Variations of SPD Part Five

Chapter 21: Pieces Of Hope
An: This chapter was pretty emotional to write. You will see an excerpt from Variations Of Pink here. And there are some Non Kid Friendly scenes in this, so if you aren’t at least 16 or 17, don’t read this chapter.

"She would have done anything for you. She would have gone to the ends of the earth and back for you, and yet, you broke her heart. And you didn't care that you did it." -- my friend Angel --

"In the end, you always go back to the people that were there in the beginning." -- from "Dawson's Creek" --

“And now here is my secret, a very simple secret; it is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye.” -- Antoine De Saint-Exupery --

- -

“Well, what’s the verdict?” Sydney asked, feet dangling over the side of the exam table. Dr. Felix had his back turned to her while he wrote something down in her chart.

“You’re fine,” he smiled at her when he turned around. “You just used too much energy before you were ready. After reviewing the battle footage Kat recorded, I’d say the more you learn to control your powers, less and less things like this will happen.”

“Cool,” Sydney grinned. “Am I free to go?”

Dr. Felix nodded and handed her the pink and gray uniform jacket from the back of the chair next to him. “You are, but I want you to take it easy for a while, alright?”

“You got it!” Syd chirped, hoping off the bed and heading out the door for the Command Center where a briefing for all senior officers was going on.

When she entered, she heard her brother’s voice briefing Cruger, the rest of the Rangers, and all senior personnel. “And that’s all he’d tell me.”

Anubis looked concerned and deep in thought. “Well done, Cadet Oliver. Cadets Drew, Landors, Delgado, Carson, Matthews, Parker, Ortiz, Silvers, Gaines and Oliver, I’d like to speak with you in my office. The rest of you, remember what we’ve discussed. You’re dismissed.”

The group saluted, the non Rangers moving from the room while the group of ten waited and then followed Anubis out and down the hallway to his office. “Commander?” Jack started when the ten Rangers settled into various positions in the office. The girls sat in the four chairs before Anubis’ desk while the boys stood behind them, leaning against the walls.

“Kat and Boom have analyzed the battle from this morning,” he spoke, his words quieting all side discussions.

“And?” Aaron questioned, pushing up from the wall in the same manner Jack had just seconds before him.

“Cadet Oliver’s information may very well prove useful. I’ve decided to send two of you to KO-35 to find this Debo. The rest of you will remain here, to protect the city, and more importantly, Earth, from whatever attacks may be launched.” The ten looked tense. Anubis only hoped the two he’d chosen to go on the mission would be successful. He also hoped the three remaining members of their team could counter any unforeseen complications. “If my hunch is right, its going to take members of the Ninja Rangers to talk Debo into getting them to Eltar, and ultimately the Morphin’ Masters Council. To that end, Bridge and Z, I’ve chosen the pair of you to go.”

Jack, Brian and Syd exhaled slowly, knowing it was now completely up to them to keep Vampra’s forces at bay. Aaron, Alana, Brett, Travis and Ally looked tense and yet relieved, until they realized that their jobs had just gotten a little harder. They would be needed to provide cover fire and back up support for three Rangers who were all that was left standing between Earth and its imminent destruction from Vampra.

“What about Jack, Syd and Brian? If we leave, that leaves them vulnerable!” Z argued, already opposed to leaving her teammates and best friends behind.

“No, it doesn’t,” Syd spoke up, gaining everyone’s attention. “Think about it. It leaves us even with them, and it makes them think their plans are working. I got into Sky’s head this morning, at least a little. They’re trying to turn Z, Bridge and Brian against both Jack and I.”

The others nodded, having discussed that while Syd had been in the infirmary. “We got that, from what you told us earlier,” Aaron told her, reaching over to place a hand on her shoulder.

“Well, if Z and Bridge are gone, what’s that going to say about their plans?” Brian asked, having caught his sister’s train of thought without the benefit of reading her mind.

“That their plan worked,” Jack spoke up. “They’ll think Brian won’t give up on Syd, but they’ll think Z and Bridge did.”

“Exactly. We could use this to our advantage,” Syd passionately replied. “They’ll think they have the upper hand and really won’t. They won’t know you’re searching out the Morphin’ Masters Council, but we will.”

Anubis sat in his chair, silent and grinning. His team truly was progressing. Even with the blow they’d been dealt, they were still fighting.

For the first time since the discussion had begun, Bridge spoke up. “When do we leave, Commander?”

“As soon as a shuttle has been prepared, which Boom and Kat are working on as we speak.”

Z let out a long, slow breath before looking over her shoulder at Bridge. “Guess we’d better go pack, huh?”

The Green Ranger nodded. “Sir, is there anything special we should take with us?”

“I’d like the five of you to record a group message that you will carry with you and give to the Council. Maybe it’ll help with Debo as well if they see the five of you together.” The group of Ninja Rangers nodded. “Those of you staying, go get some rest. You’ll need to be recharged and ready to go. Dismissed.”

The ten stood and saluted and then hurried from the room. Aaron stopped Bridge momentarily when they were all in the hallway. “Let us know when you’re ready to go. We want to come see you off.” The Senior Green Ranger nodded and the two bumped fists as the groups went in opposite directions.

- -

“You’ll be to KO-35 in less than a day if you go at warp seven. When you arrive, you need to search out Andros or Zhane, the Red and Silver Space Rangers,” Kat told Bridge and Z while several of the younger cadets loaded the shuttle with supplies. “They’ll help you find Debo.”

The pair nodded and Kat stepped back to let the other members of A Squad say goodbye. Aaron, Alana, Travis and Brett gave them a quick salute and hugs. “Be careful,” Alana whispered in Z’s ear.

“Watch out for them for us,” Z told her, watching Alana nod.

Ally and Brian stepped up next, gave them hugs, and wished them a safe trip and speedy return. And then it was just the two of them and Jack and Syd. The four faced each other, standing in a circle, and stuck their hands into the center between them. “Ok, not to get mushy or anything, but be careful,” Jack grinned.

“All of us remain in one piece until we get Sky back, agreed?” Z laughed, but the four fell silent as Sydney looked up with tears in her eyes.

“Agreed.” Quick hugs were exchanged between the four before Z and Bridge got on the shuttle and took off.

- -

Z sighed for the hundredth time. Bridge was in the seat next to her, quiet as a mouse. The silence, both physical and mental, was getting to her. “Are you going to sit there or are you going to talk to me?” More silence followed her words. “Bridge, did I do something wrong?”

“No. Sorry, was zoning out,” Bridge murmured, letting her into his head through their link. He felt and sensed her relaxing. “I’ve been trying to reach Sky. I can’t seem to get through, and it’s frustrating.”

“All you’re getting is static, right?”

Bridge looked over at her in confusion. “Yeah, how’d you know?”

Z smiled sadly. “I got the same thing when I tried.”

“Z, do you think we’ll get him back?”

The Yellow Ranger nodded. “I can’t fathom, after all we’ve been through that fate would be that cruel, especially to Syd and Sky.”

Bridge was quiet. Hope seemed like a foreign emotion to him. His best friend, his brother in everything but blood was working for their enemy, brainwashed into believing that their leader and their Pink Ranger had betrayed him. Bridge knew that was Anna’s doing and Sky’s insecurities. Sydney would never betray any of her friends, least of all Sky. Nor would she intentionally hurt anyone she loved. And Jack, Bridge thought, an image of the Red Ranger coming to mind, was the most loyal person he’d ever met. The Green Ranger had thought Sky had worked past his issues with Jack being Red Ranger, but apparently not. And then it hit him.

“Bridge?”

“I just thought of something.”

“What?”

Bridge grinned. “We need to remind Sky that heroes come in all colors.”

Z was startled by his words and then remembered Jack telling her about that very conversation between himself and Sky. “But what about Syd?”

The Green Ranger looked pained. “I think that’s something only Sydney can fix.”

The Yellow Ranger frowned. “Wonderful.”

- -

The hot water sluiced down his back, easing the tension in his muscles. The battle had taken more out of him than he wanted to admit. Sydney’s display of power had left him shaken and on the verge of remembering something. And then it hit him.

Her morpher lay at her feet, shattered. Her uniform was gone, a tunic of pink surrounding her, though it was torn to shreds, revealing once creamy skin now adorned with cuts, bruises and black smudges. The two bodies of her birth parents lay in front of her, obviously having died trying to protect her.

Sky soon saw what had her rapt attention. Right in front of her, was Visvajita. He was a mix of a humanoid and an android, and he looked like he’d already taken a pounding. Sky watched her lunge for the console on her right, Visvajita yelling as she did. “SYD!” Jack hollered, his voice resonating with the emotions Sky, Z and Bridge also felt.

“NO!” Visvajita’s scream ripped through the room, knocking the Rangers back away from Sydney, off their feet and to their knees.

The team watched Sydney extend a hand in the emperor’s direction, pink power blasting from her palm, slamming him back against a wall. Sky tried his hardest to push up from his knees until he saw her turn her body slightly toward him, her hand still on the console she stood by.

Her eyes were full of tears and her lips were moving, though Sky couldn’t hear her over the pounding of his own heart. However, he managed to read her lips – I love you.

Sky felt himself pulled apart as the world started to disappear, and the next thing he knew was he was no longer on the ship, but standing beneath it. The other members of his team were with him, looking just as dazed and disoriented. As realization dawned, Sky saw the ship explode.

“SYDNEY!”

‘And she sacrificed our child to save her own life’ he thought bitterly before the burning in his chest intensified. ‘Maybe it was for the better. I don’t think I could let my child stay with that whore!’

When he tasted the saltiness of his tears, he felt something in him shift. ‘I miss you, Sydney. I miss what we had.’

Shaking his head to clear it, Sky shut off the water and climbed out of the stall. He quickly dried off, wrapping the towel around his waist before he moved into his and Anna’s quarters. He really didn’t like sharing a room with her, but his options were limited. It was sleep with her or sleep on the bridge of the ship.

“Hello Lover,” she purred. Sky stopped short, his eyes on the bed, and took in the scantily clad woman. An involuntary shudder raced through him. He still wasn’t sure why, but whenever she called him that, it made him ill.

“I thought you were with Viper plotting our next attack?” he asked, moving to put on a pair of navy blue silk pajama pants which he’d laid out before his shower.

“I wanted to be with you.”

Sky arched an eyebrow at her even as he stood, arms crossed over his bare chest, staring down at the bed. “Right. Look, I’m tired, I’m irritated, and tonight, I don’t want to deal with any more shit.”

Anna narrowed her eyes at him, wondering what he meant. She didn’t think he could possibly want to object to them being intimate. “Oh?”

“Yes oh. Now, I’m going to sleep. Goodnight.” That said, Sky crawled into the bed on the side she wasn’t on and shut off the light.

Anna lay in the dark next to him, contemplating her next move. She knew in order to cement herself into the Pink Ranger’s place, she had to have a physical relationship with Sky. She closed her eyes and grinned; once Sky was asleep, she’d put her plan into action.

- -

Syd sat with her back against Sky’s headboard. His pillow was tucked in her arms and hers was behind her head and back. She was dressed in his SPD work shirt and a pair of gray shorts. Peanuts lay on the bed next to her, completely forgotten. She hadn’t slept decently in a while, her dreams and nightmares centered on Sky. Tonight, she knew, would be no different.

“Still can’t sleep?”

Looking up, Syd saw Jack standing in the door way to Sky’s room. The Red Ranger was wearing a white tank top and a pair of red and black sweats. With all three of their housemates gone, Syd knew they were both feeling oddly alone.

“Thinking too much,” she yawned. “I’m afraid to go to sleep. If I dream about him and wake up, it kills me to know he’s gone. If I have a nightmare, it reminds me it’s my fault he’s gone. If I had been stronger, faster, smarter, he’d be here.”

“Sydney, Sky did what he did because he loves you,” Jack told her, frowning because he didn’t understand how she couldn’t see that.

The Pink Ranger’s baby blue eyes looked up into the dark brown eyes of her leader and big brother. “Then how do you explain the insecurities that turned him against me?”

The Red Ranger pondered for a moment the answer he was going to give. “You were his first in a lot of ways, weren’t you?” Sydney nodded. “And of course, while he accepted me being Red, he never quite got over the hurt from being given Blue. Take into account, we know nothing of Anna’s powers, or what she did to him or showed him to trick him.”

Blue eyes narrowed. “That still doesn’t answer my question.”

Jack gave her a sad smile. “He’s human, Syd. He hurts and worries and has all those things on his mind and heart that we, as humans, do. She’s twisted him up inside and he can’t figure which way is up.”

“I miss him,” she murmured, her eyes drifting down to the promise ring on her right hand.

“Surprisingly, I do too. We just got to hang in there and be prepared to pick up the pieces when it’s all over.”

Sydney’s lips trembled and tears clouded her eyes. “What if we aren’t as lucky this time as last time to have pieces to pick up?”

Jack’s face was a mask of fierce determination and an even fiercer hope. “We will be. We’ve been through too much for fate to be that cruel now.”

- -

She tested to make sure he was asleep before she got up and undressed. She watched him, bathed in moonlight, as he slept soundly. He was on his back, head turned to the side. Grinning, she leaned over and carefully tugged the covers off the bed. Once that was done, she climbed onto the bed and straddled his stomach. In the short amount of time she and Sky had been dating before, they’d never gotten intimate. Now that dream would be fulfilled.

Leaning over, she dropped wet kisses in a trail along his collar bone and chest before moving to nibble on his neck. She felt his hands slide up the sides of her thighs to her waist and she felt his arousal rubbing against her most private spot. A low groan escaped her when her hips automatically ground down against his.

Sky moaned in his sleep while his hands unconsciously held her waist. Anna was so lost in her thoughts and her body’s reaction to his touch she felt like she had cold water tossed on her head when he moaned, “Mmmm... Sydney...”

Blue eyes snapped open and flooded with red power even as she scratched her nails down his chest, drawing blood and waking Sky instantly.

“OW!”

“Think again, Schuyler! I am not that little bitch Sydney!” she shrieked even as Sky bucked her off his body and scrambled to his feet next to the bed.

Blue met blue, electricity zapping and sizzling between them. “I know you’re not Sydney,” he ground out through clenched teeth, trying to control his anger at her. “And if I wanted you naked, I’d have undressed you myself. You go too far, Anna. I don’t want you, not like that. Not now, not ever.”

