She pulled her damp hair free of its ponytail, dragging her fingers through it to smooth it out. She had left the research diver docked at the security dome in favor of swimming and made her way back to the command center. The control room had been unoccupied for longer than Cetaci would have liked, and it gave her an excuse to delay returning to the research dome.

The lift hummed beneath her feet, and she lifted a hand to her neck tentatively. She suppressed a wince at the heat of the wound there, hoping the abrupt shock of the water hadn't been too much for the Power's healing to handle. She probably shouldn't have been swimming at all, but she had to get her mind off of things somehow.

She pulled her hair over her shoulder as the lift door opened, trying to comb out the last few tangles with her fingers. She made it several steps into the control room before a whisper of air alerted her, and she looked up in surprise.

Carlos was seated by the comm console, watching her every move.

She had been sure he was still in the research dome with the others. One of her teammates would have warned her if he had left. And yet here he was, clearly waiting for her and apparently determined that she wouldn't be able to avoid him this time.

But it was simpler than that. She didn't need her friends to protect her from him; she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She turned and walked back toward the lift without a word.

"Aura!" If he had sounded stern or annoyed or in any way insufferable, she would have kept going. But his plaintive tone froze her midstep and she hesitated.

"Aura, please," he said, more quietly. "I really need to talk to you."

"What can you say that you have not already said?" she asked, staring at the lift's door.

"I can say how I feel," he said, and she heard him shift. She thought he had stood up, but she wasn't about to turn around just to find out. "I care about you--a lot."

She tried not to grit her teeth. "I *know* you do. You do not need to remind me of it at every turn."

"I'm not--"

"You never used to say that," she interrupted. This time she did turn, studying him critically. He was on his feet, but he hadn't moved from his place by the comm console. He looked surprised at her interruption, and she pressed her advantage. "There was a time when we could just be friends, and be content with that. But ever since Billy spoke to you, you insist on telling me how much you care about me and how important I am to you.

"I don't like it, Carlos." She heard her voice waver, and she hated it. She frowned at him instead. "I do not like you feeling sorry for me. It is not as if I will never get over this. But by trying to make it easier, you only make it harder."

"I don't feel sorry for you," he protested. "You're the strongest person I know, and I admire you for that."

He had said that yesterday too, and she tried not to think about how upset she had gotten with him when he had come after her in her nightmare. "You were too close yesterday," she muttered, knowing it was no excuse for her lack of control. "Every time I moved, you were holding onto me."

'Because most of the time you would have fallen if I hadn't been!" he retorted.

"It shouldn't have been you," she insisted. "You had no right to keep touching me when you knew how I felt, and how I would react."

He gaped at her. "I wasn't thinking about how you felt! I was thinking about keeping you alive! Yesterday wasn't exactly a picnic for me either, you know. I've never been more terrified than I was for those few seconds when you weren't breathing!"

She swallowed and turned away, knowing she owed him her honor for saving her life. He could have her honor if she could have his heart in return--but she knew that was the one thing he couldn't give, and the constant reminder was grating on her soul. "I am sorry I can not be more grateful," she muttered. "Thank you for my life."

"What?" He sounded startled for a moment, and then, "I don't want your gratitude, Aura. I just want you to understand!"

"I understand very well," she said quietly. "I respect your feelings. I ask that you respect mine as well, and allow me time to overcome them."

He didn't answer, and she took that for assent. But as she started for the lift again, he began, "Aura..."

Her resentment bubbled over, and she whirled. "Let me *alone*, Carlos!"

He looked every bit as frustrated as she felt. "I can't!"

"Why not?" she demanded. "Because you have not done enough already? Because you enjoy seeing me miserable?"

He glared at her. "Because I love you!"

She stiffened. The walls crumbled even as she tried to hate him for those words. "I do not find that funny, Carlos."

"I'd be offended if you did," he shot back. "After the way I've agonized over it!"

"You never used to lie to me, either," she muttered. Though she knew Billy had meant well when he told Carlos, this was exactly why she hadn't told him herself.

