*Andros!*

He turned restlessly, his eyes snapping open at the sound of his friend's voice. The bed beneath him was unfamiliar, and he had a moment of panic as he tried and failed to remember where he was.

*Zhane?* His friend's alarm came across loud and clear, and he struggled to sit up. The room came into abrupt focus around him, and he recognized the Hammonds' living room.

*Someone's after Astrea!*

Andros shook his head, pushing his loose hair away from his face impatiently as he scrambled off the foldout sofa bed. *Ashley!* He twined an elastic around his hair as he stood up, catching a glimpse of the playground in the park from Zhane's mind.

He felt the Yellow Ranger waking up, coming alert more quickly than he had. *Meet us in the park,* he told her, twisting his wrist and punching the coordinates into his morpher.

The flare of red before his eyes subsided into the early morning shadows of the park's east side, and he felt the rush of Power that came with an instantaneous morph. His eyes barely had time to adjust before a bolt of pale blue lightning seared his vision and cast the scene before him into sharp relief.

Zhane too was morphed, crouched by the bottom of the slide and using it as cover to return the monster's fire. Kerone lay crumpled on the ground just behind him, and Andros's heart leapt into his throat at the sight of her lying there, defenseless and more vulnerable than she had ever appeared as Astronema.

Two more streaks of teleportation lit the area with an unnatural glow the just-rising sun did not dispel, even as his own weapon tracked toward the source of the electric fire that threatened Zhane. There was no monster, though, and he faltered just long enough for the civilian to turn that lightning-charged power on him.

"Andros!" He felt someone behind him, shoving him to the ground just as the electric fire engulfed him.

***

"Star Slinger!"

Ashley's weapon fired over and over again, but the "civilian" only stumbled backward before bringing its weapon to bear on her. She knew, even as she dove out of the way, that "it" was the right word for a monster that appeared human but could wield such a destructive weapon without remorse.

Neither Saryn nor Andros moved from where they had fallen when it turned its electric charge on them, and both their morphs had failed. Fear gave her the impetus she needed to roll to her feet again, her Power weapon blazing to life once more.

From the relative shelter of the playground's slide, Zhane was working with her to catch the monster in their crossfire. She could feel something pushing at her mind and she knew he was trying to tell her something, but she couldn't hear him clearly enough to make out the words.

The sudden familiar drone of Gliders told her the cavalry had arrived, and she threw herself to the ground as her teammates opened fire. Cassie, TJ, and Carlos cruised past, the Pink Glider at the point of their wedge formation.

Ashley scrambled to her feet, using the distraction to dart over to Andros. She slid to the ground beside him, seeing him stir even as she reached out to him. "Andros?"

He pushed himself up with an effort, his hand going to his head. "I--" He hesitated, and she stared at his confused expression worriedly. "I am well," he said at last.

The roaring crackle of an explosion drowned out anything else he might have added, and Ashley found herself thrown forward. Andros's arms caught her even as she twisted, adrenaline augmenting the Power as she sought out her friends with her eyes.

Closest to the monster, Carlos and TJ were both prone on the ground. It did not appear to care, moving past the demorphed Rangers with a slithering gate that marked it as inhuman as clearly as the weapon it still held. Farther away, Cassie's Glider lingered nearby as she tumbled to a stop on the ground, rolling to her feet with her stunner in her hand and her armor still in place.

"Hold it right there!" she shouted, not waiting for any kind of acknowledgement. She opened fire on the monster, but it barely faltered in its direct line toward the playground's slide.

Ashley's Star Slinger joined in the assault, but it paid no attention. She found that she could get to her feet and follow it, still firing, and it did not care. It was showing the effects, but slowly, and she knew they would not stop it from reaching Zhane. She also knew, instinctively, that Zhane would not simply let Andros's sister be taken.

It fired on him from no more than a meter away, and this time he did not duck. She flinched as she ran toward them, but the bolt never reached Zhane. A staticky purple field sprang up in front of the Silver Ranger, and the electricity dissipated against it, reaching sparkling tentacles toward the ground on either side of the shield and vanishing into nothingness.

