Chronicles of Atlantis: Children of the Gods

 

By *kazeko*

 

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Prologue

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In the Time of Darkness, a single point of light shook her way free of the chaos that plagued the Universe.  Her name was Eurynome, daughter of Chaos, and she was courted by a great serpent, Ophion, composed of the Four Winds—Eurus, Notus, Boreas, and Zephyrus.  She laid a clutch of eggs in the sands of Chaos, and those eggs became the earth, the moon, the planets, the sun, the stars.  She took up residence on the Moon and watched over the children on the earth, watching the savages evolve in body but never in spirit.  As her brother and sister gods joined her on the silver-white satellite, she decided to create a pure race of power and wisdom to dwell on the Earth and instruct them on the proper use of their planet.  An unfortunate volcanic explosion flooded the island Athena granted to the Children of the Gods, and they had to abandon Atlantis.  As the Dark Ages settled their cold cloak over the “civilized” world, Eurynome brought her sons and daughters to a magically hidden palace on the Moon.  As the settlement based in the Sea of Serenity grew, the Children of the Gods watched the Earth, refusing to retreat to the dark side of the Moon even when satellites and shuttles broke orbit and people walked close to their hidden home.  They trusted in their magic and their gods to protect them, and they developed their minds and bodies to their fullest.  Peace had reigned in paradise for so long that the queens never believed that trouble could threaten their home.

 

They were wrong.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“But we banished him from our galaxy eons ago!  He shouldn’t be able to leave M51!”

 

“My queen, he has escaped and he is coming.  We expect his attack in days.”

 

The Queen of the Moon stared at the Earth hanging above the crystallized glass that formed the roof of her reception room.  “I do not want to leave my home,” she whispered.  “Is there nothing we can do?”

 

The black-haired man shook his head, never abandoning his kneeling position.  “My lady, the Godchild Zordon once defeated Chaos child Zedd and sent him far away, but he defeated Rita Repulsa as well, and we know she is nearby.  We have no means of defense and we cannot hope to fight the most powerful sorcerer in the Universe.  My queen, we must abandon New Atlantis.”

 

The Queen, Selei, hung her head.  “I do not want to leave.  I am old, Faren, and I cannot survive the strain of the journey to the Outer Solar System.  Don’t worry, though; I’ve got a plan to protect my people.  Summon my daughter and bring her to me.”

 

Faren nodded and dashed off, his steps light.  Queen Selei ran her hands through her silver hair, touching the points on her keep ears, running her long fingers over the glass of her home.  She had been queen for two hundred years, and she felt too old to travel so far.  She would send her people, but she doubted that she would ever leave the Moon.  She heard a soft sound behind her, and she turned, her composure perfect again.  She smiled at the woman standing proudly on the silver carpet.  “Yes, Ambassador K’tai?”

 

“Queen Selei, I have received word from my queen that her daughter has given birth.  To a son.”

 

Selei relaxed, smiling.  “Thank Hestia.  Now I know the alliance will go through as planned.  Has he a name?”

 

“The queen has named him T’miyu in honor of the ancient king of Atlantis.  The Alliance of the Outer Planets will meet him on the morrow at a great ceremony.  As soon as your granddaughter breathes her first, the Outer Planets will ally with the Moon and create the greatest and most powerful coalition of planets.  The Children of the Sky cannot wait to join with the Children of the Gods.”  She hesitated a moment, and Selei nodded, easily anticipating the elfin ambassador’s next question.

 

“Yes, K’tai.  Eurynome and Hestia have assured us that the child Jakouy carries is a girl.  She will be bound in marriage to your Prince T’miyu the day she is born.”

 

“Excellent!  The Queen F’jil and Crown Princess N’baru will cheer at your news.”

 

“K’tai, I’m afraid I must ask a favor of your queen.  Rita Repulsa is stirring and Lord Zedd of M51 is coming here, to our galaxy.  We Children of the Gods have no power to fight them, not since the Eltarian Zordon vanished, and I fear that my people will die.”

 

K’tai moved forward, laying a kind hand on Selei’s shoulder.  “My friend, my mother would not deny any Godchild a home in the Outer Planets, and my sister would be happier if the future wife of her newborn was nearby.  Please, do not hesitate to move New Atlantis to Uranus.”

 

Selei nodded, frowning as a gentle quake shook the Moon.  Faren dashed into the room, skidding to a stop beside the queen.  “Majesty!  Zedd is throwing his power at New Atlantis!  He’s trying to wipe us off the face of the Moon!”

 

Selei instantly snapped into battle mode, her multi-hued green armor and silk appearing, the gold filigree shining in the sun.  “Evacuate to the Mars base now, hopping through the asteroid belt until you can get a clear teleport to Ganymede.  We have so many people that you’ll have to jump one planet at a time until you arrive on Titania, Oberon, or Miranda.  K’tai, lead Faren and get my people to safety.”

 

“And you, Queen?”

 

“I must find Jakouy and help her to the base on Mars before praying to the gods for any guidance they can give.  Also, someone of the Ninjetti must remain behind to ward off Zedd and confuse him.  He cannot find the people of New Atlantis.”  Faren nodded and left, K’tai laying a hand on the Ninjetti warrior’s arm.

 

“Selei, I know the people of New Atlantis have not contacted Phaedos in centuries, but you must call Dulcea and ask for her help.  She loves the Godchildren as much as you do.  Please don’t let your pride destroy your world.”

 

Selei walked to a crystal ball that every queen guarded but none had used since Atlantis perished beneath colossal waves fourteen centuries earlier.  It was the only link they had to the Godchildren who chose not to live in peace or had left when Atlantis vanished and the people moved to the Moon, and many citizens of New Atlantis considered those people traitors.  Many of them, like Divatox and Maligore, had betrayed the ideals of Atlantis, but Dulcea had been called to Phaedos to guard the Well of Spirit, origin of the Ninjetti powers after Atlantis vanished.  Selei, Warrior of the Serpent, laid her hands on the sides of the crystal, green eyes locked on the clear depths.  “Dulcea, Warrior of the Owl, New Atlantis is following the path of Atlantis, and all of the Godchildren are needed.  Please, sister, answer my call.”

 

A face faded into existence, worry in her ancient eyes.  “Queen Selei, I cannot help you.  All you can do is evacuate your people and attempt to bounce Zedd out of the Milky Way, at least until your granddaughter is old enough to fight him.”

 

“My granddaughter?  She hasn’t even been born yet.”

 

“Your daughter is in labor now.  Remember, your granddaughter and the grandson of the Queen of the Outer Planets must be protected.  If they die, the Solar System will fall.”  She vanished, and Selei ran down the halls of her palace, eyes and ears searching.  She heard a scream, and she slid into her daughter’s room, eyes widening at the sight.  Her daughter, the future queen of New Atlantis, struggled to birth her daughter, husband on one side as the medical staff swarmed around her.  Selei only had time to get to Jakouy’s side before she screamed one last time, her tiny daughter entering the world as her mother left it.  The Crown Prince gasped and fell to his knees, shaking his wife, begging her to live.  Two of the healers pulled him away, knowing that he would likely take his own life between the Moon and Uranus, and Selei felt tears fill her eyes at her son-in-law’s pain.  No child of the royal line had ever failed to be queen, and she knew that Jakouy’s death was a sign of chaos and turmoil in her beloved society.  Somehow, Dulcea had known that Jakouy would not survive, leaving her newborn girl to grow up an orphan.  She took the tiny girl, wondering if she would be strong enough to become queen. 

 

The healers left, called into the evacuation groups, leaving the current and future queens alone as the Earth rose higher and higher.  Selei turned to leave, slowly trudging to the open courtyard, watching as the last of her people vanished.  The citizens of New Atlantis were safe.  She looked at her silent granddaughter, and she knew, somewhere deep inside, that the girl would not make it to Uranus.  “Very well,” she whispered.  “Eurynome, I give you Kamirli.  She needs her Spirit now, and she must leave this place and this war.  I have never asked anything of you, but you must hide Kamirli from Lord Zedd and Rita Repulsa until she comes into her power.”

 

A tall woman dressed in flowing white appeared before the queen, eyes sad.  She held out her arms and took the silent infant.  The baby princess seemed to know that her life was destined to be hard and painful, so she never opened her mouth, closing her eyes as she cuddled into Eurynome’s arms.  “Are you sure, Selei?”

 

“I have to fight Zedd.  If I go to Mars and take Kamirli with me, Zedd will follow the power signature and find my people and kill them.  I cannot allow that.”

 

“And what about the prince of the Outer Planets?  His great power endangers his people.”

 

“Can you take them somewhere together?  We can find them after they learn how to use their powers.”

 

“Very well.”  Eurynome glanced at the baby in her arms.  “This one wish I can grant.  Good luck against Zedd.”

 

Hours later, the sixth queen of New Atlantis fell, all of her energy spent sending Zedd away again.  He was delayed, but only for twenty years at the most, and New Atlantis lost its leader.  Two babies vanished, but no one noticed in the rush of relocating the Children of the Gods until it was far too late.  On her lonely world, Dulcea cried for the loss and the pain that she knew was coming on Uranus and on Earth.  She had been able to infuse the two infants with Ninjetti power, having known already that they would be able to accept it.  When they were old enough, the trace of power would be enough to identify them.

 

Fifteen years later, Zedd struck, and the only thing that stood between him and world domination was one last Godchild and a group of teenagers with powers they barely understood and lives full of danger they could not survive for long.

 

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Chapter 1: Signs

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She sat in her silent room, staring at the shadows stretching across the floor, guitar silent in her hands.  She hadn’t touched the instrument in years, and she wondered if she could still play.  She wondered if she still wanted to play.  On her desk sat one picture, one link to the world she left behind, and she stared at it, knowing that the man and woman in that photograph were long gone, dead with the era of the Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers.  The Zeo and Turbo Rangers had come and gone, but the first group had meant the most.  He had meant the most.

 

She sighed and placed her guitar back into the case, closing it and locking her memories away again.  She wasn’t that girl anymore, and that boy was a man now, with a life of his own, a life she didn’t fit into.  A life she didn’t want to fit into.

 

A knock on her door shook Kimberly Ann Hart out of her dark thoughts.  “Yes?”

 

“Kim!  Trevor’s back!”

 

Kim squealed as dashed to the door, throwing it open and jumping into the arms of the gorgeous man waiting for her.  He laughed as he and Kim’s best friend entered her room, Trevor’s long, dark brown hair was pulled into a simple ponytail, his skin only slightly tanned despite the hours he spent in the sun.  He plopped onto Kim’s bed and touched the guitar case.  “I didn’t know you played guitar, Kimmie.”

 

The petite woman smiled.  “It didn’t really matter.  I haven’t had time in three years.  I used to, but that was part of my old life.”

 

Katai Amara Eagle, Kimberly’s best and first friend in Florida, smiled as she picked up the picture on Kimberly’s desk.  “He’s part of your past, too, but you never let him go.”

 

Kimberly nodded as she turned back to Trevor, years of practice keeping her from showing any emotion at the mention of Him.  “Kae, we shouldn’t talk about me.  Trevor, tell us about Austria!”  Trevor was an accomplished gymnast, as were Katai and Kim, and his talent took him to dozens of countries.

 

“It was really nice, but very cold.  You guys are used to Floridian winters, but it doesn’t get that warm in Austria even in mid-summer!  The snow was beautiful, the competition was laughable, the skiing was great, and those old castles were marvelous.  We visited Salzburg, the city where they filmed a great deal of ‘The Sound of Music’, and the whole town is divided down the middle by the Salz River, the saltiest river in the world!  The old city is on one bank and the new city is on the other.  In the old days, the city made its money by mining the salt from the river, calling it white gold.  We visited the Abbey from the movie, and it’s so yellow!  It has a great view of the Danube, though, and we rode a boat from the Abbey to Vienna.  That city is something else.  We saw a ballet and rode a hundred-year-old Ferris wheel and shopped like crazy!  And our tour guide was pretty hot, too.”

 

The girls ignored the last part.  “Wasn’t Mozart originally from Austria?”

 

“Yeah, Kae.  We saw his house.  It was so yellow!”  The girls laughed at Trevor’s incredible enthusiasm.  “What?”

 

“You’re always so excited about every place you visit!  I don’t think I could garner that much energy for anything.”

 

“You do sometimes, Kim,” Trevor whispered, his face serious.  “When you talk about the old days and Angel Grove, you glow.  When you talk about your friends and Tommy, your brown eyes sparkled more than the stars.  Maybe we should go visit your home for a change.  Last year we went to my family’s farm in Tennessee and the year before it was North Carolina and Kae’s family.  I think it’s your turn.”

 

Kimberly backed up, fear in her eyes and her voice.  “No, that’s okay.  We don’t have to go all the way to California.  You don’t want to drive three-and-a-half thousand miles just to see a little town plagued by monsters.”

 

“Then we’ll go by plane.  Besides, the Power Rangers are in Angel Grove, right?  I have always wanted to see them in action!”

 

Kim turned away and shuddered.  “Angel Grove isn’t home, not any more.  And the Power Rangers,” she whispered, feeling the old, familiar darkness clouding her soul, “I don’t want to see them ever again.”  Resolutely, she pushed the depression away, telling herself that she had the strength to be happy.  “I feel sorry for them.”

 

“Why?  They have so much power, and they have saved the world so many times.  Those few men and women are all that stand between the invading evil and our innocent little planet.”

 

“But what about the constant strain of the fight?  They’ll never have normal lives or normal loves because anybody they’re close to, anyone without the power, will always be in danger, will always be a target.  And what about afterwards?  When does a Ranger stop being a Ranger, and when does that hole go away?”

 

“Never,” Trevor whispered, sitting straight and all traces of humor gone.  “That pain will never go away, Kimberly, but Tommy survived when he lost his Green Ranger powers.  You’ll make it, too.”

 

For a moment, just a moment, Kim was able to imagine that Rocky, or Jason, or Billy had just told her to cheer up, that she’d be okay, then she remembered that she wasn’t in a room with Power Rangers, current or former.  Trevor and Katai had no idea of the truth of her past, and they certainly couldn’t possibly know about Tommy.  She looked up, shocked, and Trevor shrugged.  Kae smiled at her friend, her emerald eyes kind and loving.  “We’re sorry, Kim.  We’ve known since before we met you.  We know about all of the Power Rangers and the changes the team has gone through, and we’re here to help you.  Our job, part of our job, was to watch out for you and make sure that you lived.  We know that you’ve toyed with the idea of suicide a lot, and we know that you’ve been depressed ever since you left California.”

 

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

 

“For the same reason that you couldn’t talk to any of your friends.  You would have pulled away from us, refused to open up to us, and you might have given in to the pain.  Here’s the truth, Kimberly, first Pink Ranger.  Trevor and I aren’t exactly from around here.  We’re from another world, and our people need your help.  Everyone who has ever been a Power Ranger has the power to help us find the two people who can save our world from succumbing to the darkness of Chaos.  Our two societies were scheduled to merge in just a little while, on the anniversary of the formation of our parent civilization, but the two who were destined to bring a perfect age of peace disappeared twenty years ago.  We have to find them.  I was assigned to the Pan Globals and later the Olympics in order to watch for outstanding athletic ability that marked the first Pink Ranger, the Ninjetti Crane.  Trevor has been here less time—he arrived a week before you met him—and he has traveled the world locating all of the other former Rangers.  His trip to Austria was the last.”

 

Kim stared at the two, her mind desperately trying to adjust to the fact that her two best friends were aliens desperately in need of her help.  “How did you know?”

 

“Dulcea was one of us, once, before Phaedos called her.  You met her when you received your Ninjetti powers.  She told us that Zordon lives, a fact we were not acquainted with.  Once we knew of him, you rangers certainly stood out.  Kimberly, I know your life since leaving Angel Grove has been a rocky one, but you must help us.  You can find our leaders; I know you can.”

 

Kimberly took Katai’s outstretched hand.  “My shrink said I would have to go back one day, face the past.  At least if I have something to do once I get there, it won’t be so bad.  Trevor, Katai; if I can help you, I will.”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

She didn’t know why she had believed that man in Vienna, but here she was, back in Angel Grove.  She looked around, smiling at the emptiness of the airport.  It was a small town, but it warranted an airport ever since the original Power Rangers fought Rita Repulsa’s first monster and put the town on the map.

 

“Kat?”

 

Kat looked up, shocked at the voice.  Billy, once a lonely geek in glasses, smiled as he joined the former Pink Ranger, embracing her without hesitation.  Once, he wouldn’t have been so comfortable with physical contact, but the Power changed everyone.

 

“Kat, why are you back?  I thought you were in Vienna.”

 

“I was,” she answered, “but someone told me I should return.  Have you seen any of the others?”

 

“Tommy came down from Stone Canyon, and Tanya and Adam called from Africa to say that they would be here later tonight.  Even Trini and Zack called from Switzerland and Jason showed up last night.  Why are all of the old . . . Rangers”—he whispered the word in case anyone was listening—“coming back?”

 

“I don’t know, but I met this man after one of my performances in Vienna and he said that all of the former Power Rangers were needed in Angel Grove.  Zordon didn’t know anything when I called him, but he said that there are people out there who could need us.  Rangers never ignore a call for help.  What about Aisha?”

 

“Tanya contacted her, but she wasn’t summoned.  I think something about changing time made her not a ranger really.  She certainly never experienced any flares of power, like we have from time to time.”  Billy took Kat’s bag as they collected her luggage and headed to his truck, conveniently painted a vibrant blue that could be seen from anywhere in the parking lot.  “Zordon says none of the rangers after Zeo were contacted, not even Justin, so maybe only the first three generations are needed.”

 

“What about Kimberly?”  Kat’s voice was barely a whisper as Billy pulled out of the lot and headed for his house, where Kat would be staying.  He had thought it rude to make any of the former rangers sleep in a hotel, and he was rich enough from his inventions to have a large enough house to hold everyone from out of town.

 

“I don’t know,” Billy admitted.  “I asked everyone, but no one’s talked to her in over three years.  I think everyone sent her letters after the Pan-Globals and the Olympics for all of her gold medals, but we couldn’t get through to talk to her and no one thought to fly to Florida and disrupt her training schedule.”

 

“I knew about the letters after the games—I sent her some, too—but the Olympics ended months ago and I would think that she’d want to come home.”

 

“What if Angel Grove isn’t home anymore?  After all, I called Aquitar home for a while, and few of the other Rangers live in Angel Grove anymore.  Even you don’t.  For all we know, she might be married and expecting a child.  We just don’t know anything about her anymore, and we all used to be so close.”

 

Kat nodded as she watched the scenery speed past.  “I know.  I hope she isn’t, though.  That would kill Tommy.”

 

They rode the rest of the way in silence.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Chapter 2: Reunions

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“Billy!”  The former Blue Ranger groaned as his friends mobbed him, acting for all the world like teenagers again.  Jason and Rocky pounced, the former coming to Billy’s house from a session of training kids at Rocky’s dojo, Tommy walking quietly behind them.  After his short-lived racing career, Tommy became a karate instructor and toured dojos near Angel Grove and Stone Canyon, sometimes going as far away as Colorado, working for anyone he felt like, including Jason and Rocky, moving on when he got bored.  Kat had been shocked to learn that the man who had once been her boyfriend was a freelance karate instructor, but she supposed that a lot had changed since graduation.  A lot had changed since they ceased to be Power Rangers.

 

Her thoughts flew to Kim as Jason and Rocky greeted her, both former Red Rangers grinning like fools.  The third ex-Red shook her hand, his brown eyes glazed and lacking the warmth and emotion she had come to associate with the leader of the Power Rangers.  She glanced at Billy, but the genius shook his head.  He’d explain later.

 

A soft cough spun the five rangers around, and Jason leapt forward to embrace Trini and Zack.  “I missed you guys!  How’s Switzerland?”

 

“It hasn’t changed since you left,” Trini laughed as Jason moved to Zack, the latter of which raised his hands.

 

“Whoa, Jase.  Hold on there.  No need to be so enthusiastic.  It’s nice to see you guys again.”  His eyes searched the crowd as he smiled at Billy, Tommy, and Rocky.  He smiled kindly at Kat, but he had no idea who she was, despite the remains of pink in her clothing that she had never been able to shake.  “Um, Billy, is everyone here?”

 

“Except Adam and Tanya, yes.”

 

“Aisha?”

 

“She went to Africa and stayed there when we found the shards of the Zeo Crystal,” Rocky answered.  “As of four days ago when Tanya and Adam called me and said that they spoke to Aisha, she hadn’t been summoned.  Zordon and Alpha have this theory that none of the Power Rangers power residue remains with her, so she wasn’t identified in this quest.  She’s happy there, though.  If she is suddenly called, she’ll come.”

 

“Kimberly was a Power Ranger longer than any of us except Billy and maybe Tommy.  Why isn’t she here?”

 

Billy hung his head as all eyes turned to him, expectant.  “I don’t know,” he whispered.  “None of us have talked to her since the Christmas after she left.  We sent letters . . . but I have no idea if she was even called.  Neither does Zordon.”

 

Silence reigned in the yard, none of them able to meet anyone else’s eyes.  Trini spoke first, breaking the tension.  “I’m sure she’ll come if she’s needed.  She was always there when we needed her, whether we deserved her love or not.”  She walked up to Kat, a smile lighting her face.  “You must be Katherine.  Billy mentioned you when I called.  I hear you were the second Pink Ranger.”

 

Katherine nodded, taking Trini’s hand.  “Call me Kat.  It’s nice to finally meet you.  I have heard so much about you from these guys.”

 

Zack stepped forward and quickly introduced himself, unwilling to be left out.  As the rest of the group swarmed around the new arrivals and old friends from Switzerland, Jason pulled Tommy to one side.  “What’s wrong, Tommy?  You were a little off today when I watched you in Rocky’s dojo, and you don’t seem to be the same person I knew a few years ago.”

 

Tommy shook his head.  “It’s nothing, bro.  I’ve been wandering for a long time now, and it’s a little strange to come back here.  I never planned on returning.”

 

“None of us did, but that can’t be the reason.  What have you been up to?”

 

“I was just wandering.  I visited David’s tribe, but I didn’t belong there.  I visited my adopted parents’ families, but I didn’t belong there.  I’ve been to dozens of cities and towns in thirteen states, doing whatever, but I don’t belong anywhere.  It’s like I’m not even from this planet.”  Tommy sighed and ran his fingers through his long hair, staring at it as the color stirred a memory.  “I was camping in the woods not far from Stone Canyon when this man walked into the firelight, dressed in traditional Native American garb.  He had long hair so dark brown it almost looked black, save for the mahogany highlights.  His eyes were amber gold, which I remember thinking was very strange and very cat-like.  He just sat down, staring at me, and he smiled.  He called himself Warrior of the Lion, and his headdress was made of long orange and gold feathers hanging to his shoulders.  He told me that the time had come for me to return to my friends and discover my true home.  He said that I would find where I belong if I would embrace my spirit guide and become the warrior I ceased to be long, long ago.  Then I blinked and he was gone.  The only thing he left behind was this.”  Tommy reached into his pocket and pulled out a quarter-sized black opal carved in the shape of a heart, glinting in the light.  It was flawless, perfect, reminding both men of the night sky, and it was obviously very valuable.  “The only friends I could find were Rocky and Billy, here in Angel Grove.  So I came.”

 

Jason’s eyes were wide.  “I met a man with long, dark hair highlighted by mahogany and cat-like amber eyes.  He walked into the dojo where I work wearing regular street clothes.  He watched me until I finished, then he followed me outside and introduced himself as a friend of the Power Rangers.  He told me that all of the warriors of Zordon were needed and that I had to return to Angel Grove without delay.  He told me that the first Red Ranger and the only human Gold Ranger had to be there.  So I came, wondering if I would see any of you guys.”

 

“Gold eyes?”  Jason suddenly realized that all eyes had turned to him as silence filled the yard.  He gestured for everyone to enter Billy’s house, refusing to answer Zack’s question until they were all seated in the living room, drinks and light snacks in their hands.

 

Jason looked around the circle of ex-Rangers, taking charge as he had long, long ago.  Tommy wasn’t ready yet to lead.  “Who here met a man with long, dark brown hair highlighted in mahogany and gold eyes?”  Every hand went up.  “Okay.  Tommy met him in the woods near Stone Canyon and I met him in my friend’s dojo.  Rocky?”

 

“He was at this tree planting project the High School was sponsoring.  I was helping out a little, and I saw him with the newly planted saplings.  It was weird—I could have sworn I saw him talking to them.  I think his ears were pointed, just a bit.  I introduced myself when we stopped to eat, and he just smiled.  ‘I already know you, Rocky DeSantos, second Red and Blue Ranger,’ he said.  I was sure somebody heard, but I guess not.  He pointed at the sun, which was overhead at the time, and told me that in five sun-passes my life would return to the pace to which I was accustomed.  He told me to expect the signs and be ready to put my mundane life on hold for the sake of the Rangers.  Before I could say anything or even ask his name, he disappeared into the grove of trees.  There were little plants growing where he had walked.  The next day, Tanya called me from Africa and said she met an African chief dressed in traditional lion spirit garb who told her to come back to Angel Grove.  She didn’t seem surprised that he knew about her life as a Ranger.”

 

Trini decided to speak for herself and Zack.  “We were at this reception for the newest ambassador and Zack and I ran into a young man who fits the description of your guide leaning against the wall in the garden, seemingly waiting for us.  He was wearing a gem-heavy suit that vaguely reminded me of Indian dress clothes.  We started a conversation about flowers, and he mentioned that every flower blooms and dies, but some of them return after the passing of seasons.  He said that the Power Rangers were like that, and that even the first ones might be needed in Angel Grove.  Before we could ask what he meant, he left, and I called Billy to ask what we should do.  He said that Tanya and Adam had already called from Africa and were returning to California, so we decided to come, too.  And here we are.”

 

Billy and Kat were the only ones left, so Kat decided to take her turn.  “I was doing a ballet in Vienna, and I always try to meet the audience afterwards.  It helps my German.  Anyway, one of the men was tall with long brown hair and gold eyes.  The way he moved reminded me of Kimberly.  I think he was a gymnast.”  The other Rangers nodded at her observation, having sensed the similarity but having failed to place it.  “He congratulated me, saying that agility and grace were qualities of a fine warrior.  He told me that all of the Warriors of Power had returned to the Home of my Spirit and that I should, too.  So here I am.” 

 

“This man dressed in a business suit came to my house about the same time he visited Jason, Tommy, and Rocky.  He had a briefcase with him, and he talked about a few of my inventions.  I didn’t think there was anything strange, but when he left, he said ‘once a Ninjetti, always a Ninjetti.  Good luck, Warrior of the Wolf.’  Then he walked away, and I realized that he had left his case.  It contained files on each of the Rangers through Ninja, even Aisha, though there was a note about the time difference, and an animal picture was on each one.  Many of them had a few animals, as if there was doubt, and there were colors on each file.  The colors also seemed to be a guess.  I showed them to Zordon, and he told me to wait until the Rangers return.  He has the case now, and we’ll go see them when Tanya and Adam arrive.”

 

“Until then?”

 

“Until then, Zack, I suggest we catch up on old times.  What have you guys been up to?”

 

As the friends began to relate the tale of their lives over the past few years, they noticed the absence of Tanya, Aisha, and Adam, but something more seemed to drain the energy from the room until all conversation ceased.  While the others were sitting beside each other on the couches, Tommy sat alone on the smallest couch, the loveseat Billy’s father had given him in hopes that he would one day have a girlfriend.  The former White Ranger stared at the empty seat beside him, eyes filled with emotion.  “I miss her,” he whispered.  “I wish she had been called.”

 

“She has been my best friend since we were little kids,” Billy murmured.  “No one else would talk to me, but she didn’t care that I was a geek.  She liked me for who I was.”

 

Jason and Zack nodded as Trini wiped her eyes.  “She was my best friend, and becoming Power Rangers just brought us closer.  One of the hardest things about going to the Peace Conference was seeing the tears in Kim’s eyes as she said goodbye.”

 

“She always made you feel welcome,” Rocky whispered.  “I don’t know a guy in High School who didn’t want to date her.”

 

Kat smiled and shook her head, tears in her blue eyes.  “I came here evil, Rita’s servant, and all Kim ever wanted to do was be my friend.  I stole her powers, almost got her killed, and she handed her Power Coin to me, entrusted me with her powers and her friends.  She never thought twice about making me the second Pink Ranger.  I could never have forgiven me if our positions were reversed, but she was incapable of hate.  She never held a grudge.  I didn’t deserve her friendship.”

 

“I was evil, too, and she never cared.  I tried to kill her and all of the Rangers as well as Zordon, and she never cared.  When I was free of Rita’s spell, she was there to welcome me to the team.  When I lost my powers, she was there, offering me her love and helping me through one of the toughest times of my life.  When I lost my powers the second time, I almost gave in to the depression, but she saved me again.  I still remember the day Zordon made me the White Ranger and you five were gathered to meet me.  I couldn’t wait to see the expression on Kim’s face.  When she fainted, it was priceless.”

 

“She fainted when she found out that you were the White Ranger?  This I gotta hear.”

 

Rocky nodded in agreement as the Rangers who hadn’t been there leaned forward, eager for the story.  They spent the rest of the night talking about the pink ranger who should have been there.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Chapter 3: Quest

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“Billy?”

 

“Hey, it’s Tanya and Adam!”  A veritable army of young men and women attacked the two visitors from Africa, pulling them into the group and talking nonstop as they headed for the luggage claim and two cars waiting in the parking lot.  The nine former Rangers managed to squeeze into the cars with the luggage, heading for a friendly mansion on the edge of town.

 

As they headed up to the house, all nine came to a stop as they spotted a short woman standing in the shadows of Billy’s door.  Her long brown hair hung down her back, brown eyes sparkling in the light as she stepped into the sun.  Rocky and Adam stared at her, unable to speak or move.  “Hi guys.”

 

“Aisha,” Billy breathed.  Another reunion followed as the group poured into Billy’s house, landing in the living room again.  Aisha smiled at everyone, her smile falling into a frown as she looked at Tommy.

 

“Where’s Kim?”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“When Tanya and Adam were visiting me, I hadn’t been called.  The night they left, I couldn’t sleep.  That happens when I think about you guys.  So I went on a walk and ended up out on the plains, with nothing between me and the horizon.  There I found a lion, a single male lion, and he walked up to me.  He acted for all the world like a little kitty cat.  He nudged me with his nose and convinced me to follow him.  We ended up by a calm little pond, the water reflecting the silver moonlight, and he pawed it.  When the ripples faded, there was an image of Angel Grove, back when I was a Power Ranger.  And I somehow knew without a doubt that he was the sign.  That gold-eyed lion was telling me to return to Angel Grove.  So I came.”

 

“A lion with gold eyes?  We all met a man with gold eyes who told us to come here.”  Tommy tilted his head.  “Do you think the lion you met was the man we all saw?”

 

“I don’t know.  When he vanished, I thought he might be a spirit, and I guess he changed me a little, made me the Ranger I was before my time travel adventure.  My friends almost didn’t recognize me.  I caught the next flight here.”  She smiled at all of her new acquaintances and old friends, knowing instantly that everyone else knew who was missing, too.  Aisha avoided the subject.  “So, Zordon thought I might not be called because of that whole Zeo Quest?”

 

“We were actually searching for explanations as to why you would not be summoned.  Your file was in the briefcase, though, so I suppose I should have anticipated this eventuality.”

 

“Was Kim’s?”

 

Billy hung his head.  “No, Tommy.  I’m sorry.”

 

The awkward silence was broken by a familiar musical summons.  The ten men and women snapped into Ranger mode, pulling their old communicators out, confused.  Billy was fastest.  “Yes, Zordon?”

 

“Rangers!  It’s so good to have you all back!  Report to the Command Center at once.”

 

They vanished in ten beams of colorful light.

