Fade to Black
by Starhawk

He had been wrong. She wasn't awake after all. His anger with Zhane had been his own, and he had no one to blame but himself for the inexcusable attitude he had taken with the other Ranger.

With Cassie unconscious, he had no qualms about freeing her from her restraints. It let him take her hand, wrap it in his and hold it close against his chest. "Cassie," he whispered, staring down at her peaceful expression. "I'm so sorry."

*Sorry for her, or for yourself?* his mind asked, and he closed his eyes. What had made him lash out at Zhane like that? Could she influence him even when she was not awake, or had the stress of the past couple days simply taken its toll?

He knew, instinctively, that that wasn't it. He had been through worse without losing his temper. And he hadn't just lost his temper--he had deliberately tried to hurt Zhane. He had wanted to see his enemy weakened by his own actions.

*Not my enemy,* he thought, a little uncertainly. Not Zhane, a fellow Ranger. Zhane was a friend, not an enemy. A friend whose careless attitude had endangered others time and again, one that had competed with him from the beginning and tried to steal Cassie's affection on more than one occasion.

His eyes snapped open, and he held Cassie's hand a little tighter. He had reason to dislike Zhane. The other had cheated death when his homeworld fell and had returned to the living to steal a girl who was another's entire world.

It was no wonder he had wanted to hurt the Silver Ranger. What was so wrong with it, really? Cassie didn't want Zhane. He was only protecting her by reminding the other of his place.

Her gentle voice breathed his name, and he looked down to see her struggling to open her eyes.

"I'm here," he whispered, brushing her hair away from her face. "Are you all right?"

"Can't… move," she murmured, frowning prettily.

"That's the effects of the sedative," he said, keeping his voice soft. "It will wear off in a few minutes."

The comm panel next to the door chimed, and he reached over to activate it. Her hand still in his, he raised a finger to his lips and gave her a warning look. Cassie managed to nod incrementally, and he turned their clasped hands to kiss her fingers.

"Phantom," TJ's voice said. "Zhane's on his way back with--Astrea. They're going to teleport directly into the Medical bay. Is Cassie still sedated?"

"Yes," he answered, glancing over at her again. "I was wrong; she is not yet conscious."

"Good. We'll be right down."

He frowned as the comm light blinked out. There was something about Astrea, something he was supposed to remember. He and Zhane had been fighting over whether to let her do something to Cassie, and Zhane had won. Zhane had--

Cassie's fingers tightened on his, and those thoughts flew out of his mind. "How do you feel?" he asked, leaning closer.

"Okay," she murmured, shifting a little. "She's going to hurt me…"

"No," he said quickly. "Do not worry."

He saw her eyes cloud over as he morphed. No sooner had his armor appeared around him than a silvery purple light filled the Medical bay, and Zhane teleported in with a young woman about his own age. Her stance was wary as the luminescence faded from them, but her eyes widened as she caught sight of him and she drew back instantly.

A staff appeared in her hand, one that he knew very well. "Astronema," he growled, reaching for his blaster. But it wasn't where it belonged; Zhane had never given it back after this morning.

He felt Cassie scrambling into a sitting position at his side, and he was relieved that the sedative had worn off so quickly. Whatever Zhane had planned, there was no way he was letting Astronema near Cassie.

"Satellite Stunner," Cassie snapped, and out of the corner of his eye he saw the weapon materialize in her hand. Her morpher was on his belt, but he didn't stop to question.

Astronema lifted her staff and fired before Cassie could and he lunged forward, staggering a little as the bolt dissipated across his armor. Zhane was shouting something, and he saw the Silver Ranger go for Astronema's staff even as a blast from Cassie's stunner streaked past.

He turned in time to see her catch herself against the patient bed--she wasn't steady on her feet yet, and that stumble had cost her her aim when she turned her weapon on Astronema. "Cassie!" he called, and she glanced up automatically.

