Disclaimer: I don't own Saban, et cetera et cetera. I rate this PG-13 for violence and some mild adult situations. By the way, a fanfic by Cheryl Roberts is mentioned in this fanfic. I have gotten her permission to use the title. None of the references are meant to put down the fanfic mentioned in any way
"I don't understand it, Lynn," I said. "I thought we were the good guys. The good guys always win. But we didn't even come close yesterday afternoon. The only reason I'm here talking to you now is because Nadia made Duran leave. Why she did that, I don't know, but I can't help but be grateful. Even if it did mean having to walk away from a fight not because we won, but because Nadia simply decided she was through having Duran play with us.
"I also feel weird because of the situation at hand. I know I shouldn't be happy that the Rangers are here, but I can't help it. The ones here are five of my very favorites. I would like to meet Aisha and Trini, but they were lucky enough to stay in Angel Grove. Actually, I'd like to meet all of the Rangers, but that's beside the point. Here they are, risking their lives right along with us to defend a planet that isn't their's, and I'm just so happy that I've gotten to meet five of my favorite Power Rangers I don't know what to do with myself.
"Especially Katherine. She's so sweet, and … well, she's perfect! Unfortunately, she's dating Tommy. I couldn't make any kind of move on her, anyhow. She doesn't belong to this world. She's not willing to stay here, and I'm not willing to go home with her. Even if, and it's a big if, there was even the smallest fraction of a percentage that she would actually love me. This is my world, and it's not her's. So weird. I guess I should just be thankful I got to be her friend, which brings me back to my original point that I should be wishing that they never came here.
"I can't imagine anything scarier. Rocky said he was nearly eaten on the yellow world. Just leaping from one world to another, never knowing what kind of hazards might be waiting for you. And kids on this world want to be Power Rangers. Isn't that ironic?
"The only single good thing about being a Power Ranger is the adrenaline rush. I'm not going to lie and say that's not any fun. Well heck, you've been there right beside me. You know all about it. I think Crystal and I get more fun out of it than the others, though. People who want to be Power Rangers view it as just a lot of fun. The good guys always win, right? Well, so far that's right, but we've had more close calls than I care to count.
"Not to mention going to limbo, the most boring place there is, if we accidentally fight on hallowed ground. Or falling to the Earth from fifteen miles straight up because you were knocked off of your Power Board and the teleportation systems aren't on-line. Then there was the time Allison and I were turned into stone because we got too close to one of Nadia's machines with a serious attitude problem. Or the time Beth and I nearly crashed the Eagle A.V. into the sun. Or the time we did crash the A.V. into the Statue of Liberty. That was embarrassing. I'm just glad Sigma was able to fix it and wipe half of New York's memory.
"Then there was the time I wasn't fast enough and nearly caused Dana to lose her head. If I had been just a split second later… I don't even want to think about that. I'm just glad I managed to find her Power Coin when I did. Or the time the Green River bridge fell on Tara. Good thing she morphed when she did, I guess.
"I know I'm boring you. You've heard this plenty of times before, not to mention the fact that you were there when it happened in the first place. I just need to talk to somebody. I'm just so stressed. Duran is back, and I don't know if I can handle it this time. To think that as soon as the full moon comes he might defeat us… that means in less than a week, every single person on this planet will be dead. Terrifying…"
"Who are you talking to?" Kimberly asked. I cried in alarm and nearly fell off of my branch. "Whoa! Careful," she said, placing a firm hand on my shoulder and pushing me back into a steady position. She hoisted herself up to a branch beside me and sat on it, leaning against the tree.
"You'll think I'm losing my mind," I said.
"I just caught you talking to yourself in a tree," she said, letting the implication hang in the air.
"I was talking to my guardian angel," I answered with a slightly red face. "I call her Lynn."
"Guardian angel?" Kimberly asked.
"I had never really given it much thought until about two years ago," I answered. "Everything just started happening at once, and I was so close to the brink of death so often, I knew that guardian angels weren't just myth. They are very real."
"And her name is Lynn? Why Lynn?"
"No reason," I replied. "I just happen to like the name Lynn, so I use that to talk to her."
"Her?"
"Just a guess," I said. "I suppose my guardian angel could just as easily be a guy, but I don't think so. Once I recognized … Lynn, I can see her in my mind's eyes just as plainly as anything. Of course, I read a book on guardian angels some time back that helped. She has long, silken golden-blonde hair, bright blue eyes, an innocent smile, and she wears a floor length blue denim summer dress-like thing with a pink long sleeved shirt underneath it."
"No wings?"
"Are you making fun of me?"
"No!" Kimberly insisted with a giggle. "I'm not, I promise. I'm just trying to visualize is all."
"Do you think you believe in guardian angels?"
"I had never really thought about it," Kimberly admitted. "I believe in God, and I believe in angels. So I guess it would be kind of silly not to believe in guardian angels, huh?"
"There's a verse in Psalms to back me up," I said. "If you're a Christian … or Jewish."
"Presbyterian," Kimberly said thoughtfully. "What's the verse?"
"Ninety-one, eleven. And He will give his angels guard over you, to protect you in all your ways."
"That's nice," she said.
"I like it."
"So why the tree? I saw you and Rocky up here Saturday morning. I just never got around to checking it out. And how did you climb up here with your right arm all afflicted? No offense."
"None taken. This is my tree," I said. "I've climbed up this tree since I was four years old, when I just wanted to get away." The tree in question was a gorgeous oak. It was set about one hundred yards from the house. Its trunk was gnarled, obviously from some tragedy in infancy, but it helped you climb up the tree. There were two large branches, big enough for an adult to recline in, about forty feet up from the ground. That's where I always headed. "See. From right here, you can see the sun rise," I said, pointing to the east, "or in the afternoon, you can see the sun set." I demonstrated again by pointing to the clear view of the western sky. "And if you really want to get away, you can climb up another thirty feet and see the stars at night. Of course, getting back down in the dark is sort of hard. One time, when I was about nine, I climbed to the top of the tree for the very first time. It was so dark, my dad had to climb up here with a flashlight so I could find my way back down." I laughed at the memory, even though it had been anything but funny at the time.
We sat in silence for a while longer, when I asked, "How much did you hear?"
"Just the tail end, I think," Kimberly said. We sat in silence a while longer, and she said, "Don't worry. I won't tell Kat."
"Thanks," I said sheepishly. "I think I'm going to go catch a shower."