The shield disappeared, and Ashley saw Kerone struggling to sit up. The monster was on top of them by now, and an abrupt and fiery teleportation enveloped all three. They faded with the glow in less time than it took to blink.

***

He could feel grass beneath his hands as he tried to push himself into a sitting position. The Power roared in his ears despite the fact that his morph was gone, and he could feel it surging through him like a living thing. It was the only thing keeping him conscious and giving him the strength to accept the hand that was offered to him.

Andros took the hand blindly, letting one of his teammates pull him to his feet. He must have been hit harder than he thought, for the world felt inexplicably wrong. He was still dizzy, perhaps, for everything looked slightly smaller, and almost the wrong color.

The bright flash of pink as Cassie demorphed did not hurt his eyes, and she wrapped her arms around him in a strangely affectionate gesture. "Don't scare me like that," she whispered in his ear, just as Ashley called for them from somewhere nearby.

***

TJ and Carlos had no visible sign of injury; their Power had protected them that far, at least. But Andros was on his feet again, and they still had not stirred. She hoped it was only because they had been hit after he had, rather than because the monster had changed tactics.

To her immense gratification, Carlos's eyes opened tentatively as she knelt down beside him. He flinched as she demorphed, the bright flare of yellow probably making his eyes sting. "Are you all right?" she asked contritely.

He squeezed his eyes shut, but he managed to nod. "Yeah," he muttered, pushing himself up. She put a hand behind his shoulder to help him, hearing TJ groan as he too came back to consciousness.

"You guys!" she called, looking over her shoulder. Andros had started in their direction already, but Cassie was still "helping" Saryn. Ashley rolled her eyes a little, though she knew she would have done no less if Andros had given her the opportunity.

***

Her lips pressed against his, and there was nothing even remotely platonic about the kiss. To his horror, he found himself responding, his arms sliding around her and his mouth welcoming hers even as his mind screamed at him to stop.

He *couldn't* stop; he needed her and he had never been able to resist the feeling. It was a gift she had, to make him so aware of everything about her so quickly--Cassie was wearing her nightshirt over jeans, pulled on as soon as DECA's monster alert had woken them both this morning, and he could feel her entire body warm against his. Her fingers pushed his hair away from his face as she drew away, and he felt himself shiver involuntarily.

Andros could only stare at her, appalled by his own reaction to his teammate. Cassie was beautiful, certainly, but he had never *ever* thought of her the way he now remembered feeling for so long.

Cassie was frowning up at him, and her words froze his heart. "Saryn--what's wrong?"

***

Ashley's head swung around as she heard TJ cry out, and she gave him a stern look. "Don't move," she ordered, scooting past Carlos to help him up anyway. She knew the Blue Ranger wouldn't listen, but the pain in his expression was obvious.

Carlos took his other arm, carefully, and they lifted TJ to his feet. "Andros!" she called over her shoulder. "TJ's hurt; we'll meet you in the Medical bay."

"Right." It was Saryn who answered, but as TJ cradled his injured wrist against his chest she didn't stop to wonder.

"DECA," she said, slapping her morpher. "Three to teleport."

As the world disappeared into golden sparkles, she spared a last glance for Andros, silently urging him to hurry. She didn't want him out of her sight for any longer than he had to be, not with a monster that could look perfectly human roaming around Angel Grove.

***

His gaze swung across the park as he answered Ashley, and he caught sight of the only team member he had not yet accounted for--but it wasn't Saryn. He could only stare as he came face to face with *himself*... and the expression of terrible jealousy on "his" features took him aback.

A flash of light signaled the departure of the other three Rangers, but Andros couldn't take his eyes away from this mirror image of himself. He felt Cassie falter at his side, lowering her head and twisting it to the side as though struck.

"Saryn?" she whispered, and she lifted her gaze to stare directly at "Andros".

Andros saw the other nod slowly, and he glanced down involuntarily. Dark hair fell in his face as he tilted his head, and Saryn's ruby hung on a gold chain around his neck. His clothes, while wrinkled and obviously thrown on in haste when DECA's alert sounded, were both black and distinctly Eltaran.