She shrieked in rage, extending her hand at him, her body illuminating as power whipped around her to the rhythm of her rage. “I’ll kill you!”

“Go ahead, try. You’ll be sorry, because before you realize it, I could kill you. Have you forgotten? I’m a Ninjetti; I possess unlimited power through the Morphin’ Grid.”

Anna glared at him even as she struggled into her silk robe that had landed on the floor next to her. “I hate you.”

“The feeling’s mutual. Now get dressed and leave me alone.”

- -

“Thank you for inviting me over, Aunt Jen,” Sydney grinned the next morning. She’d been invited to have dinner and spend the night with Wes and Jen, just to get away for a while.

“Sydney, honey, you’re always welcome here,” Jen told her gently. “Why don’t you take your things up to Sky’s room?”

Jen felt her throat clog at the sadness that filled Syd’s eyes. The former Pink Ranger was about to retract her offer when Syd sighed and started up the stairs toward Sky’s room. “Everything okay?” Wes asked when he emerged from the study a few seconds later.

“She’s so sad,” Jen murmured, turning to hold onto her husband. “The look on her face when I told her she was staying in Sky’s room about did me in.”

Wes sighed and held her to his chest. He knew she was trying her best to be strong – it took a lot to break his Jen – but this whole situation with their son was threatening to reduce the former Time Force Officer to tears. “We’re going to get through this, Jen, and so are Syd and Sky.”

“I hope so.”

- -

Biting her lip, Sydney gently pushed open the door to Sky’s childhood bedroom. It looked exactly as it had the last time she’d been over a few weeks before with Sky. The drapes were open at the French doors leading to the terrace, so sunlight filtered into the room. The bed was neatly made and all the memorabilia from Sky’s childhood was dusted and prominently displayed. Shaking her head, Syd dumped her overnight bag in the corner and then sat down on Sky’s bed, memories washing over her. This was the room where she and Sky had first made love, where they had unknowingly conceived their child.

Sydney could still remember the nightmare that had scared her half to death. Jen had pulled her into her arms after she’d fallen on the floor and had let her lay her head in the older woman’s lap while she cried. She remembered, vaguely, Sky’s fingers rubbing her back and legs in an effort to calm her down. The feel of Sky’s arms around her, picking her up and cuddling her on his bed was still burned in her memory. She couldn’t help the smile that erupted onto her face. They’d been making out and then they’d argued fiercely when her insecurities had gotten the better of her. How could I have thought he didn’t want me? She asked herself.

Even as her arms wrapped around her waist and she closed her eyes, Sydney remembered him pinning her to the door and placing her hand on the bulge in his boxers. The fact that he’d twitched and moaned at the contact, despite her previous thoughts, had been a soothing balm on her feelings. She’d wanted an answer and her boyfriend had given her the most honest one he could.

Their love making that night had put an end to all her childish fantasies. The fierceness of wanting each other had been tempered by the innocence of it being their first times – both together and alone. Sky had been gentle and loving and had put her at ease. She could still feel the wonder at having his solid length buried deep between her thighs. The feel of his toned muscles against her softness still brought a shiver to her. I miss you, Sky; miss you holding me, miss your voice, your sense of humor, the love in your eyes when you look at me. I miss everything. I feel so empty without you.

With her eyes closed tight, Syd never noticed that her powers had flared, leaving her body a luminescent pink.

- -

Anna slept beside him, unmoving. After their fight, they’d both gone to bed, but while she slept, Sky found he couldn’t. Closing his eyes, Sky felt a warmth seep into him. It pooled in his heart, and spread out from his stomach to his loins. Memories began flooding his mind, images of him and Sydney making love, cuddling, sparring, arguing, fighting side by side in battle. He felt himself take a deep, shaky breath as memories of their first time assaulted his mind and heart.

He could still remember the feel of her smooth skin under his palms, her breasts pressed against his chest, her slim, strong thighs cradling his hips and her toned arms wrapped around him. Sky felt his throat tighten as he thought of the wonder he experienced at seeing her naked before him and the awe of taking her innocence even as he’d given her his own. For a moment he thought one vicious thought – that was one thing Jack couldn’t take from him. The moment he and Sydney had given each other their innocence would always be with him.

Power as deep blue as a clear morning sky began to radiate from the Blue Ranger, who lay in bed, ignorant to it all. He was so focused on his memories; he didn’t notice the pure power singing in his veins, trying to clear away Anna’s torture and brainwashing. I miss what we had, Sydney. I’m sorry it didn’t last.

- -

She woke gasping for breath, his voice echoing in her ringing ears. Tears ran in tiny rivers down her cheeks. She pressed a hand to her heart, feeling as though something inside her had died. Somehow, she knew she and Sky, despite current circumstances, had connected somehow. She slid off the bed and went into the bathroom, stripping as she went. Syd let out a shaky breath when she saw the sticky wetness coating her things and panties. Shaking her head, she started the shower and then climbed into the stall.

Even with her head under the spray, Syd could taste her own tears. Pulling back, she took a deep breath and tried to ease the trembling in her limbs. Deciding the familiar routine of showering would help, the Pink Ranger went through the motions of cleaning up. Once she was done, she wrapped her hair in a big fluffy blue towel and then took another and wrapped it around her body.

Quietly, she moved into Sky’s room, donning her sweats and a tank top, leaving the towel in her hair. Once she was dressed, she headed downstairs to apologize to Jen and Wes for falling asleep on them.

The silence in the mansion was eerie and creepy. Upon arriving in the kitchen, Syd found a note on the counter in her aunt’s flowing script.

Sydney ~

We had to go grab some last minute items for dinner. Be back soon. Drinks are in the fridge and snacks are in the pantry.

Love
Aunt Jen and Uncle Wes

Grinning, Sydney reached into the refrigerator to her left and pulled out a bottle of juice before stepping over to the pantry and selecting a bag of animal cookies. Snack in hand, the Pink Ranger headed for the stairs and stopped short when she saw the tall figure entering Sky’s room.

“Wonderful,” she muttered. She quickly set down her juice and cookies. Taking a deep breath, she quietly went up the stairs and stealthy entered Sky’s room. Her heart ached at the sight of him standing in the middle of the room, eyes closed and a pained expression on his beloved face.

“Why are you here, Sydney?” he asked softly. For a second, his voice almost sounded normal, maybe even tender and full of regret.

“Because despite what Anna’s tricked you into believing about me, your parents still care,” she wanted to hiss, but instead her voice came out choked with emotion. “Come home, please.”

Sky’s blue eyes lit with power. He looked mad. “Why should I?”

“Because your parents miss you, because worrying about you is eating at them. Your mother, your strong dependable mother looks worn out and tired. Your disappearing act is slowly killing her.”

The pair stared at each other, not moving and not speaking. “I’ve found my place.”

“YOUR PLACE IS AT HOME! WITH ME! WITH YOUR PARENTS! WITH PEOPLE WHO LOVE YOU!” she screamed at him, startling him back a few steps. Her tears fell without notice on her part. Sky could see her chest heaving as each ragged breath tore through her. “Damn you! I love you! I miss you! It’s always been you, always will be you!”

Sydney looked startled to see him staring at her, a longing in his eyes that she hadn’t seen in some time. “It’s not that simple, Sydney. You betrayed...”

“WHAT? HOW?” she demanded, her fists clenching at her sides. “With Jack? Why would you think I betrayed you with Jack? Damn you, Sky, I love you. I love Jack like the brother I didn’t know I had until a few months ago. Don’t you get it, she lied to you. Did you forget? Jack has Ally, our red headed junior Pink Ranger. The one who makes all of us laugh and makes him smile, the one he loves.”

“Sydney...I...”

“Syd! We’re back!”

The Pink Ranger watched as Jen’s voice caused just enough of a disturbance in her getting through to Sky that he was able to throw up an emotional wall around himself. “Nice try, Pink Ranger. But now, I think it’s time you and I finally went one on one.”

Before Syd had time to blink, he thrust a hand up, his blue power slamming into her and sending her flying into the hallway. She heard Jen and Wes cry out for her as a second wave of Sky’s power knocked her off her feet and through the railing on the second floor.

“SYDNEY!”

Chapter 22: Turning Point
Dedication: To all of you who despise Anna...LONG LIVE SYD AND SKY!

Any change, any loss, does not make us victims. Others can shake you, surprise you, disappoint you, but they can't prevent you from acting, from taking the situation you're presented with and moving on. No matter where you are in life, no matter what your situation, you can always do something. You always have a choice and the choice can be power. -- Blaine Lee --

The world is not respectable; it is mortal, tormented, confused, deluded forever; but it is shot through with beauty, with love, with glints of courage and laughter; and in these, the spirit blooms timidly, and struggles to the light amid the thorns. -- George Santayana --

When you come to the end of all the light you know, and it's time to step into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing that one of two things shall happen: Either you will be given something solid to stand on or you will be taught to fly. -- Edward Teller --

- -

“Welcome to KO-35,” one of the shuttle bay attendants greeted when the ramp came down and Bridge and Z exited their ship. The pair looked around in awe – neither had ever been to KO-35 before. They were surprised to see that it was very much like New Tech City – all hustle and bustle.

“Thank you,” Z murmured to the young man, watching him smile while she remained skeptical.

“Is there any way I can help you during your stay on KO-35?”

Bridge and Z shared a look before Bridge stepped forward. Keeping his words at an even tone, he replied, “We’re looking for Andros or Zhane, actually.”

The young man looked at them with wide eyes. “I’m sure Elder Meloni will be able to help you. The Space Rangers are very busy people, and we try to respect their privacy as much as we can. Elder Meloni would probably be the only one who could track them down for you. Follow me.”

The Yellow and Green Rangers nodded and started down the walk way after him.

- -

“DeVon, what can I do for you?” The group of three stopped just inside one of the many rooms leading off the shuttle bay. There were people inside, sitting at computer stations, while one man stood in the center of the room and monitored them.

“Elder Melonie, allow me to introduce Bridge Carson and Z Delgado of Earth. They have need of your help.”

The older man narrowed his gaze for a moment before nodding. “Very well; what can I do for you?”

Bridge stepped forward. “Elder Meloni, we’re looking for Zhane or Andros.”

The silver haired man narrowed his brown eyes at the pair. “Might I ask why?”

“Commander Anubis Cruger sent us,” Z spoke up, pulling out her SPD Badge and flipping it open for him to see. “We’re from SPD on Earth.”

“I see. Andros and Zhane have done nothing to warrant an investigation, I can assure you,” he explained to them calmly.

Z smiled, hoping to ease his anxiety. “We need their help. They know of a man who can help us save Earth, or so we were told.”

“Elder Meloni?” Turning, all eyes landed on the two men who had entered the room.

“Z? Bridge?” one of the men gasped out.

The yellow and Green Rangers smiled and nodded. “Andros, Zhane,” Bridge greeted them.

“What brings you here?” Zhane smiled, reaching out to shake their hands. While neither Z nor Bridge had met Zhane in person, the pair had studied about him during classes at the academy. The Silver Space Ranger was a vital part of their studies on the Space Ranger team and the invasion by Astronema and Dark Spector on Earth.

“We need to find Debo.”

Z’s words brought shocked looks to the two Elder Rangers’ faces. From the looks alone, the younger Rangers realized that Kat never talked to the pair. “Why?” Andros asked.

“We need his help. Earth’s under attack, from Vampra. Ninjor sent us here, in search of the one known as Debo,” Bridge supplied.

Zhane looked confused but Andros didn’t. “If Ninjor sent you, then it must be serious. Did you bring supplies?”

“The shuttle is full of them,” Z supplied.

“Good. Debo dwells in the desert outside the Capital, just beyond the forest. It’s about a two day hike.”

Bridge and Z looked to each other then nodded. “Then let’s go,” Bridge spoke up. “The others don’t have a lot of time.”

“Grab your gear, we’ll meet you in the shuttle bay,” Andros told them before they all scattered out of the communications room.

- -

All Sydney could do was thank God for her gymnastics lessons and extensive Ranger training when she found herself dangling from the ledge of the second floor. Sky stood towering over her while Jen and Wes were below her, frozen in fear.

“Sydney?” Wes ventured softly, not wanting to startle anyone.

“Uncle Wes?”

“You okay, Sweetie?” Wes asked, inching forward. Syd was only dangling six feet off the ground, so if she fell, it wouldn’t kill her but it certainly wouldn’t feel good.

“Schuyler!” Jen cried out, watching her son tower over Sydney from the ledge. Both Wes and Jen saw the confusion, anger and hurt in his eyes, and knew that Sydney did too.

Wes cleared his throat. “Syd, let go, I’ll catch you,” he told her evenly.

“Uncle Wes,” she murmured. She had an idea that had popped into her head when she looked up at Sky, she only hoped she could hang on long enough for it to work. “Uncle Wes, Aunt Jen, you’re proud of Sky, aren’t you?”

Wes narrowed his gaze to the back of Syd’s head before looking up into Sky’s eyes. “Of course we are,” Wes scoffed, wondering why she would ask something like that at a time like this.

“You’re proud of him even though he’s not Red Ranger, right?”

Jen and Wes turned to stare at each other, both instantly understanding what Sydney was getting at. One of Sky’s problems, according to the team and Cruger, was that he was pissed off at Jack for being Red Ranger. “Of course we are, Sydney. You of all people know we didn’t care what color he was given. We were happy as long as he was happy about him being a Ranger,” Jen told her. “It’s an honor very few people on Earth have had, or will ever have.”

Taking a deep breath, Sydney opened her eyes after having shut them while she was talking to them and looked up at Sky, who was staring down at her. “You see, I told you. You have nothing to be upset about, nothing.”

“Sydney!” Jen cried out in fear when the blonde’s fingers began to slip. Wes rushed forward to catch her, only she didn’t fall far. Sky ducked down and grabbed her wrists and was pulling her up onto the second floor before either of his parents could blink.

“Sky,” she whispered softly. He hauled her up, set her down, and promptly disappeared in a column of blue light. “DAMN IT!”

- -

“You ok? You’re awfully quiet this morning,” Ally asked, cuddling in Jack’s lap.

“Worried some, but other than that, I’m fine.”