Kimberly's eyes wandered over my shoulder and landed on Jason and Billy, walking out into the yard to perform some type of kata. "If you don't mind, I'm gonna stay out here a while longer," she said. "If you don't mind me using your tree."
"Stay as long as you like," I said, wrapping my left arm around my branch and lowering myself down to the next foothold.
"Goin' somewhere?" Tara asked as she pushed aside me.
"What are you doing here?" I asked.
"Just teleported over," she said. "I figured you would be up early."
"Well, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go shower," I said, climbing out of the tree.
"Hey Tara," Kimberly said.
"Hi," Tara replied as she situated herself on my branch. "What are you doing up here?"
Kimberly smiled and pointed at Jason and Billy. "I'm gonna watch Jason and Billy do their meditation kata," Kimberly said. "It's amazing to watch."
"I think I might like to watch as well," Tara murmured, turning around to watch the two male Rangers.
"Hey, Rocky," I said as I walked into the kitchen fresh from my shower, running my fingers through my short, wet hair.
"Good morning," Rocky answered. "You mind if I cook breakfast?"
"Not at all," I answered.
Two very loud cries of alarm suddenly burst into the kitchen. "Trouble," I said.
"What was that?" Katherine asked, running in from the back porch.
"Probably not good," Rocky answered before heading to the front yard. Kat and I were close behind.
Tara and Kimberly jumped to attention, trying to gain a better view of the approaching Naddies. "Tengas!" Kimberly cried.
"Naddies," Tara corrected.
"HEY YOU GUYS!!!" Kimberly shouted. "Above you!"
Billy and Jason looked up in time to see four red Naddies swoop down at them. "Don't fight unmorphed!" Tara cried, but she was a split second too late. Jason leapt into the air to scissor kick a Naddie. His foot hit the mechanical bird in the chest. Pain streaked up his leg, and he fell to the ground with a thump.
"They're harder than Cogs!" he cried as he clambered to his feet.
"It's Morphin Time!" Kimberly shouted.
Simultaneously, all four Rangers called upon their power. "SABER-TOOTH TIGER!!!"
"PTERODACTYL — CRANE!!!"
"TRICERATOPS — WOLF!!!"
"TYRANNOSAURUS — COUGAR!!!"
Rocky, Kat, and I leapt off of the porch a few seconds later. Katherine cried in alarm at the sight of dozens of Naddies, dropping from the sky on unfurled wings. "It's Morphin Time!" Rocky shouted.
"TRICERATOPS!!!"
"ZEO RANGER I, PINK — BUTTERFLY!!!"
"ZEO RANGER III, BLUE — APE!!!"
In a bright blue and pink flash, we all morphed into Rangers and jumped into the fight.
"SABER-TOOTH TIGER BOW AND ARROW!" Tara cried, summoning her Power Weapon in a beautiful yellow display of light. She slammed the bow into a white Naddie that ventured too close. The mechanical bird staggered backwards, but quickly recovered and pulled a heavy club out of the air.
With a loud battle cry, I flipped over Tara's head and landed on the shoulders of a red Naddie. The bird attempted to knock me off, but I backflipped away before its clawed hands could clamp around my ankles. I dropped to the ground, catching myself on my hands and swept both legs beneath the bird.
"Need some help?!" a loud voice called.
I glanced up to see Pink and Green Rangers standing on the roof. "Always happy for a hand," I answered, leaping to my feet just as the Naddie planted a spike right beneath me.
"Are these bird attacks always so random?" Billy asked as he knocked one away from him with his Power Lances.
Dana and Beth flipped off of the porch, landing in the midst of the battle. Dana gave a loud cry and rammed her fist through the Naddie attacking Billy, using the element of surprise. Her hand passed completely through it, sending a shower of machine parts out of the grievous wound. "Always," she answered, pulling her hand back through the deactivated bird.
"Kat!" Tara cried. "Watch out!" She pulled the string on her bow back and let an energy arrow fly, spearing a purple Naddie that had snuck up behind the Pink Zeo Ranger.
"Whoa!" Katherine shouted, flipped away. "That was close! Thanks Tara!"
"Not a problem," Tara answered. A yellow Naddie suddenly rushed her. "Hey!" She ran a few steps away and spun around, scissor kicking the bird in the process. Holding tight to one end of her bow, she snapped the other end against the Naddie's head, completely dismantling its mechanical central nervous system.
Beth blocked a punch with her forearm. She flipped her arm over, grabbed the Naddie's wing, and tossed it aside. "PTERODACTYL BALL AND CHAIN!!!"
"Beth!" Kimberly cried. "Duck!"
Beth dropped to the ground in a split just as a double tag team of black Naddies leapt at her. Still in the split, she swung the chain above her head and struck the closest bird, knocking it aside with a angry squawk.
Rocky brought his arm blades down in a wide swipe across a Naddie's chest. Before it could react, he elbowed the bird behind him, spin-kicked the bird before him, and completely dismembered a Naddie that just happened to leap over him. "YES!" he shouted happily. "I've got the hang of these creeps!" Three white Naddies suddenly jumped at him, pinning him to the ground.
"TRICERATOPS WHIP!!!" I cried. Still running from the army of bird machines behind me, I summoned my Power Weapon. It appeared in my hands in a flash of blue light. "Goin' up!" I shouted, stopping dead still and then flipping straight up in the air. The Naddies ran beneath me, their simple mechanical minds not expecting my sudden change in location. I landed neatly on the ground behind the crowd. I raised the blue cylinder above my head and lashed it out, sending the thin, blue leather whip out against the crowd of Naddies. It struck the nearest around the back, completely wrapping around its body. "Give us a break!" I shouted, more at Nadia than her Naddies. With a flick of my wrist, the lassoed Naddie slammed into the group, sending them all to the ground.
With two triumphant cries, Crystal and Allison landed on each side of me. "Need help?" Allison asked.
However, before I could reply, every single Naddie disappeared in glimmers of black light. "What's going on?" Billy asked.
"Rangers," Omicron said in a hurry. "Please report to the Command Center now!"
"On our way," Beth said. We visually conferred for a moment, and then teleported away in eleven streaks of colored, sparkling light.
My blue column of light streaked high above the country side as I journeyed toward Mammoth Cave. Colored sparks of light fell from us all we flew in tandem. We reached the Cave and dropped within it, zooming several thousand feet beneath ground until we reached the distant Command Center.
"We've got trouble," Omicron said as soon as we touched down.
