Summary: As the fight continues, the rangers try to keep their lives as normal as possible while learning about their full powers.

Phantom Rogue: School very stupid, but now she can go to college:D Yeah, Ray's got his work cut out for him.

Star Fata: And they're moving on still.

Sasja: Well, you served it. :D

The-power-of-love: Here's more.

Jenny: You'll pas those SATs, I know you will, even if they're not for a few years. So I know you can't beta the other story… can you still just read it? Why don't you just kill summer school? Blow it up? Me and Rosa will help. :D

Ghostwriter: Glad you liked it.

As The Battle Rages

Chapter 28

"Darn." Ray cursed as he painstakingly stood back up again.

Dakota and Kayla had already scrambled back to their feet and Dakota was holding out his hand. Ray took it with a sigh and let Dakota hurl him back to his feet.

"Well, now we know she's not the next lock." Dakota said, with a despairing sigh. "Maybe we're trying too systematic and we should be more random. Trying Dymphna didn't feel right somehow."

"When I tried Aurora and Chaitlin something seemed off too." Ray offered through slightly gritted teeth.

"Kayla, pick a ranger, any ranger." Dakota told his sister.

Kayla closed her eyes and spun around, stretching out her arms. When she stopped she crooked open one eye and looked at who she was pointing.

"Murtagh." She said determinedly.

"It's worth a shot." Ray agreed and walked over to Murtagh.

The twin took hold of his one hand while he used the other yet again to create a contact to invade the trapped mind of his fellow ranger. When they opened their eyes, the sun was beating down on them and left a suffocating heat.

"Where?" Kayla asked.

"A desert. Dehydration." Ray mussed softly. "Your magic… can it turn this sand into an ocean?"

"If we join forces." Dakota replied.

"Make it the water pure enough for an Aquitian to rehydrate." Ray told them firmly.

Dakota took hold of Kayla's hand and they closed their eyes. Their hands and the ground beneath them started sparkling bright purple and suddenly they were floating a few inches above a turbulent body of water.

"What now?" Kayla asked.

"Now we wait." Ray sighed.

They didn't need to wait long before Murtagh appeared from beneath the waves.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"Well, this is just an illusion. Care to wake up now so we can move on to the others?" Ray replied brightly.

"What?" Murtagh asked surprised.

"Take my hand and we'll be out of here." Ray answered.

"Gladly." Murtagh breathed and took Ray's offered hand.

Moments later they were back in the white space and Murtagh shot up out of the mist, coughing and rubbing his burning eyes.

"Welcome to the world of the living." Dakota joked. "You get to pick the next ranger to wake up and don't use your brains choosing. This is an instinct thingy."

Murtagh looked at him strangely, but waved in a general direction anyway as he slowly got to his feet. Ray had already walked that way by the time the black ranger was standing.

"Megan." Ray decided, kneeling down next to her and holding out his hand for the others to take.

"Be ready to be sick." Kayla warned as she took hold of Murtagh when he looked thoroughly confused.

Mere moments later they were in a new white room, but this time it did have walls. Ray made a face and looked around for Megan.

"I don't fear the dentist… but I don't like him either."

The others agreed and ran over to Megan the moment they spotted her. Just then the dentist came in, holding a large drill. Ray immediately dropped into a defence position, feeling Dakota and Kayla flank him.

"Murtagh, take care of Megan, we'll hold him off." Dakota ordered, before launching an attack.

Murtagh turned to Megan, who lay stiffened from fear in the dentist chair.

"There's nothing to be afraid of, remember?" Murtagh urged gently. "You beat that dentist monster months ago."

Megan didn't react and Murtagh sighed.

"We made a mistake." Murtagh admitted. "We should have listened to you. We need to be a team and we screwed up. I get that now, Dymphna and Abby too." He continued in a rush, desperate to get the words out. "Megan… look, Ray and the twins need our help, they can barely hold their own against that guy! They never did you wrong. They're used to fighting with Aurora, but Aurora isn't here because somehow we've all been trapped in illusions of our greatest fears. If we don't face them or beat them or get helped out with them, then not only the world is doomed, but we'll never have the chance to be the team we should be. Look over there; Ray is forming this team, offering us a spot in it one by one. Please accept his offer. Please?" He knew that he barely understood a word he was babbling, but somehow –

Megan blinked and turned her head to face him.

"You really mean that?" She muttered softly. "You want me on this team?"

"Yes, and they want you too. We're your friends, Megan, now and forever, through good times and bad. There'll be some bumps in the road, but they won't break this bond Ray is forming. I promise you." Murtagh smiled softly, holding out his hand.

When Megan touched it, the dentist shrunk into nothing and the room brightened. Moments later she was sitting up coughing with burning eyes and noticed a hand being held out to her. She looked up and found a smiling Dakota attached to it.

"Welcome to our little team, Megan, care to choose our next addition?" He grinned and Megan smiled happily in return.

Finally the Zodiac team was forming into a team with a stable foundation and there was nothing more she wanted than to be part of that circle of friendship.

A/N: Hope you liked it. PLEASE! I beg you all who read to review… Might make me update even faster…