He stretched out his hand, ready to teleport them both out of here, and she nodded her understanding. She took a step forward, her fingers brushing his as a blue-tinged bolt from the door caught her in the back. He felt the same electric fire he had shielded her from before hit him again, far stronger and strangely numbing this time as it crept underneath his armor and wrapped darkness around his eyes and mind.

He had been wrong to trust any of them, these Rangers that would take her from him. The deck slammed against his side and he knew nothing more.

***

"Zhane," TJ snapped, tossing his blaster to Carlos and hurrying across the room. He crouched at Cassie's side, checking to make sure she was only stunned before he glared at the Silver Ranger. "What happened?"

"Saryn lost it, that's what happened," Zhane answered. Turning to the girl beside him, he asked her, "Are you all right?"

As she lifted her chin, TJ realized with a shock that *this* was Astronema. The staff in her hand and the defiant expression on her face convinced him. This blond-haired, fragile looking young woman was the same villain who had ordered so much destruction in Dark Spectre's name.

"It was my fault," she said, ignoring Zhane. "I was not expecting to see the *Phantom*." She put the same emphasis on his name that Divatox always had, and TJ would have been amused if the situation weren't so serious.

"Yeah, well, he probably wasn't expecting to see you, either," Carlos put in. "Zhane, why didn't you tell him she's Astronema?"

"Because I didn't think he'd agree to it if he knew," Zhane retorted. "I didn't see you volunteering any information."

TJ shot another look at the girl standing beside Zhane. He knew suddenly why Zhane insisted on calling her Astrea--he found he couldn't think of her as Astronema, no matter how much her face or mannerisms were the same. She stood silent now, watching them with no expression as he and Carlos lifted Cassie back onto the patient bed.

They did the same for Phantom, placing him on a second patient bed that extended from the wall. TJ had to wonder about a blast powerful enough to render a morphed Ranger unconscious on the first try, but Phantom was still breathing and he decided it might be better not to know.

Turning back to Astrea, he saw her head bowed and her knuckles white as her fingers tightened on her staff. Then a light from the corner of his eyes made him glance at Cassie, now enveloped by a bright violet glow. "That's the magic that's making her--different," Astrea said, opening her eyes.

She frowned suddenly at something past TJ's shoulder, and he backed up a little to stand beside Carlos. From their vantage point by the door, they could see the entire Medical bay--including the faint purple haze that surrounded Phantom. "Why is *he* affected?" she demanded. "You didn't tell me I'd have to change two of them!"

Zhane held his hands out to his sides. "I didn't know," he protested, gazing unflinchingly back at her as she glared at him.

"You didn't *notice* one of your precious Rangers could no longer be trusted?" she asked, clearly incredulous.

"He really hasn't been acting that strangely," TJ offered, in their defense. "Not until now."

Zhane cleared his throat. "Well…" He shrugged uncomfortably. "He has been a little--aggressive, lately. But he and I never really got along, so I just figured he was upset with me about something."

Astrea shook her head. "He's under the same spell. Why?"

The look she gave them said she expected an answer. TJ and Carlos exchanged glances, and she let her breath out in an impatient huff. "I can't fix it if I don't know how it happened," she warned.

"They have some kind of empathic bond," Zhane muttered at last. "They each--feel what the other feels, I guess. I don't really understand it."

"That's not possible," Astrea said flatly. "If that was true, he would be completely under the spell, the same as her. He is not."

Her head turned suddenly, and she stared at him as though seeing something the rest of them had missed. Purple sparkles shimmered into existence around her fingers, swirling around her hand for a moment before shooting up and down the length of her staff. The haze around Phantom dimmed a little; streamers of the stuff reaching for the staff and dissipating as the sparkles engulfed them.

"He's awake," she said, just as the last of the glow faded.

Indeed, Phantom turned his head at her comment, and TJ wondered how she had known. Levering himself into a sitting position, he said, "You are the sorceress that Zhane thought might help Cassie."

