The fog was the first thing Malcolm and Laura saw as they opened their eyes and released each other's hands, "Did you talk to him?" Adam asked as he walked over to them. "How did you two help him?"

"I'm not sure, but Rocky will be all right," Malcolm replied in a confident voice. "I know that for certain."

Tanya sighed, "We should probably get to the ship," she said anxiously. "We've got a job to do."

"Malcolm, Laura, are you all right to continue?" Tommy asked worriedly. "You used up a lot of power."

Malcolm nodded, "Actually, I feel fine," he replied in an awed voice. "Laura, did you also heal me?"

"There wasn't any other choice," Laura replied softly. "You're my friend just like Rocky is."

Jason smiled, "Let's get to the ship," he replied commandingly. "The Zords are probably there already."

"What about our communicators?" Katherine asked worriedly. "They still don't seem to be working."

Jason sighed, "We'll just have to rely on each other and team work now," he replied. "Come on."

Katherine immediately hugged Malcolm, who put a protective arm around her as they followed Jason down the path towards the docks. Adam and Tanya quickly followed after them, but Laura remained behind for several minutes with a disturbed expression on her face and only Tommy noticed this.

"Are you okay?" Tommy asked in a worried voice. "Was healing Rocky and Malcolm too much for you?"

Laura sighed, "No, I'm fine," she replied softly as she hugged herself. "I just have things on my mind."

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Tommy asked as he and Laura jogged to catch up with the others.

As Tanya, who was anxious to get to Muranthias and rescue Billy, turned around to see what was keeping Laura and Tommy, Laura shook her head, "No," she replied softly. "Thanks though."

"Guys, we found the dock!" Jason called out from over a hill that was just up ahead. "Come on!"

Excited that they were one step closer to helping Billy, Kimberly, Mark, Bulk, and Skull, Laura ran ahead of Tanya, Tommy, and Adam. It didn't take her long to get over the hill and she immediately found Jason, Malcolm, and Katherine standing on a rickety wooden dock in front of a large wooden ship.

"That's the Ghost Galleon?" Tanya asked as she, Adam, and Tommy came up behind Laura.

Jason nodded and walked over to the gangplank, "The Zords must be stored below," he replied in a voice that he hoped hid his uncertainty about the journey ahead. "There's no wheel, though…"

"Jason, I think we use our Turbo Morphers to power the ship," Adam spoke up as he walked up the gangplank and looked around the top deck of the ship. "There's a small set of stairs that goes down…"

Adam's voice became muffled as he disappeared below deck, "I guess we should all get on board and prepare to leave," Tommy said in an enthusiastic voice as he stepped forward. "I don't know how far away Muranthias is, but Zordon and Alpha gave us a job to do and people to rescue from danger."

Jason, Katherine, Tanya, and Malcolm quickly walked up the gangplank, but Tommy didn't move from the dock, "Tommy, what's on your mind?" Laura asked softly. "I feel that something's bothering you."

"Oh, it's nothing," Tommy lied, temporarily forgetting that Laura had special mental abilities

Laura sighed, "You're thinking about Kimberly, aren't you?" she asked softly, gazing up at him.

Tommy was silent for several minutes and then sighed, "She'll never know or understand how much she hurt me by deciding to throw everything she and I have been through out the window," he replied in a troubled voice. "I cared for her so much and it obviously meant nothing to her, as she sided with Rita."

"Tommy, I have to tell you something," Laura said softly. "It's about a vision quest I went on with David."

Suddenly, Jason came halfway down the gangplank, "Everything's ready, you guys," he said, wondering what Tommy and Laura had been talking about. "As soon as we're all on board, the ship will set sail."

"Let's get going, then," Laura replied as she moved up the gangplank. "We've got a job to do."

Nodding, Tommy followed Laura up the gangplank and pulled it up after him. Almost immediately, the anchor lifted itself out of the water and the ship lurched away from the rickety dock. Adam came up from below and gaped at the murky water for only a moment before gazing at Tanya and Katherine.

"It seems like there's some sort of navigational system below," Adam spoke nervously. "I saw it when I was exploring below deck, but I think it operates itself; maybe we should go below deck for a while."