I reached up a gloved hand to my helmet and inserted my fingers into the thin crack on each side of my head. With a whoosh of air, the seal on my Ranger suit was broken. The instantaneous fighting skill left my body, putting me in a very literal Stand-By Mode – not quite morphed, but not quite normal mortal, either.
"What's wrong?" Tara asked as we all set our helmets on various consoles about the room.
Sigma appeared with a crackle of electricity. "They're all done, Omicron," Sigma said proudly.
"What's done?" Crystal asked.
"Rangers, Nadia has given her Naddies two new modes of travel," Omicron said. "Screen on." A grid of the wall immediately changed into a viewing screen, split in half. On the right were several colored Naddies on colored motorcycles, and on the left were more Naddies on Jet Skis on a body of water.
"The time has arrived once more that your arsenal must be updated," Omicron said.
"What's going on?" Jason asked.
"Whenever Nadia pulls a stunt, we counter," Dana explained.
"When this fight started, all we had were fighting skills and our armor," Omicron said. "The Naddies got weapons, our Rangers got weapons. Nadia started fighting us with giant machines, we made Assault Vehicles. She intro'ed Hover Boards, we got Power Boards. We'll tell you more later, but the basic gist is this – all eleven of you have a new, more powerful arsenal."
"Us too?" Katherine asked.
"If you are willing," Sigma added.
"We're up to it," Rocky affirmed for them.
"Follow me," Omicron said. "There is a place I would like to show you."
"What's that?" Allison asked.
"Well, while we have never really named it," Omicron said, "if we were going by the television show, I suppose it would be called the Morphing Grid."
"Cool," Beth and I said in unison.
"Rangers, prepare to set foot in a place no mortal in this dimension has ever been to," Sigma said.
As if on cue, the lights on the Command Center darkened, with the exception of the neon columns and Sigma's Sword which gave a gentle, white light. The wall behind his Sword opened, and Sigma and Omicron walked toward it. The rest of us were close to follow.
Fog drifted down all about us as we walked through the darkened archway. Lights were flashing in the fog which billowed up around us on the ground.
We were suddenly within the grid. Reality rushed at us all, and it felt as if my entire scope of vision suddenly turned a complete one eighty on itself. All thirteen of us were standing in an infinitely large room. Omicron and Sigma stood in a silver circle which was the center of a pie divided into six slices, one for each color. Tara in the yellow section, Dana in green, Allison in purple, Jason and Crystal in red, Beth, Katherine, and Kimberly in pink, and Rocky, Billy, and myself in the blue. A brilliantly beautiful nighttime sky was above us, stretching in all directions to infinity. Billions upon billions of stars of all colors floated above us, complete with colored comets, colored clouds of gas, and planets of all shapes, sizes, and descriptions.
"This place is beautiful," Tara whispered.
"Yes, it is," Omicron agreed. "This Morphing Grid, as this place has apparently been named, is unique to this dimension. It is a place that belongs not just to you six Rangers, but to everyone here who stands within the light of righteousness."
"Regardless of religion, race, sexuality, or any other factor, if you embrace the light, then the Grid embraces you," Sigma added. "It is an all or none situation. Either you are fully within the Grid, or you have no knowledge of it's existence. Billy, Rocky, Katherine, Kimberly, and Jason – even though you are temporary residents of this dimension, the Grid recognizes you and welcomes you. It is for this reason that your morphing ability work here, and that you will be able to accept our added arsenal."
"Within the Grid rests the purest of all good sensations. Love, peace, joy, happiness, prosperity, faith, and an infinite number more," Omicron said. "Since you defend these attributes, the Grid helps you with your powers, namely by providing an infinite storage locker."
"What?" Crystal asked. "You psych us all up for some great big speech about the grid, and you were doing real good, until you called it a closet."
Omicron shot Crystal a smile and said, "Turn around, and you will understand that it was not meant in a derogatory or played down manner."
I turned around, and saw the Blue Power. A shimmering cloud of blue light floated far off in the distance, within which rested a beautiful holographic visage of the Triceratops, and further within was my Totem, the Lion. Before the cloud was my Triceratops Assault Vehicle, gleaming beautifully in the light of the Grid. Triceratops Whip rested on the ground before my A.V., and the blue Power Board floated before it.
I looked at the other sections, although they appeared empty to me. However, judging from the look on my friend's faces, I suspected they were anything but empty to them. I glanced back at Billy and Rocky, who without a single word told me that they could see their Blue Power as well. Billy, however, saw the Wolf behind his Triceratops, no Assault Vehicle, and his own Power Lances in place of my Whip. Rocky saw a giant triangle rather than the Triceratops, and behind that was his Ape, and his Power Blades alone.
"It's beautiful, Sigma," I said, so upset that I couldn't find any words in all of my vocabulary to express the joy and peace that I felt.
"It is," Dana agreed, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye.
"This is beautiful, but why did you bring us here?" Beth asked. "We've never been here before."
Omicron, for a brief moment, looked sadder than I had ever seen her, although that was quickly replaced with her trademark smile. "I want you to truly understand what you are fighting for," Omicron said. "Nadia, and Jenga on a different plane of existence, both want to tarnish this place with their evil, so that they can rule supreme. The Grid stands in their way. This is but the merest taste of paradise. The feelings you have experiences here can, in fact, be felt in the outside world. The birth of a child, the wedding of childhood sweethearts, and many, many more occasions you've all felt at one time or another. Have faith."
"Don't lose heart," Sigma said. "You can all win. You can, and you will. You aren't just fighting for your planet. You're fighting for the very thin line between good and bad."
"The fight has just become much, much more difficult," Omicron said. "You are fighting Duran, Satan's extension into this world, just like Jenga, only he is not encumbered by the flesh as she is. In addition, Nadia has just stepped up the attacks, and so have we."
Lightning crackled all around us. Before us all were motorcycles and Jet Skis, and the five extra Rangers had Power Boards. The motorcycles were just ordinary motorcycles, with the exception of a small machine gun barrel on the very center. They were decorated entirely in our color. The Jet Skis were shaped in the general form of a normal wave jumper, although the front was shaped like our animal. My Power Ski had a gigantic Triceratops head, with the weapon and navigation controls hidden behind it.
"Rangers, welcome the Power Bikes and Power Skis to the team," Omicron said happily.
"We are also sorry to say that, for the first time, you are no longer equally matched," Sigma said.
"What?!" Beth cried.
"What are you talking about?" Crystal added hurriedly.