Cassie swallowed, looking back at Andros. "I'm--I'm sorry," she stammered, taking a quick step away from him. "I thought..."

She trailed off, and he tried to smile. It didn't help that he was still reacting to her the way Saryn did--he didn't *want* her to go, and he had to clench his hands to keep the feeling from completely overpowering him. "It's all right. What--"

He looked over at Saryn, doing his best to ignore the fact that it was *his* face he saw. "What *happened*?"

"We are no longer as we were," Saryn said slowly, his gaze still flickering between Andros and Cassie.

Folding his arms, Andros surreptitiously moved a little farther away from Cassie. "Yeah, I can see that. That monster... it hit us both at the same time. You think it did this?"

Saryn shook his head, but his words were affirmative. "I see no other explanation."

Cassie sighed, and Andros looked in her direction before he thought. He could feel his heart rate jump just looking at her, and he knew beyond a doubt that she and Saryn were more than just girlfriend and boyfriend to each other.

He yanked his gaze away, shooting a guilty look in Saryn's direction. The ghostly flicker of things Saryn knew in Andros's mind, more feelings than memories but there nonetheless, made him wonder suddenly what Saryn now knew about *him*.

"It must have been sent to bring Kerone back to the Dark Fortress," Cassie said, shifting uncomfortably. "Maybe someone there thought Zhane kidnapped her or something. We're going to have to go after them."

Startled, Andros realized that he had almost forgotten about Zhane's disappearance. Worry for his friend's safety should have been the first thing on his mind, no matter how strange things had suddenly become. "You're right," he agreed, straightening up. "We *have* to get them out of there."

"Zhane, at least," Saryn said quietly. "We do not know whom your sister is loyal to at this point, Andros."

Andros started to object, then closed his mouth as he realized the other was right. "Right," he agreed reluctantly. "At least Zhane."

He reached out, trying to touch his friend's mind, but there was only darkness. "He's unconscious," Andros told them. He hadn't been when the monster teleported them out, and that worried Andros. "Let's go."

"Whoa, wait," Cassie interrupted, as he reached for a morpher that wasn't on his wrist. "Can we think this out? First, we need to tell the others what's going on, and second, we can't just teleport onto the Dark Fortress."

Saryn looked over at her, his expression unreadable as he offered, "DECA can determine the necessary coordinates."

"But can she get us past the shields?" Cassie countered.

Andros nodded. "She should be able to, but we're not going to be able to go morphed. We'd probably set off half the alarms on the ship."

Cassie folded her arms, unconsciously mimicking his stance. "What about the others?"

"There is no need for you to come with us," Saryn interjected. "If you tell the others where we are, Andros and I will retrieve Zhane."

"Oh, really!" Cassie glared at him. "Nice try, but there's no way you're leaving me behind."

"Cassie," Andros began, glancing over at Saryn and trying not to blink. "You really don't--"

His eyes widened as she threw her arms around Saryn and kissed him. Saryn's body ached as he watched Cassie and "Andros", and Andros reminded himself to *never* again let Zhane flirt with the Pink Ranger. He wasn't Saryn, and he could still feel it tearing him up inside to watch.

"That's why I have to go," Cassie said breathlessly, drawing away from Saryn's embrace. "Don't you see? I can feel how weird this is for you guys, for Saryn at least, and it's no picnic for me either. You may be the same people, inside, but you still feel things the way the other does."

Andros flinched a little, for he knew himself how deeply Saryn trusted Cassie--and yet Andros's body had still stiffened when she touched him. He hoped he did not react that way to Ashley, but to his dismay, he couldn't be sure he did not.

"All the more reason you should not come," Saryn said softly, reaching out with an odd deliberateness to stroke her hair.

"No." Andros finally found his voice--or at least, Saryn's voice. He shook his head, and couldn't help feeling irritated when Saryn's hair fell in his eyes again. "You're right, Cass; it's your problem as much as ours. Let's go."