She just looked at him, not speaking and no discernible expression on her face.

"Next time, try not to shoot at people who are here to help," Zhane said wryly.

Phantom drew in a breath, but did not answer right away. At last he said quietly, "In the future, I will endeavor to trust you more."

Zhane looked nothing less than startled at that, but Phantom continued, apparently speaking to Astrea now, "I apologize for my reaction."

She only shrugged. "I'm used to it."

TJ frowned, wondering if she sounded a little resigned or if it was just his imagination. She continued before anyone could speak, though, tilting her head to give Phantom a hard stare. "You are Elisian."

Phantom stiffened, but did not reply.

"Zhane said that you have bonded to Cassie," she said. "Elisians are the only people I know of who do such a thing. You love her, then. And yet, despite this bond, you remain good while she is evil."

Phantom did not move. When he spoke again his voice was strangely calm for someone whose soul had just been laid open to and analyzed by a stranger. "She has always been more sensitive to the bond than I."

Impressed by his composure, TJ glanced over at Carlos. This was the Ranger they had always known. How could they have thought his behavior since Cassie had been made evil was normal? How could they not have seen how he had changed?

"But she *shouldn't* be," Astrea said, obviously frustrated. "I took away the evil from you--but I didn't change the spell. The spell is still affecting *her*, and it should still be affecting *you*."

The sparkle of purple around her left hand was the only warning TJ had before the whole room expanded. Everything quadrupled, as though he were seeing the Medical bay through a kaleidoscope, and he saw details he hadn't even noticed before--he saw *himself*, and he blinked, trying to clear his head.

He was shocked to realize that closing his eyes didn't help. He could still see the Medical bay and everyone in it, as clearly as he had before--until someone cried out, and the multiple vision ceased as abruptly as it had begun.

"You're blocking," Astrea said calmly, as though nothing had happened.

Phantom was on his feet, his entire stance tense. "Do not do that without asking permission," he said, his voice dangerously quiet. "Ever."

She tilted her head, an expression of familiar smugness on her face until Zhane agreed, "You *could* have asked." He pressed his fingers to his temples for a moment, and she glanced at him, the smug look gone.

"What *happened*?" Carlos demanded. "That was really weird."

"We were mentally linked for a moment," Astrea muttered. "Just a moment, and not deep enough to actually know anything."

"*You* did that?" TJ looked at her. "Why?"

"To see if *he* would let me." The look she shot in Phantom's direction left no doubt as to whom she meant.

That didn't sound like a particularly good reason to TJ, but it made Phantom look away. "You should not have done that," he repeated, his voice barely audible.

"What--" Zhane looked from Phantom to the girl at his side. "What's going on? So you couldn't link with him. So what?"

She tossed her head, the gesture of someone used to having longer hair. "I can link with *anyone*," she said, giving him an unreadable look. "If he blocked *me*, then he's definitely blocking *her*."

"No," Phantom said suddenly. "I would not do that to Cassie. I trust her."

Unspoken was the implication that he did *not* trust "Astrea", but the girl chose to ignore that. "You *are* doing it," she insisted. "It's the only way to explain why you're not affected by the spell to the same extent she is."

"I'm not," he denied, oddly sullen. "I'm not blocking her."

Astrea somehow managed to fold her arms without letting go of her staff. Phantom shook his head once, and the slight violet haze that had accumulated around him was noticeable only in its sudden absence.

"Then how did you do that?" Astrea demanded.

He took a deep breath, hesitating a moment. "You are right," he admitted, lifting his head and sounding once more as he always had before all of this had started.

The girl at Zhane's side blinked, glancing uncertainly at Zhane. He just shrugged, and she looked back at Phantom. "Then stop," she ordered, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You can change her back yourself."

Phantom's visor jerked toward her. "What?"

"Probably," she amended.

"Probably?" TJ repeated, not sure he liked the sound of that.