Jason nodded, "We can divide up the rations Alpha sent with us and come up with a strategy of what to do once we get to Muranthias," he replied. "It's too dangerous to just rush in there without a plan."

Murmurs of agreement filled the deck and one by one, Katherine, Malcolm, Tanya, Adam, and Tommy all went below deck, "Laura, come on," Jason said in a gentle voice, noticing that Laura hadn't moved from the starboard side since the ship started moving. "You've had a hard day and need some food."

"I'll be down in a minute, Jason," Laura replied gently. "You go on without me; I'll be all right, really."

Jason frowned and came closer to her, "Are you sure?" he asked in a concerned voice as he opened his arms so that she could hug him if she wanted to. "You look tired from healing Rocky and Malcolm."

"Jason, I'm all right," Laura replied, giving Jason a reassuring hug. "I just need a moment by myself."

Jason nodded and, not wanting to get Laura mad at him for being overprotective, he silently released her and went below deck with the others. Laura sighed and turned to look at the water and sunset.

The whole encounter with Kimberly through the vision quest was still fresh in Laura's mind and she knew that she needed to tell Tommy; he needed to know that Kimberly still cared for him.

Of course, Laura knew that Tommy would be furious that she had interacted with Kimberly, as would the rest of the Rangers; she would be branded a traitor when she told them, but she knew that it had to be done.

"Zordon, give me courage," Laura whispered softly. "Give me courage to say what needs to be said."

Exhausted from his long day at work, Thomas Lee Scott came out of the staff lounge where he had gotten a cup of juice to perk him up for the drive home. He and Jarrod had brought a patient in just before the end of shift and after the patient had been turned over to the staff, Jarrod had left.

"…Okay, Justin, just stick out your tongue a little further," Thomas suddenly heard a woman say in a gentle voice as he passed by an open exam room. "I know you're tired, but you're being so brave…"

Frowning, Thomas moved into the exam room doorway and was surprised to see Dr. Oliver and Ashley sitting in chairs by the door, both of them silently watching as a woman in pink scrubs stood at the bedside of a young boy who was lying on the bed wearing a set of dark green flannel pajamas.

The boy's left sleeve was rolled up and there was an IV line in it and a blanket was covering the boy's legs and feet.

"Hi there, Mister Lee Scott!" Ashley said, smiling at Thomas. "How come you're at the hospital?"

Thomas smiled, "I just got done working for the day," he replied pleasantly. "Who's this young man?"

"I'm Justin, sir," Justin replied softly, slightly intimidated by Thomas's size and pleasant demeanor.

Immediately catching on that Justin had some social issues that possibly stemmed from a hard home life, Thomas was silent for a moment and nodded, "Nice to meet you, Justin," he replied pleasantly.

Justin nodded, but said nothing more, "All right, I have what I need," the nurse said in a gentle voice as she took the swab from Justin's throat and put it into a plastic tube. "Why don't you rest now, Justin?"

There was an awkward silence as Justin nodded, but remained awake as the nurse left the room, "Why don't you just try and sleep a little bit, Justin?" Dr. Oliver gently suggested. "I'll walk Mister Lee Scott out and Ashley can keep you company for the few minutes that I'm gone. You're safe here; I promise you."

Dr. Oliver smiled and quickly ushered Thomas from the room, "Don't take it personally, Thomas," he replied, smiling as he looked through the tiny window and saw that Justin had fallen asleep. "Justin gets a little intimidated around adults he doesn't know and I'm not even sure if he fully trusts me yet."

Thomas nodded and sighed, "Frank, I actually wanted to ask you about something important," he replied in a very reluctant voice. "I've got this strange feeling that Jason and Malcolm are up to something that is far more important than a school project. When Malcolm and Rocky were attacked at the shelter, I thought it was just some punks, but when I responded, I discovered that Rocky's injuries were rather unusual, as was the damage done to the shelter; it made me think about Rita Repulsa…"

Dr. Oliver swallowed hard, but remained quiet, "Now, don't mention this to my wife or she'll think I'm crazy, but I have to ask," Thomas continued nervously. "Are Jason and Malcolm Power Rangers?"