"I'm not lying!" Carlos exclaimed. "I've been trying to tell you all morning! I broke up with my girlfriend last night because I couldn't stop thinking about you, and now you won't even listen to me!"

"I do not wish to listen!" She had wanted to hear him say that and mean it for so long, but his feelings couldn't have changed so quickly. It was unfair to both of them for him to do it out pity for her.

"Is this because I'm not worthy?" he asked, sounding suddenly bitter. "No matter what I feel, I'm just not good enough for you?"

She glared at him suspiciously. "What are you talking about?"

"Your nightmare," he answered, as though it should have been obvious. "You said I was weak because I'm from Earth, and that I don't deserve you."

Her eyes widened. "I did not say that!"

"It wasn't *my* nightmare! You created everything in it!"

Her fingers twitched in an instinctive gesture of frustration. "Because it is something Cetaci would say! It is not something *I* believe!"

"Then why?" He threw his hands out to his sides in exasperation. "Why won't you listen to me?"

"Because I don't want your pity!" she shouted, fingers clenching into fists.

"Damn it, Aura!" He took a step toward her and she tensed. He stopped, his dark eyes boring into hers. "It isn't pity! What do I have to do to convince you?"

"I am already convinced," she told him coldly, reacting more to his tone than his words. "You need do nothing more." She turned around and the lift door opened for her even as she glared at it.

The sound of Carlos' laughter made her pause in the doorway, frowning. She put a hand over the door's motion sensor and turned to stare at him. "What is so funny?" she demanded, irked by his sudden irreverence.

"Us," he managed, leaning against the console. "Me. You. All of it; I don't know."

She regarded him warily. The tension hadn't drained out of his frame, but his grin belied his confrontational stance. She couldn't help asking, "Are you all right?"

That only made him laugh again, and she watched with growing concern. They had all been through a lot in the last few days, and they would be a long time in recovering--some of them longer than others, it seemed. "I will summon your teammates."

"No," he said quickly, his eyes still twinkling with mirth. "Aura, wait--there's nothing wrong with me. It's just that if you had any idea how long I was up last night, wondering how to tell you how I felt... Man, I *never* imagined it like this."

She looked at him, put a little off balance by his admission. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I haven't had much experience with this, but I always kind of figured that when I told someone I loved them we'd kiss or something," he said with a grin. "Not get into a shouting match over it. I shouldn't have expected anything so predictable from you."

She frowned, not sure how to react to that. "I am who I am," she said uncertainly.

"I know," he agreed. His grin faded into a smile that was disconcertingly warm. "And I love who you are."

She saw him gesture "truth" out of the corner of her eye, but she couldn't look away from his face. Cetaci would be furious if she saw him doing that...

He was standing in front of her before she registered that he had moved, and she looked down as he took her hand. He lifted their clasped hands slowly, uncurling her fingers with his free hand and sliding his fingers gently through hers. She bit her lip, feeling the situation slipping out of her control the longer she said nothing. He must have seen Billy and Cestria do that.

She lifted her gaze to his and found him staring back at her, waiting to see if she would respond. Her fingers tightened almost of their own accord, and she saw him smile. He squeezed her hand in return and she swallowed hard, trying to read what she saw on his face.

"I do love you, Aura," he said quietly, his eyes searching her expression. "Please believe me."

She couldn't pull away from him, not with him looking at her like that, and she wondered if he knew it. She hated feeling like this, but there was no middle ground. She either trusted him completely or not at all, and she had to know now.

"If you hurt me again," she said, staring at him. He was asking her to give over her soul along with her heart, and he didn't seem to even realize it. "I will never forgive you."

He didn't so much as flinch. "I won't hurt you, Aura."

She let go of the door and stepped forward slowly, allowing the lift to close behind her. Only when she was this close to him did she remember how tall he was, and she had to lower her eyes as he put a hand on her shoulder and pulled her closer. His hand slipped out of hers, and she caught her breath as he put his arms around her and hugged her tightly.

She closed her eyes, trying to relax. He had promised. He had promised he wouldn't hurt her. She slid her arms around him carefully, and he leaned into the embrace the way she had been afraid to. She smiled a little as she realized she could hear his heart beating. "Carlos?" she whispered.

