Legal Disclaimer: Well, so many years have passed since I first wrote this story. Looking back, I'm amazed at how much things, such as my writing style, my view of things, etc, has changed....this story was originally handwritten about, oh, five years ago, and typed out over four years ago to first be placed on Cynthia's site. She's a great lady and I'm sorry she had to let it go. It was one of the best out there. Now, it's going onto Mouse's site and places like ff.net, some of the last refuges out there for power rangers stories.

Might as well make a few things clear, for those who've never read anything of mine before: I play fast and loose with the time frame. Things go as usual until Astro, but I really crunch the timeline in the period between the era of Zeo, through Turbo, and until the day of Astro on which my story takes place. In other words, from the time during the Gold Ranger was a mystery until shortly after the season five ending of Astro (where Andros realizes it was Darkonda who snatched Kerone) the timeline is squeezed into a period of about eight months. I know, it makes little sense, and ones wonders how it could all have happened in that small amount of time. But it did, for pretenders sake.

Two other things of note, and that is where I put Andros and Ashley together myself (hey, these stories are actually a year and a half old, Andros and Ashley were not together at the time) and while Andros realized that Darkonda was the kidnapper culprit, he does not go to the alien planet. The Voyager Zords come in later.

Teaser: Cassie at last discovers true love, and disaster threatens to tear Trey and the other rangers asunder.

Ashley Hammond sighed as she stared out at the starline effect of the Megaship in hyperush, which created a dazzling effect she had somehow become addicted to since becoming a Lightstar Ranger.

She was alone, for which she was grateful. If she had had to deal with Andros's icy-cold presence for another afternoon, she would, quite possibly, have screamed in frustration.

*Why does he treat us so distantly?* she almost seethed. *And you, Ashley Hammond, why did you have to pick somebody like him to fall in love with?*

She bit her lip and toyed with the locket around her neck. Suddenly realizing what she was doing, she dropped her hand. No way was she going to let Andros catch her doing what she had so often seen him do, toy with a locket with a faraway, sad expression on his face. The locket had been her twin brother's, or rather, one of them, until an accident had claimed his life a year earlier. Her other twin, as well as Ashley, still had a hard time putting this behind them.

*And I was so like Andros, at first, I am told*, she mused silently. Not even Carlos knew how angry she had been, how filled with pain, and even how she had tried to take her own life.

*How could one lose a twin?* she had wailed. *I've lost a third of my soul, and they tell me life goes on?!*

Eventually, though, the pain had dulled, and the nightmares about Clyde's death began to fade, though not always completely. She and her surviving twin, Johnathan, grew closer in the effort to heal.

She stuffed the locket back under her shirt before anyone saw her. Normally, she did not wear the small piece of jewelry with the peace sign embedded in the front, but it was getting close to the anniversary of his death. It made her feel better to wear it.

She turned her gaze back to the stars, watching the starlines grow thinner and thinner as the ship dropped out of hyperush. She had not *meant* to fall in love with Andros, it had simply happened. His suffering twisted in her own heart like a knife. And yet, any friendly movement from any one of them was rebuffed, especially hers. *She* seemed to disturb him the most.

*And what did we do to deserve it?* Ashly crossed her hands over her slim stomach and bit her lip. *Yes, he is cold. Yes, we sort of intruded on the solitary life he created for himself. And yes, he lost his sister and everything else he knew. Is that any reason to reject us like that? The only one who can ever talk to him is Carlos. If he would just open up a little--*

The soft *swish* of the bridge door alerted her to the fact that someone had entered. And, without even turning around, the mixture of a sudden chill (and also a sense of anticipation of dread) that bolted up her spine told her exactly who it was who had entered.

She felt his hazel eyes boring into her back, but she stubbornly stood her ground and did not turn around. She thought he would simply stalk to a console and tap on it, or leave just as quickly, or snap at her for some reason or other, but he did not do any of those things. She was mildly surprised when his soft footsteps walked the contours of the bridge until he was beside her.

He stopped next to her, about three feet away, and simply looked at her a moment. Then, to her further surprise, she watched out of the corner of her eye as he turned his gaze, also, to the stars, by now looking normal, and one star in particular loomed brightly. A bright blue, brown, and white ball began to fill the corner of the screen.

"Entering Earth's orbit," announced DECA. Both occupants of the room ignored her, they simply continued to watch the screen, while Ashley was desperately wondering what she had done now to make him act even more strangely than usual.

The silence lingered until, at last, he spoke. "Earth. Ashley, what do you see in that place, anyway?"

Now she did look at him, surprise registering in her brown gaze. "*Why*? Andros, don't you ever miss KO-35? Any friends you may once have had? Your *Family*?!" The words had come out more sharp and cutting than she had meant to around him, considering the subject she was talking about with somebody like him, and she instantly regretted the sharp pain she saw in his eyes, as well as hurt. Somehow, the comment had struck a chord in him she had never before seen, but inwardly knew what it was.

"Oh, Andros, I am so sorry!" she exclaimed, her face going red. "Me and my big mouth!" Before she could stop herself and realize that she had quite possibly made another mistake, she had gripped his hand and looked into his eyes, asking forgiveness. Well knowing his apparent aversion to touch, she waited for him to jerk away angrily.

Again, he surprised her by doing nothing, only staring at her.

She found herself staring back into hazel eyes that now revealed more to her than she had ever before seen. She could see pain and heartache speared into his soul, it seemed, as well as a certain new level of understanding, but for what she could not quite fathom. As always, there was the veiled hint of the inner battle he constantly fought, an inner conflict of guilt he could not resolve.

"It-it is okay, Ashley," he stammered at last. "I guess...I did not phrase it right. The-the question, I mean." He blushed. "I-I do miss my home, I guess, and I don't have much family, besides Kerone, and--" he abruptly stopped. "Anyway, I also--apologize." His hazel gaze left hers and turned back to the blue sphere that was now in front of them, filling the viewscreen with it's awesome beauty.

Ashley could only stare at him in shock. Why was he acting so--well, un- Andros? The Andros she knew would never have acted like that in the first place, much less apologize and still leave his hand (which was unexpectedly warm) in hers. To put it mildly, he would have been much colder, much gruffer. This was a side of Andros Ashley suspected few ever saw. And why now? Why her? The question ran through her mind as she finally tore her gaze from his hansome face and looked at the screen again.

"Ashley? What is your family like?" She jumped. It was *really* starting to worry her, how strangely he was acting....

"My family? What a question.....my father died when I was young, I don't remember much of him, nor does my brother.....Mom raised us three by ourselves...." unable to finish, she changed the subject. "Why, Andros? Why that question? You have never been so interested in anybody else before."

"I--I don't know why, really." Blushing again, he brushed it off.

Ashley was about to open her mouth when a laughing Cassie ran in, chased by TJ. Carlos followed, and Alpha. All were eager to get back to Earth, and their normal lives. Amidst the hustle and bustle, Ashley did not get a chance to finish what she wanted to say.

****

Trey, Lord of Triforia, watched the blue-green sphere fill the viewing screen of the pyramidas. HIs unmorphed dark gaze took in the beautiful little world with it's incredible seas, strange landmasses, and spreads of white clouds circling the planet.

Earth. He had not been there in months. Not since the last bittersweet parting of the friends he had mangaged to make of the Zeo Rangers there, friends that had given him a certain persepective on life he had thought forever lost to his mind. He had been proud to call Tommy, Billy, Jason, Katherine, Tanya, and Rocky his friends, and had certainly never forgotten them, their strong team unity, and their courage.

Now, they were gone, replaced by a new generation of Rangers. The older ones had gotten on with their lives, having given their Turbo powers, as they were called, to a new set. Those powers were gone, and in their place was the same team (almost) with the Lightstar powers. And facing many dangerous new foes, like Dark Spectre.

Which was why he was here to warn them. Some dangerous new foes under Dark Spectre's command were coming to aid Astronema in conquering this sector of space, and their first target was Earth. Trey was quite unwilling to see such a fine planet turned into a barren wasteland, which was what might very well happen, even with the powerful Lightstar Powers protecting the planet. Though their power sources now differed, and the Power Chamber had been destroyed, he was here to help, in any way he could.

"*Dijilste Quin'tala*," announced his computer, in the High Triforian tongue. Trey winced. He had done it *again*, forgetting to set the computer language to Standard as he usually did for interstellar travel. Reaching over and tapping a couple of pads on a panel, the computer announced, in Standard this time, "Entering Earth's orbit."

Trey sighed, and leaned back in his chair. No hiding who he was this time. Last time, it had only been to temporarily protect the Earth Ranger's own interest. And it had worked, until the accident (heck, he had been literally mowed down) on Aquitar.

As the Pyramidas entered Earth's atmosphere, he reflected on what little he did know of Earth and it's various cultures. He smiled slightly as he recalled Tommy asking him in bewilderment how a planetary leader could manage to spend so much time away from the planet he ruled.

Trey could not quite hide his amusement as he explained that the title of Lord of Triforia was not much more than ceremonial, basically, his people had freedom of choice to do as they wished. He only made the final decisions on planetary-scale matters, or matters of war, things in that domain. And in his culture, there were no such things as servants or money. Work got done because the individual wanted it. done, and was willing to do it, or get a friend to use his talents to do it for him, done in good cheer.

It made seeing the American's way of life a little easier. Technically, at least, they had freedom of choice. Still, poverty, disease, famine, and war could erupt. Most humans were basically kind, to his eye, and were worth helping. Many other interstellar races called Earth backwards and condemned the planet as being a spawning ground for an evil race.

Others, though, had seen the kind side to the human civilization, which was bigger than the evil side. The human civilization was only a few thousand years old, and had evolved faster than any race he had ever before heard of. There had evolved from that planet works of art and literature, like Shakespere and Motzart, that were now famous throughout the universe. A pure evil race could not have produced such prodigies as these and many others. People like Zordon, Dimitria, Ninjor, the Aquitians, and others, saw humans as having enough merit to understand what they were truly capeable of, and to soar above and beyond. He, himself, proudly counted the Zeo team as cherished friends.