The red haired Pink Ranger sighed. “The house seems so empty without the others here.”

“Tell me about it,” Jack murmured, his lips grazing her forehead. Minimal movements had their lips meeting in an emotion laden kiss. Sighs and moans were emitted as Ally shifted around to straddle his lap. Hands caressed, fingers skimmed, lips nipped. Both felt their body temperatures rise. When Jack started unconsciously thrusting up into her, they both pulled back, shocked that they’d gone as far as they had. “Ally...”

She trembled and struggled for breath. “Oh wow.”

“Ally...”

Grinning, Allison leaned forward and kissed him softly. “I love you.”

Jack’s eyes were blurred with passion, desire, and love when she looked into them. “I love you too. And I really, really want you.”

The laughter that sprang free eased Jack’s uneasiness at telling her he wanted her physically. “I can tell. Guess what?”

“Hmm...what?” Jack asked, his hands sliding up her ribs to cup her breasts. He was amazed to find the pliant mounds were just enough of a handful for him.

“I want you, really, really bad too,” she whispered against his lips. They kissed again, angling their heads even as tongues slid into each other’s mouths.

“Allison.”

“Hmm?”

“I don’t want to push you,” he whispered against her throat, where his lips had moved from hers to caress the column of alabaster. “But I need you.”

Her response was a bright smile. “Let’s go upstairs,” she hissed when his teeth gently scraped the column of her throat and his fingers pinched her nipples through her tank top. After hearing her words, Jack managed to pick her up and carry her upstairs, all the while maintaining the contact of their lips.

Neither was nervous when he laid her down on his bed, his body towering over hers. They both had experienced the physical pleasures of love before, but never together. Tenderly and with great care, Jack slid her tank top and sweats off, leaving her lying on his bed in nothing but her skimpy pink thong. While she looked up at him through desire hazed eyes, he quickly tore off his own tank top and shorts, his boxers sliding down with his pants. Ally licked her bottom lip when he slid his hands up the outsides of her thighs, stopping at the waistband of her panties. “May I?”

“Of course,” she whispered, arching her bottom off the bed so Jack could slip the garment down her legs.

With both of them undressed, Allison sent him a come-hither look that had him settling his hips between the softness of her thighs. Lips caressed and hands explored, and before very long, the two of them were tired of waiting. Shifting back, Jack looked down at her, waiting for her to give him the go ahead. When she smiled up at him and nodded, he carefully meshed their bodies together in an ageless dance of passion and pleasure.

- -

Brian sighed heavily, plopping down on the stool in front of the communications console, waiting none too patiently for a transmission from KO-35 that was to bring him news of Bridge and Z’s mission. “Cadet Oliver, we’re ready!”

“Thanks Marissa! Brian here,” he spoke to the screen, smiling a big smile when Bridge and Z appeared, looking none the worse for wear.

“Hey Kiddo. What’s shaking?” Z teased, seeing the worry and apprehension in his eyes.

“Not much. Syd’s with Mr. and Mrs. Collins and Jack’s with Ally at the house. How about you guys?”

Bridge grinned at him. “We found Andros and Zhane. They’re taking us to find Debo. It’s a two day trek, but we’re going to see about teleporting, since we both have our morphers and crystals on us. We were supposed to leave last night, but there were some problems they had to take care of first.”

Brian nodded and tried to smile for them, but he knew, just from the look Bridge was giving him, that his uneasiness hadn’t gone unnoticed. “Is everything ok, Brian? You look worried,” Bridge pointed out.

“Syd had an encounter, if you want to call it that, with Sky last night,” he told them, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to keep it from them for long.

“Is she okay?” Z gasped in worry.

The White Ranger nodded. “It’s a long story. Suffice it to say, she’s a little shaken up but she may have cracked the armor he’s got around himself a little bit.”

The Green and Yellow Rangers sighed. “That’s a plus. Well, we’ve got to go. If you need us...” Z started.

“I’ll use our link. You’ll only get impressions but its better than nothing. Take care and stay safe.”

The White Ranger sat staring at the blank screen trying to collect himself before he headed to class. “Brian? Are you coming?” Sam called from the doorway.

“Yeah!” Brian called back and grabbed his books before rushing out after the younger cadet.

- -

The drapes to the balcony were open, allowing sunlight to pour into the room. The occupant of the bed sighed warily and looked to the clock. She was surprised to see that it red ten o’clock in the morning. Shaking her head, she curled herself back into a ball and closed her eyes. Her back hurt from where she had slammed through the banister the night before and her wrists throbbed where Sky’s hands had closed around them when he caught her.

She wanted to cry but the tears refused to fall. She felt empty and all cried out. Sighing, she snuggled deeper into the covers and thought of the last time she and Sky had lay in the bed she was currently resting on. It had been a few weeks before, after a late dinner and business function they had attended with Wes and Jen.

Both she and Sky had been too tired and a bit tipsy to drive home safely, so they’d spent the night. She remembered waking up the next morning, which was clear blue and sunny like today, and had relished being in his arms. A smile flew across her lips now when she thought about their shared shower. They’d had fun soaping each other up and then caressing and touching in all the right places. That had been before their trip to the Desert of Despair, before they’d fought about her keeping her powers a secret, before Anna had taken him and turned him against her.

Just the thought of him with Anna fueled her anger more than anything. She was bound and determined to get him back, even if it meant sacrificing her own life to do so.

- -

Anna eyed him carefully as he stared out the windows of the ship as it floated around Earth. She was slightly suspicious. He hadn’t come to bed the night before, and after a thorough check of the ship, she found he had been no where to be seen. To make matters worse, he’d been irritable and then withdrawn whenever she or Viper mentioned their next plan for the Rangers.

“Are you going to sulk all day or are you going to help us plan?” she finally asked him.

Turning, Sky glared at her. “You’re doing just fine without my input.”

“Schuyler, quit being an ass and give us your attention.”

The pair stood toe to toe, hands clenching at their sides, each glaring at the other. Viper looked intrigued when he walked into the room. “Do I want to ask?” he muttered.

“Probably not,” Sky smirked, stepping away from Anna. “She’s mad that I haven’t helped plan the next battle.”

Viper rolled his eyes. “There’s no need, I have the next battle already planned.”

Anna and Sky turned their gazes on him. “Really?”

“Yes, really,” Viper mimicked. “You two are to distract the Rangers. I just need to get close to the Pink and White Rangers and attempt to capture them. Once I have them, you can dispose of the others however you see fit.”

“I don’t understand,” Sky started, confused. “Why do you need Sydney and Brian?”

Viper grinned. Anna’s brainwashing was wearing off. Before long, his master would have the Dragon and the Phoenix, the Rangers would be dead, and Anna would no longer be a problem. “I have my orders. The Master put me in charge, you’re not to worry about anything but doing your job.”

- -

“Hey Syd!” Aaron called out when the senior Pink Ranger walked into the Commander Center.

“Good afternoon,” she smiled at him. Since she’d left the Collins household, she’d made a promise to herself not to tell the others about what happened the night before. The only person that knew was her brother, but he’d dived into her head without asking when he’d sensed her anger, fear and grief.

“Are you ok?” Alana asked.

Sydney shot her a look. “Why wouldn’t I be?” The junior Yellow Ranger gave her senior Pink teammate a ‘who do you think you’re kidding?’ look. “I’m fine, Al, just tired, promise. Now, any word from Bridge and Z?”

Brian moved toward the middle console. “I talked to them this morning. It’s going to be at least a week before they get back, if not more.”

The Pink Ranger let out a long slow breath. All she had to do was make it until they got back. “Wonderful.”

“Do you want to tell us what happened this morning?” Travis asked carefully, all eyes on Sydney who was going pale.

“I don’t know what you mean,” the blonde haired Pink Ranger told them, trying not to make eye contact with any of them.

“Commander Cruger already briefed us after Mr. Collins called here,” Brett told her, leaning against the console just behind Travis.

Syd shook her head. “I think I put a dent in his armor.”

Before another comment could be uttered, the alarms began blaring. Kat and Boom came rushing in followed by Commander Cruger. “Report!” Anubis ordered.

“We’ve got a massive energy reading coming from the center of the city!” Kat called out, fingers flying over the controls of the computer in front of her.

“What kind of energy?” Jack asked seconds later when he and Ally came barreling into the room.

Kat looked at him, and then back at the screen. “It looks like...” she paused, her eyes coming up to meet Sydney’s. “It’s Sky.”

Jack and Aaron shred a nod before turning to Anubis. “Commander.”

“Let’s go,” Anubis growled, unsnapping his morpher from his belt. The Junior Rangers and Brian looked surprised while Jack and Syd just smiled, memories from nearly the year before stirring in their hearts.

“SPD EMERGENCY!”

The battle scene was one of chaos as the nine Rangers arrived. Tengas were everywhere, harassing citizens, while Viper, Anna and Sky walked around, surveying the damage.

“Look here,” Anna grinned, tapping Sky’s shoulder. Both Sky and Viper turned and smiled when they saw the Rangers. “Wow, Cruger actually got the guts worked up to come out here too. I’m impressed.”

“Gee, where’s Bridge and Z? Did they finally say enough was enough?” Sky taunted, noting the absence of his former teammates.

Syd and Jack smiled under their helmets and nodded to each other. “Well, you know, your speech was so rousing, they saw Syd and I for what we really are,” Jack sarcastically called back to him. Anna looked giddy while Viper looked suspicious and Sky looked irritated by Jack’s comments.

“You will learn respect, Jack!” Sky hissed. Even as he raised his hand to shoot out energy at Jack, another voice called on power to counter him.

“DRAGON’S ICE!” Brian called, his hand on the ground, creating an ice wall between Jack and Sky.

“SCATTER!” Aaron commanded. He, Alana and Ally dove one direction while Brett and Travis followed Shadow Ranger in the opposite. Syd and Jack backed up near Brian and waited for the White Ranger’s wall of ice to explode under the pressure of Sky’s powers.

“Is it just me, or can he not focus the power into his element?” Brian smirked.

The Red and Pink Rangers looked startled by their White teammates comment. “What do you mean?” Jack asked.

“I’m ice, you’re wind, Bridge is Earth, Z’s sound, and Syd and Sky are fire. He hasn’t focused his power into fire this go round.”

Sydney looked surprised. “He didn’t yesterday either.”

Jack nodded. “Something to think about!” he called out as the trio was blown backwards. Brian and Syd hit the ground not far from each other while Jack was tossed further back.

“NOW!” Viper’s voice rang out in command.

Sky turned his focus on Jack while Anna began to entertain herself with the other six Rangers and Viper moved toward the senior Pink and White Rangers. “Uh oh!” Syd chirped after she and Brian got to their feet.

“Now, now, Pink Ranger, stand still for me!” Viper grinned evilly at her.

“Not in this lifetime, you slithering, creepy goon!” Syd called back, trying to calculate her plan of escape.

“You’ll change your tune soon enough!” Viper grinned. He raised a small device attached to the canister on his back. A green beam shot out of the device, connecting with the Pink and White Rangers.

“AAHHH!” the pair screamed out in agony, halting the battles around them.

“My Master wants your power, pathetic brats!”

Anna’s grin was pure evil while Sky looked on, his face contorting with what could have been sympathy. “Sydney! Brian!” Jack’s strangled cry broke through their agonizing screams.

“Jack! Watch out!” Allison cried when Sky focused on the Red Ranger again.

The junior Pink Ranger’s warning came just in time. “PEGASUS WINDS!” Jack called, the air at his utter control. Anger and fear boiled up inside him, causing the wind to slam forward into the trio of opponents. Viper and Anna found themselves flung back a few steps while Sky managed to withstand the attack.

“SPHINX FLAME THROWER!” the Blue Ranger called. “FIRE!”

“PHOENIX FIRE!” Sydney countered. The Ninja Ranger pitted her power of fire versus Sky’s, creating a wall of flame between them.

The others gasped when three glowing figures appeared in front of the trio of Rangers. “Drop the wall, Sydney,” Phoenix commanded.

“But…!”

“It’s alright, young one, drop your power. We have gifts for you.”

Without a word, Sydney dropped her powers, and the trio gasped when the blue flames of Sky’s power hit an invisible shield. Dragon, Phoenix and Pegasus bowed before their charges while their bodies lit like the wicks of candles. “We come bearing gifts,” Dragon told him. “For you, White Ranger, the White Dragon Ice Sais.” Brian blinked under his helmet as the silver, white and black weapons appeared in his hands.

“For you, Red Ranger, the Red Pegasus Winds Ninja Stars,” Pegasus spoke, causing Jack to grin as the six small and deadly disks appeared in his hands.

“And for you, Pink Ranger, the Pink Phoenix Fire Swords.” Sydney was startled to see two large, curved swords appear in her hands.

“Use them wisely,” Dragon told them, seconds before the three animal spirits vanished. The three Rangers shared a look and a nod and then got down to business.

On the other side of the battlefield, Viper, Anna, and Sky watched on, intrigued and a little scared. “What the hell was that?” Anna hissed angrily.

“The sacred animal spirits,” Sky supplied.

“Maybe we should go,” Anna uttered.

“You would back down now?” Viper accused her. “We’re so close, all I need is one more shot at those two.”

“Fine.”

Anna and Viper moved into position, but Sky stayed where he was, eyes locked on his former teammates. “Sky!” Anna yelled.

“NOW!” Viper commanded.

Anna struck out with her power and found herself matched by Jack’s winds and six, eight-pointed metal stars flying at her head. Opposite of her, Viper was trying to fire his device at the Pink and White Rangers but was met by a storm of ice and snow before one of Brian’s shiny new sais flew out and shattered the machine in his hand.

“DAMN!” Viper roared

Syd and Sky faced each other, a few yards between them, motionless. Sydney’s swords were forgotten in her hands as was Sky’s flame thrower. “Sky! Do something!” Anna ordered him. He didn’t move, not even to acknowledge he’d heard her.

The Pink and Blue Rangers continued to stare at one another, oblivious to the world around them. “What are you waiting for, Sky?” Sydney asked him. “Don’t you want what they want? Don’t you want our deaths on your hands? Just remember what Ninjor and Dulcea told us; if Vampra gets his hands on any of us, he’ll destroy the universe using our powers.”

