A/N: First, sorry for the wait. Graduate school's a pain in the ass. Secondly, I am going to say this once and only once. Any similarity in this theme to the Twilight Saga and its idea of vampires is purely coincidental. So, do not think me a copycat; this is how I see vampires.

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

(Takes place during "Mystic Fate I")

Theme 34: Duty

Rock Porium, May 10, 2007, 2:30 pm – Briarwood, CA, USA

Leelee Pimvari sighed as she watched her fellow co-workers. She was truly grateful that they had offered her a way out of the Darkness, the Underworld, Infershia... whatever you wanted to call it. She was grateful that she had somewhere to live (the Rocca twins had somehow convinced their strict father to let her stay with them, making up spirits knows what as an excuse), that she had real friends now and, hopefully, a beau in that too-cute Troblin Phineas.

However, despite all of the good things that had happened so recently in her life, there were some negative points. Her mother, for one. Leelee could remember happier times when she'd had a real mother and father... before her mother had turned her father into a worm and fed him to a Hidiac. That was truly gruesome.

The guilt she felt over helping her mother try to destroy her new friends was certainly another downer in her life. The fact that she'd almost succeeded in helping turn Vida into a real and true vampire... Leelee shuddered. That was wrong, and even then, it wasn't a real vampire. It was a "zombified" version, one that required endless supplies of blood and was not able to endure any amount of sunlight. She and her mother, on the other hand, were true vampires. They required blood, sure, but animal was a preference to human. Too much iron in human blood. The fact that they could walk around in the sun without a care (spirits, Leelee had even gone to school!) showed that they were real vampires. Despite this, Clare had reassured Leelee time and again that she was forgiven for all of that she had done because she'd helped to rescue Udonna from Hekatoid, that gruesome toad-like Terror. That big a deed deserved some kind of reward, and forgiveness for what she had done was for Leelee.

The third negative point, Leelee reflected while counting out a customer's change was that –

The simultaneous chime that sounded from five pockets caught her attention and she subtly nodded to her friends as they raced out the door, fear written on their faces. This was it. Leelee knew that the end was coming, and all she could do was stand back and watch, offering her support if needed but she knew that a lot of her power was weakened. Renouncing her standing in Infershia will do that to you. As she watched the five color-clad teens race out the door, she noted that four of the five were holding hands.

'Nick and Madison...saw that one coming a mile away,' Leelee thought as she quickly ushered the last customers out the door, switching the sign to "Closed" at Toby's nod. Phineas, who had been watching from behind the DJ table, came up behind her. 'Xander and Vida, though... that was unexpected.'

"Ah, young love," Phineas remarked eyes slightly misty. "'Twas destiny, that one."

"Which one?" Leelee asked, askance.

"Well, I'm not supposed to tell, ya know." He winked at her. "Made me swear on the Troblin Pledge and all."

Leelee sighed and, battering her eyes asked, "Pretty please? For me?"

Phineas became a bit flustered and, caving, responded, "Well, the Green and Pink Rangers. Legend has it that they will become one as will Red and Blue, Yellow and Pale Lavender."

Leelee nodded as she watched the five teens vanish into action, a mélange of colors announcing their transformation. She smiled as she watched the Green Ranger press a quick kiss to the Pink Ranger's glove before silently calling his Mystic Axe into action. "Legend may say that they'll join, but it'll not be of duty. No, their duty is to defeat The Master; love says that they will come together." She shook herself as she felt the mushiness start to creep into her being.

"Not a word, Phineas, about what I just said. Got it?" At the Troblin's confused nod, Leelee smirked. It was good to have friends.