Disclaimer: I don't own anything except Khyuss, Venir, Nadana, Caleb, and Harlan and anything else you don't recognize.

Sorry, sorry, a million times sorry for the wait. Between summer, traveling, and my computer crashing, I was unable to post this chapter until now. Rest assured, the next post will be a lot sooner. Secondly, awesome responses to the last chapter. I am really amazed at the great feedback and sympathy for Conner.

And the usual shout-outs:

CathyD: Wow, thanks for the awesome compliment. I gotta tell you, I swear its like you readers get into my mind or something, or am I really that predictable? Anyway, as for a cameo, your wish is my command.

LucyE: Wow, did I really make you cry?

Titanium Gold: Now hold on a gosh-darn minute! I didn't say he wouldn't die. I think you're referring to a response I made to a review, and I believe my exact words were: "Yes, killing Conner would be predictable, but then again, I put a twist on predictable." Or something to that extent.

CamFan4Ever: Well, they do say being evil is more fun…

Chapter 17

Hope Dangles on a String

Tommy Oliver walked out of Ninja Ops, each step weighing heavily on his fragile heart. Irritably, he brushed away the tears that ran down his cheeks and look down at his hands, clenched tightly into fists. They were the hands that had carried Conner's limp and lifeless body from the mountain cliff to the academy. His eyes shifted down to the Dino Gem affixed to his wrist, the midnight black of the color winking at him from its place on the cuff. It was his fifth power and fourth color variation in a long tenor in the ranger business. Tommy Oliver was easily the most prominent face in the long-standing legacy of those bearing the power, considered to be a legend. He had given up a lot of his time to the ranger cause, but with everything he had sacrificed, even with the mantle of the greatest ranger ever hanging across his shoulders, Tommy hadn't sacrificed the greatest treasure of all: his life. Conner had.

Pondering to himself, Tommy wondered what exactly made him the "greatest ranger ever." Was it his extensive time in service? Was it his many successes in foiling the never-ending seekers of power and destruction? Was it his rise from evil pawn to leader of four teams? If that was the case, it all seemed so small, so insignificant to what Conner had done. Tommy sullenly cursed the fates for snatching the young ranger from them. He didn't deserve being called the greatest ranger ever. Conner did.

Running a hand through his short hair, Tommy fished through his pockets for his cell phone. Dialing the unfamiliar numbers, the black ranger listened to the phone ring, waiting for the one person that would understand.

"Hart's Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine, how may I help you?"

Tommy's ears filled with the sweet cheerful voice that seemed to float from the past, and he paused for a moment before speaking.

"Kim..."

In her office located in Los Angeles, Kimberly Hart sat down hard as the recognizable baritone of Tommy Oliver drifted through the phone line, a sound she never fathomed on hearing again.

"Tommy..."

The black ranger drew in a ragged breath, struggling to keep his emotions in check, "Beautiful, I really needed to talk."

On the other end, Kim's eyes widened at both the use of the old nickname and the pleading desperation veiled in Tommy's voice. They had so much past history between them. She had broken his heart with The Letter. Why was he calling her? They had been through so much together, and Tommy sounded so helpless. All the history dissolved; he needed her. So Kim settled down into a more comfortable position.

"I'm listening, Tommy."

xxx

Billy stepped away from his window, overlooking the dense forestation of Blue Bay Harbor to join Hayley on the couch. The owner of Cyberspace sat huddled in the corner, clutching a mug of coffee. Wordlessly, the former blue ranger gently removed the cup from the redhead's vice grip and drew the café owner to his chest.

Billy hugged Hayley tighter as she buried her face in his shirt. From what he had been told, Conner McKnight was a self-centered arrogant Golden Boy who personified the stereotypical jock. From what Billy had seen, however, Conner was a dedicated, unwavering young man who fought selflessly for his cause, fiercely devoted to his team and Kira, and had taken on his unsuspected burden with blind determination. The original blue ranger suspected that the drastic change in the inferno ranger was the result of the joint labors of his team and rangering. This business tended to prompt change in its partakers in one way or another. Conner personified the gift and curse of being a ranger. He had saved the universe and all of its inhabitants, but no one would ever know.

In the depths of Billy's chest, Hayley let out the tears she had suppressed for so long. Unlike Billy, she had witnessed the change in the former egotistical soccer player as the rangers began frequenting in her establishment. The handsome, cocky boy who casually leaned against the counter, scoffing that she hadn't helped him was very different from the boy who gently teased Kira's excitement over her new internship while genuinely being pleased for the singer. Hayley had seen Conner grow so much during his time as a ranger, watching him take on the challenge of his new responsibilities, juggling school, rangering, and soccer while keeping up the façade as Reefside's king. She watched him struggle to keep his growing attraction to Kira in check, fight the long days and short nights associated with the sporadic monster attacks, and mature as a leader. Maybe that's what hurt so much, the fact that Conner was only beginning to form himself, but now was unable to. Hayley sniffled before turning a gaze to her fellow genius.

"Nothing like this has ever happened, has it?" The redhead questioned, "Someone..."