It was strange, not being able to see his expression, but she wouldn't step out of his arms for the world. His voice sounded different, too, as though it was coming from... somewhere else. "Yeah?"

"I love you," she said softly, holding her breath.

His voice might sound different so close, but she could hear the relief and affection in it when he replied, "I'm glad." She felt something brush against her temple, and she wondered if she had just been kissed. "I love you too," he added. "It took long enough to get it through your head."

She breathed out, smiling in amusement. "If this is the result, I will listen better in the future."

"That's all I can ask," he murmured.

This time she was sure she felt his lips on her skin, and she drew back just enough to stare up at him. "Did you just kiss me?"

He looked a little sheepish, but he didn't let go of her. "Yeah?" His tone made it more of a question than an answer. "Is that bad?"

She shook her head once. "I have never been kissed," she admitted. "It is not an Aquitian tradition."

His lips quirked as he returned her curious gaze. "Want to learn?"

She hesitated, but his expression practically dared her to say yes and she had never been one to back down when challenged. "Yes," she replied firmly. "But only if you learn our customs as well."

His dark eyes sparkled at her when he grinned. "There's nothing I'd like more."

***

The "stars" continued to stream past on the computer-generated graphic that substituted for the scanners while the ship was in hyperrush. Zhane knew they were between galaxies now, and if the EM scanners functioned at this speed all they would see was a rushing darkness. But the simulated stars were comforting in a way the darkness wouldn't be, and he appreciated DECA's effort.

"Justin said he'd be at the dojo with Rocky all afternoon," TJ was saying. "Emily gets out of class at three, which is..." He trailed off. "Man, I don't know. I can't keep up with the time difference."

"DECA, what time is it in Angel Grove?" Andros asked, not even trying.

"Angel Grove time is 4:35," DECA replied.

"Oh," TJ said, sounding surprised. "She should be in her room, then. Me and Tessa will get her, if you guys want to pick up Rocky and Justin."

"Um..." Tessa sounded more than a little uncertain. "I know this is going to sound weird, but I have to ask. What about Karen?"

Zhane leaned back in the pilot's chair, putting his feet up on the console and his hands behind his head. He wouldn't mind seeing Karen come, but no one had asked him.

"You know she'd die for a chance like this," Tessa added, when no one else answered either. "I know it might be kind of awkward, but... is there some kind of rule that says she can't come?"

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," Andros said evasively.

"There's no rule," TJ added. "But--has Carlos even talked to her yet?"

"She's not stupid," Tessa retorted. "If he's really in love with Aura, I can't believe she doesn't have some idea. Up until today, Carlos would have invited her himself, but he can't now and you know how disappointed she'd be if she missed it."

Zhane tried to imagine never having been offworld. Karen's obsession with aliens had always struck him as funny, but he supposed if you had never actually met one it might seem important. He was about to put in his own vote for letting her come when Astrea interceded.

"Karen would have fought, if we had asked," she pointed out. "It's only coincidence that she wasn't one of the Mega V pilots."

Still staring out at the stars, Zhane nodded in silent agreement. He could feel Andros' eyes on him, and a moment later he heard, *Do *you* think she should come?*

Zhane deliberately didn't shrug. *I think she deserves to be invited as our friend, if nothing else. Aside from Carlos, I can't think of any reason *not* to invite her, and he'll have to face her eventually anyway.*

*I'd like to think he's already talked to her,* Andros admitted. *But I suppose you're right.*

"Do you know where she is now?" Andros asked Tessa aloud.

"If I can't find her quickly I won't ask you to wait," Tessa promised, and Zhane could hear the relief in her voice. "Thanks, Andros."

Andros might have nodded; Zhane wasn't sure. He broke the ensuing silence himself as something occurred to him. "Hey, Astrea, are you really going to go to the ceremony as Astronema?"

When she didn't answer, he glanced over at her. She and Andros were exchanging glances--and probably words--while TJ chuckled. "That would be a real show stopper," TJ said wryly. "I don't think I can even imagine how people would react to that."