 

They reappeared in the Command Center, greeting an enthusiastic little robot and their mentor.  Zordon greeted each Ranger in turn, and they felt like they were finally at home again.  Alpha pulled out the briefcase Billy had brought, spreading the ten files across the small table.  Rocky, Adam, Billy, Aisha, and Tommy quickly found theirs, glancing at the animal symbol in the corner of each.  Rocky’s was an ape, Adam’s was a frog, Billy’s was a wolf, Aisha’s was a bear, and Tommy’s was a falcon.  “I see what you mean by the colors,” Rocky murmured.  Under his name were three lines of color—red, brown, and mahogany.  Adam’s page had black and three shades of green, and Aisha’s had four shades of yellow, including a rich bronze.  Billy’s only color was a rich blue and the only color on Tommy’s page was white.

 

Trini, Zack, Tanya, Kat, and Jason took their files.  They had definite colors but they had multiple animals.  Trini’s yellow page had a gazelle, red panda, and squirrel on it, while Tanya’s tan page had a lemur and ferret on it.  Zack’s color was black, and a there was a picture of a black panther in the corner with three smaller cats on the side.  Kat’s page was pink with a small cluster of small cats in the corner.  Jason’s page was red, but there was a question mark where the picture should be, a few Latin words in the corner.  Billy identified them as genus names, though they belonged to quite a few animals.

 

“What do the colors and animals mean?”

 

“They’re our Ninjetti animal spirits, Jason,” Tommy answered, eyes wide.  “This is what he meant.  He told me to embrace my spirit guide.  Dulcea said the same thing on Phaedos.”

 

“We couldn’t become Ninjetti again, could we?”

 

Everyone looked up at Rocky’s question, sensing his eagerness.  “I don’t know, Rocky.  But Dulcea said that we can do anything.”

 

“To those who are Ninjetti, anything is possible.”

 

They moved into fighting stances as a strange woman entered the room, dressed in a suit much like the one Dulcea of Phaedos had worn, except that it was colored in various shades of purple.  She bore a staff with white feathers tied to it and a clear purple crystal on top.  Her long hair was pulled into a braid, dark purple with lighter highlights, her ears sporting tiny points, her eyes sparkling pink.  “Who are you?”

 

“A friend, Tommy Oliver.  Do not be alarmed.  I contacted Zordon and told him that I would be here once all of the Rangers had gathered.”  She waved her staff, and her purple Ninjetti clothes became civilian ones, smiling.  “I am called Amari Michelle Egret, and I am Amari, Warrior of the Egret, on my planet.  Like you, I am Ninjetti.”

 

Jason, Zack, Trini, Tanya, and Kat raised their hands.  “We’re not Ninjetti,” Jason piped up.  “Those guys and Kimberly are.”

 

“Just because you never touched the power does not mean that you would not be changed by it.  Most Atlantans do not react to the power until they reach fifty or so.”

 

“Fifty?”  Rocky looked at the woman, eyebrows raised.  “Amari, how old are you?”

 

“Three hundred and seventy two, though my partner is only half my age.  Our queen was only four hundred and ninety-one when she died, though the previous Uranian Queen was five hundred nineteen.”

 

“Atlantans?  Where are you from?”  Zack had been mulling over the word, and he decided that the break in conversation was a good time to ask.

 

“I was going to wait until my partners arrived, but I suppose I can tell you now.  Seven thousand years ago, Eurynome enlisted the help of the younger gods to create a race of pure children, Humans who would not be plagued by war and darkness.  Because of our ears, which always become more pointed the older we get, some of the ancient cultures called us elves.  We lived on an island named Atlantis—Paradise in the God-tongue—and our peace lasted a long time.  Sadly, during the reign of Andira and Toume, in the Year of the Godchildren 5535, a volcanic eruption on a nearby island of the Mediterranean blanketed the planet in a cloud of dust and sank Atlantis with tsunami after tsunami.  We retreated to the Moon and rebuilt our colony, forming New Atlantis.”

 

Billy had been doing the calculations in his head.  “Atlantis sunk in 535 AD, our time.  Your civilization was already fifty-five hundred years old?”

 

“Yes.  Anyway, New Atlantis thrived on the Moon and we used our magic to hide from you humans.  The sister of the Sixth Queen Aremael took a great many Atlantans to the Outer Solar System in the year 2600 long before Atlantis fell and started a second colony on one of the moons of Uranus.  I guess she could see it coming.  Namirah changed her name to N’mira and her colony thrived.  When Atlantis fell in 5535, plans were made to reunite the two halves of our people, but none of the queens could agree on a treaty.  Then, in 6776, Selei ascended the throne of New Atlantis, two hundred and two years after Queen F’jil took the throne of Uranus.  They made an agreement that the first son born to F’jil’s line would marry the next daughter born of Selei’s line.  They would form a treaty and create everlasting peace between the two kingdoms.  In 6680, F’jil’s only child, her daughter N’baru, was born and the king died.  Selei’s only child Jakouy was not born until 6900, and the hope for the future passed onto the offspring of the future queens.”

 

Amari paused, taking a seat and staring at her hands.  “I remember so many good times on the Light Side of the Moon.  I loved New Atlantis.  In 6980, your year 1980 AD, we received word that Lord Zedd had managed to free himself from the old enchantments and was leaving M51.  We were all so scared.  We never fought anyone, not in almost seven thousand years, and only the chosen few, the Ninjetti, had any power at all.  Queen Selei evacuated New Atlantis to Uranus, knowing that F’jil would protect her people.  Only the day before, N’baru gave birth to her first and only child, a little boy named T’miyu.  He was their only hope for a future.  Jakouy went into labor as the evacuation emptied the Moon, and she died.  Her husband took his own life before he ever reached Uranus, and Selei died using the last of her strength to push Zedd away and protect the last people of New Atlantis.  F’jil died that night, using all of her Ninjetti power to cast a cloaking spell around the colony on Uranus.  T’miyu vanished, and we never found the little princess.  She is our queen, she is the only heir to the throne of Atlantis, but we don’t know if she’s alive or dead.  And if we don’t find the prince, one of Selei’s nieces cannot marry him to preserve the alliance.”

 

“Why did you wait twenty years to search for the prince and princess?”

 

“Because, Tanya Sloan, we had no need until now.  We have been searching your planet for you Power rangers for years, ever since N’baru died of a broken heart.  She loved that little boy and without her we have no leader.  Faren is the Regent of Atlantis, but the people of Uranus will only listen to one of the royal line.  They never accept regents.  My partner is from Uranus—she’s the youngest and only surviving daughter of Queen F’jil, though she will not take the throne—and we can’t be together until the prince is found.”

 

“I’ll help you,” Tommy whispered, sensing a chance to do something with his life.

 

“Me, too,” Billy seconded, followed by Kat, Jason, Zack, Tanya, Adam, and Rocky.  Trini and Aisha exchanged a glance.

 

“I wish Kimberly could be here,” Aisha whispered.  “I’ll help you.”

 

“So will I,” Trini decided.  “For Kim’s sake.”

 

“And you said they’d be harder to convince,” an unfamiliar male voice piped up from the shadows.

 

“I knew they’d do it.”

 

“Kimberly,” Aisha breathed, unwilling to believe her ears.  Two women and a man stepped into the light, and Kimberly smiled, the light never quite reaching her eyes.

 

“Hi.”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Tommy couldn’t believe his eyes.  There she was, exactly the same as he remembered her, beautiful and smiling.  He alone could see the pain in her eyes, the dark depression weighing her down, the despair of her past in her words.  She smiled, but there was no happiness.  She hugged her friends, but there was no spirit.  She seemed afraid, unwilling to touch anyone longer than necessary, flinching at the barest brush of skin on skin.  Tommy stayed in the shadows, content to watch and smile.  Just having Kim there where he could see her was enough to brighten his day.

 

Then he noticed her companions.  The woman was petite, but taller than Kim, her long red-gold hair spilling over her shoulders in waves, her eyes a shockingly brilliant green.  Her ears had tiny points on the end, and Tommy wondered if she, too, was from Atlantis.  The man was well-muscled, friendly, tanned, and a gymnast.  Tommy stood up straighter at that observation.  He must have been with her in Florida.  Was he the guy she dumped him for?  He jerked himself out of his thoughts, knowing that wallowing in his pain was not a good idea.  He forced himself to distance himself from his emotions, and he noticed the man’s long, dark brown hair.  The light hit it, and it shone mahogany, a color that seemed very familiar.  His eyes were gold.

 

“You!”

 

Tommy’s cry silenced the room as he approached the tall man who had yet to introduce himself.  “Yes?”

 

“You’re the man who came to me that night in the woods near Stone Canyon and told me to come here.”

 

“You’re the man we met in Africa,” Tanya whispered.

 

“Switzerland,” Trini added.

 

“Vienna.”

 

“You’re the one who brought the suitcase,” Billy finished, holding out the file.  “But Kim didn’t have a file in there.”

 

“Of course not,” the man smiled, pulling a sheaf of papers out of his bag.  “She is a very special case, and we had to be careful.”  Kim poked him, and he laughed, putting the papers away.  “Sorry, Kim.  You see, Billy, she wasn’t going to be here when Amari explained everything about Atlantis, so there was no point.  Besides, we have yet to find her color.  With the rest of you, our research turned up three or four choices, but Kim’s was always in flux.  Her animal, the crane, was easy, but I know nothing about the color.”

 

Trini cleared her throat as she pulled away from her friend.  “Excuse me, but do you have a name?”

 

“K’tai?”

 

The red-haired woman looked up at the call, eyes widening as she spotted the woman in the shadows.  “Amari?  Why are you here?”

 

“I was assigned to help you two out.  You had your hands full with the Crane.”  Amari stepped forward, and K’tai jumped into her arms, tears on her cheeks.  “Besides, little Princess,” she continued, tears in her voice, “I missed you.”

 

“That’s Katai Amara Eagle,” Kimberly introduced.  “Her real name’s K’tai of Uranus, and the separation between Atlantis and Uranus has kept K’tai and Amari apart, though they married fifty years ago in secret.  She could have taken the throne when her sister died, but she mysteriously vanished the night before she was called to take the crown, determined to find her nephew and put him on the throne.  She’s been my best friend since I moved to Florida for the Pan Globals.”

 

“And I am Trevor Alexander Stevens, Tr’vor of Uranus, and I am the person all of you met, including that lion.  I had to gather you together.”

 

“Why?  Why do you need our help?”

 

“Because, Tommy Oliver, Warrior of the Falcon, all Ninjetti have a link to the Great Power that was once stored in Atlantis and is now stored on Phaedos, and, through that, we can sense each other.  Don’t tell me that you six, when you were Ninja Rangers, never sensed each others’ position or emotions or maybe even next move.”

 

“Only with Kimberly,” Tommy whispered, not daring to look up.  “But sometimes I would get a sense of something.  I couldn’t explain it.”

 

The other four Ninjas nodded, but Kim shook her head.  “I don’t remember.  Probably I didn’t.”

 

Trevor wrapped an arm around Kim’s waist and smiled at the short woman.  “It’s okay,” he murmured.  “You don’t have to.”

 

Tommy felt a sharp pain in his hands and he looked down, surprised to find his fists clenched.  Using all of the self-control he had learned in his years of karate, Tommy opened his hands and tried to concentrate on Katai’s words and ignore the grateful look Kim shot Trevor.  He felt Billy’s hand on his shoulder, and he looked down at the genius.  “Tommy, I don’t know if you noticed, but Kimberly’s changed.  She’s not the same girl I met all those years ago.  Something happened in Florida, and I think we owe those two a debt of gratitude for keeping her alive.”  At Tommy’s shocked expression, Billy nodded.  “I think she was more upset by the loss of her powers than she could tell any of us.  I think she may have tried to commit suicide, even as you did between green and white.”

 

“Why didn’t she call any of us?  We would have helped her.”

 

“And what did we do in three years to make her think that?”  Billy’s voice was dark, full of a lighter version of the guilt that filled Tommy’s frame.  “Did any of us ever call her, visit her, send her letters?  I know we sent her cards after the games, but, other than that, how was she to know that we even cared?”

 

“But . . . the letter . . .”

 

Billy smacked Tommy on the side of his head, ignoring the shocked gasps that filled the room.  Kimberly took a step forward to break them up, but Trevor held her back.  Amari and K’tai moved closer, but they doubted there would be anymore physical contact.

 

Billy never noticed.  “Is that all you can think about?!  You are so selfish!  Let the past go and try to think about someone else for a change!”  He touched his communicator and vanished in a flash of blue light, leaving a stunned group of ex-Rangers behind.  Jason and Rocky looked at their former leader.

 

“What did you say to make him so angry?”

 

Tommy hung his head.  “I . . . umm . . . mentioned the . . . umm . . . letter.”

 

The former Zeo Rangers groaned, Jason among them.  “How could you, man?  You know Billy told us never to mention that letter again.  All it does is upset us, especially him.  And you.”

 

“Yeah,” Kat agreed.  “You do this whole depression thing and retreat into your work.”

 

Trevor and Katai exchanged frightened glances as the Lion Warrior cleared his throat.  “I don’t know about any of you, but I’m a little tired after that flight.  Where are you guys staying, and is there room for us?”

 

Rocky nodded, including Amari and Katai in his glance.  “Sure; Billy’s mansion is big enough.  And I’m sure he’ll be glad to have you.”  He glared at Tommy, his expression dangerous.  “As long as somebody doesn’t mention The Letter”—and he said it with capital letters—“again.”

 

Kimberly raised her hand as if in school, ignoring Trevor and Katai.  “Excuse me?  What letter?”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Chapter 4: Pain

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Once again, silence filled the room.  Everyone turned to Kimberly, and Trevor groaned.  Katai walked to Kim’s side, placing a hand on her arm, and Amari crossed her arms over her chest, pink eyes narrowed.  “Okay, K’tai; what did you two troublemakers do?”

 

“Nothing,” K’tai growled.  “All we did was fulfill our assignment.  We were instructed to protect her from all threats.”

 

“I don’t understand.  Kae, Trev; what did you guys do?  And what’s this letter that upset Billy so much?”

 

Tommy stepped forward, hope in his eyes.  “You mean you really don’t know?  You didn’t write me a letter a few months before the games?”

 

If anything, Kim looked more confused.  “I wrote you lots of letters, Tommy, but they kept being returned.  I tried to call, but no one ever answered.  I tried Aisha’s number, but I got another family.”

 

Aisha grinned slightly.  “I moved to Africa in the past and sent Tanya back with the Zeo crystal shard.  I forgot that you wouldn’t know.”

 

“None of the others would answer, either.  I tried the Youth Center in desperation, and I was told that you guys didn’t want to talk to me.  So I gave up.”

 

Trevor pulled Kim back into his arms and tried to soothe her, knowing that the memory of her time before the Pan Globals upset her.  “I’m sure they were really busy saving the world and all.  They didn’t mean to ignore you.”

 

“That’s not why we didn’t answer,” Tommy whispered.  He fished around in his pockets for a moment and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper, sharply defined creases hinting at its age.  He handed it to Kim and stepped back, watching her expression.  She opened the paper and read the words, her face turning white.  Her tiny hands began shaking, and Trevor took the paper away, glaring at Tommy.  Katai pulled Kim into her arms, trying to comfort the champion gymnast, but Kim pushed her away.

 

“Tommy, I never wrote that.”  She turned to look up at Trevor, her brown eyes angrier than many of her teammates had ever seen.  “Trevor Alexander Stevens!  What do you know about this?”

 

Trevor narrowed his rare golden eyes, glaring at the nine men and women standing between him and Zordon.  Thus far the Rangers’ mentor had remained silent, knowing that his children had a lot of issues to work out before the Ninjetti quest could even begin.  “You know, maybe Kim didn’t write this letter, but she could have.  How was she to know what her friends were doing here in Angel Grove while she was busy living her dream in Florida?”  He began to glow, a pale peach color enveloping his form.  “If you cared about her, really cared about her, you would have called, or come, or just written a letter to ask how she was doing.  In the name of the gods, you could have emailed her!  Do you have any idea what she was going through without her friends or her family?  She was a Power Ranger for almost three years and then, nothing, and no one thought to ask how she was dealing with it?!  Maybe she didn’t write it, but she felt it.  She felt betrayed, abandoned, unloved.  You lost her friendship and her love because you don’t DESERVE IT!!!  You never did!  You took her for granted and when she was gone that was it!  You stopped caring.  And it almost killed her!”  As he tried to calm himself, Tr’vor found that he had transformed into his Ninjetti form, brandishing two short swords which he quickly sheathed.  Closing his glowing gold eyes, he returned to his mundane form.  He stood, tall and proud, staring at each of the Rangers in turn.

 

“You never called,” Katai whispered, continuing her brother’s tirade.  “You never sent a letter telling her what you were up to.  You, Aisha, her best friend for so long, never thought to send her a letter saying that you would not be returning from Africa.  You two, Trini and Zack, went off to Switzerland, knowing how much she loved you when she said goodbye, but you NEVER called her.  Not when she was still in Angel Grove, not when she headed off to Florida.  Did you even think to email her, just once?  Adam, you called her friend, she helped you open up and stop being so painfully shy, but you said farewell to her without a thought and never considered her life again.  Tanya, you never knew Kim, but you did hear all of the stories the other Rangers told of her time among them.  You knew what a special person she is, but you were never even the littlest bit curious?”  Then she looked at Jason, and her expression softened somewhat.  “At least you came to see her eventually, even if your one scuba-diving adventure ended rather poorly.”  Then she turned to Kat and Tommy, and she instantly transformed into a Ninjetti Warrior dressed in gold, a transparent silk cape hanging from her shoulders.  “You two are the worst.  You, Katherine Hilliard, were evil.  You took her power coin and tried to kill her and steal her boyfriend, and you know what she did?  She handed you that coin as a friend and entrusted the lives of her friends, her boyfriend, and her town to you.  And you never thought to ask her how she was dealing with the loss of her power.  When the letter came, all you could think of was that Tommy was all yours.  How cruel, how thoughtless, how utterly selfish.  And you, once-Warrior of the Falcon and now no longer deserving of that title, you are the one who is most at fault.  You didn’t love her enough to call and talk things out.  You didn’t love her enough to come to Florida and ask her what made her stop loving you.  You never thought that maybe, just maybe, the letter was a call for help, a scream of pain from a tortured soul.”

 

“I—but I . . .”

 

“No words,” K’tai snapped, waving her feathered staff.  “Nothing you can say excuses your horrible deeds.  Three years of history and pain have passed, and wounds like that never truly heal.  That letter didn’t destroy your relationship—it merely pointed out who was holding it up and who wasn’t trying at all.  That letter didn’t break you up; you did.”

 

K’tai returned to her mundane form, turning to Kimberly, who had been utterly silent during the entire exchange, and the small brunette clenched her hands into fists.  She jerked the paper out of Trevor’s hand and threw it on the floor, letting it fill the space between her and the people she had once called friends.  “Is this the reason you stopped accepting my calls?  Is this the reason my letters were returned, unopened?  Is this the reason why you left me all alone in Florida?”  They couldn’t speak.  “I see.  And all this time I thought it was something I did.”  With that, she spun around, tears in her eyes, pulling Katai and Trevor along as she vanished in a column of silvery white light.  Amari looked at the rangers, feeling pity sing in her bones.

 

“The quest can wait,” she whispered, picking up the letter and placing it on the table.  “I can see that you have bigger problems.”  At the look of utter despair that passed over Tommy’s face, Amari tilted his chin up so she could see his brown eyes.  “Look, every relationship and friendship has problems.  You think it was hard with Kimberly in Florida, imagine falling in love with and marrying the princess of a civilization four planets and forty-five hundred years of tradition and hatred away.  K’tai and I had it rough, especially since she’s expected to take the throne if we can’t find the prince and I am not allowed on the same moon as the Uranians.  I know it seems helpless now, but you will get through this.”

 

Tommy shook his head.  “I don’t know if we can.”

 

“You’ve been through so much, Falcon; this is just one more test.  In the past you would have given anything for her; I don’t imagine that much has changed.  If you guys are willing to try, I can help you.”  Nine nods followed her words, and Amari smiled.  “Good.  Now, go back to Billy’s house and stay out of their way for a while.  My wife and her older brother can be very determined when someone they love is in trouble.  I’ll be there in a second.”  They vanished, and Amari turned to Zordon.  “Child of Eltar, did you know what had happened?”

 

“No, Godchild, though I did suspect that the break had something to do with the lack of communication between the new Rangers and the old.  It has always been thus, though; when they are replaced, they are gone.”

 

“Perhaps that practice should have ended long ago.  I’m grateful that you have agreed to help us, but your Rangers are in bad shape.  This could take some doing.”

 

“If they are needed, they will put their personal problems behind them in order to fight.  You need not fear for the safety of your prince, Warrior of the Egret.  But I do not like seeing my children in pain.”

 

“I’ll see what I can do.”  She vanished, leaving that single piece of paper in her wake.  Alpha 5 didn’t touch it.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Chapter 5: Alone

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Billy was sitting at the table in the kitchen when the nine former Rangers entered the room, staring at the space between his hands.  Tommy sighed and sat down beside the genius, watching as Jason, Rocky, Adam, and Zack joined them.  Aisha, Tanya, Trini, and Kat wandered into the living room, leaving the guys to talk.  “You were right,” Tommy whispered.  “She never wrote that letter.”

 

“I know,” Billy whispered.  “I didn’t want to be right.  We really let her down, you know.  We should have tried harder, especially me.”

 

“You?”

 

“Yes.  Rocky, what was I doing while you guys were being Zeo Rangers?  During that whole Zeo Quest thing, I was just sitting around in the Command Center, building Zords and enhancing equipment.  I had the time to see her, call her, email her, for Pete’s sake!  But what did I do?  Run off to Aquitar.  Kimberly was my best friend all through school, and I turned my back on her.  Jason and Zack, when you went to Switzerland with Trini, you guys had each other.  You didn’t have to go through the loss of your powers alone.”

 

Zack nodded.  “It was tough.  Deciding to pursue my dreams at the expense of my place on the team was one of the hardest choices I ever made.  There were times when I was so depressed . . . but we got through it.  Together.”

 

Billy nodded.  “I was able to convince myself that I had chosen the correct course of action simply through observing my friends defend the world.  My experiences on Aquitar also assisted in preventing me from surrendering to the depression that threatened to drown me.”

 

“She was there for me,” Tommy whispered, a dark despair lacing his words.  The three who had been Rangers when the Green Ranger finally fell hung their heads, remembering Tommy’s depression when he lost his power.  “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for her.  I owe her so much, but I was too blinded by my pain when I read that letter to see hers.  How selfish.”

 

“We can fix this,” Jason whispered.  “We have to fix this.  Of all of us, Kim is the one who least deserves this loneliness.”

 

In the living room, a similar conversation was flowing between the girls.  Amari walked into the room, dressed in civilian garb, and sat beside Kat.  “How are you guys handling this?”

 

“It’s hard, knowing that you hurt the woman who wanted nothing more than to be your friend,” Kat whispered.  “All I wanted to do was take Tommy away from her, and that never worked out anyway.  Amari, do you know what happened?”

 

The purple-haired woman shook her head.  “Unfortunately, no.  Twenty years ago, the last survivors of Atlantis fled to Uranus, and K’tai and I had to be careful about meeting each other and spending nights together.  Five years ago, she devoted herself to the search for the prince of Uranus, and I haven’t seen her since.  She sent me the occasional encoded message, but she wasn’t able to tell me what she and her brother were up to.”

 

“Amari, there’s something I don’t understand.”

 

“Ask away, Aisha Campbell, Warrior of the Bear.”

 

“You said that F’jil of Uranus only had one child, N’baru, but K’tai and Tr’vor are her children, too, and K’tai is eligible to take the throne.”

 

“Ah, forgive me.  To an Atlantan, it would be clear.  You see, F’jil married Gh’mauh three hundred and fifty years ago, birthing N’baru three hundred and twenty years ago.  Gh’mauh died ten years later, leaving F’jil a widow.  For most Children of the Gods—and what includes Atlantans and Uranians—that is the only marriage that matters.  We marry for life, period, so secret marriages are disgraceful and second marriages are almost unheard-of.  Then F’jil took a husband in 6850, Br’liim, and the country scorned him, refusing to accept him as king or even a prince.  They could not dispose the queen, but some of my Uranian friends tell me that they came very close.  There was joy when Br’liim died months after the marriage, and many thought that the gods were telling F’jil that she should never have taken a second husband.  Nine months later, she gave birth to his children, the twins Tr’vor and K’tai.  Tr’vor is older by an hour.  Uranus took the children’s birth as another sign, mainly that F’jil had been guided to a marriage doomed to last less than half a year, and they rejoiced in the birth of the twins.  However, by ancient Atlantan Law, the daughter of a second husband can only take the throne five years after all other true descendants have died.  K’tai will be forced to take the throne if we return without the prince.  And all previous marriages are annulled when a princess becomes queen.”

 

“Can’t Trevor become king?  He’s older.”

 

“He is older, Kat, but our laws specifically forbid a male taking the throne until all female descendants are dead.  He must marry before he does, as well, hopefully to a powerful Lady or Duchess.  We have never had a lone king of Atlantis, merely Regents, and they were always brothers or husbands of the former queen.  The current Regent, Faren, was Selei’s youngest and most beloved brother.  She trusted him with our kingdom.  The Uranians have never had a regent, and, until five years ago, there was no break in the Line of N’mira.  That is why they are so desperate to find the son of N’baru and marry him to any of the duchesses of Selei’s line.  Faren and Tarei’s five daughters Abine, Lamiy, Revena, Adoure, and Yaoure have all been deemed good enough to create the treaty, if we can find the prince.  If not, one of them will be assigned to Tr’vor and he will have to marry her.  They do not want to travel that path, and not just because he is a male.  You see, Tr’vor already has a love interest.”

 

“Oh,” Trini managed, instantly thinking of his arm around Kimberly.  “I’m sorry, Amari.  I really hope we can find your prince for the sake of all three of you.”

 

“Think about Faren’s poor daughters!  They have lived twenty years under the thought that their lives are not their own.  Your concern heartens me, Godchild Trini Kwan.”

 

“About that.  What does ‘Godchild’ mean, and why do you keep calling us by our full name?”

 

“Ah.  Forgive me; K’tai was always more of an expert on Human customs than I.  We believe there are two types of people in the world—Godchildren and Chaos children.  You call them good and evil people, I believe.  Zedd, Rita Repulsa, and our current enemy are Chaos children, and you Rangers, Dulcea, Zordon, and all true Atlantans are Godchildren.  It’s a term of respect, and it’s very rude to hint at someone being a Chaos child.  When you meet any other Atlantans, they will give their name, and you must be sure to greet them as Godchildren.  If you meet a God, however, you do not speak until bidden.  I don’t think you will, however.  Selei was the last person to talk to a god, and that is only a rumor.”

 

“We’ll try to remember,” Tanya smiled.  “What about the full name thing?”

 

“We do not have last names, though all Godchildren are well aware of their family line.  It is also a sign of respect to call you by your full name.  Our files did not include your middle names, but if you tell me, I will include them.  Atlantans have perfect memories.”

 

“Actually, no offense intended, but I would prefer just being called ‘Tanya.’  You can drop the ‘Sloan’.”

 

Amari nodded.  “Very well.  Tanya, Trini, Katherine, Aisha.”

 

“Kat.  My friends call me Kat.”

 

Amari smiled.  “I am glad you consider me a friend, Kat.  Now, do any of you have any questions for this three-hundred-and-seventy-two-year-old elf?”

 

“Tell us more about Atlantis and Uranus.”

 

“Well, Trini, seven thousand years ago, Eurynome and the ancient gods took the best and brightest Humans, enhanced them, blessed them with long lives and perpetual youth, and placed them on an island in the Mediterranean Sea, an island they named ‘Atlantis’.  The first Queen of Atlantis, Gaiah, was chosen and blessed by the Gods, and was named ‘The Daughter of the Moon’, or Eurynome.”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Kim stared at the twins seated on the extra-large bed, sighing when neither could meet her gaze.  “Which one of you did it?”

 

Trevor rolled his eyes.  “As if my handwriting is good enough to duplicate yours!  I wrote the first draft, Kae and I revised it, and she wrote and mailed it.  That whole ‘like a brother’ thing was my idea, though K’tai convinced me that telling Tommy that you found someone else that he would like was sure to bring him running to Florida to win you back.  You have to understand, Kim; you were in that relationship”—and he growled the word—“with Jeremy at the time.  You were in no condition to object.  I couldn’t just write the truth—your friends are so damn suspicious!  If we wrote a letter saying, ‘This is Kim, I miss you, please come to Florida, I’m in a horrible relationship and might kill myself the next time the depression from the loss of my powers hits,’ we knew that your friends would think it was a trap by Zedd.  We were hoping that your friends would care about you enough to at least call you and see what was wrong when they received our letter.  They would know instantly about Jeremy, and you would not have gone through that pain and suffering alone.”

 

“I wasn’t alone,” Kim smiled, taking Kae’s right hand in hers and Trevor’s left hand in her other.  “Not with friends like you.  Thank you for what you tried to do.  I guess the failure was that I chose the wrong friends in Angel Grove.”

 

“You forgive us?”

 

“Yes, Kae; I forgive you.”  Katai squealed and jumped into Kimberly’s arms, and Trevor wrapped his arms around both women.  They fell onto the bed, giggling, and Kim sat up, brushing her brown hair out of her equally brown eyes.  “Okay, guys; tell me what’s really going on here.  Why do you need the Ninjetti?”

 

“Because there are precious few left on our world, and none of them can access their power as they once did.  You eleven former rangers are the only hope we have of defeating Tebekren and saving our people.”

 

“Tebekren?”

 

“It means ‘Darkest Child of the Night’.  We will tell you later.  Suffice it to say, there are thirteen Ninjetti of true power left.  Tr’vor and I are two; Amari, Fynn of New Atlantis, Regent of Fallen Atlantis Faren, and Lady Regent Tarei are four; their daughters Revena, Abine, Lamiy, and the twins Adoure and Yaoure are five; and S’rei and F’paen, brother and sister of Uranus, are the last two.  Dulcea of Phaedos is also a Ninjetti Warrior, but she can no longer live among us.”

 

“Dulcea?  The same Dulcea who made us into Ninjetti?”

 

“She did not make you Ninjetti,” Tr’vor corrected; “she merely opened you to the Great Power and allowed you to find your spirits.  There is a difference.”

 

“Anyway,” K’tai continued, glaring at her twin, “Dulcea told us that this time would come, the time when the power would wane and we would require help from the Humans.  For decades, as the number of Ninjetti dwindled, we have sent emissaries to Earth and chosen the most likely newborns and exposed them to the Power.”

 

“Exposed?  How?”

 

“Promise you won’t be angry?  We did it to you and your friends.”

 

“It happened twenty years ago.  We have to be honest with each other if we are to work together.”

 

“We would visit each promising baby and place a crystal in its cradle, giving each a small injection of blood plasma from an Atlantan, mostly to see if they would react adversely to our DNA and our power.  The readings from the little crystal were analyzed the following day, and our scientists tried to determine if the child would be an acceptable candidate for the Great Power.  If the results were favorable, power-enhanced plasma from Ninjetti Warriors was introduced to the child as one of the common baby shots you all get some time before the end of the first year.  Twenty years later, the children were exposed to the Power, and the Ninjetti were removed from the commoners.  There have not been any of those in so long.  You six who were Ninja Rangers touched the Great Power so young and with so much need and love surprised us.  We have never seen child Ninjetti.  We know that all of the Altered who were Power Rangers would be able to become Ninjetti.  So we found you, gathered you, and we will take you to a source of the Power to change you.  You can then use your power to help us find our prince, to save our civilization, and to defeat Tebekren.”

 

“And after that?”

 

“You simply release the power again.  It will fade and you will be normal humans again.”  Trevor smiled.  “And Atlantis and Uranus will be eternally grateful.”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Chapter 6: History

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Billy pounded on each door along the hallway, demanding an answer before moving on.  Tommy’s room was next-to-last, and Billy opened the door, knowing instantly that the perpetually-late ex-Ranger would never get up on his own.  He turned the light on, shocked to find Tommy sitting on his bed, fully dressed, staring out the window.  “Is it really morning already?”

