A/N: Hello everyone! I am sorry I havent updated for so long, I had... some other things that needed my attention. On with the story! Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, followed favourited, or just read for fun! It is very much appreciated :)

Chapter 11

The Gold Ranger stood at the hatch of the pyramid, the moonlight reflecting off her gold shoulder shield. Ninjor stood sadly on the ground looking up at her.

"Goodbye Ninjor."

Ninjor sighed. "Are you sure that this is goodbye?"

Alura nodded. "This planet was never meant to house someone like me. It's... It's best if I leave." Alura turned to go down the hatch.

"Where will you go?"

Alura stopped. "... I don't know."

She turned and ran back down the side of the pyramid, and embraced Ninjor in a rare display of affection from the wearied warrior. "Thank you for everything, old friend." He hugged her back, and she drew away and didn't look back. "Goodbye Ninjor."

"Wait!" There was the glow of a red teleportation beam, and Tommy appeared. Alura continued her climb back up to the hatch.

"You're too late Tommy." Ninjor growled, sounding as if he were about to cry. "You can't make her stay." Ninjor turned his head. "I can't even stop her."

"Wait, Alura!" Tommy shouted, and he scrambled up the side of the Pyramid after her."I don't want you to go!"

Alura whirled around. "And why not?! I've done every wrong possible to this planet. And to you! Why would you ever want me to stay?"

"I don't know." Tommy sighed. "I haven't been certain of a lot of things for a long time, and I don't have a reason for wanting certain things. But I know that I want you to stay."

"And what if I don't want to stay?"

"But you do, don't you?" Tommy looked down. "You... don't have a home anymore. You have nowhere to return to. You would just go to another planet."

Alura stopped. "I suppose I would. I... I have to keep fighting, no matter what." She turned. "Is that what you would do, Tommy? If you had this power, you would keep fighting, wouldn't you?"

Tommy could tell that Alura was at a loss.

"Do you even know what you're fighting for, Gold Ranger?"Alura was silent. Tommy approached her gently. "Stay, and find out what you're fighting for."

"What do you mean?"

"Spend one day among civilians here. Lead a normal life, for just one day."

"I can't-"

"You can leave after that if you like. At least stay for a little longer."

Alura's body began to scream aggression towards Tommy. Well, maybe it wasn't meant for Tommy, but for the worlds around them that held no place for a lost warrior.

"Do you have any idea how dangerous that could be? Me, as a civilian?!" Tommy took a step back from Alura. "It's beneath me."

"What right do you have to talk about above and beneath?" Tommy retorted. "You came here to help me, and you've done it like I'm some sort of deity to you! Yet I'm a civilian. What does that make me, Alura?"

Alura stared him down. "It makes you a fool."

"Then I'm a fool! And so are you, because neither of us has stopped fighting to protect those who are 'beneath us'." Tommy stepped forward. "Do you consider yourself a God or something?!"

"It wouldn't make me a better person if I was! Gods have power to help, to do good for those who ask for it!" Alura's helmet was angled down. "I'm... I'm just a monster."

Tommy sighed. "Listen, Alura. Jason told me what you said to Rita, about how you wouldn't join her because you know better, and because everyone here is equal." Tommy looked at her dark visor. "You know this world well, well enough to do what is right. You're no monster. You're a saviour."

Under her helmet, a single tear rolled down Alura's cheek.

"...You want me to stay."

Tommy nodded. "I think it would be good for you."

Ninjor watched the two teens, holding his breath. He could sense that the power within her was laughing, and laughing loudly, because either way, it would win. If she left, the dragon would have won, and driven her away from the planet which she might have called home. If she stayed, her powers and life force would continue to fluctuate, and the dragon would be able to take over.

"Alura," Ninjor spoke.

Alura respectfully angled her helmet towards her old friend. "Yes, Ninjor?"

"Whether you leave or not is purely your decision, Alura. We all make our own destiny."

"Not all of us do. Sometimes, it's already been written in the stars." All of them looked up, and the stars above them glittered. Alura searched the sky for her home world, but just found an empty darkness there instead. She turned back to Tommy. "Let me think about it." Inside, she could feel the dragon laughing.