"Dying?" Billy hefted a sigh, shaking his head, "No. Rangers have been injured, lost powers, turned evil, Lord knows how many times Tommy's been kidnapped, but no on has ever died. The closest has been Alex Drake of Time Force, and we all know how that turned out." Billy ruffled his wavy locks.

"There have been a lot of psychotic freaks coming around, hell-bent on some kind of global, galatical, universal, whatever, domination, all promising the current ranger team's destruction, but none have ever died..."

"Until now." Hayley finished.

"Yeah, until now."

xxx

Blake growled, the dirt shooting from his tires as he wrenched his handlebars to the left, taking a turn too wide. Skidding out, the navy ranger crashed into the nylon barrier surrounding Blue Bay Harbor's track, the impact flipping Blake up and over the fence. Grunting as his body smacked into the earth, Blake struggled to a sitting position, dazedly shaking his head. Wrenching the helmet of his head, the motocross pro flung the protective covering away as he disentangled himself from the nylon fencing, huffing at the smoke wafting from the slightly mangled bike. The navy ranger stalked to one of the boulders situated along the edge of the track, brushing the dirt from his motocross pads, and plopped himself down. As he ruffled his helmet-tousled hair, Blake glanced sourly at the practice bike he borrowed from Hunter as if it were the cause of his spill.

Damn the stupid bike, damn the stupid prophecy, damn stupid Khyuss, damn it all to hell. Blake knew the stakes were high; they always were in the ranger business. There was always some nitwit set on ruling the universe. Defeating the latest baddie was always a long, grueling process extending well through the year, resulting in a partially muddled city and a very exhausted team. But the number of ranger casualties equaled the grand total of zero. Until this generation. Until Conner.

Max roared to a stop beside the despondent thunder ninja, breaking the ranger from his reverie. Shaking her wild auburn curls from the confines of her helmet, the motocross pro turned a concern emerald gaze to her boyfriend as she settled down beside him.

"I know this is a really stupid question, but are you okay?"

Blake snorted as he gestured to the smoking remains of the practice bike, "About as okay as the bike."

Max stared intently at the younger Bradley, searching his features, "There's something else. You've got that look on your face like you're trying to sort something out. What's on your mind?"

The navy thunder ranger raised his head, the turmoil evident in his dark eyes, "I didn't believe."

Max's brow furrowed, "What do you mean?"

Blake's shoulders lifted in a half-hearted shrug, "I doubted him the moment he stepped foot in the dojo with his uniform backward. I only truly believed in him when he took control in battle. What if I had actually trained him better instead of wishing I was the one saving Hunter? Could he have been able to live?"

"Blake, you can 'what if' yourself to death but you did what you could. I mean, who could have predicted what would happen?" Max reasoned.

The navy ranger gazed out across the track at a group of riders barbecuing near their trailer, the merry sounds of laughter, conversation, and activity drifting to the forlorn pair.

"Look at him," Blake spat bitterly, "they have no idea what we've gone through, what Conner sacrificed. That's the worst part, Max." Blake muttered, casting a sidelong glance at the rousing party, "No one will ever know."

"Somehow, I don't think Conner would mind." Max murmured, laying her head on Blake's shoulder. The two motocross riders sat in mournful silence, taking in the painful reality of being a ranger. There would be no parades, no days named in their honor, no headlines in the paper. Just another attack to anticipate and another wound to be nursed.

xxx

Shane flipped down from the branch, landing in a crouched position on the forest ground. He only took a minute before setting off again on the obstacle course. Up, down, up, down. The wind ranger pressed on, ignoring his body's protestations for release. Finally, Shane collapsed down on the clearing floor, surrendering to his exhaustion. It wasn't really long ago when Conner struggled through his course, his amber eyes shining with determination that his abilities had not yet caught up to. It also wasn't that long ago when this course failed to challenge the inferno ranger as he grew stronger. Shane listened to his steady heart beat, thudding against his breast, moving in sync with the light rise and fall of his chest. As he gazed up into the clear, summer sky, the wind ranger thought about his fallen leader and how Conner took charge, leading them to a victory that, in the beginning, had seemed far from possible.

There were many similarities between Conner and Shane, and the air ranger could especially relate to the staggering responsibilities of being a leader. The mantle of the red ranger had so many legendary predecessors, namely their very own Dr. Oliver. But Conner's burden outweighed all the formers' plights to victory. Shane couldn't fathom how the jock was able to carry the staggering weight. Maybe that's what made him their Chosen Ranger, the fact that he accepted his destiny and achieved the greater goal of their victory.

xxx

"Dustin...? Dustin?"

The motocross rider's head snapped up at the inquiring tone of his boss, and his gaze settled on Kelly's concerned stare.

"Are you okay?" The owner of Storm Chargers tilted her head at her employee who was more preoccupied than normal.

Dustin gave an absent shake of his head, "I don't know, Kell." The wind ranger fiddled with a flyer on the counter.

The redhead's brow furrowed as her crystal green eyes took in her employee's disheveled appearance. His dark hair was unkempt as if he had run his hands through them many times, and dark circles shadowed his normally lively eyes. Kelly frowned.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Dustin shrugged, adjusting the surfboard display, "I just...I can't yet. It's too hard."