"I think you should wear an Astro flight suit," Andros said abruptly, and Zhane was sure it was a continuation of some discussion they had been having silently.

"I'm not a Ranger," she objected, and he realized it had been more of an argument than a discussion. They were only speaking aloud to be polite. "I have no right to the uniform."

"But you're a member of the team," Andros told her. "You don't have to hold the Power to be one of us."

She sighed a little. "I know," she admitted. "And I feel like part of the team, thanks to... everyone." She caught Zhane's eye for a moment, and she smiled. "But I am still not a Ranger."

"Then what do *you* want to wear?" Andros asked. "You aren't seriously going to dress like Astronema."

She actually laughed. "You say that like it would be a bad thing, Andros."

Zhane could tell she was teasing, but Andros looked nonplussed. "Not... exactly," he said, clearly trying not to offend her. "But--"

She lifted her left hand above her head and violet sparkles flared to life around her fingers. As she slowly lowered her arm, her outfit transformed in its wake. The tight purple t-shirt and jeans were replaced by an even tighter black outfit: black pants and a sleeveless black tee that didn't quite cover her stomach.

Zhane had to laugh. It was the same outfit she had worn those first few weeks in Angel Grove, before any of them had known who she was--except for the Astro Ranger design emblazoned across her chest. The rainbow of color was surrounded by a faint white haze that made it stand out all the more, and he suddenly remembered to glance at Andros.

Her brother looked, if anything, mildly amused. Zhane didn't understand why until Andros said, "Turn around."

Astrea turned calmly, tossing her head enough to make her hair swirl. The diamond-shaped symbol that formed the point of Astronema's staff was outlined in vibrant purple on the back of her shirt.

He laughed again, and he heard TJ chuckle too. "That's great!" Zhane exclaimed, putting his feet on the floor and regarding her more carefully. Her "uniform" gave him the perfect excuse to stare, and he took full advantage of it. She gave him a sly glance that said she knew exactly what he was thinking, but it was Andros she looked to for approval.

Her brother shook his head, but Zhane knew Andros wouldn't deny her the chance to identify herself any way she wanted. "It looks good," Andros said simply, and Zhane grinned. Somewhere between Astro Ranger and Astronema, the outfit was probably more *her* than a flight suit would ever have been.

She nodded, satisfied, and Tessa shifted. "Uh--is everyone going to be wearing a uniform?"

"Define uniform," TJ teased gently, giving Astrea a pointed glance. Astrea just smiled.

"Do you have a jacket like the one Jeff was wearing this morning?" Zhane asked idly, still watching Astrea. "That looked like a uniform to me, and I've seen other people on Earth wearing them."

"That's not a bad idea," Andros agreed. "DECA could make you one if you don't."

Tessa stared at them. "We're going to go on intergalactic television wearing jean jackets?"

TJ laughed. "Think of it as cultural symbolism. Ashley tells me we're all wearing Kerovan symbols, so there should be *someone* representing Earth there."

Tessa shrugged uncertainly. "If you say so..."

"I am receiving NASADA's recognition signal," DECA informed them. "I'm sending it back--ETA to Earth is 34 seconds."

"Thanks, DECA," Andros said automatically. "You said you know where Emily is, TJ?"

TJ nodded. "Tess gave me directions to her dorm. It shouldn't take more than ten minutes from where I usually teleport."

"Good." Andros glanced at him. "Zhane and I can teleport directly into the dojo to get Rocky and Justin." Zhane nodded in agreement, and Andros added, "Kerone, do you mind going with Tessa to find Karen?"

For answer, she swept her arm upward in a trail of magical violet. Her black outfit turned into the jeans and t-shirt she had been wearing before, and she held up her left wrist to display Cassie's old communicator. "I'm ready," she said simply.

The graphic on the screen wavered as the Megaship dropped awkwardly out of hyperrush. The borrowed hyperspeed boosters cut out too abruptly for the thrusters to kick in and smooth the transition, and the ship floundered momentarily as the computer struggled to compensate.