“I think now’s a good time to retreat!” Viper finally suggested.

“Lover, let’s go,” Anna spoke, moving to touch Sky’s arm. She was surprised when the Blue Ranger shrugged off her hand.

“Until next time, Pink Ranger!” Sky called seconds before he, Anna, Viper and the remaining Tengas disappeared. Jack and Brian moved to Syd, each placing a hand on her shoulder. As one, the three of them let their morphs go. Both male Rangers were surprised to see their Pink teammate smiling and crying at the same time.

“Syd?” Brian cautiously asked his sister.

“He’s remembering.”

“How do you know?” Jack softly questioned, wondering how Sydney could possibly know that.

Syd smiled. “He didn’t attack me outright the second time. And he shrugged off Anna.”

All three grinned at that. Sky had looked seriously annoyed by Anna touching him. “Don’t worry, Sis, we’ll get him back, you’ll see.”

For the first time in a few days, Sydney had hope. “I know.”

- -

Bridge smiled a gentle smile, brushing hair from Z’s face as he did so. The Yellow Ranger was using their afternoon break for a nap. Or so he thought. “Bridge?”

“Yeah,” he responded, looking down into her beloved face.

“This is seriously ten times worse than our SWAT Training.”

The Green Ranger couldn’t prevent the chuckle that came out at her comment. Remembering how hard their SWAT Training had been, he compared it to their current predicament. She was right, of course. It was worse, because it was only two this time, instead of five. “Yeah. It’s because the others aren’t here. Don’t worry, we’ll get through this.”

“I miss Jack and his weirdness. I miss Brian’s not so subtle innocence. I miss Sky and his overprotective big brother routine, but most of all, I miss Syd and our daily talks.”

“I do too,” he whispered. “We’re going to get home as soon as we can and things will go back to normal, I promise.” The two were so engrossed in their conversation they never saw the pair of violet colored eyes staring out from the bushes watching them.

- -

“What the hell has gotten into you?” Anna raged at Sky when the two of them were alone in their room. The blue eyed woman looked and felt enraged, not to mention embarrassed. She’d seen the gleeful look on Viper’s face during the battle. She knew what he was thinking. “How could you do that to me? You could have captured Sydney for the Master and gotten his ugly ass off our backs! You don’t know what he’s capable of, I do! He’d just as soon kill us both than have us fail again!”

Sky sat on their bed, ignoring her ranting and raving. Anna knew he was ignoring her, and it only made her madder. ‘Alright Schuyler, we’ll play it your way’ she thought, a plan forming slowly. Anna watched him before she strode out of the room in search of her bodyguard.

“Mistress?” he called when she came upon him in the hallway.

“I need your help. It’s time we rid the Blue Ranger of all thoughts of that little Pink bitch.”

“Do you have a plan, Mistress?”

Anna’s eyes gleamed and a wicked smile caressed her blood red lips. “Yes, oh yes.”

- -

“We’ll rest here for the night,” Andros announced. After their first day, the group had cut through the forest and made it to the edge of the desert.

“I’m so tired,” Z mumbled as she and Bridge helped each other with their packs.

Bridge yawned and then groaned, “I’ll second that.”

“Let’s set up camp and then eat and head to bed,” Zhane suggested.

The four worked in tandem to set up a fire and their sleeping bags. Once that was done, Zhane, Andros and Z started cooking and Bridge wandered off for more firewood and a few moments so he could meditate and gather his thoughts.

The Green Ranger sat down in a small clearing not more than three minutes from the camp site. Folding his legs in his lap, Bridge cleared his mind of everything and opened himself to his newly awakened ninja powers.

“Hello, young Panda.”

Opening his eyes, Bridge smiled. Sitting before him was his spirit animal. “Panda.”

“They are alright, I assure you.”

“Sky?”

Panda just smiled. “Between his own efforts and those of the young Phoenix, he’s almost free. Trust your spirit sister, she is most resourceful.”

Bridge chuckled. His spirit animal seemed to know Sydney as well as he did. “Are we close?” he seriously asked.

“Yes. Be careful.”

Bridge nodded. Panda nudged his knee before disappearing. Sighing, Bridge got to his feet and began looking for firewood. He never saw the violet colored eyes watching him.

- -

Allison grinned as she shifted in bed and found herself pressed against Jack’s naked body. Just that morning they’d made love for the first time. It hadn’t been either of their first times, but it had been more special than hers had been. “Go to sleep,” Jack muttered in her ear, his hand sliding from her hip up her ribs to cup her breast.

“I’m wide awake,” she chuckled huskily, groaning as he caressed her.

One of Jack’s eyes peeked open and saw her smiling at him. “So I see.”

“You feel awake too,” she giggled, wrapping her hand around him. Her insides clenched in anticipation as he swelled within her grasp.

Jack laughed. “Only cause my girlfriend’s insatiable.”

Ally grinned even as she leaned close to kiss him. “Make love to me, Jack?” she requested, a moan bubbling up from her throat as he rolled to tower over her.

“Of course milady,” he teased. He leaned down and kissed her before they both drowned in the sensation of making love.

- -

Z woke in alarm, feeling as though something, or someone, was watching her sleep. Carefully, she lifted her head from Bridge’s chest. Andros and Zhane were sound asleep on the other side of the fire, which was still burning brightly. Bridge was asleep as well. She shifted away from him and looked around their campsite. Nothing seemed out of place and she saw no animals around.

Shaking her head, Z moved to lay back down when a movement caught her eyes. Blinking, the Yellow Ranger homed in on the man in the beige and green uniform, his shock of red hair and piercing violet eyes catching her notice. He was watching her from the camouflage of the bushes.

Z opened her mouth to say something and found the man had disappeared before her very eyes. Feeling dizzy, Z laid her head back on Bridge’s chest. She immediately fell back asleep. Once Z was out, the man reappeared, violet eyes shimmering with white power before he disappeared in a column of purple light.

- -

Anna crept into the bedroom once she was sure Sky was asleep. Her bodyguard came in behind her, carrying thick looking chains and handcuffs. The pair made their way to the bed where Sky slept, their plan having been worked out before and not needing a word said between them.

“Mistress,” he prompted.

“Hurry!” she hissed. “Tie him to the bed before he wakes up!”

Before long, the two had Sky’s hands in the handcuffs and the handcuffs tied to the bed with the chains. “What the hell is going on?” Sky hollered, twisting his body back and forth on the bed. “ANNA!”

Blue eyes twinkled with satisfaction while she watched Sky attempt to free himself. “I’m sorry, Lover, but this is for your own good.”

Turning, Anna led her guard from the room while Sky continued to shout. “ANNA!”

- -

Kat worked furiously at the computer. Ever since the battle had ended, she’d been working to track Sky’s energy signature. Boom stood not far away, his eyes focused on the computer console before him. He was helping Kat run the calculations and track Sky’s energy.

“FOUND IT!” Kat cried happily.

“Way to go Kat!” Boom laughed.

“Boom, call the Commander to the Command Center! I’m calling Jack and Syd!”

The blonde haired man nodded and moved to the PA system while Kat called the Rangers at home to tell them the good news.

Chapter 23: Rescue Mission Pt. 1

AN: --winks-- To all the members of the Anna Must Die fanclub, this chapter is the start of her end….MUWAHAHAHA!

For in the end, freedom is a personal and lonely battle; and one faces down fears of today so that those of tomorrow might be engaged. -- Alice Walker --

"Creating a family in this turbulent world is an act of faith, a wager that against all odds there will be a future, that love can last, that the heart can triumph against all adversities and even against the grinding wheel of time." -- Dean Koontz --

"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on." -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

- -

Syd and Jack raced into the Delta Base like the hounds of hell were after them. Kat’s call nearly a half hour before had woken them both from their much needed sleep, but neither cared, not when the possibility of getting Sky back was just on the horizon. Jack had driven his car, not trusting Sydney, who was in such an emotional state, to get them to the base without killing them both.

Boom raised an eyebrow when the two senior Rangers raced in, both wearing their pajamas still – Jack in black sweats and a red wife beater tank top and Sydney in a pair of grey sweats and Sky’s blue SPD t-shirt. “Where’s Kat?” Jack asked Boom, who swallowed hard.

“She’s in the Commander’s office going over our findings with him. I’m supposed to send both of you there.”

Without a word, the Rangers raced right back out the doors of the Command Center and headed down the hallway to Commander Cruger’s office. The pair stopped outside the door long enough to announce their presence and then zoomed inside. Anubis stood at the window looking out at the sleeping city before him while Kat sat on the edge of his desk, staring at his back.

“Commander?” Sydney asked, emotions swirling around inside of her so bad that it caused her voice to crack.

“Dr. Manx, why don’t you explain why you’ve called the Rangers here,” Anubis spoke, not once turning to look back at his Rangers. He knew that if he did, he’d do everything in his power to assure Sydney and Jack that they’d get Sky back in one piece when he knew the chances of that, given the state of things, was almost impossible now.

“Kat?” Jack asked, turning his attention to their technical expert.

The feline doctor swallowed hard and prepared to deliver the good along with the bad news. “Do you want the good news or bad news first?” she asked, trying to keep her voice light when all she wanted to do was cry. One way or another, some of the Rangers might not make it out of this final battle alive.

- -

Z looked around warily as the quartet began their trek into the desert, leaving behind the cover of the forest and the security it brought. She hadn’t spoken to any of the guys about what she’d seen the night before, because she still wasn’t positive she’d seen what she thought she’d seen. Great, now I’m starting to ramble, in my own mind no less, like my boyfriend does, she thought silently.

“How far is it to Debo’s home from here?” Bridge asked Andros, trying to keep his mind off the nagging feeling he was getting from Z that something had happened.

“About half a day’s trek, provided he hasn’t moved camp,” Andros spoke cryptically.

“And if he has?” Z wanted to know.

“Then we keep going until we find him.” Z narrowed her eyes at the back of Andros’ head. He hadn’t mentioned that when they’d set out to find Debo. “And you failed to mention that to us why?”

Andros turned to pin Z with a stare. “He’s a hard man to find, Z. I made no actual promises that we’d find him in two days.”

The Yellow Ranger continued to glare at Andros angrily while Bridge and Zhane gasped. Z’s body was growing the same color as her Ranger uniform. “Z, baby, calm down. It’s going to be ok, we’re going to find Debo, we’re going to get home, and we’re going to make sure the others are safe and sound,” Bridge murmured in her ear as he stood just behind her.

“The others might not have time, and here we are wasting it in a God forsaken desert!” Z started raising her voice. Despite the fact that Andros was a legendary Ranger, one Z had read about during her classes at the academy, when it came to her friends being in danger, Z was no holds barred. They didn’t call her the loyal tiger for nothing.

“I know how you feel, Z,” Andros spoke the words, though Z refused to see the genuine emotion behind them. “I’ve been where you are, searching for a way to save my friends when it seems like there’s nothing else that can be done. I’ve been in your shoes; it’s not an easy place to be,” Andros assured her, turning to look her in the eyes. He knew the Debo was a hard man to convince to help a cause unless it was a cause dear to his heart, but Andros knew that the Yellow and Green Ninja Rangers had a way about them that could persuade a hardened warrior like Debo. He could only hope neither of them lost their tempers before they got the chance to ask for the help.

“You’re a Power Ranger, Z. I don’t think you quite understand the scope of what that truly means; many others share that legacy, share experiences that, while not all exactly the same are vastly similar,” Zhane spoke up, moving to take Z’s hand in his own. She reminded him so much of Cassie that it was scary. “There are others that have come before you that have had to find a way to save their teammates and the very universe in the face of hopelessness and despair.”

Andros grinned at her. He had to give her hope. “Zhane’s right. And what’s more, every one of the people who have come before you that shared your problem triumphed magnificently. Have hope, we will find him in time.”

Z just stared at them, silently, before sighing. “I still don’t see why we couldn’t use our teleportation abilities,” she grumbled.

“Part of getting him to help you will be showing you didn’t take the easy way out by teleporting to his location. Instead, you came to us for help and journeyed through the Great Forest and the Great Desert and found him,” Andros told her before turning away to continue their journey.

“And added to that, Andros and I don’t trust your teleportation abilities yet,” Zhane grinned and winked. “You just got them, and you’ve only used them once according to what you told us about your journey on Phadoes.”

Bridge and Z had to agree with that. They couldn’t blame the elder Rangers for being doubtful of their abilities yet, seeing how they themselves weren’t entirely sure they could perform what they wanted to correctly. “Alright, let’s go. We’re wasting time sitting here talking instead of walking,” Z huffed. The four began to move forward, hoping that before sundown they’d find the mysterious Debo.

- -

“Report?”

“They’ve made it through the great forest, whoever they are,” the violet eyed man spoke to the figure in the crystal ball. “Two are Andros and Zhane of the Space Rangers. The other two are unknown, though they give off power much like Zordon’s Rangers did once upon a time. One even has a spirit animal.”

“What animal?”

“It’s an animal I’m not familiar with. My best guess was that it was an Earth animal, considering he looked like he was an Earthling.”

“Then they must be from Earth,” the figure in the crystal ball deduced. “Do they seem threatening?”

“The one with the green aura seemed gentle, wiser than he let on, and a tad bit worried. The yellow female was defensive, angry, and yet, I sensed a side of her that she keeps hidden. She too is worried, but it’s much more evident than his.”

“Understood. Just remember, Debo the Wise Warrior, many have searched for the Morphin Masters Council, few have been worthy of finding us.”

The violet eyed man nodded before the crystal ball went back to normal. Taking a deep breath to center himself, he then began to chant softly in the language of his people and the crystal ball once again flared to life, revealing four wary travelers making their way towards his encampment in the desert. “Soon, very soon, we shall meet face to face, and I shall decide whether or not to help you on your journey.”

- -

Brian watched his sister run along the beach, RIC chasing her as she went. Even from this distance and without the use of their link, he could feel her sadness. The younger members of the A Squad had been briefed once they’d come onto duty earlier that morning about Kat’s findings and what it might mean. The odds were so off the chart and not in their favor that Commander Cruger had expressly forbid the Rangers from attempting to help Sky in any way, shape or form from here on out. While Brian agreed somewhat with the Commander’s worries about attempting to help Sky, he disagreed with the Commander’s order that the A Squad was to just forget their teammate due to the threat he now posed to Earth. If there was one thing he’d learned in his time with his sister and their friends, it was that Rangers didn’t give up on their teammates. No one was left behind, regardless of the circumstances. I’ll be damned if I watch her be unhappy and hurting without him here for much longer. I will not abide by Cruger’s orders, he thought angrily. And if he was honest with himself, he too missed Sky’s annoying demeanor and presence just as much as the others.