 

“Yes.  You’re up early.”

 

“I couldn’t sleep,” Tommy whispered.  “I couldn’t . . . I’ve never felt so responsible before.  I led the rangers for—what, three?—three years, four.  I can’t remember.  But I felt guilty every time that one of you got hurt, every time one of you was captured.  God, especially Kim.  But now, I hurt her because I was too busy being a Ranger, being the leader.  In the past, I would have given anything for her.  Remember when Lord Zedd kidnapped her and demanded that we serve him or lose her?  I would have.  I would have given the world for her.  But now it seems that I ignored her, let the team come above our love.  What kind of Power Ranger am I if I forget the woman who means the most to me?  What kind of Ninjetti Warrior can I be?”

 

“Tommy, we’ll work this out.  I promise.  Come on; breakfast is ready.”

 

Tommy stood and followed the first Blue Ranger, standing to the side as Billy opened the last door on the hall, staring in shock.  Katai was nowhere to be seen, and Trevor and Kim were curled up on the large bed.  Tommy swayed and fell against the wall, dashing down the hallway at the sight, and Billy gathered his nerves.  She had every right to be with another man.  “Kim?  Trevor?”

 

“That won’t wake them up,” a soft voice admonished from Billy’s shoulder.  Katai and Amari slipped into the room and jumped on the bed, tossing an indignant Trevor on the floor.  “Wake up!”

 

“K’tai!”  Trevor grabbed his sister and pulled her onto the floor, reaching for Amari an instant later.  Kim laughed as Trevor tickled both elfin women, smiling at Billy in the doorway.

 

“Time to get up, I assume.”

 

“Your deduction is logical,” Billy managed.  “Come down when you’re ready.”

 

“Just a sec.”  Kim slipped out of bed and landed on Trevor, pinning him with maybe 110 pounds, grinning as Katai and Amari turned to him. 

 

“Attack us, will you?”

 

Billy followed the Rangers downstairs, trying to erase the image of Trevor and Kim sleeping together from his mind.  She deserved someone who could be there for her, and Trevor seemed like a very nice Uranian.  He suddenly wondered what Kim would do when Tr’vor returned to his home.  Kim would be alone again.

 

When the three elves and Kim descended the stairs to the breakfast table, she managed to avoid making eyes contact with anyone.  Tommy was nowhere to be seen as the thirteen men and women ate and gathered in the living room to hear the details of their quest.  Billy and Jason promised to fill Tommy in later, and Kim looked around, wondering where her former boyfriend was.  A moment later, all cares were forgotten as K’tai, Amari, and Tr’vor stood in front of the humans and began their tale.  They decided to let Amari speak, and they would add their commentary if they saw fit.

 

“You all know the story of Atlantis and Uranus and their split.  I feel the need for a brief history lesson, since most Atlantans consider most Humans backward and rather dumb, uncultured, and violent.  That is not a reflection on any of you, but you must expect the stereotypes.  Don’t worry if you can’t remember everything—just knowing the names of the important queens is enough.  Anyway, seven thousand years ago, your year 5000 B.C., Gaiah was named the first Queen of Atlantis, and many suspected that she was a daughter of Eurynome.  She married Unamus and had a daughter, Rheai, in 320, who took the throne in 378 and wed Kronoun.  She birthed her daughter Haera, in 899, who married Lekoum and took the throne in 970.  Hevebi was born in 1472, and she married Noulem when she was one hundred.  Ten years later she assumed the throne, but her reign only lasted two hundred and ten years.  She died giving birth to her daughter, Laredae, in 1792, but she was lost for two hundred years, and her father served as Regent.  She married Asclepon while she was lost, ascending to the throne in 1992 and giving birth to her first child, Aremael, in 2508.  Aremael was destined to be queen, but her sister Namirah, born in 2550, was, too.  K’tai will tell you the story of Namirah’s line soon. 

 

“Apeno was born in 2685 and Laredae died in labor, leaving Aremael and her husband Endyrol to take the throne.  Her only child, Malirah, was born in 3437, and her mother died three years later, leaving her brother Apeno to rule for sixty years.  Malirah took the throne in 3500 and spent four hundred years trying to get pregnant.  She died in childbirth in 3987, leaving her husband Timiyu in charge for twenty years.  Their daughter Amiris became the eighth queen of Atlantis, ruling for 629 years with her beloved husband Peren, giving birth to her daughter Pijone in 4587.  Fifty years later, she died, and Pijone’s eight-hundred-year reign began.  She was the best queen we ever had, and we called her reign the Glorious Age.  Sadly, she died in 5437, leaving her daughter with King Vopent, Andira, in charge.  Andira was born in 5395, and her life was a sad one.  It seemed that she was destined to experience great pain for the sake of her people.  She lost four boyfriends to the elements before she married Toume.  Atlantis fell in 5535, and Andira grieved for the people lost and for the necessity of fleeing to the Moon.  She had the shortest reign of any Atlantis Queen, and we say that the Grieving Queen died of a broken heart.  Her daughter, born in 5580, was only fifteen when Andira died, and Toume ruled as regent for Bintrouh for five years.  Bintrouh, the first queen of New Atlantis, and her husband Kandel took the throne in 5595, ruling until 5730.  Zoules, born in 5699, took the throne and ruled with Perlem until 5931.

 

“Zoules was a powerful Ninjetti, and she died in a battle with Chaos child Pentk, killing him and saving New Atlantis.  Daeli, born in 5900, ruled from 5931 until 6300, giving birth to King Geroul’s daughter Misali in 6229.  Poor Misali only ruled until 6353, dying in childbirth.  Rimakh’s father, Dimou, was regent for twenty years, and Rimakh then ruled until 6776 with her husband Revunej.  She had many children, very rare for Queens, beginning with Selei in 6489 and ending with Faren in 6770, when she was almost four hundred years old.  Selei was her only daughter, though all of her sons were strong in their own right and Faren is a Ninjetti.  She died six years later, and Selei ascended the throne with her lover Cofern.  They married the day she took the throne, and their only daughter Jakouy was born in 6900.  Her story is so tragic.  She is the first in the queen line not to assume the throne; she would have been the seventh queen of New Atlantis and the seventeenth Queen of the Children of the Gods.  She died eighty years later giving birth to her first and only child.  The Healers who were there say that it was born, a healthy, though tiny, girl, and Selei and the baby princess were the only ones left on the Moon.”

 

“What happened to them?”

 

“We do not know, Jason.  Selei’s body was found by three brave scouts a year later, but there wasn’t much left.  A DNA revealed nothing useful, and we can only assume that the baby was so powerful Selei needed her to fight off Zedd.  Her youngest brother Faren has ruled as regent since.  Our history records that Selei and her unnamed granddaughter died saving our world from Lord Zedd in 6980.”

 

“1980 on Earth,” Billy murmured.

 

Katai tried to clear her throat, wiping tears from her green eyes.  “That tale you will remember, no matter how hard you try to forget.  There is a statue in the palace on Titania of Selei, clothed in her Ninjetti armor, a cloth-wrapped baby in her arm, one hand raised to the sky, fighting Lord Zedd with all of her power and the baby’s, too.  Even the Uranians respect her courage.”

 

“It’s very moving,” Trevor whispered.

 

Katai cleared her throat again as she began her half of the tale.  “The only part of the Line of N’mira that is important to non-Uranians is the queens’ names and when they took the throne.  Honestly, all you need are the three or four important ones.  They believed that only one child was needed, so once the daughter was born, no queen allowed another pregnancy.  Except F’jil.  The Atlantan Queens are important because they are the Children of Eurynome; the Children of the Sky—referring to Uranus, the God of the Sky—are an offshoot of that line only destined to create a child that will help return Atlantis to its former glory.  When Namirah, second daughter of Laredae and Asclepon, fled Atlantis with about thirty percent of its population, she was seen as a hero to those who believed her prophecies of catastrophe and as a traitor by those who thought that Atlantis would last forever.  Some of us wish that she was wrong.  She changed her name to N’mira, and all of her followers also shortened their names with a lost vowel and a well-placed apostrophe.  When they named their children, the names of females had one letter before the apostrophe and the males had two.  They found the moons of Uranus made a good sanctuary, and they used their power to make it a home.  N’mira was the First Queen of Uranus, leaving Atlantis and founding her colony in 2600.  She ruled until 2912, when L’foue took over.

 

“L’foue wrote most of the Laws of the Sky, the Atlantan Code of Honor and Integrity revised a little and a lot harsher.  All nobility—every rank higher than Lord and Lady—was forbidden to marry a member of their own gender—in order to keep the lines pure, she claimed.  No one was allowed to leave Uranus on pain of death—to protect us from the catastrophe, she claimed.  Males were forbidden to inherit anything, though Atlantan sons were only forbidden title, not money or land if all of their sisters had already been provided for.  Families were required to give a daughter to the military, so everyone had daughters.  Sons became baggage, and titles were coveted and marriages arranged to increase land and influence.  Honestly, men lost all rights under her.  They have since regained some, but there is more equality on Fallen Atlantis—they live on Oberon now.

 

“After L’foue died in 3095, S’remi took over.  She was weak, allowing her mother’s reign to influence her.  There was no strong queen for a long time.  T’noure in 3360 was followed by V’noey in 3722, Z’auni in 4109, and G’maei in 4831.  4996 finally brought a kind queen, and A’voule outlawed death as a punishment for anything.  We were no longer forbidden to leave, and the Lord rank was not restricted to male/female marriages.  She did outlaw second marriages, but after more than two thousand years of restrictive queens, A’voule was a ray of light.  D’soua’s short reign began in 5230, followed by J’intu in 5335 and Y’rishi in 5729.  D’nale took over in 5904, and she was concerned for our people’s belief in the gods.  She led the single greatest religious revival in history, convincing all Uranians to return to the service of the gods.  I’m told that many of the gods showed up for the revival.  She changed the laws again, changing second marriages to a moral decision and no longer forbidden, and she allowed everyone to marry as they wished.  She was the first queen who gave a damn about gay rights.  We found out after her husband died that she was, in fact, gay, and she had a lovely girlfriend for forty years.  They died together in 6223, and R’vouse was perfectly happy to leave things as they were.  My mother F’jil took the throne in 6574, and she was kind to second marriages.  She was one of the kindest queens we had, and she reached out to the Moon, arranging a treaty.  The first male born to her line was promised to the first daughter born to Selei’s within a decade.  Her only child with Gh’mauh, N’baru, was the only child of the Line of N’mira, and she was expected to produce the son her people needed.  Gh’mauh died a year later.”

 

“What about you, Trevor?  Aren’t you F’jil’s son?”

 

Trevor nodded.  “Yes, Billy, but I am not of N’mira’s line.  I am not a true son of F’jil.  A second husband may not be illegal anymore, but the child of a second marriage if the previous one produced an heir may as well not exist.  If we do not find the prince, then K’tai will be queen because there is no one else, but I will never be eligible to rule our people.  Not like they would listen to me, anyway.”

 

“True.  F’jil married our father, Br’liim, who died a few months later, leaving the queen pregnant with Tr’vor and me.  We were born in 6851, and Lord Zedd’s threat reached our galaxy in 6980.  Mother died creating a magical shield to protect Uranus and the colony of Fallen Atlantis, and N’baru took over.  She had given birth to her first child, a son, the night before Zedd came, and she named him T’miyu after King Timiyu of Atlantis.  She was a lover of Atlantan history and she was strongly in favor of the alliance.  I was the ambassador for Uranus at the time, and I was there, on the Moon, when Selei learned of the birth and when she ordered the emergency evacuation.  I watched the birth, though I never told anyone, and I wanted to stay and help Selei.”

 

“K’tai?”

 

Katai raised her hand.  “I’ve never said any of this to anyone because I thought it might dishonor Selei’s memory.  I see now that nothing could, especially if her sacrifice moves humans so.  I saw her leave the palace and head to the courtyard where she was supposed to leave, but I think she knew that it would be dangerous to evacuate.  Zedd would follow the path of her power and destroy New Atlantis and Uranus at the same time.  She, as queen, could never allow it.  I remember closing my eyes as a brilliant light filled the area, and the next thing I knew I was on Mars with the rest of the evacuees, heading for Uranus.  I don’t know who teleported me, but I remember the look of sadness and determination on Selei’s face.  I do not believe that she would sacrifice her granddaughter.  I returned with the scanning teams, but we never found evidence that the princess lived or died.”  K’tai swallowed, hanging her head, her voice dropping to an even lower volume.  “I think I heard her name, but I was never sure.”

 

“What did you hear, love?”

 

“I heard Selei say ‘Kamirli’, and that could have been her name.  I wanted to tell the people who made the statue, but they wouldn’t listen to me.  They did not believe that I was there.”

 

“And?”  Trevor knew that his sister was still holding back.

 

“And I think she’s alive.”  Gasps followed her words, and K’tai nodded.  “I think Selei gave Kamirli to the gods and had her sent somewhere safe, somewhere Zedd would never guess.  And I think they are the ones who took T’miyu and sent him the same place.”

 

“You think Kamirli is alive on Earth?”

 

“I do, Jason.  And I think we, the last true Ninjetti, will be able to find her.”

 

“You can’t imagine what a morale boost that would be for the people of Fallen Atlantis,” Amari whispered.  “We have to try to find her.”

 

Trevor smiled at the determination in the humans’ eyes.  “So,” he began, his playful tone a wonderful way to lighten the mood, “who remembers the names of all of the Atlantan queens?  Anyone?”

 

Kimberly hesitantly raised her hand, shocked glances turning to her.  The petite brown-haired woman was just as surprised that she had no problem recalling every word of Amari’s brief history lesson.  “Gaiah and Unamus, Rheai and Kronoun, Haera and Lekoum, Hevebi and Noulem, Regent Noulem, Laredae and Asclepon, Aremael and Endyrol, Regent Apeno, Malirah and Timiyu, Regent Timiyu, Amiris and Peren, Pijone and Vopent, Andira and Toume, the fall of Atlantis, a little more Andira and Toume, Regent Toume, Bintrouh and Kandel, Zoules and Perlem, Daeli and Geroul, Misali and Dimou, Regent Dimou, Rimakh and Revunej, and Selei and Cofern.  Jakouy married Unalet and died birthing their daughter Kamirli, who was sent . . . far away . . . so cold, so hungry . . .”  She trailed off, a trace of green passing through her eyes.  She stared at Trevor and Katai.  “What was that?”

 

“Maybe you were channeling her,” K’tai suggested.  “It’s been known to happen with two Ninjetti, and the princess is always Ninjetti.”

 

Amari cleared her throat.  “Kimberly, what did you say Jakouy’s husband’s name was?”

 

“Unalet,” Kimberly whispered.  “That’s what you said.”

 

“I never said that.  I never mentioned his name because he’s not important.  He was never even king.  How would you know that?”

 

“What about N’mira’s Line?”  Trevor knew that Kimberly was getting uncomfortable with everyone staring at her, so he hoped that someone else could name at least a few of the queens.

 

A voice spoke up from the shadows of the room, revealing Tommy, who had been there the entire time.  “N’mira, L’foue the Strict, S’remi, T’noure, V’noey, Z’auni, G’maei, A’voule the Kind, D’soua, J’intu, Y’rishi, D’nale the lesbian, R’vouse, F’jil who reached out to Atlantis and had Tr’vor and K’tai with her second husband Br’liim, and N’baru, who died five years ago of a broken heart.  Her son T’miyu was lost twenty years ago.”

 

Tommy stepped into the light, staring at Trevor and Kim, pulling his eyes away.  Amari shook her head, falling onto the couch.  “I didn’t think any human had good memory.  How long have you two had perfect memory?”

 

“About five minutes ago,” Kim whispered.  “I’ve always found it easy to remember things, especially moves that I had to learn and copy, but I shouldn’t have been able to remember all that.”

 

“Me, either.  But when you asked, I just knew.”

 

“Why were you hiding in the shadows, bro?”  Billy glared at Jason, and he silenced, wondering why the former blue ranger wanted him to leave Tommy alone.  Tommy didn’t answer.

 

Kat cleared her throat, sensing that Tommy was upset about Kim again.  “Um, so, now what?  We know the history—well, two of us do—now we need to access our Ninjetti powers.  Where do we need to go?”

 

“Actually, the Moon.”

 

“Not again,” Tommy and Kim groaned simultaneously.  The rangers and Atlantans burst out laughing.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Chapter 7: Friends

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“Don’t get too far away from us when we go; our Ninjetti force field is only so large.  Also, be careful not to touch anything unless K’tai tells you it is safe to do so.  Many traps were put in place to keep Zedd and Rita from getting curious, and even the Machine Empire feared our traps.  When we reach the palace—when we find the palace—there will be places where it is safe to move around.  K’tai’s expedition created a few stable force fields around key areas and the throne room is one of the places you will be allowed to explore.  It looks like there are three of us and eleven of you, so each of you will be assigned a partner.  You and your partner are not allowed to be separated except in the safe areas for the entire trip.  Jason and Kat, Trini and Billy, Tanya and Adam, Rocky and K’tai, Zack and Amari, Aisha with me, and Kimberly and Tommy.”

 

“Are you sure, Trevor?  I was kinda hoping one of Kim’s friends could be her partner.”

 

Trevor smiled at Aisha, knowing that she didn’t want to break him and Kim up, finding the thought quite amusing.  “There are reasons I made the choices I did.  I had to pair male to female because women Ninjetti are much more powerful than men—there are currently only four male Ninjetti on Uranus—and I know whom is more likely to protect whom in a dangerous situation.  Besides, you’ll be too busy to worry about infighting and uncomfortable silences.  Kim, Tommy, Jason, and Kat will be linked to K’tai, Trini and Billy will be with Amari, and Tanya and Adam will be with me.  Remember your partner and your guide, because if you get lost, we won’t be able to find you.  The Moon is very dangerous, but there are times that Uranus is even worse.”

 

“We’re going to Uranus?”

 

“Yes, as a matter of fact.  We’ll have to.  They aren’t going to want you, and strength in numbers is the truth for Humans on Uranus.  Don’t lose your partner.”

 

The Rangers mumbled at the warning, knowing instantly that they had to obey.  Katai, Amari, and Trevor moved to one side to discuss their plans while the former Rangers paired up.  Billy and Trini moved to one side, discussing what they might find on the Moon.  Jason pulled Kat to one side, joining Adam, Rocky, and Tanya to talk about their time as Zeo Rangers.  Aisha and Zack moved to the table Billy and Trini chose, eager to discuss their lives since they separated, leaving Tommy and Kimberly alone on the small couch.

 

The former Pink Ranger and her former boyfriend stared away from each other, fingers twined together in their laps.  Tommy cleared his throat, hanging his head.  “Kim, I . . . um . . . I’m sorry.  For everything.”

 

Kim looked up, shocked, and her brown eyes met Tommy’s.  They stared at each other, a great deal of their former warmth sparkling in the glance they shared.  Tommy reached out and touched Kim’s hand, and fear filled her eyes.  She jerked her hand away and fell off the couch, staring up at Tommy in shock.  “I’m sorry,” she whispered as Trevor pulled her into his arms.  “I just can’t.  Trevor, I can’t do this!”

 

“You have to,” Trevor whispered.  He glanced at each of the rangers who had gathered around their fallen comrade, wondering what pain plagued Kim’s soul.  “If you never face what happened, you can never heal.”

 

“I don’t want to,” Kim whispered, eyes closed, fingers buried in Trevor’s shirt.  “Please don’t make me.”

 

“Kim, Katai and I won’t be here forever.  You have to trust your friends.  They can help you.”

 

“If they were my friends, they would have been there for me.”

 

Trevor sighed and exchanged a glance with Katai.  The younger woman stepped up and pulled Kim out of her brother’s arms, returning her to the couch.  “Just relax, Kim,” she soothed, running her fingers through the smaller woman’s chestnut hair.  “Remember that we’re here for you, all of us.  I want you to do me a favor, Kim.  Do you remember long ago, just before you became a Ranger, who your closest friends were?”

 

“Yeah,” she smiled.  “Billy, Jason, Trini, and Zack.”  The four named Rangers smiled, moving closer.

 

“And you trusted them, didn’t you?”

 

“Of course.”

 

“If you can’t trust Tommy—after all, he was evil—can’t you trust them?”

 

Kim looked up at her first friends and smiled.  “Yeah, I can.”

 

“Good.  Then why don’t you let them take you outside, maybe to some of your favorite places?  We won’t leave until the full moon rises a little after dark.”  As Kim stood and followed her friends out the door, Katai laid a hand on Tommy’s arm.  “Follow her, Tommy.  She needs you more than she knows.”

 

“What happened to her?”

 

“I can’t tell you,” Katai whispered.  “When she’s ready, she will.”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“What happened in Florida, Kim?  I know we’ve all changed, but . . .”

 

“It was nothing, Billy.  I’m fine.”

 

“Don’t give me that.”  Trini crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the brunette.  “If there was nothing wrong, if nothing happened in Florida, you wouldn’t have flinched from Tommy’s touch and you would have tried to talk to us, understand why we lost touch with each other.”

 

Kimberly nodded, leaning against the nearest tree as she hung her head.  “I thought that going to Florida and training for the Pan-Globals was my dream, but it was a lot of work.  I think I spent more time training than I ever spent in the pink uniform.  I had to go on a severe diet, lots of exercise, and I lost a lot of weight.  That’s when I met Katai, and we became close friends.  I was naïve enough to think that I might be able to make friends as great as you guys there.  But they were all obsessed with gymnastics—it was their life.  Then I met Jeremy.”  Kim went white at the name, and she covered her mouth with her hand.  “I . . . I can’t . . . it still . . .”

 

“We understand,” Jason smiled.  “It’s good that you got this far.  Let’s try something else.  If you didn’t write the letter, who did?”

 

Kim rolled her eyes.  “Trevor and Kae.  He didn’t come until after I met Jeremy, and he was determined to make sure I was happy.  He’s the greatest.”  She sensed a wave of anger and guilt wash over her, and she stood up, stepping away from the tree.  She stared at it, wondering, but the feeling faded and she turned back to her friends.  “I am glad to be back, guys, it’s just a lot to get used to.”

 

“Tell me something, Kim.”

 

“What, Zack?”

 

“When you pulled away from Tommy, were you pulling away from him?”

 

“No,” she whispered.  “It was a bad memory.  I don’t want to hurt Tommy, regardless of what happened, but sometimes it’s really hard.  How has he been since I left?”

 

“Lonely,” Billy admitted.  “He’s been wandering for a long time, Kim.  I think he lost something when he gave up his powers.”

 

“He always depended on the power to define him.  I guess he still hasn’t realized, even after all this time, what an amazing person he is.  The Green, White, and Red Rangers never held a candle to Tommy Oliver.”  She felt amazement and joy sweep through her, and she looked around a second time for the source.  “That is so weird,” she murmured.  “Let’s go back; I want to eat before I travel to the Moon again.”

 

Tommy sighed in relief as she walked away.  He had been half-afraid that she would look behind the tree and find him listening in.  He knew that, somehow, Kim had felt his anger when she mentioned Trevor and his joy when she admitted that she never cared that he was a Ranger.  “Wow,” he whispered.  “Maybe I deserved to lose her if I never even knew that she loved me.”

 

“Here’s the thing, Tommy Oliver.”  Trevor appeared beside him, gold eyes glowing in the dark.  “I know I was pretty damn pissed in the Control Center, but I didn’t mean what I said the way it sounded, and neither did Kae.”

 

“Then why?”

 

“Because you had to see that a relationship is something you work at, not something you take for granted.  Just loving someone doesn’t guarantee a happy ending.”

 

“It’s too late now,” Tommy growled bitterly.

 

“It’s never too late.”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“Okay, everyone join hands with your partner.”  Kim closed her eyes and let Tommy’s fingers twine with hers, pulling to mind memories of the time when they walked down the hallways of Angel Grove High, hands linked.  She missed those times.  She felt Kat take her other hand, and the three Ninjetti lowered their heads and began to chant.

 

“Amate nuarthe bilor havioun,” Amari the Egret began.

 

“Sestame uravemael abikhij odomen,” Tr’vor the Lion continued.

 

“Enametor sevionh adamenet aurvamet sasistabe,” K’tai the Eagle finished.

 

Kim and Tommy exchanged a startled glance as they easily repeated the words in English.  “We are your children begging your help.  Our power is great but small.  Please grant our wish and lend us strength.”

 

All eyes turned to the pair as the three Ninjetti finished the chant together.  “Eurynome, abinafese kame, mijiname, kamena takri, Atlantis abek adan avilame.  Nuarthen.”

 

“Eurynome, mother goddess, we beseech you as Children of the Gods, descendants of Atlantis.  Help us.”

 

Fourteen men and women vanished in a flash of silver light.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Chapter 8: Moon

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

They picked their way across the barren surface of the moon like so many mindless, wandering ants, surrounded by a purple/peach/gold nimbus of light.  That light was their only protection from the cold vacuum, increasing the gravity somewhat to make life more comfortable for the ex-rangers.  They were paired up, man and woman, connected by slim silver threads.  Tommy had suggested the precaution, and one person from each pair was linked to their Atlantan team leader.  The Atlantans were also tied together with much longer ropes, ensuring ease of movement, and they would be able to remove them at a moment’s notice if they had to fight.

 

“Here we are,” K’tai announced, raising her gold-feathered staff.  She brought it down, the gold crystal on the end inches above the grey dirt, and the air shimmered, the shield fading to reveal a very old, very majestic crystal-and-marble castle shining with every color of the rainbow.  The Rangers gasped as their leaders took them forward.

 

As they entered the castle, Kim shivered, knowing that she was walking in a deserted, lifeless building, final monument of a once-proud civilization.  She found herself pulling on her string, lagging behind the group, desperate not to enter the dead palace.  Tommy took her hand and pulled her along, knowing that part of her would welcome the silence of the vacuum.  He would not let her get hurt.  K’tai entered the open courtyard in the center of the palace and raised her hands, the three Ninjetti letting their power bolster the shield that protected parts of the palace.  Tommy pulled Kim into the courtyard, and the three Ninjetti gestured that the Rangers could release the ropes.

 

Kim stared at the star in the center of the yard, her feet moving her forward without her consent, stopping in the beam of light that made the star glow silver.  All eyes turned to her as she looked up, entranced, and a silver light burst forth from the star, rivaling the gold of the sun.  She screamed as she fell to the ground, light reaching out to touch her ten human friends.

 

When the light faded, Kim lay huddled on the ground, sobbing, covered in a fine silvery powder from the surface of the Moon.  Her friends stood and looked at their clothes, shocked to find Ninja Warrior suits on them.  Tommy was white, the falcon soaring on the surface of the silver coin in the center of his chest.  Adam was green, the color he held as a Zeo Ranger, the familiar frog on his coin.  Rocky carried the symbol of the ape, but his clothes had changed from red to mahogany—one of the colors on his file.  Aisha was still the bear, but her yellow color had darkened to a rich bronze, while Billy was still blue and still the wolf.  Zack was black—the color had been his first—and the stealthy panther glowed from the silver coin on his chest.  Trini wore yellow, a delicate leaping gazelle on her coin, and Tanya was tan with the symbol of the inquisitive and intelligent lemur on her costume.  Kat was shocked to find herself in pink, knowing that Kimberly carried the color first, and a fierce tuft-eared lynx calmly adorned her coin.

 

Kimberly had not been altered by the power she unknowingly released.

 

Tommy dashed to her side, pulling the shaking woman into his arms.  “Kim?  Are you okay?  What happened?”

 

“Pain,” she sobbed.  “I saw it all, Tommy, even Selei’s death.  I never wanted to see that.  Tommy, make it go away!”

 

“I can’t, Beautiful,” he whispered.  “I would if I could.”

 

As Kim slowly calmed down in Tommy’s arms, the other rangers examined their suits.  “If we’re supposed to be Ninjetti like you, why are we dressed like Ninjas?  You guys are wearing less.”

 

Trevor glanced at his skin-tight peach-colored pants and the double-baldric that crossed his chest.  “There is a reason, Rocky.  You see, you have touched the Great Power—though I was not expecting it to channel itself through one of you—but you have yet to embrace your Animal Spirit.”

 

“There’s a quest?”

 

“There’s a quest.  It’s all spiritual, so once your animal decides to find you, the quest will begin in your mind.  I’m not going to pretend that the Spirit Quest is not real—you can be injured and you can die, though only pretenders ever have.  If you are dressed as Ninjas, the Atlantans and Uranians will see you as Ninjetti apprentices and will treat you with the respect that comes with the position.”

 

“Why didn’t Kimberly change?  She was already Ninjetti.”

 

“Yes, Kat, but she has been through a lot since then.  She lost her purity and she has to find it again before the Ninjetti power will recognize her.”

 

All eyes returned to the pair seated on the silver star as Tommy helped Kim to her feet.  “Are you okay, Kim?”

 

“I am now,” she whispered, some of her teenage passion for life invading her voice.  The silver dust glittered as it fell from her, landing in a sad pile on the ground.

 

Tommy pulled away.  “Maybe you would rather someone else be your partner.”

 

Kim shook her head, her voice too low for anyone but Tommy to hear.  “I chose you long ago.  That hasn’t changed.”

 

“But what about everything you said in the Command Chamber?  I really did let us die, and I can’t imagine you’d still choose me.  What about Trevor?”

 

Kim began to laugh as a small rainbow of light lit the far end of the courtyard.  It faded to reveal ten Atlantan/Uranian Ninjetti, some obviously related.  One, a tall, heavier man wearing black-spotted orange, his red hair shining orange in the sun, dark green eyes sparkling, locked eyes with Tr’vor.  The prince squealed in delight and jumped into the new man’s arms, embracing fiercely.  “You th-thought Trevor and I . . ?”  She collapsed in a fit of hilarious giggles, standing and wiping the tears out of her eyes.  “Poor Tommy!  No wonder you were so uneasy around him!  He’s just a friend!  He slept with me to keep me safe, and Katai did a lot, too.”

 

“And who is that?”

 

“Finnegan Sean O’brien,” she laughed; “Trevor’s boyfriend.”

 

Tommy stared at Kim for a long moment, a slow smile giving way to a hearty laugh.  He relaxed, letting the tension of the last years draining out of his system.  Amari and K’tai embraced as the other Ninjetti came forward to introduce themselves.  Tr’vor slipped out of Finnegan’s grasp and pulled the taller man forward, blushing at the cheers Tommy and Kim started.

 

“Enough, guys.  This is Fynn, Warrior of the Cheetah, and my boyfriend.”

 

Trini gasped.  “Oh.  That’s what you meant, Amari, by a marriage being disastrous to Tr’vor.  His love interest is a guy!”

 

Amari nodded.  “Somehow, they both ended up gay.”  K’tai elbowed her wife, and the taller Atlantan grinned.

 

The leader of the Ninjetti, a tall man with long black hair and dark blue eyes, stepped forward, his gray suit making him look dignified and powerful.  The blue-haired woman by his side was his wife, her bronze eyes sparkling with amusement, her scanty, silk-and-metal suit colored in red-orange and closely resembling Dulcea’s in style.  “I am Lord Regent Faren, youngest brother of Queen Selei,” the man announced.  “This is my wife, the Lady Tarei.”  Five of the young women were introduced as their daughters Revena, Lamiy, Abine, Adoure, and Yaoure.  Faren’s animal was the bobcat, Tarei’s was the powerful tiger, Revena’s was the magenta leopard, Lamiy’s was the gentle cerulean rabbit, Abine’s was the small yet fierce beige sparrow, Adoure’s was the graceful jade swan, and Yaoure’s was the proud, beautiful, and fearless copper hawk.  S’rei of Uranus and her brother F’paen were the last of the new arrivals.  S’rei, dressed in indigo, carried the spirit of the jaguar, the strongest cat in the world, its beautiful rosettes decorating the silk of her dress.  F’paen wore teal, the feathers of the peacock he served decorating his suit.  They all greeted the Ninjas, completely ignoring Human Kimberly.