Bringing himself back to reality, Trey refocused on the present as he felt the subtle shift underneath his feet that indicated the Pyramidas had docked on Earth and cloaked. He had a job to do.

"Computer, is the Megaship on Earth?" he asked.

"Affirmative. Megaship is docked at NASADA compound," said the computer cheerfully.

"Are any of the Lightstar Rangers aboard?"

"Affirmative. Cassie Chan and Andros Ackerson are on board."

"Locate the other Rangers."

"Ashley Hammond is in her place of residence. Carlos Perez is attending an event referred to on Earth as soccer, TJ Anderson is attending an event called baseball."

Trey pressed his lips together in thought. "Open a locked channel to the Megaship."

"Channel opened."

Trey swallowed before he started to speak. "Attention, Lightstar Rangers. This is Trey, Gold Ranger of the planet Triforia. I am docked on Earth, and must speak with you at the first opprotunity."

He paused, waiting for a reply. He was not long in silently sitting, a buzz alerted him that he was recieving a reply.

"This is Cassie Chan, the Pink Lightstar Ranger." A young woman, appearing to be about eighteen years of age with midnight-dark hair and dazzling eyes appeared on the screen. "How may we help you, Lord Trey of Trifoira?"

"Please, call me Trey." He hated formalities that many totalitarian insisted on using for planetary leaders. ""I have come on an urgent mission. I don't want to say it even over this channel, but I must speak with you and your team."

Cassie looked thoughtful. "That is okay with me, but if we do meet, it had better be in a semipublic place, for safety's sake. If Astronema gets wind of the fact you are here and we have gathered on one ship or the others, she may very well attack. This way, we could blend into the crowd."

"Then wherever you designate as appropriate, I will come."

"How about the north corner of Angel Grove Park?" she asked. "It is relatively private, just public enough for the rare passerby. We won't be disturbed. There is just one thing," she grinned, amused. "You would not have any earth-style clothes, would you?"

Trey blushed, realizing that his black-and-gold tunic would draw attention from onlookers if he went out in public. "I can replicate some."

"Good. Then meet us in the north corner, by the lake. There is a group of rocks, we can meet there." " "Okay. Trey out." he sighed, before going down to his quarters to his pesonal replicator. He ordered up what humans called a pair of black "jeans" and a black-and-gold shirt. Putting them on, he grimaced at how restrictive the jeans were.

*How do humans stand it?* he wondered, also slipping on a pair of earth- style sandals. At least these were more familar. He grabbed a dermal synthesizer to change the pigmentation over his left eye, obliterating the gold mark that all Triforians were born with. Looking into a mirror, he deemed his disguise complete. Shaking his writst to make his communicator appear, he disappeared in a swirl of black and gold.

And So Life Goes On, Part 2 By ZeoViolet

Cassie was the first to make it to the designated meeting spot at Angel Grove Park by the lake. She hopped across a few large rocks while waiting for the rest to arrive, contemplating what an old ally of the Zeo Rangers could possibly need from them. She knew Tommy and Kat well, they told her and her friends a lot of the history of the Power Rangers, so the name Trey of Triforia was not new. Still, after an absence of several months, she wondered why he was appearing again so suddenly.

Andros was the next to arrive, sullen and quiet as usual. Still, something about him make Cassie give him a hard glance.

*There *is* something different about him*, she thought, noticing the subtle difference Ashley had noticed in him earlier. He seemed nervous, he was not looking her in the eye, and their was color on his face. *He's really acting *weird.*

"Hi, Andros" she said, giving him one of her famous smiles. He mumbled a response and climbed up onto a high rock, taking no further notice of her as the others arrived.

Cassie shrugged, by now used to his mumbled responses to questions and his constant rubbing of their inexperience in their faces, reminding them that he still considered them only *planetary* rangers and knew absolutely nothing about space. It was only recently that they discovered that they could break through his barriers on *any* level and call him a friend.

TJ arrived next, still dressed for baseball practice. Cassie only smiled to herself as she saw him take off his protective headgear and fan his face with it. Typical TJ.

Ashley and Carlos came running up, or rather, Carlos was chasing Ashley as she ran, laughing, and holding her sides. Cassie did not know what was so funny, but she could not help grinning at the pair--until she noticed Andros turn his gaze in their direction. She was startled to see an angry scowl flash across his face before it resumed it's normal impassivity. If he had been any other person, she would have sworn it was jealousy. But this was *Andros*...

It took a few more minutes before Trey showed up. Somewhere in the distance, there was a barking of a dog, one that struck Cassie as familiar. But before she could dwell on it, Trey came around the bend in the path and approached them, looking pale and slightly spooked.

Cassie did not even bother with formal greetings. "Are you okay, Trey?" she asked, concerned.

He nodded. "I believe so. It was just this....large golden creature that made a strange gutteral sound at me, that is all. Rather startled me."

Cassie frowned. "'Golden creature'? A dog?"

"If that is what you call those beasts."

"I thought that bark sounded familiar," Cassie muttered, scrambling down from the rock she had been sitting on. "Just a sec, guys, I'll be right back."

She hightailed it down the path and around the bend, with the other rangers looking after her in curiosity. Then, a large bark was heard again, and Cassie came running, dragged along by a huge golden dog on a leash. The dog saw the Rangers and barked happily, trying to get closer.

"Jetson, you silly dog, slow *down*!" Cassie panted, tugging on the leash and digging her heels in so he could not get the best of her. "How did you get out, anyway? I thought I had locked the gate before I left! And how did you get your leash on--"

She stopped as she noticed Trey going completely sheet-white while he stiffened considerably. Cassie frowned, puzzled. "It is okay. This is my dog, Jetson. He won't hurt you."

"I expect not," he said at last, "But on Triforia, there is an animal that looks very similar....but they are highly...carnivorous. Rare, but still...."

Cassie thought she understood. "Well, most dogs on Earth won't attack, unless they have been trained as attack dogs. Jetson here won't jump on you unless he wants to play. But I still don't understand how he got out," she mused as Trey relaxed and turned a bright red, realizing how silly the whole situation was.

"Jet*son*!" cried a male voice, one that seemed to be losing patience. "Where are you, you silly dog!"

Ashley seemed to recognize the voice. "Johnathan, is that you?" she called.

"Ashley?" said the voice, as a handsome boy came around the corner. "Have you seen that dog of Cassie's? He ran this way--oh," he whispered suddenly, noticing who else was present. "You busy, Ashley?" she was glad that her twin brother knew she was a Power Ranger.

"Jetson's here," Ashley assured him, indicating Cassie. "Cassie found him. What'd you do, let him loose?"

"After Cassie left, I was going to take him for a walk, and when we got to the park, he got all excited and tore toward some strange guy--why, that was you!" he noticed Trey among the group. "Really, Ash, is there a problem?"

Ashley sighed and smiled. Only Cassie had ever met her brother, because she lived with the Hammonds, and besides, Johnathan was not around much. So she had to introduce them.

"There might be, Johnathan," she murmured. "Guys, this is my twin brother, Johnathan. And don't worry, he knows about us being Power Rangers. I had to tell him and my mother after my first little adventure in space."

"She sure did," said her handsome brother. "About the only time in my life I about fainted--from shock, anyway."

Ashley smiled as she rattled off the introductions of the rest of her teammates. "And that boy who Jetson scared is Trey. He's--not exactly from around here, Johnathan," she stumbled, wondering how to tell him how far away Trey definetly came from.

"When I saw him with you, I thought not," Johnathan said levelly. "Nice to meet you, Trey. I hope you don't mind my asking--but where are you from? Jetson never caused a reaction like that in anybody else before."

"My planet is called Triforia," Trey answered evenly, looking Ashley's brother in the eye.

"Cool." Johnathan only shrugged and smiled. "I'll be nearby with the dog, Ash. Holler if you need me." With that, he turned and jogged off, Jetson running happily behind him, ready to play.

****

"So, what is going on?" Cassie managed to ask at last. Trey sighed, sitting up straighter as he put the last of the dog incident out of his mind.

"Dark Spectre is sending in some dangerous new minions to aid Astronema in conquering Earth first, then the rest of this sector of space. I seriously doubt that the Lightstar powers would be able to defeat them alone. And after Earth is conquered, they will go after certain other nearby worlds with powerful Rangers that protect the planet. Triforia will most likely be included in the onslaught. I am their only Zeo Power Ranger, but it is still seen as enough of a threat. They must be stopped, here and now." he paused, thinking. "There is one other danger to add to this little mix. Rumor has it that Astronema has gotten hold of a dangerous device. I expect it is a weapon, in a way, but not in the traditional sense. It brings a person's most painful memories and feelings up front, and maginifes them, thus driving the afflicted person insane with greif, pain, anger, rage, or any other negative feeling that is encountered. If it afflicts them too long, it will leave the person an emotional wreck, livid with guilt and pain." For some reason, Trey shuddered, and Cassie was surprised to see a flash of sadness in his eyes, and guilt. But he did not elaborate. "This weapon will also have to be destroyed."

"And you are certain that the six of us could do it?" asked Ashley, wrapping her arms around her knees, and resting her chin on them.

"Perhaps, if we act wisely. These are dangerous creatures, Ashley, and I believe it would be easier if we used our brains instead of the brawn of our powers. Plus, we may have one more source of help. The one you know as the Phantom Ranger was at a meeting of Eltarans recently. I did not attend, but rumor has it he also volunteered to face this army. It is said Earth holds a great deal of personal importance to him, though I am not sure why. I've never met him."

Cassie blushed and lowered her eyes. It had been three weeks since the Hercuron incident. She hoped that he was alive, and well. If he died, it would be her own heart, too, that would die.

Thankfully, only Ashley seemed to notice her reaction. She laid a hand on Cassie's shoulder and squeezed it gently. Cassie gave her a grateful smile before returning her attention to Trey.

"Do you have any idea as to how we should go about this?" she asked.

For the first time, Andros spoke up. "Maybe it would be best if we split into two groups, each group focusing on one directive." His hazel eyes glowed, as if he was grateful to have something to finally focus on, besides his hands.