“How is she doing?” To Brian’s ears, Jack’s voice sounded strained and tired. The White Ranger couldn’t blame his team leader for sounding that way, they were all under a lot of stress, but Jack was taking the brunt of everything for the sake of the team. Brian was glad that Jack had Allison to counter balance the strain leadership had on him. He mused that Ally and Jack’s relationship was a lot like Syd and Sky’s, only with less drama.

“She’s dealing with it the best way she can,” Brian spoke what they both knew Jack could already tell. “Look, I want to be up front and honest with you now – if and when the opportunity to help free Sky arises, both Syd and I will not stop until he’s home. I refuse to watch her die a little everyday without him.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Jack wanted to know.

“You’re my leader, my commanding officer, but I thought it was right for you to know that I will not follow Cruger’s orders, not in regards to this.”

The Red Ranger grinned at his young teammate. Finally, he’s learning the lessons we had to when we first started. “It would be pretty damn hypocritical of me to tell Cruger you aren’t going to follow those orders when I’m not even going to follow them, now isn’t it?”

Brian grinned at his older friend. Despite the fact that Sky rubbed them both the wrong way, they were going to do everything in their power to get their friend back. “So, how much of a protest do you think we’ll get out of her if we go down and toss her in the surf?” Brian asked.

“She’ll kill us both, trust me. Not to mention that the water is freezing cold this time of year.”

“Then I guess we’d better learn to run fast, huh?”

“You’re sneaky, really sneaky. I love it!” Jack laughed as the two raced down the sand toward Syd and RIC. Seconds later, Syd’s screeches and protests were drowned out as her brother and one of her best friends tossed her head first into the cold, icy Pacific Ocean.

- -

“Is that it?” Bridge inclined his head toward the hut about a quarter of a mile from their present location on a large sand dune.

Zhane was pouring water over his face but Andros nodded. “Yeah. Let’s hope he’s home.” After each of them had taken turns getting a drink from Andros’ canteen, they began the tedious trek down the sand dune toward the hut.

Andros made the decision to step forward and tap the door while the others waited with baited breath. While Andros stepped back, the door swung open and a figure in fatigues stepped out, looking slightly annoyed. Z’s eyes widened in surprise; he was the same man she’d seen the night before. “Can I help you, Andros of KO-35?”

The former Red Ranger straightened his stance. “Debo the Wise Warrior, I bring two warriors not of our world for your help.”

“Let them step forward and ask for it.” Without hesitation, Bridge and Z stepped forward to stand before the violet eyed man. “Who are you that come to my home, disturbing my life, to ask for help?”

“I’m Z Delgado.”

“And I’m Bridge Carson.”

Debo shook his head and eyed them. They both hid their power behind a façade of uncertainty. “Again, I ask who you are. Your given names mean nothing to me. Who are you?”

Bridge and Z eyed each other while Zhane and Andros shifted back and forth in unease. “I am the Yellow Tiger Ninjetti.”

“And I am the Green Panda Ninjetti,” Bridge followed.

“I see,” Deb responded. Inside, he was quite surprised that these two unassuming people were Ninjetti. “This is new news to me, as the last Ninjetti I knew of…”

“Were Dulcea and Ninjor,” Bridge answered for him. “We know. Dulcea and Ninjor trained six of Zordon’s rangers as Ninjetti. Our Pink and White Rangers were the children of two of those Rangers.”

“So you are Power Rangers as well?” Debo asked.

Z stared at him, her anger flaring, her powers unconsciously following. “Yes, we are.”

“I see. Why have the rest of your team not come with you?”

Debo saw the pain and sadness in their eyes and momentarily wondered if they’d come too late to save their teammates. “One of our own has been turned against us. The other three stayed behind to protect Earth from Vampra’s forces,” Z told him seconds before he grabbed her arm in a vice grip.

“Vampra?”

“A traitor to our organization is trying to help free him from the prison Dulcea and Ninjor placed him in,” Bridge gulped.

Debo looked, for the first time, genuinely humanoid in emotion. “We must hurry. I will take you to the council myself. Andros, Zhane, you can return to the Capital. Send word to their teammates.”

The two elder Rangers nodded. “When will they return?” Zhane wanted to know.

“They won’t, not to the capital in any case. Send their ship back, I will return them to Earth. NOW GO!” Debo commanded, waving a hand at the elder Rangers, who disappeared in columns of Red and Silver light. “Come, we must go and speak with the council immediately.” With a wave of his hand, Z and Bridge felt themselves teleported to another location.

- -

“Hey,” Jack grinned when he opened the door to find Ally standing on the front porch.

“Hi. Can I come in?” she laughed.

Jack stepped back and let her enter. Once the door was shut, the pair embraced. Jack held her tightly to his chest, taking a moment to savor her being in his arms. “You staying tonight?” he asked softly.

“I wish I could,” she told him, watching the disappointment shimmer across his features. “Cruger has junior A Squad and B Squad on lockdown. We’re not even supposed to be leaving base, but he and Kat sent me to bring you and Syd some paperwork.”

“Wonderful. Have time to stay for dinner?”

Allison grinned. “I think I can bend the rules long enough.”

“Come on into the kitchen then, dinner’s just about done, and I need to ask you a few things about the other day.”

The Pink Ranger gave her boyfriend a weird look and sat down on one of the bar stools at the bar. “What’s up?” she asked as he placed a plate of chicken strips and French fries in front of her.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but, um, when we had sex, it wasn’t your first time, was it?” he questioned, setting the bottle of ranch dressing down in front of her. Allison pursed her lips and fought not to blush at his question. She’d been wondering for some time if he’d ask her about her past. “And yet, you were pretty timid about sleeping in my room that first night. I haven’t quite figured out why.”

Tilting her head to the side, Allison studied him. “That first night sleeping in your bed was the first night I’d ever slept in the same bed with someone of the opposite sex, and no, it wasn’t my first time having sex.” When Jack stared at her in confusion, she continued. “I lived on the streets, just like you and Z, but I was adopted by wonderful people when I turned twelve. Unfortunately, their son wasn’t nice.”

Jack’s eyes closed and the expression on his face was one of sorrow. “He hurt you.” It wasn’t a question, it was a statement.

“He sexually molested me for nearly three years. When I was fifteen, I ran away and joined SPD. My real parents had worked there but were killed in a freak accident. I figured if any place would be like home, then it would be there,” she told him, staring him straight in the eyes. “I’ve had lovers since then, but I’ve made it a habit not to spend the night in their beds, just in case.”

Two tears slid down Jack’s cheeks as he came around the bar and pulled her into his arms. His Ally was strong and courageous to have faced what she did and come out a better person for it. “I love you, so much,” he whispered, leaning down to kiss her softly.

“I love you too. We need to eat so I can get back or I’m going to hear it from Cruger for being late,” she soothed, kissing his cheek when he pulled away.

Nodding, Jack moved back to the other side of the bar where his plate sat and the two in companionable silence until it was time for Ally to head back to the academy.

- -

Sydney quietly made her way into the Command Center, silently thanking whatever higher power made sure that neither Cruger nor Kat were present as she entered. Nodding to a couple members of the staff, she moved to one of the corner consoles. Taking a deep breath, she inserted a disc into the computer and then set to finding the information she wanted. Despite what Cruger had said, she wasn’t about to sit back and leave Sky in Anna’s clutches, let alone Vampra’s. She knew, without a doubt, that to beat Vampra, they were going to need all six of the Ninjetti together.

Quickly, Sydney’s fingers began flying over the keys of the keyboard before her as she put her computer skills to the test. While Bridge and Boom and even Kat were awesome building the computers, Sydney had the small hidden talent of being able to crack into just about any system on the planet. She only hoped her emotionally drained mind could break whatever lock Kat had put on the information she was looking for.

She let out a sigh of frustration and continued to try to crack the code. Fifteen minutes after she started, she was surprised when she finally got into Kat’s files. Grinning like a mad woman, Syd quickly copied the information she needed onto the disk and then back tracked out of the system to make sure that Kat wouldn’t be able to tell she’d been there. Once she was done, she ejected the disk and headed for the door.

“Hello Syd,” Kat greeted, entering the room.

The Pink Ranger looked momentarily started. “Hi Kat, bye Kat,” she murmured in passing, brushing past the feline scientist.

Kat turned, a frown on her face, and watched the doors slide closed behind Sydney. The feline scientist couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but something was wrong with Sydney, like the Pink Ranger was keeping something from her. Shaking her head, Kat went about her duties.

- -

When Syd returned to the house, she went straight upstairs and into Bridge’s room. She sat down at his desk and turned on his computer, inserted the disk, and began printing the information on it out. Jack was downstairs cooking dinner, so once she was done printing she shut down Bridge’s computer. She left one copy of the information on Bridge’s desk, as a precaution, and took the other copy with her into her room. Quickly, she showered and changed into her comfy clothes before she headed downstairs to talk to Jack.

“You ate without me?” she teased.

“Ally brought some paperwork over. I fed her and put yours in the microwave to stay warm. I figured you were taking a shower or a nap.”

Syd nodded and moved to the microwave. “I got the information,” she started, watching Jack nod in understanding. “You know, Cruger will kick us out of SPD if he finds out we’re going to do this before we do it.”

“He’ll kick us out after it happens,” Jack told her. “Sky means more than a job. Cruger can’t take away our morphers because they aren’t SPD property, so we’ll still be Rangers.”

Sydney smile and nodded her agreement. “Are we going to do this now or wait for Bridgey and Z?”

“I say if the opportunity arises, we do it now. Two is better at not getting detected then four.”

“You’re not including Brian.” It was a statement, not a question.

Jack stuck to his decision. “I’m not involving our little brother unless I absolutely have to.”

The look of love and appreciation Syd shot him warmed his heart. “We’re a family, Sydney, whether by blood or circumstance, and most definitely by choice. I won’t risk one brother to save another, not until I’ve risked myself.”

Sydney seemed to understand his reasoning, especially if it meant one Ninjetti remained to defeat Vampra should they fail. “RANGERS! ATTACK AT THE BEACH!” Kat’s stressed voice came through their communicators. The two hopped up and then morphed.

“SPD EMERGENCY!”

- -

When the Senior Pink and Red Rangers showed up on the scene, Aaron, Alana and Brian were the only ones standing. Allison, Brett and Travis were in a pile near the water’s edge, unmorphed, and unconscious. Syd reached out to Jack to calm him, knowing the sight of his beloved Ally crumpled in a heap made him want to go to her.

Anna stood laughing a good distance away with Viper and her bodyguard near her. “Lookie here, Viper, the little pink bitch showed up.”

Syd shook her head and rolled her eyes behind her visor. The bitch and whore comments were starting to get old and annoying. “At least I didn’t have to kidnap and brainwash Sky to get him to sleep with me!” Syd countered. She felt sick for even considering the psychotic witch had slept with her boyfriend, but the Pink Ranger was not stupid – she knew it had to have happened at some point since Anna had taken him.

Jack and Brian shot her looks through their visors, wondering where that comment had suddenly come from. “Syd!” Jack hissed in warning, hoping Sydney wouldn’t provoke Anna too badly.

The Pink Ranger ignored him as the idea took hold. “You know, Anna, it’s pretty pathetic that the only way you could get Sky was to kidnap him. Newsflash, you little witch – at the heart of him, Sky doesn’t love you, he’s never going to love you.”

Aaron, Alana, Brian and Jack looked surprised when Anna began having a hissy fit right there on the battlefield. “I’M GOING TO KILL YOU, YOU LITTLE BITCH!” Anna heaved her words at Sydney. “I’m going to do it right before his eyes! Then we’ll see who he loves.”

“You can kill me, you can torture me, but at the heart of Sky, he’s always going to love me. We shared something you’ve never had, and never will – we gave each other our innocence, our trust, our love, and our hearts.”

Syd sent a mental message to Jack, who cried out when he realized what she was doing. “SYD! NO!”

Anna flew at Sydney, causing the Rangers to scatter, leaving their senior Pink Ranger on her own. “When I’m done, Viper will drain your power from your body and feed it to Vampra! Then Earth shall perish for your ignorance!”

The two women were locked in combat as the others moved to keep Viper and Anna’s bodyguard from getting in the way of their fight, or from wandering off to attack the city. “THE PHOENIX IS MINE!” Viper roared, seconds before he fired a device at Sydney, causing the Pink Ranger to disappear in a shatter of sparks.

“SYD!”

- -

Bridge and Z gasped when they found themselves standing just outside an old building. “Come, the council is already aware of our arrival.” The two followed after the violet eyed man as he rushed into the temple.

In the building, figures in midnight blue hooded robes walked slowly down the corridors. All turned their attention to the trio rushing down the hallway. Debo began speaking in a language Bridge and Z had never heard. Several of the hooded figures rushed off while Debo led them into a large chamber at the end of the main hallway.

Z nudged Bridge, who looked behind them and saw all the figures entering the chamber behind them. “Debo the Wise, why have you brought these outsiders to this holy temple?” the robbed man at the front of the room asked when the trio stopped before him.

“Master, I present to you Ninjor and Duclea’s Yellow Tiger and Green Panda Ninjetti,” Debo spoke. “They are trying to protect Earth from Vampra and his forces.”

The hooded man stiffened in shock while the others around them began to whisper in a fury of the same language Debo had first spoken in. “Where are the rest of the Ninjetti? Dulcea and Ninjor always train six.”

“One has been taken, and the other three are still guarding Earth,” Z spoke up. Gasps were heard from the other figures, who Z and Bridge guessed were priests, because Z had spoken out of turn.

“We need help,” Bridge pleaded softly. “We’re not strong enough to save Earth on our own.”

The man at the front stepped off the dais where he stood and motioned for Bridge and Z to near him. “You are far stronger than you perceive yourselves to be. Did Dulcea not give you the Ninjetti Crystals of Power?”