Kelly nodded in sympathy before giving a jerk of her head, "Why don't you get out of here? The store's dead anyway."

Dustin shot his boss a grateful smile as he grabbed his jacket and walked out the door. Striding along the Harbor's boardwalk, the motocrosser took in the life around him. Skaters and bikers zipped past him, their wheels thudding against the wooden planks. Peddlers lined the edges of the walkway, showing off their respective talents, hoping to earn the extra dollar. Dustin stopped to watch a tall, dirty blonde haired teenager manipulate an assortment of items in the air. The juggled objects flew over his tousle-locked hair in different patters as Dustin's fellow bystanders clapped and cheered in appreciation. As the teen ended his routine with a flourish, Dustin dropped a five into the case near by and received a nod from the kid, gratitude shining in his clear, gray eyes.

Listening to the din of life around him, the wind ranger ventured on. This is what they fought for, the innocent people and their lives. It kinda didn't matter they would never know, but it would have been reassuring if they somehow did.

xxx

Trent stared at the edge of an isolated lake, sketchpad in hand, charcoal pencil poised over the paper. The tool wavered, ready to create the next masterpiece. Trent lowered the utensil and looked out towards the tranquil settings. A family of ducks floated lazily along the surface of the water as a gentle breeze coaxed the surrounding trees to wave their branches. Even with the sun reflecting off the crystal waters, bathing the sky with purple and orange, Trent couldn't find the inspiration to create a meaningful picture. Everything seemed so Norman Rockwell prefect that it didn't seem to portray the raging emotions plaguing the white ranger. He needed something real, something reminiscent of the later Van Gogh paintings.

As the artist thought, his mind drifted back to the rocky relationship he and Conner shared, and his pencil idly flew over the pad. They stared slow, tentative of one another, unsure of what to make of the latter. Conner's apprehension towards the white ranger only increased as Trent's interest in Kira grew. Once the artist haplessly stumbled across the tampered Dino Gem, whatever trust the Conner held to the Trent flew out the window.

Looking down at his sketchpad, Trent studied the result of his unconscious doodles. He had drawn Conner's many expressions, the central image of the inferno ranger sporting his signature grin, his perpetually tousled hair falling haphazardly across his forehead. In the upper left hand corner, a smaller drawing depicted the inferno ranger looking over his shoulder, an uncharacteristically intense expression clouding his lively amber eyes. Gazing down at the sketch more closely, Trent never thought Conner could be so intense, so serious; it was the polar opposite of his normal disposition. That was the mistake most had made: underestimating Conner. They had no idea he could lead them, no idea he was capable of bearing such a power, able to carry the weight of his chosen destiny. They had no idea he would readily sacrifice his life for the universe. No one did.

xxx

Cam plopped down on the fountain, burying his head in his hands. He couldn't stand the sight of Conner's lifeless body any longer, so the samurai ranger strode out of Ninja Ops, leaving his replica with specific instructions. As Cam, closed his eyes, he tried to rid the image burned into his mind, but found himself unable to. All he could see was the prone body of their leader, the monitors surrounding him portraying the same conclusion of casualty. Hauling himself up, Cam wandered off in the direction of the gardens. In contrast to the flurry of events transpiring over the last few days, his surroundings were serene and tranquil. Cam looked to the side, spotting his father standing by a statue, the aged mentor relaxed and poised, a far cry from Cam's unkempt and frazzled state.

"Cameron," Kanoi acknowledged his son with a nod, and together, the two warriors strolled through the gardens.

"How have you been holding up, son?"

At his father's question, Cam shrugged, shaking his head, "I don't know, Dad." Cam admitted honestly, shoving his hands into the pockets of his ninja uniform, "I mean, it's so hard to believe, it's almost surreal. One second he's here, the next he's gone."

"Yes." Kanoi nodded sagely, "The bolt of death sometimes strikes quickly and without warning, leaving devastation in the wake."

"That's an understatement." Cam muttered, "I'm pretty sure devastation is only half of what everyone's feeling." The samurai cast a sidelong glance at his father, "I don't know if we can all keep doing this. Being rangers. Conner was the heart of the team. I don't know if we can all go on."

A mysterious smile worked its way across Kanoi's face, "Phoenixes have a way of rising from their ashes, son. It's what they do."

Cam snorted, "I hate to break it to you, Dad, but Conner's no phoenix. He only pilots one, and even that one is only a burnt pile of nuts and bolts."

Sensei chuckled, "Son, even the most desolate of phoenixes are able to be reborn."

Cam shook his head, amazed with his father, "Dad, only one known person has ever successfully risen from the dead, and he was fully divine. Given the fact that Conner is one hundred percent, pure flesh and blood, his chances went from 'slim to none' to 'you've got a better chance of seeing Hades shmoozing with Mother Theresa over a couple of metropolitans behind the pearly gates.'"

His father's smile only grew wider, "Don't forget, Cameron, that that person ratified millions of people's faith. Perhaps Conner is doing the same to you."