Finally the thrusters came online, and they dumped residual realspace velocity frantically as the Megaship limped into Earth orbit. The blue-green terrestrial filled the screen as DECA adjusted the feed from the exterior scanners, and Zhane glanced sideways in time to catch Andros' unhappy grimace. The deceleration had actually gone better than the jump *to* hyperrush, but he knew his friend wouldn't be happy until the Megaship was flying under her own power again.

Andros' eyes locked with his, and his frown faded a little. *She'll be all right,* Zhane promised his friend, getting to his feet.

Andros' mouth quirked in silent acknowledgement. "Let's do it," he said aloud, looking around to catch everyone's eye. "We'll meet back here as soon as we can."

***

They had finally finished preparations in the research dome. With the Megaship docked above Aquitar and "charging" on station power once more, Ashley and Jeff had elected to rejoin their teammates there. He had excused himself on the grounds that he needed to change before the ceremony, and Cassie had claimed that there were things she needed from their room on Aquitar.

Of course, he reflected with a smile, the first thing she had done on returning to their room was to throw herself down on the bed and declare that she wasn't moving for the rest of the day. He suspected that it wasn't "things" she needed so much as the relative peace that had been sorely lacking in all their lives of late.

She had disappeared into the bathroom a few minutes later, so it clearly hadn't taken her long to forget her vow of immovability. He stood in front of the window, contemplating his dim reflection in the curved surface. The bright red of his old Elisian Ranger tunic was a startling contrast to the black he had grown so accustomed to, and he found himself staring at it in the reflected light of the room's interior.

The light moved a little, and he turned to see Cassie standing behind him. She had one hand over her mouth, her eyes wide as she regarded his old Ranger uniform. He looked down self-consciously, his hair falling in his eyes as he moved, and he wondered what she saw.

"Saryn," Cassie murmured, letting her hand fall as looked at him. "You look... that's your Ranger uniform, isn't it. Your real one."

He nodded wordlessly. His belt was tighter than it had been once--he kept forgetting to eat, even with her to remind him--and he had never been one to wear his hair long until recently. But other than that, it was like stepping backwards in time.

"You look happy," she whispered, and he looked up in surprise. "You do," she insisted. "Or relaxed, or... something."

"Normal?" he offered softly. The word slipped out before he could think better of it.

"Less... haunted," she corrected, studying him. "But yeah--I guess "normal" is as good a word as any. You don't look like the Shadow Ranger anymore."

He smiled a little. "I do not feel like the Shadow Ranger," he admitted, knowing her use of the title he had adopted after Elisia had been deliberate. "I feel like... Saryn."

She breathed out in amusement, a smile lighting her face. "You like it."

"It's a good thing I like having you in my mind," he teased, just to see her blush. She squirmed uncomfortably, looking up at him from under her eyelashes, and his heart melted. "Yes," he admitted softly. He reached out to touch her chin, tilting her face up again. "I do like it."

She hesitated, searching his expression. "Would you go back?"

"And be without you?" He didn't even have to think about it. "No. But I would go on, and the Shadow Ranger cannot do that."

"No," she repeated thoughtfully, a far-off look in her eyes. "I guess not."

He caressed her cheek and smoothed her hair back over her shoulder. "I can't do it without you, either," he said quietly, not taking his eyes off of her.

Her gaze fixed on his again, and her smile brightened. "You won't have to," she promised. "I'm not going anywhere."

He wished he could be content with that, but he felt compelled to warn her, "Things may be somewhat... different, now."

She shrugged, reaching up to comb his hair away from his face gently. "It was never 'things' that I loved. It's just you. I don't care what happens as long as we're together."

He pulled her into a hug, feeling her return it immediately. "That is how I feel as well," he murmured. The hand that had been playing with his hair now rested comfortably on his chest, her fingers overlaying the Elisian sunburst logo, and he could smell the sweet scent of her hair as she snuggled against him. Her contentment settled over him, and he smiled to himself. As long as they were together, there was nothing they couldn't do.

***

"Cassie!"

She looked up at the sound of Andros' voice, turning away from the observation window that looked out on the main portion of the research dome. "Hey, Andros."

