A sort of routine developed over the next two days. Hunter and Blake were always on alternating shifts; one brother would guard Marah while the other went to go about their business. They didn't think that they could trust her, and Hunter was constantly reminding Blake that, after all, Marah WAS Lothor's niece.

In turn, Marah felt somewhat like a prisoner. There was constant tension between herself and the Thunder Rangers. She would have loved to run away, but her ankle was in poor shape, and of course there was the obvious reality of having no where else to go. She was becoming so bored, she almost wanted to TALK to the rangers. There was nothing else to do. On the afternoon of the second full day, Marah couldn't stand the tension any longer. It was Hunter's turn to "guard" her, and he stood glaring at the back of her head while leaning against a tree. Marah could feel him watching her every slightest movement. She hated it. 'Maybe I should have stayed on the ship after all,' she thought hopelessly. A chilly breeze rustled through the forest. Marah hugged her arms around herself. Her clothes were torn pretty badly in places, so the wind went right through them. Marah shivered. She hadn't remembered it being this cold in Blue Bay Harbor, the few times that she'd been there. Another breeze followed. Her skin prickled and she rubbed her hands together.

Hunter watched Marah from where he stood. It looked like she was shivering. He felt a pang of guilt. For a while he watched, throwing an idea back and forth in his head. Finally, he pulled off his jacket. "Here," he said, tossing it at Marah. It landed beside her. She looked over her shoulder from where she sat. Hunter was annoyed that she wouldn't look away. "You looked cold," he said plainly.

Marah's heart sank a little. For a moment, Hunter's face had been softer than usual and sort of kind looking. But now, once again, it was hardened. If Hunter wasn't going to be nice to her, then she wouldn't be nice to HIM. "No thank you," she said over her shoulder, folding her arms. She knew it was stupid of her; she was freezing. And would it just make things worse? 'Oh well,' Marah thought and sighed inwardly, 'it's too late now.'

"Suit yourself," Hunter said, but he didn't go to retrieve the jacket.

After a long moment, Marah turned her head back to him. "I have to go to the bathroom." Hunter eyed her suspiciously. "Look, it's not like I'm going to go back to THAT!" She pointed up to the sky. She waited for the Crimson Ranger to respond. He just peered at her. "I'm going to go now," Marah said as she stood up, using a tree to support her.

"You never finished your story."

Marah turned around. "What?" She thought a moment before realizing what he was talking about. "Oh.... Well," she said finally, "I'd rather not tell you. And I don't appreciate being treated like this."

"Well what did you expect? Your UNCLE killed my-"

"I am NOT MY UNCLE!" It was as if a bubble had at long last burst inside of Marah. She had gotten most of her strength back over the last two days and was feeling much better apart from the cut in her arm and her twisted ankle. A few birds could be heard, rustling tree branches as they took off, startled by the sudden noise. Another gust of wind blew. Both Hunter and Marah glanced at the jacket lying on the ground. Marah was getting tired of standing and balancing herself against the tree. She turned and limped off into the forest. She found herself feeling surprised that the Crimson Ranger did not stop her, but she shrugged it off and kept limping away. She really did have to use the bathroom.

When she returned, Hunter was sitting near HER designated tree. "So," he said with folded arms, "you can finish your story any time now."

"No." Marah glared at him, halting ungracefully where she stood, refusing to sit down next to him.

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to tell you."

Hunter tried to hide a mean smirk. "Well, I'm just going to sit here until you do."

"I don't want to TALK about it, okay?" Marah said a little desperately. Her good leg was getting tired from hefting most of her weight. She struggled against the urge to sit, or fall over. Hunter just looked at her.

"What happened on that ship?" he said after a moment. His voice was less harsh now.

Marah just looked away, pretending to study a nearby bird.

Hunter sighed. "Look, I won't yell at you or anything. Just tell me what HAPPENED up there."

Marah looked tentatively in the Crimson Ranger's direction. "Fine," she sighed. She finally gave in and sat down facing him. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything. You left off when you mentioned Lothor and you... started to cry...."