She gave a short nod, not meeting his eyes as she linked her morpher briefly to DECA's systems. He saw his morpher flash along with hers as she downloaded the coordinates. The Power rumbled in his ears again as his fingers closed around Saryn's ruby, and he felt the surge of raw strength catch him up in a heavily shadowed red light.

***

"Hold *still*," Ashley demanded impatiently, as TJ fidgeted on the patient bed.

"Let me," Carlos offered, grasping TJ's hand and taking the unwrapped portion of bandage from her. "Hold still," he repeated, but his tone was wry as he glanced at TJ.

Ashley sighed. "You'll be all right," she said, settling down beside him and to watch Carlos wind the bandage around his wrist. "It's just sprained, I think."

TJ winced. "Yeah, thanks--tell that to my wrist."

Ashley's lips twitched. "Just be glad it'll heal quickly," she told him.

He breathed an exaggerated sigh of relief as Carlos clipped the bandage into place and let go of his hand. " 'That's all set,' " he said, mimicking the school nurse. " 'Try to keep the bandage nice and clean. I don't want to see you in here again, young man!' "

TJ snickered. "She'd probably have a fit if she knew how many times we've treated ourselves over the last year or so."

"DECA?" Ashley asked, glancing over at the camera. She had expected Andros and the others to teleport into the Medical bay first, but she supposed they might have gone directly to the Bridge. "Are the others back yet?"

"Andros, Saryn, and Cassie are not on the Megaship," DECA replied.

She saw Carlos frown. "What are they still doing in the park, having a picnic?"

"Or a pajama party," TJ suggested, glancing pointedly around at their clothes.

Ashley grinned, but DECA's reply brought her up short. "They are no longer in the park."

She exchanged wide-eyed glances with Carlos. "Where *are* they?"

"Cassie requested coordinates for the Dark Fortress several minutes ago," DECA informed them calmly.

"And you didn't *tell* us?" Carlos demanded.

DECA seemed to consider that. "You did not ask."

Carlos rolled his eyes. "DECA, did three of our teammates just teleport over to an enemy ship in their pajamas without telling us? Is that what you expected me to say?"

"Come on," TJ said before DECA could reply. He got to his feet and headed for the door. "We can track them from the Bridge."

***

He put a hand out to steady himself as the teleportation stream released him, finding the wall without seeing as his vision blurred uncontrollably and he struggled not to stumble. Then the Power strengthened, pushing the wave of exhaustion away, and he blinked.

"What's wrong?" Cassie whispered.

They were standing in a deserted hallway, strange shadows falling through the metal grid to their right and the whisper of quantron speech barely noticeable from somewhere not far enough away. He shook his head, glancing down the hall toward what should be the main control area of the Dark Fortress.

"Nothing," Andros answered, as quietly as he could. He could feel the Power compensating now, in a rush he was used to feeling only when morphed. But for a moment he had been frighteningly close to blacking out.

Saryn was watching him inscrutably, and he had to ask, "Is it always like this?"

"No," Saryn replied softly. "My crystal was overtaxed two days ago, and if often leaves me feeling somewhat... tired."

Andros had to restrain himself from repeating "tired" aloud in a tone of sheer disbelief. The word did not begin to describe it.

Instead, he looked down the hallway again, brushing Saryn's hair out of his eyes impatiently. "That should be the main control area," he whispered. "Assuming DECA's coordinates are right. Let's go."

He saw "Andros" reach for Cassie's hand as they crept down the corridor, and he looked away. He could hear a voice he recognized as Ecliptor's as they approached the open doors, and he motioned to the others to stay where they were.

Creeping closer, he felt Saryn's ruby swing as he leaned forward. It reminded him just a little too much of his own locket, and Andros caught the stone and tucked it under the other's black overshirt. When he looked up, Saryn's hair was in his eyes again, and it was all he could do to keep from sighing in exasperation.

Crouching beside the doors, he shook the hair away from his face yet again and wished for an elastic. Then the sound of his sister's voice reached his ears, answering Ecliptor, and drove the thought out of his mind.