 

She slipped off to the shadows, tears in her eyes, as she activated her teleporter, praying that Zordon and Alpha had not deactivated it.  She vanished in a flash of silver.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Kimberly was curled up on her bed, having cried herself to sleep, when Tommy appeared beside her.  He knew he only had a few minutes before the others were ready to head to Uranus, and he was determined that Kimberly would go with him.

 

He smiled as he leaned down and let his lips brush Kim’s, waking her up as he had so many times in the past.  “Good morning, Beautiful.  Time to wake up.”

 

“Hi, Handsome.  How’ve you been?”

 

“It’s lonely on the Moon without you, Kimberly.  Please come back with me.”

 

Kim turned away, staring at memories and images only she could see.  “I can’t, Tommy.  I want to; I’d love to be a part of the team again, but you ten are Ninjetti, and I lost it.  All I would do would be endanger you if I went to Uranus.  Besides; the new arrivals showed me what I have in store as a human unprotected by the Great Power.”

 

“But you are one of us, Kim.  You always have been.  And you don’t endanger us.”

 

“Yes, I do, Tommy.  Zedd used me as bait to force you guys to pilot the Shogunzords, and you would have given in.  Not to mention all the times I called for your help.  Face it; I perfected the ‘damsel-in-distress’ cry.  I don’t need to go and I don’t want to.  You guys go find your destiny and I’ll stay here.  Maybe I can work out some of what’s been bothering me.”

 

Tommy kissed Kimberly, standing again.  “Okay, Beautiful; you win.  But if you need anything at all, call me.”

 

“The communicators won’t work so far.”

 

“Just think of me.  I’ll hear you.”  Tommy vanished, and Kim collapsed on her bed again.

 

On the pillow beside her was the silver cord that had bound her to Tommy on the Moon.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Chapter 9: Uranus

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

It was a normal day on Titania, the Council in session and the citizens going about their lives.  Uranus filled the sky, blue-green surface calming to the eyes, tilted rings reaching high into the sky.  Oberon was visible on the horizon, and Miranda hung above Uranus with two of its smaller moons.  All was right in the land of the Children of the Sky.

 

Then a warning klaxon filled the peaceful streets, and the elfin people looked to the tall palace.  The sound ceased, and a hologram of the First of the Council, N’moki, filled the sky.  She was old, her dark red hair peppered gray.  “Do not be alarmed, Children of the Skies.  There is nothing to concern you.  We are in contact with the leaders of Fallen Atlantis, and everything is under control.”  She vanished, though no one felt any better.

 

In the palace, things were in an uproar.  Servants and aides dashed around, papers and data crystals flying between them and heading for the Council Chamber.  First N’moki returned to the cavernous hall, three servants, her five sons, and two of her youngest daughters flocking around her.  “Tell me what happened,” she growled, broking no argument.

 

“Regent Faren, Lady Tarei, their five daughters, Fynn son of Amashiko, and your two Ninjetti children all vanished less than an hour ago.  With Tr’vor and K’tai, children of F’jil, and Amari daughter of Lirone gone, there are no Ninjetti left.”

 

N’moki sighed.  “That can’t be the only problem.”

 

“It’s not,” An’pekk assured his mother.  “The biggest problem is the attack on Miranda this morning that could have been averted by the Ninjetti.”

 

“What attack?”  Councilor V’nanru stepped forward, scanning the energy reports in her hands.  “Speak, An’pekk.”

 

“The crystals are gone.”

 

Silence spread through the great hall, and all eyes turned toward the male.  He shrunk a little from the glares, but he cleared his throat as he handed his report to his mother.  She stared at it, trembling slightly and reaching for support.  “All of the guards assigned to the crystals are dead, and they have all vanished.  Save one.” 

 

N’moki held out her hand, and the last crystal was placed in her hand by her daughter.  She stared at the tiny crystal, closing her fingers around it.  “Which one is this, H’jila?”

 

“Atlantis-2,” she answered.  “We think that Atlantis-1 is buried in the rubble of the crystal chamber.  Crews are searching as we speak.”

 

“Find me those crystals.  I do not care what it takes.”

 

The Councilors began to disperse when a brilliant, multi-hued beam of light filled the center of the chamber.  It faded to reveal thirteen well-known Ninjetti and ten Ninjas they did not know.  N’moki wasted no time storming up to the leader.  “Faren!  How dare you vanish the instant we needed you most!  Tebekren is coming and we no longer have the shards of the crystal that drove him from the Solar System in the first place!”

 

“I told you that Miranda was a bad place to hide them,” Faren sighed.  “N’moki, we were pulled to the Moon when ten new Ninjas awoke; we could no more resist the call than you can resist needling me at every opportunity.  We are here now and we can find your crystals.”

 

“We have one,” N’moki sighed.  “My children say there might be another on Miranda.  The others were scattered in the attack.”

 

Faren sighed and covered his face with his hand.  “It took seven thousand years to find all twenty-two and seven seconds to lose twenty.  Maybe that’s why our new friends have come.”

 

“New friends?”

 

“Let them explain it; Tarei and I have to return to Oberon.  News of the attack has surely arrived and we have to control the damage.”  Faren and Tarei vanished, leaving eleven Ninjetti and ten Ninjas facing the Council.

 

K’tai and Tr’vor stepped forward, tall and proud in their Ninjetti suits.  N’moki crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the twins.  “There you are!  K’tai, you knew we were going to call you to the throne when you left!”

 

“I asked you to wait a little longer.”

 

“It’s been five years!  How much longer do you want?”

 

“I want you to wait until Foundation Day.  You promised me that much.”

 

“You can’t find a prince between now and Foundation Day!  It is not possible!”

 

“I would have to wait until Foundation Day for my Crowning anyway!  It’s only a little longer!  Besides, I am needed, as Ninjetti, to find the crystals.”

 

N’moki sighed and hung her head.  “Okay, let’s compromise.  You declare your intention to take the throne on Foundation Day, and you give the orders to conduct this search as future queen.  If you can find the prince before Foundation Day, you take the throne.  If you can’t, you will become queen.”

 

K’tai hung her head, glancing around to make sure no one could hear her.  “N’moki, I know that we’ve been friends a long time.  You know about me and Amari.  I’ll lose her if I take the throne.”

 

“I know,” she whispered, “but I have no choice as First of the Council.  We must have a queen, and you are it.  I hope you can find the prince, because an unhappy queen is a miserable and weak queen.”

 

“Thanks.”  Louder, she announced her decision.  “I, K’tai, Warrior of the Eagle, daughter of F’jil, do hereby announce my intention to claim the throne left by my older sister five years ago.  I will formally take power on Foundation Day.”  Cheers filled the large hall, and the Councilors and their aides gathered around the princess.  Tr’vor cleared his throat and held up his hands, his Ninjetti position giving him the right to speak in Council without permission.

 

“Look, this is all fun, but we have more important things.  The Power on the Moon has chosen ten young men and women to become Ninjetti.”  He waved his hand, and Tommy stepped forward, taking his leadership role again.  His eyes were dark and haunted, but he pushed his pain away for the sake of the mission.  “They are human.”

 

N’moki swooned, hand to her forehead.  It was the first time anyone had ever seen her so close to fainting.  “Humans!”

 

Tr’vor grinned as he stepped back, letting Tommy introduce himself and his Ninjas.  “We all have been Power Rangers, chosen defenders of Earth, though now we only respond to the Great Power of the Ninjetti.”

 

“Chosen?  By whom, Tommy Oliver, White Ninja of the Falcon?”

 

“By Zordon, Honored Godchild N’moki, First of the Council.”

 

If the Ninjetti were surprised by Tommy’s sudden grasp of the customs of the Uranians, the mention of Zordon shocked the Councilors and aides even more.  “Zordon,” N’moki breathed.  “You know Zordon?”

 

“Sure.  He gave the original team their powers.  The last time we were Ninjas was when we were exposed to the power by Dulcea.”

 

“Dulcea of Phaedos!  You know her, too!”  She stared at the human standing before her, and a strange expression passed over her face.  “You children really are special.  Are you here as part of your Spirit Quest?”

 

“Yes.  Amari, K’tai, and Tr’vor told us that we are needed here to fight some new enemy that threatens the last descendants of Atlantis.”

 

N’moki raised an eyebrow at Tommy’s choice of words.  “How long have you known about us?  You have a certain subtle grasp of the politics behind our society.”

 

Tommy smiled.  “I have only known for a few days.  I know we’re just humans, but we want to help you, and we can’t if you don’t trust us.”

 

N’moki stared at the White Ninja, a slow smile spreading across her face as the other nine humans stepped forward.  “Very well.  The Council of the Sky is at your disposal.”  She held out her hand to touch palms in the traditional Atlantan version of the human handshake, pausing when she realized she was still holding the tiny crystal point.  She opened her long fingers, letting the humans look at the stone.  The Atlantan and Uranian Ninjetti also moved forward, and Faren’s oldest daughter, Revena, stepped forward, pale yellow eyes wide.  She began to glow with her magenta power as she reached her slender hand out to touch the crystal in N’moki’s hand.  The Uranians around the group moved closer, their ancient Atlantan blood singing with the buildup of power between the woman and the stone.

 

Revena’s finger touched the crystal point.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Chapter 10: Leopard

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Magenta light filled the room, forcing the Uranians to cover their eyes and back away as Revena’s fingers wrapped around the tiny crystal.  A great roar filled the room, and the Ninjetti and Ninjas moved away from the leopard standing in the center of the room.  She thrashed her tail, magenta sparks flying from her and forcing the men and women to move even further away from her.  She calmed an instant later, yellow eyes searching for something, tiny whimpers of confusion filling the room, and S’rei stepped forward, hands in front of her.

 

“Vena?  Love?  Are you okay?”  The cat screamed, arching her back, and S’rei crouched down beside her, wrapping her long arms around the cat.  The leopard froze as a gentle humming song vibrated her bones.  S’rei sang a familiar soothing lullaby, and the leopard closed her eyes, falling to the ground.  S’rei pulled her arms away as the leopard’s limbs stretched, growing longer as her fur and tail vanished. 

 

An instant later, Revena lay on the floor, her Ninjetti suit slightly altered to be more catlike, and even her pale skin had turned orange, spots covering her body.  Her pointed ears pointed forward, turning back and rotating around as her eyes opened.  Her yellow eyes were slitted, those of a cat, and the Ninjetti realized that she was no longer merely the Warrior of the Leopard.  She was the Leopard Warrior.

 

Revena sat up and opened her hand.  The formerly-clear crystal glowed magenta, a silver chain holding it and hanging out of her hand.  She slipped the chain over her neck, eyes closed as she concentrated.  A magenta glow enveloped her, and she changed back into her former Ninjetti self.  She smiled at S’rei, a new sense of peace on her face.  “It is so wonderful.  I can hear it, singing to me, telling me of times past.  It knows everything, S’rei, everything about Atlantis and the time before.  But I think it’s incomplete.  I think some are missing.”

 

“Some what?  What is it, Revena?”

 

“It is uvanemo, the Crystal of Communication, and it speaks to its partners and it needs our help.  I want to help it, S’rei.”

 

N’moki moved forward again, the other Councilors staying back as the Ninjas and Ninjetti joined S’rei and Revena.  “That is one of the crystals that we have kept safe on Miranda for twenty years.  When New Atlantis fell, Faren brought the eleven crystals that Atlantis collected here, and we put them with our eleven.  They have been in that temple for twenty years, until it was attacked today.  We have no idea who destroyed the temple and scattered the crystals, but that one was the only one found.  H’jila says that there may be another on Miranda; teams are searching now.”

 

“Maybe I can help,” Revena whispered.  “After all, uvanemo can sense the presence of its fellows.”

 

Tommy cleared his throat as K’tai gestured for the Councilors to disperse.  “Forgive my ignorance, but I would appreciate if you would tell us what happened and what these crystals are.”

 

K’tai took Tommy’s hand and gestured for the Ninjetti and Ninjas to follow her.  She led the group into a side chamber, closing the door behind the group.  “Well, I’ll start by saying that none of us knew that the crystals would respond to Ninjetti.”

 

“What are they?”

 

Amari cleared her throat and took her partner’s place.  “Let me explain.  Long ago, before Atlantis, there was a cruel tyrant-king who ruled a great deal of the Earth.  His name was Tebekren.  It was his evil that convinced Eurynome that she needed to make a better breed of humans devoted to peace, love, and art, instead of brutality and cruelty.  So she enlisted the aid of the Lesser Gods to create a crystal to drive him from the Earth.  This is where our ancient accounts differ.  Most claim that each god used his or her tiny crystal and combined the power to drive Tebekren galaxies away, but one Prophet, a human woman, claimed that there was only one crystal, and it broke afterwards.  In any case, we have no idea how many crystals there are.  Over the millennia, we have found many of these powerful crystal points, staring with Gaiah in the first year of her reign.  The crystal Revena has was found next, in 470.  There were nine more found by the people of Atlantis and New Atlantis on many planets in the Solar System.”

 

“Were the first two found on Earth?”

 

“Well, the first one was, Jason, but uvanemo was found on Venus.  In 1221 one was found on Mercury during a routine scouting expedition, the fourth was found on Pluto in 1597, and the fifth was found on Saturn in 1631.  I guess all of the crystals have names if Revena’s does, though we merely call them Atlantis-1, Atlantis-2, et cetera.  In 2600, when N’mira reached Uranus, she found Uranus-1, and Uranus-2 was found a hundred and twenty years later on Jupiter.  The next was found by Atlantans on Mars in 2950, the Uranians found one on Saturn in 3150, the Atlantans found one in 3376 on Venus, the Uranians found the next on Jupiter in 3803, and the Atlantans found the next in 3950 on Pluto.  Uranians found the next three in 4290 on Saturn, 4369 on Neptune, and 4483 on Neptune.  Atlantans found Atlantis-9 in 4590 on Earth, and Uranians found one in 5097 on Jupiter and one in 5420 on Uranus.  The people of New Atlantis found one on Mars in 5601, the Uranians found one on Pluto in 6099, and the New Atlantans found their last one on Venus.  In 6800, the Uranians found the last one on Venus as they headed for a peace conference with Selei.”

 

“Are you sure you have them all?”

 

“As sure as we are about any of this, Adam.  We do not know how many gods lent their power to drive Tebekren away, but we have long feared that we would need all of them again.  Now that he is inside the Milky Way Galaxy and we no longer have the power to fight him off.”

 

“Why not?  The Councilors didn’t seem too worried.”

 

“They were worried, Billy Cranston,” S’rei whispered.  “First of the Council N’moki is my mother, and I could tell how upset she is at the loss of the crystals.  The gods have not spoken to a queen since Selei, and the Uranian queens have not seen the gods since D’nale.  She fears that they have abandoned us, which is why she speaks the loudest for this merger.  If we do not find the prince and K’tai must become queen, I think Mother might make Tr’vor marry one of Faren’s daughters to secure the alliance and please the gods.”

 

The seven people she had mentioned groaned, and Tommy nodded, standing.  “We won’t let that happen.  We will find your prince and make sure any marriage is agreeable on both sides.  Then we’ll find those crystals and fight off Tebekren so we can go home.”  To Kim.  He missed her more than he could say, and his friends knew it.

 

“Thank you, Tommy,” K’tai sighed.  “That makes me feel better.  I really don’t want to be queen, but they’ll make me if Foundation Day rolls around and there is no prince.  Do you have any idea how we should start?”

 

All eyes turned to Tommy, and he realized that he had been voted leader already and that the Atlantans and Uranians would follow him without question.  “Okay, first we should try to find this crystal on Miranda.  How do you tell A-1 from U-3?  Are they marked?”

 

“No.”  Fynn, one of the Ninjetti guards who had watched the crystals, bit his lips, trying to find a way to explain it to the humans.  “You see, every one of those crystals had a specific energy signature.  We descendants of Atlantis can detect the signature at a very short distance.  The longer the crystal was among Atlantans, the more it . . . tastes . . . like Atlantis, and the same goes for Uranus.  If we are near one of the crystals, we will know which one it is.”

 

“Revena, what power did you say uvanemo has?”

 

“Communication, Tommy Oliver; why?”

 

“Can you sense if another crystal is nearby?”

 

Revena closed her eyes and wrapped her fingers around the magenta crystal, her skin turning orange as her Leopard persona took over.  “I hear a song . . . calling me . . .  it’s powerful and very sad . . . it’s lonely . . . Miranda.  It’s on Miranda.  Atlantis-1, the first of the crystals.”

 

“Then I guess we’re headed to Miranda.  K’tai?”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Chapter 11: Gazelle

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“Kimberly?”

 

“Hi, Alpha.”  Kimberly managed a weak smile for the robot, her brown eyes haunted.  “Where’s Zordon?”

 

“He is regenerating enough for a contact with the current leaders of Uranus.  Do you need to talk to him?”

 

“No,” she whispered.  “I just wanted to look around.”  She touched the piece of paper on the console, folding it and putting it in her pocket.  Kimberly wandered to the back of the chamber, noting the changes that had occurred over the past few years, listening as Alpha wandered back to whatever he had been doing when she teleported in.  She stared at the suits in the glass case against the wall, hands on the case.  “Red, Yellow, Blue, Black, Pink, White,” she whispered.  “The good old days.  I missed this.”  She suddenly felt a great rage fill her, and she slammed her fists against the glass again and again, tears streaming down her face.  “You never asked me!  You never asked me if I wanted to save the world!  Why couldn’t you have left well enough alone?!  I never wanted to be the Pink Ranger!!”  The glass shattered, falling around Kimberly like so much snow, sparkling silver in the light as it crashed to the floor.

 

Kimberly collapsed to the ground, sobbing, blood streaming from her hands, as Alpha’s “aiyiyiyiyi!” filled the chamber.  She fumbled for the button on her communicator and vanished in a flash of silver light, not really sure where she was going.

 

Kimberly appeared beside the pond she knew so well, and she stared out across the water, pain in her hands.  She felt nauseous, wondering how she was ever going to face Alpha again, and she wondered what Zordon would think of her.  Pulling out the silver string Tommy had left on her pillow, she began to cry again.  “I’ve never been so alone before.  I don’t think I can do this.  Oh, Tommy.  I miss you guys so much!”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“Not all of the moon is safe, but your Ninja powers should protect you.”

 

“Still, Tr’vor; I would prefer if we went in pairs.  I, however, will let you pick your own partner.”

 

Tr’vor grabbed Fynn’s hand, declaring his choice without the need for words.  K’tai snorted as she took Amari’s hands, leaving the other Ninjas and Ninjetti to pair up.  Jason and Kat, Trini and Billy, and Tanya and Adam moved to the side instantly, leaving four Ninjas and seven Ninjetti to choose.  S’rei and Revena moved to one side, F’paen and Yaoure next, and Lamiy raised one eyebrow as she examined each of the waiting men, eventually choosing Rocky as her sister Abine took Zack.  Adoure offered to be Aisha’s partner, eager to learn more about Dulcea and the woman’s time as a Power Ranger, leaving Tommy all alone.

 

Revena cleared her throat and smiled at the White Ninja.  “Tommy Oliver, since you are in charge, I think you might want to go with me and S’rei.  You’re in contact with your people, and if I happen to get a strong sense of A-1, you should be there.”

 

Tommy nodded sadly as they all vanished.

 

Ten teams exited the sole building on Miranda, spreading out to search for one crystal.  The dome of the building was shattered, debris spread for dozens of yards, scorch marks showing where the guards made their last stand.  The bodies had already been removed.

 

Tommy followed Revena and S’rei north, his power cloaking him and protecting him from the bitter cold.  On Oberon and Titania, great domes protected the cities and the people, requiring little upkeep, but the third moon was not considered important enough for a dome.  The planet was pitted with huge, deep trenches and sharply defined craters, making it one of the more dangerous large moons of the Solar System.  The trenches had not protected the building that housed the crystals.  The icy dirt whispered with every footstep, giving life to a dead moon.

 

“I sense it calling, Tommy Oliver.  We are on the right track.”  She suddenly stiffened as the Leopard took over, her hands cloaked in a magenta glow.  She fell to her knees, eyes clouded with power, idly sifting through the dirt.  She let out a terrific roar, returning to her Ninjetti form as she pried a tiny crystal out of the ground.  S’rei sent a quick message to the Ninjetti as Tommy paged his friends, and all of them gathered in a few minutes.  Tommy took the crystal and held out his hand, the stone sparkling in the light.

 

“Does any one recognize this?”

 

Each of the Ninjetti stepped forward, but they could not hear the call.  Jason, Rocky, Billy, Kat, Zack, Aisha, Adam, and Tanya each touched the stone, but nothing happened.  Trini reached for the song, black eyes wide, and yellow light enveloped her as she picked the tiny crystal up.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“Trini Kwan, Ninja of the Gazelle.”

 

Trini looked around, shocked to find herself on an empty African plain, wind swirling the grasses around her.  A single female gazelle stood in front of her, white belly and brown-orange back separated by a thick black stripe down each side.  She stepped forward, dark eyes boring into the human.  “That’s me,” the former ranger managed.

 

“I do not believe your worth, Trini Kwan.”  The Gazelle’s voice was soft but stern; her lips never moved, but Trini could understand her, anyway.

 

“How can I prove myself to you?”

 

The gazelle stomped one tiny hoof, raising a huge screen to one side.  The screen began to show Trini’s memories, jumping from her time as a normal girl to her time as a Ranger and back again.  The gazelle stomped her foot again, and the screen faded.  “True you were a fine warrior and a good friend, but I do not see evidence of Ninjetti Spirit.”

 

“Honestly, I wouldn’t know what I’m looking for.  I never was a Ninjetti.  Our animals are supposed to represent us, right?  So a gazelle represents gentleness and kindness, right?  How can I show you that?”

 

“Tell me of your friend Kimberly.  Tell me how you were kind to her, how you were there for her when she needed you.”

 

Trini hung her head.  “I wasn’t,” she whispered.  “I went away to Switzerland in a Peace Conference when she needed me most, and I still don’t know what she went through.  I was her friend once, when the power bound us, but I let everything we had go.”

 

“Pretender!”  The gazelle reared on her back legs, and Trini fell to her knees.  “You are not deserving of the Ninjetti Power!”  She raised her hooves to strike, pausing when the woman did not flinch.  “Are you not afraid of death?”

 

“I am not afraid to be punished for my friend’s pain.”  The gazelle fell back onto four feet, head tilted.  “If I fought, I might hurt you, too.”

 

Trini looked up as a brilliant yellow light filled the plain.  The gazelle seemed to be smiling.  “That was the correct answer, Trini Kwan, Ninja of the Gazelle.  The urge not to cause pain to someone undeserving makes a Godchild, and only a kind and gentle Godchild can accept my power.  You are not a pretender; you are a Ninjetti.”

 

As the gazelle’s words echoed through the plain, she leapt, merging with the small woman as Trini gasped.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“Look!  Trini changed into a Ninjetti!”

 

“Yes, Billy Cranston, she has completed her Spirit quest.”  Revena stepped back as Trini began to glow yellow, the crystal clenched between her fingers singing.  She gasped as she collapsed onto the ground, her arms and legs lengthening as a fine fur covered her body.  When she stood up on shaky legs, she was a delicate gazelle, eyes wild.  She looked at all of her friends, but her gaze settled on Billy, a plea in her eyes.  The first Blue Ranger smiled and placed a hand on the gazelle’s neck.

 

“Come back to us, Trini.”

 

The gazelle reared, changing into a more human form as she landed, swaying slightly.  Billy caught her, holding Trini up.  She held out her fist, closing her yellow eyes, and she returned to her Ninjetti form.  “I’m a Ninjetti,” she breathed.  “I can’t believe it.”  She opened her hand, revealing the yellow A-1 crystal, a chain hanging from it.  Billy realized that the crystal must have formed the chain so it could stay close to its bearer.  Trini slipped the necklace on, looking around.  “It’s called ilirini, and it was the first found.  It carries knowledge of the Ancients, of the gods and the first Atlantans.  It knows more than any living being about those times.  It tells me that there was only one crystal in the Time of the Gods, but it was split so that its power would only be available when it was needed again.  It will not tell me how many shards there are.”

 

Tommy smiled and patted the woman on the back.  “That’s great, Trini!  Now we have two of the known crystals; only twenty to go.  Does anyone have any idea where to look?  Revena?”

 

“I think . . . I think the other crystals should be found by the Ninjetti destined to carry them.  There are twenty-three of us, counting Mother and Father, and we cannot waste time by going in one huge team.”

 

“Good idea.  We’ll go to Oberon and tell Faren and Tarei what we know, and you two, Revena and Trini, can meditate and try to narrow down the location of the other crystals.  Then we can go in pairs or alone to find them.”

 

They all nodded and vanished.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Chapter 12: Regents

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Tommy stood back as Revena and Trini explained his plan, letting the Crystal Warriors, as they were being called, spoke to Regent Faren and Lady Regent Tarei.  He felt a pain in his heart and he wondered what was happening.  When they were done, Faren and Tarei followed the Ninjas, Ninjetti, and Crystal Warriors into a separate room.  Revena and Trini pulled out a map of the Solar System and close-ups of the individual planets and closed their eyes, letting their crystals speak to them.  When they were done, twenty markers sat on the map.

 

“It looks like there are two crystals on Mercury, one on Venus, four on Mars, two on Jupiter’s moons, four on Saturn’s moons, two more on Uranus’s moons, four on the moons of Neptune, and one on Pluto.  What does this symbol mean?”  Tommy pointed to the letter drawn on a marker placed on Earth.

 

“There is an energy signature on Earth or the Moon that uvanemo and ilirini recognize, but it may just be the conduit of the power or the remnants of the battle to drive Chaos child Tebekren away.”

 

“Oh.  Well, for Venus and Pluto only one non-Crystal Warrior is needed, so S’rei and Revena can go to Pluto and Trini and Billy can go to Venus.  Faren and Tarei can handle the pair on Uranus, and Jason and Kat can take Mercury.  Tr’vor, K’tai, Amari, and Fynn can go after the four on Saturn.  Who wants Jupiter?”

 

“King of the Gods, right?”  Rocky grinned.  “I’d love to go there.”

 

Lamiy sighed.  “I fear that you are a little too eager, Rocky DeSantos.  I will accompany you to insure that you survive the journey.”  She smiled as she volunteered herself.

 

“Adam, Zack, and I will go to Mars; who wants to come with?”

 

“I would like to go, Tanya Sloan, Warrior of the Lemur,” Abine murmured shyly.  “I have always wanted to see the Red Planet.”

 

“Okay.  Adoure, Yaoure, F’paen, and Aisha; you guys have Neptune.  Do you guys have any sort of communication system?”

 

Faren dug around in his pocket and produced twenty-three small circles of a thin material that resembled tissue paper but shone in the lights.  He placed one on the back of his right hand, and it glowed as it linked to him.  Tarei followed suit, and each of the Ninjas and Ninjetti took one.  “These are Atlantan communicators.  Merely touch the membrane, and whomever you are thinking of will instantly hear your voice.”

 

“Excellent.  Thanks.”

 

“You are welcome, Tommy Oliver.  They also work as teleporters.  They can carry you long distances, but if you are carrying one or two passengers, the trip will be short.  You can use these to reach the planets where the crystals fled.  Don’t forget your personal force field, though; the only breathable atmosphere is on Earth.”

 

Tommy nodded and pointed at the map, freezing when a sharp pain tore through his hands.  Gasps filled the room as blood began oozing from deep cuts on his hands, and absolute terror filled his heart.  “KIM!!”  He vanished.

 

“That would be the power of the teleporter,” Faren pointed out.  “When he returns, he will want to know how we have fared in the search.  You must leave.”

 

“How can we?  It’s obvious something happened to Kim.”

 

“Billy Cranston, wise Warrior of the Wolf, you know better than most that one person is not more important than the well-being of the galaxy.  As hard as it is to sacrifice those you love, we must find these crystals or Tebekren will destroy all life in the galaxy.”

 

Billy sighed as he recognized the validity of Faren’s words, wincing as he remembered how Faren had lost his only sister.  “You’re right.  Rangers, let’s move!”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“Zordon?”  Tommy looked around the dark Command Center, shocked at the damage.  Broken glass littered the floor, and Alpha was powered down.  “Are you here?”

 

“Yes, Tommy.”  Zordon appeared in his column.  “I thought you were on Uranus.  That is what First of the Council N’moki told me.”

 

“I was, but . . .”  Tommy held up his hands, blood still oozing from wounds he could not explain.  “I think Kim’s hurt.”

 

Zordon closed his eyes for a moment.  “Tommy, Kimberly is in a lot of pain, but most of it is not physical.  She came in here only a little while ago, took the letter, and walked up to stare at the suits of the Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers.  Then she began to hit the glass repeatedly, blaming me for her woes, and it shattered, cutting her hands.  She then vanished and Alpha could not track her.”

 

Tommy hung his head.  “I shouldn’t have gone.”  He felt a pull, a powerful pain, and he vanished, his Atlantan teleporter activated by his emotions.

 

He appeared beside the pond where he first kissed Kim so long ago, and he found her, curled up by the water’s edge, sound asleep.  “Oh, Kim.  You poor thing.”  He knelt down beside her, easily lifting the slight woman as he vanished again.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

It was a normal, fairly unremarkable day in the streets of Lower Fallen Atlantis, shops attracting customers and peddlers riding down the streets in horse-drawn carts, attempting to foist their goods on the unsuspecting customer.  The old-style Earth-type marketplace was too common for the high streets, but even lords wandered into the lower levels for items that could not be found closer to the palace.  One pair of richly-dressed shoppers attracted the attention of every shopkeeper, though all tried to ignore them.  The tall man and his wife were headed somewhere very specific, and nothing could interrupt their search.  They each wore a long, sapphire robe, hiding their features but not their position.

 

Ripekl was tending his jewelry store, fashioning Human-type necklaces with modern Atlantan technology when the Lord and Lady stopped under the cloth roof of his shop.  He looked up, bowing respectfully as he held out his hand, palm up, recognizing them as his superiors with that simple gesture.  The Lord held his hand over Ripekl, and the wise old shopkeeper recognized the advanced paper-thin teleporter on the man’s hand.  “My Lord, may I, simple Ripekl, serve your great self?”

 

“Godchild Ripekl, my wife and I search for two stones, thin crystalline points, that we believe have landed among you supplies.”

 

Ripekl looked up, shocked.  “You speak of the Crystals of the Gods that vanished from Miranda?  You believe that two of them may be in my supplies?”

 

“I have a sense, Ripekl.  May we search through your crystal supplies?”

 

Ripekl nodded and gestured for the pair to follow him into his stock room.  His son and daughter took over the front counter as he opened the door, staring at the tiny hole in the wall.  “Hm.  Wonder when that appeared.  These walls, though decorated to look like wood, are made of an unbreakable metal alloy.  Nothing natural should have been able to pierce it.”

 

“I believe we have proof that at least one of the crystals fled here.”  The tall man let his hood fall, and Ripekl fell to his knees.

 

“Lord Regent Faren,” he whispered.  “I had no idea.”

 

Faren exchanged an amused glance with Tarei.  “That was the plan.  Tarei, you take that side, I’ll take this side, and Ripekl, you take the center.  There should be two Crystals of the Gods.”

 

An hour of searching revealed one crystal, which Ripekl placed in a tiny jeweler’s bag to prevent one of the Ninjetti from reacting to it.  Exhausted, the three finally gave up and both regents donned their hoods, heading out of the store.  They were stopped by Ranali, Ripekl’s daughter, holding a tiny crystal point.  “Papa, we found a strange crystal while we were cleaning the rooms.  It’s resonating.”

 

“That’s the second one,” Tarei whispered.  She held out the bag, and Ripekl placed the second crystal point inside.  “Thank you, Shopkeeper Ripekl.  May the Gods bless you and your family.”

 

“And may they bless your quest.”  Ripekl bowed and watched as the Regent and his Lady vanished.

 

Tarei and Faren reappeared in their bedroom in the palace, placing the tiny black bag on the table.  They exchanged a glance, both in Ninjetti mode, and Tarei spoke first.  “Do you think they’ll behave like uvanemo and ilirini?”