She shrugged a little. "Either he'll make her good, or she'll make him evil. One or the other."

"Oh, well, I'm glad the options are so good," Carlos muttered sarcastically.

"I will try," Phantom said quietly. "For Cassie, I will try."

TJ almost said something, but a warning nudge from Carlos made him close his mouth. They watched without speaking as Phantom walked across the room to stand beside Cassie. He took her hand, bowed his head, and the room suddenly became even quieter.

After a few seconds of holding his breath, TJ glanced over at Carlos. The Black Ranger was watching them with the same intensity TJ had been, but he turned his head when TJ did and caught his eye. Carlos shrugged, and TJ just shook his head once.

*Sometimes, I wish I knew what was going on,* he couldn't help thinking. *The rest of the time, I think that would take the fun out of it.*

Zhane was staring too, but TJ couldn't tell if he actually knew what Phantom was doing or if he was watching for lack of anything better to look at. Astrea, too, was watching, but her eyes darted back and forth between the two figures as though she was waiting for something.

Carlos elbowed him again, just hard enough to get his attention, and TJ saw the purple haze starting to surround Phantom once more. Giving Astrea a furtive glance, TJ saw sparkles gather quietly around her fingers as she closed her eyes. The haze dissipated, as it had the first time, and Phantom's shoulders rose and fell in a silent sigh.

TJ's eyes widened, and he looked at Carlos quickly to see if he was imagining it. But Carlos looked just as startled, and when TJ's gaze shifted back the swirling of the violet illumination around Cassie was obvious. Slowly, in an ever-widening circle, the violet glow was retreating from their clasped hands.

"He's doing it," Carlos whispered.

*Doing *what*?* TJ thought wryly, unable to tear his eyes away.

Astrea took a single step forward, sparkles still dancing around her hand but not going anywhere. After what seemed an interminable amount of time, the glow retreated from Cassie without her help. Phantom slumped, bracing his arm against the patient bed and not protesting when Carlos moved forward to help him.

"Zhane." TJ looked up at the sound of Astrea's voice, saw her backing away from them. As soon as she had Zhane's attention, she pulled his morpher from--somewhere--and tossed it to him.

Even as the digimorpher tumbled through the air, the girl's fingers tightened on her staff and a purple outline appeared around her body. As Zhane's hand closed around his morpher, she vanished into the glow of her signature teleportation.

***

Her fingers made narrow V's in the water as it tumbled past, and Ashley looked up through the trees as she realized there were more shadows than light falling across the water now. "Hey, Andros," she called, twisting to look over her shoulder. "The sun's going down--think we should stay here for the night?"

He nodded without hesitation, grabbing her canteen from her backpack and standing up. "Yeah. I was just thinking about that. It's getting darker already, and we'd probably be better off not trying to move around until morning."

She watched him walk the few steps to where she sat on the bank of the river. He moved carefully, sliding his feet a little, and she couldn't help but agree. Andros was having enough trouble with his vision without adding darkness on top of it.

She shifted, making room for him on the rock she was perched on, careful not to disturb her ankle. Immersed in the cold water as it was, she couldn't even feel her foot anymore, but at least it didn't seem to be swelling.

"How's your ankle?" Andros asked, lowering himself to the ground beside her.

"Fine," she said automatically. "I think," she added, as an afterthought. "It's hard to tell when you can't feel it."

He smiled. "Believe me, I know what you mean."

She opened her mouth to reply, watching him lean forward over the water to dunk the wide-mouthed canteen below the surface. His hair clung to his face, damp with sweat that wouldn't evaporate in this humidity, and droplets trickled down his bare back when he straightened up.

He took a gulp of the water, his hands dirty on the canteen from bushwhacking all afternoon. With smudged dust across his cheeks and a weary expression on his face, he made quite a sight. But she was struck by the sudden thought that he was the most beautiful person she had ever seen, and when he offered the canteen to her she realized she was still staring at him.

