely to Hunter, staring up into his brilliant blue eyes. The crimson ranger sighed, enjoying having Tori in his arms again.

"So, what happened out there?"

Tori grinned up at Hunter, losing herself in the depths of his sapphire orbs, "You wouldn't believe me."

Hunter cocked his head, "If I can believe Conner's the Chosen Ranger, I can believe anything you've got."

Tori laughed, "Point taken." Snuggling nearer to the crimson ninja, she began to spin the tale of her adventures, enjoying the normalcy of just talking to him.

xxx

Tommy's brow furrowed as her searched through his laptop, trying to find either the workout regimen he had written out for the rangers or next year's lesson plan, whichever came first. Jason had once told him forgetfulness was his greatest flaw, and now, the black ranger was feeling the repercussions. What the hell did he name those files?

Double clicking on a vaguely labeled document, Tommy recoiled slightly as he gazed on what he stumbled across. It was an old picture of himself and Kimberly sent when Jason thought it was fitting to remind the original team of their expeditions on the tenth anniversary of their formation. Automatically, Tommy moved the cursor over to delete the file, but, looking at it again, he found himself unable to do so.

Leaning back, Tommy thought to himself. If only he could erase Kim from his life as easily as deleting a file from the computer. But, as was the case with the image, he found it difficult to just remove all the memories of himself and Kimberly from his mind. Tommy gazed out at the picture. They were tangled together in a close embrace, their faces laughing up at the camera, eyes alight with happiness. Subconsciously, Tommy reached a hand up to graze the image of Kim's caramel strands, and his mind brought him back to the times where he would intertwine his fingers through those soft locks. Staring into her doe-brown eyes, Tommy drifted back to when his world revolved around those eyes.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Tommy jerked as he whirled towards the source of the second voice.

"Hey, Billy."

The former blue ranger caught a glimpse of the image his friend was staring at before Tommy hastily closed it. Shaking his head slightly, the genius smirked.

"You still love her, don't you?"

"Of course not!" Catching the smirk on Billy's face as the blue ranger tilted his head conspiratorially, Tommy fumed. A look of annoyance crossed the veteran ranger's prominent features as he opened his mouth to argue but found himself unable to refute. The black ranger shook his head.

"I know that I shouldn't, but I do."

Billy's crystal green eyes sparkled with amusement, "Is that why you've never dated since?"

Tommy's head shot up, "Wait a second, I've dated!"

Billy shook his head, "I meant, besides the train wreck that was you and Kat." He chuckled, "You know, it's kind of hard to give your heart to someone when it already belongs to someone else." The original blue ranger cocked his head at his longtime friend.

"Have you seen her since..."

"Trini's funeral?" Tommy sighed, "No. As much as I still love her, Bill, I don't know if I can go back. It's too much history."

The genius smiled, "As a friend who loves and cares for you both and is only looking out for your well-being, let me give you some advice." Billy made sure he had Tommy's attention, "You can blow out a candle, but there's always a way to relight the flame." Billy slipped something into Tommy's open palm, "All you need is a match." Standing, the blue ranger clapped a hand on his former leader's shoulder as he departed. Tommy looked after his friend then down at the object in his hand. Shaking his head, the black ranger sighed heavily as he read over the words on the business card.

Dr. Kimberly Ann Hart
Sports Medicine and Physical Therapy
1014 DeSantos Plaza
Los Angeles, CA
(675) 555-8712

xxx

Blake and Max strolled along the boardwalk, hand and hand. Sitting along the railing, Blaze gazed out into the open abyss of land and water, a pensive look playing across his features, deep in thought. The auburn-haired girl beside him gave a soft nudge with her shoulder.

"Hey, you're miles away. Wanna come back to Earth?"

Blake grinned, "I was just thinking. Hunter knew."

Max shot him an inquisitive look, "Knew what?"

The navy ranger shrugged, trying to sort out his thoughts jumbled though his head, "Everything. That Conner would succeed, that I would help him somehow. It's like he had a sixth sense."

The motocross pro beside him smiled, "Maybe he just had faith."

"And I didn't?" The thunder ninja challenged huffily.

Max grinned impishly, "Nope." Chuckling at the indignant look adorning Blake's features, she shook her head, "You know you need assurance with everything."