 

“Almost certainly.  I think the crystals know that Tebekren is coming, so they reach for the first Ninja or Ninjetti they find compatible once they are found.  If the two of us prove to be compatible, even a little, I have no doubt they will bond to us.”

 

Faren nodded and opened the bag, carefully dumping out one of the stones.  Tarei moved closer and both waited, giving the stone a moment to realize that it had found the Ninjetti and that it had two choices.  An instant later, it chose.

 

Faren gasped as a gray nimbus enveloped him, changing him almost instantly into a bobcat, his Spirit Animal.  He fell to the ground, his dark blue eyes widening in shock and fear.  Tarei knelt beside him, smiling as she scratched behind his ears.  “Be calm, my love, and accept the change.  Your animal is merely reacting to the new power.  Give it a moment, and the bobcat will retreat.”  Her words proved true as Faren changed into an Atlantan/bobcat hybrid, fur covering his body, tiny teeth poking out from under his lips.  He wrapped his short-fingered hands around the gray crystal and sighed as he returned to his Ninjetti form.

 

“Wow,” he whispered.  “That was intense.”  He stood up and slipped the silver chain every crystal formed over his neck, holding out the bag.  “Are you ready, Tarei?”

 

“As ready as you can expect.”  She held out her hand, and Faren dumped the tiny crystal into her palm.

 

The response was immediate.  The crystal enveloped Tarei in a brilliant red orange, easily changing her into a powerful tiger.  She roared, furious, as she leapt away from Faren, baring her long fangs and flexing her scimitar-like claws.  Her long tail thrashed in fury as her wide bronze eyes searched for an exit, an escape.  Faren held out his hands, his faint mewing sounds calming the great cat as she slowly walked into his embrace.  He smiled and kissed her forehead, holding the Godchild as she returned to a more familiar form.  She ran wondering fingers over the black stripes covering her skin, flexing her thin claws and touching her sharp teeth before wrapping her fingers around her red orange crystal and returning to her Ninjetti form.  “Oh my,” she purred.  “The tiger almost won.  She didn’t want to have anything to do with this crystal.  I wonder what they really are if our animals are so afraid of them.”

 

“I don’t think we really have a choice, love.  The crystals need us and we need them to save our Solar System.  We are but soldiers, and sacrifice is expected.  I should call one of the others and tell them that we found two of the crystals.”

 

“Who?  Tommy Oliver, leader of the Humans, is on Earth and busy with his powerless friend.  We cannot disturb him.”

 

Faren stared at the communicator on his hand and smiled.  “I’ll simply call one person in each group and suggest that the others do, as well, when they find crystals.  And maybe now you and I can help Trini Kwan and Revena pinpoint the locations of the crystals.”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Chapter 13: Sons

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“Which ones?”

 

<Atlantis-5, named halepek of Life, and Uranus-10, named donefen of Death,> Faren’s voice answered over the communicator.  <I can sense the spirits of the dead, even Selei, with donefen’s power, though I cannot yet speak to them.  I don’t think we’ll be able to use the powers of the crystals until we find them all.>

 

“We’re looking, Regent.  We have searched Saturn’s outermost and shepherd moons but we found no crystals.  We’re heading for the larger ones next, starting with Enceladus and Tethys.  These replacement breathers and personal force field generators are a life-saver.  I can’t believe Atlantans developed them when Uranians would have far more use for the technology.”

 

<We never meant to keep the technology, but there is no leader to create a trade treaty.  If you find the rest of the crystals and the prince of Uranus, there may be hope.  Good luck, Godchild K’tai, Warrior of the Eagle, daughter of F’jil, heir apparent of Uranus.>

 

“Thank you for your support, Godchild Faren, Crystal Warrior of the Bobcat, Regent of Fallen Atlantis.”  She took her finger off her communicator and looked up at her brother, wife, and friend.  “They found the two on Uranus.  We’re next, I suppose.”

 

Tr’vor pulled out the holographic map and pointed at the moons they had yet to visit.  “I think we should divide the remaining six moons and hope that we can find the stupid crystals.  Fynn and I will take Rhea, Dione, and Enceladus, while you two can take Titan, Tethys, and Iapetus.  Agreed?”

 

The other three nodded, and K’tai checked the readouts on her force field generator and pulled off her breather for a second to check the filter.  Putting it back on, she took her wife’s arm.  “Very well.  We will check in with each other after each moon and if we find a crystal.  Also, if anyone from the other teams contacts one of us, make sure to talk to the other team.  Understood?”

 

“Understood!”  They all vanished, heading for the moons they could easily see from the surface of asteroid-like Hyperion.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Tr’vor crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at the icy crater facing the two Ninjetti.  “You know, love, this trip just keeps getting colder and colder.  I hate this moon and I hate the ice and I hate the vacuum and the planet sitting right out there, laughing at us.”

 

Fynn laughed as he began to scale the pitted surface of the shallow icy crater.  “I always wondered why you never volunteered to explore and document the wonders of the Solar System with your sister.  I never imagined you could be afraid of Outer Space.”

 

Tr’vor growled his annoyance as he grabbed Fynn’s arm.  “I’m not afraid, I just don’t like the cold!”  Fynn laughed and wrapped his arms around Tr’vor, touching his nose to the younger man’s.

 

“Do you want me to warm you up?”  At Tr’vor’s blush, Fynn laughed, bringing one hand up to caress the Uranian’s cheek.  “What did they call you on Earth?  Trevor?  What did that girl Kimberly Ann Hart call you?”

 

“Trev.”

 

“I like that.  Trev.”  Fynn pulled Tr’vor closer, purring slightly.  “I missed you, you know.  When you went away, I always wondered if it was because of me.”

 

“I’m sorry,” Tr’vor whispered.  “I wanted to tell you, but K’tai told me that I couldn’t, no matter what.  If N’moki found out where the last children of F’jil had run off to, she would have brought us back long ago.  I might already be married to one of Faren’s girls, Fynn, and I don’t want that.  I couldn’t do that to you.”  He rested his head against Fynn’s chest and sighed, relaxing.  “I am so glad I’m back.  I don’t know if I could have spent another night without you.”

 

“You’ll have to until we find all of these crystals.  I know those extreme weather tents are not really meant for extraneous movement.”

 

“Maybe we can find the crystals today and go home tonight.”

 

“Mmm, I like that plan.”

 

A bird-like hiss from Tr’vor’s communicator froze the pair.  <Trevor!  You two had better stop smooching and start searching!>

 

“Kae!  How did you know?”

 

<You have a very short attention span, Trevor, and your sex drive has a tendency to work overtime.  Look, the four Crystal Warriors got together and concentrated their power on Saturn.  They say that the only moons that resonate are Dione, Rhea, Titan, and Iapetus.  So head for Rhea and start searching.  And if I even suspect that you wasted your time, Tr’vor—>

 

“Okay, K’tai!  I get it.  But we have been separated for three years.”

 

<Amari and I have been kept apart for twenty years by the laws of Uranus and Atlantis and I have been on Earth for five.  When this quest is over, we’ll be together.  Now look for your crystals and don’t put our planets in danger.>

 

“Fine.”  Tr’vor smiled at Fynn and kissed him gently before pulling away, keeping a tight grasp on his hand.  “She’s right, Fynn.  There’ll be enough time for us when the Solar System is safe.  Let’s go to Rhea.”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

If anything, Rhea was icier than Enceladus, leaving the two men cold despite the power of their force fields.  Fynn watched Tr’vor valiantly struggle to keep moving, pulling the flaps of his coat tighter, desperate to ward of the cold.  His steps faltered the more he walked, until he was struggling to stay upright.  As the pair stumbled over the edge of a shallow crater, Tr’vor lost his footing altogether and rolled to the bottom of the bowl, unable to stand again.

 

“Tr’vor!”  Fynn slid to the bottom of the crater, pulling his semi-conscious partner into his arms.  “Tr’vor, you have to get up.”

 

“It’s too cold, Fynn,” Tr’vor whispered.  “I can’t keep going.”

 

“You have to, Tr’vor.  Please.”

 

Tr’vor felt his Ninjetti self take over as he pushed himself up, leaning on his hands as he felt a strange call.  “Do you hear that, Fynn?”

 

“Hear what?”

 

“Music,” he sighed, letting his fingers sink into a large crack in the ice, sifting around until he felt something warm.  He pulled it out, staring in wonder at the tiny crystal point, rare golden eyes entranced as the crystal began to glow peach.  Fynn gasped as the power enveloped his lover, unable to interfere as the Ninjetti changed into a huge male lion, thick orange mane hanging to the ground.  He stared at Fynn, eyes wide, as the Ninjetti Spirit part of him fought the crystal.

 

Fynn, remembering what happened to Revena and Trini, placed a hand on Tr’vor’s warm fur.  “It’s okay,” he whispered.  “You’re perfectly fine.  Open yourself to the crystal and remember how much I love you.”  Tr’vor nodded and closed his eyes, relaxing as his body lengthened and changed, turning him into a Uranian with lion features and long orange hair.  He looked at himself and laughed at his appearance and the fur covering his body.

 

“I guess I won’t have to be worried about being cold anymore,” he purred, an oddly cat-like lilt to his voice.  With little effort, he returned to his Ninjetti form and slid the silver chain over his neck.  “Look at that.  I found a crystal.”

 

“Which one is it, Trev?”

 

“Uranus-8, Crystal of Light, kiraelo.  I wonder if there’s a Crystal of Darkness.”

 

“Probably.  Hey, if you have the power of light, could you cast some here?”

 

Tr’vor stood and held his hand above his head, laughing as brilliant peach-tinted light filled the crater.  “I’m not cold anymore, Fynn!”

 

“Good.  Do you want to call your sister?”

 

Tr’vor grinned and touched his communicator.  “Oh, sister dear.”

 

<Busy, Trev.>  She sounded almost like she was blushing, and Tr’vor raised an eyebrow.  <What is it?>

 

“I found a crystal, kiraelo of Light.  What do you think about that?”

 

<That’s great, Trev.  Make sure you call everyone else; Amari and I think we’re close.>

 

“To a crystal or each other?”

 

Tr’vor could feel his twin narrow her eyes over the communicator.  <To a crystal,> she growled.  <Come on, Trev!  Get your mind back onto the search!>

 

Tr’vor sighed and rubbed his forehead.  “Okay.  Look, I bet we can find another crystal before you do.”

 

<You’re on!  Look, I hear something and I gotta go.  See ya!>

 

Fynn glared at his boyfriend.  “Okay, Trev.  You made a bet, and I plan to win.  We have a crystal to find, and I bet you can help.  Are you ready to go?”

 

Tr’vor nodded, wrapping his arms around Fynn.  “Let’s go find your crystal, shall we?”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

K’tai purred as Amari wrapped her long arms around her waist, relaxing into the taller woman’s gentle embrace.  “I don’t know if I can live much longer without you, love.  These past five years were utter torture.  We weren’t even able to steal a night here and there as we have for the past fifty years.”

 

“I know.  You know, you told Tr’vor to concentrate on the search.”

 

K’tai smiled at Amari and blushed.  “I’ve had it harder than he has.  But I suppose we really oughta’ get moving.”

 

The two took a deep breath before teleporting to Titan, a thin cord binding them together.  They knew that the atmosphere of the largest satellite of Saturn was so thick that they would not be able to see at all, and they were afraid of losing each other.  They headed deeper into the mist, hands linked, as both listened for the song of a crystal.  As they walked, they let memories play between their linked minds, reliving moments of great pleasure and great happiness, desperate to keep their minds off the mission.  It would do no good to dwell on the danger they had to face before the world was safe again.  Amari smiled as K’tai brought up a memory of their wedding, the smile deepening as the image moved forward to their wedding night.  They had made love dozens of times before that, and hundreds of times after, but that night had been special, magical in a way neither could explain.  Amari inserted their greatest fantasy into the link, a tiny baby girl with gold-highlighted lavender hair and emerald eyes sparkling with pink flecks.  K’tai embraced that fantasy, knowing that they would never be able to go in for as simple an operation as egg fertilization until the prince was found and her life her own once more.  As they focused on the thought of that girl, K’tai heard a beautiful melody in the back of her mind, the same song Amari had sung to her on their wedding day.  She followed it, her mind blank, falling to her knees beside a dull, inconspicuous pile of stones.

 

Releasing Amari’s hand, K’tai began moving the icy stones, pausing to let her body rest as the increased atmospheric pressure weighed her down.  Gathering her strength, K’tai began to dig again, letting out a cry of triumph as her fingers found one tiny crystal shard, a piece of the great crystal the gods used to banish Tebekren over seven thousand years earlier.  As she held the ancient crystal point to the sky, gold light filling it and flowing down her arm to envelop her body.  With a scream, she surrendered to the power, her arms thickening into great wings, her body becoming short and powerful as she transformed into a great golden eagle for the first time in her life.  She sunk her huge talons into the rocky ground, emerald eyes staring at her lover.  She let out a tiny mewing squeak, opening her wings, and Amari caressed her under her fearsome beak.

 

“Look at you!  What a gorgeous eagle!  But I think you are much prettier as a Ninjetti, and I think you might want to come back to me.”

 

That was enough.  With a soft hiss, the eagle blurred and stretched into a more Uranian shape, her thin arms folded against her chest, wings half-opened, feet still curled into clawed talons.  Her beak was gone, but her hair had become long, elegant red-gold feathers that hung to her waist, and her ears were tiny, pressed against her head and out of her way.  Closing her round eyes, K’tai returned to her Ninjetti form, smiling as she opened her hand to reveal the golden crystal, now hanging from a silver chain.  She slipped it over her neck and grinned.  “Hey, guess what?  I found the Crystal of Love, evasuur.  Isn’t that great?”

 

“Love?  You got love?  Wow.  You must be a pretty special person.”

 

“Maybe I am.”  K’tai’s playful voice warmed Amari more than the force field, and she grinned as the princess leaned in for a kiss.  “Oh, but we still have to find your crystal, lover.  Are you ready for Iapetus?”

 

“I feel a lot better now that you can sense these stupid crystals.”  The pair vanished.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“Are you sure about this?”

 

“I can feel the presence of another crystal, Fynn.  It has to be here.”  Tr’vor closed his eyes, letting the Crystal Ninjetti take over, and he pointed toward the north pole.  “It’s that way, Fynn.  Are you feeling up to this?”

 

“And a moon ago I was asking you that.  Yes, I’m fine.  It’s really cold, though.”

 

Tr’vor returned to his Uranian form and took off his coat, placing it on Fynn’s shoulders.  “Better?”

 

“Yeah, thanks.”  The pair continued their trek across the frozen surface of Dione, letting Tr’vor’s crystal lead the way, until the moon turned away from the sun and darkness fell, cloaking the frozen wasteland in shadow.

 

Fynn caught Tr’vor’s arm and shook his head.  “Love, we have to stop.  I can’t see in the dark.  And I know you’re tired, too.”

 

“Just a little farther,” Tr’vor whispered, letting Fynn pull him to the ground and erect the ice resistant heated tent Faren had provided for the expedition.  He pulled Tr’vor into the tent, inflating the floor as he threw a blanket over his lover and another over himself.  The younger man fell asleep easily, the strain he couldn’t recognize weighing him down.  With a sigh, Fynn followed his lover into dreamland.

 

Sometime during the dark night, Fynn heard a musical call, begging him to come, to explore.  Donning his cold-weather clothes, Tr’vor’s jacket, his breather, and his force field generator, Fynn left the safety of the tent and headed out into the dark ice dunes.  He couldn’t see, he couldn’t smell, he was cold and stiff, but he could hear the song, and he let that guide him.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Tr’vor awoke to an emptiness and a fear, grabbing his breather and generator as he fell out of the tent, raising his hand to light up the crater.  He gasped as a lithe cheetah dashed down the sides of the crater, claws digging into the frozen ground to keep it from falling over.  The cat skidded to a stop in front of Tr’vor, eyes wide and teeth bared.  Smiling, the prince fell to his knees and embraced Fynn.  “Why would you run out in the middle of the night like that, Fynn?  I absolutely refuse to sleep with a cat, so you had better find a way to change back.”

 

That seemed to be enough.  Fynn growled softly as his body returned to normal, his skin covered in a fine layer of pale orange fur, tiny spots covering his body, whiskers sticking out from under his flattened nose and slightly longer muzzle, eyes slitted, hands and feet clawed.  He looked at his closed paw and concentrated, easily regaining his Ninjetti form.  Smiling, he showed the orange stone to Tr’vor before slipping the chain over his neck.

 

“So?  Which stone is it?”

 

“It seems to be Atlantis-4, fonelem, Darkness.  It seesm there is a balance to your crystal, Tr’vor.  Shall we call the girls?”

 

Tr’vor activated his communicator.  “K’tai?”

 

<Yes, Trev?>  She seemed ecstatic, pure joy and belonging lacing her voice, and Tr’vor’s hopes fell.

 

“Um, we found Fynn’s crystal.”

 

<How nice!  It was only an hour after you found yours, Trev, that I found evasuur, the Crystal of Love, Uranus-11.>

 

“What about Amari’s stone?”

 

<Oh!  It seems that Iapetus did hold a crystal—we found it moments ago.  Amari has barinou, the Crystal of Desire, Atlantis-7.  We’ll talk when we see you on Oberon, and it looks like we tied.  Ta!>

 

“Damn!”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Chapter 14: Primates

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“Aren’t you tired?”

 

“No!  You can draw power from the stone to sustain you, and we really can’t waste any time.  Look, if Tommy were here, he would head off in a second, no matter how tired or hungry or horny he was because it’s the right thing to do and because the galaxy needed him.  Am I right?”

 

“Yes, K’tai,” Faren smiled.  “What the hell!  The council has pretty much handled every major decision for twenty years; they don’t need me!  Okay, K’tai; you’re in charge; who should go where?”

 

“Okay.  Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, and Uranus have no Crystal Warrior guide.  There are six of us, and Venus might have a Crystal Warrior, but she is human.  I know S’rei and Revena are perfectly fine by themselves, but I would like for one of us to head to Earth and check up on Tommy and Kimberly.  I think I should go to Earth simply because Trev and I are the only ones that really know Kim, and I’m a little more level-headed than my twin.  I would like to have Tr’vor and Amari on planets with only humans and the rest of you can pick.”

 

Tr’vor raised his hand.  “I want Mercury with Kat and Jason.”

 

Amari grinned as she fingered her crystal.  “I want to go to Venus.”

 

Faren chose to head to Jupiter, while Tarei chose Mars and Fynn chose Neptune.  Smiling, the six Crystal Warriors headed for their new assignments.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Kimberly stirred, her dreams chasing her as she shook her head, staring at her bandaged hands.  She frowned.  When did she hurt her hands?  Then she covered her face with her hands, tears in her eyes again.  She looked at the bed she was lying on, staring in shock at the man lying by her side.  Tommy.  He must have come back to Earth, found her in the park, brought her back to Billy’s house, bandaged her hands, and fallen asleep watching her.  He looked so cute, lying there, and Kim sniffed as she brushed a strand of long hair out of his eyes.  “Goodnight,” she whispered.  “Thank you for everything, Tommy, but this just isn’t working.  I’m dangerous like this and I don’t want to hurt anyone ever again.  Watch out for the others for me, okay?  And I’m really sorry.”  She slipped out of bed and headed for the bathroom, certainty guiding her steps.  She knew how to keep him—keep the world—safe from her.  She just couldn’t live with her pain and the memories of Atlantis anymore.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“Stupid moon.”

 

“What did you expect, Rocky DeSantos?  Ganymede is the largest satellite in the solar system, but it is still a satellite.  There is no atmosphere, for which you should be grateful at these temperatures, though the ground is made of ice.  Please, concentrate on the search.  We must find these crystals.”

 

Rocky sighed.  “You’re right, Lamiy, but I’m not a Ninjetti.  This isn’t as easy for me as it is for you.”

 

Lamiy sighed.  “It is not easy for me, either, human.  Even a Ninjetti suffers stress.  But you were a Ninja once, years ago, and your body has just been waiting for the chance to fully bond with the power.  That should make you sensitive to the call of the crystal.”

 

Rocky stopped in the center of the crater they were traversing and closed his eyes, arms crossed over his chest, listening.  He heard . . . chatter, talking in the back of his mind, and he tried to focus on the voices, but they eluded him.  Changing tactics, he pushed the voices away, listening for anything else.  He felt contentment, then a great burst of power, then Faren appeared by his side.  He didn’t have to open his eyes to realize that the new note to the man’s Ninjetti power was a crystal, was his crystal.

 

Rocky felt a strange, cool sensation flood his body, and he opened his eyes in shock.  He was in a forest, cool and calm, a single dark red-brown ape standing before him.  “I know you, Rocky DeSantos.  I chose you long ago to serve me.  Why did you turn to another power, a Ninja-only power, instead of embracing me?”

 

“I am sorry, but Zordon and Earth needed the Ninja power.  When we reached the temple, that is the power we received.  Dulcea did not tell us that we could become true Ninjetti if we would just wait for the Animal Spirits to come to us.  We did not know until Amari, K’tai, and Tr’vor came to us.  I would have searched for you sooner if I had known.”

 

“Would you, human?  Did you really care?”

 

“Of course I did.  I have tried for my entire life to learn who I really am, and now I know.  I am a Ninjetti Warrior, servant to the spirit of the great Ape, and I am ready to fight, to save this galaxy.  I will defend my home.”

 

“And I will help you.”  The Ape smiled as he parted the trees and pointed.  “Follow me, Rocky DeSantos, and I will help you find that power.”  The two headed off into the forest.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“Look!  Father, the Ninjetti Spirit has taken over!  He’s walking without knowledge of his surroundings!”

 

“Let’s just follow him, Lamiy.  He knows where he is going.”

 

Rocky led the pair through shallow gullies and round craters, unerringly heading in a perfectly straight line.  When the Ninjetti reached his destination, he stopped, fell to hit knees, and broke the icy surface with a single strike.  Reaching into the hole he created, Rocky pulled out a single crystal point.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“Ready?”

 

The Ape placed his huge hand over Rocky’s, and both let out a terrific roar as the mahogany power of the crystal merged them.  For a moment, the Ape won, and Rocky was content to be submerged, but the image of Lamiy entered his mind.  He was only just beginning to learn about the young Atlantan with the captivating ice blue eyes, and he managed to assert himself, taking over and returning to his human form.  Sighing, he fell to his hands, finding himself on his knees on the icy surface of Ganymede.  Standing up, he found Lamiy and Faren staring at him, and he opened his hand.

 

“I don’t know what designation you gave this crystal, but it is prenvaa, the Crystal of Joining, and it is how the many shards were bound together to create the one crystal that defeated Tebekren.  When we find all of the shards, prenvaa can bind them together.”

 

Faren moved off to contact the other teams and inform them of Rocky’s crystal while Lamiy embraced him warmly.  “I am so proud of you!”

 

Rocky raised an eyebrow.  “I could get used to this.”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“That’s wonderful!  Ninjetti, Rocky DeSantos found a crystal.”

 

“Wonderful news, Tarei,” Tanya smiled.  Zack and Adam also smiled, and Abine bit her lip at her mother’s announcement, thinking.

 

“Rocky?  Oh, Warrior of the Ape!  Yes, I thought that he might find his spirit sooner than others.  As a rule, Earths find their spirits very easy to live with and very amiable.”

 

“Earths?”

 

“Yes, Tanya Sloan.  There are three types or Orders of Ninjetti.  The Order of the Sky includes all flying creatures.  The Order of the Felines includes all cats, since there are always quite a few of those.  And the Order of the Earth includes all other creatures.  Rocky DeSantos, Tanya Sloan, Adam Park, Jason Lee Scott, Trini Kwan, Billy Cranton, Aisha Campbell, and Lamiy are Earths.”

 

Tanya nodded.  “Okay.  Then Kat, Trevor, Fynn, Tarei, Faren, Zack, Revena, and S’rei are Felines.”

 

Zack raised an eyebrow.  “That only leaves seven Ninjetti in the Order of the Sky while there are eight in the other two.  Tommy, Katai, Amari, Abine, Adoure, Yaoure, and F’paen are birds.  Do you think Kim will be the eighth?”

 

Tarei shrugged.  “I do not know if your powerless friend will find her purity, but the gods have always demanded balance.  For light there is dark, for war there is peace, for death there is life.  But if your friend cannot resolve her pain, she may never join you.”

 

“I hope she’s alright,” Tanya whispered, letting her eyes flit to the barren red horizon of Mars, spotting Phobos hanging above the horizon.  She caught a glint of color on the surface of the tiny moon, a flash that faintly resembled a lemur.  Smiling, she headed toward it, wondering if her animal spirit was waiting for her.

 

Zack, Adam, Abine, and Tarei followed the human, knowing that she was being called by her Ninjetti spirit and maybe by one of the crystals.  She easily trekked across the barren surface of the planet covered in iron oxide, the chill no longer bothering her.  Smiling, she stopped beside the edge of a deep crater, climbing to the highest point of the pseudo-mountain and stopping, arms raised to the sky.  She stood there as a tan glow enveloped her, and her friends waited on the ground, watching and praying that the outcome was favorable.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

She was one among many, unknown, unappreciated, unloved.  She picked through the leaves, pulling out tasty fruits, ears open for the call of her leader, the alpha.  She did not hear his powerful bellow, but a pitiful whimper reached her sensitive ears, and she let her leaves fall to the ground.  Curious, the beautiful female lemur jumped into the trees and followed the call, ears pointed forward, long fingers easily finding purchase, thick tail held out behind her for balance.

 

Tanya let out a startled chirp at the sight that met her eyes.  A beautiful crane was caught in the branches, blood streaming down her side, eyes frightened.  She kicked her legs, struggling to free herself, and Tanya moved closer, intending to help.  She pulled back as she realized that the bird was caught in an Acacia tree, and the ants that guarded the plant were moving in, ready to kill her.  If she jumped onto that tree, the ants would get her, too!  Tanya stepped back, ready to leave the bird to her fate, when some memory clicked.  When Trevor and Katai first arrived with Kim, the man had explained why Kim’s file was not in the briefcase.  ‘Her animal, the crane, was easy, but I know nothing about the color.’  Crane!  That bird was Kimberly, caught in a strange place, scared to death, her enemies closing in around her.  Tanya would not let that happen twice.  Without another thought for her own safety, the lemur let out a scream as she leapt, landing on the crane’s back, teeth attacking the bloodied branches. 

 

That was all the help the poor bird needed.  With a triumphant call, the crane broke free and soared to the sky, Tanya safe on her back.  As they broke through the cover of the trees, the crane looked over her shoulder at Tanya.  “This time you made the right choice, Tanya Sloan.  Never let another suffer if you can help, no matter how frightened you are.  A true Ninjetti Warrior always lets her heart guide, no matter what another person would do.”

 

“I understand,” Tanya chirped.  “How can I help her?”

 

“The biggest help to her is this quest.  Become Ninjetti, find the crystals, and the true Kimberly Ann Hart will return at last.  She will always need you; never forget that.”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Adam watched in joy as Tanya opened her eyes, smiling in absolute contentment, arms still outstretched.  She let her eyes meet Adam’s as she reached into the dirt, pulling out a single clear crystal.  Light struck the tiny stone, and Adam dashed up the slope as his girlfriend turned into a lemur.  He picked the monkey up, smiling at her.  She was not afraid and she did not cry out.  Tanya laid a paw on Adam’s cheek as she grew into a hybrid of lemur and human.  She opened her hands, extra-long fingers curled slightly, and the tiny tan crystal in her hand turned her back into a Ninjetti.

 

“Wow,” she whispered, swaying slightly.  “That was . . . words escape me.  I can’t believe I was chosen by the Crystal of Hope.  I have a lot to learn from wavelek.”  Then she remembered the crane’s words, and she stood straighter, slipping the crystal’s chain over her neck.  “We have to go back to Earth, Adam.”

 

“What?”

 

“Kim needs us.  Her spirit guide came to my vision and she was hurt bad.  She’s trapped and she needs help to break free.”

 

Tarei nodded slowly as the group gathered on top of the ridge.  “It is not uncommon for Ninjetti who are close to see each other in their Spirit Quest.  You saw this Kim in your quest?”

 

“Yes.  I was a lemur and I heard a cry, and I found a crane stuck in the branches of an Acacia Tree.  The ants were moving in, and my decision to help her instead of running saved her and gave me my spirit.  But I think she’s in real trouble.  We need to finish this quest so we can get back to her.”

 

“Then what are we waiting for?  I’ll call the other teams and you three go looking for your crystals.”  Tarei raised her hand and began to contact the other Ninjetti as Abine cleared her throat.

 

“By the way, where did Zack Taylor go?”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Chapter 15: Cats

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

He sat and watched as the panther strolled across the Martian desert, unconcerned for the cold breeze, somehow able to breathe, amber eyes searching.  “What are you looking for, panther?”

 

“I am looking for truth,” the cat growled.  “You looked for it once, too.”

 

“I still search for truth.”

 

“Liar!”  The panther whirled on the man, teeth bared as it advanced.  “Truth is a word you pitiful humans bandy around with no regard for its meaning!  Truth is a toy, a tool, a plaything of men, and you claim to have mastered it, but you are wrong.  None can speak truth if they do not know truth.”  The panther leapt and landed on Zack, claws retracted but ready, pinning him to the ground.  “You lie to each other, and you lie to yourself.  I pity you, worthless human!”

 

“What am I lying about?”

 

“What are you not lying about?!  You tell no truth you know.  You know no truth you feel.  You feel no truth you acknowledge, and that makes you impure.  Until you can acknowledge, feel, know, tell every truth, the root truth, the one that haunts you, I will never merge with you.”  The panther leapt away, and Zack held out his hand, knowing deep inside what the cat wanted, what he himself needed.

 

“Kimberly.”

 

The cat stopped and turned, eyes flashing.  A wounded crane appeared in front of them, limping, one wing hanging to the ground, and the panther crouched to all fours.  “See the crane?  Broken, beaten, alone.  What is she to you?”

 

“She’s my friend!  Leave her alone!”

 

The panther growled and swished his tail.  “We are the panther, strong, true, and smart.  We know that there are two types of creatures in this world—us and our prey.  She is prey to us.”

 

“No!  Kimberly’s not prey!”

 

“Is she not?”  The cat’s long, deep purr shook Zack to the bones, and he moved closer, desperate to protect the bird.  “Define prey, Zack Taylor.”

 

“Food.”

 

“No.  You see, your definition of truth here is too shallow.  We chase things we do not eat, do not intend to eat, because we enjoy it, because it is fun, because we have mates and cubs to protect.  So, what is prey?”

 

“Prey is something you hunt.”

 

“No.  Prey is something you pursue, feeble human.  Prey is something you use to further your own goals.  Prey is that which you walk on to ascend the steps of life.”

 

“No—”

 

“You cannot deny this, human.  All men have prey, people they oust to achieve their own goals.  You, Zack Taylor, did not go to the peace conference because you were the only one who wished to go; you went because you were better, more qualified, more right for the job than another.  You were the predator, reaching for the goal, and they became your prey.  Prey is also that which you ignore to further your own goals.”

 

It hit him.  Zack hit his knees, eyes on the wounded crane, as an image of a panther pushing the crane to one side, leaving four bloody marks in the white feathers, in order to leap to the next branch flashed through his mind.  “I did it,” he whispered.  “Kim was my prey.  I hurt her and I never cared.”

 

The panther nodded.  “Truth is never easy and it always hurts.  Now that you have the truth, what will you do?”

 

“I’m not worthy to be a Ninjetti,” he whispered.  “She’s not here because we are, because we let her go away, and we still don’t know what happened.  How can I accept such an honor when she is denied it?”

 

“Ah, then you are finished.”  The panther turned away from the kneeling man, eyes trained on his prey again.  With barely a thought, the cat leapt, and Zack realized that he couldn’t let anyone hurt Kim ever again.  He never remembered moving, but he landed on top of the bird an instant later, sharp pain slicing across his back as the cat’s claws met his skin.  He rolled over, ignoring the pain, the frightened bird safe in his arms.  “What are you doing, Zack Taylor.  That is my prey.”