"I agree," said Trey. "You, Ashley, and Carlos could go after the weapon Astronema has. TJ, and Cassie could come with me, if your Astrozord is capeable of being piloted by one or two rangers."

"It is," answered Andros. "They will be perfectly capeable of piloting the Zord by themselves. I trust them."

His words made Ashley stare at him in astonishment. If that was the case, then why had Andros never acted like this before? She sincerely hoped that he was not merely putting on an act for Trey's sake. She would literally kill him if he was. At any rate, at least, she would never forgive him.

And so, at least, that basic part was settled. What was not settled was the certainty of the actions they were about to undertake.

****

"IIIII Rrrrreeaallllyyyyy hhhaaaaatttttte ttthhhhiiiisssss!!!!" yelled Cassie, holding onto her console as the Megaship twice flipped a complete 360 degrees, whirling from the latest blast it had taken.

"So do I!" yelled TJ over the din. "But Trey said to keep them distracted while he finished preparing that computer virus to infect their systems! Hold on, Cass!"

"I'm trying!" Cassie summoned up the Megalasers and bashed one of the nearby ships with it, almost satisfied as it went out in a brilliant yellow- orange glare of flame. "Gotcha!"

"Nice shot!" TJ called, wishing he could see Cassie's grin behind her morphed helmet. "Hey, Trey, you about ready?"

"Just about!" he called over the comm system. "Keep them occupied for just a few more minutes, will you? Just a few more adjustments and I can put an end to this fleet of ships with just a few more shots. After I infect them, there is a new Megazord formation I want you to try, and our systems should be compatible enough to allow us to handle it. There!" his tone had a note of pride in it. "I am transmitting the data to you now. Cassie, you are in the best position to fire the virus torpedo straight into their matrix. I have confidence you can do it."

"Thanks!" she said as she recieved the necessary data, coded to protect the Megaship's own systems from going haywire. "DECA, download this into the torpedo bay as fast as you can."

"Already done." the computer sounded miffed. "Fast enough for you, Miss Chan?"

"Don't start now, DECA," Cassie complained. "Alpha, is the target locked on?"

"All sensors indicate affirmative," replied the little robot.

Cassie's grin was almost malicious as she reached for the red button on her console. "Firing torpedo."

****

The torpedo slammed into the center ship of the enemy formation. It was not enough to make the ship explode, but the outside structural damage was not important as the ship began to act like an electrical conductor. Sparks and bolts of electricity radiated from the ship, to other ships in the formation, getting to most of them as the virus began to shut down their systems.

"Nice shot, Cassie!" crowed TJ from across the room. "You hit 'em right where it hurts!"

Her enthusiasm slowed as she read the readouts on the screen in front of her. "Maybe so, TJ, but the virus did not get to all their ships. A few are still fully functional--and I have no doubt they are extremely mad."

"We took out most of them, right? Be glad for that. Now, let's finish them off!"

"Not so fast, rangers," said Trey over the open comm link. "The main purpose of the virus was to disable them enough so that we could have a good chance of fighting them and winning. What is left, and even the disabled ships themselves, are still a force to be reckoned with."

"What do you suggest we do? What about that zord transformation?" asked Cassie.

"I was just getting to that," he said, a hint of amusement in his tone. "Listen carefully, and look carefully at the readouts I am transmitting to you. I believe our systems are compatible enough to form the Astro-Zeo Ultrazord. There are defense systems in your zord that my zord does not possess, and likewise with the Pyrmaidas. Together, we should have more than enough power and variety to pound our opponents to dust." "Wow..." whistled TJ as the diagram came up onto his monitor. "Sounds complex. But sure, Trey, if you think it will work, let's give it a shot-- and finish these creeps!"

"Agreed." Trey's tone turned amused again. "Do humans normally whistle when they are in awe of something?"

TJ laughed outright. "Activating the Astro-Zeo Ultrazord, now!"

In deep space, the zord fomation began to change. As in times of Zeo, the back of the Pyramidas began to open, and upon it docked the fully-formed Astro Megazord. As their systems connected, the power surge went off their charts.

"Astro-Zeo Ultrazord, battle ready!" announced TJ.

"And so are you," chuckled Cassie, next to him in the Megazord cockpit. She was cut off from saying anything further, however, when the console in front of her beeped, and DECA announced, "Incoming transmission."

Cassie looked at the channel ID screen, and felt her face flood with color, and she was sincerely glad TJ could not see her face just then.

It was from the Phantom Ranger.

****

"Remind me again why we are doing this," muttered Ashley as they tailed the quantron ship to the Dark Fortress, careful to hide in it's trail so they would not be spotted.

"We have got to stop Astronema from using that device before she unleases it on your planet," answerd Andros, as dourly as ever. "It would make your people much easier to conquer if they were a bunch of emotional cripples."

"No doubt," she answered, just as cooly. *Like you act sometimes, a total pushover*, she added silently. *Why did I ever have to fall for someone like you?* she berated herself for the thousandth time.

"Maybe you should both cool it," announced Carlos from behind them. "We have a job to complete, without a conversation taking on the tone of one of your arguments."

Andros simply shrugged and refocused his attention to the back of the quantron fighter. He was determined to direct this mission, for inexperienced rangers like those two could get hurt easily--especially Ashley.

*Oh, no, not again," he thought, feeling his heart begin to race. *Ashley....*

What was she *doing* to him? The one ranger who could really irritate him with her naieve attitude, constantly getting herself into the worst scrapes, and forcing him to continually come to her rescue--so it seemed. Actually, she was perfectly capeable of taking care of herself, but he still found himself helping to defend her at every opprotuity--

*And why do I even bother?* he asked. *Why is it always *her* I end up with so much since we met? Every time she manages to get herself into trouble, I feel like wrangling her neck--and sighing with relief to know she is safe, like the rest of them,* he assured himself quickly. *Maybe it is not so bad, really--her eyes are really pretty, after all, and so deep-- *

Irritated, he shook his head and frowned. No, he would not let himself start thinking about her like that again. He must focus on his mission, and not let himself get distracted like she had done to him the day before. They already knew too much about him, his sister, his past--they did not need to know any more, how he would not even be alive if--and it was his fault--

He buried the anguish before it could slam him again. No, they must never know. Surely they would blame, or ostracize him, and, though he only admitted it to himself, he was not so sure he wanted that anymore.

*Friends?* his mind questioned. *Teammates, yes, but--are they my friends, too? They always stick together, and pull me into their silly rituals, but do they want me to be a--friend? And am I even capeable of it anymore?*

It was then the very real truth hit him, and he no longer had the strength to deny most of it. *Yes, if they want me to accept them, perhaps it is time to move on. But how can I? I don't even know where to begin, I don't even remember what having a real friend feels like anymore. They must think I am a cold, callous iceberg by now. And Ashley--*

He also no longer had the strength to deny that she affected him much more deeply than the others. Her eyes, her spirit, her demeanor, even her air of innocence in the face of battle attracted him to her, and it made him irritable when she managed to get herself into trouble, with the very real possibility of her being killed loomed in the air.

*Is that why she irritates me so?* the thought sprang to his mind unbidden. *Because I am--attracted to her?*

The thought was too new, too raw, to stay in his mind for more than an instant, but some inner part could not deny that she had caught his attention in a soul-wrenching way from the very first, and he just was denying it to himself.

Unfortunately, before he could contemplate the matter further, the Dark Fortress loomed ahead, halfway into the shadows, and as forbidding as he recalled. Moving himself into a position near the back escape hatch of the quantron's fighter, he prepared to open it. "Let's do it."

****

Though they had taken the edge off the fighting with the virus, the battle was still unpleasant.

"How much more of this can the zord take, Trey?" Cassie called over the comm system. "They have a lot of resources that I did not expect them to have, you know."

"Nor did I," he responded. "But the zord can last for a little longer. It is the Phantom Ranger I am concerned about. I am not sure how a small starship like his can handle this."

"I've seen him regenerate his ship instantly," put in TJ.

"Not with him inside it," answered Cassie. "I doubt if even *he* could withstand something like that."

Just then, Cassie felt her heart twist in her chest when she saw the scanners register another blast slam his starship, sending it whirling. Some inner sense leaped into the foreground with an astonishing strenght, and in a loud mental tone, began to scream at her.

"Phantom Ranger!" she cried. "TJ, I have to go over there, now! He needs me!"

"Cassie--"

"I must! We have taken out most of them, TJ, you and Trey can handle them, can't you?" though she was morphed, her posture was imploring as she faced him.

Trey, who had heard the whole thing, began, "Cassie, are you sure--"

"Yes!" her tone took on one of odd desperation. "Guys, I must do this!"

TJ no longer hesistated. "Then go, Cassie. And for heaven's sake, be careful!"

"Yes, go," echoed Trey. "And may the power protect you."

Cassie nodded and vanished in a flash of pink light. TJ sighed and transferred control to his station.

Trey's voice came over the system. "I have a feeling that there is more to this than meets the eyes, TJ. All I ask is that you tell me I am right."

"You are right, don't worry about that," answered TJ. "To put is mildly, Trey, she is in love with him, and neither heaven nor hell can stop her once she gets this determined to do something. I believe it is quite obvious she is unwilling to lose him to the grips of death."

Trey was silent for a long moment, and when he finally spoke again, TJ was much surprised to hear hidden, hurriedly-covered anguish in his tone. "Then may the power definetly protect her, and give her what her heart so desperately seeks," he whispered quietly.

TJ, struck dumb, said nothing further on the subject, returning his attention to navigation, only a small part of his mind wondering what was behind the sporadic hints of anguish in Trey's eyes and tone. He doubted if he would find out directly.

****

*They had pounced upon them, as quietly as they themselves had snuck aboard the station. Quick as a flash, all three rangers were demorphed, bound, and, just before they were rendered unconscious, heard Astronema's sharp, "Take them away, I'll deal with them later!" Then the world grew hazy, and that was the last they knew....*

Pain. A sharp throbbing in his temple brought Andros awake, and the suddenness of it also brought memory flooding back in a flash. Ambushed....