"There was no danger!" Kerone was insisting, her tone angry, and Andros felt the sudden lightening he had been waiting for in his mind.

*Zhane?*

For a moment, there was no answer, and Andros chanced a quick look around the doorframe. Kerone's argument with her guardian had broken off as Zhane struggled upright, and Kerone, clad once more as Astronema, extended a tentative hand in his direction.

He took it without hesitation, not even seeming to notice her transformation, and Andros heard his friend reply, *I'm all right. Where are you?*

*Right outside,* Andros told him, knowing Zhane could tell how close he was. *It's me, Saryn, and Cassie--should we charge in, or wait?*

*Wait,* Zhane said immediately.

Getting to his feet, the Silver Ranger let go of Astronema's hand and made a show of brushing himself off. "The spell wasn't really necessary, was it?" he asked mildly.

Even from where he was, Andros could see the look of chagrin on her face. "It wasn't me," she said, giving Ecliptor a dark look. "Ecliptor sedated you as soon as we materialized. Are you all right?"

"Yeah, thanks," Zhane answered. "What's going on?"

Andros looked away from the scene for just a moment, long enough to cock his head at the others and gesture for them to join him.

"He thinks you--were holding me against my will," Astronema answered, and Andros glanced back into the room.

"What's happening?" Cassie whispered.

He started to turn, and remembered at the last moment not to look at her. "Ecliptor thought she was in trouble--he must have sent that monster to 'rescue' her," Andros said quietly. "Zhane's conscious again, but he doesn't seem to be in any danger."

"Am I to understand--" Ecliptor's low rumble filled the room, spilling over into the hallway. "That you *wished* to be with this... Power Ranger?"

Andros peered around the doorway again, holding his breath.

Astronema--Kerone--lifted her chin and stared back at him. "Yes. I knew what I was doing, Ecliptor."

For several seconds, no one moved. Then Ecliptor lowered his gaze and turned his head away in defeat. "You are no longer evil," he said, as though pronouncing her doom.

Kerone took a deep breath, and her "Astronema" appearance faded away in a shimmer of violet sparkles. Andros's heart went out to her as he realized she was trembling, and he was grateful to see Zhane step forward and touch her shoulder tentatively.

She looked back at him, catching his eye, but she did not pull away. "Maybe..." Glancing at Ecliptor again, she continued quietly, "Maybe I never really was, Ecliptor. I--I'm sorry."

Ecliptor actually sighed, and it was such a sad sound that Andros almost felt sorry for him before he remembered who he was. "No, my princess. You must not apologize for what you are... and have always been, no matter how I might have wanted it to be different."

She swallowed. "But I *am* sorry..." To Andros's infinite surprise, she stepped away from Zhane and threw her arms around Ecliptor.

*Zhane?* Andros asked, drawing away from the door as he caught the sound of quantron footsteps on the metal deck. *I don't mean to rush you...*

Letting go of her guardian, Kerone turned toward the door and said loudly, "You might as well come in now, Andros. The quantrons aren't going to be happy to find you all out there in the hallway."

He exchanged sheepish glances with his teammates, and they climbed to their feet. He had forgotten that she could hear everything he and Zhane said to each other.

Ecliptor's hand went to his broadsword when the three of them appeared in the doorway, and he took a step back as they entered the room. He did not draw the weapon, however, and with an unreadable look at his "princess", he said nothing.

Zhane, however, did a double take, looking from Andros to Saryn and back again. Andros tried not to be amused at his friend's predicament--he didn't know what had tipped the other off to the fact that something wasn't right, but there was no way he could know that they weren't who they seemed to be.

Then Zhane startled him by looking straight at him and asking, "Andros?"

He shot a quick look at Saryn, but the other looked as surprised as Andros felt. It was disconcerting to see the expression on "his" face, so he turned back to Zhane. "Yeah," he agreed. "That's me--how'd you know?"

*You didn't seem right,* Zhane answered, turning on Kerone. "You said the Body Switcher could only switch *itself* with someone else!"

She tossed her head, and her short blonde hair swirled around her face. "I was wrong," she said, in such a way that it sounded more like a pronouncement than an admission.

