Disclaimer: I don't own the Power Rangers. So don't try to buy them from me. Please don't get all offended because I mocked your favorite Ranger. I try to mock them all. Besides, it's just for fun. I really do enjoy the show :). 'Hi" to all from AFPR…especially my fellow Psychos. Please let me know if I make any errors. I have no difficulty with receiving constructive criticism.

If you haven't done so, please read the first fifty stories in "When Rangers Meet." Thanks.

Well, this is story seventeen. It had been requested by Stylo. For some reason, this took me forever to write, and I'm just not that crazy about it. But I have to get this one out so I can work on the next one. I hope it will be better.

Dustin and Zhane

By

Eileen (Psycho Tangerine)

"Like, dang," grumbled Dustin in frustration. Here he was, a former Power Ranger and a Sensei at the Wind Ninja Academy. Yet, he still couldn't tie a simple tie. "Aha!" he cried in triumph as he pulled on one end. "Yeaaaggghhh!" he choked out a second later. Grabbing a nearby pair of scissors, he snipped the constricting piece of cloth off his neck then continued to chop it up before tossing it into the trash. He would just have to owe Cam a new tie.

It wasn't as if Marah would've cared if he wore a tie anyway. Ever since she had joined the Ninja Wind Academy, Marah constantly followed him around, begging forgiveness for tricking him into giving more power to Beevil. That and the constant gifts finally wore him down. Of course, it did take several months for Dustin to stop tossing the packages into the nearby lake or calling the bomb squad. But, once he began to trust Marah enough to open the gifts, he wished he hadn't. The girl had a bizarre idea of what was desirable to humans. Already, his closet was full of things like sea slug cufflinks, baboon-butt pants, roach-skin earmuffs, and hornet-stinger boxer shorts.

Nevertheless, he had gotten to talk to her after classes and learned they had a lot in common. Dustin paused while slipping on a pair of Marah's rat-skin sneakers. Well, they had some things in common. He paused yet again as he tied the rat-tail laces. Actually, the only thing they had in common was the fact that they were both considered the "airheads" of the group. He smiled to himself as he headed for his garage; at least she was still cute…. and pretty…. and had big…. WHUMP!

"Hey, watch where you're walking!" cried the light-blond haired man who had been standing in the garage near Dustin's motorbike. I almost fell over this thing."

"Oh, like sorry, D…hey!" exclaimed Dustin as he picked himself off the ground. "What do you mean 'thing?' No one calls my baby a 'thing!'" He glared at the older man, "and what are you doing in my garage anyway? If you're here to steal my bike, I should warn you, I do know karate." With that, he took a stance.

Zhane rolled his eyes. "No duh, everyone within a hundred miles knows you're a sensei at the Wind Ninja Academy." He held out one of the many posters that had been plastered around Blue Bay Harbor and it's neighboring towns. "Join the Wind Ninja Academy," he read from it. "Learn the Arts of the Ninja and the Samurai from the Great Power Rangers." He shook his head as he rolled the poster back up. "Man, if Zordon was still here…"

"Who?" asked Dustin.

"You know, the original Power Rangers mentor."

Dustin stared at Zhane blankly.

"Large bald head in a tube?" asked Zhane. "The one who died and sent a wave of goodness to destroy all those who were fighting for Dark Spectre?"

Dustin continued to stare blankly.

Zhane sighed in frustration. "He's in issue 2 to 44 of the 'Super Duper Power Rangers' comic series."

Dustin's face lit up with recognition. "Oh yeah, now I know who you're talking about. Sensei dressed up as him last Halloween." Dustin continued to stare at Zhane. "But, Dude, why are you dressed up in that black leather outfit and purple wig."

Zhane paled at this. "I have to…SHE's watching. That's why I came here, to warn you NOT to make the same mistake I did."

"She? She who?" Dustin looked around cautiously. "There's no one else here."

"My wife." Zhane broke down. "I thought she was going to stay sweet. Astronema was supposed to be gone forever."

"You married the former Princess of Evil?" gasped Dustin. "Wow, now that's what I call masochism." He leaned towards Zhane conspirationally. "It was all that tight leather that turned you on, wasn't it?"