*Ashley!* he thought just as suddenly, his eyes snapping open and almost frantically looking around, trying to locate her. His heartrate did not slow when he did, for she was across from him, and though unbound, she was clearly not within the realms of consciousness.

He started to move, looking around for Carlos. The Hispanic boy was in another corner of the room, also out cold. They, like he discovered, did not have bonds restraining their movements any longer, but it did not matter, for he saw no visible opening in the room they were in, only various buttons on a wall console, buttons he had no doubt were guarded against unsupervised access.

His whole body aching, he stumbled to his feet and managed to make it across to Ashley. Gently shaking her, he called softly, "Hey, Ash, wake up, please. Don't do this to me, please wake up--"

*Am I dreaming?* her foggy brain wondered as it struggeled up from the shadowy depths of magic-spell-induced unconsciousness. *Andros actually sounds...concerned.*

"I'm okay," she whispered. "Where's Carlos?"

"Across the room. I'm going to try and wake him up. You be careful."

She nodded, still groggy, and he found it took an effort to turn from her to go to their other fallen teammate. Thankfully, Carlos awoke quickly, and they huddled together in a corner of the room.

"How are we going to get out of here?" Carlos asked. "I don't see a door."

"One of us could make a run for it," suggested Ashley. "Go get help."

"Not advisable, usually," said Andros. "I can't access my morpher, and the Dark Fortress is usually chock-full of quantrons. But we may have no choice."

"I'll go," Carlos volunteered immediately. "You and Ashley look worse for the wear. I could probably make it. I don't see a door, but if it does open, then I will jump whoever comes through, and get out of here. The whole station can't be sheilded like this."

"I doubt that also," said Andros. "It can take a lot of power to generate a regular force to block access to our powers, and that is why we are probably being held here. If you try this fool stunt, Carlos, be careful."

Carlos, a little startled by Andros's apperant trust in him, agreed. *Is he getting stranger by the minute, or what?*

****

They did not have long to wait. Astronema must have found out they were conscious, for she came into the room with Ecliptor at her left, and a quantron to her right. She did not seem to notice that Carlos had convienently placed himself close to the door, while still appearing hurt and groggy. So she paid him no attention, only stalked out of the unapparent doorway and fully into the room.

This proved to be a mistake. As soon as she had tossed her green hair and sauntered past, nose in the air, he bolted. He crashed headlong into the quantron, sending the poor fellow flying into Ecliptor. The way was now clear, and the doorway appeared unguarded....

Astronema whirled at the commotion, and angrily fired her spear at the black form, but missed, and cursed some interesting words as Carlos vainshed out the door, unscathed.

"Drat!" she said, in effect. "Oh, well, he won't get far. Too many quantrons patrol my halls for him to escape.I don't even need to send you two morons after him," she chided Ecliptor and the quantron, the latter whom sagged against the wall in an all-too-clear plea for mercy.

She ignored him. "Now," she turned a cat-like smile on the two remaining rangers. "You are just in time, rangers. Just in time to witness, and experience, the power of my new weapon."

She held up the device they had come to destroy.The smallish, clear sphere with a strange metal skull embedded in the top looked as forbidding as she made it sound. "It is called the Emotion Wrangler. Hold on tight, folks. It is going to be a wild ride."

Ashley's eyes met Andros's, and for once, his gaze reflected exactly what she felt--a tight, growing knot in the pit of her stomach, and her heart racing with fear.

****

Cassie materialized in the starship of the Phantom Ranger. As soon as the pink glittery swirls cleared from her vision, she looked around, squinting in the dimness. Her very senses screamed "Danger!", and she was in no mood to be ambushed as she drew her Satellite stunner and began to creep down the hall.

The place was a wreak, as far as she could tell, and the dim lights cast eerie shadows in the corners and branching-off hallways. Chills crept up her spine as she tiptoed along, starting at every sound that reached her ears. She dared not even call out for the one who had claimed her heart from the very day she had first seen him, in a pickup mirror, apparently for her eyes alone. And she had loved him even more since then, her feelings even doubling when she saw him in distress on Hercuron. How she wished she could be with him, or if it was their jobs keeping them apart, she at least wanted some explanation!

*It can never be*, the logical part of her mind insisted. *Remember his words to you? 'I go where I am needed, and stay for as long as I am needed?' What reason more had he to stay, after giving us new Zords and aiding us in defeating that monster?*

But the other part of her brain, the one that did not contend much with logic, insisted on remembering what his message had told her on Hercuron: "Please, don't forget me. I'll see you soon."

*What did he really *mean*?* her mind questioned, almost angrily. *Why was he trying to reassure me in particular? It seems so unlikely that he could actually mean he--*

Only the tiniest part of her brain, a part she was barely aware, insisted that the message had meant he cared for her, and truly wanted her to know he felt that way. Her logical mind banishedthe thought instantly.

A loud THUMP! startled her out of her thoughts, and she stifled a jump of surprise just in time. It sounded like a body hitting the floor, and a faint groan sounded like one of suppressed pain.

*Phantom!* her mind shreiked, and she took off down the hall, no longer walking, but running at top speed.

It did not take her long to find the corridor turned around a bend sharply, and she stopped just shy of turning. Faint shadows, plus loud growls, thumps, and ki-yuh's, told her she was just short of walking right into the middle of hand-to-hand combat. She drew in a deep breath and peeked around the corner, afraid of what she would see.

****

Astronema, her willowy back straight, and her long green hair being arrogantly tossed over her shoulders, paced the room, for a long time saying nothing, only holding the weapon in her hand, the light in the room catching on the glistening skull embedded in the top of the device, the perfect effect for causing chills to run up Ashley's spine.

And she continued to pace, the echoing footsteps of her high heels getting louder and louder in Ashley's head, the rest of the room eerily silent, until Ashley almost screamed "Stop it!"

Just as the hollow sound of Astronema's footsteps got as loud as the pounding of her blood in her ears, the woman paused. An evil grin crossed her face, and both hands clasped the ball in front of her.

"Good," she laughed. "Just a little work-out before I really test this thing on you. I want to be in shape, and I want your minds in the proper shape, too. Now, to begin--" she waved her hand, and two more quantrons entered the room, bearing a struggling, almost-growling Johnathan.

"I found him prowling around a little temporary hideout I had near the NASADA compound," she announced cooly. "Imagine my surprise when a hypnotizing spell revealed that he was your brother, Ashley. Though I might as well have some fun with him before I do away with him. It can get so...*boring* on the Dark Fortress at times, you know." Her lower lip pulled out in the epitome of a pout, then she grinned. "Toss him with the others. Did you find the Black Ranger yet?" she demanded of her henchmen.

They said something in their unintelligible language and shook their heads, cowering when her face went dark with anger.

"You idiots! Can't you get one thing right?! Find that kid before he gets off my station. I don't want him informing the others!" They hurriedly ducked their heads in acknowledgement and ran for the door.

Astronema turned toward the group again, all traces of anger diappearing from her face and an almost sunny smile replacing it. "Now, where were we? Ah, yes, this little device here." She held up the Emotion Wrangler. "My, oh, my, Andros, you are just full of pain already, aren't you? I just thought Ecliptor was wrong in thinking you were no more than a fool in red tights, trying to fight for what could not be gained. But it seems *you*, my dear ranger, have plenty of negative emotions, and guilt. And whatever you were guilty for, I assure you it was your fault."

Ashley watched in horror as Andros's eyes suddenly widened in terror, and then fill with pain and anguish. A shriek of pure emotional torture escaped his lips as he clutched his head, as if trying to block out sudden painful memories he did not want to be repeated. But repeated they were, and they never seemed so taunting, so full of pain, so obviously his *fault*, as they were then.

"No..." he whimpered, sinking to his knees. "Please, no...."

Astronema went on ruthlessly pounding shortcomings into his head. "Yes, Andros, it was *you*! You were the driving force behind your guilt, you caused your own pain by doing things you should not have done! You know you should have done the right thing, don't you? But no, like a fool, you did the *wrong* thing, caused you and who knows how many others pain you could probably have prevented, in the end." Astronema only lauged as he whimpered, tears filling his hazel eyes and rolling down his cheeks.

"Leave him along!" Ashley cried, torn between wanting to run to Andros and pummel Astronema furiously for what she was doing to him. But Astronema was guarded, by Ecliptor and the quantron, so she only knelt beside Andros. "Andros, don't let her do this to you. You must fight it, please...."

"Step away from him!" Astronema barked. "Okay, Ashley, your turn!" without blinking an eye, she released Andros from the effects of the Wrangler. He fell completely over onto the floor, not making a sound but sobbing his heart out nonetheless.

The pain hit Ashley before she could take more than two steps. Like lightning, but much more quickly, the memories roared to the surface.

*The crash right in front of her house, Clyde's bloody body, the paramedics shaking their heads--*

"No! Clyde!" She shreiked, no longer aware of her surroundings.

*I should have been there!* her incoherent mind cried. *If I had gone with him, like he had asked me to, he would never have touched that drink, he would never have impaled that empty car while under the influence of the first drink of his life! And his *last*!*

*Yes, you should have stopped him!* her mind mocked her. *He deserved to live, and you do *not* deserve to live, because you let him die!*

Andros watched, completely helpless, as Ashley sank to her knees, hunched over, face in her hands. The only words, "No, Clyde, no, it is my fault, I am sorry!" that seemed able to escape her lips were thick with torment. "Please, Clyde, forgive me...." He desperately wanted to go to her, to comfort her like he doubted he could ever be comforted, but he dared not move, could only watch numbly as tears continued to slip unheeded down his face.

Finally, even Astronema seemed to tire of her torture. She released Ashley at last and turned back to Andros. "Your turn again. You are just a deep wellspring, pretty boy, and I want you to experience every last ounce of pain all over again...." Her laughter mocked him almost as much as the background laughter of the monsters on KO-35, that day that Zhane had given his life for Andros's.

