Sensei Watanabe stood stock still. His eyes were closed and he appeared to be listening hard to something only he could hear. After a few frozen moments he drew in a deep breath. "Tori! Shane!" He commanded. "Listen to me!" Even in their shaken states they were unable to disobey their sensei's command. "You must center yourselves – for Dustin's sake."

Sensei Kanoi Watanabe barely noticed as the Dino Rangers positioned Shane and Tori on the floor. He knelt between them and listened to the voice within. Kanoi was poised somewhere between conscious thought and the blank depths of unconsciousness. It was not his own awareness that had drawn him here, but Dustin's agonizing need for help. He knew he must not succumb to the darkness if any of the three former Rangers were to survive. Kanoi had always sensed the bond between the former Wind Rangers, and had nurtured its development, but he had grossly underestimated the depth of the bond between them.

Dustin's desperation had reached him more clearly than it had reached his teammates. Kanoi's supremely trained mind and centered spirit understood much more quickly what Dustin needed to survive. It wasn't the mind touch of his friends Dustin required; it was the touch of their spirits. And though they were physically separated, they could lend their strength to his fight.

Kanoi had never felt anything as powerful as the entity that was attacking Dustin. It was drawing power off of him at a phenomenal rate. Shane and Tori were also caught in its wake, protected somewhat by the presence of Kanoi between them and it. The currents of energy being ripped from Dustin were unfathomable, and Kanoi knew the Yellow Ranger would not be able to withstand much more. And there was nothing Kanoi could do to prevent it.

Then suddenly there was a shift. Kanoi could almost hear an audible click when Dustin opened himself wholly to the Earth power that was his birthright. He'd never been so open to the power within him, deliberately or accidentally. Kanoi had always known that the combination of Wind Ranger and earth elemental powers was bound to be incalculable, but to experience it in connection with his former students was almost completely overwhelming.

Taking advantage of the reprieve, Kanoi directed his thoughts toward Shane and Tori. Shane, as a Red Ranger and ninja, was open to mind speech with his sensei, a red ninja himself. Tori, as the Blue ranger and "mind" of the group was also open to mind speech. Both of them more so than Dustin whose strength was his emotion rather than pure thought.

"Rangers of body and mind…your heart needs your strength. Focus your thoughts. Focus your emotions. You must be ready to catch him if he falls."

Kanoi withdrew slightly, pulling back from the maelstrom of emotion and energy that was the Wind Rangers. But before he could develop a plan of action the situation changed again. The balance between energy absorption and energy withdrawal Dustin had achieved by opening himself fully as a channel of Earth energy was in flux again. The enemy's demand had increased, and Dustin was unable to compensate. Even with the support of Shane and Tori, Dustin was unable to maintain his inner focus and "slipped" out of balance.

Kanoi desperately threw himself back into the fray. With no time to warn them, Kanoi ruthlessly gathered Tori and Shane to himself and threw up a mental shield between them and the entity attacking Dustin. There was no way to cut them off completely from Dustin, but he frantically shielded them as much as he could.

The explosion of energy that followed was nothing like anything Kanoi had ever experienced. His own pain and the residual shockwaves of pain experienced by the Wind Rangers sent every nerve in his body thrumming.

Haley stood slightly off to the side taking in the scene in the lab. The Dino Rangers stood silently watching the tableau at their feet. Something was clearly happening between the trio before them, the likes of which they had never experienced. As intriguing as that was, it wasn't nearly as fascinating to Haley as how her team was being affected. Haley wondered if they realized what they were doing, or if it was completely unconscious. She supposed it was the latter.

Kira had joined the boys after getting Tori settled on the floor. She stood on Conner's left, and at some point had taken possession of his hand. Ethan had taken up a similar position on Conner's right; though he wasn't holding Conner's hand, he was standing as close to Conner as possible without physically being in the same space. Though the three of them were standing side by side, Conner somehow gave the impression that he was in front of the other two; not in a position of arrogance, but one of protection.

Fascinating.

If Haley hadn't been watching the Dino Rangers when it happened she wouldn't have believed it was possible. There was a look on Conner's face. An expression like she'd never seen before on him. Like he knew something was coming. Then he moved.

It was impossible to track Conner's movement with the human eye, but the impact he was having on those around him was clear. Kira was yanked from her position and thrust into Ethan's arms. The two of them were then shoved so hard they didn't stop moving until they crashed together into the wall.

Conner stopped moving at the speed of light and knelt on his left knee slightly behind and between Shane and Sensei Kanoi. His arms were open as though welcoming and embrace from a toddler. From her position across the room Haley had a clear view of Conner's face, and again she could see anticipation. Anticipation and bracing for impact.

Haley dove behind a bookcase.

Simultaneously the Wind Rangers and their sensei began to scream. An explosion of energy rocked the space between the three and sent them flying. Conner took the impact of Sensei Watanabe and Shane. Tori was flung in the opposite direction and landed atop Ethan and Kira. Then the room was filled with an ominous silence.

Haley cautiously peeked out from behind the bookcase. She could see Kira gently cradling a stunned and shaking Tori. Ethan was supporting them both. Conner had been rocked back by the impact of the two ninjas. They had crash landed at the base of one of the computer banks; Shane was cradled against Conner's left side, Kanoi on his right.

Shane, though still shaking with pain, looked up at Conner with gratitude. "Nice catch, bro," he croaked out.

"Well done, Red Ranger," said the sensei's voice inside Conner's head. Conner could only nod in reply and pray that someone would be able to explain what just happened. And fast.