Cam fell silent, pondering his father's words. What a way to test their faith.

xxx

Ethan's feelings idly tapped on the keyboard of his laptop, not really paying attention to the site he was visiting. As the Dino ranger forced his tired gaze on the screen, he recoiled back slightly. It was Manchester United, Conner's favorite team, and the one thing Ethan could use to entice the soccer star into joining him on the Internet.

"A whole web cast on Manchester United?" Conner's eyes excitedly absorbed the plethora of soccer goodness before him. Tearing his eyes away from Ronaldo's visage grinning cheekily at him, his own grin firmly affixed on his face, Conner clapped a hand on Ethan's shoulder.

"Dude, I take back everything bad I said about the Internet."

Bitterly, Ethan snapped the laptop shut. Burying his face in his hands, he sobbed. If someone told Ethan that by the end of senior year, he and Conner McKnight would be best friends, he would have rushed to his computer to look up symptoms of chronic insanity to see if that person fit the profile. He, Conner, and Kira were a motley crew, thrown from opposite sides of the Reefside High social spectrum to join in one common plight: save the universe. No one at Reefside thought it possible that Conner McKnight, king of the school would be seen with the likes of Ethan James, geek extraordinaire, and Kira Ford, tortured musician. Thrown in Trent Fernandez, brooding artist, and you've got downright insanity that exceeded the boundaries of all that was holy in high school social structure. But through the wacky predicament of being a power ranger, the four of them had formed an intense bond, leaning on each other to make it through. Ethan enjoyed the affectionate insults traded between himself and the jock. What first started out as a pissing contest to assert their respective manhoods, became their way of communication, the jibes not so much stinging as they were playful, most of the time aimed at the latter's hobby. Conner had turned into his best friend. Funny how destiny played out.

xxx

His eyes sparked, two chips of sapphire burning into the garish scarlet leather of the bag before him. Slowly, his muscles flexed as he wound the thick athletic tape around his wrists, and with a swift jerk, separated the strip from the roll. His black workout pants ruffled slightly as he settled into a fighting stance, the tan arms raised at the ready, his mouth set in the concentrated rage.

With a low growl, he attacked, pounding relentlessly against the worn leather. Strike after strike drove solidly into the cushioning of the bag, knuckles sinking deep. A grunt tore from his lips with every blow that connected while the salty beads of sweat sprouted across his forehead dampening the dirty-blonde strands, soaking into the crimson sleeveless t-shirt. The training center was silent, the only sound the sharp slap of fists against leather as it mingled with his exerted breathing.

Fatigue was setting in but still he pressed on, willing his body to prevail, aiming to tire himself to the point of exhausting away the pained frustrations. One final, powerful punch smacked into the bag, the resounding contact echoing through the deserted room. The chains squeaked softly as the bag teetered on its restraints, the sound mocking the ranger. Breathing heavily, he glared at the offending bag and, with a roar, whipped off a ferocious tornado kick. The punching bag snapped from its tether and tumbled to the ground, stuffing bursting fro the seams while he sank to the ground against the wall, hands fisted through his hair. A pair of arms wrapped around his torso and he turned into the familiar embrace.

"Hunter…"

The crimson ranger lifted his head to meet her gaze. The twin silvery-blue spheres peeked out from the mane of sweat-soaked, blonde locks and were rimmed with red as he buried his face in her neck.

"Tori…"

"C'mon, baby, let it all out." Her voice soothed his pain for the moment as his strong, solid body shook, emptying him of his turmoil. Together, they cried, huddled in the dark recesses of the training room. Tori pressed a kiss between the moist strands of Hunter's hair, jumping as he spoke, the words haunted and quiet.

"I failed him." The words escaped from his lips, spluttered out hoarsely. Tori's gaze narrowed with concern, her eyes expressing the unvoiced question.

"I should have stayed. I shouldn't have listened. I could have helped him."

"Hunter, you did what you could-"

"Well, it wasn't enough!" Hunter's stare clouded over to a steely glint as his eyes snapped up, "He risked everything to save my life! Why couldn't I do the same?"

."Hunter, you were injured. Another hit like the last one, you could have died." Placing her hand to cradle his cheek, Tori forced his reluctant eyes to meet his, "Conner ordered you to retreat. You couldn't have helped him more than you did."

The crimson ranger's breathing slowed and steadied as he glanced into the reassuring gaze of Tori's warm eyes, and Conner's last words to him echoed in Hunter's mind while he fought to control his raging emotions, drawing Tori tighter to him.

"You still have to propose to Tori."

Hunter's eyes fluttered shut. Conner had given his life to ensure the world's happiness, eschewing his own. Somehow, it didn't seem fair.

xxx

Eric McKnight lay back on his bed, staring at the empty ceiling above him. He felt weird, almost as if half of him was missing. He and Conner didn't have the kind of relationship most twins did where they were with one another constantly. When their parents split, Lynn McKnight took Conner with her to Reefside while Eric stayed with their father, David McKnight in Blue Bay Harbor. The boys only saw each other on weekends, but even without the continuous companionship, their bond held strong. Both twins knew they that the other was only a short drive away.