With a shake of her head she tore her gaze away, accepting the canteen with murmured thanks. She didn't bother to turn the canteen before drinking from it, not caring, even liking the idea that her lips would touch the same place his had.

"Who knows what's in the water," he said with a rueful smile, "but it's the best we can do."

"I'm not sure I even care, as long as it tastes this good," she admitted, closing her eyes and savoring the feel of the cool liquid sliding down her throat.

When her eyelids flickered open, she found him watching her with the same intent gaze she had turned on him a moment ago. "You know you're pretty," he said softly, the words somewhere between a question and a declaration.

"Not like this," she said, looking down self-consciously. "I've never been so hot and tired in my life."

"Yeah," he insisted. "Like this. You're--" He smiled a little, as though he realized suddenly how strange it sounded. "You're really beautiful."

She passed the canteen back to him, feeling a smile spreading across her own face. "Thanks," she whispered. No matter *how* hot and tired she was, she was unequivocally grateful to have him here, alive and with her once more.

His kiss surprised her, and she couldn't help giggling as he pulled away. "I love you," she said, too happy not to laugh.

"I love you, too," he answered, his smile widening. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," she said quickly, and he gave her his patented Look. It was milder than it had been at first, and it melted her heart to see the affection on his face, but there was no mistaking that expression.

She giggled again. "Do you know you're doing that?"

"Doing what?" he said, looking puzzled.

"The Look," she said, amused. "The one you give people whenever you're exasperated with them…"

He didn't look any more enlightened, and she tried to imitate it for him. "You know, like this."

His lips quirked, and she insisted, "I'm serious! You do it all the time--do you really not notice?"

He shook his head, his smile visible through the encroaching shadows. Only then did she realize how dark it was getting, and she looked away reluctantly. "We're going to have to find someplace to sleep around here, you know."

"And I'm hungry," he added, glancing over his shoulder.

She made a face. "For ration bars?"

"Of course not," he said, getting to his feet. "But since they're all we have, they're good enough. I'll be right back."

She bit her tongue to keep from saying, "Be careful." He was only going a few steps, but she worried that he would trip over something in the dimness and hurt himself further.

*He doesn't need you to mother him,* she reminded herself firmly, but she breathed a sigh of relief when he returned to her side. Crouching down beside her on the rock, he tore open one of the ration bars and handed it to her before opening his own.

"Thanks," she said, giving it a skeptical look. "Are you sure these are nutritious?"

He nodded, mid-bite, and she watched him fondly. "How can you eat like that? They taste awful!"

This time he swallowed and shook his head. "They're not that bad."

Wondering if they had somehow changed since they had stopped for a break earlier, she took a tentative bite. The reminder only served to convince her that she had not been mistaken. "Andros, they taste like cardboard."

He settled more comfortably on the rock, drawing one knee up to his chest and turning his head toward her. "Have you ever eaten cardboard?"

She drew her right foot out of the water gingerly, turning a little so she was facing him. Letting her numb ankle rest on the rock, she mimicked his position. "You just won't admit that these--" she gestured with her ration bar, "are the most disgusting things you've ever had."

She tried not to grin as he stopped chewing to look at her. She was deliberately trying to provoke him, but she wasn't sure quite why. For whatever reason, it wasn't working. "It isn't," he said calmly.

"Oh?" Ashley leaned forward. "Then what is?"

He seemed to think about it for a moment, and she was just about to declare victory when he told her, "Zhane's hot chocolate."

She blinked, staring at him in surprise. The answer wasn't at all what she had expected, and his deadpan expression was just a little too good--she didn't catch on until he chuckled.

"You!" She swung at his shoulder, but he was too quick. He caught her arm before she could hit him, sliding his fingers over her wrist to hold her hand. "You said you'd never even had hot chocolate till you met us," she said, his gentle touch muting her indignation some.

She saw him shrug. "Yeah, but anything Zhane tries to make is terrible."