"I do not understand," Ecliptor said, a scowl in his voice as he spoke for the first time since they had entered the room.

Zhane pointed. "Your monster switched them. Andros and--" He visibly hesitated as "Andros" glared at him. "Um, yeah. They're switched."

Andros tried to suppress a smile, and he saw Zhane give him an irritated look. *What was I supposed to say? He doesn't want me to say "Phantom", and he'll kill me if I say "Saryn".*

"Can you change us back?" Andros asked, listening with amusement as Zhane fumed quietly. He glanced over at his sister, and Saryn's hair fell in his face again.

*No offense, Saryn,* he added silently, as he pushed it out of his eyes for the fiftieth time, *but I really hate your hair.*

"I can," Kerone said, not quite meeting his eyes. Astronema's staff appeared in her hand, and purple power spiraled around it, climbing from her hand toward the diamond shaped tip.

As the staff started to glow, glittering streamers reached for him and Saryn. He saw Cassie stiffen a little, but she stayed where she was. The purple light drifted into his eyes, and he stumbled, suddenly disoriented.

Then he felt a hand on his arm, steadying him, and he opened eyes he couldn't remember closing. Zhane stood at his side, staring at him worriedly until their gazes met. A smile spread across his face when his blue eyes caught Andros's, and his hand tightened on Andros's arm.

Andros could feel things once more the way they should be, and he started to smile in return. The wild, barely controlled Power was gone, taking with it the feeling of only just being able to keep his eyes open. His hair stayed in its ponytail when he glanced down, and he saw a red tank top instead of black long sleeves.

He sighed in relief, curling his fingers into a fist and reaching out to cross wrists with Zhane. His friend let go of his arm to return the gesture, and his eyes twinkled at Andros over their clasped hands. *So I've been rescued by the Pajama Brigade, is that it?*

Andros rolled his eyes. *If you ever wake me up that early again, I'll kill you myself!*

Zhane grinned, then tilted his head slightly, his gaze slipping over Andros's shoulder. Andros twisted to follow his gaze, and saw Saryn holding Cassie close with no concern for the presence of both Kerone and Ecliptor.

Then his eye caught his sister's as she watched him with Zhane, and he didn't let his smile fade. Her lips curved tentatively in response, and he saw her eyes flicker toward Zhane.

Andros looked back at his friend as well, and saw Zhane give him an impatient look. *Well?* his expression said, clear as words, though he heard no thought in his mind.

"Thank you," Andros said quickly, letting go of his friend's hands and turning toward her.

She shrugged slightly. "I only disrupted the spell the Body Switcher cast."

"It is an effort we very much appreciate," Saryn said, looking in her direction. His arms were still around Cassie, and a grin tugged at Kerone's features.

She looked down in an attempt to hide her expression, but she did murmur, "You're welcome."

"Will you come with us?" Andros asked, knowing that that was what Zhane had really wanted him to say. "There's always been a place for you on the Megaship, you know."

"Me?" Kerone's head came up, her knowing smile replaced by a startled look. She glanced automatically at Ecliptor, who was watching her with what Andros would have called a wistful expression on anyone else.

Ecliptor straightened under her gaze. "It is no longer safe for you here, my princess. You *must* go. Return--" He hesitated, looking directly at Andros. "Return to your family."

With wide eyes, Kerone glanced from him to Andros, and then to Zhane.

The Silver Ranger stepped forward, holding his hand out in silent appeal. "I won't ask you to come if you don't want to," he said, not looking at anyone but her. "But *I* want you to. And nothing would be the same without you."

Andros watched the two of them stare at each other, oblivious to anyone else in the room, and he frowned a little. His friend was in earnest--none of the jokes or careless banter that he so often hid behind. He spoke to Kerone with the same openness that Andros saw in him when they were alone, and Andros wondered suddenly just how well they *did* know each other.

After a seemingly endless moment, Kerone took a step forward and reached out to Zhane. He clasped her wrist, and when she returned the gesture she took another step, moving closer to him even as she twisted to face Ecliptor.