*No, Zhane, I should have stopped you, forgive me, my friend, forgive me!...*

****

The Phantom Ranger was under attack. Cassie felt her heart flip entirely in her chest as the two monsters he battled continually flipped him over the railing, or over a chair, or slammed him against a wall. Each time, more and more weakly, he would get back up and fight again. It was more than Cassie could stand.

"Saellite Stunner!" Her weapon coalesced effortlessly in her hand, and before the monsters were aware of what had hit them, she had fired.

"Whooooaaah!" they yelled as the bolts of energy fired from her weapon sent them flying. Cassie ignored them, and stumbled over to the one she loved. "Phantom Ranger? Are you okay?"

"Cassie?" he gasped, trying to rise from where the monsters had hurled him. "What are you doing here? You are in grave danger lurking around here. Why did you come?"

"Do you think for a minute I would let you stay here and face those goons alone? Forget it! I could never do that to you! I care about you too much!"

The last sentence came out of her mouth before she could stop it. It caused the unexpected reaction of him stiffening.

"Cassie...?" It seemed to be more of a question to himself than to her, but he reached up and lightly touched her helmet.

"Awww, how cute," snarled one monster, who had managed to stumble to his feet. "Much as I'd like to see this little romantic scene play out, we have a job to do. So sorry, Missie, but you have to die."

Cassie promptly turned on him, her weapon raised. "Not so fast, mister. Have you checked the status of your fleet of ships lately? Most are destroyed or disabled. My friends are finishing them off right now, even as we speak."

One monster, with ugly blue...skin (if it could be called even that) flew a tentacle to his scanner and checked the readouts. "She's right. We are no match for her friends here, even if we did succeed in destroying these two. The others would be after us at this range."

"And just what do you suggest we do about it, huh?" snarled the other monster, his seven eyes glittering with rage. "They are witnesses. We just can't leave them here."

"That is true, but I still prefer to keep my own skin intact." The blue monster thought for a moment, pacing while his companion held his weapon raised at Cassie in a stand-off. "I just might have an idea...." he turned and whispered something neither Cassie nor the Phantom Ranger could hear.

"Good idea!" the other exclaimed. He turned back to the two rangers, raising something in his palm. "How do they say it on your world? 'Say goodnight, Gracie'?"

A moment later, Cassie felt blackness surround her as the device exploded.

*Phantom Ranger...* was her last conscious thought.

****

Finally, when Andros was curled on the floor and even he had ceased shaking from her continual onslaught, Astronema turned the focus of the weapon off. Ashley could see his face, it was completely blank, only his eyes showed he was locked in some sort of strange void where the Emotion Wrangler had put him. When the spell released him, he slumped further, closed his eyes, and did not move.

Though the memories of Clyde's deat still beat at her vision and her sense of guilt, her logical sense struggled for dominance, and she did her level best to ignore the tears streaming down her face and focus on Andros and Johnathan, who had been watching the whole scene, horrified but unable to do anything.

"Come on, Andros!" She whispered fervrently in a low tone. "Come on, you have to beat this thing. Don't let it control you..."

"...Ashely...?" It was barely a whisper, but enough so Ashley knew he had heard. "Hurts..."

*It's okay!* she wanted to tell him. *Everything is going to be all right!* Though she wanted to say those words, to comfort him somehow, she knew that they would be false promises. Everything was *not* okay. Even if they could get free, it would still not be immediately all right. They would have a load of long-suppressed pain and guilt to deal with all over again, only much more so....and it was all Ashley could do even now to fight down the barrage of emotion deep into her psyche. Now was not the time. They had to do something, and now.

Astronema had been watching them, a satisfied smile on her face as she watched two of the trio struggle for sanity. "Ashley, my dear yellow ranger. Your turn again, I'm afraid." She pretended to pout for a moment before focusing the Wrangler on her again. Ashley shreiked as the pain crashed forward again. She fell to the floor.

"How about something new? Even better than memories, when the whole thing is live?" Astronema jeered. "How about if I destroy your brother here, Ashley? Won't that be fun, a little more...no, a lot more...pain that you could enjoy, since you would be powerless to stop it...again?" With that malicious grin, she stepped mockingly toward Johnathan, who stiffened in a yeah-you-just-try-it! posture.

Something inside Ashley snapped. The thought of losing her other beloved twin was more than she could stand, and unbeknownst to Astronema, she felt herself surged with a new strength. Suddenly, she understood the Emotional Wrangler's weakness. It fed on memories, negative emotions, and the like. It rejected love, and gave the victim an advantage as a result. This was something Astronema either did not know about, or had forgotten about, for the control the device had over Ashley snapped.

For a split second, she did not move, her frayed brain trying to gather it's bits of sanity and figure out what to do. It came to her again that Astronema would hurt her brother, and pure instinct bolted through her limbs, causing her to growl and tear at the woman with a visciousness she never thought she had in her. She crashed into Astronema, heedless of her own safety.

****

Astronema went sprawling onto the ground, the Wrangler falling out of her gloved hand and rolling away. She looked stunned for a moment as Ashley jerked away from her as if she'd been burned.

Ecliptor advanced on her, his hand going for the weapon at his waist. Johnathan, who had already been tense, saw his opprotunity and leaped on him, knocking him away from his sister. "Leave her alone, you sick...." he growled, kicking his sword away.

The commotion had even caught the attention of Andros, bringing him out of his foggy, warp-filled world. He shook his head, trying to clear the fog from it and push the memories away, trying to see what was really going on. He was dizzy and things were a bit blurry, but he saw enough to know Ashley was in trouble, as well as her brother.

The quantron, who had been pressed against a wall in a decidedly cowardly fashion, saw him struggling to rise and came over, saying something in his unintelligible language that probably meant something along the lines of "don't move."

Andros took a deep breath, squelching the nausea that roared in his stomach at the lingering visions that still danced in front of his eyes. Forcefully locking the guilt behind a temporary barrier to be dealt with later, he growled and pounced on the quantron, sending it skidding across the floor. He had to get to Ashley, his love and fear for her growing as he saw her grappling with Astronema over control of the woman's spear.

Having pressed all other thoughts back down, another thought loomed as he crossed the room, finally hitting him in the face and with a force he could not deny.

*I love her.* It was that simple. And it did not hit him with the surprise he somehow expected to feel, but it could have been because his emotions were in such turmoil already. *I love her, and I must help her, before I lose her!*

Somehow Johnathan had managed to get Ecliptor's sword from him, and had backed the guy out of the room. Instinctively, he stood guard as Andros grabbed Astronema from behind, releasing her grip on the spear. It promptly disappeared.

Ashley shot him a grateful glance and dove toward the Wrangler, still rolling around the room. Not bothering to hide her rage at what the device had done to her and Andros, she slammed it against a wall, shattering it to dust.

She then stalked over to the wall panel, examining it as Andros held Astronema immoble. She still held the metal skull that had been embedded in the top of the Wrangler in her hand, and she crashed it against the security protocol matrix, causing sparks to fly and rendering the rest of the device safe for use.

She turned back to Johnathan. "First thing's first, Johnathan. We have to get you out of here. You don't have a morpher, and I don't want you hurt." she looked at him with tear filled eyes. "But I still owe you a big thank- you, nonetheless.

"We both do," whispered Andros, holding a struggling Astronema down. "Th- thank you, Johnathan. Ashley, get him out of here before he *does* get hurt. Right now...I don't want to take that chance."

Ashley nodded, setting the controls for teleportation before returning her brother's gaze again. "Goodbye, Johnathan," she whispered. "I hope it won't be too long before we see each other again."

His eyes widened and filled with tears. Ashley knew what memories he was suddenly seeing behind his brown gaze. "You keep yourself safe, Ashley Hammond," he answered gruffly. "I won't have history repeat itself."

She ran over and hugged him. "Never!" she exclaimed fervrently. "Never!"

She released him and walked back over to the panel, hitting the button to teleport. "I'll see you soon, Johnathan Hammond, I promise," she whispered just before he dissappeared.

She turned to Andros. The door was open, so there was no reason they could not leave and find someplace to reactivate their morphers and own teleportation systems. "Let her go. We can't take her with us, but we have to get out of here, and see if Carlos got out of here yet. Come on!"

Andros obeyed her, shoving Astronema hard enough against the wall so that she was stunned, and taking Ashley's hand, they flew out of the room and into the corridor. Passing voyurisms of Quantrons were too surprised to react as they flew past.

"There is a sensor and control area ahead," he called behind him. "We can find out what happened to Carlos there, and maybe teleport." The flatness of his voice told Ashley how drained he was, he was running on autopilot, like she was. As soon as danger ceased, things were sure to come back and haunt them all over again...

Either Astronema was still stunned, or the quantrons around were very lax, but they made it to the control room uninhibited. Andros ran to a console and tapped on it.

"Carlos made it off," he announced a moment later. "It says here he teleported out and directly to the Megaship, where it is in space with the pyramidas...."

He tapped a few more buttons, and a familiar buzz sounded, almost gratefully, from Ashley's wrist as her morpher buzzed to life.

"Let's get out of here," she whispered fervrently. "I don't even care where anymore!"

"They blocked a direct route to the Megaship!" Andros hissed. Ashley knew he was near the breaking point--again. Ashley sighed in frustration, coming around and leaning over his shoulder. She tapped in a teleporation sequence that would take them anywhere she visualized--anywhere but here. But as the teleporter took effect, the only place she could call to her mind was the treehouse she and her brothers had built for themselves as children.

"What is this place?" asked Andros gruffly, getting his bearings.

"The only place that could come to my mind," she whispered. "This is the treehouse my twin brothers and I built as children."

"Brothers? I thought there was only Johnathan." his voice went even lower, as if trying to stave off something that was trying to take ahold of him again.

Ashley could not believe he had noticed, until she remebered how she had acted on the Fortress. "No, there--there was Clyde, also, my other twin-- unitl--" she nearly choked. "Until he was killed in an accident!"

It was too much, and the memories came flooding back again to haunt her. If she had thought she had already cried herself dry, she was dead wrong. Tears flooded her eyes and again flowed down her face. She turned a tortured gaze toward Andros. "He asked me to go with him! I said no! If I had gone, then he would not have tried the first alcoholic drink of his life--and his last! *I* should be dead, not him!"