 

“No!  Just because my callousness hurt her, she is no longer prey.”

 

“Why not?”

 

“That’s just the nature of human society.  We are all prey and we are all predator.  Even you are!  I need you to become Ninjetti; that makes you prey.  But Kim is not our prey, not ever again.”

 

“Everyone is predator and everyone is prey,” the cat repeated, purring.  The bird vanished, leaving the pair alone on the empty Martian plain.  “So if you become the predator, all life cycles to make you prey again.  Kimberly Ann Hart was Ninjetti once, can be again if the cycles fall right.  You were lonely once and found friends, you were strong once and became weak.  Now you are lonely, in pain, certain that you hurt your friend beyond repair.  But just now you save her and you become the same.  She is prey, you are prey, she is predator, you are predator, she is Ninjetti.”

 

“As I am Ninjetti,” Zack finished, standing straight, his injuries healed.  “I am Ninjetti, Warrior of the Panther, and I see the truth.”

 

The panther leapt, laughing with joy as he merged with Zack, a crystal appearing on the ground in front of him.  “And here is a present!  I found it, but it is not mine.  It is yours, and without the predator/prey pain.  No one else could wield it, only you, Zack Taylor.”

 

Zack reached down and picked up the crystal, watching as he transformed into the same panther he had just merged with.  He smiled as the others gathered around him, and he let his eyes find Abine, the young Atlantan in whom he had found a kindred spirit.

 

“Prey?”

 

“No, Panther,” Zack replied in the privacy of his mind.  “She’s a friend.”  He reached out and let Abine take his paw, feeling his body merged with the panther’s change to reveal his dual nature.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Zack closed his clawed fingers around his crystal, sighing as he returned to his Ninjetti form.  “Thanks, Abine.”

 

“Anytime.  How do you feel?”

 

Zack grinned.  “Like a protector.”  The cat in his mind laughed, and he shook his head.  “I had a conversation with a panther about the difference between predator and prey, and I decided to be a protector instead.”  He held up his crystal, grinning as he slipped the chain over his neck.  “Allow me to introduce the Crystal of War, chiesuu.  I can see battle plans and strategies in the back of my mind, including some of Ares’s plans to defeat the tyrant-kind Tebekren.  They’re not easy to access, though, and I think it will be easier when we find all of the crystals.”

 

Tarei smiled.  “Three crystals in so short a time.  I wonder who will be next?”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“I hate this stupid planet,” Kat growled, shocking her two companions.  Jason sighed as he followed the blonde across the dark surface of Mercury.  It was too hot on the light side for the force fields, so they searched on the night side, teleporting when the sun threatened to catch up to them.  Tr’vor had assured them that all of the exploration teams had done the same thing.

 

“I would kill for a break in the terrain.  I hate the desert.”

 

“You were born in Australia,” Jason pointed out.

 

“We don’t have desert, we have outback.  There is a big difference.”

 

“It looked like desert to me.”  When Kat turned to glare at him, Jason raised his hands defensively, and the trek continued.  “Aren’t our Animal Spirits supposed to help us?  Where’s that blasted lynx when I need her?”

 

She stopped dead still, staring at the ground in front of her.  That ‘blasted lynx’ was lying on the ground, curled up in the faint light generated by the Atlantan light sources, long fur whispering in the Mercurian wind.  She looked up, muscles rippling under her pale fur, amber eyes slitted.  “You are really impatient.”

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

“Don’t apologize; I was waiting.  So, tell me, Katherine Hilliard, why are you here?”

 

“Um, because I’m supposed to be a Ninjetti.”

 

“Ah.  You don’t know either.”  The cat began to clean her paws, easily able to continue the conversation while her tongue was occupied.  “So, what did you do to deserve to be here?”

 

“I was a power ranger.”

 

“Big deal.  There have been a dozen, though you were one of only two who started out evil.  Hm.  And the other one actually started good, then turned evil.  That actually makes you the least likely person in the world to become a power ranger.  How did that happen, by the way?”

 

Kat bit her lip.  “Uh, Kim gave me her power coin.”

 

“The same one you almost killed her by stealing?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Interesting.  Hey, tell me about Tommy Oliver.”

 

“He’s our leader, the red Zeo and Turbo Ranger, and he was my boyfriend for a little while.”

 

“What was he before he was red?”

 

Kat stared at the cat a moment before answering, wondering where this conversation was going.  “He was the White Ranger and the White Ninja Ranger.”

 

“Ah, so he was a Ninja.  Very nice.  You weren’t the Pink Ranger then, were you?”

 

“No, Kimberly was.”

 

“I see.  Now this is beginning to make sense.  Tell me, Katherine, what color was Tommy Oliver before he was white?”

 

“Um, I think he was green.  But he had a lot of trouble with those powers.”

 

“He went through a lot,” the lynx agreed, sitting up and raising a paw to her muzzle to continue her bath.  “I wonder who was there for him then.  Oh, it must have been this Kimberly.  Wasn’t she also his girlfriend back then, too?  I know she was.  And she’s the one that owned his heart, correct?”

 

“Yes.”

 

The lynx’s head shot up, and her eyes pinned Kat to the spot.  “Then why did you try so hard to steal him away?”  Kat shook her head, and the lynx stood, her two feet of height notwithstanding.  “You said that Tommy was once your boyfriend, but you never said a word about Kimberly.  Tommy was never your boyfriend, you simply kept him occupied while Kimberly sank deeper and deeper into depression without him.”

 

“No, that’s not . . .”  Kat trailed off, unable to finish.  The lynx pointed with one heavy paw, and a quicksand pit appeared nearby, an injured crane struggling in the mud.  She cried out for help, and a falcon swooped out of the trees to go to her aid, but the lynx jumped up and pinned him, making him watch as the crane sank beneath the muck.

 

“Look what you did,” the lynx whispered.  “You killed her and shattered him.  You tried to clip his wings, and now how can he fly with the woman he loves?  How can he take her soaring to the stars when you have bound him to the ground?  How can he heal her when he is no longer whole?”

 

“I know!”  Kat fell to her knees, face in her hands.  “I never meant to hurt them, but I really believed that letter!”

 

“Did you?  Or were you blinded by your want, too selfish to see Kimberly’s pain?”

 

Kat nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks.  “God, what have I done?  If it wasn’t for me, Tommy might have gone to Florida or called or something.  But I held him back.  It’s all because of me.  God, I am so sorry.”

 

The lynx smiled and placed a palm on Kat’s head.  “And I know you are.  You see, Kim and Tommy were always able to forgive their enemies.  He was evil, she forgave.  You were evil, they forgave.  And they would forgive you now.”

 

“I want to help,” she whispered, looking up.  “I want to help them fly again.”

 

“That’s where I come in.”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Kat roared as the lynx took over, the ground under her hand glowing a brilliant pink as she blindly pulled a tiny crystal out of the soil, the light it generated illuminating the planet’s surface for miles.  Jason knelt beside his friend and placed a hand on her forehead.  “Okay, Kat, let it go.  Take control.”

 

The lynx grew, merging with the human, leaving feline features to add to her human beauty.  Smiling, blue eyes slitted, Kat closed her hand and changed into her Ninjetti form, the scant covering enhancing her beauty.  She smiled as she opened her hand again, slipping the silver chain over her neck.  Laughing, she waved her hand and produced a water spout, reaching out to take a drink.  “Look!  I wished for water, and I found the Crystal of Water, jilimir!  Isn’t that wonderful?”

 

“It is,” Tr’vor smiled as he prepared to send a message to the other planets.  “By the way, was there a crane in your vision?”  Kat froze, and Tr’vor nodded.  “I thought as much.  I think Kimberly has featured in every Spirit Quest you Humans went through.”

 

“What does that mean?  Is she in trouble?”

 

“I imagine so.  But the best way to help her is to find all of the crystals.  None of us can resolve our personal problems until we save the galaxy.”

 

Kat hung her head.  “I hope she’s okay.”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Chapter 16: Help

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Kimberly slipped into the bathroom silently, not bothering to turn on the light.  The full moon outside was sufficient for her purposes.  She sifted through the drawers, cursing the first blue ranger under her breath.  She caught flashes in her mind of Rocky . . . Tanya . . . Zack . . . Kat . . . they completed their quests.  They were Ninjetti.  “I’m proud of you,” she whispered.  Once again, everyone was getting power and she was left on earth, the helpless human, holding her friends and Tommy back.  She couldn’t do that anymore.  With a surge of satisfaction, her fingers touched cold metal.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“The atmosphere on this planet is consistent with the reports and satellite observations of the surface conducted over the years,” Billt observed as he, Trini, and Amari struggled to pass through the thick greenhouse gases.  “If Venus had developed the thin atmosphere of Mars and the greenhouse gases had materialized on the red planet, it is likely that both would have developed and sustained life, considering both are within the ‘habitable’ zone of Sol.  A random trick of fate.”

 

Trini rolled her eyes at Billy.  “You know, sweetie, as interesting as this is, we really need to find that stone so it can bind to you and we can leave.”

 

“Though there is a high likelihood that the Crystal of the Gods that escaped to Venus will choose to take me as its wielder, there is a slight margin of chance that I will prove to be incompatible and it will remain dormant.”

 

“In other words, it may not like you.”  Trini snorted.  “You can be really negative at times, Billy Cranston.  Of course it will be yours.  Every stone has traveled to the planet where the Ninjetti of its choice would end up, and this one won’t be any different.”

 

Billy raised a hand, halting the group.  “Do you hear that?”

 

“Hear what, Billy?”

 

“Howling,” he whispered, moving deeper into the mist.  He could see footprints that were obviously made by a great dog or a noble wolf, and he followed them to the owner.  A great gray wolf, coat tinted just slightly blue, looked up from his nap, tilting his head.

 

“You did come.  I was wondering.  So, what are you looking for?”

 

“You, I guess.  I remember you from back when I was a Ninja Ranger.”

 

“Yes, you do.  I tried to bond to you then, but you chose another master.  Pity that.  Tell me, what have you learned?”

 

“About what?”

 

“Friendship.”

 

“That’s a hard one.  There are many types, each substantially different, based on the length of acquaintance, the circumstances leading to the meeting, and any experiences shared between the friends.”

 

“Interesting.”  The wolf pointed his nose to the sky, letting out a deep howl, and five animals appeared by his side.  One was the powerful bear, one the intelligent ape, one the adaptive frog, one the great falcon, and one the agile crane.  He watched as the crane flew away, the bear vanished, and the ape, frog, and falcon went on to a different group.  The wolf was alone.  “But what about when they go away?”

 

“You deal.”

 

“A wolf is not a solitary animal, Billy Cranston.  We need our pack.  Where is your pack?  Where are your friends?”

 

“Just because they left doesn’t mean they’re gone.  We’re all together again now, and I won’t let what happened last time happen again.”

 

The wolf snorted and glanced at the retreating crane.  “What happens when you hurt your friends?  What happens when they don’t come back?  What happens when they go away forever?”

 

Billy reached out his hand, and the crane returned, weak and injured, but alive.  “Then we heal them, all of us.  The thing about friendship is that it lasts through everything.  And I know that Kim still needs us.”

 

“Even you?”

 

“Look, I know what you’re trying to say.  Yes, even though I feel like I betrayed her, she does need me.  And, honestly, I need her, too.  We all do.”  He reformed the image, adding a lemur, lynx, panther, gazelle, and fox.  “We’re a team, whether or not we’re Power Rangers.  We’ll always be the team of friends.”

 

“Then I suspect you may need me.”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Trini watched as Billy transformed into a wolf, a tiny crystal glowing blue from under his paw.  Smiling, she slipped into her gazelle form and stood beside him, knowing that the spirit would recognize her in that form.  The wolf looked up, the tiny crystal hanging from a chain tied on his leg, and he touched it with his nose, letting his wolf body merge with his human body.  The hybrid looked up at Trini, and Billy smiled as his girlfriend also transformed into her Crystal Warrior form.  Sighing, Billy closed his paw around the blue crystal and changed back into his Ninjetti form, watching as Trini also changed.

 

“That was pretty cool,” he managed.  “And the Crystal of Wisdom, zaniemh, did, indeed, choose me.  You were correct, Trini.”

 

Trini nodded as Billy slipped his crystal on.  “I know.  Wisdom, huh?  Does that make you wise or is it keeping its power to itself?”

 

Billy smiled as he wrapped his arms around the smaller woman.  “I’d like to think that I don’t need any help in the brains department.”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Kat was leading the way in Crystal Ninjetti form, her enhanced senses useful in the barren environment.  She could tell just by smell if they were headed in circles or the right direction.  Her light steps left shallow footprints, her blue eyes glowing in the faint light.  Jason and Tr’vor followed, the Uranian in Crystal Ninjetti form, his long, slender, fur tipped tail thrashing as he walked.  Jason wondered if he would have a tail when he became a Crystal Warrior.  Smiling, he found the strength to keep trudging.

 

A small movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention, and he called for his friends to stop.  Eyes narrowed, he followed the scratching sound, certain that there was absolutely no life on Mercury.  He smiled when he stumbled across a frightened fox.  The fuzzy animal froze, chewing on its latest catch, and it stood up to look at Jason.  “Well!  The first Red ranger finally comes to meet his spirit.  It’s about time, Jason Lee Scott.  You certainly stayed away long enough.”

 

“I wasn’t there when the Rangers became Ninjas.”

 

The fox waved one tiny paw.  “Not that being a Ninja helped them at all.  They never truly embraced their powers or opened themselves to their spirits.  And you left too soon, Jason Lee Scott.”

 

“I went off to the Peace Conference.  Rocky was willing to take my place.”

 

“Oh, no, Human.  You lost your place long before you lost your color.  You tried to be the leader for the longest time, but what happened?”

 

“Zordon made Tommy into the White Ranger and he became the leader.”

 

“Try again.  Tell me, Jason, did you ever really feel like a leader?”

 

Jason stared at the little fox, trying to get a hold on the situation.  This Spirit Quest was nothing like he had expected.  “Um, I wasn’t really the same leader Tommy was.  He was much better at it.  We all lead differently.”

 

The fox snorted.  “You are an Earth, pitiful human, and you thought you had the power to lead two Earths, a Feline, and a Wind!  What were you thinking!  Didn’t you ever feel that the Crane was beyond you, too free, to flighty, too unpredictable?”

 

“You mean Kim?  Maybe a little . . .”

 

“Did the Falcon have any problem with her?  Or the four Earths and Feline he lead?  Or the four Earth Ninjas?  Or the Feline and three Earths that followed them?”

 

“No, I guess not.”

 

The fox snorted.  “Only a Wind can lead such diverse Ninjetti.”

 

“Wasn’t Queen Selei an Earth?”

 

“She was a serpent, very different.  And we are not here to talk about anyone else.  You are trying to deny the truth of your actions.”

 

Jason nodded.  “Maybe I was only meant to be leader for a little while.  But what does that have to do with anything?”

 

“Tell me, Jason Lee Scott: does a Power Ranger ever cease to be a Power Ranger?”

 

“No, of course not.  The Power only chooses those who already are Rangers at heart.”

 

“Ah, I see.  So a leader can never really stop being a leader, either.  I know that you were upset when the Green Ranger became the White Ranger and your leader.”

 

“Yeah, I was.  And I guess I never really stopped being a leader.  Trini and Zack still looked up to me in Switzerland.”

 

“And a leader is responsible for the action of those he leads.  He is also supposed to keep them safe, is he not?”

 

“Absolutely.  And I tried to protect them all, even Tommy when he was the Green Ranger.”

 

“What about Kimberly?  The Crane was your responsibility once, but you forgot about her when you went away, and you never thought about her when you came back.”

 

“I did!  I took her on a trip to Angel Grove after I ceased to be a Zeo Ranger.”

 

“And that ended well.  You couldn’t even protect one charge then.  And you were useless as a friend or a leader when It happened and broke the Crane.”

 

Jason’s eyes widened and his thoughts flew to the pain on Kim’s face when they asked her what happened in Florida.  “I tried,” he whispered.

 

“You didn’t try hard enough.  You failed as a Leader.”

 

Jason straightened, a glint in his eyes.  “A Fox was never meant to lead.  But I can help, and I can be a friend.  No matter what happened in the past, the future is open and I can help Kim now.  With or without you, though I’d love to have you on board.”

 

The fox laughed.  “You turned the tables on me!  I like you, human.  Let’s go.  I found a treasure for you.”  The fox leapt, and Jason grinned as he caught it.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Chapter 17: Forever

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“And Jason found the Crystal of Earth, maseven.  How are you guys doing?”

 

<None of us have found anything yet, but there are eight moons of Neptune and none of the Crystal Ninjetti, even Fynn here, can narrow down the locations.  There are four of them here, though, and this search is difficult.  We’ve finished Naiad, Thalassa, Despina, Galatea, Larissa, and Nereid.  We’ve almost finished Proteus and we’re moving on to the largest, Triton, next.  They have to be there, Kat.>

 

“Good luck, Aisha.  If you need anyone’s help, please call.  You and Adam are the last of the Humans without crystals.  Billy, Trini, Jason, Amari, Tr’vor, and I are headed to the Moon.  K’tai apparently went to Earth to help Tommy, though her brother hasn’t heard from her since.  Maybe she couldn’t find him.”

 

<I thought she could track the communicator, or at least the Falcon.>

 

“Tr’vor thinks that Tommy found a way to deactivate the sensor on the communicator.  It takes just a thought.  And the falcon slumbers, invisible to the eagle.”

 

<Why would Tommy do that?>

 

“Do you remember what Tommy cried out just before he vanished?  He went to help Kim.  She must have been in some kind of trouble.  And if he’s helping her, he might not want to be found.  Or he might try to put up some kind of shield.  I just hope he can help her.”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“Me, too, Kat.  Oh, I need to go.  While you guys are on the Moon, see if you can get a sense of Tebekren’s current position.  We can feel this constant aura of evil, and it’s a little distracting.”

 

<Sure, Aisha.  See ya!>

 

Aisha sighed and turned to her five Atlantan and Uranian companions.  “So, Kat says hi and Jason found his stone.  There are eight left, then.  Four here, one on Pluto and Jupiter, and two on Mars.  So I guess we’d better get going.”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

The trip across the surface of Triton was not fun.  It was covered in tall ice volcanoes and the atmosphere was mostly nitrogen, though at least it was round.  Most of the moons of Neptune were rocks, possibly rogue asteroids from the nearby Kuiper Belt, and Aisha was so happy to have a more stable, flat surface under her feet. 

 

It was amazing how quickly a Human could become adapted to something.  Aisha thought back over the last week, realizing that she would never have thought that she would be on the moons of the Outer Planets, sifting through ice and more ice to find a crystal no longer than her smallest finger.  Now she was resigned to the endless trek, ears and spirit tuned to the faintest hint of a call from a tiny stone.  What a life.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

K’tai smiled.  “There.  That’s a lot better.  Alpha, did you get all of the glass?”

 

“I did, K’tai.  Thank you for your help.”

 

“Yes, K’tai, Crystal Warrior of Love and the Eagle,” Zordon added.  “Your assistance was invaluable.”

 

“Did they really wear those suits?”

 

“Yes.”  K’tai trailed her fingers across the glass she had just finished replacing, eyes glued on the Pink Ranger costume.  “What is it, Godchild K’tai?”

 

“Just K’tai, Zordon.  No titles, no honorifics.  Kim didn’t like them very much.”  She turned away from the suits, stepping down the short flight of steps to the floor.  “She was really small compared to the others.”

 

“Kimberly was small, but she had a lot of spirit.  She sustained the team.  The Power Rangers lost something when she went to Florida.”

 

“They may lose more if Tommy can’t help her.  And you’re sure you have no idea where she went when she teleported out of here?”

 

“Positive.  But Tommy must have figured it out.”

 

K’tai nodded.  “I’ll try to contact him again.  Where is a good open place in town?”

 

“In the park near the pond.”

 

“Thanks, Zordon.  Gods be with you.”  She vanished.

 

“Aiyiyiyiyi!  I hope she can find them!”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

K’tai appeared beside the pond, frowning as her sharp sense of smell caught a metallic scent.  Blood.  She knelt on the ground, running her hands through the grass, and the sunlight caught the dark discoloration she knew as blood.  Who had been bleeding in the park?

 

“Kim,” she breathed.  Alpha said that Kim broke the glass by hitting it repeatedly with her fists, and she must have been bleeding.  She must have teleported to the park, though she was no longer there.  More searching revealed Kim’s old communicator, broken and abandoned in the grass, and K’tai sat up.  Where could Tommy have taken Kim?

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Aisha led the group around yet another semi-active ice volcano, growling in annoyance at the latest delay.  “Tebekren is not going to wait for us to find these stupid crystals.  There has got to be a better way to search this ice ball.”

 

“I have a few ideas.”  Aisha looked up to find a familiar bronze bear lounging on the slope of the mountain, grinning in its ursine way.

 

“Hey!  You came after all!”  Fearless and overjoyed, Aisha jumped into the bear’s embrace, grinning when she pulled away.  “I have missed you so much.”

 

“I can see that.  I’m supposed to talk to you, make you work out your problems and cleanse your soul, but I really have no idea what problems you have left to conquer.  You already admitted to yourself that you were a horrible friend to Kim after you left and should have sent a letter or called when her time came around again.  Honestly, you can’t be expected to remember for ten long years.  And nothing else is really that important.  Is there anything you want to talk about?”

 

“Yeah, actually.  Are you guys upset?”

 

“Us who?  The Ninjetti Animal Spirits?  Upset about what?”

 

“That we never gave you a chance before.  We kinda’ took you for granted.  As Ninjas, we should have gone on these Spirit Quests a long time ago and become true Ninjetti.  If we had, who’s to say that we wouldn’t have detected Tebekren long ago?”

 

“True.  And who’s to say that you wouldn’t have defeated him already and saved Uranus, Fallen Atlantis, and Earth?”

 

Aisha nodded.  “I see.  Yeah, I do feel guilty for not becoming a Ninjetti by now.  Do you know how to heal that pain?”

 

The bear nodded and nudged Aisha lovingly with its huge nose.  “Everything happens in its own time.  You weren’t needed as a Ninjetti back then, but you are needed now.  In order for me to bond with you, truly bond, you must be free of all doubt.”

 

“Do you think we can stop Tebekren?”

 

“Girl, I know we can.”  With a smile, the bear enveloped Aisha in her arms, easily merging with the woman.  “And I bet this crystal will like you, too.”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Pain.  Tommy grunted as he felt pain fill his body.  He was awake in an instant, looking around in confusion.  He was lying in one of the double beds in Billy’s mansion, sheets piled around him, the communicator/teleporter still on his hand.  Turning his hands over, he realized that they were healed.  Kim.  His eyes flew to the empty blankets beside him, and the falcon was filled with terror.  She was nowhere to be seen.

 

“Kim?”  No answer, as he had expected.  Jumping out of bed, Tommy headed for the door, freezing as he passed the bathroom door.  He didn’t remember leaving it open.  He hesitated for just a second before walking through the door and turning on the light.

 

The sight that met his eyes froze his blood.  “Kim . . .”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“Nice pond.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

“How long have you been here?”

 

“I’ve been waiting years for you, Adam Park.  I knew you would come one day.”

 

“Why did you choose me?  I’m sure there were other candidates to become Ninjetti.”

 

The frog looked up, huge eyes locked on Adam.  “You fear that you are not as strong as the others, not as worthy of the power of the Ninjetti.  Why?”

 

“I never did anything, not really.  I’m not special.”

 

“Tanya thinks you are.  The Lemur took you to Africa with her, showing you her home.  You are first in her heart, and only a special person can find true love.  Do you remember what Dulcea said to you when you received your powers?  You said, ‘I’m a frog’, and her response was . . .”

 

“‘Like the kind you kiss to turn into a handsome prince.’  I remember.”

 

“I think your transformation has occurred.  I think you are just as powerful and just as worthy as any of your friends.  You are no longer the shy, quiet boy I knew once.  You are very strong, Adam Park, and you deserve this power.”

 

Adam smiled.  “I believe you.”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“So that’s all of us humans, huh.  What stone did you get, Adam?”

 

Adam touched the green crystal hanging from his neck.  “Kindness, vasbaal.  What stone did the great Warrior of the Bear get, Aisha?”

 

“Fire,” she growled happily, curling her fingers into imaginary claws and batting at her friends.  “It’s called genrame.”

 

The humans smiled at their friends, all sporting a crystal point.  They had gathered on the moon, ready to turn their attention to Tommy and Kim.  Tr’vor had teleported to Jupiter to help Lamiy in her search, while Faren joined his wife on Mars to help Abine.  Amari was the only non-human on the Moon, and the former Rangers were able to relax for the first time in days.

 

The peace would not last long.

 

At the same instant, all nine humans fell to their knees, clutching their bellies, as a sharp pain and a frightened call for help filled each of them.  “Kim’s in trouble,” Billy gasped, and all of the activated their teleporters, trusting their thoughts to take them to the source of Tommy’s call.  Amari followed.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

K’tai sighed as she stumbled into yet another bedroom, casting a glance around before trudging to the next one.  She froze, the image catching up with her exhaustion-fogged brain, and she returned, cheering inside.  The sheets were rumpled, there were medical supplies still piled on the table from where Tommy had bound Kim’s wounds.  Walking further, she wondered what had happened to the pair, noticing the light in the bathroom.  Curious, she entered the small room.

 

She was a Ninjetti, a Warrior, and had seen some of the most horrible parts of Atlantis, including the death of Queen Selei, but she had never seen anything that scared her.  She almost fainted at the pool of blood on the floor, splashed on the counter and dripping from the edge, a single innocent-looking razor blade sitting on the edge of the sink, dried blood on the edge.  Kim.  She knew without asking, without thinking, that Kim had tried again.  For two years she and Trevor had watched the girl sink further and further into depression, always pulling her back from the edge just before she tried to jump.  But being back home, being in Angel Grove, had opened all of those wounds, and Tommy had not known to guard her.

 

“She can’t be dead,” K’tai whispered, supporting herself against the doorjamb.  “Please, gods, don’t let Tommy be too late.  Please, let that poor girl live.  She doesn’t deserve any of this.”

 

“No, she doesn’t.”  K’tai looked up in shock as Eurynome appeared in the bedroom, and she hit one knee, head bowed.  “Don’t bow.  Look, I never meant for any of this to happen to her, but I do not control destiny.  I point people in a certain direction and their actions lead them down their path.  I cannot save Kimberly Ann Hart; no god can.”

 

“Who can, Eurynome?  Who?”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“ZORDON!!  ALPHA!!”  Tommy appeared in the center of the Command Center, a limp Kimberly in his arms, blood on her arms and his.  “Help me,” he whispered.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Chapter 18: Family

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“I hate this stupid trek.  I hate these stupid crystals.  I hate the guy who attacked Miranda and scattered the stupid crystals.  Oh, and I really hate Tebekren.”

 

“Stop complaining, S’rei.  We’ll find it.  Pluto is the smallest planet in the solar system.  It can’t take much longer.”

 

S’rei crossed her arms over her chest, green eyes flashing.  “We had better.  I am getting really impatient.”

 

Revena pulled her lover into her arms and smiled.  “Come on, little Jaguar.  Certainly you do not regret being able to spend this time with me.”

 

“Well, no . . .”

 

“And if you let go of all this resentment and just relax, enjoy this time alone with me, I can assure you that your crystal will make itself known in order to ruin the moment.”

 

“Really?”

 

“I’m sure.  Relax, love, and remember that if we can find all of these crystals, we can defeat Tebekren.  And if we can defeat Tebekren we’ll have time to search for the prince.  If we don’t find him, you and I can never be together.”

 

“Or F’paen and Yaoure won’t be able to marry.  And K’tai and Amari would certainly lose each other, and probably Tr’vor and Fynn.”

 

“Not to mention Abine, Adoure, and Lamiy would lose any chance with those humans they’re interested in.  Who knows, maybe Rocky, Zack, and Aisha do have our sisters as soul mates.  We certainly can’t take away any chance they have of happiness.”

 

“I agree with all my heart.”  As S’rei leaned in for a kiss, she heard a beautiful song in the back of her mind.  “Damn it!”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“You’re pouting again.”

 

“I am not!”

 

“Yes you are, Adoure.  You miss Aisha and you can’t admit it.”

 

Adoure nudged her twin, the ice green eyes they shared locked on the younger woman.  “I was just beginning to like her, Yaoure.”

 

“I know.  But you still have me, F’paen, and Fynn for company.”

 

Adoure snorted as the group picked their way around another ice volcano.  “As if you guys are any fun!  You and Pae just smooch all the time, and Fynn does nothing but complain that if we would hurry up just a little he could get back to Tr’vor and we all know what kind of reunion they’re planning.”

 

“Really?  And what kind of reunion are you planning with the little bear?”

 

Adoure turned to give her pink-haired twin the tongue-lashing she so rightly deserved when both froze, a song vibrating both women’s bones.  “Damn,” she whispered, awe lacing her voice.  “We found the stupid crystals.”  She headed in the direction of the call, but Yaoure caught her arm.

 

“Where did F’paen head off to?”

 

“He has his own crystal to find,” Fynn announced, smiling at the younger Atlantans.  “Go and dig your up.  I am so ready to leave this ice ball.”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“Tr’vor?”

 

“Yes, Lamiy?”

 

“What are you going to do when all of this is over?”

 

“Well, let’s see.”  Tr’vor grabbed Lamiy’s arm and pulled her away from one of the many sulfur lakes of Io, preferring to move further away from the sputtering volcano as they continued their trek across the last of the moons.  Her crystal had to be on Io because there were no moons left to explore.  “If we find my blasted nephew and place him on the throne, he’ll probably be married to you or one of your sisters and I will be free to live the rest of my life with Fynn.”

 

“On Fallen Atlantis or Uranus?”

 

“We haven’t gotten that far.  After all, K’tai and Amari have been married for more than five decades, but they have never been able to live together.  They may never be able to live together, whether or not we ever find the prince.  After all, the laws of Fallen Atlantis and Uranus keep us apart even though we orbit the same planet.  We still live on different moons, and until we can live together on one moon or one planet, we will be two very different people.  And Fynn, K’tai, Amari, and myself will be very lonely.”

 

Lamiy sighed.  “So will Yaoure, F’paen, Revena, and S’rei.  And, of course, none of us will be allowed to stay with the humans, either, and I kinda’ like those people.”

 

Tr’vor smiled.  “They are a really interesting species.  I think all Atlantans could do with some time among them.  We were the same species, once.”

 

“You really like them, huh?”

 

“It helps that the first human I met was Kimberly.  She’s a wonderful person.”

 

“I hope she’s okay.”  Lamiy walked in silence for a while, her ice blue eyes searching for any sign that a crystal had landed nearby.  She sighed, ready to call for a break or a nap, when she spotted a glint of cerulean on the horizon, certainly not a color Io could boast.  “Tr’vor,” she whispered, “I think I can see my color.”

 

“That’s the crystal calling to you.  Go for it.”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Abine sat on the low rise, staring at the horizon and the twin moons hanging above it, a tiny beige crystal in her hand.  She was the last one.  The Ninjetti on the other planets had called in, each reporting their crystal.  S’rei, indigo Jaguar, found tandiro, Crystal of Change, while her brother F’paen, teal peacock, bonded with shamien of Prophecy.  The twins Adoure and Yaoure managed to find their crystals at the same instant, removing any possibility for argument; jade Swan Adoure found oshelur, the Crystal of Wind, and her copper hawk sister dug up liranit, the Crystal of Inspiration.  Little Lamiy, the gentle cerulean Rabbit, found ranelet of Fertility, and Abine, Warrior of the Sparrow, held the Crystal of Peace, norempu.  All twenty-two of the lost crystals had been found, and now the Ninjetti were planning to gather on the Moon and try to contact K’tai, Amari, and the humans.  Abine smiled and stood up, returning to Faren and Tarei.

 

“Ready now?”

 

“Yes.  Let’s go!”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“What happened, Tommy?”