"Worse than this, huh?" Ashley tried to imagine the Silver Ranger cooking and found that she couldn't do it.

"Try dipping it in water," Andros suggested, picking up the canteen and tipping it in her direction. "They're not as bad when they're soft."

She reached out for the canteen, then paused. "Hey! You just admitted they were bad!"

"I didn't say they weren't bad," he said, amusement in his voice. "I just said they could be worse."

Dipping her ration bar in the canteen he held out, she shook her head. "Remind me not to eat anything Zhane cooks…"

"I don't think you'll have to be reminded," Andros said wryly, watching as she took another bite of the bar. "Any better?"

She made a face. "Now it tastes like wet cardboard."

He laughed. "Sorry. There's only so much I can do."

Touched, she dunked her ration bar in the canteen again and took another bite. "It is better this way, actually," she admitted. "Thanks."

"Anytime," he said, dipping his own ration bar into the water.

She scooted closer to him so she wouldn't have to reach so far, and he shifted so they were sitting shoulder to shoulder. The next time she reached for the canteen, her hand brushed his arm, and she leaned against him contentedly as she finished her ration bar.

His was gone before hers, and he switched the canteen to the other hand, putting his right arm around her. She smiled, reluctant to move even after she finished eating, and they sat quietly watching the river until it was too dark to see much of anything.

Finally, Andros sighed and squeezed her shoulders. "We should sleep," he said quietly.

She nodded reluctantly, her head heavier than she expected. She blinked, trying to clear her mind and realizing she'd been closer to dozing off than she'd thought. "Yeah," she said, struggling to sit up straight.

She felt him fumbling around for something, then he whispered, "Close your eyes. I'm going to turn the flashlight on."

She shut her eyes obediently. A click and a flood of red across her eyelids told her when he turned the light on, and she cracked her eyes open just a little. The light swung across the bank, and he asked softly, "Could you hand me my shirt?"

Still squinting, she reached over to the nearby rock where he'd left it to dry in the sun after washing it. She caught it in her fingers and passed it over to him, unable to keep herself from watching as he pulled it on. "Thanks," he said quietly, moving to stand up.

"I hope the bugs didn't bother you," she said, trying to follow and wincing as her ankle refused to take the weight. Andros caught her as she stumbled, and she sighed.

"No," he said, letting her get her balance again. "They don't seem too bad by the water--the breeze must keep them away. Maybe if we sleep here we can avoid being eating overnight."

"There's a pleasant thought," she said wryly, testing her ankle again. She bit her lip as it complained, but she said nothing. "Anything to avoid that fate."

"Your ankle's hurting?" Andros must have seen her expression.

She sighed again. "I couldn't feel it at all at first. Why is it hurting now?"

"You were moving around before," he pointed out. "Now your muscles are stiffening from sitting still. Sit back down; I'll go get our stuff."

"No--" She tried to protest, but he interrupted.

"Ash, sit down." Andros' tone was gentle, not at all commanding, but she found herself doing as he said without thinking about it. "I'll be right back."

From her perch on the banking, she watched the pool of light bob slowly but evenly over to her pack. She could see him reach down to grab the backpack--and then he stopped. The light swung away, but he didn't move.

"Andros?" she called softly, concerned.

"I'm okay." The whisper floated back to her on the darkness, and she frowned. He didn't *sound* okay…

"Just a headache," he said, and she saw the shadow that was him straighten. The light headed back in her direction, and he dropped the pack to the ground beside her.

"That pain reliever's probably wearing off by now," she offered. "You should take another one before you try to sleep."

He just shook his head, crouching down next to her. "Can't," he said, propping the light up between them as he pulled something out of her backpack. "I can't think to you this way, remember? If I'm going to reach Zhane, I'll have to wait until this wears off all the way."

She sighed. "I know," she admitted. "I just don't want to see you hurting."

"I could sleep on the other side of the clearing," he teased gently, and she smiled.