Zhane's face turned dark. "Watch what you say about Karone or I'll use these studded cuffs to redecorate your so-called 'baby'." Zhane held his wrist over Dustin's motorbike.

"Whoa, whoa!" cried Dustin as he put himself between Zhane and the bike. "No one touches her, especially not some reject goth-dude."

With that, Zhane broke down. "Do you…do you think I actually LIKE dressing like this? I HATE it! She's making me look like this. She says it makes me sexier. Ewwww."

"Uh, like Dude, I don't see anyone holding a gun to your head." Dustin held his arm over his bike's leather seat to keep it dry from the other man's tears.

"No, you wouldn't understand," sobbed Zhane. "Karone was such a sweet girl when we married. But then she went away to help some people on a space station or something like that."

"Ooh, wait." Dustin stepped over to the large pile of comic books that he kept in his garage. He reached in and pulled out an issue. "I thought she sounded familiar." He handed the comic book to Zhane.

Zhane grabbed the book and quickly flipped through it. "W…what?" he exclaimed. "I don't believe it!"

Dustin smirked. "I guess you didn't know about her being the Pink Galactic Ranger."

"Who cares about that?" growled Zhane. "Who the HELL is this Leo she's falling all over in this comic strip?" No wonder Karone had been so distant and bitchy when she returned from 'visiting her frail old grandmother.'

"Oh, he was just their Red Ranger," replied Dustin dismissively. "But, Dude, you still haven't explained how she's making you wear that bizarre getup."

"All I know is that when Karone came back from her trip, she was acting really cold." Zhane began to fiddle with the purple wig on his head. "Nothing I did pleased her. All we did was argue." He sighed. "Then one day I stupidly blurted out that she was less of a bitch when under Darkonda's control. It was then that she yanked her old wrath staff out of a hidden dimensional pocket and began zapping me all over the house." He looked around and then leaned in towards Dustin. "I still can't get all my 'parts' working correctly."

"Too much info, Dude," gasped Dustin as he jumped back.

Zhane blushed. "Whoops, sorry about that. Anyway, it turns out that she had been at some stupid auction while she was away."

"Yeah, we all know about that," interrupted Dustin. "That's how she got the Pink Quasar Saber."

Zhane glared at him before continuing. "Well, she also got some other 'treasures' as well. Like that stupid wrath staff and the old Repulsascope. That little witch even found…yeeeooowwwcchhh!" He grabbed his neck in pain and then looked up towards the sky with a big phony grin and a wave. "I'll be right there, Sweetiekins," he mouthed. "…some electric studded neck collars from the distant planet Transsexual."

"Whoa, Dude," said Dustin, shaking his head in sympathy. "Sorry your woman is giving you such grief. But I still don't see why I had to hear," he grimaced, "or see this."

"Just a second, Cuddlybuns," Zhane mouthed in the direction of the sky. He looked at Dustin. "Are you kidding? You're about to date a former villainess and you ask why I came here?"

Dustin stared at him. "Who told you about…wait a second. I don't think Astronema is the only one using that Repulsascope."

Zhane didn't answer this accusation, but grinned at his fond memories of the Planet of the Bimbos. "Anyway, I think you should be very careful of this 'Marah.' Don't let her go gallivanting all over the galaxy. Don't let her go to strange auctions. Don't…" He grimaced in pain and looked up yet again. "Alright, already, you big nag…errr I mean my PrettyPrettyPrinc…" he never finished as he was teleported away.

"Whoa, what a weirdo," mumbled Dustin as he began to pull his bike out of the garage. "No way Marah would ever…" His cell phone rang. "Hello? Marah? No, Angelface, I wouldn't dream of putting you on my dirty old bike. Yes, I'll go rent a limo right now. Yes, my cutiepatootie" he continued as he headed out of the garage now empty-handed, "I love the new skunk cap you made for me. Yes, HoneyBunch, I already set up that 'Marah is Way Better than Stinky Old Kapri,' website that you so delicately requested. Yes, SugarDumpling, I already…" his voice faded as he headed back into his house.