Blake grudgingly nodded, "Yeah, I get where you're coming from. It's just..." Blake swallowed hard, the brush of almost losing Hunter still fresh in his mind.

"With all we've been through, I didn't want to lose him." The navy ninja forced out a rueful laugh, "Hell, I don't think I would have trusted Sensei."

Max sighed as she shook her head, "Well, at least that scare is over."

Blake nodded, "Yeah and soon we'll all either be floating space dust in a universe of ultimate chaos or sitting pretty in a relatively normal world..."

xxx

Conner stood alone in his backyard, juggling his mini soccer ball. The ball flew idly through the air, the jock manipulating its movements too preoccupied to pay attention. The ball skittered away as he lost control, and Conner didn't bother to chase after it. Sliding down to sit against the trunk of a tree, Conner's mind resonated with Ivanox's words.

"I thought you weren't oblivious." Kira smiled, gazing down at the fire ranger huddled underneath the tree.

Conner raised an eyebrow in amusement, "I'm not. I'm just thinking."

Kira tilted her head, "About...?"

Conner's brow furrowed as he studied the yellow ranger, "Something Ivanox said to me." Glancing at his counterpart, Conner gazed intently into her hazel orbs.

"He told be I was lucky I came back when I did because this time, He was going to destroy you." Conner shook his head, confusion displayed on his attractive features, "What did he mean by 'this time'?" As Kira's face blanched and her eyes lowered, Conner all but growled.

"Kira, what's going on?"

The musician hesitated, unsure of Conner's reaction, "Khyuss was going to mortally wound me or destroy me, whatever came first, as an attempt to lure you back..."

"WHAT?" Conner stood abruptly, fury radiating from his honey eyes, "Please tell me there is a completely reasonable explanation WHY THE HELL NO ONE TOLD ME!"

Kira gulped as she averted her eyes again, "I thought it was best."

"What? Why?" Conner's voice barely reached a decibel, his tone dangerous, "Kira do you have any idea how worried I was not knowing what was happening here, not to mention being in no position to help? I mean, at least if someone told me, I could have done something in terms of figuring out a solution." Conner fisted his hands through his hair, the fear tearing at his heart.

"I gotta take a walk..."

The jock ventured out into the gardens of Ninja Ops, the thoughts swirling through his head, a jumbled mess of disarray and confusion. Spotting Sensei situated by the central fountain, Conner advanced towards the man. The mentor turned and caught Conner approaching and bowed to the Ranger. Conner returned the gesture, joining Kanoi.

"Congratulations on succeeding in your mission, Conner."

The red ranger forced a smile, the tension apparent on his handsome face, the evidence of his turmoil in his taut shoulders, "Thank you, Sensei."

The mentor turned his wise eyes to the Chosen Ranger and gazed inquisitively at the younger man, "Tori tells me you had an interesting experience during your journey related to your elemental powers. Do you wish to talk about it?"

The young Ranger shrugged, and his thoughts brought him back to the encounter, and the fear he would never see Earth or Kira again, "When the rope bridge collapsed, and I was falling, all I could think about was how I wasn't supposed to die like this, how I couldn't leave the universe helpless. Then I remembered that I promised Kira I'd come back. All I could see was her face." The red ranger paused, swallowing hard to rid himself of the terror he had felt.

"Then I heard the phoenix song, and I could understand what it was telling me. It told me to let it guide me. So I just let go. I felt the fire within me ignite, and it was a different feeling than normal. Like warmer, more powerful, and I felt stronger. All of sudden, I was on top of the mountain. I must have floated like two hundred feet..."

Sensei nodded, his astute face deep in thought, "I am amazed, Conner. You have accessed a deeper, more potent facet of your elemental powers. This is a mastery only few have accomplished and even fewer have controlled."

"So this is kind of like the Triassic powers?"

Sensei inclined his head in affirmation, "Indeed, Chosen One, very much so. The power you have tapped into is called ryoku inai translated into 'power within.' Only a person whose level of passion and strength of mind reaches an incalculable stageis able to access those powers. Not many ninjas find their true passion strong enough." Sensei looked at his student.

"Passion is a powerful ally, Conner. It is what fuels the power you hold. I advise you to not allow it to fade."

xxx

Trent, Ethan, Eric, Shane, and Dustin sat at the kitchen table of the Dino rangers' summer lodgings doing what guys their age did best: eat. The kitchen echoed with their idle chatter.