"No, Ashley, no." Before he knew what he was doing, he was over there and had his arms around her. "Please don't cry, Ashley, please don't..."

"But it *is* my fault," she insisted. "Not like you, you were a kid when Kerone was kidnapped! How could you stop Darkonda from taking her? A little kid against a big ugly monster?"

"I *could* have done something, I *should* have done something, besides stand there and call her name," he whispered, not noticing the tears stealing down his face. "Ashley, why did I not even try, when I had the chance?"

His grip on her tightened, and she drew his head to her shoulder. They could do no more, only clinging desperately to each other as, in the privacy of the treehouse, they got their chance to sob out their anger and hurt, which was the best thing they could have done.

****

"Andros and Ashley are *WHAT?*" demanded TJ, staring at Carlos in astonishment. "Are you *sure* there was no other way for them to get free?"

Carlos shook his head, glancing first from TJ and then to Trey. "No, I was in the best position at the time to get out of there and find a way to tell you. And now with Cassie missing also--" Carlos shuddered. "Astronema will turn the weapon on them if she gets the chance, I am sure of it. I don't know what Ashley has been through, but when I first met her ten months ago she was recovering emotionally from some big disaster in her life she never told me of. And Andros, a person would have to be totally blind to see the guilt he suffers over Kerone. It could be bad for both of them if Astronema..." He trailed off.

"Kerone?" Echoed Trey.

"Andros's sister. Something we only found out recently, because he did not bother to tell us." Sighed TJ.

"Would you make it a habit of telling everyone you met you had a younger sister who had been kidnapped when you were both little children?" asked Carlos. "He feels guilty because he could not do anything."

TJ did not miss the look of shocked surprise that crossed Trey's face, followed in quick succession by guilt, pain, anger, then coldness.

"And who could blame him?" the Lord of Triforia asked. "It would be very hard to talk about. Most would keep quiet about it."

"Yeah, maybe I would, too, but I would not turn to an icecicle because of it," said TJ glumly. "And that is exactly how Andros treats us."

Trey said nothing more on the subject, but both Carlos and TJ got the feeling, as he started scanning again for Cassie, that there was much more to his reaction than met the eyes....

****

Ashley did not know how long they sat there, clinging to each other and sobbing their hearts out in peace, but after what seemed an eternity, their tears slowed. Ashley felt her own tears stop as Andros stopped quivering. She was thourougly exhausted, but felt much better. After this, it would be easier to deal with her pain.

"Ashley?" It was so soft she barely heard it. "Are--are you okay?"

"Yeah," she mumbled. "And you?"

"I guess so..." he finally loosened his grip on her, and pulled back enough for her to see his face, as tear-soaked as her own. His hazel eyes met hers. "Ashley...."

Any response she might have had died in her throat as his eyes bored into her very soul. Instantly, she was aware of his strong arms around her, the way his pupils were dialated, the sudden longing she saw in the greenish depths of his gaze--

What she saw still did not quite prepare her for his leaning closer, and surprise momentarily registered as, very softly, his mouth pressed against hers.

His own actions seemed to freeze him also, and he pulled back again. "Ashley?" he asked, his eyes searching for any signs of disapproval. Instead, what he saw in her brown depths mirrored his desperate longing.

"Andros..." it was more of a plea than anything else. His eyes stayed on hers as he leaned over again and let his mouth cover hers. A moment later, she relaxed against him, her eyes closing and her arms creeping up around his neck.

The feel of her lips against his stole the last of any resolve he may have had, and he shuddered slightly. His eyes closed also, and his arms went around her as a slow fire began to pulse through his blood. Electricity rocketed through him when her lips opened beneath his own and her tongue sought entry into his mouth. Soon, he was kissing her so hard, and with so much pent-up passion, they were both completely dizzy and very nearly out of control. So much emotion demanded release it was very difficult to do anything but.

In the end, only lack of air forced his lips off of hers. She drew away slightly, gasping, the sheer wonderment and desire in her eyes also showing a question.

"Andros?" she asked softly. "Why?"

"Because I love you." His grip on her tightened again. "Gods, Ashley, I am tired of fighting this. I have loved you since I first met you. It was...my isolation, my pride, that kept me from realizing how much you meant to me...and your friends, too."

"'Our friends'." she corrected. She suddenly hugged him, hard. "Oh, Andros....I have wanted you to say that for so long...I love you too. I thought you only saw me as a jumpy nusiance."

"I thought I *did*." he admitted softly. "I thought you all were...only recently did I begin to realize that I was wrong. I am sorry, Ashley."

"It's okay." she hugged him fervrently. "It is not too late to change all that, Andros, if you want to."

"I guess I do want to," he admitted, hugging her back. "I don't want you to think badly of me, Ash. But I...may need your help."

"Anything," she promised, kissing him again, breifly. "Come on, we had better go. They are probably worried sick about us by now. We could probably teleport to the Megaship from here."

He nodded, glancing at his morpher. "Maybe we should have gone earlier, but I was too...distracted. We would have both shown up emotional wreaks, crying all over the place."

She gave him a faint smile. "We probably both still are, in a way. One fit of crying can't solve all that, but," she gave it some thought. "I do feel a lot better able to deal with it."

"Me, too," he assured her. He hugged her quickly. "Especially with you here." He released her and reached for his teleporter. "Let's go."

****

They appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, on the bridge of the Megaship. The Astro-Zeo Ultrazord had long since disengaged, and it quite shocked TJ, Carlos, and Trey when they teleported in unexpectedly.

"Ashley? Andros?" asked Carlos in astonishment, bounding over in a second. "Are you *okay*? What happened to you?" he stopped and looked hard at them, not missing their red eyes, flushed faces, and circles beneath their eyes, all signs of suffering. "She...got you with that thing, didn't she?" he asked, voice deadly quiet.

Ashley and Andros looked at each other, knowing it would be impossible to hide what had happened. They looked back at the group and slowly nodded.

"*Damn*!" hissed Carlos. "How did you ever escape? And with your sanity intact."

Ashley bit her lip. "We almost did not. I don't want to talk about it." The pain that flashed in her eyes stilled his questions.

He nodded slowly. "Cassie is missing, guys. She went over to the Phantom Ranger's ship, and a little while later, they both vanished. I don't know where they are. Possibly another dimesion. We have been running scans. Until we get some hint of what happened, we can only do this."

Andros only nodded, staring off at the viewscreen.

Andros and Ashley were back. Now their main objective was to find the last missing ranger.

****

*Where am I?* The roar in Cassie's ears was so loud that even this thought was almost unheard by her mind, which had generated it in the first place. She was so stiff she could not move, not even to open her eyes. *How did I get here....*

With a startling flash of intense clarity, memory came flooding back to her mind. Going over to Phantom's ship. The corridor. The fight. The alien flinging something at her...

*Phantom!* with a new sense of purpose, Cassie struggled to open her eyes, this time succeeding, though the place in which she found herself was dim, and was made worse by her blurry vision. She moaned softly and struggled to sit up, rubbing at her eyes.

Her vision finally cleared, and she looked about her in alarm, trying to find the familiar armor-clad figure she had come to love with all her soul. But to her intense surprise, he was nowhere to be seen. But what she did see almost made up for it, if her astonished mind could register it as real.

A boy lay slumped against the wall, clearly unconscious. He bore little resemblence to the person she knew only as a shadow, but the ruby around his neck told her surprised mind clearly who this was...and he was unmorphed.

Cassie was unable to do anything but stare. This was the fist time she had ever seen him like this, and a part of her wanted to commit this form to memory while it lasted.

He had black hair. Astonishing black hair, so black it had bluish highlights. It was short and straight, the front forelocks falling charmingly on his forehead. His features were well-formed, chisled, with a strong jaw, straight nose, and high forehead. His lips were well-shaped, and had the appearance of fullness that would drive any woman insane with wanting for him. A strongly-built body was obvious underneath a sleeveless tunic and black pants.

In short, he was impeccably handsome.

As she absorbed these features, another thought came to light. He was surely going to be upset if he came to and found himself demorphed, when it had often been obvious he did not want to be seen. She had no idea what to say to him when he awoke and found himself as exposed to her gaze as she had often been to his when she was demorphed.

It also registered to Cassie that she was also unmorphed. Groping for her morpher, she tried to make it work, and found something blocking the signal. She looked around her, finding herself in a sort of cave. The walls were stone and the floor beneath her felt worse than cement.

*Ow,* she thought. *No wonder I was so stiff, lying on that.*

She got stiffly to her feet and made her way over to the other occupant of the room. She had to find some way out of here, and she would not be able to do it alone.

Kneeling beside him, she found herself unsure of how to begin. "Phantom," she called softly. He moaned quietly in response, and moved his head slightly, then was still again. Cassie frowned, frustrated. Gently laying a hand on his shoulder, she shook it, saying fervrently, "Phantom? Can you hear me?"

His brow furrowed, and another soft moan came from his lips before it formed coherent words. "Cassie? Is that you?"

"Yes. Are you okay?"

"I am well." It was what seemed to be his standard reply as his eyes fluttered open, and Cassie found herself looking at the most dazzling green eyes she had ever seen. Those deep eyes met her own, widening as he seemed to be realizing something. He looked quickly down at himself, then back at her.

"I am...unmorphed?" he asked quietly. She nodded, her eyes meeting his again. "You must have when that alien threw that device...is that so terrible?"

"It depends on your viewpoint," he whispered, as though unused to talking too much to people. "For most, it can be dangerous."

"I don't see anything wrong with you," she observed.

"My job is dangerous, Cassie," he told her, his eyes imploring her to understand. "I am this way because I must be, until the need for my fighting has ceased. To know my identity would be dangerous for you or your friends." It surprised her when one of his hands came up and lightly touched her chin. "Especially you."

Her eyes went wide. Surely her mind was playing tricks on her, surely what she saw in her eyes was only imagined. "Why me?" she asked, having no idea that her eyes were revealing to him what he also secretly wanted to see, but never dared ask. Those dazzling green eyes went wide themselves, and filled with a tenderness that made her ache all over.