Eric's fingers grazed across the bracelet affixed to his left wrist, another one of their common bonds. Never in a million years would Eric have thought that Conner would have become a Power Ranger, much less the leader, much less the Chosen Ranger. Now, looking back at all the weekend visits and their interaction, it all made sense. At first, Eric was taken aback at the difference in Conner's personality and demeanor. His twin was less egotistical, more reserved, and a little more serious. As the pieces fell together, Eric could see how his ranger duties contributed to the change and even more so, how his friendship with Ethan and Kira developed this new Conner.

Thinking about his brother's spunky, sassy girlfriend, Eric couldn't help but smile. Through the years, Eric had met the legions of his brother's girlfriends swept from the masses of his many admirers, and each were all more or less the same: cheerleaders with immaculate hair and made-up faces. All of them were gorgeous in all superficial senses of the word but with just enough personality to fill an atom. It was no wonder why Conner never held a girlfriend for more than a couple of weeks. But as he matured during the last year, his taste in girls did as well, and Eric could tell something was different with Kira during one of their weekend visits.

The McKnight twins lounged casually in Rodney's, their favorite diner by the beach, a place they frequented in regularly when Conner was in town. Chomping on his Rodney Special hamburger, Eric studied his brother intently. Normally, Conner would be in full-flirting mode, shamelessly checking out the regular patrons as well as every pretty girl that passed their way, flashing his charming grin that Eric had seen many a female swoon to and casually shaking the locks of his perpetually tousled hair away from his forehead with a flippant toss of his head. But all the famous Conner McKnight suavé was absent in the older twin as he played with the straw in his milkshake, seemingly ignoring the furtive attempts of the numerous bikini-clad co-eds strutting past their table to catch his eye. Taking a sip from his own drink, Eric raised an eyebrow as a particularly voluptuous blonde sauntered past their table without earning so much as an upward glance from the soccer star.

"Okay, bro, who's the chick?"

Conner's head snapped up, his eyebrows drawing together in confusion as he stared at his brother, as if noticing his presence for the first time, "Huh?"

Eric rolled his eyes, "Conner, at least twenty girls have passed by this table, and you haven't even blinked. Not to mention the waitress looked like she practically wanted to give you a lap dance."

The soccer star quirked a grin, shaking his head in amusement, "What makes you think there's a girl?"

Noticing that Conner hadn't denied the fact, Eric smiled inwardly while giving his brother a withering look, "And what else would you be preoccupied about? School?" Playful sarcasm dripped from his voice.

Conner shrugged, looking down at his burger, "Okay, so there's a girl. So what?"

Eric smirked, determined to weed everything out of his brother, "Well, is she hot?"

Whatever Eric expected, a witty remark, a lewd comment, even a refusal to speak, the oddly tender look accompanied with a small, sheepish smile, was not the reaction Eric anticipated. As his brother raised his eyes to meet his gaze, Eric saw the affectionate glint in Conner's dark gaze.

"She's the most beautiful girl I have ever seen."

At the softly whispered admission, normally uncharacteristic in Conner, Eric's eyebrows shot skyward. Conner's usual response to such a question would be a sexist remark, normally coupled with a crass statement. Eric surveyed his brother.

"This one's different, isn't she, bro?"

Conner nodded, "She challenges me, Eric. I called her 'babe' and she got right up in my face. This one doesn't take anything from me or anyone, and she's so quick to fire back. Yet, she's the sweetest, most loyal person I've ever met. She agreed to try and get Cassidy Cornell a job just because Ethan asked her to. We get into these arguments, and sometimes, she's just so infuriated with me. But it works, because it makes the times I get her to smile so much more worth it." Conner grinned, chuckling almost in disbelief, "I don't think I'd want it any other way."

"So what's the problem?"

A shrug lifted Conner's shoulders, "Ah, she's kinda hung up on some guy, but he's kinda having some issues and is subsequently being a jackass. So she's trying to save him from himself right now, leaving me stuck as the best friend to lean on whenever he breaks her heart."

"She'll come around," Eric assured. "I mean, sooner or later, she has to figure out what a jerk the guy is or at least get fed up with him." The younger McKnight reached over to give his brother a gentle shove, "Besides, you're already making progress if she's smiling to the legendary Conner McKnight charm."

An appreciative grin crept onto Conner's face, "I hope so." Glancing up at his brother, the soccer star raised an eyebrow, "How'd you get so smart on relationships?"

An identical grin spread across Eric's face, "By witnessing your many breakups."

Conner's laugh echoed through the diner as he flung a fry at his brother, "Touché…"

Eric smiled sadly. Yep, Kira was different. She wasn't another one of Conner's usual ditzy floozies. She had personality, wit, intelligence, and she could definitely hold her own, both physically against their opponents and verbally when pitted against Conner. Eric was amazed when he first saw his brother and Kira interact. He had never seen Conner work so hard to woo a girl. It seemed as though he was willing to publicly make an idiot out of himself just to coax a smile out of the musician. Normally, girls just fell at his feet, drawn in by the fame he had attained on the soccer field. But not Kira. She brushed off his popularity and faux persona, visibly repelled by his cock-sure attitude. Conner had been befuddled by that, becoming more determined to win her over. Kira's initial rebuff forced his brother to double his efforts to show her who he truly was, unconsciously unveiling his real self, the inner personality he hid away from the public in order to keep up his façade of being Reefside's king. It was a side only the McKnight family saw. Eric saw the changes in Conner as he opened up to Kira, putting so much energy into making her smile, laugh, or groan in frustration, and he liked what he saw. It was the Conner Eric saw everyday, loving, playful, affectionate, witty. Popularity and social hierarchy had buried this Conner deep inside. But it was the desire to love that had brought the hidden Conner to the surface, and with it, he had finally gotten the girl, only to lose her to destiny.