"What makes you think that?" Dr. Oliver asked softly, hoping that Zordon and Alpha would help him.

Thomas sighed, "It's just that I never know where Jason and Malcolm are whenever the Power Rangers are fighting bad guys and then when the Power Rangers disappear, Jason and Malcolm appear," he replied in a distressed voice. "I really don't think that they are, but I was just curious to see if you knew."

Before Dr. Oliver could think up some sort of plausible explanation, Thomas was suddenly teleported out of the hospital hallway, "Oh, man," Dr. Oliver said in a distressed voice, realizing that Zordon and Alpha had most likely teleported Thomas to the Power Chamber. "Zordon, I trust what you're doing."

"Thomas?"

Thomas looked around the strange room and was shocked to see Helen standing near a metal door at the back of the very large room, "Thomas, I was home doing dishes and I was suddenly here," Helen said in a worried voice as she moved over him. "Where are we? Is this about Jason and Malcolm?"

"You need not be afraid, Mister and Mrs. Lee Scott," a deep voice said. "You are both safe here."

Frowning, Thomas and Helen looked around the room for several minutes until their eyes finally rested on the small tube where Zordon lingered, "Who are you?" Helen asked in a nervous voice.

"My name is Zordon, Mrs. Lee Scott," Zordon replied calmly. "I brought you and your husband here because your husband asked Doctor Oliver about the Power Rangers. Due to current circumstances, I have decided it appropriate for you both to know the identities of the current Power Rangers."

There was a long silence, "Ai-yi-yi," Alpha said as he suddenly came out of a back room with David and saw that Thomas and Helen were standing there looking rather shellshocked. "Nice to meet you two."

"Oh my," Helen spoke, a realization suddenly coming to her mind. "Are Jason and Malcolm…?"

Zordon sighed, "Yes, Jason and Malcolm are Power Rangers," he replied. "They and their fellow Rangers have done a great service protecting Earth against the likes of Rita Repulsa, Zedd, and other evils."

"Is the Earth in trouble again, Zordon?" Helen asked worriedly. "Is that why Jason and Malcolm…?"

Alpha nodded and cleared his throat, "A space pirate named Divatox has come to Earth and teamed up with Rita and Zedd to unleash a terrible monster on the island of Muranthias," he explained in a somber voice. "In order to be able to release this monster, pure and noble hearts were needed and so Rita, Zedd, and a space pirate named Divatox kidnapped some residents of Angel Grove…"

"In short, Mister and Mrs. Lee Scott, you are now going to have to take an oath never to reveal your knowledge of the Power Rangers' identities to anyone," Zordon spoke, cutting Alpha's chatter off.

Both Thomas and Helen nodded, "We're not going to tell anyone about this ever," they said in unison, both of them shocked and proud of Jason and Malcolm taking such a stand to protect the Earth.

"If you think very hard about it, you will be able to determine the identities of the other Rangers on your own," Zordon replied. "You both, along with a few others, have been entrusted with a powerful secret of their identities; the Rangers are Jason, Malcolm, Katherine Hillard, Adam Park, Laura Hammond, Tommy Oliver, and Tanya Sloan; this mission is the biggest challenge they have ever had to face…"

Thomas nodded, "Is there anything we can do to help them?" he asked worriedly. "I'm scared for them."

"I'm afraid not," Zordon replied somberly. "All you can do is hope for their safety and success in this."

Helen nodded and embraced her husband, "We'll pray very hard for them," she said in a worried voice.

To Laura, the sunset was something worth watching even though she was beginning to feel very tired, hungry, and cold from the journey. She wasn't sure how long she had been standing there, but once in a while, she heard bits and pieces of chatter from below deck; it was nice, though, to have some privacy.

Footsteps suddenly came up behind her and Laura turned just in time to see Katherine approaching her with a small food ration pack in one hand and a bottle of water in the other, "You've been up here for a while," Katherine commented in a concerned voice. "I figured you could use a little something to eat."