"Because I love you," he said simply. "Since I first saw you, I could not deny what I knew was true--and I could not let you get hurt for the same reason. Plus, I did not know how you felt about me."

"How could you not?" she asked softly. "I love you...but you always were leaving before we had a chance to talk."

"I know now," he said quietly. "I can see it in your eyes. But being this close to you and not doing anything, Cassie....it is really, really hard. And every moment I am this close to you also increases your danger."

"I don't care," she whispered fervrently. "I can keep a secret, Phantom. But I need you to trust me."

"I do, believe me." his voice sounded choked. "The danger is so great to you, Cassie, but you are weakening my resolve to *never* place you in danger."

He was stroking her hair lightly, now, and she could see the longing in his eyes. It matched hers. "Then get rid of it."

"Cassie..." it was almost a groan. "This is your last chance to turn back from *your* resolve and possibly save us both a lot of trouble.

"Maybe trouble," she insisted stubbornly. "But not the pain. I love you, Phantom, and not knowing was much, much worse. Don't put me through that again, please! If I have to accept you between missions only, if I have to be the only one who knows your identity, then so be it."

His eyes widened as she presented him with a clear, though dangerous, alternative, and he knew he could not talk her down from it. And it would tear his own heart out to refuse her, and he no longer had the strength to fight it.

"Cassie..." it was a sheer moan as his hand found the way to the back of her neck, pulling her close. "Do you have any idea at all what you do to me?" Her faint smile was his answer as she leaned forward when he did, their lips scorching together in a firey candence.

Cassie's world exploded in fire as his bare skin touched hers. If this *was* anything like what he claimed she did to him, then he had to be getting uncontrollable very quickly. *She* certainly was....

At last, he released her, resting his forehead against hers, eyes closed.

"Cassie," he whispered. "My beautiful Cassie. What do we do now?"

"What do you want to do?" she asked.

"What *can* be done?" he almost moaned. "I cannot live without you, I know. But I cannot be with you like you want, either. Not until my mission is complete. At best, we would still not see each other often."

"It would be better than nothing at all," she insisted stubbornly.

"I know. But the danger? There are plenty of people who want me dead, Cassie. I am not the only one of my group to be like I am. We all swore to keep our identities secret, except for those in our lives who had to know. It was the only way to keep them safe. Now that you have seen me....and that we know that we love each other...."

"Phantom, what is your name?" Cassie asked quietly.

He surprised himself by not even hesistating. "My given name is Tar'yn, of Eltare."

"Tar'yn," she repeated. "I love you, Tar'yn."

"And I you," he murmured. "Cassie, if we try this, you must never reveal my identity to anyone, not even your friends, if you could possibly help it. It would be too dangerous. Never even say to anyone *but* them that you even know my identity. I will try to come when I can, but I doubt if it would be very often."

"If I have to have you between everything else you do, then so be it," she said quietly. "I can wait."

"But for how long?" he turned sorrowful eyes toward her. "Do you even have any notion of how old I am, Cassie? I am over three melennia old. You are how old--eighteen?"

She nodded.

"I would live eons past your lifespan. There are ways I could extend it, but it would take time, and this part of the universe is in enough turmoil. By the time I got to you, you would be an old woman."

She laughed outright. "Then I guess you do not know that our Astro powers do not let us age while we are connected to them," she assured him. "I will be fine for now, I assure you."

"Oh, Cassie," he chuckled also, while she listened, captivated. It was a wonderful sound. He leaned forward again and kissed her. "Now, perhaps we should find a way out of here."

****

"Andros," TJ began carefully. "I *know* you went through an awful time, and I *know* you are upset. But could you please quit pacing before I get as upset as you are?"

Andros whirled on him, eyes flashing. He was about to open his mouth to retort, when he stopped, swallowing.

"I will try," he answered quietly, to everyone's surprise. "I...apologize, TJ, if I was bothering you that much."

TJ gaped at him, then turned to Ashley. "I expect you would kill me if I asked if it was *that* bad," he said softly.

Ashley, who had been slumped in her chair with her arms on the console, nodded, not looking at him. "It *was* that bad, Teej. How easy would you figure it would be to lose someone, to deal for a long time with the pain, and then have it torn to the front of your mind, and mock you with the details and guilt?" Tears had filled her eyes again. "She captured Johnathan too, and she was going to kill him in front of me, so I would face the pain of losing another brother by being unable to do anything!" she almost spat.

Carlos sat down beside her, looking serious. "'Another brother'? Ash, I thought you only had one brother."

She shook her head numbly, too worn out to hide it at the moment. "No, there were three of us. Clyde was my other twin. He was killed, a year ago, right in front of my eyes in a car accident...and there was nothing I could do." Ashley shook with the effort to control her feelings.

"Was that the incident you referred to, but never specified on?" Carlos asked gently. She nodded. "I'm sorry, Ash. I did not know..."

"It is all right," she assured him, trying to smile but barely succeeding. "The hardest part was trying to live without a third of my own soul. I could not bear to lose Johnathan too."

"I doubt if I would be able to, either," said Carlos quietly. "You told me once that being a twin was hard. Being a triplet must have been even worse, when one of you did not return." As Ashley nodded, Carlos suddenly blushed and glanced at Trey, who surely must have heard the whole conversation.

"Sorry, Trey, I guess that did not come out right. I know how your species is Trifold, after all..."

"I am not insulted, I assure you," the boy said quickly, his dark eyes still not quite hiding the mysterious pain that seemed to be with him constantly. "The idea that Triforians are a joined race of triples is a common misconception. We are one, even when splintered. It is...difficult to explain."

Calos did not press the issue. The Lord of Triforia had tried to deliberately steer him away from an unknown sensetive subject for him, and Carlos did not want to pry. But Trey had seemed affected by his and Ashley's talk about losing someone close. Why, he was not sure about.

Ashley straightened. "I should call him, let him know I am okay. DECA, will you tap into our cellphone lines and connect us?"

"Of course, Ashley." Even DECA seemed more subdued than usual. "Connecting now."

A moment later, there was an audible buzz as Ashley's brother answered his cellphone. "Hello?"

"Johnathan?" asked Ashley softly.

"Ashley, is that you?" he exclaimed immediately. "Are you okay? Mom and I have been hopping with worry." his voice sounded strangled, almost.

"We escaped, Johnathan. I am fine. I just had to let you know."

"Fine physically, Ash, but what about mentally? It was bad enough to have to sit there and *watch* that crazy woman torture you and Andros. What did it do to your *mind*?"

"I can handle it, Johnathan. I can't talk long, we are searching for Cassie. I will try to be home soon."

"I hope so. Mom hates you being a Power Ranger, Sis. *Please* be careful. I love you."

"I love you too, Johnathan," she said quietly. "I'll see you soon."

She cut the link, leaning back in her chair and looking slightly sick. Carlos wanted to say something but did not press the issue. Andros looked at her also, coming out of the trance he had been in. Carlos had to swallow his surprise as he reached over and squeezed her arm gently. She gave him a grateful look in return.

*I don't believe it,* his disbelieving mind told him. *Andros and Ashley...a couple?*

****

The whole cave shook as the Phantom Ranger and Cassie struggled to stay on their feet. She cried out and lost he footing, he caught her before she hit the floor.

"What is happening?" she asked breathlessly.

"I think our 'friends' have found us," he answered ruefully. "I also am getting the eerie feeling we are being watched. But not by them. A presence..."

Cassie had felt something odd, too, but had been unable to place it. She had no time to contemplate it, however, as a bone-chilling voice called out, "Well, well, looky what we have here!"

Another voice, just as chilling, said, "Yeah. Welcome to *our* domain, Power Rangers!"

****

*This *really* sucks.* thought Cassie, finding herself battling these two goons for the second time that day. *And we are unmorphed, too. Why haven't they destroyed us yet? They referred to this place as their home turf--though why even a *monster* would live here is beyond me.*

It took awhile before the fact dawned on her that they were teasing her and Tar'yn. Probably getting the most out of them before they laid the final blow. It seemed to be the case, she was already very sore, and there was more than one scratch and bruise on her slender body--it would hurt to sit for awhile.

*If I ever *sit* again, that is,* she mused, ducking a blow from the blue monster and kicking him in the ribs, elicting a howl of pain. *Why don't these jerks just *kill* us? Not that I want to die.*

To her horror, she watched as one of the monsters, the one with the seven eyes, hit Tar'yn square in the solar plexus. He went down.

"Phantom!" she cried, surprised she still had presence of mind enough to not use his real name, even here. She whacked the other monster again and ran to the fallen ranger. "Are you okay?" she asked, kneeling beside him, heedless of her own safety.

"I will be okay," he wheezed. "It is *you* I am worried about, Cassie. Look out!"

Before she could move, the blue monster had a strong arm around her, holding her immoble.

"Do not move," he hissed. "Or I slit your throat right here." Obediently, she froze.

"I am getting tired of this. We've had our fun," he sneered to his companion. "Let's just finish them off, shall we?"

"Sure," the other shrugged. "But kill the girl first. Let loverboy here watch her die."

The blue monster threw Cassie to the floor. Quite mercilessly, he drew a blaster and aimed it at Cassie's head.

"No!" Tar'yn crashed into him, knocking him away. "You lousy freaks leave her alone!"

The other monster ran to them, trying to knock the Phantom Ranger away, but they underestimated the man's strength. It became even worse when Cassie also pounced into the fray.

"Enough of this!" the blue monster snarled at last. He drew his blaster again, and with an unsteady aim, shot and hit Cassie. His aim was off, though he hit her square in the midsection. She groaned, and crumpled to the floor, trembling, before she lay still.

"No!" cried Tar'yn. With a burst of inner strenght, he managed to jerk loose and crash the heads of both monsters together, stunning them. He ran over to Cassie, turning her over. "Cassie, wake up, please!" he pleaded softly. "Don't do this to me!"

She moaned, her eyes barely fluttering open. She was alive, but gravely hurt, possibly fatally. "Phantom....." she choked. "Forget about me. Destroy these goons and get out of here somehow. You must save yourself."