He smiled briefly in greeting, glancing over her shoulder. "It looks like they're just about ready."

"Yeah," she agreed. She surveyed the mild chaos taking place in the visitors' lounge. "The question is, are *we* ready?"

His smile widened. "We will be. It always looks worse just before things settle down. Hey, I just wanted to let you know that your mom was poking around the dojo when we were on Earth."

Her stomach clenched and she just stared at him until she remembered to breathe. "Oh," she managed, trying to make her voice sound normal. The nagging sense of something forgotten had vanished, replaced by an unreasonable dread at the mention of her mother. "Thanks."

He studied her, his expression saying he knew full well that there was more to her reaction than she was revealing. "You all right?"

She swallowed, and suddenly she felt Saryn behind her. "What is wrong?" he wanted to know, his hand resting protectively on the small of her back. "Are you all right?"

She had to laugh, relaxing a little. "Yeah, I'm fine." Her mom wasn't a part of her life anymore, and someday she would get over that instinctive response to any mention of her parents. Her friends were what counted now. "Andros just saw my mom at the dojo on Earth, that's all. Ashley's parents probably mentioned that we hang out there sometimes."

She could feel Saryn's gentle concern harden, shifting somehow, but his voice was neutral as he said, "I would like to meet your mother at some point."

She winced. "That's probably not a good idea--"

"Sorry to interrupt," Billy said, appearing from the crowd at Andros' side. "But Darian wanted me to give you these. He says he'd be honored if you would wear the crest of the fighter wing."

Cassie glanced down at the pin he offered her, then up at Saryn. He accepted the crest without a word, but she had to protest, "I only flew with them a handful of times!"

Billy shrugged. He was wearing one of the pins too, she noticed. "That's enough to make you a reserve member of the wing, and all the Aquitian reserve members have crests. There was some debate over whether you two should be included, because you're not of Aquitar, but Darian can be very convincing when he wants to be."

She accepted the pin reluctantly, and Billy flashed a smile at her before turning away again. "I don't even know what to do with this," she murmured, turning it over in her fingers.

Saryn reached over her shoulder and took it from her, turning her around to face him. "You wear it," he told her, amusement lighting his blue eyes. "What else would you do with it?"

She couldn't help smiling, looking down as he fastened the pin to her jacket for her. He wore his on his sleeve, just above the two gold stripes on his right arm, but he put hers on the front of her jacket next to the NASADA symbol that all of the Astro Rangers had adopted. "Is that acceptable?" he asked, tapping her chin gently to make her look up.

"Yeah," she murmured, gazing back at him. "That's perfect; thanks."

"We have a problem," Andros said, from somewhere nearby. He didn't speak loudly, but somehow he managed to get everyone's attention. She glanced over in time to see every eye in the room turn toward Andros.

*It must have been the word "problem",* she thought wryly. *No one wants to hear that right now.*

Andros had to have realized that too, and he didn't keep them in suspense. "Has anyone seen Carlos?"

***

"Do you ever notice that you start to associate colors with the people you like?"

"Yes... I did not realize it was a common phenomenon."

"I'm not sure it is. Maybe it's a Ranger thing. We're all so attuned to a particular color anyway..."

"But if that were so, surely I would associate you with black."

"You don't? You've always struck me as a very red person."

"You make me think of green."

"I used to be the Green Ranger, on my old team."

"I wonder if there is any significance in the fact that we associate each other with opposite colors."

"Opposites attract?"

"Billy says that sometimes. I had never thought it very likely until recently."

His morpher beeped, startling both of them.

"I think someone wants our attention."

"You should answer it. It could be important."

"It could be nothing."

"What time is it?"

"It could be tomorrow, for all I know."

Her communicator chimed.

"You should answer that. It could be important."

"It probably is not."

They exchanged smiles. Then, reluctantly, he disentangled his hand from hers reached around her to activate his communicator. "This is Carlos."

"Are you planning to be in this ceremony or not?" Andros' voice demanded.

He blinked. "Why, what time is it?"