xxx

Kira swung softly in the hammock, two massive silver headphones peeking though the waves of blonde hair as her iPod fed her music, the flow of melody attempting to drown out the outside world. She felt empty, empty of tears, emptiness in her heart, empty of emotion. She didn't want to wallow in self-pity, but it seemed everything meaningful reminded her of Conner: her guitar, every song, this house. As the melancholy melodies of Dashboard Confessional drifted to her ears, Kira thought back on her relationship with Conner as Chris Carabba sympathized with her plight.

Before senior year, she knew Conner McKnight the same way a good three-fourths of Reefside High's population knew him: as their king. Conner achieved his royalty status as a mere freshman, leading the varsity squad to their first-ever national title, achieving All-American classification in the process. He kept his throne by earning the same results sophomore year and kept himself in the spotlight with a healthy dating life. One of the highlights of that year was Conner's dramatic dumping of senior starlet Stacy Harrison, claiming the future prom-queen was "too clingy." It was well known through Reefside that there was a poll going through the entire female population of the school who was going to be the first to bed Conner McKnight after the soccer star had proudly stated he was a virgin junior year, a post that had failed to be fulfilled until past graduation.

As Kira thought about school, she wondered what the reaction she would get if the student body knew she was dating Conner McKnight. Besides Conner, Ethan, and Trent, she was pretty much a loner, hanging out with a few close friends, but in no way as popular as Conner and Ethan in their respective social stratii. Kira sensed that she would be met with a rightly disgruntled and confused population had they known about his current status off the market. Seeing Conner hanging out with Ethan and Kira had already caused a rift in the social tier of Reefside, and Kira shuddered to think what kind of mayhem would ensue.

Swinging softly in the hammock, Kira marked the spot as one of the first places where her feelings for Conner had first broken surface. All the things she loved about him were displayed in the tender moments they shared swaying gently in the summer night air: his fierce determination, his endearing insecurities, the small half-smile he wore when talking to her, the security she felt enveloped in his arms…it was so different than the disgruntled annoyance during their first interactions that fateful first day of senior year.

What a day. It had to be a record, it just had to. Half an hour into the day, and she received detention, half an hour after the final bell, she fell into a giant sink hole and was now walking in an eerie tunnel sandwiched between Reefside's king, Conner McKnight, and its court jester, Ethan James. The dark, shadowed walls were doing nothing to ease the apprehension.

"Freak you out, freak you out, freak you out…" Kira smiled at the irony of the situation. She was singing to calm her nerves, but the lyrics were far from appropriate.

"Babe, can you keep it down? I'm trying to concentrate." The haughty, masculine, and slightly annoyed baritone broke through her melody as the trio walked on.

Ha, Conner McKnight concentrating. That's an oxymoron…Wait – "Did you just call me 'babe?'" Kira seethed. Of all the sexist…Whipping around, she appealed to the gamer behind her, "Did he just call me 'babe?'"

Ethan shrugged, reluctant to get involved, "I don't know. I was busy grooving to your tune."

Kira swiveled back and stalked over to the tall jock, stopping before him, and glowering up to his six-two height. Conner's handsome face gazed down curiously at her, his attractive features contorted into a confused frown.

"What?"

Kira inched closer, Conner's masculine scent tickling her nostrils, as she squared up to the jock, one finger poking him in his solid chest, "My name is 'KIRA.' Maybe you can write it on your hand or something so you won't forget."

One eyebrow shot up and a half-smile flitted across the jock's face in amusement before Kira turned and stormed off. Kira shook her head, trying to clear the image of his half-smile and the spicy smell that remained in her senses. There was no way she could be attracted to Conner McKnight. That would just be too…weird.

But even then, even with his infuriating attitude, she had been attracted to Conner; it was too hard not to be, and she had fallen in love. In some strange and unexplained way, he had wormed his way into her heart to allow her to love. And as Chris Carabba serenaded her ear drums, her mind thought back to the man she loved and would always love.

Hey girl, you've got a short fuse
And I've got designs on lighting you up
And setting you off
And watching you burn for me.

So go on, go on,
Your cruel intentions won't solve your problems.
Everyone's gotta get bottom, bottomed out in the long run
And those are the times you need love.

xxx

Conner McKnight looked down at the earth he left behind and his team in their grief. From his elevated position, atop a hovering cloud-like cushion, Conner propped his chin on his fist and turned his head to the spirit of his phoenix zord perched on his shoulder.

"I'm dead…" Conner muttered, still in a state of disbelief. "I'm eff-ing dead..." The bird on his shoulder crooned a mournful note in agreement.

"Say it again, and you might believe it."