"Thank you," she said quietly. "Thank you for everything you've done for me. You've been my father for years and years, and I will never forget that--or you."

He nodded once, and a sparkle of violet swirled around his wrist. He held up his arm as a thin band of shadowy purple stars appeared there, blending into the black like a form-fitting, almost invisible bracelet.

"Don't forget me either," Kerone whispered.

If Andros hadn't known it was impossible, he would have sworn Ecliptor smiled at her. "Never, my princess."

Andros caught Cassie's eye as she looked in his direction, and she nodded. Glancing toward Zhane, he saw Kerone take another step back, eyes still on Ecliptor but her hand in Zhane's.

*Let's go,* Zhane said in Andros's mind, and he triggered the teleportation sequence on his morpher.

His last thought as they all disappeared was that Ashley was not going to be pleased if she found out that he had kissed Cassie.

***

*Ash?*

She heard his warning in her mind a half-second before the flash of teleportation filled the Bridge, and she turned in time to see three streams of color appear. The red was Andros, and she knew the darkest one would be Saryn and Cassie--her friend seemed perfectly willing to let him teleport her wherever they went--but she was surprised to see two distinct forms emerge from Zhane's silver sparkles as well.

"Kerone?" she said aloud, and the girl's chin lifted.

"She's going to stay with us for a while," Andros said quickly, before either of them could say anything further.

There was a brief moment of silence, and then TJ broke into it with a single word: "Look."

Ashley glanced at him, saw him watching the main viewscreen. She turned toward the front of the Bridge, where the Dark Fortress was slowly accelerating out of Earth orbit. The ship's powerful thrusters were firing in unison, increasing the massive battleship's speed until the gently lengthening curve of its flight path took it around the other side of the planet and out of sight.

Seconds later, a brief flash signaled the Fortress's departure into hyperspace as it threw off the chains of Earth gravity altogether and vanished into the stars. Ashley glanced over at Andros's sister, the former princess of evil and commander of that very battleship.

Her head held high, the girl watched the ship disappear with no expression on her face. Zhane stood at her side, looking thoughtfully at the viewscreen.

"Welcome aboard," Carlos said, quietly, as though he was afraid of disturbing the slightly melancholy atmosphere that now pervaded the Bridge.

Watching her, Ashley saw the girl beside Zhane blink and glance at Carlos in surprise. "Thank you," she replied gravely. Her composure didn't waver--she could have been accepting a formal greeting in the midst of her own ship and crew.

"I'm TJ," TJ offered, breaking into the serious mood with a casual tone and the easy grin he wore so often. "We've met, but I don't think we were ever introduced. I'd shake your hand--" He held up his bandaged wrist ruefully. "But I really shouldn't."

"Shake--my hand?" Kerone looked somewhat disdainful, an expression Ashley suspected was a cover for her confusion.

She remembered seeing the exact same look on Andros's face when they first met, and she stepped forward with a smile. "Like this," she said, offering her hand. "I'm Ashley."

The blond-haired girl looked down uncertainly, then stretched out her own hand. The image of Andros and Saryn clasping wrists sprang to mind in vivid detail, and Ashley caught Kerone's hand before she could try that.

Kerone glanced up, and she smiled a little. Her gaze slid over Ashley's shoulder as Carlos stepped up and offered his own hand, and the Black Ranger said simply, "Carlos."

Kerone nodded, letting go of Ashley's hand and accepting his. Ashley moved out of the way and almost bumped into Cassie, who had come forward to introduce herself with a friendly smile.

Saryn lingered by the doorway, clearly not intending to participate. Ashley glared at him, jerking her head toward Andros's sister, who was smiling more now and actually giving Cassie a shy "hello". Saryn shook his head once, and Ashley rolled her eyes.

Luckily for him, Andros distracted her before she could say anything. His hand on her shoulder startled her before she even realized he had moved, and she turned her head to see him gazing back at her.

She meant to chastise him for not telling her where he was going, but this time it was Kerone's turn to forestall conversation. Her innocent question, though probably directed at Cassie, reached everyone on the Bridge: "Why do you all look different?"