"While your powers have not been decreased in any means," Omicron explained, "each coupling has had a certain aspect greatly enhanced. Beth and Jeremy, you are now truly adept at fighting on your Power Skis. Allison and Crystal, you will be most at home on your Power Bikes, and Tara and Dana, when the need arises, you will be best suited in the air on your Power Boards."
"Cool," Crystal agreed.
"We have also added a new detail to the Power Boards," Omicron said.
"You can call on them in mid-air," Sigma explained.
"Yes," Beth whispered.
"No more wipe-outs fifteen miles up," I added.
"And Rangers," Omicron said, "you need to go back to battle. Nadia and Duran are taking everywhere. Beth, Jeremy, Rocky, and Kimberly – take your new found Power Skis to the Atlantic Ocean. Coordinates are pre-set. Crystal, Allison, and Kimberly – hit the highway with your Power Bikes. Naddies are attacking I-65. Dana, Tara, Billy, and Jason – you need to take your fight into the upper atmosphere on your Power Boards. However, before you go, I must warn you. Billy and Rocky, if you are using any of your new Power Weapons, Jeremy must be morphed. Katherine and Kimberly, the same applies with you in that Beth must be morphed, as well as Crystal and Jason."
"May the Power protect you," Sigma added solemnly.
"BACK TO ACTION!!!" we all shouted at once.
Beth, Katherine, Rocky, and I teleported onto a small island in the middle of only God knows where. Suddenly, several roaring engines sped past the island. "Naddies!" Beth shouted. "Let's do it!"
"POWER SKIS!!!" we all shouted. In four pink and blue flashes, they appeared at the water's edge.
Rocky and Katherine's Power Skis were the plainest, in that the front was just a normal stern with their Zeo shape at the top. My Power Ski was modeled after the Triceratops, while Beth's was of the Pterodactyl. Large pink wings flanked the sides, skimming over the water, while the Pterodactyl's head and crest formed the front. Taking only a brief moment to look at them in awe, we jumped onto the seat and gunned the engine.
"Circle formation!" Beth shouted. "They've got a whole ocean to maneuver in! We have to cut down their odds of success!"
"Right!" Rocky agreed.
"I'll head due south!" I shouted, cutting a sharp right, sending a spray of salty water up behind me.
"I'm goin' north!" Beth shouted. "Kat east, Rocky west!"
"Clockwise rotation!" Rocky agreed.
"How far out do we go?" Katherine asked, bouncing with her Power Ski as it jumped over the waves.
"Naddies coming due east at three miles out," Rocky said.
"Kat, you go four," I said. "The rest of us one and we squeeze 'em in!"
Already, we were no longer within sight of each other. I felt an adrenaline rush like never before. I could see absolutely nothing else but the sky and the sea. Nothing else. I glanced down at the monitor set into my small control panel. We were all about to reach our designated point. As soon as I hit it, I circled off to the left.
"These Naddies have their own strategy!" Katherine shouted. "The weaker ones are surrounding the Naddies with the heavy firepower."
"That makes no sense!" Rocky protested.
"Be assured they have something planned," Beth said. "And it won't be pretty."
A Naddie suddenly crossed in front of me on a yellow ski. A laser struck the water directly beside me, sending a puff of steam up. "All right!" I shouted, turning my gun cannons toward him. "Yer out!" Rapid fire bullets flew from the cannons, striking the Naddie. Both the Naddie and the wave jumper it rode exploded in a giant fireball. The remains were teleported back to the moon before they even hit the water.
"Circle in!" Beth shouted. "The mean guys are still in the center."
A red Naddie zoomed past Katherine and fired a torpedo. She yanked hard to the right, barely avoiding the collision. "Too close!" Katherine shouted. She fired a pink laser at the red Naddie, which it barely avoided.
"This isn't working," Rocky cried, banking left to avoid a spray of machine gun fire. "They know where we'll be before we're there!"
"Random attacks!" Beth shouted, tearing through the center of the Naddies on Jet Skis. "If they just developed new ways of analyzing our attacks, then we throw their mechanical minds for a loop."
"Rocky, go parallel! I've got an idea!" I urged my Power Ski to go faster, and I barely skimmed the water's surface as I headed for him.
"You got it!" he agreed, increasing his own speed to intercept me. "What you got in mind?!"
I kept my hands tightly on the controls but stood up on the seat. I hope I know what I'm doing. Rocky was suddenly beside me, keeping perfect time. "Auto-pilot!" I instructed my ski, and leapt the small gap onto Rocky's. I clasped my hands onto his shoulders and stood on the back of his blue seat. "Circle out and get me as close to the Naddies as possible!"
"You got it." The blue Power Ski turned a hard ninety degrees and headed for the tightest cluster of birds.
"The purple one," I said, pointing over his shoulder. "Pull up next to that one."
"Right," Rocky said. A few seconds later, the purple Naddie on the Power Ski of the same color was right beside us.
"Hey!" I shouted, catching the mechanical bird's attention. "Hi-yaah!" I side-kicked the Naddie in the chest, sending it into the ocean. Upon being submerged, it exploded with a giant burst of steam. "Thanks Rock!" I shouted, hopping onto the purple Jet Ski.
"Not a problem," he said, turning away from me as I delved deeper into the angry circle of Naddies.
"What are you doing?!" Beth cried over our com unit. "You're gonna get yourself killed!"
"I know what I'm doing," I said, "but I need somebody to intercept me again in about fifteen seconds."
"I'm closest," Katherine volunteered. "I'll be right there!"
"Man, I wish I had Power Scan," I muttered.
"Don't worry," Omicron said over the radios. "Are you gonna do what I think you're gonna do?"
"Probably," I said, charging up the weapons for the Ski. "Activating missiles," I whispered. I glanced up to see Katherine headed toward me. "And detonating." I slammed my hand on the correct button, although I didn't fire. "Kat! I'm ready now! Everybody clear the area!"
She darted past me. I yanked the Purple Ski in the opposite direction and flipped away. I landed on the back of Katherine's Power Ski in a seated position. "Get us out of here, Kat!" I cried.
"Right!" she said, gunning her engine. I was lurched forward as Katherine pressed into my back from the sudden force.
"Where is my Ski at?" I asked.
"We're almost to it," Katherine said. I carefully turned myself around in the seat and held on to her shoulders. My Blue Power Ski could still be seen flying across the ocean, driving full speed without a driver.
Suddenly, a giant fireball exploded behind us. "Whoa!" Beth cried. "Jeremy! That got nearly all of 'em!"
I jumped off of Kat's Ski and landed neatly on my own as she intercepted it's path. "Thanks for the ride!" I said, turning off auto-pilot and taking control again.