"Somehow I don't think that would help… Tell me if it gets too bad, though, okay?"

"I will," Andros promised. "Can I test on you every so often? If you can hear me, Zhane will probably be able to, too."

She nodded, not sure he could see the gesture. "Of course; whenever you want."

He was quiet for a moment, then passed her something over the flashlight. She reached out to take her jacket, balling it up in her hands and wondering if he had just done what she thought he had. "You just tried to talk to me, didn't you."

"Yeah," he said with a sigh. "It's weird to not hear you at all."

He pulled out his own jacket, and she reached out to touch his arm. "It'll come back," she promised. He knew that, but sometimes it helped to have someone else tell you. "Give it a little while. That pain reliever probably isn't all the way gone yet."

"Oh, I'm sure it's not," he said, closing her pack again and pushing it aside. His tone was wry. "I'll probably feel a lot worse before it fades all the way."

She patted his hand, sliding down off her rock in search of someplace to curl up. "Take another one as soon as you talk to Zhane," she murmured, sensing his nod more than seeing it.

She moved just enough to avoid a tree root and laid her coat down on the ground, picking a place and leaving it to him to decide how close he would sleep. She saw him hesitate, watching her lie down and supposedly close her eyes.

She kept them open just enough to see him fidget with the flashlight for a moment before turning it off and tossing his jacket down next to hers. He turned, stretching out in the opposite direction so their faces were close but they were lying some distance apart. She couldn't manage to be disappointed, not when she had thought him dead only the night before, but she had wished him closer than that…

*Ashley,* she scolded herself, as her thoughts turned inadvertently more intimate. She managed to keep from sighing, but she thought she was blushing and she was thankful for the darkness.

"Andros?" she whispered suddenly, just loud enough to be heard of the murmur of the river.

"Yeah?" he answered immediately, and she heard him move a little.

Ashley smiled into the night. "I love you."

His voice came back, soft and reassuring. "I love you, too."

***

The sky was deep cobalt overhead, wispy clouds blocking out most of the stars. The dock lights would have drowned out the starlight anyway, blazing away over the edge of the bay and the almost deserted marina in an attempt to imitate the close-up fire of the sun.

Zhane watched the lights' reflections dancing on the incoming tide, wondering idly why there was no one around. On Rayven, night sailing was a popular activity due to the glowing trails left by any sea vessels that ventured out after dark, a beautiful sight that became almost addictive.

Maybe Earth's oceans *had* no natural phosphoresence, he thought. Or maybe it was just the wrong season…

He sighed. He didn't care about the air of eerie loneliness that surrounded the dock. There was only one person whose absence bothered him, and the longer he sat here alone the more worried he became.

He didn't blame her for leaving so abruptly that evening. After all, she was surrounded by people she must still consider enemies, and as far as she was concerned they had no more use for her. To run would probably have been his first reaction, too.

But he had hoped she would stay. Or at least, not vanish quite so quickly. He had thought her concession to help them had been an encouraging sign, and he had hoped she would let them try to talk to her.

He had hoped she would let *him* talk to her.

*She's not supposed to be Astronema!* his mind cried, and he rested his chin on his fist sadly. If she really was Andros' little sister, he owed it to his friend to try and make her remember her old life. And no matter who she was, he owed it to *her* to try and help her resolve her identity crisis.

She had been there for him when he was trying to figure out who *he* was, after all. Waking up from a two-year coma had left him confused and a little lonely, even with Andros around, and her unpredictable appearances had always come at just the right time to cheer him up.

Ever since the night of the dance, though, he had felt their roles should be reversed--and then she had disappeared. He hadn't yet had the chance to return the favor. He had hoped, by teleporting down here tonight, that she would understand that he was offering to listen if she wanted to talk.