"What do you mean?" Even as Cassie glanced around, Ashley suddenly realized what Kerone meant.

She tried not to giggle. "Zhane woke us up really early this morning when that monster came after you. We didn't have time to put on real clothes."

Cassie did laugh, and Ashley saw Carlos shift uncomfortably. "I thought of that as we were teleporting to the Dark Fortress," the Pink Ranger admitted. "But you know Andros and Saryn--I couldn't exactly tell them to wait because I was still in my nightshirt."

" 'Nightshirt'?" Kerone repeated.

"You know--pajamas," TJ prompted, but Kerone's blank look said that she did not.

"Clothes you wear to bed," Ashley supplied, and Kerone looked at her.

"You wear different clothes while you sleep?"

Ashley gave Andros a fond shove. "She sounds just like you!"

"I'm wearing pajamas," he defended himself indignantly.

"For the first time in ages!"

"Yeah, and how do *you* know what he wears to bed, Ash?" TJ teased.

If she hadn't been looking right at Andros, she might not have seen the quick smirk he gave her. "Because she sneaks--"

Startled that he would say anything at all, it was a second before she could react. Clapping her hand over his mouth, Ashley smiled sweetly and corrected, "Because I'm psychic."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kerone give her a considering look, as though she had said something else entirely. TJ just laughed. "Sure, Ash; we believe you."

"Hey," Cassie interrupted, drawing their attention back to Kerone. "Can we give you a tour of the Megaship? We'll show you around, and you can pick one of the guestrooms for yourself."

Kerone gave her a quick glance, as though assessing her sincerity, then offered a tentative smile. "All right," she said, looking over at Zhane.

Ashley caught Cassie's eye. She mouthed, "thank you" and her friend grinned.

"This is deck six," Zhane was saying, as he escorted Kerone toward the Bridge doors. "The hangar bay takes up most of this deck and the two above it, but the Bridge and the Glider holding bay are on this level..."

Ashley smiled at the look of complete absorption on Kerone's face. It was not the expression of someone trying to memorize information. Neither was Zhane's tone that of someone addressing one who needed to be taught.

She glanced over at Andros, wondering how long it would take him to notice. The pensive expression on his face, though, said he already had.

***

Andros watched his best friend and his sister walk off the Bridge together, and he frowned a little. The scene was oddly familiar, and he wondered suddenly if he had been so obvious when he took Ashley on *her* first tour of the Megaship.

"What are you thinking?" Ashley whispered, slipping her arm through his.

His frown dissolved, and he looked over at her with a smile. "I was just remembering giving you guys this tour."

She sighed, leaning against him for a moment while the others, with varying levels of enthusiasm, followed Zhane and Kerone off the Bridge. "Do you know I can't remember a single thing from that tour?"

"Really?" he said, just so he had something to say. Maybe it was the way she was leaning on him, or the dreamy look on her face, but he found himself wishing he could kiss her now the way Cassie had kissed "Saryn" earlier.

"Really," she agreed. "I was too busy watching you to pay attention."

Her mouth curved as she smiled at the memory, and he found himself entranced. "Can I--"

But she was always telling him not to ask. He reached for her free hand and turned so he could kiss her, smiling as her expression lit up. She tilted her head toward him and closed her eyes as he kissed her gently, her fingers tightening on his.

"Andros!" TJ's voice broke into the moment without apology. "Come explain the Synthetron to Kerone--Zhane doesn't know what he's talking about!"

Ashley's giggle was almost inaudible as she looked down, resting her forehead against his shoulder. "We'd better go."

"Coming!" Andros called. He looked back at her as she lifted her head and stepped back, squeezing his hand. "Will you go out with me tonight?" he whispered.

"Where?" she asked, her wide-eyed expression making his heart skip a beat.

"I don't care," he said quietly. "I just want to see you alone."

"I can't believe I just asked that," she murmured, an expression of rueful amusement on her face. "Of course I will."

She gave him a quick kiss, and he smiled at her, clasping her hand as they headed for the Bridge doors.