Caught by surprise, Conner toppled from his cloud to land heavily in the misty air around him. Scrambling indignantly to his feet, Conner glowered at Caleb's amused face smirking out at him.

"Dude, I am seriously resisting the urge to deck you right about now."

Caleb chucked, "With what solid part of you?"

Sighing dejectedly, Conner sank back down on his cushion, running his hands through his hair. Despondently, Conner looked down at the earth to Kira, curled up in a canary yellow blanket, snuggled up against the nylon of the hammock.

"It wasn't supposed to end like this," Conner murmured, subconsciously scooting closer to Kira's image. "No one was supposed to die."

Caleb plopped down beside his successor, "You did well, Conner. You did the universe good."

The inferno ranger gave an absent shrug, "I was supposed to. It was my duty."

Conner looked at his guardian, "What's the deal anyway. Most of the time, those maniacs have a reason for wanting total domination of the universe."

Caleb sighed, "It all starts with revenge…a pointless thing, really. But it all starts with a simple misunderstanding…"

Over fifteen thousand years ago, Khyuss was born on the distant planet of Loki to two warlock parents. Back then, magic was feared by all peoples, thinking that all the warlocks and sorcerers would use their powers for evil and destruction. This fear led to universal persecution of all magic people, and naturally the warlocks fought back, conjuring devastating armies to combat their oppressors. In light of all that, Khyuss and his family fled their home planet to seek shelter on the planet Greogoria with their longtime friend, a ninja master named Corin. Corin took the family in, inviting Khyuss to train with his students in the art of the ninja. However, a student whose father was a member of the militia leaked the secret of the stowaways to the authorities.

Deep in the night, a harsh pounding echoed through the residence of Corin, accompanied by a harsh, haughty voice, "Corin, open up! We know you're in there."

The ninja master strode to the door. As he peeked through a crack, he was thrown back as the armed authorities barged in. The captain stepped to the front of the ranks, glaring at the ninja master.

"Where are the warlocks? We know you are housing them." The words flew clipped and briskly from the captain's mouth.

Corin shook his head, "My apologies, good officer, but I believe you are mistaken. Now, please, vacate my property, my family is trying to sleep."

Alerted to the commotion, Khyuss and his family snuck down, pausing at the top of the steps. Observing their movement, the captain pushed forward, whipping his light to where the family stood braced. Reveling in his triumph, the captain's lips pulled back in a sneer.

"My humble thanks, ninja master. Just as you said they were." The captain chuckled, "You have done your planet well."

Khyuss' father's blood red eyes snapped to the ninja master. Venir bristled, "'Friend?' You have betrayed us."

Corin held up a hand in pleading with the sorcerer, "One of my students must have leaked your whereabouts. I assure you, I had nothing to do with this intrusion."

"Liar! You instructed your student to reveal our location, didn't you I trusted you." Blind with his anger, Venir unleashed his fury, spewing an energy ball from his fingertips. A soldier threw up a shield in defense. The sphere ricocheted off the barrier, striking Venir's wife, Nadana directly in the stomach. The sorceress crumpled to the ground, dead. Howling with his grief, Venir squared up to the militia, ordering Khyuss back.

"You will pay for your betrayal!"

Fueled by his rage, Venir called up a devastating energy wave, annihilating the soldiers until only Corin stood, and the two former friends engaged in a battle to the death. With a ferocious kick, Corin sent Venir hurtling back. A sad, remorseful glint passed over the ninja master's visage as he called up his powers.

"Forgive me for what I am about to do."

Venir cackled from the ground, "No matter what happens, Corin, Khyuss will finish my revenge. No ninja will be able to sleep as long as he is alive!" A wave of power cut through the sorcerer, vanishing him in a flash of light. When the glow faded, Corin was left alone with only Venir's haunting laugh and the burning stare of Khyuss' eyes, promising to fulfill Venir's dying wish.

Khyuss' honored his father's last words, setting off on a blind mission of revenge. For years, he conquered territories and planets, slaughtering many and imprisoning more, oppressing freedom until hope was a mere fairy tale, massacring ninjas and anyone else that stood in his way. Finally, after a long and gory tirade, only Earth remained free. Some say Khyuss wanted to save our planet for his last and ultimate triumph and others because it had the most population of ninjas. Either way, he began his conquest in stylish fashion, taking Japan first, then China, slowly making his way to here, what has now come to be called Blue Bay Harbor. But we refused to stand idly by. My best friend Harlan and I formed a resistance of our most powerful allies and slowly wore down Khyuss' forces. After a long, brutal struggle, we defeated the last of his troops, the day the Elders had prophesized the Dark Dimension was to open above Rockaway Pier overlooking the ocean.

Harlan and Caleb struck down in unison, their swords colliding against Khyuss' upraised staff. With an almighty wrench, the sorcerer knocked their joined blades away, Whipping his weapon up and around his head, Khyuss evaded a slash from Caleb, rotating to knock Harlan unconscious, flinging the ninja away. Caleb advanced on Khyuss, the fire ninja's sword flashing as he rained continuous blows on his opponent. Strike after strike collided with Khyuss' staff, their weapons clashing and sparking in the misty mountain air. A force pushed Caleb back, staggering the ninja, and he tumbled backward, an energy orb blowing him off his feet. Sneering in triumph, Khyuss loomed forward as Caleb hefted himself to his elbows, his breath coming in ragged wheezes.

