Author's notes – Pete and Sarah are cousins, for those just joining us, ergo, their playful back-and-forth in a lot of scenes.

Here's part two! Sorry about the delay. I was going to start putting this part up, yesterday, but a massive storm came through, last night, and I lost my internet connection. Which is ironic, given how part two starts... anyway, enjoy!

Part Two

Chapter One

10 months ago

"My side of the mountain's clear!" Sarah called, as the Purple Ranger crossed the rain-soaked field to where Teresa and I were standing by a fleet of State Emergency Services trucks. "I think everybody's evacuated. How's your side?"

"The SES guys think we're good," Teresa said, fighting to make herself heard over the roaring wind.

Below us, the rickety old bridge groaned ominously as the raging torrent surged beneath. August was typically one of our driest months, but a massive late-winter storm had caught everybody by surprise, dumping a month's worth of water onto the hinterland in a matter of hours. Creeks that had been gentle streams quickly became raging rivers, sweeping away everything in their path. At the scale of the disaster, Zordon had called us in, and Teresa, Sarah and I found ourselves helping evacuate a small farming community between two mountains on either side of a flooded stream. The only road out of the valley crossed an ancient wooden bridge that was barely above water, but so far, we hadn't seen anybody trying to cross.

"We can't leave until we're certain," I said. "The police reckon there's houses all through the scrub," and I pointed along the side of the mountain, barely visible through the sideways rain, "but they can't tell us where."

"Which is going to make teleporting in there a lot harder," Teresa finished.

Sarah raised her wrist. "Alpha," she began. "Any chance the storm's letting up?"

"Negative, Rangers!" Alpha's voice crackled through the communicator. "The atmosphere is still extremely turbulent. We're just trying to add power to the teleportation network by rerouting a few systems. Hopefully that'll help."

"Any signs this is connected to our usual rogues' gallery?" I asked.

Sarah smiled. "Someone's learned some big words."

"This isn't even the only extreme weather event happening in Australia right now," Zordon's voice came through. "That alone makes me suspicious, but if there is magic behind these events, we can't detect it. Unfortunately Rangers, the weather is one of the few things I can't control."

"Bet he wishes he could," Sarah murmured darkly.

If Zordon heard her, he didn't respond. "We'll keep an eye on the situation from here," Zordon finished. "Stay safe Rangers."

"Rangers," came a voice, and we turned to see one of the orange-clad SES volunteers approaching us. "We have a rough map of the houses on the other side of the valley," the woman continued. "If that'll help?"

Below us, the bridge slipped below the water. "Teresa and I will check out the map," I began, and turned to Sarah. "Can you keep an eye on the crossing?"

"You got it," Sarah replied, and Teresa and I dashed off after the SES worker. Glancing down the hill, Sarah could see the bridge was now under a foot of water and steadily disappearing from view. She'd heard that the council planned to replace the bridge for years. But by morning? The rickety bridge probably wouldn't even be there anymore, swept downstream and smashed to ruin.

As she watched, two points of light suddenly appeared through the haze, and the sound of an engine reached her over the noise of the storm. The Purple Ranger's heart sank as she realised what was happening. A car was heading for the flooded bridge.

"Guys!" Sarah shouted over her shoulder. "Guys, there's a car!"

Without waiting, she sprinted down the hill. As she reached the road, the car came into view. She could see a mother and father in the front seat, with a young boy and girl in the back. She waved her arms frantically, relieved to see the car slow down as it approached the bridge.

"Stop!" she shouted. "Don't cross the bridge! You won't make it!"

The driver didn't see the Purple Ranger or chose to ignore her, and Sarah gasped as the car accelerated, the driver making one frantic dash to get across the submerged bridge. But there was no hope. Surging forward, the front of the car disappeared under the torrent and spluttered to a stop, the overflowing creek washing over the hood and splashing against the windscreen. The family inside screamed as the flood waters took hold of the vehicle and slammed it against the barrier. But the barrier broke free and left the car stranded. Pushed sideways off the bridge, the car hung for a second as the current attempted to carry it downstream…

…when Sarah leaped onto the bridge, landing behind the car. She grabbed for the car's wheel with one hand while reaching under the chassis for anything to hold onto. The tailpipe broke free after a second, but she tried again and found something solid, holding the car in place and bracing her legs against the roadway. She grit her teeth, her arms straining at the weight of the car. The current was overwhelming. But even with the weight of the river behind them, she somehow managed to drag the car back onto the bridge, all the while fighting to keep the vehicle from being swept away.

In the back seat, the children were shouting for help and banging on the glass.

Sarah looked around frantically, her mind racing. She didn't have many options. She could teleport them to safety but they'd have to climb outside to reach her. She could smash her way in through the window, but she'd have to let go and might not be able to reach them before the car was lost. She looked back towards the hill for Teresa and I, when she saw it.

A second car was being carried downstream, heading straight towards the first.

There were two people in the front seat.

She didn't have a choice. Shouting her frustration into the wind, she waited until the second car was close, then reached out with her right hand and grabbed the car's hood, holding it against the surging tide. The weight against her was immense. She felt her body screaming in protest as she held the cars in place. Then she felt it, somewhere under the water.

Her legs weren't buckling. But with the weight of the two cars and all the water? The bridge was breaking apart under her feet.

"Hold on!" shouted Teresa, and the White Ranger was beside her, charging through the floodwaters towards the first car. She held up her fist, and the family's father covered his eyes. Teresa smashed the window and extended her hand into the car.

"Hold each other and take my arm!" she shouted.

Behind them, I waded through the water until I reached the second car. Following Teresa's lead, I smashed the windscreen, grabbed the car's occupants and reached for my wrist. As Sarah watched, the three of us vanished in a flash of orange light. Teresa and the family from the first car disappeared a second later. Sarah double-checked the cars were empty and finally let go, watching as the current swept the vehicles away. She felt the bridge give one final creak, when in a flash of white, Teresa was beside her.

"Let's go," the White Ranger said. Sarah took her hand, and the two teleported clear as the bridge finally broke apart and disappeared.

Once everyone was safely on top of the hill, Sarah quickly stepped away from the group. Behind her, the SES workers continued to help the family of four, while paramedics were rushing across the wet grass towards the couple from the second car. Between the shock of almost being swept away and the teleport rescue, everybody was dazed, but otherwise unharmed. Grateful for small mercies, the Purple Ranger gazed down to the river and saw the water had risen so high there was no longer any sign of the road. She shut her eyes at the memory of the cars slipping from her grasp, blinking away tears and glad for her helmet. She didn't have to look down to know her hands were still shaking. Wary of the crowd, she grabbed her right hand with her left, and held them tightly until they were both still.

"Hey," called Teresa as she jogged over to the Purple Ranger. "You okay?"

Sarah hid her hands from the White Ranger. "Fine," she said quickly. "You guys took your time."

"We didn't hear you leave," Teresa replied. "And it was a few seconds until we looked over and saw…"

But her voice trailed off, and the girls looked up. It had stopped raining. Far above them, a single beam of sunshine was peeking through the dark clouds.

"About time," Sarah said.

"Maybe it'll be sunny from here on in?" Teresa said.

Sarah smiled. At least her hands had stopped shaking. "Since when are we that lucky?" she asked. "C'mon, let's see if anyone else needs our help."

To be continued.