"Any time," she answered.
"I'm still registering one Jet Ski, but no Naddies!" Beth cried. The four of us met and slowed to a halt.
"I don't see it anywhere," Rocky said.
"Where is it?" I asked, looking at my scanner.
"Three miles, east north east," Rocky answered.
"And rapidly approaching!"
I looked up and saw a blue Ski heading straight for us. It didn't take more than a split second for me to realize that it wasn't a Naddie. "It's Nadia!" I shouted.
"Beth and Jeremy!" Omicron literally screamed through our open communications system. "She's developed an anti-morphing laser!"
"Not again!" Beth cried.
"It only works temporarily, but it still isn't a good idea to wipe out in the middle of the Pacific!"
Suddenly, an intense beam of white light hit me. "Ahh!" I screamed as I felt my armor disappeared. My Power Ski disappeared in a similar blue glimmer of light. I traveled backwards from the force of the beam and hit the water, hard. I briefly felt water all around me, but then everything drifted to black.
Rocky's own Ski disintegrated, sending him into the water. "You too, blue boy," Nadia said, firing at him as well. Katherine darted over to him and helped him climb out of the warm water.
"We have to get out of here," Rocky said frantically.
"Jeremy!" Beth cried, abandoning her Ski to dive into the water.
"Omicron!" Rocky shouted into his thumb. "Get us out of here now!!!"
Nadia fired another beam at Katherine, causing her armor and her Power Ski to disintegrate. She and Rocky dropped into the ocean. However, Omicron activated teleport a split second later. The water was temporarily lit up with pink and blue light as our teleport streams flew out of the water and headed for the Command Center.
Allison, Crystal, and Kimberly teleported onto the median of Interstate 65. Naddies darted in and out of the flow of traffic in the north bound lanes. "Omicron?" Crystal asked. "What do we do about the traffic?"
"They won't be able to see you or the Naddies," she answered. "Just try and keep from wiping out in front of a car."
"Right," Allison agreed
In unison, the three Rangers shouted, "Power Bikes!" Three motorcycles, red, pink, and purple, equipped with a full arsenal of weapons, appeared before them. They jumped onto the back of the bikes and darted into traffic.
Allison glanced behind her to see a tractor trailer approaching in the outside lane. A green Naddie fired a laser at her, which she barely countered with her own purple laser. "Hey! You green creep!" Allison backed her speed off and banked hard to the right. Her bike tilted toward the ground and she slid beneath the truck. "Whoa! This is intense!" She moved into the emergency lane, completing her path beneath the truck. "Hey Naddie!" She fired a purple missile at the Naddie. It struck the green motorcycle and exploded directly in front of her. Black sparks of light washed over her body as the Naddie and bike were teleported to the moon. "One down!"
"Crystal!" Kimberly shouted. "Let's tag team these guys!"
"Where are you?" Crystal asked, darting in and out of gaps between cars.
Kimberly glanced ahead of her and shouted, "I'm about to pass mile marker 78! There's a huge cluster of birds up here!"
"I'm on my way!" Crystal cried. She evened up with the yellow line and accelerated suddenly, rearing back on her rear tire. "Whoa!" Crystal laughed. The front tire hit the ground and she zoomed past the steady flow of traffic. "That was kinda fun!"
Kimberly veered across the road, shooting a spray of bullets across the interstate. Two motorcycle tires blew out, sending their riders to the ground. All four machines disappeared in black sparkles of light.
Crystal was suddenly beside Kimberly. "Let's use our lasers!" Crystal recommended.
"Right!" Kimberly agreed. Both Rangers opened fire, sending a wave of red and pink laser beams across the group of Naddies. While one laser shot was not enough to incapacitate a Naddie, it did succeed in knocking them off of their bikes, where they exploded on contact with the ground.
"Leave some for me!" Allison shouted, driving up through the emergency lane.
A Naddie suddenly flipped its bike over, directly in Allison's path. "Watch out!" Crystal shouted, but it was a few seconds too late. The front wheel of the Purple Power Bike connected with the Naddie's bike and tipped over, sending Allison crashing to the pavement. She slid several feet, finally coming to stop about thirty feet from the collision.
Allison rolled over and saw that her Power Bike was lying perfectly still in the middle of the slow lane. A car was mere seconds from running over the bike that to the driver was invisible, and no doubt causing a major pile-up. "Power down!" Allison shouted instinctively to make the Power Bike disappear to the grid. A split second later, she realized what she had done. Her armor burst off of her body in purple sparkles of light, leaving her sitting in the middle of the interstate, complete unmorphed.
"Allison!" Kimberly shouted.
The unmorphed Purple Ranger screamed and brought her left thumb and middle finger together. She half-melted into a stream of purple light when the car ran over her. A bright purple flash filled the air and purple sparkles of light were thrown everywhere.
"NO!" Crystal cried, driving onto the median and abandoning her Power Bike. Kimberly was close behind.
"Has that ever happened before?!" Kimberly cried.
"No!" Crystal said, panicked. "Allison!" A few solitary balls of purple light began to drift toward them. "Allison?"
"Omicron?" Kimberly asked. "Where is Allison?"
"I saw it happen on the Viewing Screen," Omicron said. "I can't locate Purple Ranger's vitals anywhere. Her teleport stream was severely disrupted. I'm registering her energy all over the place out there."
"Crystal," Kimberly muttered. "Look." A literal cloud of purple light was beginning to collect on the median. Sparks of light were flying toward them from everywhere. A bright purple flash exploded, and Allison was dumped onto the grassy median.
"Allison!" Crystal cried, immediately at her side. "Are you okay?"
"I think so," Allison said, patting her body to make sure she hadn't lost any vital body parts in the teleport process. "I'll be fine. You all go back after the Naddies. I'll be there in a second."
"Right," Kimberly said. "Come on, Crystal."
Allison sighed deeply as Crystal and Kimberly ran back to their Power Bikes. Her heart was still beating a mile a minute, and she gave herself another quick once-over just to make absolutely sure she hadn't lost any body parts in her scattered teleport. She glanced up just as a string of Naddies darted down the south bound lane. Allison hooked her right arm up and twisted her wrist. Purple light flowed down her arm and materialized in her fist, producing her purple Morpher. "MASTODON!!!"