The two reached behind their backs and pulled out their morphers. Carefully, they pried the crystals from the fronts before replacing the small devices. “We only thought they were for morphing us and for teleporting,” Z explained.

The robbed figure reached up and removed his hood. Z and Bridge gasped slightly, seeing that the man looked incredibly like the picture Aisha had shown them of Zordon. “Z-z-Zordon?”

“No. I was a distant cousin of his. Rangers, please, listen,” the high priest told them. “The Morphin Masters council cannot help you.”

“Then why the hell were we sent here?” Z angrily threw at him, trying to shrug him off. “If you can’t help us, how are we supposed to save our friends and our home?”

The priest let go of Bridge’s shoulder and placed both hands on Z’s. “Listen to me, Yellow Tiger. You already have everything you need to save Earth and your friends.”

“What do you mean?”

“Did Ninjor not tell you of the power contained within the crystals?” The two nodded. “The Ninjetti Crystals, while powerful with each of their respective owners, are unstoppable when used together as a whole. All you need to do is learn to harness the power of your crystals.”

“And you couldn’t tell us that before we came all the way out here? Ninjor couldn’t tell us that?” Bridge wanted to know, his own anger increasing even as he felt Z’s flare like a super nova.

“Ninjor isn’t aware of how to beat Vampra, as the council that advised him and Dulcea were not aware of the crystals’ true power when combined. It was only within the last few generations that we arrived at the conclusion that the crystals are how to beat Vampra.”

Bridge and Z looked stunned. “So we have to get Sky back before we can beat Vampra?” Z numbly asked.

“Yes, but you must use your crystals to free him if he’s been turned by Vampra before you can.”

The two nodded and tried to digest the information. “We need to get home,” Bridge murmured. “The others won’t stand a chance of getting to Sky until we do.”

Z let out a breath. “How do we get home?”

“Use your crystals,” the high priest spoke with a smile.

The two looked startled. “You mean the teleport will work from here?” Bridge asked.

“Of course they will.”

Having only teleported once on their own, the pair was at a loss for words. “Ready?” Z asked Bridge, who nodded his agreement even if he was unsure.

“SPD EMERGENCY!” the two called, morphing into their uniforms.

The high priest and Debo laughed. “Next time, try the phrase, ‘Its Morphin’ Time’,” Debo told them with a smile, drawing chuckles from them both.

The Rangers moved their hands to their morphers. In an instant they disappeared in streaks of yellow and green light. “Good luck, Rangers,” Debo whispered.

“May the power protect us all,” the high priest murmured before turning to the elders of the council to speak with them.

- -

The first thing she noticed was the dampness of the room she was in. And then the putrid smell of something rotting filled her nostrils, causing her stomach to roll. The cool metal against her wrist made her shiver. “Look who’s finally waking up.”

The voice rubbed her nerves the wrong way. Slowly, she opened her eyes, blinking to see in the low light. “Anna.”

“Pink Ranger,” Anna sneered. “Enjoy your nap? As soon as Sky’s ready, I’ll be making an example out of you for him.”

Sydney glared but inside she laughed. Anna either forgot or didn’t know about her genetic abilities. The Pink Ranger knew, either way, she could use the misstep to her advantage. All she had to do was get to Sky before she put her plan into action.

“Nothing to say, Sydney?” Anna taunted.

“Not to you,” Syd muttered. She let out a groan when Anna slugged her in the stomach.

“If you don’t behave, I’ll kill you before you get to say goodbye to Sky.”

Syd’s head snapped up and her eyes bore into Anna’s. “We’ll see who says goodbye!”

Anna stumbled back when Sydney’s eyes flared pink. The brunette shook off the display as a trick of her mind but she backed away anyways and fled the room. The Pink Ranger wanted to curl into a ball and sleep but her restraints made that impossible. Instead, she used her time alone to let Jack and Brian know she was alright. She slowed her breathing, closed her eyes, and stretched her awareness across their link.

- -

“You disobeyed a direct order!” Anubis yelled angrily. Brian and Jack stood before him, silently taking their punishment for their part in Sydney’s disappearance. “I specifically ordered you to do something and instead you let Sydney egg Anna on and now we’re missing not one but two Rangers. I ought to court-martial you both!”

Brian read Jack’s thoughts and tried not to squirm when he realized what Jack was about to do. While he liked SPD, Brian knew he’d follow Jack’s lead, knowing it may be the only way to save his sister; he could only hope Bridge and Z understood when they returned.

The White Ranger watched on, tense, as Jack took his SPD badge off his uniform and removed his ID from where his morpher use to rest before handing both items to Cruger. “Sir, I must regretfully offer my resignation as senior A Squad Red Ranger.”

“Morpher?” Anubis asked, not questioning Jack’s actions.

“With all due respect, Commander, my morpher isn’t SPD property, there for I’m not handing it over.”

Brian watched as Anubis’ jaw dropped open. “Excuse me?”

“I earned this morpher, by going to a different planet and facing personal trials. This morpher does not belong to SPD.”

Anger boiled off Anubis, but the big blue dog understood inside. “Very well, Mr. Landors. I wish you well in future endeavors.”

Jack nodded and then both he and Anubis looked on as Brian handed over his badge and ID. “Brian?” Anubis questioned suddenly.

“I’m going to get my sister and Sky back. Thank you for taking care of me, Commander, but I have to follow Jack.”

That said, Cruger accepted what he was given and watched two of his sons walk right out of SPD. “Commander?” Kat started, having seen the incident. When Anubis turned he was smiling. “Sir?”

“When Bridge and Z return, I want to speak to them. Have the rest of A Squad report to my office.”

“Yes sir.” Kat held back the anguish she felt at seeing Brian and Jack resign in the middle of the biggest war they’d wagged yet.

“And Kat?”

“Yes?”

“I’ve never been more proud of my Rangers than I am at this moment.”

Kat looked startled as stared at his retreating figure. Shaking her head, she moved over to the P.A. System to call the Junior A Squad.

- -

Sydney sighed when the door to her cell was flung open and Viper walked in. In his hands were thick chains. The Pink Ranger knew that it was time for her plan to be set into motion. She didn’t struggle when Viper wrapped the chains around her and led her from the room.

Five minutes later, he was attaching the chains to a large hook that suspended her not far from a bed in a fairly messy bedroom. When she saw who was chained to the bed, her heart broke. Sky was struggling to break the chains and only succeeding in hurting himself.

“Sky!” Sydney chirped before Viper smacked her across the face.

Sky stopped struggling at the call of his name. His eyes darkened when Viper slapped Sydney and then pointed the device in his hand at the Pink Ranger. “Just to make sure you don’t get too vocal during Anna’s little show,” Viper grinned. Syd gasped and cried out when the machine began draining her energy, leaving her tired and groggy. “I’ll get the rest when Anna kills you.” With that, Viper strode out of the room.

Sydney felt wobbly and disoriented. ‘Oh shit! Not this, not now!’ she angrily though, trying to focus.

“Sydney?”

The way he said her name gave her a start. He sounded like the Sky she knew and loved. “Yeah?”

“What the hell are you doing here?”

Syd shot him a look. “Anna said she was going to kill me for your viewing pleasure.” The Pink Ranger watched her Blue counterpart close his eyes. His face was contorted in a painful look, as if he were remembering something. “Sky?”

“What?”

“No matter what happens tonight, remember one thing for me.” When his eyes opened, she stared straight into them. “I love you, have always loved you. You were my first friend, my knight in shining armor. Nothing that happens will ever change that. I will love you no matter what.”

The Blue Ranger looked surprised by the sincerity and honesty he thought he heard in her voice. “But…Jack…”

“My big brother, always my brother, just like Bridge and Brian. Nothing more, nothing less,” Sydney told him earnestly.

“Good evening Sydney,” a new voice sounded. Both Sky and Syd turned their attention to a sky-blue robed Anna. “I do hope you enjoy the show, Sydney. It promises to be a pleasurable one.” With that, both Syd and Sky watched in horror as Anna dropped her robe and stood before them completely naked.

Chapter 24: Rescue Mission Pt. 2

"The thing about fate is that it loves to mess up your plans. it comes at you full force when you least expect, with something you didn't want at all. Yet somehow, you feel obligated to listen to fate's whispering in your ear." -- Angel --

"Life isn't meant to be all sunshine and roses. It isn't meant to go the way you want it. There are some things that you just can't change, and life, along with the way that things happen, can't be changed." -- Angel --

- -

Bridge and Z found themselves standing in the middle of a very busy Command Center. A Squad, or what was left of it, was being briefed by Cruger while Boom and Kat monitored what looked like Brian and Jack’s energy signatures. “Welcome back,” Anubis told them. “A Squad, GO!”

The five younger Rangers raced out of the room and Anubis turned to his Green and Yellow Rangers. “Commander?” Z started, popping her helmet off and staring at him in confusion.

“You two are my senior most members of A Squad now, I need to know I can count on you.”

“Sir?” Bridge asked, following Z’s lead and popping his own helmet off.

“Sydney let herself be taken and both Brian and Jack have resigned from SPD. They didn’t agree with my order that no one was to rescue Sky,” Anubis informed them, sitting in the chair behind his Command Center desk. The looks on Bridge and Z’s faces said it all. Anubis could not fault them for the decision he saw them quickly come to. “I’m giving you these options – you can stay on, or you can join your teammates.

The two demorphed and stared at each other. Z spoke up first, clearing her throat and staring right into Anubis’ eyes. “With all due respect, Commander, I’m going to help get Syd and Sky back, and no one is going to stand in my way.” So saying, Z handed him her badge and ID. When Cruger took the two items, Z strode from the room.

“Bridge?”

The Green Ranger shook his head but didn’t utter a word as he handed the same to items to Cruger and rushed out of the room after Z. “Sir?”

“Kat, put these with the others.”

Dr. Manx took the four objects and watched Cruger exit the Command Center. “Did that just happen?” Boom asked, looking distraught.

“I’m afraid so,” Kat told him, shaking her head at the situation. “Just what we didn’t need. Instead of missing one, now we’re down six.”

“Commander Cruger seemed to almost be proud of them for doing it,” Boom pointed out as he stared at her.

At that, Kat smiled. “I think they’ve all finally learned there’s more to life than SPD, and he is proud of them, for learning that lesson. They aren’t going to be at SPD forever, Boom.”

- -

“No one’s home,” Z breathlessly told Bridge when she came rushing into his room.

“I know. They left us clues,” he spoke, holding up a stack of papers from his desk. On top was a note from Jack and Brian. Underneath was all the information Sydney had pulled from the Base’s computers. There was also several pages that detailed the meeting between Cruger and A Squad over leaving Sky.

“Damn!” Z hissed.

“Apparently, according to the Kat’s notes, Cruger knew the Senior A Squad would disobey orders and go after Sky. It’s almost like he was counting on it,” Bridge summarized the notes for her.

“But why?”

“Because we were sulking so bad those first few days. He wanted to snap us out of our funk and into action.”

Z shook her head, trying to make sense of the notes Kat had written. “Now we’re screwed. We don’t know where Jack and Brian are, and all we have are coordinates for where Sky, and now Syd, should be.”

Bridge closed his eyes and extended himself over his link to Jack. When he got a response, he smiled. “They’re on their way here.”

“Good. Let’s get started planning. I think it’s time we pulled a favor in with Piggy, I’ve got an idea,” Z told him, smiling.

- -

The image would forever be burned into Sydney’s memory. In the years to come, she’d remember the image and wake up crying. For now, all she could do was try to shake off the disbelief. Her eyes moved to Sky’s form, as he struggled to break free and Anna strode around the room, lighting candles and making sure all the doors were locked.

Sydney refused to panic, even though her heart was in her throat. Anna hadn’t mentioned she was going to sexually assault Sky while Syd was chained up and watching, and it was doing all sorts of things to Sydney. “You’ve sunk to a new low,” Syd uttered, drawing Anna’s attention away from her goal – Sky.

“I’m not the one who betrayed Sky by having sex with Jack.”

“And just where did he get that idea?” Syd kept prodding. She could feel Sky struggling to put up a shield around himself, but it wasn’t working for some reason, so Syd kept stalling to give him time.

“No use trying that, Lover,” Anna spoke to Sky. “Your chains block out your civilian powers.” Sydney struggled with hers, wondering if the same would happen if she tried her civilian powers. “Don’t bother struggling, Sydney. Your chains do the same thing. Did you honestly think I wouldn’t prevent you from using your genetic powers?”

Both the Pink and Blue Rangers struggled more. “Sky!” Syd cried out as Anna crawled onto the bed with him. The Blue Ranger was only dressed in boxers, leaving him vulnerable to whatever Anna had planned.

“I promise, Lover, you’ll enjoy this as much as I’m planning to,” Anna whispered in his ear even as she reached for the waistband of his boxers.

“NO!” Syd cried and struggled. “SKY!”

- -

“We’re wasting time,” Z argued with Jack.

“Chill out. We’re doing everything we can. We’re lucky Piggy was able to help us,” Jack told her. “Especially after you threatened to kill him.”

Bridge was about to break up the argument when all four of them hit their knees and held their heads, a loud screeching cry echoing in their ears.

“SYDNEY!”

- -

Anna was grinning as she eased Sky’s boxers down. Her eyes lit with lust when she found him rock hard and squirming. ‘So like a man. Just wants to dip his stick in a willing well’ she thought sinisterly.

Sydney continued to struggle against her chains, her eyes closed so she wouldn’t be scarred for life by the sight of Anna forcing Sky to have sex with her. ‘This can’t be happening!’ Syd struggled against her bonds and felt her stomach starting to rebel at the thoughts running through her head.

“NO!” Sky’s strangled voice finally broke through. Syd opened her eyes to see Anna straddling Sky’s body.

“Calm down, Lover, this won’t hurt a bit,” Anna teased, leaning her chest against his.

“GET OFF!” Sky demanded, twisting his body back and forth, hoping to dislodge her.

Sydney didn’t say a word, she merely dug down to where her powers rested and let them erupt along with her anger. “POWER OF THE PHOENIX!” Anna was blown across the room, while the chains holding Syd and Sky dissolved. “May be immune to our civilian powers, but not Ninja powers,” Syd hissed through clenched teeth as her eyes met Anna’s.