"Katherine, I'm scared to death to be down there with the rest of them right now," Laura replied in a nervous voice as she hugged herself to keep warm. "I have to tell Tommy something important and when he finds out, he and the others will want nothing to do with me; it's about Kimberly…"

Katherine nodded and silently held out the food, "Back when Tommy was missing, I went on a little vision quest with David and I ended up asking Kimberly for help," Laura explained in an anxious voice as she struggled to keep warm. "I used the last of my Ninjetti power to break Rita's spell, but she went back to Rita in order to rescue Tommy; Kimberly agreed to marry Zedison if Rita helped find Tommy."

There was silence and then, to Laura's horror, Jason came up from below deck holding a folded blanket under his arm, "Jason," Laura said in an anxious voice, quickly stepping back. "How much did you hear?"

"I already know about the deal Kimberly made with Rita, remember?" Jason replied softly. "I was there."

Laura nodded and sighed, "I'm just not sure how to tell Tommy," she said in a nervous voice. "He would see it as unforgiveable to know that I went to Kimberly for help in rescuing him from Prince Gasket."

Jason and Katherine exchanged a concerned look, but said nothing, "Katherine, Jason, thanks for bringing me dinner and a blanket, but could I just have some time alone?" Laura asked softly.

"Sure," Katherine replied softly, handing Laura the food. "If you want to talk, we'll be below deck."

Jason smiled and handed Laura the blanket, "Don't stay up here too long," he said in a gentle voice.

"I'll be all right," Laura replied softly as she held the food and blanket close. "The air's really warm."

Even though Jason wasn't fully convinced that Laura would be all right by herself, he nodded and went back below deck with Katherine. Laura sighed, quickly made herself a little bed near the mast, and sat down to enjoy the first food she had had in several hours; it might end up being her last meal.

Unknown to anyone, Tommy had been resting on the steps so that Malcolm could rest on the sole cot that was in the corner of the cabin. He had unwittingly overheard Laura talking with Jason and Kat about Kimberly and the fact that Laura had reached out to Kimberly for help had left Tommy stunned.

Tommy was so lost in reflecting on what he had overheard that he didn't hear Jason and Kat come down the stairs, "Hey Tommy, how are you doing?" Jason asked in a gentle voice. "Did you eat enough?"

"I'm fine," Tommy replied, gazing up at Jason and Kat. "Tanya and Adam are keeping an eye on Malcolm and they made him rest on the cot for a little while; he didn't want to, but they just told him to relax."

Jason nodded and gazed over to the cot where Malcolm was sleeping while Tanya and Adam were sitting on the floor beside the cot talking quietly to each other, "I overheard you and Kat talking with Laura," Tommy said in a quiet voice. "How did she even get in contact with Kimberly?"

"Laura went on a vision quest with David while you were missing," Katherine replied softly.

Tommy sighed, "I thought something was different with her," he replied softly. "Did she have a seizure at any point during or after the vision quest that any of you saw? It might explain some things…"

"Yes, she did," Katherine stated somberly. "Jason and I helped her through it, though…"

For a moment, Tommy was quiet, "That's probably why she had the premonition about the Zeo Star," Jason spoke in a tired voice as he moved down the stairs and touched the Praying Mantis necklace that was around his neck. "Adam, what do the navigational sensors say about our current location?"

Adam whispered to Tanya, quickly got up, and went over to the console. Tanya sighed and stood up.

"I'll go check the rest of the ship so that you, Jason, and Kat can get some rest, Tommy," Tanya offered, fully intending to talk to Laura about where her mind was at. "You guys deserve a little rest too."

Tommy nodded and smiled as Tanya went up top; everything seemed to be running smoothly so far. That would end when they reached Muranthias.

The cargo hold was quiet and for the first time since this horrific adventure had begun, Bulk had settled down for a much needed sleep. Skull was sleeping next to him and hadn't had the strength to wake up.

Since Rita and Zedd had taken Zedison off to a private chamber where he could rest, Kimberly had been returned to the group cell and was now sitting with Billy, eating some of the few rations they had.

Kimberly didn't have the energy or desire to talk, as she was physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted from her encounters with Rita. Billy, on the other hand, was full of energy and had assumed the role of leader for the little group of prisoners; he was trying to make something of what they had.

"Do you think they'll come after us?" Kimberly finally asked in a tired voice. "The Rangers, I mean."