A purple outline of her armor appeared on her body. Purple light flowed down her body, filling in the outline. A purple ghostly image of the Mastodon appeared behind her. With a thunderous trumpet, it roared toward her. The ghostly Mastodon descended toward her, transforming itself into a purple outline of her helmet. Purple light flashed around her head, and her long blonde hair was pulled up beneath her helmet instantaneously, neatly and painlessly tucked into the back of the helmet. The whole process took only a brief millisecond, and she was clad in her armor.
"POWER BIKE!!!" she cried angrily. It appeared before her in a bright purple flash. She hopped onto the back and sped into the flow of traffic.
"Crystal," Kimberly called, "distract 'em for me and I'll take care of business!"
"You got it!" Crystal agreed, increasing the gap between her and the crowd of Naddies.
"Loading heat seekers," Kimberly muttered, taking her eyes off of the road for a brief second to examine her console. "Twelve Naddies, three weapons cannons, four shots…" She pushed a few more buttons and shouted, "Okay Crystal! Pull out!"
Crystal veered to the left as Kimberly fired. Three weapons cannons lifted out of the front of the motorcycle, and four pink heat seeking missiles were rapid fired from each cannon. Kimberly pulled off of the Interstate and parked beside Crystal. A few seconds later, the twelve heatseekers connected with their targets, making a huge explosion which soon disappeared in black light.
"Let's see how you all like this trick," Allison growled angrily. A revolving machine gun barrel lifted from the front of her bike. "FIRE!!!" Multiple bullets were fired from the gun, striking the Naddies before her. The Naddies began to twist and contort wildly as they were riddled full of bullets. The few remaining Naddies exploded in black light, leaving the interstate free of the mechanical enemy.
Allison pulled off to the side of the road as Crystal and Kimberly caught up with her. "Let's go back to the Command Center," Crystal said. "We might be needed elsewhere."
"Right," Allison and Crystal agreed before they disappeared in three sparkling streaks of red, purple, and pink light.
"The Naddies are at a height of eighteen thousand feet and dropping," Omicron said. "Get up there and stop 'em before they reach the Earth."
"Right," Dana agreed.
"Hold on," Jason said. "How do these things work?"
"Yeah, the Power isn't exactly telling us what to do since the Power Boards aren't really ours," Billy added.
"It's all mental," Tara explained. "Just imagine how you want to move, and that's pretty much all there is to it. But remember, all fighting in the air has to be done with your weapons or your upper body. If you try to kick, you'll just flip yourself upside down because both feet are attached."
"But don't be afraid to be daring," Dana mentioned. "Air fights are very tricky, and sometimes, weird techniques are what it takes to get the job done."
"Right," Jason and Billy agreed. The four Rangers nodded and shouted, "POWER BOARDS!!!"
The small skateboard-like object appeared before them. The surface was completely smooth and showed no apparent means of attaching to the Rangers' boots. "You just jump on 'em and go?" Billy asked nervously.
"Yep," Dana said, demonstrating her point by hopping onto her own green Board which hovered about two feet off of the ground. Hidden mechanisms within the Power Board locked onto the soles of her boot, giving her a completely secure surface to stand on.
"Right," Billy said, jumping onto his own board. It wobbled a few times, prompting him to put his hands out to the sides to steady himself.
"See," Tara said. "It's not hard." Tara and Jason simultaneously jumped onto their Power Boards.
"Now let's go!" Dana commanded.
"Right!" the others agreed. Perfectly on cue, they slowly lifted into the air.
"The atmosphere is an awful big place," Jason said as they steadily increased their speed. "How does the fight take place?"
"Fast, furious, and everywhere," Tara said. "Don't worry about finding the Naddies. They find you, and they fight dirty."
"You're almost there, and you're looking good," Omicron said warmly. "Billy and Jason, just stay calm, don't let the Naddies rush you, and you'll be fine. And remember, you're fighting in a 3-D atmosphere. You can always go up or down to escape for a moment."
"Here they come!" Tara shouted.
"Good Lord!" Billy cried, looking down. "How high up are we?!"
"Don't think about it and you'll be fine," Dana said. "BRACHIOSAURUS TRIDENT!!!"
Dozens of Naddies were suddenly flying all around the Rangers, screeching angrily and summoning their weapons.
"POWER SWORD!!!"
"POWER LANCE!!!"
"SABER-TOOTH TIGER BOW AND ARROW!!!"
Tara pulled back on her bow and produced a yellow arrow. "There's one good thing about fighting in the air!" She fired the air, spun around, and smashed the bow across the chest of a Naddie that attempted to sneak up behind her. Both Naddies fell of their boards and began the long fall to the Earth. She flipped, never once changing her stance, and hit a Naddie flying above her. The Naddie's board disintegrated, sending the board tumbling to the Earth, falling too fast to regain flight. "It doesn't take nearly as much to take 'em out up here."
Billy snapped his Power Lances into a long bo and spun it above his head. He thrust a spike forward, spearing a Naddie, and then pulled it back, spearing another Naddie on the other end. He shook both deactivated machines off of the Lance and spun in a circle, knocking two birds away from him.
Dana beat Naddies furiously with her trident, while Jason cleanly sliced through Naddies with his Power Sword. However, a Naddie with a similar-sized Sword knocked his from his hand, sending it plummeting to the Earth. "No you don't!" Jason shouted, pulling his red Power Blaster from the holster at his waist and began firing at the Naddies.
A wave of blue light suddenly washed in front of Billy's eyes. "Whoa," he said, dropping a few feet in altitude. "What was that?" Before he had time to analyze his problem, however, his Power Board disappeared in a blue flash of light. With a cry of alarm, he dropped straight out of the atmosphere.
"Billy!" Tara shouted.
"Go get him!" Dana shouted, bringing her Trident down in a wide swipe across a Naddie's chest. "We'll handle things up here!"
"Right!" Tara cried, putting her bow away and rushing toward the falling Ranger. "Teleport Billy! Teleport!" Tara yelled at him. He made no reply, nor did he disappear in the customary blue streak of sparkling light.
She caught up to him and scooped the larger body in her arms. She realized a few seconds later that the reason he hadn't answered was because he was unconscious. Yellow Ranger looked up to see Dana and Jason zooming toward her after having defeated the crowd of Naddies in an adrenaline powered rush.
"What's wrong?" Jason shouted, sliding to a stop beside her.
"I don't know!" Tara answered. "He's knocked out somehow!"
"But he's morphed!" Dana cried. "That's impossible!"
"POWER SCAN!!!" Jason shouted. Immediately, the visor on his helmet was replaced with a sheet of silver. He turned his gaze at the still Blue Ranger in Tara's arms. "He's registering everything normal. Brain waves, vitals… It's like he's asleep."