"Oh. Right," Marah said, wishing that he hadn't remembered what a sobbing mess she'd been then. "I went to find... Lothor..." she ventured carefully. Hunter didn't move, so she continued. "He was in the throne room on his... throne." She glanced up at Hunter and went on. "He was tied to it. Kapri and Choobo were in there. They had this contraption that sort of came down on his head." Marah imitated the movement with her hands, bringing them down over her own head. "He was begging them to let him go... but they just ignored him."

Hunter could hear her voice drifting into that far-away kind of tone. Her face was dark, looking down at her hands. Hunter was surprised by what she was telling him, but, despite himself, he believed her.

"There was this... this bright blue FLASH. And then he was...."

"Was what?"

"Blank. He wasn't the same. Kapri asked him something and he snapped out an answer like a robot or something. I don't know what they did to him. Then they laughed at his answer, and he just SAT there..." Marah felt a dull pain growing in her chest.

"What did your sister ask him?"

"Huh?" Marah looked up startled. For some reason, the way he said "your sister" felt kind of personal. "She asked him... I don't remember. Oh wait!" Hunter jumped a little. "I do remember! She said, 'Who's in charge,' or something like that."

"And what did he say?"

Marah looked up at him with wide eyes. "'You are'."

There was a silence. "Mind warp," Hunter said suddenly. Marah looked at him quizzically. "Zurgane was working on a weapon with Choobo that could brainwash just about anyone when Blake and I were still..." Hunter thought a moment. "You know... before."

"Oh... Can it be reversed?"

"Dunno," Hunter shrugged. "Probably."

"Really?" Marah smiled, perking up. "So Uncle won't always be that way? That means I can save him!"

Suddenly, everything seemed to jerk and come to a complete stop. Even the air seemed thicker... the feeling when one is jarred suddenly back into reality. Lothor was the wedge between Marah and the Thunder Rangers that could not be overcome. Marah loved her uncle. She couldn't change that, no matter how many sinister deeds he committed. And now he was in trouble.

"Crimson Ranger... I know you hate my uncle...."

Hunter laughed bitterly. "Hate is an understatement."

"But he's my FAMILY. I can't just turn on him!"

"I never asked you to," Hunter pointed out. "But it looks like your sister kind of turned on YOU, wouldn't you say?"

This was not what Marah wanted to hear. "You do NOT know anything about my sister! You have no IDEA what I went through up there! You don't know anything about my family, and you CERTAINLY know NOTHING about ME!"

Hunter sighed slowly, looking hard at Marah. "I know," he said quietly. "I know."

Marah was panting slightly from her outburst, but now she calmed down a little.

"Do you mind finishing your story now?"

Marah sighed. "I don't WANT to remember it." She swallowed. Rolling her eyes at Hunter's steady gaze, she continued anyway. "After I saw what they did to Uncle, I ran. The kelzacks and that monster caught up with me. I ran to the teleporters and voila.... Here I am."

"So how did you get that cut? And your ankle. Was it the monster?"

Marah nodded. "The kelzacks too."

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry," Hunter said, his tone unreadable. "That must have been hard for you."

"I don't need your pity."

Hunter shrugged and stood up; they were going in circles. The talk was over.

****************

Hunter sat poking the fire. The night was pitch black, and he was the only one awake. He had the second nighttime shift. As he stared sleepily at the bright flames licking hungrily at his stick, Hunter was thinking about the conversation that he'd had with Marah. She didn't seem all that bad. She walked a very fine line between good and evil; a hard path to follow for sure. Perhaps he wasn't giving her enough credit, but she was still defending her family. Had he really expected her to not? There was good in Marah, but her family devotion overpowered it, in Hunter's humble opinion. It would be up to her to figure things out. Hunter suddenly laughed at himself. He was reading WAY too into it. What did he know?

He then turned his attention to Marah, who had just let out a muffled whimper in her sleep. She tossed from side to side a few times, as if struggling against some unseen force. Should I do something? Hunter wondered. Marah cried out, flinging an arm at her invisible opponent. Hunter sat very still. Marah whimpered again but then sighed sleepily and stilled after that. Hunter sighed too. She looked so peaceful and innocent just then, as if there wasn't an evil bone in her body. If only things were that simple....

***************

It was late morning, and the sun struggled through the thick clouds of an overcast sky. The humidity had brought the temperature up ever so slightly. At least it's warmer today, Marah thought. And at least the Navy Ranger had the morning shift; he wasn't so intimidating as his brother. Not to mention confusing.