"Would I do that to you?" he demanded with a mixture of love, anger, and pain. "No, Cassie, I will get you out of here, I promise you. Please, hold on."

"How touching," sneered the blue monster, regaining his equilibrium. "I am thoroughly moved."

Not bothering to suppress a snarl, Tar'yn leaped at him. He tackled him, effectively pinning him to the floor. "Give me one good reason why I should not kill you here and now," he snarled.

"Kill me," was the raspy reply, "And your girlfriend dies." The other monster nad struggled to his feet, drawing his own blaster and aiming it at Cassie, who was barely conscious and unable to defend herself in the least.

Tar'yn slowly released his grip on the blue monster. He struggled to his feet.

"Thank you," he growled, then made a signal to his pal. "You are a fool to trust me, you know." The other monster fired at Cassie again, hitting her again in the abdomen. She moaned and crumpled into a ball. The damage was not visibal externally, but Tar'yn knew what kind of internal damage could be wrought by one of those devices. One shot could be survived if the victim got prompt medical attention.

Two shots were almost always fatal.

For a split second, Tar'yn could only stand in frozen horror. Suddenly, thunder roared throug the cave, and before anyone knew what was happening, a bolt of lightning came out of nowhere,hitting the blue monster. He yelled in pain before a crimson glow surrounded him, and he vaporized with a blast of searing heat, leaving no trace.

The other monster had stood up in alarm, getting ready to bolt. Another wave of lightning struck him before he took more than a step, and he vaporized in a scream of agony.

The attack stopped as suddenly as it had begun. Only eerie silence filled the room.

Rapidly getting his bearings, Tar'yn scrambled over to where Cassie lay. He could not believe she was still conscious, though he had a feeling it was not for long.

"Cassie, please hold on. You will be all right," he whispered, gathering her close and holding her hand.

Those eyes focused on him. Those eyes, that often glittered with laughter, turned distant with her dreams, or looked at him with sweet yearning now took on a serious, resolute look. "I am dying, Tar'yn." she said softly, her breath wheezy. "You must not deny it. All I can do is apologize, and ask you not to forget me."

"Don't talk like that," he whispered, tears of agony filling his eyes. "Cassie, l love you. You will make it."

He was somewhat taken aback by what she whispered next. "Kiss me, Tar'yn."

"What?"

"Kiss me." He could do little more than obligate her,leaning down and pressing his lips to hers gently. He shook as she faintly responded, her sweet lips parting to meld with his. When he lifted his mouth from hers, she gave him a last, longing look. "Don't forget me..."

He could only watch, paralyzed, as her dark eyes fluttered closed. She went completely limp in his arms, sinking into a coma from the type few ever woke up from.

Pain slammed him, hard. "No! Oh, Cassie!" He did not care that tears filled his eyes and ran unashamedly down his face. Cassie was almost gone. And most of him was dying right along with her, leaving a shell that was not worth salvaging. Shaking hard, he buried his face in her limp shoulder, her sweater soaking his tears as he rocked with the pain of loss.

The voice almost make him jerk in surprise. "Do not despair, Phantom Ranger. I might be able to help you."

Rapidly swallowing his surprise, he eased Cassie back down and scrubbed at his face. "Who are you?" he asked.

The soft femenine voice continued, "I am the spirit of this cave. You were teleported here from another dimension. I watched you for some time, you and the two who were persuing you. I destroyed them because they were evil."

"Thank you, but can you help Cassie?" he choked miserably.

"It is a possiblity." There was a pause. "Her love for you is quite strong. And so is hers for you. There may be one way to save her, but it is dangerous."

"What? I will do anything." he was swift to assure her.

"I can cast a spell that will test the pureness of your hearts, and of your love for each other. It is dangerous because if the spell does not find your hearts as pure as it decrees, then you will both perish. I am a good fairy spirit, and it is the only way I am permitted to try this, I am sorry."

"If it destroys me, so what?" he mumbled. "Life without Cassie in it on *any* level is not worth it."

"So be it," said the voice. "Close your eyes and concentrate on your love. Picture it as a bond between you two, strong and unceasing."

Tar'yn gathered Cassie close, drawing in a quivering breath as he closed his eyes. *One way or the other, Cassie, I will be with you soon,* he promised fervrently.

Suddenly, the strangest feeling flooded him, and he felt Cassie's spirit reach out and touch his with an intensity he had never before experienced. Willingly, he reached oout with his own spirit, feeling electricity bolt down his spine as their souls seemed to meld together to form one, a strong bond that could never be broken, even in death. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever experienced, and he never wanted it to end.

Eventually, though, the glow did fade, and once more, he found himself on the stone floor, with the feeling of Cassie's body in his arms.

*I don't *feel* dead," he realized, opening his eyes. He looked down to find Cassie still in his arms, but there was no visible sign of injury at all now. Not even the scratches and bruises she had suffered earlier. His own physical pain was gone.

His own heart caught in his throat as she stirred, her eyes fluttering open as she smiled at him. It was more important to him than even the sound of her morpher buzzing to life.

****

Andros may have long since ceased pacing, but it was replaced by Ashley soon after. TJ only sighed and shook his head in exapsperation. Whatever it was that they had gone through, They might act somewhat *weird* for awhile until they could deal with the mental onslaught they had suffered.

Trey had not spoken for the past hour, either conducting scans or staring vacantly at the screen while the computer was busy. Occasionally, TJ's thoughts returned to him, but he could not bring himself to ask what was tormenting the young Lord of Triforia so badly.

**Way* too many people on this ship are in need of a good therapist,* he thought at one point. *I guess Ashley and Andros were lucky they did not come back ready for the looney bin. As for Trey, well, I don't know much about Trifiorians as it is...Come on, Cassie, where *are* you, already?*

"Approaching teleportation," announced DECA suddenly. "Please lower shields."

"Do it!" barked TJ, crossing his fingers.

"Sheilds lowering," obliged DECA, and a moment later, two forms swirled in on pink and Black teleportation signals. Cassie and the Phantom Ranger (morphed, of course) materialized in the room, Cassie giving a grin at the shocked delight of her friends.

"Cassie!" squealed Ashley, the haunted look leaving her eyes as she bounded out of her chair and into her best friends's arms.

"Hey, Ash!" she said cheerily. "Miss me?"

"Where have you *been*?" exclaimed Carlos. "You went over to his ship, they tell me, then *blip*, you vanish."

"We were attacked," sighed Cassie, as Ashley let go of her. "These two creeps from that fleet we destroyed were on Phantom's ship, trying to attack him personally when I found him. They transported us into a small dimension. They attacked there....boy, it is a long story."

"It appears we will have plenty of time," said TJ. "These guys are sneaky, and they could still have something planned beyond the fleet. We will need to keep an eye out for a day or so."

Anshley, without realizing it, was clutching the peace-sign-locket she was still wearing again. "Just don't ask me to repeat what happened," she said softly. "I am not sure I could bear to repeat it. As a matter of fact, don't ask Andros, either." Andros nodded, agreeing fully.

Cassie looked hard at Ashley's fumbling hand. "Hey, Ash, how come I never saw you wear that before? What *is* that?"

Ashley looked down, then dropped her hand, blushing. "It belonged to Clyde, my other brother, before he died. I don't wear it much, but this is the first anniversary of his death."

"Clyde? The other brother Johnathan told me about?" asked Cassie. "Ouch."

"He told you?"

"Yeah. He figured I would find out sooner or later anyway. It's a cute pendant, by the way."

"It's not a pendant, it's a locket." Blushing again, Ashley undid the tiny clasp that held it shut. Inside was a tiny picture of the Hammond siblings.

"That is cute," Cassie remarked.

"Johnathan has one like it. I thought the peace sign was dumb, so I did not get one. But they both changed the picture every year. This was the last one, before..." she shook her head.

"So it has the same purpose as the one Andros wears?" asked TJ thoughtfully.

Andros also blushed. "Yeah. But I wear mine all the time. It contains my only clues to Kerone. And it is my only chance to find her."

Ashley spoke up then. "Then don't sit up every night torturing yourself by watching the data disk of her kindapping. Listening to her scream and burying your face in your hands won't help you find her."

Andros looked at her, surprised, eyes glittering with unshed tears. "All right, how many of the *rest* of you know what I do when I am alone?"

Everyone but the Phantom Ranger and Trey exchanged glances, guilty flushes showing the telltale guilt. "We thought you knew that we all knew about that," admitted TJ. "All of us at least once has walked in on you scanning for Kerone. You were so intent on your work you did not notice us."

Andros shook his head and laid it in his hand for a moment. "I never gave up hope that I would find her," he admitted. "But I am beginning to lose that hope I have clung to for so long."

Everyone was surprised at who spoke up next. "Don't ever give up that hope, Andros," said Trey quietly. "As long as there is a shred of hope left, cling to it with all your might. Trust me, if it is one thing that this universe depends on, it is hope." The flash of pain behind his eyes said that there was more to his words than met the eye.

"Indeed," chimed in the Phantom Ranger. "Hope may become real when you least expect it, and bring you more than you ever thought possible." It was not lost on those who saw Cassie turn and give him her brightest smile.

For the first time, Andros's lips quirked and turned up at the corners. "Do you really think so?"

"I know so," answered Phantom firmly.

****

The time had come for the Lightstar Rangers and Trey to say goodbye. No other sign of the enemy had been detected, so their mission was complete.

"Swing by Earth any time," said TJ cheerfully as they clasped hands and shook them. "Sample the local fare. Tacos and burgers are the best items around."

"My people are vegetarians," said Trey, smiling this time. "But thank you, just the same. Myabe someday soon, you will see me again."

They had no idea how much that prophecy would come true, but that was not on anybody's mind when Cassie made her way to him. "See you later, then, Trey," she grinned as they clasped hands. Her smile was mischevious, however. "By the way, I got you a little something, to remember us all by." Into his surprised hand she dropped something that, when it sank into their minds, made all of them, even Trey, burst out laughing.

It was a small statue of a little golden dog.