Billy was quiet for a long moment and then nodded, "Yes, I believe they will," he replied softly. "I think that, no matter what may have happened in the past, our friends aren't going to leave us here."

"I don't suppose Jason or Tommy will be very happy to see me," Kimberly commented. "I broke Tommy's heart more than once and I've also broken Jason's trust. Malcolm sticks pretty close to Jason and Adam, Tanya, and Katherine haven't been around long enough to understand much about me…"

Billy shrugged, but didn't say a word, "I don't know much about Laura, but I know she doesn't trust me even though she helped me break Rita's spell," Kimberly continued softly. "I'm very scared about…"

The door suddenly opened and an enraged looking Divatox came in with Goldar and Rito, "Why hasn't Lerigot opened the passageway yet?! Divatox screeched, waking Bulk up. "Where is Prince Zedison?!"

"Rita and Zedd made him rest," Kimberly replied as she got to her feet. "Could I help you with…?"

Divatox spat at Kimberly and strode into the cell over to where Bulk and Skull were sitting. Bulk was wide awake and terrified, but Skull was barely awake and not feeling well enough for conversation.

"Take this skinny, sleepy thing to the torture room and make Lerigot watch," Divatox snapped.

As Rito and Goldar advanced on Skull, Bulk got up and pushed them back, "My best buddy's sick and you two idiots aren't gonna make him worse!" he snapped, not caring that Rito and Goldar looked angry.

Rito smirked and pushed Bulk into the wall while Goldar picked up Skull by the collar of his shirt, "Goldar, don't!" Kimberly cried anxiously as Goldar dragged Skull away. "Please, let Skull go…"

"Not on your life, Kimberly!" Goldar hissed as he left the room with Skull. "Rito, let's go!"

Rito cackled and hurried out of the room without so much as looking at Kimberly or Billy, "Bulk, are you all right?" Billy asked in a worried voice as he grabbed some water and stood up. "Want some water?"

Bulk nodded, but didn't say anything because his eyes were full of fear and tears, "Billy, I'm scared about what will happen to Skull," Kimberly replied softly, watching as Billy handed Bulk the water bottle.

Frowning, Billy walked back over to where Kimberly was sitting and sat down beside her. Kimberly sniffled, leaned against him, and sighed tiredly as Billy put a gentle, yet protective arm around her.

The hospital room door opened and Thomas walked in to see that Dr. Oliver was standing by the window on his crutches with a cell-phone to his ear while he was watching Ashley, who had gone to sleep on the other bed in the room, and the little dark-haired boy sleep in the other bed.

"…Thank you for doing this for me, David," Dr. Oliver said in a tired voice. "I feel much better knowing that my house won't be empty tonight…No, Justin's surgery is tomorrow and I'll be here tonight…"

Thomas frowned and his gaze travelled to the young boy in the bed; Malcolm had mentioned that he and Rocky DeSantos, who was now in another ward of the hospital and facing life in a wheelchair, were going to serve as big brothers to a homeless orphan named Justin Stewart and was excited about it.

Now, because of the evil freaks who had been attacking Angel Grove for years and had been repeatedly defeated by the Power Rangers, Malcolm was off with the Rangers again trying to defend the world.

A pained cough suddenly pulled Thomas out of his thoughts and he silently watched as Dr. Oliver hung up the phone and hobbled to Justin's bedside, "Easy there, kiddo," Dr. Oliver said in a gentle voice as he picked up a small plastic glass of water filled with water. "It's not midnight yet, so you can have some…"

"It hurts to swallow," Justin whispered as he opened his eyes and looked at Dr. Oliver. "It really does."

Dr. Oliver nodded and quickly put a straw from the bedside table in the cup, "It'll hurt worse if your throat is dry, Justin," he explained gently as he offered the cup to Justin. "Just a few sips, okay?"

"Okay," Justin replied, taking the cup. "Hey, Doctor Oliver, why's the paramedic in my room?"

Thomas smiled, "Justin, I'm Thomas Lee Scott, Malcolm's uncle and legal guardian," he explained in a gentle voice. "I was just getting off duty to go home and I overheard you two talking. See, I'm a paramedic with the Angel Grove Fire and Rescue Department and I just work day shifts."