"So," Blake said from a few feet away, "I hear from Hunter that you finished your story."

Marah nodded. "Yeah."

"Well, don't worry. He told me about it... so you don't have to relive it again."

"Thanks," Marah said with a small smile of gratitude.

"If you don't mind me asking... what are you planning on doing anyway? I mean, it's been three days." The small smile on Marah's face faded and was replaced with a worried frown. "I- Well what I'm trying to say is... are you going to go back to the space fortress or not?"

"I... I can't answer that yet."

"I mean, we can't hold you captive forever," Blake laughed a little at the thought. "We weren't really planning on having any hostages."

Marah smiled a bit too. "Yeah, I guess not."

"Well, whenever you think you've made up your mind, let us know."

"So what would you do if I... if I chose to go back? To the fortress..."

"That's your decision, not ours. If you wanted to go back, we- I'D let you go. We wouldn't hold you back. We're not keeping you against your will, are we? We- well... I don't want you feel like that. That's not what's intended... from me anyway."

"No, you're not holding me against my will." Marah shook her head. "Why does the Crimson Ranger...." Well, Marah thought, she knew exactly why he was so bitter towards her... and in general really.

Blake nodded, knowing fully what Marah had started to ask. "Don't take it personally. My brother, uh, didn't take your uncle's betrayal too well. He was like that before you got here."

"So he always attacks you like that?" Marah asked surprised.

"Well, no..." Blake frowned deeply.

"I'm sorry. I caused that, didn't I." She watched Blake look at her. It didn't appear that he was able to answer that. "Never mind. Forget I said anything. Sorry."

"You don't have to keep apologizing, Marah."

She opened her mouth to say something but was cut short. Just then, Hunter's voice came shouting from Blake's wrist morpher.

"Bro!" the voice crackled, "get down here fast! We've got company." There was a pause. "A lot of company."

"I'll be right there! But what about-"

"Just take Marah with you! I'm on the beach! Just hurry up!" the voice cried above the whizzing of laser beams being fired in the background.

"On our way," Blake said quickly. He looked up at Marah. "Come on, we're going down to the beach."

**************

Marah followed silently, Blake helping her walk as they made their way down the mountainside. Marah tried to move as fast as she could with her ankle. "I'm okay," she said finally. "I can walk on my own."

"Are you sure?" Blake panted, not letting them slow down.

"Yes."

"All right." Blake let go of her arm, his mind on other things. Marah was surprised that she could actually walk fairly well on her own.

At last they reached the forest's end and stumbled onto the soft sand of the beach. Marah gasped, catching up with Blake and halting at the sight before them. A huge swarm of kelzacks seemed to be battling each other in one large teeming mass until a glimpse of crimson could be seen at the heart of the chaos. There was a slight flash as Blake morphed beside Marah.

"Stay here, or... It's your decision Marah." Blake gave her a meaningful look from behind his visor before rushing straight into the wild throng.

Marah knelt behind a shrub at the beach's edge, the dark forest at her back. Frightened, she peered out to watch. Her eyes suddenly boggled out. Choobo was there. He stood at the top of a very high solid rock wall, beaten down from centuries of ocean storms and high tides. The Thunder Rangers were battling the horde of kelzacks at the base of the wall. Choobo just stood watching the battle rage on below him. Marah was shocked by the tremor of fear that ran through her at the sight of the glutinous green creature. She subconsciously prayed that he hadn't seen her. Now she was more confused than ever. She didn't know what to do, so she crouched, frozen behind the shrub... watching.

The kelzacks were merciless, but neither were the Thunder Rangers. They battled with amazing poise, power, and skill. Marah longed to be able to do that. Was THAT what she wanted? Marah pushed the thought away. She crouched there for what felt like hours. Her heart was pounding, her legs were aching, her mind was racing. What to do? she thought desperately. Choobo was right there. All she had to do was step out from behind the bush and he would take her back to the ship. So why did she not move an inch? If she returned to the ship, how did she know that they wouldn't mind warp her too? Or worse... And was this the plan to kill the Thunder Rangers that was playing out before her very eyes? She couldn't bear the thought. They couldn't die. Her panicked thoughts were broken when she realized that all of the kelzacks had been defeated and had disappeared. The Thunder Rangers stood panting at the base of the rock wall. It towered ominously before them. Were they going to speak to Choobo or fight him? A new wave of panic suddenly ripped through Marah. They didn't see him! They were both leveling down into their normal state, standing unaware and now unprotected. Marah looked up at Choobo. He was pulling out a large blaster and aiming it down at them.