- -

“How much longer?” Brian asked.

“Give me two minutes to cloak the ship!” Bridge grinned at the younger boy.

“I don’t see why we couldn’t teleport.”

Bridge looked over at Brian and rolled his eyes. Z had said the same thing numerous times in the last couple of days. “Because without more practice, its unreliable at best.”

The White Ranger huffed but understood Bridge’s reasoning. “Sorry, worried.”

“We all are,” Z spoke up, placing her hand on his shoulder. “Come on, let’s go strap in. Jack’s ready.”

“I’m almost done, tell him to lift off,” Bridge told them. Brian followed Z and the two buckled up in their seats. Just as Jack lifted off, Bridge came to bucking in.

“Bridge?”

“We’re set. Let’s go.”

“HANG ON!” Jack ordered before blasting off.

- -

“Kat?”

“They’ve gone. I just got confirmation on the shuttle launch from Piggy.”

“Good. Put the Rangers on alert, we’ll give them all the cover fire on their way back that we can.”

- -

Anna was shocked to see Sydney free and surrounded by a halo of pink flames. “How the hell…?” Anna growled. Sky was just standing from the bed and pulling up his boxers.

“Are you alright?” Syd carefully questioned Sky while her eyes remained on Anna just in case the brunette thought of doing something stupid.

“Syd?” his voice cracked. “Oh God, Sydney?”

At the sounds he was making, Sydney turned to look at him and found him staring at his hands before he looked up at her, tears welling in his eyes. “Hi,” she grinned at him.

“God Almighty, what have I done?”

“It wasn’t all your fault,” she told him. “You had pressure from an outside source.” With that, Sydney turned her attention back to Anna. “Gee, who’s in control now, hot shot?”

“You’ll die for interfering with destiny!” Anna shrieked.

“You’re pathetic,” Syd told her. “And guess what, I’m not going to kill you, as much as I’d really like to right now, because as a Ranger, I was trained better than that. You can spend the rest of your life in a containment card.” Syd pulled out her ID, which was also hooked to her communicator and the containment device.

“I THINK NOT!”

Syd felt Sky’s body hit her, tackling her to the ground right before Anna’s powers sailed over their heads and right into a wall, leaving the wall smoking. “You ok?” Sky gasped, pushing himself up and off her.

The blonde haired Pink Ranger nodded. “I’m so over her ass,” Syd hissed. “Are you ok?”

“My head is killing me,” Sky told her, then gave her a bland look when he saw the grin on her face. “Get your mind out of the gutter, Sydney. I didn’t mean THAT head.”

Her first real smile in nearly two weeks burst onto her face. “I can take care of that, but you’re going to have to wait until we get home and I give you a bath.”

“You’re the only one I want taking care of that.”

Unbeknownst to the two Anna was listening to their conversation and growing angrier by the moment. “I’ll kill you both!” Anna roared.

Sky turned in time to toss up a shield to protect them. “Ok, she’s really pissing me off now.”

Syd giggled and grinned at him. It was so nice to have her best friend and boyfriend back. Leaning over, she pecked a kiss to his cheek. Sky looked at her, startled that she’d do that after everything they’d been through. “I love you. Let’s kick her ass and then go home.”

Sky chuckled. “Ready when you are.”

“DROP IT!” Syd commanded. Sky let the shield go with one hand while the other joined Syd in launching a stream of fire at Anna.

The brunette let out an inhuman sound as the Pink and Blue Rangers’ combined attack knocked her through the wall into the hallway beyond. “Well, damn,” Sky muttered when the pair walked toward the smoking hole.

“She’s gone,” Syd pointed out, sticking her head out the hole. “We seriously need to get out of here. I’d hate to have her come after us again and we have no backup.”

“You think she could take both of us?” Sky asked, looking at his girlfriend.

“I don’t want to find out who she’s bringing with her. Viper drained me pretty good earlier. You know he’s going to use that energy for something,” Syd told him as the pair made their way through the hole and down the hallway.

Sky looked thoughtful. “Syd, how the hell are we going to get out of here? I don’t have my morpher on me.”

Sydney whirled around to face him. “Where is it?”

“I don’t know.”

Shaking her head, Syd stopped and looked at him. “Try summoning it to you.”

The Blue Ranger did as asked, holding out his hand and thought of his morpher appearing in his hand. He gasped lightly in surprise when the item appeared out of thin air, fully intact with his Crystal in the front. “Honey, how’d you know to do that?”

“Don’t ask, cause I don’t know.”

Sky didn’t get the chance to shoot back a comeback because suddenly the alarms were going off and an announcement began ringing over the loud speakers. “WE’RE UNDER ATTACK! REPEAT, WE’RE UNDER ATTACK!”

“Here comes the cavalry!” Sky grinned. He was both scared and relieved to know their teammates had arrived. He had so much to apologize for, especially to Jack and Syd.

“Better morph, I don’t think fighting in your boxers is such a great option,” Syd teased him, happy to see him almost back to normal, even if she knew there were issues they’d have to deal with when they got home.

“Ready?”

“Ready.”

“SPD EMERGENCY!”

- -

“Stay together!” Jack commanded as the group of four entered the large ship floating above Earth. “Bridge, you’re job is to track Syd and Sky. We get them, and get out! I don’t want to deal with these assholes on their own turf!”

The other three nodded. “How come Bridge and I didn’t get nifty weapons?” Z complained, looking at Jack’s ninja stars and Brian’s sais.

Jack shot her a look. “Ask your animal spirit, we got ours the day after you left.”

Bridge shook his head and rolled his eyes at his girlfriend. “Not now, Z, “ Bridge muttered to her.

“I don’t have a weapon, and I’m not sure my energy attack would work in here,” Z argued.

“Then allow us to help,” a familiar voice announced. The Rangers gasped in surprise as two glowing figures appeared before them. One was a yellow tiger and the other was a green panda; Bridge and Z’s animal spirits.

“What a heck of a time for you two to show up,” Z teased, crouching down and wrapping her arms around Tiger’s neck.

“I am happy to see you as well, Little One. Perhaps Panda and I could provide you with some assistance.”

Bridge and Z smiled under their helmets when their weapons appeared in their gloved hands. “For you, Bridge, the Green Panda Quake Paws,” Panda spoke. Two glove like objects appeared in Bridge’s hands. The gloves were tipped with razor sharp claws.

“And for you my loyal young one, the Yellow Tiger’s Roar Sonic Blaster,” Tiger grinned, watching Z gaze at the laser blaster in her hands.

“Thank you,” the two Rangers responded.

“Good luck,” the animal spirits told them before disappearing.

Brian and Jack chuckled before Jack’s voice broke through the silence. “We’ve got to find Syd and Sky.” The other three nodded once in agreement before the four of them raced down the hallway.

- -

Syd and Sky found themselves back to back fighting a group of Tengas and Anna’s so-called bodyguard a few minutes after they’d morphed. The Pink Ranger was fighting in close hand to hand combat with the walking reject from a punk rock concert while keeping an eye on Sky, who was taking on the Tengas. Syd noticed his movements were sluggish. ‘Must be the effects of what happened earlier’ she reasoned. She didn’t have long to ponder that when all hell began to break lose around her. First a large explosion rocked the ship, followed by four costumed figures entering through a large hole in one of the walls to her left and then Anna suddenly appeared with Viper beside her, and Syd had to admit that the brunette looked utterly pissed off.

“You have perfect timing!” Syd called to Jack who nodded his head at her in agreement. “Jack, a little help here!” Syd called when the chains and leather lover got a hold of her and was beginning to squeeze the air out of her chest.

The Red Ranger rushed forward and kicked the guard in the back, causing him to stumble forward and let Sydney go in the process. With the guards attention averted to Jack, Syd fell to her knees in hopes of getting her breath back before she went to help Sky. She watched in mild fascination as the guard lunged for Jack and the Red Ranger’s entire body seemed to glow red. It was in that moment that she watched the guard bounce off Jack’s chest after trying to ram him with his shoulders. Jack? What’s happening? she called out to her surrogate brother.

I think it’s part of my powers. Instead of phasing through something, I can also make my body completely solid...like rock.

Sydney grinned and nodded, before her attention shifted to the woman currently stalking toward her. Oh God, not this again! she whined to herself before pushing up from the floor. “How about we settle this one on one?” Anna hissed.

“You just don’t get it, do you?” Syd growled. “You’ve lost, get over it!” Sydney ducked as a large orb of power came flying at her head on. When she stood back up, she summoned her swords to her. “Two can play that game!”

“Bring it!” Anna howled, flying toward the Pink Ranger.

“PINK PHOENIX FIRE SWORDS!” Sydney called, unleashing the power in her weapons. Everyone else was momentarily startled when the two swords began to glow brightly with pink flames. Using training she never knew she had, Sydney used her swords to parry the powerful bolts of energy that Anna kept shooting at her.

Meanwhile, down the hallway, the others were engaged in battle with Viper, Anna’s bodyguard, and the Tengas. “Sky!” Brian called out as he blocked Viper’s advances when he saw the Blue Ranger collapse in the middle of the hallway.

Syd’s head swiveled around from where she was facing Anna just in time to see the Blue Ranger go unconscious. Anna took the momentary distraction to hit Sydney with a blast of energy that sent the Pink Ranger flying across the hallway and into a wall.

Bridge and Z were torn on what to do. Brian was battling Viper, Jack was messing with Anna’s bodyguard, Sky was unconscious, the Tengas had taken a hike and Sydney was painfully pushing herself up from where she’d hit the floor after smacking into the wall. Guard Sky! Syd’s voice rang out in their heads. I can take care of Anna, and Brian and Jack are holding their own. Bridge and Z did as Syd told them to and moved to watch over Sky, while keeping an eye on the others.

“Listen to me, you egotistical, twisted, maniacal bitch! I don’t know what the hell your problem is, but this ends here!” Sydney howled in rage, shedding her ranger suit along with her swords. If there was one thing she’d learned since she’d become a Ranger, it was that sometimes you just had to trust the powers inside of you instead of the powers in your morpher.

“You’re too much of a perfect little Ranger to kill me, Sydney!” Anna sneered at her.

Sydney didn’t answer her opponent. Instead, she closed her eyes and pushed her powers out around herself, letting them expand further and further until the entire hallway of the ship was glowing pink. Anna’s bodyguard left his fight with Jack to hover near her and Viper backed off from his fight with Brian to see what was happening.

The other Rangers noticed the change in Sydney that their enemies didn’t; Sydney was no longer in control of her body, someone else was. “Red Ranger, lead the others back to your ship.” Sydney’s lips were moving, but the voice wasn’t the Pink Ranger’s voice. The other Rangers recognized it as the voice of Phoenix, Sydney’s animal spirit. “Do as you’re told, young ones.”

Jack didn’t even acknowledge that he’d heard, he just moved toward Bridge and Z to help Bridge lift Sky up from the floor. Brian followed the pair while Z took up the rear, making sure that none of their opponents followed them. “Are we just going to leave Sydney?” Brian wanted to know as the five of them got onto the ship and settled in.

“Are you going to argue with her Spirit Animal when she gives an order in that voice?” Jack shot back, settling into the pilot’s seat next to Bridge. Z was in the back running one of the portable scanners over Sky. “Z, is he ok?”

“His energy levels are really low,” Z muttered. “And I agree with Brian, are we seriously just going to leave Syd?”

The Red Ranger looked griped by indecision. On one hand, he knew he had to get the others out of the ship and back to Earth, while on the other he wanted to stay and fight alongside Sydney. His silent debate was shattered a moment later when a loud explosion rocked their ship away from the large one. When Jack and Bridge got their bearings, they noticed that a good portion of the ship where Sydney had been was now a gaping hole that was smoking.

“Oh God!” Sky’s strained voice sounded. The Blue Ranger was struggling to sit up as the five of them stared at the smoking remains of Anna and Viper’s ship. “Not again! SYD!”

Z and Brian restrained Sky, who looked like he wanted nothing more than to go back to the ship and find Sydney. “There’s no way…” Z uttered and then closed her mouth when both Brian and Sky looked at her.

“Don’t finish that sentence!” Sky’s strangled voice warned Z, who closed her eyes and fought back tears. All of them knew exactly what Z was going to say, because they were all thinking the same thing. There was no way Sydney could have survived the magnitude of the blast that had ripped open the other ship.

“Set course for Earth,” Jack’s voice came out in a soft command. Bridge shook his head and moved to help set their course for home.

“We can’t leave her!” Brian cried out, lunging for Jack’s seat only to have Sky’s hand shoot out and pulled the younger boy to him. Z couldn’t handle looking at them. Sky was hugging Brian fiercely as the younger boy lost his battle with his out of control emotions; the sounds of their White Ranger crying for his sister in their Blue Ranger’s arms was too much for all of them.

Chapter 25: Guilty Conscience

Mourning is not forgetting... It is an undoing. Every minute tie has to be untied and something permanent and valuable recovered and assimilated from the dust. The end is gain, of course. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be made strong, in fact. But the process is like all other human births, painful and long and dangerous. --Margery Allingham--

- -

The Command Center was bathed in absolute silence. All eyes were on the center console where Kat stood shaking, the holo-computer displaying the ship where the Senior A Squad had been, and where there was nothing but half a ship and debris. “They got out of that,” Boom assured them all. “There’s no way the six of them got caught in that blast. Not after everything they’ve been through, they’d have known better.”

Anubis sat in his chair, his eyes glue to the screen, his voice silent.

“Kat! Come in!” Bridge’s voice floated over the speakers. A wave of relief washed through the room.

“I’m here Bridge!” Kat’s voice cracked.

“Kat, we’ve got Sky,” Bridge started. Cheers went up until Bridge’s next statement rocked them. “But we lost Sydney.”

“How?” Anubis barked.

Jack was heard next. “She sacrificed herself in order for the five of us to get back to the ship. She was fighting with Anna and Viper, on her own.”

“Return to base immediately!” Anubis ordered.

The Red Ranger paused, about to point out that four of them were no longer SPD, but he didn’t. The pain of Syd’s sacrifice was too much to deal with and argue with Anubis at the same time. “Yes sir. ETA ten minutes.”

“Dr. Manx, ready the infirmary!” Anubis called out. The Command Center immediately erupted with commotion as the cadets attempted to get things in order. The big blue dog sat in his chair and felt the steady burn in his heart.