Justin nodded tiredly, "Cool," he whispered. "Doctor Oliver, it's late; you and Ashley should go…"

"What, and leave you here by yourself the night before you have surgery?" Dr. Oliver asked in a surprised voice. "I'm certainly not going anywhere, but I want Ashley to go to school tomorrow…"

Thomas suddenly sighed, "Frank, can we talk?" he asked softly. "It's about Malcolm and Jason…"

"I'm guessing Zordon told you and your wife about the identities of the Rangers?" Dr. Oliver asked.

Thomas nodded, "I'm assuming, since you also know, that Tommy is a Ranger too," he replied softly.

"I don't know much about what they're up to, if that's what you're wondering," Dr. Oliver commented in a tired voice. "I just know that what they're doing is very important to the safety of the world, okay?"

For a moment, Thomas was silent and then looked at Ashley, "You know that Helen and I will be happy to look after Ashley tonight and take her to school tomorrow, right?" he asked. "You look exhausted."

"I wanna stay here with Justin," Ashley spoke sleepily as she opened her eyes and sat up.

Dr. Oliver shook his head, "You need your rest for school tomorrow," he replied softly. "I want you to go to the Lee Scotts for tonight and they'll take you to school tomorrow. Education is important, Ashley…"

"Do you think Laura, Tommy, and Adam are okay?" Ashley asked softly as she got off the hospital bed.

Dr. Oliver shrugged, "I hope so," he replied softly. "Thomas, remember, this is very confidential."

"Of course," Thomas replied softly, smiling as Ashley got off the bed and hugged Dr. Oliver.

Ashley smiled as Dr. Oliver returned the hug, "Now, go on and behave yourself," Dr. Oliver said in a gentle voice as Ashley moved to the door. "If you get your placement results, I want to know, okay?"

"Yeah, goodnight," Ashley replied softly as she left the hospital room with Thomas. "Get some rest."

Dr. Oliver sighed, hobbled over to the empty bed, and promptly pulled it closer to Justin's so he was within arm's reach, "Those beds are heavy, huh?" he said in a tired voice as he sat down. "So…"

"I'll go back to sleep if you will," Justin whispered, giving Dr. Oliver a look. "You look really tired."

Smiling, Dr. Oliver grabbed one of the pillows from his bed and put it at the foot of the bed, "Maybe during your surgery tomorrow, I'll visit Rocky," he said in a gentle voice as he laid back and rested his casted leg on top of the pillow. "Once you're feeling well enough, I'll take you to visit him…"

"Rocky's going to be okay," Justin whispered softly. "I don't know how I know; I can just feel it."

Dr. Oliver nodded and smiled as Justin closed his eyes, "I hope so," he whispered softly. "I really do."

A cool breeze had cropped up by the time Tanya had walked all over the ship to make sure that the Zords were safely stored and that every part of the ship was in working order. Her gaze immediately went to Laura, who had eaten and was now staring at the sea with the blanket around her shoulders.

"Tanya, what are you doing up here in the cold?" Laura asked softly, not turning around.

Tanya frowned and was about to ask how Laura knew that when Laura sighed, "I've got some mental powers as a result of my last seizure and the vision quest I went on with David, I think," she explained in a gentle voice as she turned to face Tanya. "I'm sure the powers are temporary, but until then…"

"Did Billy know he was going to be captured?" Tanya asked softly. "Is that why you had the powers?"

Suddenly realizing that Tanya was more worried about Billy than whether or not he was with them, Laura shrugged, "Billy gave me the box and told me about the passageway to Doctor Oliver's cabin just seconds before the Power Chamber was invaded," she explained. "Rocky was originally supposed to take on the Blue Turbo Powers, but everything changed when Zordon found out about the attack…"

"And you took them on even knowing the risks?" Tanya asked in a shocked voice. "Knowing you…?"

Laura nodded, "I knew that this mission would be dangerous, but I knew I was the only one who could take the powers on," she explained softly. "If Rocky is able and wants the Blue Turbo powers when we return from Muranthias, I'll give them over. However, they're mine for now and I'll take care of them."

"You're a really strong person, Laura," Tanya replied softly. "Not everyone could be as brave as you."