Alura closed the hatch of the pyramid and looked at Tommy, who looked sad and concerned. She gestured for him to get down from the pyramid, and he respectfully made his way back down the side of the Zord to the desert sand. Alura made her way down behind him, but went into the temple grounds straight away, leaving the pyramid and Ninjor with Tommy.

Ninjor crossed his arms and turned towards Tommy. "That's no way to make a girl like you."

Tommy frowned. "What?"

"You were pretty angry, Tommy. You wouldn't have asked her to stay if you didn't have feelings for her."

Tommy looked down. "Maybe I just don't want to ruin anyone else's life."

"Maybe, maybe not." Ninjor cocked his head to the side, and then lowered it aggressively. "If she decides to stay, you'd better watch out."

"Why?" Tommy asked cautiously.

"Because if you break her heart, I'll break your legs."

Tommy would have smiled if Ninjor hadn't been so serious. Instead, he just nodded.

"Go back to the command centre Tommy. If she decides to stay, she'll let you know."

Tommy nodded, but hesitated whilst in mid reach for his teleporter. "Ninjor, if she does leave... tell her..."

Ninjor raised his head expectantly.

"... I'm sorry. And thank you. From me."

Ninjor shook his head. "Tell her yourself. She needs to hear it from you, not me."

"I guess there are just some things that you have to do yourself." Tommy sighed, running a strong hand down his hair and the back of his neck. "See ya Ninjor."

Tommy teleported away, leaving Ninjor standing with his arms crossed.

"I hope not, Thomas." Ninjor activated the cloaking device on the pyramid, and went into the temple grounds. He found Alura kneeling by the stream, unmorphed, and staring at her own reflection in the rippling water.

"It's won, Ninjor." She powered down, and the human form that sat on the earth was met by the reflection of a dragon in the cold water. "The power within will take over if I stay."

"You could get Billy to run a diagnostic to stop your powers from fluctuating."

"That is kind of him." Alura looked down. "But there's only so much he can do. Maybe he could postpone the takeover, but not for long."

"Isn't that better than nothing?"

"... I don't even know anymore." She stood angrily. "This shouldn't be happening to me, Ninjor! So much confusion and doubt in one person's life," She threw a stone into the water. "There's only so much a person can take."

Ninjor stood, head lowered, letting her fuel her rage for the moment without his interruption.

"Why does this happen to me?" She was talking more to herself than to Ninjor now. Her eyes glowed purple in rage. "If I am so powerful... why am I still weak?"

As she gazed at her own reflection in the water, the surface rippled, and in that moment she felt herself staring at the reflection of the Dragon in the water. And something snapped inside Alura. Suddenly she had discovered a new determination. She wouldn't become that beast. She would fight against her inner demons, for her own sake, and for the sake of those that she wanted to help. She saw the dragons lips curl upwards over its sharp teeth. Was it smiling, laughing at her? Suddenly she morphed and drew her power staff, letting it touch the surface of the water at the dragon's throat.

Ninjor just watched on. He could see the warrior struggling against her inner turmoil; however he could not help her. This was one battle that she needed to fight by herself, no matter how much he wanted to ease her pain. He saw a change in her though.

"This power stays with me." She threatened, the staff still held in her firm grip. "I would rather kill myself before you take over."

The dragon's reflection sneered and drew away from the sword, fading in the water and she heard its voice in her head. "It may come to that, Gold One."

Ninjor saw the dragon fade away completely, leaving the Gold Ranger with her sword lightly pressing against the surface of the water.

"It won't come to that, Alura. I promise."

Alura finally tore her gaze from the water. "You can't promise that, Ninjor." She holstered her sword. "Do... do think its weak for someone like me to ask for help?"

"Gold One, asking for help is the bravest thing you can do."

Alura felt a small pain on her neck as a cut appeared. She had been holding her staff to the dragon's neck in exactly the same place...

"I need to talk to Zordon." Alura turned to Ninjor. "There's something that I need to do before I can lead a civilian life, even for only a day."

"What is that, Gold One?"

She clenched a fist. "Take down one of them. Mondo would be the easiest at the moment."