But she remained absent, and he was beginning to think that she didn't *want* his company any more. Maybe he had asked too much when he asked her to help Cassie, or maybe she had just grown tired of the simplicity of the time the two of them spent on Earth. Being a princess of evil had to be a pretty exciting life, after all…

He was just about to give up and climb to his feet when a slight crackle behind him made him turn.

Astrea stood there, blond hair shining in the lamplight as the faint violet glow of teleportation faded from her. Her arms were folded across her chest and her stance was wary, as though she didn't quite know what kind of reception to expect.

"Hi," he said, not taking his eyes off of her. "I'm glad you came… I wanted to thank you."

She drew back, surprise in her eyes. "Thank me? What for?"

"For changing Cassie," he said simply.

She shook her head. "I didn't do that."

"But you told Sa--" It took a conscious effort to stop himself and use the Earth Rangers' name for him. "You told Phantom how to do it. And I saw you help him, there at the beginning."

Astrea lifted her chin but didn't answer.

"Cassie was influencing him again, wasn't she," Zhane said, getting tired of looking up at her but not wanting to spook her by moving. "You said she could make him evil--and she would have, if you hadn't helped him."

She shrugged. "He would not have fought for the side of evil, I think. He would have been loyal only to her. That made him a threat to all of us, not only to you."

Zhane shook his head. "You didn't have to help; and you did. That's enough for me."

She looked away, staring out across the water. He held still, wondering if she would vanish again. But after a moment she took a single step forward and dropped gracefully down beside him. "Thank you for trusting me," she said suddenly, glancing sideways at him.

He shrugged nonchalantly, but inside he was pleased. "Thanks for helping S--Phantom."

She looked down, laying her hand against the wood surface of the dock. "I did him no favors," she said quietly. "He will feel everything she feels, now. It will be a serious disadvantage in battle."

Zhane watched her fingers trace out imaginary designs on the dock. "You did *me* a favor," he reminded her. "Thanks, Astrea."

He saw her sneak a look at him again, and she hesitated over the words. "You're--welcome."

They sat in silence for another few minutes, listening to the lapping of the waves on the dock. "Not everything in life is about battle," he said suddenly, wincing as his voice broke into the peace.

She didn't jump, though, and she even turned her head toward him.

"You said making him overcome his block would be a disadvantage in battle," he explained. "But there are things other than battles…"

He couldn't help but remember Saryn's focus, the look on his face as he chased the evil away from Cassie with little more than the determination to restore the woman he loved. "And I think, maybe, that that was what he wanted all along. To feel what she feels."

She tilted her head, and the frown on her face was unmistakable. "Why?"

Zhane tried to come up with an answer for that, but finally he just shrugged. "Because--he loves her."

Her curious expression did not abate. "Is that what it means to love someone? To want to share what they feel?"

He was quiet a moment, stumped once more. This time, though, he shook his head. "I don't know," he admitted. "I've never been in love, not like that."

"But you have loved?"

He was surprised by the openness of her expression, and he found that as long as she seemed genuinely interested in the answer, he couldn't be annoyed by her questions. "There are people I love, yes," Zhane told her, wondering if he was about to make a mistake. "Your brother, Andros--I'm not *in* love with him, but I do love him."

She completely ignored the brother comment. "What's the difference?" she asked, a charming look of confusion on her face.

"Well…" He had to think about that one. "You can love your parents, or your--" he glanced at her, deciding not to edit his comment-- "your siblings, or your friends, without being *in* love with them. Someone you're in love with might be… well, sometimes someone you would want to marry."

"Marry?" she repeated, apparently not understanding.

He tried hard not to smile. "That would be--" He stopped, suddenly realizing he had no idea if the custom was even the same here on Earth. But she was from KO-35, so maybe it didn't matter.

He did his best to explain, stumbling through explanation after explanation as every answer brought up another question. He was surprised and more than a little pleased to find her so inquisitive about something so opposite to her current way of life, and he told her as much as he could. She waited patiently while he searched for words, and the water rose slowly beneath the dock as the bay reflected the dance of the ocean tides.