"Let's put in this way," Ashley's voice told him. "You have five minutes to get your butt down here or we're going without you."

"That late, huh?" Strangely, her deadline didn't startle him. It was hard to be really upset over anything when the girl he loved was tucked securely in his arms.

"Yeah, that late," Andros retorted. "I don't suppose you've seen Aura?"

He cleared his throat, exchanging guilty glances with her. "Uh, yeah. She's right here, actually."

"Good. Cetaci wants to talk to her. Five minutes, both of you."

The comm link ended abruptly, and he sighed. "So much for paradise. Cetaci's going to kill me, you know."

She let out a soft sound of amusement. "Do not worry. I will protect you."

He smiled. "Then I know I'll be okay. We'd better get going."

She stirred, turning her face toward him for a kiss before she slithered out of his embrace. He was only too happy to oblige, and his arms felt empty when she pulled away. She climbed to her feet without effort, apparently unaffected by what had to have been more than an hour of sitting on the floor, and he followed more awkwardly.

"Your uniform is a mess," he said, regarding her critically.

"Yours is no less so," she answered, tucking her shirt back in.

He straightened his jacket and ran his hands through his hair, watching her rewrap the black tunic she wore over her colored shirt. His hair elastic was nowhere to be found, and she looked up just as he started to glance around for it. "Missing something?" she inquired.

He opened his mouth to say "yes" when he realized she was holding it out to him. He grinned, catching her hand and pulling her closer. "Just you."

She squeezed his fingers and twisted away, leaving the black elastic in his hand. "Later," she said firmly. "Cetaci will not start without us, no matter what Andros says, but she will not be pleased if we are late."

"I don't think she's going to be pleased anyway," he muttered, pulling his hair away from his face.

She shook her hair out, running her fingers through new tangles in her now dry hair. "Perhaps not," she agreed, twisting it into its customary ponytail. "But she will accept it. Shall we go?"

He nodded, holding up his morpher to indicate that he was ready. She smiled, and he returned it automatically. "Do *not* smile at me during the ceremony," he warned, trying to put on a poker face and failing miserably. "You know I'll just grin like an idiot, and that will look really good on the news."

Her smile widened. "I would not mind seeing that."

She touched her communicator and vanished into a flash of red before he could come up with an appropriate retort. He just shook his head, well aware that he was still grinning foolishly but with no choice other than to follow.

***

"Where *were* you two?" Ashley hissed, as Carlos slipped into his place beside her.

"The control room," he whispered back.

"Andros says you were there when he left!"

"So?"

"So what were you doing the whole time?"

"Making out," he whispered matter-of-factly.

She stared at him, but he was looking in the other direction by now. Karen and Jason had elected to watch the ceremony from the observation lounge rather than the midst of the audience. They were both standing in the doorway down the hall now, offering silent moral support, and she saw Karen catch his eye when he looked in her direction. Even Ashley saw the subtle thumbs-up the other girl flashed at him, and she heard Carlos breathe a soft sigh of relief.

"You did talk to her, didn't you?" she murmured.

"Who, Aura or Karen?"

"Both!"

"Yes," he said simply.

Then the doors to the main room slid open and Saryn and Kerone stepped forward, and there was no more time for talk. She followed TJ out into the hushed, almost reverent air of an audience chamber that seemed so much smaller when filled to capacity with intelligent life. She saw Carlos straighten out of the corner of her eye, and she imitated him without thinking about it.

It was a disconcerting feeling to have all those eyes on them, but it was nothing compared to climbing up on the platform and turning around to stare back at them all. *Spooky,* she thought, doing her best to stare straight ahead. She didn't realize she had projected the thought until the spark that was Andros' presence in her mind brightened as he focused on her.

*Smile,* he reminded her quietly, and she almost laughed.

*You're one to talk!*

"The Rangers you see before you have brought about the defeat of Dark Spectre," Cetaci declared, gazing steadily out over the assembled crowd. "We have gathered in their name and for their honor."

Ashley lifted her right hand and placed it over her heart as they all did, and she watched Cetaci walk past her toward the end of the line. The White Ranger turned so that she was looking toward the other end of the platform and announced, "Alison Carter."