Marah acted before she even knew what she was doing. "NO!" she screamed, leaping impulsively out onto the beach. The two brothers spun around to look at her. Hunter's startled blue gaze locked with her terrified one. "BEHIND YOU! BEHIND YOU!!!!" Marah flung her arm out and pointed over their heads at Choobo, but it was too late. A huge red ray tore through the distance between Choobo and the Thunder Rangers. It hit them both with such a force that it caused bursts of fire to explode around them. Both rangers flew backwards. "NOOO!" Marah scrambled forward. The two brothers writhed and moaned in the sand. Marah ran to them. "Oh my God.... Are you all right?"

"Marah?" Choobo's voice was now behind her. She flung herself around to see him standing between her and the crashing waves beyond. She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. She was more terrified now than ever. "Are you PROTECTING them?"

Marah stammered, her eyes so wide they were about to burst from their sockets. She could hear nothing but the pounding in her ears. Her heart hammered violently against her ribs. She just wanted to disappear.

"You defended them!" Choobo cried, his blaster pointing dangerously in Marah's direction. "You HELPED them!" Marah didn't even have enough breath left in her to cry out as she stared down the barrel of the weapon. But she didn't need to. At that moment, Hunter and Blake dashed in front of her; they had morphed once more. "So you have turned against us?" Choobo hollered past them.

All three turned and looked at Marah. This was the question that would seal her fate.... Her mouth hung open, but she couldn't say yes... or no.

"Traitor! Wait till Kapri hears this!"

"I-" Marah stammered. Suddenly, Choobo fired. He meant to hit Hunter, but instead it only grazed his shoulder... and struck Marah instead.

Marah could feel herself flying as the force of the blow threw her backwards. She crashed against the rock wall and slid down to the ground.

Choobo stared at her limp body, stunned by what he had done. "Marah-" he started to call but was not able to finish. Blake and Hunter charged at him ferociously, shouting.

Marah was in intense pain. It was as if her insides were on fire. She couldn't breathe. Her vision was blotchy, but she could see the Thunder Rangers battling Choobo furiously. Was it because of her? Marah groaned. Her head and back ached from the impact against the rock wall. She staggered to her feet and tried to steady herself. From where she'd been standing, it had looked like Choobo purposefully shot at her. Her heart grew heavy at the thought. They really had turned on her. But Marah couldn't cry, she felt hollow. Had her entire existence been meaningless? She looked over at the battle going on without her. Choobo disappeared for an instant. Marah blinked. The rangers stumbled backwards in confusion.

"You're coming with me," a voice said in Marah's ear. She jumped to find Choobo now right beside her.

"Get away from her!" the Navy Ranger yelled.

"Your fights with us, not her," the Crimson Ranger added steadily. The two brothers started to run forward.

Choobo seemed not to be phased and pushed a button on his armor. Suddenly a mob of kelzacks appeared. They swarmed around the Thunder Rangers.

"NO!" Marah cried desperately. "Don't kill them! Please Choobo! PLEASE!"

"I'm sorry, but orders are orders. I have to follow them." Choobo sounded a little sorry, for Marah's sake, not the rangers. He seized her arm with sticky fingers.

"NOOO!" Marah struggled against his grip, kicking and punching, using every battle technique she had ever learned... but to no avail. She felt herself disappearing. Suddenly she was looking down on the Thunder Rangers, who were battling their hearts out. Hunter looked up.

"MARAH!" she heard him cry out from way down below, but she was fading away. Up and up she went. She couldn't see her own body now, or Choobo's, but she could still feel his tight grip. She closed her eyes. She was going back.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Okay, so that's the next chapter! I would have made it longer, but it seemed like such a good place to stop! ::cackles to self:: It's funny how my stories have a tendency to write themselves. I just type for them. I had had something COMPLETELY different planned for the end of this chapter, but this is what I got instead! Hope you all enjoy it. Please please PLEASE R&R!!! I'll update again as soon as I can!