Author's Note: Okay, this takes place immediately after Gem Beginning, which took place shortly before Kat came to Angel Grove. Now, I'm going to take some creative liberties with some events from the show, changing them around, but I'll try and stay as true as possible to the show. If you enjoy this, please WRITE ME!!! As for the Disclaimer for Gem Beginning, I didn't really expect the site keepers to put it up so soon, (not that I'm complaining!) so I didn't have a chance to put on on Gem Beginning.

A pair of ice blue eyes stared down at the Earth as it floated in the frigid coldness of space, and a pair of sultry lips smile. "So, this is the planet that my brother cannot conquer, eh?" Dejanna, sorceress, conqueror, and warrior observed the planet through a globe of black energy with a smirk. "What makes this planet so special?" she asked, and motioned towards the ball. The scene within changed to six colorfully clad warriors fighting off a monster, and she raised an eyebrow. "SIX?" she asked. "And where did Zordon get the White Coin? Corbeth!"

A dark skinned Aquishian entered Dejanna's workroom, and bowed. "Yes, my lady?" His planet had been a colony of Aquitar, and had been the first that Dejanna had conquered. Dejannna had chosen Corbeth for his technical skills, and was the only survivor of his planet.

"Find me anything on the Earth Rangers. What makes them so special?" Dejanna demanded.

"I can tell you right now that the White Ranger was once the Green Ranger, until Zedd finally finished off the Green Ranger Powers."

"WHAT?" Dejanna turned back to the globe with renewed interest. She motioned and the globe focused on the White Ranger. "THAT'S who Zedd had me engaged to?"

"Yes, my lady."

Dejanna turned to where seven differently colored gems rested on a black cushion. Royal purple, blood red, emerald green, sun yellow, sea blue, tiger orange and clear white, the gems glowed in the dim light of the workroom with their own powers. Dejanna walked over, and picked up the purple gem. "Then it's time to fight fire with fire. Head for Earth." Corbeth bowed, and backed out.

As soon as the Aquishian was gone, Dejanna addressed the stone. "Gem of Power, show me your other half, born again and ignorant of her true destiny." The gem glowed from within with a purple light, and an image began to form within. A human girl, with long red hair that was pulled back into a single braid, was practicing alone in a room lined with mats, and she expertly swung a sword around in controlled chops. The silver blade moved faster and faster, blurring into a flashing streak. The girl was concentrating solely on the blade, never losing control as her hands and arms urged the sword to even greater speeds. Then, the girl stopped, her sword inches from a boy's face, and the girl's face focused on the intruder. She smiled, and the boy said something, his face and demeanor sad. The girl's face fell, and she dropped her sword.

The girl shook her head, saying something to negate what the boy said, but the boy just looked at the girl sadly. The girl backed away, turn, and ran away. The image faded, but Dejanna's mind contained knowledge about the girl, even the fact that she had just been orphaned by a car accident. "Soon, Tyler, you will be mine again," Dejanna promised. "And then the other Gemborns with you."

Tyler sighed, and watched as the last of the guest drove down the driveway. The townhouse suddenly seemed empty, especially with only her in it. Michael and John, her older brothers, were off living their own lives, and Tyler had the house to herself. Tyler walked through the silent house, and dropped into the recliner in the family room.

Tyler stared around her in despair at the various pieces of furniture as memories of the times spent in this room rose in her mind, unbidden. Times when she had been sick, and stayed on the sofa, Christmas mornings, opening presents, and going through the stockings, and birthday parties. A sad smile grew on her lips as she thought of her numerous dates being questioned here by her father and older brothers. A sob rose in her throat, and the tears that she had been holding back since hearing of the accident broke free.

"Ty!" A pair of strong arms wrapped around Tyler, and she clung to her brother as the sobs wracked her body. Another hand touched her shoulder, and she knew that both of her brothers were trying to comfort her.

As the tears slowed, Tyler wiped her nose on an offered tissue, and she looked up at her lighter brother. Concerned gray eyes met her purple ones, and she sniffed. "Mi- Mikey, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"Our baby sister is living alone, because our parents are dead. Of course we'd come, Tyler." Michael hugged the younger girl, and said, "Come live with us, Ty. You're not ready to live by yourself. Especially not in this house, all by your lonesome."

"In Angel Grove?" Tyler asked, surprised. "What about the monsters?"

John, silent until now, smiled, and said, "Don't worry about them. The Power Rangers handle them. It's safe enough." He came back over, and said, "Besides, someone has to watch out for our baby sis." He smiled gently down at Tyler, and held out his hands. "Mr. Lewynski has taken care of everything," John said. "Your legal guardianship has been transferred to us, and he's making sure that everything will be taken care of until you're ready to take those things over."

"He also said that you're into investing stocks?" Michael asked.

"It's a knack," Tyler shrugged.

"Well, it must be some knack, because he's leaving the stock portfolio in your hands," Michael said. "Come on, we'll help you get your things packed."

Tyler snorted. "More like bungle the packing up."

"Oh, Eugene says hello," John said. "You'll be going to school with him."

Tyler brightened at the mention of her cousin. "Euie? Really? Cool." She knew from talking to her cousin that the other kids around the school generally thought of him as a clutz, but she could show him a thing or two.