"Let's get back to the Command Center," Dana said. They teleported away in four streaks of colored light.
Beth and Katherine teleported into the Command Center, each carrying an unconscious Blue Ranger. Beth was having an easier time than Katherine, for she was still morphed. Kat, however, held Rocky up by his shoulders and was not having an easy time.
"Careful," Omicron said, hurrying over to her. She helped Kat lower Rocky to the ground.
"I'll prepare some cots," Sigma volunteered hurriedly, concentrating his mental efforts on his Sword.
"Pterodactyl Down!" Beth shouted. Her armor burst into a cloud of pink sparks, and the sea water on her armor dropped onto her skin and clothing. "What happened to them?" she asked.
"No idea," Omicron said. "Maybe Duran has given Nadia a new type of de-morph laser."
Both bodies disappeared in blue sparkles of light. "What happened?" Kat asked.
"They're in here," Sigma shouted. "Don't worry. That was me."
"Come on," Beth said, taking Kat's hand. The two girls ran to the left side of the Command Center. A section of the wall opened, revealing a doorway of light with fog rolling out.
"Is it safe?" Kat asked.
"The fog is mainly for show," Omicron said, ushering the two Pink Rangers within.
Rocky and I both lay on similar blue cots in the small well-lit infirmary. "Sigma?" Beth asked. "What-…?"
"I don't know," he answered. "They're fine, but… They just aren't with us right now."
"You guys!" Dana shouted suddenly from the main room.
"Uh oh," Omicron muttered, running to them. "What happened with you all?"
"Something happened to Billy," Tara said, still carrying the body that was considerably larger than her in her arms.
"In there," Omicron instructed. "I gotta figure out what's going on…"
Red, pink, and purple temporarily bathed the Command Center as the three other Rangers teleported in. "Man, what a rush!" Crystal shouted with a laugh. "Tyrannosaurus Down!"
"Something's wrong," Dana said. "Brachiosaurus Down. The Blue Rangers aren't responding to anything."
Blue light flashed all about me. "Helloooo?!" I shouted. I looked down the length of my body and saw that I was demorphed and in the clothing I had worn before the fight.
I took a few steps forward, and the light suddenly disappeared. Reality rushed at me again, and I knew, immediately, where I was at. "The Grid," I said. I was standing at the intersection of all of the colors. My right foot was in the pink and my left foot in the yellow with blue directly before me.
"What's going on?!" I shouted. My voice was immediately lost in the vastness of the cosmic landscape.
"Jeremy?!" a voice suddenly called.
"Who's there?!"
"Rocky!" I turned around and suddenly saw Rocky standing just a few feet from me. We both cried in alarm and jumped away. "You scared me."
"Wasn't exactly good for me, either," Rocky said. "What are we doing in the grid?"
"I wouldn't mind knowing myself," yet another familiar voice said from my right.
"Billy?" Rocky asked.
"In the flesh," Billy said. Unlike Rocky and myself, Billy was morphed. He removed his helmet and looked about us nervously. "Has that happened before?"
"Nope," I answered truthfully. "This is a first."
"Hi."
I turned to the voice's source and saw a young girl, no more than six or seven years old, standing a few feet away from me. "Me?"
She giggled and said, "Yep. Hi." She was a very pretty little girl, with long honey-brown hair and bright blueish-green eyes. A truly innocent smile was plastered on her face.
"Hi," I said, confused. "What's your name?"
She giggled and said, "You know my name."
"Actually, I don't," I told her. Rocky and Billy stood behind me and watched my conversation with the mysterious little girl in awe.
"I know your name," she said with a smile.
I took a few steps toward the girl and knelt before her so that we were eye to eye. "How do you know me?"
The little girl laughed again with a laugh so eerily familiar it quite literally scared me. "Cause you're my daddy!" She giggled happily again.
"Wha?" Rocky asked.
"She has your laugh," Billy said, completely shocked.
"Excuse me?" I asked in horrified awe. "I don't have a kid."
"None that you know of, anyhow," Billy said.
"No," I said. "I do NOT have a kid. Trust me on this one."
"You're silly, Daddy," she giggled. "I haven't been born yet."
"Oh thank God," I said. "I was starting to think I had forgotten something REALLY important."
"I was sent to give you a message," she said. "If you lose," and suddenly, the humor dropped from her face and she carried an expression of seriousness that no little girl should ever have, "I won't be born."
"Neither will we," a boy about her age said as he walked up to her. He had short brown hair, warm brown eyes, and a mischievous grin. Yet another little girl, this one with long black hair, walked up with him.
"Are you two… my kids, too?"
The little girl shook her head and smiled at Billy.
"You're my daughter?" Billy asked hopefully.
"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Father," she said with a smile.
"Are you…?" Rocky asked, pointing at the little boy.
"Uh huh," he said, laughing. My daughter laughed along with him.
"None of us will be born if you don't win," Rocky's son told him. "Cause Duran will attack this Friday night. And if he wins, then you'll die on this world."
"We'll win," Rocky promised them.
"Yes," I agreed. I smiled at this child I had never seen before, and despite feeling no paternal instincts for her yet, knew that I had to bring this child into the world. "Can I ask you a question?"
"I don't know if I can answer," she said. "But I guess you can ask…"
"What's your name?" I requested. "Please."
She smiled and said, "Dorothy Jane."
"I like that name," I told her. "Did your mother actually let me name you that?"
"Yep," Dorothy Jane said, smiling uncontrollably. "You'll make a deal. If I'm a girl, you could name me Dorothy Jane. If I was supposed to be a boy, she would name him Duke."
"Duke?" I asked. "I like that, too. Are you my only child?"
"I haven't even been born yet," Dorothy Jane said. "But no, I'm not."
"What is your name, sweetheart?" Billy asked his daughter.
"Kittie," she answered with a slight grin.
"And you?" Rocky asked almost nervously.
"Christian," the boy answered.
"You're my son?"
"Yeah," he said. "You're gonna be a fun Dad."
"I think you'll be a fun kid, yourself," Rocky said.
"We have to go now," Dorothy Jane told us.
"I have one piece of advice for you," Christian whispered. "Look for help in unobvious places." Fog suddenly began to cloud up all around us, and I couldn't see the children anymore.
"Dorothy Jane!" I shouted, sitting up in bed.
"Christian," Rocky muttered, somewhere near me.
"And Kittie," Billy added, snapping from his own comatose state as well.