"Foolish ninja, did you honestly believe you would prevail?" The sorcerer cackled, "Soon you will meet the same fate as the rest of your kind, and I will show you the same mercy my father was shown."

Caleb swallowed hard as the energy orb with intent to kill barreled towards him, but before he could react, a blur of gold screeched to a halt, and Harlan's towering figure stood before him. The lightning ninja absorbed the full impact of the blast, blowing him back.

As Harlan sank to the ground, Caleb rushed forward, kneeling beside his fallen friend. The pale green eyes stared weakly back at him while Harlan encouraged his friend with a nod.

"Finish him off, Cal."

The fire ninja stood, eyes blazing. Throwing his hands above his head, Caleb rotated them in a circular motion to cross at the wrists. With the brilliant blue flames flaring from his finger tips, tracing the path of his hands, Caleb's bright blue eyes began to glow, "MASTERS OF THE PAST, GIVE ME STRENGTH!"

The glow spread from his eyes to encompass his body as behind Khyuss, the sky darkened, and the gloomy portal began to expand, its swirling mist enveloping the sky. Gathering up all of his energy, Caleb shot a massive fireball, sending the sorcerer stumbling backward, drawn into the portal. From the depths of the abyss, a purple energy orb flew from the depths to rest in the distant mountains, and as the chasm began to close, Khyuss' voice cut through the air.

"Enjoy your peace, for I will return!"

Breathing heavily, Caleb rushed to Harlan's side as their remaining allies gathered around to find the lightning ninja waning away. Grasping Harlan's strong hand, the tears began to flow from Caleb's cheeks. As the lightning ninja's breath came in uneven gasps, Caleb watched as Harlan removed the amulet they traded one another as a symbol of their friendship from around his neck. With his last vestiges of energy, Harlan shot waves of lighting into the small orb. The sphere glowing with the power it held captive, Harlan handed it to Caleb.

"Do the same with your powers," Harlan instructed. "Two more will come to finally rid the universe of Khyuss. You need to keep our powers safe until they chose their bearers."

Caleb nodded, and with one final smile, Harlan died.

Conner cast a sidelong glance at his guardian, "And that's what you did, right."

Caleb gave a nod of affirmation, "Uh huh, and waited fifteen thousand years. I gotta tell you, what took you so long?"

Conner chuckled, "But why in Phaedos?"

Caleb smirked, "For the security precautions. Look how safe the powers of the Ninjetti were until those worthy enough came to claim them. Look at what you had to go through." He clapped a hand on Conner's shoulder, "I'm proud of you, Conner. I couldn't have asked for a better successor." The fire ninja waggled his eyebrows, "And with a good taste in girls."

Conner sobered at the thought of Kira, "Yeah, a lot that would do me now, I'm dead."

Caleb grinned, "Ah, buck up, chap. You did good, and the Ninja Council has found it fit to reward you."

Conner's brow furrowed in curiosity, "'Ninja Council?'"

Caleb grinned, "Yeah, governing spirits of all the great ninja masters whose job is to basically guard over all the ninjas."

"And they want to reward me?" Conner shook his head, "With what? First of all, I didn't do this for a reward, and secondly, what the hell can I possibly use while I'm dead? A girl who looks and acts just like Kira in my next life?"

Caleb laughed, "Can't do anything about your impending life, but somehow, I think you'll like your reward."

The mist behind Conner that showed all the happenings on earth faded into a dark, empty abyss. Grinning mischievously, Caleb gave Conner a gentle shove backwards, sending the Chosen Ranger plunging down into the endless black. Caleb watched Conner's descent, a small smile playing on his features.

xxx

CyberCam focused his concentration on the computer module, updating the latest software. As he worked, the strands of an eerie melody began to play. CyberCam paused, his fingers hovering over the keyboard but as he cocked his head, the steady beep of machinery was the only sound. Shrugging in confusion, the replica returned to his work, the steady clacking of the keyboard now adding to the scarce noise, only to be interrupted by the same haunting music, this time louder and more prominent than before. A bright glow caught the corner of his eye, and the replica rotated to the source. His eyes widened as he took in the spectacle as two words spluttered from his mouth.

"Holy sh-"

Coming Up:

Muahaha! Almost done! Once again, I apologize for the wait, I really do hope it was worth it. I'm not gonna add the teasers to the next chapter because I want to keep you on the edge of your seat. This story's just about finished, and I'm amazed at the great support I've received. Thanks! And as a last note, send in challenges with your reviews for my challenge/one-shot fic. I only ask that it sticks to the later seasons, Ninja Storm, Dino Thunder, SPD, only because its been awhile since I watched the past seasons. Also, don't ask me for slash pairings. I mean, you can, but I'm not gonna promise you I'll put them in, I really stink at them. Anyway, this fics just about over, and next will be the sequel, as promised, entitled Blaze of Glory! Stay tuned!

Roxie