"So, c'mon, Dustin, spill. Who's that special someone for you?" Ethan nudged the yellow ranger and grinned expectantly. The motocross racer shook his head in hesitation, but the urging of the table won over his indecision.

"Alright, alright. It's Marah..."

The group exploded into raucous laughter as the boys traded shoves and catcalls while Trent gaped at the earth sensei.

"Seriously, you're dating that Cassidy Cornell look-alike?"

Dustin's sheepish look was answer enough, prompting another bout of mirth for the gathered rangers.

"So what about you, Picasso?" Shane directed towards Trent, his eyes tearing from laughter, "We all know you and Kira had a thing but what about now?"

Trent shook his head, "It wasn't really a thing, more like casual flirting. Now..." The artist stalled, and Ethan rolled his eyes and prodded the white ranger.

"Dude, just tell them!" At Ethan's words, the whole table leaned in, hanging onto Trent's every word. The artist relented.

"Okay, it's Krista." In stark contrast to the reaction Dustin received, the group gawked in shocked silence. Eric was the first to speak.

"Whoa, wait. Isn't that the environmentally obsessed, tree saving girl Conner took to prom?"

Trent nodded and barked out an embarrassed laugh, "Uh, yeah. We met when I, ah, actually was drawing a tree and, um, kinda hit it off."

The moment of silence only lasted a minute longer before the laughter broke out again. Dustin grinned at the table of rangers.

"Hey, dudes, do you ever wonder 'why me'?"

His four companions gazed curiously at the earth ranger, various expressions of confusion etched on each face.

"What do you mean by that?" Trent posed the mutual question.

Dustin shrugged, "Well, y'know, we were all destined to be rangers. I mean, the Scroll of Destiny said that me, Shane, and Tori would be rangers, and the Dino Gems chose you guys, well, minus Eric, of course. But he was still able to bond with the Gem."

"And the prophecy said that Conner was the Chosen Ranger." Ethan added.

"Yeah." Dustin nodded in agreement. Glancing at each ranger in turn, he shrugged, "But don't you ever think that maybe the power chose wrong?"

Shane chuckled, "Dude, I think we've all gone through that stage. It's a given or like initiation into the horribly dysfunctional Ranger family."

Ethan grinned, recalling the memories, "Seriously. Conner went through a major doubt stage, thought about quitting, and Kira flat out refused the first time around."

Trent chewed his sandwich, "Yeah. We all didn't expect it to happen, but I don't think any one of us can imagine life without the power."

Shane chuckled, "Sad but true. I swear I had the worst superhero complex after defeating Lothor for the longest time."

Dustin grinned, "Same here. Kelly almost fired me, I spaced out so much."

Shane looked at his counterpart in amusement, "Dude, you space out regardless."

"So not necessary..." Dustin shot back.

Trent smiled, "Y'know, it's kinda funny. I actually enjoy almost being destroyed by some psychopath evil on a weekly basis."

Eric nodded, "Yeah. It does make things a lot more interesting."

The five rangers shared a laugh, bonded by their common pastime, welded together by their mutual goals to rid the universe of evil. Ethan raised his soda can.

"Cheers to freaky mutant dudes!"

xxx

Conner lay on his bed, staring up at the ceiling, losing himself in thoughts of Kira and Sensei's words. Her image embedded itself in his mind, their interactions playing through his conscience. She was his rock, the fire to his passion, his reason for living. She had been there for him every step of their journey, supporting him through the trials and tribulations, and holding a solid faith in his abilities, even when his doubt threatened to encompass all.

"I mean, with Mesogog, it was just Reefside. Now, it's the whole frickin' universe." Kira laughed slightly at the red ranger's choice of words. Conner fisted his hands through the chocolate strands of his hair, "What if the power chose wrong? What if I'm not cut out for this?"

Kira turned her hazel gaze on the red ranger, "The power chose you, Conner. It could have chosen anyone. Obviously it means you're worth something."

Conner shook his head, "How can you believe in me so unfailingly?"

Kira smiled, affection for the red ranger radiating from the expression, "Because you have done this before. Conner, Reefside's mutant freak-free because of you. You led us in defeating Mesogog."