Laura smiled, "What about you, Tanya?" she asked. "This way of life must be very new to you."

"More than you know," Tanya replied gently. "I met Billy in Africa when he was looking for parts for the Zeo Star and I also met Aisha there too. Apparently, Aisha had been turned into a child by some terrible dark magic and was sent back to my village; she couldn't remember any of that, though, until she touched Billy's Ninjetti Coin. It was then that Aisha decided to stay in Africa and send me with Billy."

Her eyes wide, Laura nodded, "So you're really out of your element then," she replied in an awed voice.

"Yup," Tanya said in an amused voice, frowning as she suddenly saw Jason come above deck. "Jason?"

Jason quickly walked over to the two of them, "The navigation system is reporting that we're closing in on the passageway and that there's a vessel already at the entrance to it," he explained in a worried voice. "We need to get below deck and use our Morphers to protect us from the passageway…"

"Maybe we can stop them before they even get to Muranthias," Tanya spoke up. "That would be…"

Jason shook his head as Laura and Tanya followed him across the deck, "I don't think that will happen," he replied in a somber voice as they went below deck. "The battle is going to be on Muranthias."

A fresh howl of pain filled the small room where Lerigot was being held captive as Goldar delivered another thrash to Skull's body with a large steel spike. Skull was lying on the floor in a heap and shaking madly from being struck so many times. His eyes were unfocused and his breathing was very labored.

The door slid open and an infuriated looking Divatox strode into the room with Rito, who was dragging an anxious looking Bulk by the arm while Billy silently followed, "Prince Zedison woke up and insisted on having some private time with Kimberly, so we had to bring these two in here; Rita insisted upon it," Rito scoffed in a semi-irritated voice, unaware that Zedison was giving information to Kimberly about how to survive Muranthias. "Ed's guarding the door to make sure they don't escape."

"That stupid little wizard isn't doing anything!" Goldar roared. "I've almost broken this kid to nothing!"

Billy looked at Lerigot anxiously, "Please, can you help the ship go through the passageway safely?" he asked, not sure if the furry creature could understand English or would help them. "We need to…"

Suddenly, Lerigot grunted and held out his hand; a beam of light shot out of his furry hand and engulfed the entire room and the rest of the ship. A few moments later, the light faded and a rush of energy shot through the room with a loud BANG.

"Divatox, we made it through the passageway!" Elgar's voice boomed out over the intercom. "You gotta come see the storm!"

Divatox rolled her eyes, "Goldar, Rito, let's go," she snapped. "Leave these prisoners here to enjoy the rest of the journey."

Gloating, Goldar released Bulk and left the room with Rito and Divatox just as Skull passed out. Billy quickly hurried over to Skull, knelt down beside him, and took some water packets out of his pocket. Lerigot suddenly groaned and sat on the floor.

"Give some of these to the creature," Billy said as he tossed Bulk a couple of packets. "He probably needs some water."

Bulk nodded and, opening them he nervously offered the packets to Lerigot. Lerigot grunted, took the packets, and quietly began to suck on them. Skull groaned and struggled to stay awake even though he could barely breathe or speak.

Lerigot quickly finished the water and grunted softly at Skull, "I can't move, Billy," Skull whispered weakly as he forced his hand up from the floor and rested it on his abdomen. "That gold freak broke my leg and hit me really hard right here; oh, it hurts."

"You probably have internal injuries," Billy replied worriedly as he took off his jacket and covered Skull with it. "Relax."

Bulk frowned as Lerigot murmured something and raised his hand, "He's saying that he can't heal injuries caused by magic or it could kill you," Billy explained, suddenly able to understand what Lerigot was saying. "However, he can provide comfort…"

Before Bulk or Skull could reply, there was a rustic looking stretcher underneath Skull and his left leg was in a very secure looking splint, "I'm feeling very tired," Skull whispered. "I have to go to sleep right now. Sleep will help me feel better…"

As Skull closed his eyes, Bulk looked at Billy, "Did that little furry dude make Skull well?" he asked in a worried voice.

"No, but he did take Skull's mind off the pain for at least a little while," Billy replied worriedly. "Hopefully we'll get rescued from here soon."

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