- -

Sky was only aware of one thing as he was ushered off the shuttle and into the infirmary – Brian was still clutching at him. The steady hum of his physical injuries was nothing compared to the hopelessness and despair he felt from not only his own heart, but from Brian as well. This wasn’t like last time, where Sydney had been found after some looking through the rubble. No, this time, Sky felt her death in a way he wished he hadn’t. He’d felt her last breath, he’d felt the steady beat of her heart stop, he’d felt her energy explode out around all of them as she took her place in the next life with her parents.

“She’s gone,” he uttered, sitting down on one of the infirmary beds. Kat, with the help of Bridge and Z, had moved Brian to another bed and sedated him. Jack was in the corner talking to Dr. Felix and Commander Cruger. “She’s...she’s gone. Syd’s gone. She can’t be gone. She promised, she promised never to leave...”

Sky felt like his whole world was crashing in on him. He remembered everything that happened with Sydney while he was under Anna’s mind control. He remembered the hateful words and the fights and how much he hurt her. And there was the look in her eyes after he managed to shake off the brainwashing. She’d looked at him with a mixture of relief, amazement and love. Always love. With Sydney, no matter what, he knew she’d always loved him. It had started out as the love of a friend and teammate, then had developed into that of siblings, and deepened over time and through circumstance to where they were each other’s other half. And now his other half was gone. The warnings from their trip to Phadoes echoed in his ears. It was his fault she was gone, his fault that she’d had to make the decision she did.

“Oh God,” he uttered. Z was by his side in a second, her hand holding his tightly. He shook off her hand and wrapped his arm around her waist before burying his face in her shoulder.

Jack and Bridge moved to their teammates in a flash. Z’s arms were wrapped tightly around Sky as the Blue Ranger’s muted sobs echoed in the silent room. Bridge leaned his head against Z’s while Jack wrapped both arms around Sky and Z.

Everyone in the infirmary watched as the four fell apart. The Junior A Squad rushed in seconds later, Allison moving toward Jack only to be stopped by Aaron, who shook his head. “Give them time to grieve, Ally,” he whispered.

Allison watched on, tears streaking down her cheeks. She could see on the faces of her senior teammates the pain of Syd’s death finally taking over. “Oh God, how could this happen?”

“SYDNEY!”

- -

She felt light as a feather. Wherever she was, she was floating. The feeling was sort of like the first time Sky ever took her up in his Delta Runner or the first time they went into outer space in the SWAT MegaZord.

Strange. It almost feels like I’m...oh no!

She’d had this feeling before, once before. It had been the night Visvajita’s ship had exploded around her after she turned on the self destruct sequence. She had died that night, had felt her body destroyed as her spirit had soared. Had it not been for the Power of the Morphin Grid that her friends and family had pumped into the air, she would have stayed dead. As it was, the power had coalesced around her and drawn the particles of her body back together.

“I’m dead.”

“Not exactly.”

Her eyes opened and she found herself face to face with a familiar figure. “Tommy?”

He smiled, his chocolate brown eyes lighting with mischief. “Hi Munchkin.”

“Tommy! She’s too old to be called that now!” another voice scolded. She turned her head and saw a petite, brown haired woman coming to stand with them.

“Kimberly?”

“Hello Sydney.”

The Pink Ranger shook her head, her mind racing a million miles an hour. “How? Where am I?”

“Welcome to the Morphin Grid.”

- -

“Viper?”

The vampire-like creature grinned through the vid-link. “Master. I have what you’ve asked for.”

“Oh?” Vampra responded.

“I have energy from the White and Blue Rangers.”

“And the Pink Ranger?”

“I have all her energy, sire. She’s dead; she sacrificed herself for her teammates.”

Vampra smiled. “Very well. Bring it to me. We shall show the Rangers the meaning of the Pink Ranger’s sacrifice.”

“Yes Master.”

Vampra sat back in his chair and smiled evilly. Soon, his prison would be shattered and Earth would be his for the taking. “And there’s nothing Ninjor or Dulcea will be able to do about it.”

- -

“The Morphin’ Grid?” Syd squeaked, staring at her parents. “Oh God! Sky’s got to be flipping out!” The Pink Ranger struggled to feel her way along her link to her teammates and love, but couldn’t feel anything but a sense of loss where they should have been.

“Sydney”, Kimberly murmured, reaching for her daughter who was sinking to her knees, tears in her eyes. The first Pink Ranger let out a shaky breath when her daughter shrugged away from her, sobbing into her hands.

Tommy shared a look with his wife before he bent down with her in front of their daughter. “Sydney, sweetheart, look at me.”

When the younger Ranger looked up, the pair gasped. Blue eyes flickered brown and blonde hair morphed into a light shade of auburn. “I don’t want to be dead!” Sydney sobbed. Tommy’s face softened and he reached out to pull his daughter into his arms.

“Honey, listen to me,” Tommy told her softly. Sydney looked up at her father and trembled. “This is not permanent. You’re not supposed to be here. Ninjor, Dulcea, and the Morphin’ Masters Council has been watching over you since Bridge and Z went to Eltar.”

“Then why am I here?” she asked, squeezing Kim’s hand, which had taken a tight hold of hers.

“Vampra thinks he’s safe,” Kimberly informed her. “He has enough of your, Brian and Sky’s energy to free himself, but it won’t last.”

Sydney pulled back further and stared at them. “He needs all six of us dead to succeed.”

“Yes,” Tommy told her, smiling. “And he doesn’t know that. When it’s time, the Morphin’ Grid will release you, recreating your body but that won’t happen until it’s time.”

“In the mean time, you need to rest,” Kim gently told her.

“What about letting the others know I’m okay? Sky and Brian are probably wigging out right now.”

“Leave that to us,” Tommy grinned, his hand caressing her cheek. “Get some rest.”

Sydney nodded and closed her eyes, letting her energy disperse into the Morphin’ Grid. “Let’s go pay the team a visit,” Kim laughed, reaching out a hand to her husband. The two disappeared in two flashes of light.

- -

Jack stood in the doorway of Sky’s room, a sense of déjà vu settling over him. Just a few days before it had been Sydney laying on Sky’s bed, looking lost and torn. Now it was Sky looking as Jack hadn’t seen him in months, not since Sydney had teleported them off Visvajta’s ship during that last battle. “You awake?” Jack quietly asked.

“I wish it had been me.”

Jack was torn between being pissed off at one of his best friends and feeling sorry for him. “She did what she did because she loved you. Don’t demean her sacrifice.”

The Red Ranger felt his heart break when tears once again filled Sky’s eyes. Of all of them, Sky bore the greatest guilt over what had happened along with the greatest grief. He and Syd had been linked so intimately that her death had ripped a hole so big in his soul, Jack knew Sky would never heal. The broken link between Syd’s powers and theirs would always be a reminder that their Pink Ranger and Sky’s other half would forever be gone.

“Guys!” Z hollered, thundering up the stairs from the living room.

Jack whirled around and caught her when she tripped. “What’s wrong?” he asked her.

“Come downstairs! NOW!” Z told them, her breathing catching with each word.

Jack nodded and then shot Sky a look. The Blue Ranger moved lethargically and followed them downstairs. When the trio entered the living room, Jack and Sky looked on in shock. Standing with Bridge and Brian were Rocky, Adam, Aisha, Billy, Katherine, Tanya and Jason. Zack and Trini were also present but their arms were wrapped around two slightly familiar figures.

“Whoa!” Jack muttered.

“Sky.” The two snapped to attention when Jen and Wes entered from the kitchen.

“Mama!” Sky uttered, flying across the room and throwing his arms around his mother. His face burrowed into the side of her neck when she held him close.

“Oh Baby, it’s okay,” she whispered in his ear as she stroked a hand over the back of his head.

“Syd’s dead Mama! It’s all my fault!” he sobbed against her warm skin.

Sky gasped when a warm hand touched his arm. Turning, he found himself face to face with the original Pink Ranger herself. “Sky,” Kim murmured, cupping her hand against his cheek.

“I’m sorry!” he managed.

“For what, Sweetie?” Kim asked, smiling sadly at him. “For something you had no control over? Or was it my imagination and that was someone else that was brainwashed?” Sky swallowed hard and stared at her. “Sydney just did her job. There was nothing you could have done, Kiddo. What happened was what was meant to be.”

“I miss her so much! I never got to tell her I was sorry.”

“She knows, Sky, trust me,” Tommy spoke up. “The reason we’re here is because she needs you to know something.”

Five pairs of eyes widened. “She needs what?” Z choked out.

Tommy smiled. “She’s not completely gone,” he started, watching the five Rangers’ shoulders slump in relief. “Her powers have gone back to the Morphin’ Grid. She’ll always be with you now.”

Pain radiated from the group, almost choking those who were linked with the five active Rangers. “So she’s really dead?” Brian demanded. “There isn’t anything we can do to bring her back? After everything she’s been through, she doesn’t get her happy ending and neither do we?”

Kimberly moved away from Sky and stopped in front of her son. She looked at him with a mixture of love and grief so bright her body glowed in response. “You can live for her, Brian. Do not demean the sacrifice she made by giving her life. Live your life to the fullest, just as she would have done.”

“That’s not an option for some of us,” Sky bitterly butted in. “There is no life without her, only painful memories of what was and bitter might-have-beens.”

Sky moved to go back upstairs but Tommy’s next words stopped him. “You may have one chance to save her.”

The Blue Ranger whirled around to face the legendary one. “What do you mean?”

“There might be a way to bring her back, but it’s going to take a lot out of you.”

Jack spoke up then. “It doesn’t matter. If we can bring Syd back, we’ll all do it.”

Tommy and Kim smiled. “You have to defeat Vampra.”

Bridge raised his hand, his face showing his confusion. “But we,” he started, gesturing to himself and Z. “Were told that we’d need all six of the crystals to do that.”

“You do,” Kim smiled at him. She brought her hand up and presented Sky with a crystal, a crystal engraved with a phoenix. With trembling fingers, Sky took it from Kim’s hand. Everyone gasped when the crystal fared pink. Brian, Z, Bridge, Jack and Sky closed their eyes when they felt Syd’s calming presence spread through them.

“Her crystal is now in your hands, Sky. Guard it carefully, use it wisely.”

“When we defeat Vampra, what then?” Sky asked softly, his eyes on the crystal in his hand as he slowly opened them.

“I can’t really explain that to you,” Kim told him. “Sydney’s situation is vastly different then mine and Tommy’s.”

The Rangers looked crestfallen until Katherine spoke up. “There is someone who knows though.”

The two Pink Rangers smiled at each other. Kimberly knew Katherine would remember. “Yes, there is.”

Wes stepped forward then, smiling. “Kendrix, the Pink Lost Galaxy Ranger.”

“That’s right!” Jen grinned. “Kendrix was lost for the better part of a year when she destroyed the Savage Sword and the Pink Psycho in an attempt to save Cassie’s life.”

“I don’t understand,” Brian started. “What do you mean, ‘Lost’?” Brian hadn’t gotten as far as the Lost Galaxy Rangers in his history lessons.

“Kendrix’s power was sent back to the Morphin’ Grid, just like Sydney’s has been,” Jen explained. “The Lost Galaxy Rangers thought she was dead but when they returned the Quasar Sabers to Mirinoi after beating Trakeena, she was freed.”

“So when we defeat Vampra, the energy should be enough to release Syd?” Z asked.

“Theoretically, yes,” Tommy answered, knowing what was coming next.

“But you’re also saying it might be all for nothing, aren’t you?” Jack demanded to know.

“There’s always a possibility of things not working out when you’re a Power Ranger,” Trini spoke up. The others had been silent during the emotional meeting, knowing that anything they said about being a Ranger would hurt their younger counterparts.

“Part of being a Ranger is doing your job to the best of your ability, even if you’ve lost a teammate,” Aisha murmured.

The five active Rangers hung their heads in shame. Those before them had lost two teammates in the prime of their lives. Jason and Kat were also dealing with the death of their daughter, and here the five of them were wallowing in their own grief and despair.

“Now is when you need each other the most,” Rocky told them.

Adam nodded. “Team unity is what’ll get you through; it’s what gets every team through times like this.”

“No one knows the true outcome of a situation, only the possible ones,” Billy smiled.

Kat moved toward them, stopping in front of Sky even as she wrapped an arm around Brian’s shoulders. “The important thing, is to never give up.”

“One of the Rangers’ most powerful mottos over the years has been anything’s possible,” Tanya smiled. “And active or not, you’ve got generations of Rangers behind you.”

Kim and Tommy smiled. “Once a Ranger, always a Ranger.”

- -

“Sydney”, a firm voice called. A cloud of pink energy coalesced into the form of the Pink Ranger.

“Who are you?” she asked softly, looking around.

A figure appeared in front of her. He was tall, bald and had kind eyes. “I am Zordon of Eltar.”

Sydney blinked in surprise. She hadn’t ever expected to meet the mentor of Earth’s first Rangers. “Wow.”

“I’m here to help you,” he told her softly, smiling at her.

“How?” Syd wondered.

“You need to reestablish your link with your crystal and your teammates.” Zordon sighed when the look of grief and pain crossed the face of the daughter of two of his most powerful Rangers. “Sydney?”

“I feel so empty,” she cried softly. “I can’t feel anyone the way I did, just a general feeling now.”

“That’s because you’re tired and because your connection has been partially severed. Once we reestablish it, you should be able to recreate a physical link with your teammates.”

“Tell me how.”

“Close your eyes. Clean everything from your mind. Concentrate on your animal spirit and the feeling you had when you were connected to your teammates.”

Sydney did as told. Seconds later, she was glowing pink and a long, screeching cry could be heard echoing in the air.

- -

“Sire, Viper’s arrived from Earth,” one of Vampra’s minions announced.

“Show him in.”

Viper strode in, cradling a clear jar with Pink, White and Blue energy swirling within it. “Sire.”

“Viper. Report.”

“The Pink Ranger is dead. Anna is under my control now, and will serve as your trusted minion. And I have the energy you need to free yourself from this prison.”

Vampra smiled evilly, and took the jar from Viper. Once the lid was off, he sucked the energy out and into his body, causing a bright burst of light followed by a resounding crack.

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