"You're awake," Omicron breathed, suddenly at my side.
"What happened?" I murmured, trying to gain a sense of my surroundings.
"In the fight this morning, Nadia had a de-morph laser. Worse one yet, but I've already made a counter for it and we'll incorporate it into your armor tonight. But, it knocked you and the other Blue Rangers out cold," Omicron explained.
"How long were we out?" Rocky asked.
"A few hours," Omicron answered. "Who are those people you mentioned?"
"Our children," Billy whispered.
"Are you all doing okay?" Beth asked me.
"I feel fine," Rocky told her. Beth, Crystal, the five Angel Grove Rangers, and I were crammed in our tree. Beth, Kimberly, and I shared my branch, Rocky, Billy, and Katherine were on the other, while Jason and Crystal sat slightly above us. We were up in the tree to watch the sun set after a very long day.
"It's like we just went to sleep for a while," I told her. Rocky, Billy, and I had sworn Omicron and Sigma to secrecy about meeting our children in the grid.
We all sat in silence for a while, before I finally asked, "Beth? What do you think of the name Dorothy Jane?"
"For like a pet?"
"No, a kid," I told her.
"Eew," she said. "I would not do that to a child."
"How about Duke?" I asked. "Do you like Duke?"
"For a dog maybe," she said. She turned to look at me and said, "Why?"
"No reason," I answered.
"Got room for another body up there?" Allison asked as she climbed up beside us.
"We can squeeze you in up here," Crystal said, scooting over to make room for the Purple Ranger.
Yellow light streaked past us and materialized on a branch near Jason. "What did you climb for?" Tara asked with a satisfied smile. "Teleporting is easier."
"Takes the fun out of it," Allison said as she moved herself into position.
Green light streaked past us and materialized beside Tara. "Hey guys," Dana said as she settled in place.
"I hate Monday nights," Beth complained. "There's never anything to do."
"We can watch the stars from the top of the tree after the sun sets," I volunteered.
"Like I said, there's never anything to do on Monday nights," Beth complained.
"I, for one, am glad to have a night off," Crystal said.
"I second that," Allison muttered.
"It's so beautiful," Dana whispered as the last sliver of the sun disappeared beneath the horizon. The entire sky was painted with pink, purple, and red clouds.
"We gotta win," Tara said firmly.
"We will," I told her. "I know that now. We will."
"Somehow," Billy said.
"We had better climb up top before it gets to dark to see," Rocky said.
"Right," I agreed. "It's impossible to get up this tree without light."
"Well let's go," Jason said.
An hour later, the sky was pitch black and covered with an infinite spread of stars. Beep beep beepbeep beep beep. "Uh oh," Kimberly said.
"We read you Sigma," Beth said into her thumb. A small circle of pink light was visible on her thumb and index finger.
"Omicron, actually. I just wanted to tell you that everything seems pretty calm tonight. We don't anticipate any kind of emergency tonight, so we're going to take your powers, teleportation, and communications off-line for a while to upgrade, et cetera. Stuff like that. If anything happens, we'll let you know."
"Good deal," Beth said. "Good night you guys."
"G'night," Omicron said as the communications ended abruptly.
"I just had a bad thought," Katherine said.
"What's that?" Dana asked.
"Did anybody bring a flashlight?"
"Oh crap," I muttered. "Guess we'll have to teleport out."
"We can't," Beth said right in my left ear. "Remember?"
"Oh man," Jason said. "Maybe we can risk it."
"Can you see anything except up?" Rocky asked.
"We're stuck in this tree?" Crystal asked.
"Unless somebody has a flashlight with them," I said. "You would kill yourself trying to climb down in the dark."
"Maybe we can still morph," Kimberly suggested.
"Nope," Dana said. "Omicron will take you all off-line as well to incorporate a counter-frequency so Nadia's de-morph laser won't work on you. We're stuck."
"This is just sad," Jason said. "We defended the planet this morning, but as soon as the sun set, we get stuck in a tree."
"We won't have to spend the night up here, will we?" Katherine asked.
"Nah," I answered. "Just two or three hours. Until Omicron puts teleportation back on-line anyhow."
"This is embarrassing," Tara moaned.
"Let's just enjoy the view until we can get out," Crystal said.
"Yeah," Beth agreed. "But, if you'll excuse me, I am going to make myself more comfortable."
"How?" I asked.
"Just hold still for a sec," Beth said. She placed a hand on my shoulder and slowly climbed to her feet.
"Careful," Rocky warned.
"I am," Beth said. "Jeremy, scoot over."
"Yes ma'am," I said, sliding over to make room for her on my right.
"My leg was falling asleep where I was at," Beth said. She knelt down, still holding a firm grip on my shoulder. "Now just give me a sec. Hold on…. What is that?!"
"That's my thigh," Rocky said dryly.
"Sorry," Beth murmured. "Just … hold on … a se- whoops."
"Ow!" Jason shouted, wincing in pain. "Watch where you catch yourself!" He was sitting on the branch above us, and when Beth caught herself on a particularly sensitive area, his foot lashed out and hit me in the back of the head.
"Watch it," I warned.
"Think you're causing enough trouble over there?" Dana asked.
"My foot is asleep," Beth said.
"Just sit down," I said.
"I can't exactly see," Beth told her. "Now what is this I'm holding on to?"
"That's my thigh now," Jason told her.
"Sit down," I told her, pulling her into a seated position. She shrieked and sat down with a thump on my leg. We both shouted in alarm.
"Sorry," Beth said. She scooted off of me and sat beside me.
"You went through all of that just to sit on the other side?" Crystal asked with a laugh. "Girl, you ain't right."
"Hush Crystal," Beth laughed back. "I did all of that because my foot was asleep."
"Aw geez," Kimberly said. "I think my leg is asleep now."
"Oh crap," Billy said, who was sitting beside Kimberly.
"What time is it?" Allison asked with a sigh. So far, we had all been through many, many moves, whenever someone happened to have a limb fall asleep.
"Nine o'clock," Rocky muttered. "Man, I'm starting to ache."
"I am never climbing up this tree again," Tara said firmly.
"I can't believe I didn't think of a flashlight," I said.
Beep beep beepbeep beep beep.
"Thank God," Tara said. Twenty-two points of light were glowing in the tree, one each on our thumb and index finger. "Is teleportation back on-line yet?"
"Yeah," Omicron said. "Why? You planning on goin' someplace?"
"You could say that," I answered.
"We've been stuck in this tree for an hour and a half!" Beth complained. The communications line abruptly