 

“She tried to kill herself,” the former White Ranger growled, anxiously staring over Alpha’s shoulder as the robot used one of the devices Billy had invented to close the deep, jagged cuts on Kim’s wrists.  “She lost a lot of blood, Alpha.”

 

“Maybe too much,” the robot whispered, his voice unusually subdued.  “She may need a blood transfusion, but there’s a problem.”

 

“What?”

 

“When you were Rangers, Billy took samples of your blood in case something happened.  Do you remember those tests?”

 

Tommy nodded.  “Kim hated them.”

 

“Well, because of the Power, all Rangers have unusual and altered blood chemistry, often including random mutations.  But you and Kim are even more different.”

 

“How different, Alpha?”

 

“You aren’t compatible with other humans, not even the other rangers.”

 

Alpha put his machine away, taking the medical supplies away from Kim’s biobed.  The readings on the screen were erratic, falling closer and closer to silence every moment.  Tommy knew that if the beeps stopped, Kim would be dead.  “I can’t lose her, Alpha.”

 

“Billy and I were never able to devise a way to fix human blood so you can accept it.  From what I know of the Atlantans, in order for human babies to become Ninjetti, they are injected with blood plasma first from powerless Atlantans and then from powerful Ninjetti.  Their DNA bonds with the human DNA of the baby, and you are all part Atlantan.  There’s no blood on this planet that can help her.”

 

“What about mine?  You said she and I are incompatible with other humans, but are we compatible with each other?”

 

“I do not know, Tommy.  There is not time to run sufficient tests.”

 

“Damn the tests!”  Tommy clenched his fists and forced himself to calm down.  “Look, if we don’t try, she’ll die anyway.  If we’re not compatible, then her body will reject my blood and she’ll die, but if we are, I could save her.  I won’t lose her so soon after finding her again.  We have to try, Alpha.”

 

Alpha looked up at Zordon, and the Rangers’ mentor nodded.  “Good luck, Tommy.”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“It seems to be working,” Tommy whispered, smiling as Kim’s readings strengthened and began to stabilize.

 

“It seems you were right.”  Alpha put the supplies away again, leaving Tommy lying on the bed beside Kim.  Tommy had pushed the beds together so he could hold Kim’s hand while she slept.  He closed his eyes and listened to the beeping, letting his mind and his heart wander.  He remembered Tr’vor saying something about Ninjetti being linked, and he remembered being able to sense Kim’s emotions sometimes when they were fighting.  He wondered is the link still worked.

 

“Open your mind to me, Kim,” he whispered.  “Please, let me help you.”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“K’tai?  Love?”

 

K’tai looked up at the sound of her wife’s voice, emerald eyes dull.  She was seated on a rumpled bed, exhausted, tear streaks on her cheeks.  She glanced at the bathroom, and, as ten Ninjetti filed into the room, Amari peeked through the door.  “By the gods . . .”

 

“What?”  Billy poked his head into the bathroom, and he went white, covering his mouth with his hand as he moved back.  “Kim,” he managed.  “She wouldn’t.”

 

“She did,” K’tai whispered, fists clenched.  “She tried so many times in Florida.  Why do you think Trev and I were so worried?  We knew where that relationship with Jeremy would end up.  Afterwards, we tried sending another letter to Tommy, telling him that Kim really needed him, and we tried to call, but no one would answer and our letters came back, unopened.  We have had to watch her for months, and we finally got her past the point where she wanted to die, but coming back here brought it all back.  She is so tired of living and none of the psychologists can really help her because she can’t tell them the truth.”

 

“That’s why you were so angry that we never answered the letter.”  The other ex-rangers were too upset to even speak, but Billy somehow found his voice.  “Did Tommy get to her in time?”

 

“I have no idea.  All I know is that when I appeared in the Command Chamber, the glass that protects your old suits was shattered, apparently by Kim’s fists.  I found traces of her blood in the park by the pond, but Tommy apparently found her there.  I searched this entire house, but I didn’t find that until they were already gone.”

 

“He must have taken her to a hospital.”

 

“Billy, what hospital could he have appeared in the middle of with an unconscious and bleeding woman without having to answer a million questions?  They would want to know how he teleported there.  Besides, all of your advanced medical technology is with Zordon and Alpha.”  The instant the words escaped Trini’s mouth, all eleven Ninjetti vanished.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Chapter 19: Falcon

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“Where are they?”

 

“Tommy and Kimberly are in the medical room through that door, Aisha.  She is weak but stable, thanks to Tommy.”

 

The Human Ninjetti filed into the sick room, but Amari and K’tai hung back, knowing that they were not needed.  “We’re heading to the Moon where the other Atlantans and Uranians are waiting.  Tell them when they’re finished.”

 

“I will, K’tai, Warrior of the Eagle.”  The pair vanished.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“Kim?”  Tommy looked around the dark land, involuntarily flinching each time a bolt of lightning hit the ground, listening and searching for any sign of his beloved.  “Please answer me.”

 

“Go away!  I don’t want to talk to anyone!”

 

Tommy followed the voice and the soft weeping to a tall tree overlooking the shadowed land.  Kim was curled up in its shade, tears streaking her face.  He sat down beside her, pulling the slight woman into his arms, holding her while she cried.  “Tell me what’s wrong, Kim.  Tell me what happened in Florida.”

 

“I don’t want to,” she whispered.

 

“You can’t heal until you remember, Kim.  What was so horrible that you tried to kill yourself?”  Kim shook her head, and Tommy caught her chin, forcing her to look up.  “I only want to help you, Beautiful.  Please, tell me.”

 

Kim nodded, fists buried in Tommy’s shirt.  “I was really lonely in Florida.  After all the action of being a Power Ranger and after losing all of my friends, it was really hard to concentrate on anything.  Katai was nice, though, and she helped me get over the pain of losing my powers.  Then I met this guy and he became a really good friend.  He reminded me a little bit of Jason, but he wasn’t so nice, I guess.  He helped me adjust to the center because he’d been training with Coach for a long time.  Kae wasn’t as helpful as Jeremy because she hadn’t been there much longer than me.”  In the darkness in front of the pair, an image of a tall man with dark brown hair appeared, showing Kim in the image a few of the more difficult steps.  She smiled as she easily copied his moves.

 

“He was a great friend, Tommy, and I told him all about you and my friends in Angel Grove.  He kept telling me that you wouldn’t wait or that you would date one of my other friends behind my back, but I never believed him.  I guess you did eventually go out with Kat after you got that letter.”

 

Tommy nodded.  “For a while.  She was really great when I was depressed after the letter came, and we tried to go out.  It didn’t really work so well, and we officially broke up when we passed our powers on.  I realized that she could never be more than just a friend because you were always first in my heart.”

 

Kim smiled weakly.  “Jeremy liked to pretend that we were going out.  I found out that he was telling people I was his girlfriend, and I confronted him about it.  He told me that I was a fool to wait for you, but I told him that I loved you and you loved me and nothing could come between us.  That was about the time Trevor came.  He knew that Jeremy was no friend, but I wouldn’t listen.  I needed a friend, Tommy, especially with the games coming up.  I’m not a solitary person.”  She closed her eyes and curled deeper into Tommy’s arms as the image in front of them continued to unfold.

 

“Jeremy got worse.  He became possessive, especially after you wouldn’t return my phone calls and the letters kept coming back.  He told me that I was an idiot for waiting and that it was obvious that you have moved on to Kat.  After a while, it seemed that he was right.  Trevor told me to dump him, to make it clear that I was not interested, but I was afraid of losing him.”  In the image, Kimberly stumbled into her room, wincing, and Katai stood up from her bed where she was reading, concern in her eyes.

 

Her kind voice, when she spoke, was faint and sounded faraway like the voices on the communicators.  <Kim, what happened?>

 

<It’s nothing,> the brunette whispered, pulling off her jacket.  Fury filled Katai’s eyes at the vicious bruise on Kim’s slender arm.

 

<Nothing?!  Kim, did Jeremy do that?>

 

<He didn’t mean to.>

 

<Kim, Trevor and I have had enough of this.  If you don’t tell Jeremy to take a hike, we will, and we might report him to the police for abuse.>

 

<No!  I’ll tell him, Kae.>  That image faded.

 

“I did, the next day.”  As Kim called up the next image, nine men and women appeared in a semicircle to one side of the tree and the couple, an animal beside or in the arms of each one.  Tommy sensed their arrival, but he knew Kim didn’t.  The image returned to Kim’s room at the gym, and Kim slipped in, Jeremy on her heels.

 

<What do you mean?  Did you find another guy?>

 

<Yes!  Long before I ever met you.  And I know that Tommy is still waiting for me in Angel Grove, even if he can’t talk to me right now, and he will always love me.  I still love him and I never loved you.  It’s as simple as that.  Now, we can still be friends but I want you to stop telling people that we’re going out and stop being so possessive.>

 

Jeremy seemed to back down, but Tommy could fell Kim shaking, dreading what was coming next.  Jeremy clenched his fists and he frowned.  <You know what, I am tired of doing everything you want!  For once, I want things my way.>

 

<Jeremy, I am never going out with you.>

 

<That’s not what I mean.>  Jeremy grabbed Kim’s arm and she cried out in pain, her brown eyes full of fear as the image faded.

 

“I can’t,” Kim whispered.  “Please don’t make me.”

 

Tommy tilted Kim’s head up and locked eyes with her.  “Kimberly Ann Hart, I love you and I have loved you from the instant our eyes met.  No matter what happened, I am here for you.  What happened?”

 

The scene returned, and Jeremy threw Kim against the wall, eliciting another gasp of pain from the petite woman.  She pulled herself to her feet, eyes sparkling fiercely as she raised her hands into a defensive stance Tommy had taught her long ago.  She never did learn martial arts, but she knew a few moves that had been useful against putties.  He laughed, easily getting past her half-learned defenses and pinning her to the floor.  <I will teach you some respect!>

 

Tommy turned white as the image faded, leaving only Kim’s cries for help, calls that went unheard and unanswered.  “He . . . he raped me, Tommy.”

 

Tommy swallowed and wrapped his arms around Kim again.  “It’s okay,” he whispered, knowing what was really bothering her.  “It wasn’t your fault.”  Tommy reached out with power he barely understood and took control of Kim’s memory, rewinding it to the instant she walked in the door.  She told Jeremy that she wasn’t interested and he grabbed her arm, but then it changed.  The door slammed open again, and Tommy stood there, dark brown eyes furious.

 

“Get away from her,” he growled.  Jeremy laughed and threw Kim in the direction of the bed, turning to face his opponent.  Tommy grinned and easily defeated Jeremy, pinning him against the wall.  “I want you to go away and never return,” he growled.  Jeremy nodded and Tommy released him, turning to Kim.  “Are you okay?”

 

“Tommy!”  Tommy turned at Kim’s frightened warning as Jeremy raised his fist, but the former White Ranger had nothing to worry about.  Another hand reached out and caught Jeremy’s arm as Rocky, Jason, and Zack pinned him easily.

 

“The man said go away,” Zack growled.  “I guess you didn’t hear him.”  The three men pulled out some rope and tied Jeremy up, dumping him in the empty bathtub to wait until the police came.  Kim ended the scene, looking past Tommy and smiling.

 

“You guys came?”

 

Billy nodded as the Ninjetti moved closer.  “Are you okay, Kim?”

 

“There weren’t any diseases or pregnancy or anything like that,” Kim whispered.  “And Kae called the police as soon as she found me.  They found Jeremy a week later in the paper.  He was visiting a zoo in Nebraska when a huge male lion and a golden eagle somehow broke out of their enclosures and mauled him to death.  They never found Katai and Trevor, and I didn’t know it was them until I came here.”

 

“What about you?”  Aisha sat down beside Kim.  “This is what’s been depressing you, isn’t it?  You’re a very sensitive person and this attack made you build walls, pull into yourself.  And I think you’ve forgotten how much we all love you.  We’re here for you, Kim, and that will never change.”

 

Kim smiled, really smiled, for the first time since she left for Florida.  “You guys are the greatest.”  She hugged each of them, standing up and waving her hand.  “But I don’t know how to bring the light back.”

 

“I do,” Tommy whispered.  Smiling, he leaned down and kissed Kim, feeling complete for the first time in years.  Their friends formed a circle around them, hands linked, and the eleven former Rangers smiled as light filled the dark recesses of Kim’s mind.  She pulled away, resting her head on Tommy’s chest.  She looked up as a shrill cry rent the air, and the Ninjetti broke the circle, stepping back as a large white Falcon landed beside the tree, scratching in the green grass before locking its amber eyes on Tommy.

 

“Your falcon came,” Kim whispered.  Smiling, she pushed her boyfriend toward the bird.  Tommy crouched down in front of the falcon.

 

“Hi.  Why are you here?”

 

“You were supposed to meet me on the Moon,” the white bird scolded, speaking without moving his beak.  “I am here to see if you’re ready to be Ninjetti.  You are supposed to be the leader of these Crystal Warriors, but you can’t be if you won’t accept me.”

 

Tommy looked over his shoulder at Kim, and the former Pink Ranger smiled as she knelt beside her boyfriend.  “Tommy, you were born to be the leader.  I love you and I will always be here for you, but I won’t let our relationship endanger the galaxy.  Accept your powers, Tommy.”

 

He smiled and shrugged.  “I can’t refuse her.”  The falcon let out a cry of joy and triumph as he leapt and wrapped his wings around Tommy, easily merging with the Ninja and turning him into a Ninjetti at last.  He sighed as he stood, glancing at his suit and the short white cape hanging from his shoulders.  “What do you think, Kim?”

 

“Perfect,” she purred.  “How do you feel?”

 

“Powerful.”  Tommy looked around and stared at the tree as it shimmered and vanished, revealing a single white rose, the edges of the petals shining silver in the light.  Smiling, he plucked the flower, handing it to Kimberly.  “Here, my love.  For you.”

 

Kimberly giggled, the image of the schoolgirl returning for a moment.  As her fingers touched the elegant flower, it bloomed, the petals opening to reveal a tiny crystal point.  Tommy touched the smooth gem, smiling as white light exploded from its facets.  His form shifted to that of a falcon, returning to a more humanoid shape, stately wings still anchored to his shoulder blades.  He smiled at Kim as he let the Crystal Warrior fade, the Ninjetti Falcon standing before her once more.  He opened his palm and stared at the white crystal in his hand, never noticing the shocked looks on his friends’ faces.  “It was here, in your mind?  How can that be?”

 

I lived here on Earth, the crystal whispered, able to communicate in the Link.  I never let the Old Ninjetti find me because I was not destined to be found then.  I am the Crystal of Magic, and I hold the key to the power of the great crystal that defeated Tebekren long ago, and I am called qelamir.  Only true love could have unlocked my hiding place on Earth and pulled me into the Great Link.  Congratulations, Tommy Oliver and Kimberly Ann Hart.  You found me.

 

“I couldn’t have done it without you, Beautiful,” Tommy whispered, pulling Kim into his arms.  “Thank you.”

 

Kim grinned.  “You saved me, Tommy.  It was the least I could do.”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Kim opened her eyes in the infirmary of the Command Center, the monitors on her bed beeping.  She groaned as her aching body screamed its complaint as she tried to move.  Tommy was by her side in an instant, smiling.  “Hey, Beautiful,” he whispered, kissing her gently.  “Time to wake up.”

 

“I missed that,” she whispered.  “I’m sorry, Tommy.”

 

“Don’t be,” he whispered.  The other ex-Rangers were standing behind him, having entered the link he forged to open Kim’s mind.  They were all smiling, full of love and sympathy for their friend, letting her know that they would support her, no matter what happened.  “We’re all here for you.”

 

Kim touched the crystal hanging from Tommy’s neck and smiled.  “I think it was in the ground in that spot where you kissed me for the first time.  I think it saw in you its future master and it waited years for you to come back.  Thank you, Tommy, for not letting me die.  I wouldn’t know what I was missing.”

 

Tommy frowned and looked at the Ninjetti gathered behind him.  “Kim, I love you and I want to continue this reunion . . .”

 

Kim placed a finger on Tommy’s lips, smiling.  “I know.  You have to save the world.  Go fight Tebekren, Tommy.  I’ll be here when you return.”

 

“Promise?”

 

“Always.  I love you, Tommy, and I want to be here for you.”

 

Tommy reached into his pocket and pulled out a thin circle of shimmering plastic-like material, peeling it out of its wrapper and gently placing it on Kim’s hand.  “You might not be powerful enough to use the Ninjetti link, or you might still be too weak from this to try.  This communicator has great range, and if you think of me or any of us, we’ll hear you.  It’s also a teleporter with great range.  You can go to the Moon or Uranus, but you have to use a force field generator and breather for any of the unoccupied moons.”  As Tommy spoke, Billy placed the extra generator and breather on the bed beside Kim, knowing that she was smart enough to figure out how to use them.  K’tai had given him two extras—one for Tommy and one for Kim—but it looked like Kim would have to sit this mission out.  “Call me if that crane shows up.”

 

“I will, Tommy.  Good luck, guys, and thank you for coming.”

 

“We’ll always be here for you, Kim,” Kat whispered.  “After all, you have always been there for us.”  She vanished, eight Ninjetti behind her.  Tommy caressed Kim’s cheek one last time, unwilling to leave.

 

“Go, Handsome.  Go save the world.”  Tommy vanished.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Chapter 20: Crane

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

K’tai stared at the crystal hanging from the chain around Tommy’s neck.  “You found another crystal?”

 

“Kim helped.  It’s the Crystal of Magic, qelamir, and it never revealed itself to the Old Ninjetti.  Do we have all of the twenty-two lost crystals?”

 

“Yes,” K’tai answered, sensing the Falcon assume command.  “We also managed to find the man that attacked Miranda.  It was a Shadow-Wraith, a servant of Tebekren, and it died the instant we tried to interrogate it.  We were able to get a reading the instant it died, and it seems that Tebekren’s base is a rogue planetoid from what you call the Inner Oort Cloud that orbits Sol in an extremely elliptical orbit.  I believe you call it Sedna.  We would have to teleport to Pluto first to preserve the energy grid that powers Atlantan technology, but I think we can make it that far.”

 

“Are we ready?”

 

“Do we have a choice, bro?”  Jason shrugged as he looked around at the twenty-three Ninjetti Crystal Warriors.  “If we don’t go now, there won’t be an Earth when we return.  We have to, for the sake of Earth, Uranus, and Fallen Atlantis.”

 

Tommy nodded as he looked back at Earth.  “Goodbye, Beautiful,” he whispered.  “I’ll return as soon as I can.”

 

“I’ll be waiting,” she whispered in his mind, leaving a phantom kiss on his cheek.

 

“It’s time,” he sighed, holding out his hand.  The ex-Rangers caught on first, each one placing a hand on Tommy’s, followed by the Atlantans and Uranians.  Tommy smiled.  “Let’s do it!”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“This place is worse than any of the moons we visited,” Kat pointed out.  The little red planetoid was cold and dark, the sun a tiny point of light only slightly brighter than any of the other stars in the sky.  “If I was a shadow being, I would choose this planet.”

 

“If he’s hiding out on Sedna, then where is he?  I don’t see any Tebekren.”

 

:That is because you are not looking hard enough, mortal.:

 

The twenty-three Crystal Ninjetti moved closer together, eyes searching for the whispery, booming voice that seemed to come from everywhere at once.  “Where are you?”

 

:Here.:  A great black shadow floated closer, red eyes glowing in the darkness.  :Ah, there are twenty-three of you, and half are pitiful humans.  Even the leader!  Oh, this is just so perfect.  The gods gathered to defeat me once but they could not be bothered again.:

 

“They sent us here,” Tommy growled, a little unnerved by the shadows that seemed to be moving closer.  “We’re going to kick your sorry butt right out of our galaxy.”

 

:With what, human?  You found twenty-three parts of the Great Crystal, but even they know that something is missing.  I do not fear the shards of a crystal long since dead.:

 

The twenty-three Ninjetti touched the crystal points hanging from their necks, realizing the validity of Tebekren’s statement.  The stones knew something was missing.  With a feeling of dread, the warriors raised their hands and their weapons, ready to fight the dark shadow, but there was no hope in their hearts.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“Aiyiyiyiyi!  Kimberly!  You shouldn’t be up yet!”

 

“I can’t stay in bed,” she murmured, leaning against the console to keep from falling.  “I lost a lot of blood, Alpha; I shouldn’t be able to move, let alone walk.  Was Billy able to solve that whole abnormal blood chemistry thing?”

 

“No, Kimberly.  Tommy offered his blood.”

 

“Oh god.”

 

“He had no choice, Kimberly,” Zordon added from above.  “Your vitals were fading fast, and if he did not do something, we would lose you.  You and Tommy both have blood that is completely incompatible with any other human on Earth, thought the Rangers are compatible with each other.  I believe it has something to do with being Ninjetti.  Tommy took the chance that you were compatible, and he saved you.”

 

“He saved me so many times today, Zordon.  I wish there was something I could do for him.”  She touched the communicator on her hand and winced at the fear and absolute determination she sensed.  “They’re in a lot of trouble.”

 

“You are in no condition to help them, Kimberly.”  Alpha took her arm and led her back to her bed, helping her lie down and tucking her covers in.  “Go to sleep,” the little robot whispered.  “They’ll be fine.”

 

When Alpha was gone and the former Pink ranger was alone again, she sat up, thinking of the silver star on the Moon.  That was where she received the jumbled memories of the first two incarnations of Atlantis, memories she had yet to resolve or sift through.  Maybe if she could go back there she could find a way to use the memories to help Tommy and the Ninjetti.  She couldn’t just lie in bed, waiting to feel them die.  Her decision made, Kim took the generator and breather Billy left, attaching the force field making machine to her belt and placing the mask over her face.  Knowing that it was too cold on the Moon for her clothes to make a difference, she nevertheless pulled her jacket on, smiling as the memory of Tommy giving it to her flashed through her mind.  She touched the film-like machine on the back of her hand, vanishing in a colorful light that was mostly silver with pale pink tendencies.

 

Alpha opened the door, a tray of food in his hands, a few minutes later.  “Kimberly?  I thought you might be hungry.”  When he saw that the bed was empty and her coat was gone, the little robot ran back out into the main room.  “Aiyiyiyiyi!  Zordon, Kimberly has vanished.”

 

“I know,” the Eltarian whispered.  “I thought she might go.  Do not worry, Alpha; she is a very resourceful woman.  I am sure she will return.”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

She slipped her breather off, attaching it beside the generator as she deactivated both, the force field left over from New Atlantis providing enough of an atmosphere.  She stopped at the edge of the star, fear gripping her heart, but she took control of her emotions and took that crucial final step.

 

Silver light exploded up to surround her again, but Kimberly was waiting.  The images flowing through her mind matched the ones she already held, so she was able to reach out and catch them, slowing the stream and fighting for control.  Just as suddenly as it started, the overpowering flow ceased, leaving a very distinguished Atlantan standing before Kimberly, her long, pointed ears peeking out from behind her long brown hair, crystalline eyes shining in the light.  She held a staff, a large crystal point on the top, its flaws and fractures making it look more like the old woman.  “Hello, Kimberly Ann Hart.  You’re late.”

 

“I-I’m sorry.  I got here as soon as I could.”

 

The old woman laughed.  “Yes, I imagine you did.  I am Gaiah, and part of my self, my life, my consciousness, was imbedded in the Memory Crystal when I died.  Every queen has her memories in here, along with every Ninjetti.  It is a very powerful stone.”

 

“What happened to it?”

 

Another woman appeared beside the image of the First Queen, introducing herself as Rheai.  “It was passed from daughter to daughter, and every Ninjetti has bonded to it.  When they inevitably die, some of them remains.”

 

“However, it is just a crystal and very fragile, despite the great power flowing through it.”  The new speaker, whom Kimberly recognized as Haera, appeared, her daughter Hevebi and her husband Noulem by her side.  They continued together, in one voice.  “It was almost destroyed when Atlantis fell, and when Andira died, her grief blackened the stone.

 

Andira appeared nearby, crying, and Kim reached out to her.  “It’s okay,” she whispered.  “You might have had to leave Earth, but you saved the people and the power of Atlantis.  And your civilization thrived on the Moon.”

 

“When I inherited the crystal from Father,” Bintrouh continued as more and more spirits appeared, “I knew there was no way to cleanse it.  So Kandel and I went to Earth and found a replacement.  I took the power and the memories into myself and shattered the old crystal, transferring all of it into the new one.  That one was passed to Selei.”

 

Selei stepped forward, her long hair gray, her eyes shining like two golden topazes.  “I knew that I would be the last queen of New Atlantis.  I never told anyone, but I knew.  So I linked to the crystal and buried it under the silver star, knowing that the power and the memories would react to the next Ninjetti to stand in the center of the star.  None of my subjects would dare after I forbid it, even during the evacuation, and none of the many Atlantans and Uranians who came looking for my body dared defy my wish.  You, Kim, had no idea, however, and were drawn to the power.  You need it to stop Tebekren and save the galaxy.”

 

“What can I do, Queen Selei?  I can’t even find your prince and princess.”

 

The stately spirit began to laugh, eliciting smiles from the other queens, kings, and once-Ninjetti.  “Jakouy, come here.”  Her daughter stepped forward, and Kim gasped.

 

“You . . . you look like . . .”

 

“Yes,” the princess whispered.  “Mother, show this girl what happened the day New Atlantis finally fell.”

 

Selei waved her hand, and Kimberly watched, speechless, as the old queen handed her heir, her only granddaughter, little Kamirli, to the goddess Eurynome.  “The Goddess of the Moon took Kamirli and the son of N’baru to Earth.  It is no great feat for a god to alter a few memories, and two people were made to exist on Earth that had not existed before.  Both babies became part of loving families and were raised as humans.  One lived in Angel Grove for a long time, answering Zordon’s call for Power Rangers, and the other came later.”

 

“Oh god,” Kimberly whispered, falling to her knees, never noticing the crane appear behind her.  “The princess K’tai thought might have survived, the princess all of Fallen Atlantis and Uranus mourned, the princess in the statue on Titania . . . the girl we’ve been looking for was . . . me.”

 

“Yes,” Jakouy whispered, falling to her knees and embracing the petite woman.  “You are my little girl Kamirli.  I am so glad I finally got to meet you.”

 

“Mother,” Kimberly managed, embracing the princess.  “I can’t believe it.”

 

“You must, Kamirli.  I sent you to Earth so Zedd would never find you, but your power and your love for mankind led you to fight him again and again.  I hear that he tried to make you his queen once.”  Selei smiled at the memory.  “None of that matters anymore.  Zedd no longer threatens you or your people, but Tebekren does and he is the greatest threat any Atlantan could face.  The Ninjetti need the Great Crystal, but one piece still remains to be found.  Eurynome hid the heart of the crystal and no Ninjetti or Queen has ever found it.”

 

“I will,” Kim whispered, standing.  “Mother, Grandmother, who is T’miyu?”

 

“Have you not guessed, child?”  The old queen smiled as she touched Kim’s cheek.  “You and he are Soulmates, destined for all time, and even a life on Earth could never keep you apart.”

 

“Tommy!”

 

“Yes.  Your boyfriend has been searching for himself as he helped F’jil’s twins.  We have told you all we know, child.  Everything else is up to you.”

 

Kimberly nodded and turned to leave, not entirely surprised to find a crane waiting for her.  “You’re late,” she smiled.

 

“Forgive me, princess, but I was required for cameo appearances in your friends’ quests.  Are you ready?”

 

“More than I’ve ever been before.”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Kimberly fell to her knees, glancing at her Ninjetti uniform.  She was pale rose, so pale it was almost white.  “Hey, Crane, I think you still don’t know what my color is.”

 

“Neither do you.  When you do, you will have the power to defeat Tebekren.”

 

Kim sighed as the bird’s voice faded.  She stared at the ground beneath her hands and began to laugh as the truth, the simple and obvious truth, hit her.  What color had been plaguing her for days, ever since she returned?  What was the dominant color in her transport beams, what was the color of the light that enveloped her and gave her the memories, what was the color of the dust that covered her after the others became Ninjas, what was the color of the rope that bound her to Tommy on the Moon, and—the most obvious clue—what was the color of the edges of the rose in her mind.

 

Kimberly jumped to her feet, arms outspread.  “I am Kamirli, daughter of Jakouy, granddaughter of Queen Selei, heir to the throne of Atlantis, New Atlantis, and Fallen Atlantis.  I am Kimberly Ann Hart, first Pink Power Ranger, Warrior of the Crane.  I am the Silver Ninjetti.”

 

Silver light exploded from the star again, and something appeared in Kim’s hand as it faded.  A crystal.  It wasn’t glowing, but Kim knew that she would need it, so she slipped the silver chain over her neck, glanced at her now-silver uniform, and vanished, heading for Tommy.  She had to be in time.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Chapter 21: Love

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Tommy fell back, panting, his long staff heavy.  There were too many of the shadow warriors, and he feared that the Ninjetti were fated to lose.  Raising his voice, he called the warriors back to his side, preparing for one, last, final assault against Tebekren.  They had to try everything.  They were ready to go down fighting.

 

Tommy was just about to order the charge when a brilliant silver light filled the air, driving all of the Shadow-Wraiths back, fading to reveal a woman they knew very well.  “Kim,” Tommy breathed.  She wasn’t the same woman he left on Earth.  She was the silver Ninjetti, fire in her eyes, certainty in her regal stance.

 

“Hi, Tommy.  I found the last crystal.”  She ignored Tebekren’s furious growl as the other Ninjetti moved closer to her.  “And I found my crane, who was apparently very busy showing up in everyone else’s quest.”

 

“Kim, do you know how to beat this thing?”

 

She stared at the shadow, knowledge filling her mind, and she pulled her crystal off its chain.  Closing her eyes and cupping her hands around the crystal, Kim bowed her head and began to pray, her soft voice barely reaching her friends.  As her words poured forth, words Tommy and all of the Atlantans understood, a silver glow enveloped the petite woman.  Hr brown eyes suddenly shot open as the crystal absorbed the color, flying out of her hands and hovering ten feet above the ground in front of the Ninjetti.  “I ask for your aid in defeating the shadows, adanaei, Crystal of the Spirit.  Nuarthen.”

 

Tommy pulled his crystal free and poured his power into it, repeating the prayers Kim had uttered.  “I ask for your aid in defeating the shadows, qelamir, Crystal of Magic.  Nurathen.”  As Tommy’s crystal flew up to join Kim’s, the other Ninjetti were quick to echo their actions, thought only the Atlantans and Uranians repeated the prayers.

 

“I ask for your aid in defeating the shadows, evasuur, Crystal of Love.  Nuarthen.”

 

“I ask for your aid in defeating the shadows, barinou, Crystal of Desire.  Nuarthen.”

 

“I ask for your aid in defeating the shadows, kiraelo, Crystal of Light.  Nuarthen.”

 

“I ask for your aid in defeating the shadows, fonelem, Crystal of Darkness.  Nuarthen.”

 

“I ask for your aid in defeating the shadows, chiesuu, Crystal of War.  Nuarthen.”

 

“I ask for your aid in defeating the shadows, norempu, Crystal of Peace.  Nuarthen.”

 

“I ask for your aid in defeating the shadows, halepek, Crystal of Life.  Nuarthen.”

 

“I ask for your aid in defeating the shadows, donefen, Crystal of Death.  Nuarthen.”

 

“I ask for your aid in defeating the shadows, genrame, Crystal of Fire.  Nuarthen.”

 

“I ask for your aid in defeating the shadows, oshelur, Crystal of Wind.  Nuarthen.”

 

“I ask for your aid in defeating the shadows, maseven, Crystal of Earth.  Nuarthen.”

 

“I ask for your aid in defeating the shadows, jilimir, Crystal of Water.  Nuarthen.”

 

“I ask for your aid in defeating the shadows, prenvaa, Crystal of Joining.  Nuarthen.”

 

“I ask for your aid in defeating the shadows, renelet, Crystal of Fertility.  Nuarthen.”

 

“I ask for your aid in defeating the shadows, shamien, Crystal of Prophecy.  Nuarthen.”