She had been his shoulder to lean on during the early shock of his emerging powers. Always there to listen and comfort. Even when he had pushed her away, she continued to stay by his side, refusing to allow him to retreat back into his shell.

"Don't come any closer. It might happen again." Kira's brow furrowed with worry, hearing the anxiety in Conner's voice.

"I'll take my chances."

"I don't know what I can do to help you," Kira admitted. "But, I'm here for you, Conner." The red ranger nodded as Kira wrapped her arms around him.

Life with Kira had never been easy, and Conner admitted it never would be. When they first met, she had told him off for calling her babe. It was what first drew the red ranger to her. No one had ever stood up to him like that, and he found himself intrigued by the spunky, sarcastic, beautiful girl whose sense of self astounded him. During their roller coaster journey of being rangers and falling in love, they had gotten into their fair share of squabbles and spats. Fighting, arguments, insults, all settled into their repertoire of relations. His occasional chauvinism and her recurring stubbornness appeared too prominently in their personalities to be disregarded, leading to the source of many a quarrel.

"If anything, you should be thanking me."

"Typical Conner!" Kira spat, the remark breaking through her astonishment at the mature words spoken by the red ranger, her own words more out of habit than real annoyance.

"Shall we elect a parade in your honor? Inflate that over-sized ego of yours to bigger proportions?"

Conner threw his hands in the air, "You are impossible!"

But, amidst all the fights, and the times they infuriated one another, Conner and Kira were hopelessly caught up in love. Conner chuckled to himself. The day Kira confessed her feelings to him was a day that would be forever rooted in his mind. That day everything went right. The kiss they shared opened up the floodgates, and Conner felt every frustration, every tension, melt away. His feelings were no longer hidden.

Kira buried her face in her hands before grabbing the back of the red ranger's neck, and the musician vented her feelings in a way that would surely penetrate the jock's thick skull. Pulling him down to her, she crushed her lips to his, pouring her fervor into a ferocious kiss. Breaking away, the yellow ranger stared at a dazed Conner.

"Uh, is that your way of telling me you like me or something?" The jock questioned.

"No."

Feeling more that slightly stupid, Conner averted his gaze, blushing a deep crimson, "Oh."

Kira rolled her eyes in exasperation, "I'm trying to tell you I love you, lunkhead. Honestly, are you really that dense?"

The red ranger shook his head, "Of all the girls to fall in love with, I get the sarcastic one." The jock quirked his trademark McKnight grin, "I love you too, Kira. I always have." Swooping down, Conner grabbed Kira in his arms and bent down to engulf her lips in as ardent kiss burning with fiery passion.

Conner groaned. He knew he had overreacted when Kira told him of Ivanox's plan, and the fear still resided in his heart. He knew that even given the information, he couldn't do anything to help. After all they had been through, the red ranger could not bear to lose Kira, especially after all the effort he had put into telling her his true feelings. His life revolved around the petite musician, and Conner knew it would be devastated without her.

"Hey."

Conner looked up to find Kira framed in the doorway, bathed in the gentle glow of the candles situated around his room. He smiled softly, motioning her in. The musician settled down on the bed beside him as he propped himself up against the headboard. A silence passed, neither one sure of what to say to the other.

"I'm -" Kira began.

Conner turned to face her and gently pressed a finger to her lips, "No. I don't need to hear it." He sighed, taking hold of her hands, intertwining their fingers.

"Kira, I was just so...afraid. I'm supposed to protect the team, it's my job to protect the team, always has been. I know I was doing something for the whole universe, but still...It was hard not knowing what was going on." Conner's voice trembled as he struggled to quell the tears threatening to run their course.

Kira raised a hand to his cheek, cradling it lovingly, "I know you were worried about me, Conner, but this wasn't any different from facing Zeltrax or Elsa."

Conner shook his head violently, "But it is. Zeltrax and Elsa couldn't care less who they destroyed as long as someone was in pieces. Ivanox's sole intent was to destroy you." The Chosen Ranger looked down and sighed deeply.

"Look, this may sound totally sappy and so not like me but just hear me out." Kira's brow creased as she watched Conner struggle with his words.

"I love you. I always have. Ever since you chewed me out for calling you a babe, I've felt an attraction." Conner shrugged, "I know it took me awhile to tell you and we haven't been dating that long, but I just feel so much for you. I can't even find the words to describe how I feel."