Ali's movement was steady as she extended her right hand. An embroidered Earth insignia was displayed prominently on the left front of her jacket, courtesy of DECA. It was rimmed with silver and overlaid with the designation "V6". "I'm honored to serve," she told Cetaci calmly.

Ashley still hadn't seen these "ribbons" up close, but it seemed to take only seconds for Cetaci to lay one across Ali's wrist. She didn't dare turn and see what it looked like, so she just waited patiently while Cetaci presented ribbons to Justin and Tessa.

Then the White Ranger stood in front of her, and she lifted her chin a little as Cetaci said, "Ashley of Earth." She had been the only one to use "of Earth" instead of her last name, but she found she preferred it. Somehow it seemed more symbolic than just "Ashley Hammond".

"I'm honored to serve," she said, extending her right hand, palm up. Cetaci caught her eye and smiled slightly. Surprised, she smiled back, and the other Ranger laid a gold stripe across the cuff of her Astro jacket. The "ribbon" curled around her sleeve of its own accord, the two ends joining together and somehow melding with the fabric.

She withdrew her hand, trying not to look too startled as Cetaci stepped forward and said TJ's name. No wonder it was going so quickly. Now that she had gotten a good look at what Cetaci was giving them, she understood the stripes on Saryn's uniform. The right sleeve of his Elisian tunic already displayed two of the gold ribbons, and she couldn't help wondering how he had gotten them.

"Andros of KO-35."

Her attention snapped back to the ceremony just in time to catch Andros' reply, and she smiled to herself at the sound of his voice. It was amazing how quickly he could switch between boyfriend, leader, and completely befuddled "alien". She did admit that the "befuddled alien" persona was showing up less frequently, but he had never lost the ability to put everything aside and be in command when it was called for.

Though the room had remained almost silent since the stir that accompanied their entrance, Saryn's name produced an unmistakable murmur. Her eyes flicked across the crowd, trying to isolate it, but it was impossible. There was no overt movement, nothing said loudly enough to be distinguishable... but the reaction was there nonetheless.

The murmur did not abate with the pronouncement of Kerone's name--if anything it grew louder, more restless. She hadn't been sure how many people actually knew who Kerone was, but Andros' sister certainly hadn't gone to any lengths to hide it. If the news hadn't been out before, the blatant symbol of Astronema's power on the back of Kerone's uniform ought to do it.

After Saryn and Kerone, the presentation went smoothly. The name "Billy of Aquitar" didn't seem to raise any eyebrows at all, but Ashley couldn't tell whether it was because his affiliation was common knowledge or if he had just been upstaged.

Finally Cetaci made her way back down the line, and Saryn stepped forward to meet her. He took the last golden ribbon from her, and nodded as she put her hand over her heart. "Cetaci of Aquitar," he said, but before she could respond he continued, "You have led us well in the fight against Dark Spectre. Though largely untried, your team has proven itself again and again during recent events.

"The fall of Dark Spectre must signal a significant blow to the forces of evil, and perhaps in the days to come we will reclaim Eltare from the darkness that now holds it hostage. Perhaps we will push that darkness back even farther, and reestablish the border we claim rightfully as our own.

"But in the meantime, Cetaci of Aquitar, it is my hope that this part of the universe may look to your planet, and to you, for the guidance and leadership that has been so sorely lacking since Eltare's fall. On behalf of all of us here, thank you for your efforts in the war against evil."

Cetaci's face was flushed, but her voice was strong as she replied, "It is my honor to serve in any way that I can."

Saryn laid the gold ribbon across her wrist, and it slithered around the cuff of her tunic and embedded itself there, glittering in the bright light of the dome. Saryn took a step back, and she turned to regard the audience. There was a brief pause where Ashley wondered if the unplanned compliment had actually flustered the White Ranger, and then Cetaci announced, "The teams of Aquitar, Kerova, and Earth."

Staring around the dome, she said simply, "We are the soldiers that defend you. We are Power Rangers."

And the dome erupted into applause.