 

“I ask for your aid in defeating the shadows, liranit, Crystal of Inspiration.  Nuarthen.”

 

“I ask for your aid in defeating the shadows, wavelek, Crystal of Hope.  Nuarthen.”

 

“I ask for your aid in defeating the shadows, vasbaal, Crystal of Kindness.  Nuarthen.”

 

“I ask for your aid in defeating the shadows, zaniemh, Crystal of Wisdom.  Nuarthen.”

 

“I ask for your aid in defeating the shadows, ilirini, Crystal of the Ancients.  Nuarthen.”

 

“I ask for your aid in defeating the shadows, tandiro, Crystal of Change.  Nuarthen.”

 

“I ask for your aid in defeating the shadows, uvanemo, Crystal of Communications.  Nuarthen.”

 

As the last crystal joined the others in the air, they began to spin, moving together as a flash of mahogany signaled the activation of prenvaa’s power.  With an explosion of silver tinged with the colors of the other Ninjetti, the crystals merged, shrinking into the Great Crystal, and Tebekren laughed as the stone landed in Kim’s hands.

 

:That’s all well and good, little girl, but you don’t know how to activate it.:

 

“I know a lot more than I thought I did, and this is one of those things.”  Kim closed her hand around the stone, concentrating, and she smiled as Tommy’s hands wrapped around hers.  The other Ninjetti reached out, each laying a hand on Kim or Tommy, lending their power and their strength.  The crystal began to glow once more, and Tebekren shrunk back.  “Long ago,” Kim whispered, “the gods forged this crystal to send you far away.  Today we will use it to eradicate you once and for all.  Silver Crane Power!”

 

“White Falcon Power!”

 

“Gold Eagle Power!”

 

“Purple Egret Power!”

 

“Peach Lion Power!”

 

“Orange Cheetah Power!”

 

“Gray Bobcat Power!”

 

“Red-orange Tiger Power!”

 

“Magenta Leopard Power!”

 

“Indigo Jaguar Power!”

 

“Cerulean Rabbit Power!”

 

“Mahogany Ape Power!”

 

“Jade Swan Power!”

 

“Bronze Bear Power!”

 

“Copper Hawk Power!”

 

“Teal Peacock Power!”

 

“Red Fox Power!”

 

“Pink Lynx Power!”

 

“Green Frog Power!”

 

“Tan Lemur Power!”

 

“Yellow Gazelle Power!”

 

“Blue Wolf Power!”

 

“Beige Sparrow Power!”

 

“Black Panther Power!”

 

“Our friendship and our love is powerful enough to defeat you!  Crystal Ninjetti Power!”  Silver light exploded from the crystal, laced with the colors of the other Ninjetti as the twenty-four Crystal Ninjetti Warriors poured everything they had into the Great Crystal.  Tebekren’s last scream followed them into oblivion.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Chapter 22: Crowning

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“Gaiah?  What are you doing here?”  Kim looked around and down, wondering what she was standing on.  She seemed to be in a world made entirely of silver light, and the First Queen of Atlantis stood before her, eyes sparkling with all the colors of the rainbow.

 

“I was waiting for you once more.  Congratulations, Kamirli.  Only a group of close friends and lovers could have unlocked the power, the full power, of the Great Crystal.  I guess you finally learned how much you all need each other.”

 

“Thanks to you.  Where am I, anyway?”

 

“Somewhere inside the crystal, I think.”  Gaiah held out her white staff, sans Memory Crystal, and Kim hesitantly wrapped her fingers around it.  Gaiah raised her hands, and her royal silver robes faded to a silver Ninjetti uniform, huge silvery white wings folded sedately along her spine.  Kim looked at her own Crystal Ninjetti form, and the ancient queen nodded.  “Yes, Kamirli.  I was the Warrior of the Crane, and the first Ninjetti all had Crystal Warrior forms.  As time passed and the leftover power of the Great Crystal faded, there were no more Crystal Warriors and nobody really noticed.  All Ninjetti can assume the form of their animal, and that has always been enough.  You are the first crane in seven thousand years, ever since Eurynome bestowed the spirit of her messenger upon me, and I know you will make a great queen.  All hail Kamirli, first queen of the Descendants of Atlantis!”  She fell to one knee, head bowed, and other queens and kings appeared, also bowing.

 

Kimberly raised the staff Gaiah had once carried, and she smiled as the Great Crystal appeared on top of it.  “I’ll try to live up to your expectations.  See ya’!”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

“She’s waking up.  Kimberly?”

 

Kimberly groaned and struggled to open her eyes.  “Billy?”

 

“Yeah.  We’re all here, Kim.  Are you okay?”

 

She managed to open her eyes, and Billy gasped, stepping back.  Her other friends also backed away, exchanging confused glances.  She sat up, one hand on her pounding head.  “There are way too many people in here right now,” she whispered.

 

“In this room?”

 

“No, Kat.  In my head.”  Smiling, she looked up, mentally counting heads as her fingers landed on a smooth staff lying in her bed.  Only mildly surprised, she picked up the slim but sturdy piece of wood, marveling at the silver feathers and tiny colorful gemstones embedded along its length, smiling at the quiescent crystal sitting on top.  This time it had not shattered.  “How long has this been here?”

 

“It was there when the communication/teleportation grid safety mechanism brought us back, with the Great Crystal already on top,” K’tai answered.  “I thought it might have been from your Ninjetti form.”

 

“It’s from the Crane, but not me.  Gaiah gave it to me.”

 

“Gaiah!  The First Queen?”

 

“Yeah, Trev.”  Kimberly slowly slipped out of bed and stood beside Tommy, the only Ninjetti still sleeping.  Smiling, she leaned down and kissed him.  “Hey Handsome,” she whispered as he opened his eyes.  “Time to wake up.”

 

“Hey!  That’s my line!”

 

“That’s what you get for being late.”  Kim helped Tommy stand as they turned back to the others.  “Is everyone here?”  There was a quick chorus of ‘affirmative’, and Kim smiled.  “Excellent.  Billy, what’s wrong?”

 

“You’re eyes.  They’re different.”

 

Kimberly waved her hand and a mirror appeared.  “My eyes . . .”  They were silver, sparkling with every color imaginable, and the colors reminded her of the Great Crystal.  “Some of its power must have gone into me . . .”

 

“Good guess.  My eyes always looked like two sparkling crystals.”

 

Kim sighed and wrapped both hands around her staff.  “Thanks, Gaiah, but I don’t think I can stand having you guys in my head much more.”  Concentrating, she found all of the memories the silver star had poured into her and transferred them to the staff, watching as the white wood developed facets, becoming a cloudy crystal rod, still covered in the feathers, silver engravings, and tiny gems.  “There.”

 

“The Memory Crystal,” Amari whispered.  “Selei hid it in the center of the courtyard.  That’s why she told us that no one was allowed to step on that silver star.  Kimberly must have absorbed all the memories in the crystal when she stood on the star.”

 

Kim nodded.  “After you guys left for the moon, Alpha told me what you did, Tommy.  Thank you.”

 

“Anytime.”

 

“Alpha tried to make me get some rest, but I couldn’t let you guys go off alone and fight Tebekren after all you did for me.  I knew that the memories I gained on the moon had to be able to help, so I took the generator and breather Billy left and headed for the Moon.  I’m sure Alpha and Zordon were pretty upset.  When I got to the ruins, I went back to that star and I managed to unlock those memories.  Gaiah came to me and told me the history of the stone I absorbed, then I spoke to Selei and Jakouy.  My Crane finally came, after she finished helping all of you, and I became a Ninjetti.  At first my suit was this pale rose color, and I told the crane that she had messed it up.  She told me—”

 

“I told you,” the Crane interrupted, appearing by Kimberly’s side, feathers a shining silver color, “that you did not know what your color is.  When you figured it out, you would find the power to defeat Tebekren.”

 

“And it was so simple!  What color has been plaguing me since this whole thing began?  It was silver all along, which is apparently the same color Gaiah wore.  I realized that, and this silver light exploded from the star and placed adanaei in my hands.  Then I thought of Tommy and landed on . . . where were we, anyway?”

 

“Sedna,” Billy answered.  “A small planet from the inner Oort Cloud that orbits the sun in a highly elliptical orbit and is currently nearing perigee with the Sun.  Humans have yet to detect its presence—in four years it may be close enough.  I studied Alpha and Zordon’s star charts years ago and found this planetoid fascinating.  Sedna is an Inuit goddess, the name Alpha and I chose.  I have no idea what humans will call it.”

 

“Thanks.  Then I guess we defeated Tebekren.  How did we get back, K’tai?”

 

“The communicator/teleporter power grid has a built-in safety mechanism to return the wearer to Titania if the vital signs of the wearer approach zero.  We came back here.  However, the power overload flowing through our hands had an unfortunate side-effect.  Apparently the teleporters merged with us, the technology imbedded beneath our skin.”  She held up her right hand and pointed at the tiny gold star in the center of her hand.  “It left a star mark on each of us in our Ninjetti color.”  She sighed, hanging her head as she walked to the window and looked down at the city.  “We’re the heroes of Atlantis and Uranus, but our long nap cost us.  Today is Foundation Day, and there is no time left to find the prince.  He’ll be declared legally dead today, on his twentieth birthday.”

 

“The prince and princess were born on Foundation Day?”  Kim hid her smile as she turned to Billy.  “So it must be Valentine’s Day on Earth, February 14^th.”

 

“Yeah.  How did you know?”

 

Kim coughed as she looked at her staff.  “K’tai, how many times did you see Jakouy?”

 

“Only twice.  I was there on her Presentation Day and I saw her the day she gave birth, but I only caught the end of that and didn’t get a good look.”

 

Kim walked over to Faren, Tarei, and their daughters.  “Take a good look at me, citizens of New Atlantis.  What do you see?”

 

Faren’s eyes widened and he reached for the wall.  “Oh my . . .”

 

She nodded and moved to the four Uranians, pulling Tommy with her.  “Stand up straight, Tommy,” she hissed, pushing him in front of her.  “Look at him,” she ordered.  “What do you see?”

 

K’tai and Tr’vor stared at the man, swaying at the same time.  “Why did I never notice?  Kimberly . . .”

 

“I know, Kae.”  Kimberly, inwardly grinning at the confusion on the humans’ faces, raised her staff.  “Jakouy, show yourself.”

 

An image appeared beside Kim as the crane image faded back into her Ninjetti’s body.  Jakouy was a petite woman with long brown hair that shimmered red in the light—a color humans commonly called chestnut.  Her eyes were light brown, like coffee with a lot of cream in it, and she smiled, her expression identical to Kim’s.  “Ninjetti of Atlantis, Uranus, and Earth, allow me to introduce Jakouy, the last High Princess of New Atlantis, daughter of Selei.  She’s my mother.”

 

“I can’t believe it,” Amari whispered, falling back to the bed.  “K’tai was right.  Kamirli did survive and she’s been with us the entire time.”  Then she realized what Kim had said, and she dropped to one knee, head bowed.  Every Atlantan and Uranian joined her on the floor, and the human Ninjetti followed, the realization that Kim was a princess hitting them.  Tommy took Kim’s arm, raising one eyebrow.

 

“If you’re the princess, then who is the prince?”  Tommy’s brown eyes were sad, and Kim realized that he thought he was losing her.  “Who do you have to marry?”

 

Kim smiled as Jakouy faded and the Ninjetti stood, eager for her answer.  Smiling, Kim leaned up and kissed Tommy.  “Who else, Handsome?  You, of course.”

 

F’paen, S’rei, K’tai, and Tr’vor nodded.  “He does look like N’baru a little.  If only we had looked a little harder before.  Welcome to Uranus, Prince T’miyu.”

 

And then Aisha started laughing.  After all the stress and fear of their quest on top of the shock that their two leaders really were leaders, she couldn’t help it.  Billy joined in, followed by Kat, Rocky, and Jason, until all of the humans were giggling hysterically.  Kim and Tommy joined in, followed by the Atlantans and the Uranians.  They calmed down a few minutes later, and Tommy took Kim’s hands in his.  “I’m really the prince?  I’m not human?”

 

“Neither am I.  When Lord Zedd threatened New Atlantis, Selei had her people evacuated to Uranus, but she couldn’t risk him following her energy signature along the evacuation route and destroy her people.  She had to make her last stand on the Moon, but she didn’t want her newborn granddaughter and heir to die, so she had Eurynome take me to give me a new life on Earth.  Since she knew that T’miyu was also very powerful and that F’jil would create a shield around Uranus, she couldn’t risk leaving the prince here where his power might call Zedd.  So the gods took both of us to Earth, changed the memories of a hundred or so people, and we got families.  The ironic thing is that our Ninjetti power made us the most likely candidates when Zordon was searching for Rangers to fight off Rita and Zedd.  And now we’ve returned to our homes and we can take the thrones our mothers left, today on our twentieth birthday.”

 

K’tai and Tr’vor smiled as they moved forward and embraced Tommy.  “Hey, nephew T’miyu!  I remember when you were born.”

 

“I was on the Moon,” K’tai admitted, “but N’baru said you were a little angel.”

 

Kim turned to her friends, eyes sad.  “I don’t want to stay here, though.”

 

“Why not, Kim?”

 

“Because I just found you guys again, Trini.  If I stay . . .”

 

The nine human Ninjetti exchanged wry glances before turning to Billy, silently electing him spokesman.  “Actually, Kimberly, we don’t want to leave, either.  See, on Earth we can’t be Ninjetti and we’d have to give up our animal spirits.  I must admit that I have become accustomed to having a wolf in my mind.  We would all drift apart again without anything to hold us together.  I don’t know about the Crane, but the Wolf is not a solitary animal.  We need our pack.  And you guys are my pack.  We took a vote while you and Tommy slept, and we decided to accept K’tai’s offer to stay Ninjetti.  She told us what she told you about the creation of human Ninjetti, and she told us that a brief session of painless genetic manipulation will make us Atlantan enough to live a full five or six hundred years, maybe a thousand.  We’d be just like you guys and we could serve you as warriors forever.”

 

“Is this really what you guys want?”

 

All nine nodded and Trini stepped forward to embrace Kim.  “We really do, Kim.  We were just going to stay here and be K’tai’s Ninjetti, or Faren’s, but being yours is much better.  How are you going to tell your people?”

 

K’tai grinned as Tommy pulled Kimberly into his arms.  “I have an idea.”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

The streets of Titania were decked out with ribbons, flowers, beautiful vines, flags bearing family crests, and banners.  All of the citizens of Fallen Atlantis were invited to Titania for Foundation Day since their regents and all of the Ninjetti were guests of the Uranians, so the streets and nearby roofs and balconies were more packed than usual.  The green courtyard of the majestic palace was filled with high-ranking members of both societies, all wearing their finest silks and most expensive jewels.  Strings of gems hung with the banners from the balconies of the palace, and the great building sparkled in the sun.  The main balcony on the second floor was hung with silver laced with white to commemorate the two Ninjetti leaders, the other twenty-two colors displayed on the smaller balconies.

 

The heralds began to trumpet, and all eyes turned to the main balcony.  All of the floating cameras focused on the balcony, transmitting live holo-feeds to every other part of the city.  Even the people on the streets could see perfectly.  The Councilors were lined up on the sides of the balcony, dukes and lords on higher, smaller balconies with their families, small holo-screens in front of them so they knew how to react.  As the silvery trumpets faded, regent Faren of Fallen Atlantis and Lady Regent Tarei moved onto the balcony, wearing their most splendid robes and jewels, sparkling in the sun.  The dominant color in their formal robes were their Ninjetti colors, and each wore a thin Ninjetti circlet, the stone of their color in the center, as was proper.  Faren held out his arm, palm up in the traditional male submissive gesture, and Tarei covered his hand and arm with hers, leading them both to the side.  Their oldest daughter, yellow-eyed Revena, stepped onto the balcony next, her magnificent magenta dress covered in the majestic black spots her animal spirit, the Leopard, wore.  Her pale green hair was pulled into an intricate braid that twined around her head and ended in a ponytail, emeralds sparkling brilliantly in strings in her hair.

 

Breaking the tradition of Foundation Day that the Regent’s family had always followed, Revena held out her arm, smiling lovingly as S’rei joined her, beautiful indigo dress covered in Jaguar-like rosettes in white, her own pale blue hair in the same style as her lover’s.  She wore pale blue topazes in her hair, and her green eyes sparkled as the pair moved to one side amid the whispers and confusion of their people.  They sensed that something was amiss, and they wondered what could have possibly happened since the strange explosion on Miranda scattered the crystal shards so many weeks ago.  Lamiy was next, coming alone, though it was clear that her eyes were locked on someone in the palace.  She wore a cerulean dress that made her ice blue eyes stand out, light brown hair unusually dull for a female Atlantan strung with colorful crystals to make it sparkle.  She joined her older sisters as the identical twins emerged, though their family and their new Ninjetti partners could easily tell them apart.  Adoure wore jade, the rich light green color nearly the same color as her eyes, and her red-highlighted pink hair hung in shining waves down her back.  She grinned as she waved to the crowd, receiving a loving, but slightly disapproving glare from her copper-decked twin.  Yaoure gestured to her lover, and F’paen emerged from the castle, wearing a suit colored in teal.  He had used peacock feathers as his only ornament, the color enhancing his dark blue hair—unusually brilliant for a male—and brown eyes.  The youngest child of Faren and Tarei was last, Abine wearing a subdued beige dress decorated with pale amethysts that matched her eyes and rose quartz to match her straight hair.  She smiled as she bowed, the youngest of the Regent’s daughters also the most respectful and mindful of public opinion.

 

The youngest daughter of Queen F’jil was next, dressed in sparkling gold silk liberally splashed with every gem she fancied, the hem made of golden silk feathers generously provided by the ‘Realistic Earth-type Bird Feathers’ company.  Her red-gold hair shone as brightly as her dress, the curls bouncing joyfully as she walked.  Amari of Atlantis joined her, her dress colored in many shades of purple and covered in amethyst-studded designs.  Her light purple hair boasted gentle waves, the top layer pulled into a jeweled bun, and her pink eyes were laughing with joy as she embraced her wife fearlessly for the first time in public, their loving kiss outraging the people on the ground.  She was going to be their queen!  She had to marry for alliance, and Amari was no child of the Line of Gaiah!  They moved to one side together as Fynn of Atlantis, taller than the only son of F’jil on his arm, appeared on the balcony, both men grinning.  Fynn, of course, wore his orange, tiny black spots covering the pants and tunic, his colorful dark red-orange hair and forest green eyes marking him as one of the more unusual males.  Many of the Ninjetti fit into that category.  Tr’vor was dressed in peach edged in light brown to mimic the lion, long red-brown feathers in his shoulder-length black hair, shining mahogany in the sun.  That hair and his rare and brilliant golden eyes made him one of the most recognizable and colorful or ‘feminine’ males on the moon.  He was unashamed of his partner, ignoring the disapproving sound leaking up to the balcony.

 

The Humans came next, and K’tai stepped forward to the speaker field to introduce them.  The first two were Jason in red and Kat in rich pink, both obviously uncomfortable to be wearing such finery, Kat’s golden blonde hair curled into gentle ringlets and sparkling with strings of rose quartz.  They moved to the Ninjetti side of the balcony as soon as K’tai introduced them and the crowd cheered politely.  Tanya and Adam stepped out next, her tan dress enhanced with tiger’s eye and emeralds, the Warrior of the Frog striking in green.  Billy, once again wearing the blue he loved so much, stepped out, yellow-decked Trini on his arm.  Her black hair had been a joy to the servants that had strung golden topazes in her hair and strings of round amber around her waist and arms.  The last three Humans came out together, Zack’s black suit enhancing the grace that marked him as a Feline, Warrior of the Panther.  Rocky was proud of his mahogany suit, enjoying the finery and the attention, and Aisha’s long braids were strung with dark topazes to match her bronze dress and the strings of white crystal beads hanging in loops from her waist.

 

K’tai waited for silence as she glanced at the Councilors on one side and the Ninjetti on the before she spoke.  “Five years ago, I left Titania to search for my nephew, T’miyu, the rightful heir to the throne of Uranus as declared by my mother F’jil and my only sister N’baru.  Unfortunately, I did not find him, even after my twin brother joined me.  We did find eleven special men and women who had been touched by the Ninjetti Power and could help us find the prince and the power to defeat Tebekren.  Thankfully, we found it.  Today is a great day for our people, and not just because it is Foundation Day.  We have defeated the greatest threat even to the gods, and Tebekren is gone for good.  We released the full power of the crystal and it did not shatter, remaining in its full form to protect us.  The Human Ninjetti have decided to remain among us, accepting some simple genetic alterations to become Atlantans.  I welcome these nine Humans to our world.”

 

“Welcome!” sounded from thousands of throats and the Humans waved.

 

“Also, I am here to announce a seemingly inconsequential event that occurred fifty years ago on the Moon.  Amari of Atlantis asked me to be her bride, and I accepted.  Our laws have kept us apart since we wed, but I will no longer accept that decree.  Amari is my wife, and I will be with her.”  Cries of disbelief and displeasure filled the air as the First of the Council N’moki moved to join K’tai, glancing at her two Ninjetti offspring first.  K’tai raised her hand for silence, speaking before N’moki could.  “I therefore relinquish any claim I have to the Throne of Uranus.  I will not be queen.”

 

“K’tai!  Think what you are doing!  Our people will not follow Tr’vor, even if he does marry one of Faren’s daughters.  This is your birthright!  We have no one else to lead us.”

 

“Wait, N’moki.  Let me speak.”  The Councilor grudgingly returned to her place, and K’tai waited for silence.  “I will not leave you leaderless, though.  I told you that I failed to find the prince during my journey to Earth.  That is because the gods did not reveal the identity of our future leader until today.  Let me introduce Tommy Oliver of Earth.”

 

Cries of disbelief greeted white-suited man appeared on the balcony, and the cries faded to silence.  He took his place in the speaker field as K’tai stepped back, finished.  He cleared her throat before beginning.  “Greeting, descendants of Atlantis.  I know I may have been raised on Earth, but I have fought some of the greatest threats to Earth and this solar system with the men and women standing behind me, including Rita Repulsa, Lord Zedd, and Divatox.  You see, I was raised on Earth, but I was not born on Earth.  I was actually born on Titania, in this palace.”  Shock filled the crowd, and the Councilors moved closer, eager for his next words.  “Though I lived Tommy Oliver on Earth, I was born T’miyu, son of N’baru, Prince of Uranus.”

 

Absolute silence.  N’moki stepped forward, touching Tommy’s arm.  She stared into his eyes and gasped, her next words easily audible to the entire crowd.  “By the gods.  It is you.  I thought I’d never see you again.”

 

“All hail Prince T’miyu!”

 

Tommy smiled at the cheers as N’moki held up her hand.  “I definitely think it is time to crown our new king.”  She waved her hand, and three servants dashed into the castle, reappearing with the new crown forged from the old queen and king crowns specifically for the new male ruler of the combined kingdom.  Tommy fell to one knee, and N’moki raised the silver, gem-studded crown above his head.  “I never thought this day would come, the day when I could introduce to Uranus the son of N’baru, Prince T’miyu.  I now bestow upon you the crown you were born to wear.  Rise, King T’miyu.”

 

Tommy stood to raucous cheers, smiling out at the crowd.  “Thank you,” he smiled, having been prepared for the crowning by the Ninjetti prior to the great ceremony.  “But I know that my mother’s and grandmother’s fondest wish is for Uranus and Fallen Atlantis to be united.  To that end I announce my engagement to a citizen of Atlantis.  I will let her introduce herself.”  The king stepped to one side as all eyes turned to the door that led into the palace.

 

Kimberly, shining silver in the light, stepped out, gems of every color covering the silk in designs that included roses and birds in flight.  She carried a tall staff topped by a crystal that the people recognized from literature and legend, her steps measured and graceful.  Her chestnut hair was loose, hanging down her back, eyes sparkling in the light.  She smiled as she took her place, and the Ninjetti and Councilors gasped when they realized that she had two silver-feathered wings folded sedately along her spine.  The backless dress left room for the extra appendages, a thin silver strap strung between the two sides of the dress just above her shoulder blades.  The wings were not obvious to the people on the ground.

 

“Hello.  I am Kimberly Ann Hart, raised on Earth, the first Pink Power Ranger.  I spent three years fighting Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd.  When K’tai and Tr’vor came to Earth, they saved me from depression and despair, eventually taking me back to Angel Grove and my friends.  I only found my animal spirit, the crane, as the other Ninjetti battled Tebekren on Sedna.  I journeyed back to the Moon, desperate to help my friends and the man I love, and I discovered that the silver star in the center of the palace courtyard was the final resting place of the second Memory Crystal, and all of those memories were transferred into me.  I met the queens of the Line of Eurynome, and I learned that I did have the power to defeat Tebekren.  I merged with the crane and discovered my power, becoming the Silver Ninjetti, Warrior of the Crane.”  Kim nodded at the gasps.  “Yes.  The last Ninjetti to carry my color and power was Gaiah, First Queen of Atlantis.  And then I found the twenty-fourth Crystal Shard, adanaei of Spirit.  We defeated Tebekren and returned here.  You see, while I was on the Moon, Queen Selei and Princess Jakouy told me something very important about my past.”  She raised her wings and flew off the balcony, heading for the marble statue of Selei in the center of the grassy courtyard.  Smiling, she placed her hand on the woman’s cheek, knowing that the cameras and eyes were following her.

 

“When Selei realized that Lord Zedd would be able to follow her energy signature to Uranus and destroy her people, she knew that she had to make her final stand on the Moon, but she did not want her daughter’s only child and heir to die.  So she called on the gods and asked Eurynome to take her granddaughter, Kamirli, to Earth and give her a safe home and a new life away from Zedd.  She also took T’miyu to Earth so the soul mates would not be separated and so T’miyu’s power would not draw Zedd.  And both grew up happy and safe on Earth until Zordon called Kamirli to be a Ranger and T’miyu, too, when he came to Angel Grove.”  She turned back to the people, landing in Selei’s arm beside the baby, silver wings still half-open.  “Kamirli was the first Pink Ranger.”

 

As the people realized what Kimberly had said, realization dawned and they began to hit their knees, heads bowed.  Kim opened her great wings and soared back to the balcony as every Atlantan and Uranian hit one knee, even the Ninjetti and the Councilors, leaving only Tommy standing.  Smiling, Tommy held out his arm, palm up, and Kim placed her hand and arm on top of his, lifting her staff above her head.  “I am the granddaughter of Queen Selei, daughter of Jakouy, seventeenth Queen of Atlantis, Warrior of the Crane, Silver Ninjetti, Kamirli, and I have returned.  Rise, descendants of Atlantis.”

 

As cheers filled the air, Faren stepped forward, a servant appearing behind him, the new, intricate silver crown embedded with dozens of gems that had been forged for the new queen of the combined lands on a pillow in the servant’s hands.  Faren took the crown and silence filled the courtyard.  “Kamirli, you have proven yourself worthy of the throne of Atlantis, and I could not be prouder of you.  You deserve this crown.”  He placed the circlet on Kim’s head, smiling.  “Rise, Kamirli, Queen of Atlantis.”

 

Cheers greeted the new queen, and the new rulers of Uranus and Atlantis smiled at their subjects.  Clearing her throat, Kimberly spoke.  “Today is my twentieth birthday, and for my entire life I have wondered where I belonged.  Now, thankfully, I know.  I am meant to rule and make Uranus and Atlantis better.  To that effect, I have two announcements to make.  First of all, I am appalled by your treatment of K’tai and Amari.  They have been married for fifty years, but they have never been allowed together.  From this day forth, I will not allow any law that keeps two people in love apart, whether Atlantan or Uranian.  Also, the law that dictates that a lady’s, duchess’s, baroness’s, Councilor’s, princess, or queen’s first marriage must be to a man is also horrible.  Atlantans have the technology to create viable embryos from two eggs and I will not have people like K’tai and Amari kept apart just because one is a descendant of the queen line.  The gods will watch out for us; we don’t have to force queens.  I bless the marriage of K’tai and Amari and any of my cousins or the other Ninjetti who wish to wed may marry anyone they wish.

 

“Secondly, to address the issue of the combined kingdom.  In 2600, Namirah, daughter of Laredae, came to Titania and built a new society.  The reason she came to Atlantis was because she knew that a son of her line would one day be needed to marry a daughter of her sister’s line.  Tommy and I are those children, and our marriage will merge our people once more.  We cannot live on Titania and we cannot live on Oberon, because each moon belongs to a different half of the descendants of Atlantis.  We could never be at peace on one of the moons of Uranus.  The only place we all truly belong is Earth, but we cannot live there yet.  The humans are not ready.  But the Moon is a choice.”

 

“We’re going back to the Moon?”

 

“Not immediately, First of the Council N’moki.  That would be impossible.  But I know we have the technology to move all of Uranus and Fallen Atlantis back to the Moon.  That is where we belong, not here, hiding at the outer edge of the solar system.  The gods are on the Moon, and the Children of the Gods belong there, too.”

 

A brilliant white light appeared on the balcony between the Ninjetti and the Councilors, fading to reveal Eurynome, and every person hit their knees, including the new king and queen.  The goddess laughed as she pulled Kim and Tommy to their feet.  “It took you long enough.  I was wondering if you two would ever find your way home.  There is someone here who would like to speak to you.”  She waved her hand, and Dulcea of Phaedos appeared beside her, smiling as she embraced Tommy and Kim.

 

“I knew you would come home one day.  Good luck running this country.  I am glad that Selei was able to save both of you.”  She bowed and vanished, heading back to Phaedos and her guardianship.  Eurynome smiled as she touched Kimberly’s cheek.

 

“I, too, wish you luck, Kamirli, and I eagerly await the day when I may welcome you to the Moon.”  She smiled and vanished, leaving the Atlantans and Uranians alone again.

 

Kimberly turned back to her people.  “I guess the gods have returned to their children.  Our wedding will be tomorrow, and both planets are invited to attend.”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

Kim smiled, pulling Tommy’s arms tighter around her slim frame.  “Can you believe it?  You and me married, king and queen of the Descendants of Atlantis?  This is just too much, Tommy.”

 

Tommy nodded, reaching over to brush a strand of hair out of Kim’s eyes.  “It’s like a fairy tale come true.  I have wished for this day ever since I first laid eyes on you.  I love you Kim, and I don’t know what I would have done if someone else was Prince T’miyu.”

 

“I would never have let you marry anybody else,” she whispered, resting her head on Tommy’s chest and listening to his heart beat.  “I love you, Tommy Oliver, King T’miyu of the Descendants of Atlantis.”

 

“I love you, too, Kimberly Ann Hart, Queen Kamirli of the Descendants of Atlantis.  And you made K’tai and Amari so happy.  Now they can live together as they were meant to.  You just may be able to undo all of the damage of L’foue’s reign in just a few years, my love.  You’ll be the greatest queen Atlantis ever had.”

 

Kimberly blushed.  “Thanks, Tommy, but I think our greatest contribution will be the next generation.  With twenty-four Ninjetti eager and willing to pass on their powers to a large number of offspring, we and our friends will ensure that the Atlantis we build will always be protected and will thrive on the Moon.”

 

“It’s all well and good to think of children, Beautiful, but that is looking a while into the future.”

 

Kimberly smiled as she rolled onto her back and took Tommy’s hand, placing it on her bare stomach.  “Allow me to introduce you to the next Descendants of Atlantis.”

 

Tommy’s eyes widened.  “You’re pregnant?  Already?  But we only . . .”

 

Kim nodded.  “Ninjetti know within hours of conception.  Besides, when Eurynome touched me earlier, I sensed her activate one of the shards of the Great Crystal, ranelet of Fertility.  She wanted our heir to be conceived tonight.”

 

Tommy gently ran his fingers over his wife’s flat stomach.  “Is it a boy or a girl?”

 

Kim grinned as she kissed Tommy’s cheek.  “Actually, my husband, it is both.”

 

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The End

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Continued in Chronicles of Atlantis: Descendants of Atlantis

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