"Not that your vocabulary is that extensive, right?" Kira grinned up at the red ranger, unable to resist the jab. A smile creeped its way onto Conner's face.

"Yeah, well, you don't call me Jockboy for nothing." Conner's amber eyes locked on to Kira's hazel ones, "The reason I lost it was because the threat to you was real. I was so scared I'd lose you." Kira's heart softened at the haunted emotions cascading over Conner's honey eyes.

"I don't want to imagine life without you."

Kira all but melted as she smiled, laying her head on his chest. The red ranger wrapped his arms around the petite musician and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.

"I promised you I'd come back and I did. Now, I'm gonna make you another promise." Slowly, Conner sat up, guiding Kira with him. His honey eyes gleamed with tender affection and a full-blown smile adorned his features. Not the usual McKnight grin but a "I'm gonna tell you something really, really, really important and if I don't tell you, break out the broom and dustpan 'cause I'm gonna burst" kind of smile.

"I promise I'll always be here for you. God forbid we ever fall out of love and end up hating each other, but anytime you need me, I'll be there. No questions asked." Conner punctuated his bold declaration with a kiss, and Kira couldn't help but laugh at his boyish enthusiasm.

"I'm holding you to that one, Jockboy."

Conner whipped out his patented grin, "You're gonna be stuck with me a long time, Rock Star."

Kira playfully rolled her eyes as she pulled Conner down for a kiss, "Just my luck." Their lips met in an ardent embrace, satisfying the void left during their days apart. The kiss escalated, deepening in passion and fervor crashing into its pinnacle. Conner's tongue coaxed Kira's lips to part, allowing his tongue access. The jock eased them down onto the soft mattress, his hands and lips exploring Kira's body, his sole intent to please the musician beneath him. Conner felt Kira's hands slide from around his neck to run down his torso, settling on his stomach. Her small fingers snaked under his t-shirt to splay across his abs and traveled upward, bringing the garment along with them.

"Kira, wait." Conner broke away and gazed intently down at the musician beneath him, "We can stop right now, and I'll understand. I mean, it's not that I don't want to do this. There's nothing I'd want more. I just don't want to push-"

Kira halted the jock's flustered ramblings with a slow, passionate kiss that left him dazed. Returning to his senses, Conner's gaze fell to Kira's and found love, trust, and desire reflecting in her hazel orbs. Leaning down, he met her halfway in a loving caress of their lips. His t-shirt was tugged up and discarded, followed closely by hers. A wave of Conner's hand extinguished the candles dimly lighting the room, plunging the quarters into darkness, allowing only the privacy of night to witness the consummation of a couple's devotion.

xxx

Khyuss gazed in rapt attentiveness at the creation before him, the purple energy radiating from his fingertips, fueling his masterpiece, glowing with violet power. Ivanox bustled around, making adjustments to the half-finished monster. As Khyuss watched the object of sheer destruction take form, the sorcerer felt something was missing from his creation having its full destructive power. He needed something with a lot of energy that, when activated, expelled power. Khyuss knew one kind of power that would serve his purpose, and he smiled to himself as a plan to obtain that power formulated in his mind. The sorcerer cackled in sinister happiness, confident his triumph would be complete.

Hunter stirred in his bed. Looking down, he only saw the peacefully sleeping Tori curled into his chest, her breathing slow and even. Slowly, the thunder ninja rose and ventured out onto the balcony of his apartment with Khyuss' voice still resonating in his mind. Now that the virus had been exterminated from his system, his connection with Khyuss was weak, almost non-existent. Despite the fragile bond, Hunter felt something was amiss with the sorcerer. Something that chilled him to the bone. Hunter shivered, suddenly feeling cold in the humid summer breeze. Something was coming soon. Something big.

Coming Up:

Loose ends are tied up

More bonding between the group

A devastating blow is dealt to the rangers that may affect the security of their victory and the life of one of their own...

Wellup, there you go. Another chapter finished. To all you Kat lovers out there, sorry for the jab. I needed a comeback. Surprisingly, I found after watching Zeo and Turbo, she kinda grew on me. As with this chapter, there won't be that much action other than another twist at the end in the next. However, the final battle is coming up! So until next time, drop a line as usual!

Roxie