"Alura, you can't just-"

Alura didn't hear the rest of Ninjor's sentence. A sudden laughter filled her head, and before she could stop herself, she fell forward into the water. It had not been a pleasant laugh. It had been one that she wished to lose; the laugh of a dragon. "Did you really think that you could stop me, Gold One?"She sank deeper. She couldn't stop herself.

"Alura!" Disregarding the weight of his armour that would surely pull him under the water deeper, Ninjor dove in after her, with no regard for his own safety.

...

"You what?"

"I asked her to spend a day among us." Tommy glanced at Jason. "She needs to know what she's fighting for."

"Did she agree?" Kat asked.

"I don't know." Tommy looked down. "She said that she would think about it."

"What if she doesn't like the life that we lead?" Tanya asked suddenly. "We all know that humans aren't perfect. What if she sees violence, or conflict? Will she still want to fight with us?"

"She of all people knows that humans aren't perfect." Tommy argued. "She knows that she isn't perfect herself. She'll understand any faults she sees."

Adam frowned. "You seem to have changed your mind about her very quickly Tommy."

"What can I say?" Jason slapped Adam on the back. "I give the best pep talks around!" Adam raised his eyebrow. Tommy smiled a little to himself. Jase was always great at keeping secrets, no matter whom or what they concerned.

"Tommy," Zordon looked down from his power tube. "You must understand the danger of this plan."

"Zordon, most of our plans are dangerous." Tommy crossed his arms. "Besides, the benefits outweigh the risks, I think."

Zordon looked sceptical.

"Isn't this part of being a Ranger?" Tommy asked. "We take risks, and we know the consequences, however good or bad they may be." Tommy turned to the others. "She deserves a normal life, at least for a little while."

"Hey," called Billy. "I'm picking up her signal."

Tommy rushed to the controls. "Which direction is she going? Is she coming this way?"

"I... I can't get a lock on it." Billy adjusted his glasses. "The power signature is all over the place."

Rocky looked over Billy's shoulder. "Are her powers fluctuating again?"

"I think so," Billy was concerned. "But this is a bigger fluctuation than we've seen before."

"Can you tell if she's okay?" Kat, as well as the others gathered around the console, with concern rising within them.

"I... I don't know. This power looks a little different to the power signature that we have detected from her before."

Tommy felt a small swell within him. He felt the green ranger powers, the dragon. Glancing over at Jason, he saw that he hadn't reacted. He mustn't have felt it. "Track it down Billy." Tommy stood back. "I'll teleport to her position."

"Hang on... its moving." Adam pointed to the diagram on the screen. "According to this, she's moving this way."

They all stared at the blip on the screen. They could see that there was someone with her, and Zordon confirmed that it was Ninjor once he took an energy reading.

"Rangers," said Zordon, "When the Gold Ranger-"

"Her name," Tommy interrupted, "is Alura. Stop calling her Gold Ranger, Zordon."

Zordon looked a little surprised.

"Geez Tommy," Adam frowned. "Take it easy!"

"Sorry," Tommy looked down. "But she's not just a Ranger! We need to think of her as a person!"

The Command Centre suddenly shuddered, sending all seven Rangers sprawling to the ground. They fell, but quickly regained their composure, as they had been trained to do.

"Zordon, what was that?" Rocky demanded. "Are we under attack?"

"No." Billy spoke gently. "I... think it's her."

The Rangers stared at each other in horror.

"What do you mean Billy?" asked Jason.

"Her power signature is right outside."

"But... she wouldn't attack us, would she?"

Billy tapped on the controls a little more. "I don't think so. Well, not by choice anyway."

Tommy glanced down at the scars on his arm. "But-"

Suddenly, the outer door to the command centre opened, blowing in the chilly night air. The Rangers immediately shivered and took defensive stances. The lights in the command centre flickered, but only for a second, as two figures entered. When the lights came back to normal, the Rangers saw the figures.

Ninjor stumbled forwards, carrying an unconscious Gold Ranger in his arms. His armour had scorch marks all over it, smouldering, yet dripping wet at the same time. The Gold Rangers armour was the same, smoking and drenched. Painfully, Ninjor angled his head towards the shocked Rangers.

"I... I think she'll need to stay..." Ninjor managed a painful whisper, before he fell forward.

The two warriors were unmoving on the floor. Helpless.