Rocky sighed and dropped into a chair at the rangers' usual table in the Youth Center, and said, "Another day, another monster. Just your average week in Angel Grove." He winced and rolled his shoulders. "To be honest, I'm not sure which was worse, though. The latest monster, or that chemistry test. How did you do, Adam?" When there was no answer, Rocky looked at his best friend. "Adam?"

The Black ranger was staring at the practice mats in awe. Rocky slowly turned towards the mat, and saw a girl practicing a kata with a sword. He couldn't tell what type because the blade was moving too fast, but he would lay odds that it was a katana. Rocky looked back at Adam, and saw that the black ranger's eyes were dazed. "Hey, go talk to her, Adam."

"What?" Adam asked, coming back to reality. "Oh, no, I couldn't. I don't know anything about her." He blushed, but his gaze returned to the girl on the practice mats.

Tyler felt the sensation of eyes on her again, and checked out of the corner of her eye. Sure enough, the cute one in black was looking at her again. Tyler suppressed a smile, and concentrated on her kata. A presence brushed against her focused awareness, and she stopped her katana a few inches away from a boy with long brown hair dressed in white. He eyed the blade warily as Tyler struggled to hold the sword away from the teen. He edged by, and Tyler mastered the urge to finish the swing. She sheathed the katana into a worn scabbard with one motion, and apologized. "I'm sorry. I didn't see you there."

"Nice control," the boy said. Tyler shrugged off the compliment. "It's something I picked up in my travels," she said.

"Do you travel a lot?"

Tyler shrugged. "I guess you could say so. I'm from a military family, and you could say it's in our genes." She turned, and headed for her gym bag. She heard the boy follow, and rolled her eyes while facing away from him. The boy couldn't take a hint!

"I'm Tommy," the boy in white said.

"Tyler. Actually, it's Katherine Tyler, but everyone calls me Tyler, my preference." Tyler glanced at the hand Tommy held out, and expected him to take the hint to leave.

But he didn't. His hand dropped, but he waited for Tyler. She mentally sighed, and decided it was time to be blunt. "Look, Tommy, as a general rule, I don't trust any guy that's so handsome that they have to beat the girls off with a stick, and you count as one of them." With that, she turned and walked away.

Rocky and Adam couldn't hear what the girl said, but when she stalked away, leaving a stunned Tommy behind. Rocky and Adam exchanged puzzled glances, and as Tommy walked over, Rocky asked, "What did she say?"

"This is a first," Tommy said. "She didn't trust me because I was too attractive."

"What?" Rocky asked, trying to hold back a laugh. Adam wasn't doing any better, and as the White Ranger sat down, Rocky and Adam exchanged glances, and then laughed. Tommy looked at the two, and said, "It isn't funny."

"What?" Kim walked up behind the three rangers, and Rocky calmed down enough to say, "A new girl must have thought that Tommy was trying to hit on her, because he's too good looking."

"What?" Kim asked, not believing her ears.

Tommy shifted uncomfortably, and said, "She said that as a general rule of thumb, she doesn't trust any guy who's so handsome that they have to beat the girls off with a stick, and that I qualify as one of them."

Kim giggled behind her hand, but it was cut off as the rangers' communicators went off. The rangers looked around, and Tommy said, "We read you."

"Come to the Command Center right away," Zordon said.

"We're on our way." Tommy signed off, and the rangers stood up to walk over to their usual teleport place. As they disappeared into colorful streams, they didn't notice a pair of hidden eyes watching them teleport out.

The four rangers landed together in the Command Center, followed shortly by Aisha and Billy, landing in teleport streams of yellow and blue. Tommy took command, and asked, "What's wrong, Zordon?"

"The sensors have detected a huge ship approaching the Earth, using a vector where the moon is acting as a natural shield to prevent accurate identification. All I can sense from it is a great evil and it's expected to enter the solar system in about a week."

"No need to try and identify me, Zordon. I'll tell you who I am." Everyone that could turned to face the viewing globe, where a woman with long, black hair sat on an elegant throne, dressed in greens and blues. She smiled evilly, and said, "I'm Dejanna, and I'm here to take my brother's place. You'll be seeing some of my helpers soon, rangers. Until then," she said, waving cheerfully. With that, the Viewing Globe went black.

"Brother?" the rangers asked, turning back to Zordon.

Zordon sighed. "Dejanna is a powerful sorceress and warrior, and is the adopted sister of Lord Zedd, and is worse than anything you've encountered so far. She has the Rainbow Gems and commands the Mecca Knights, animated suits of armor that are very powerful. Little is known about the process of making a Mecca Knight, other than the fact that it takes a powerful magic-user to create them."

"What are the Rainbow Gems?" Billy asked.

"The Rainbow Gems are jewels which contain great powers but the powers are accessible only to their living half, known as a Gemborn. That Dejanna is coming here must mean that she has gained knowledge of a Gemborn that lives on Earth."

"How can you identify a Gemborn?" Billy asked.

"That is unknown, Billy. The Rainbow Gems were thought to be an ancient myth, even by Eltarian standards, and were never considered as a possible Power source. All that is known is that most Gemborn never know their true heritages."

Kim asked, "So it's going to be impossible to find them before Dejanna shows interest in a person, huh?"

"Unfortunately so," Zordon said. With that bit of cheerful news, the rangers began pulling up every bit of information the Command Center had on Gemborns.

The next morning, Adam was walking to school when he bumped into someone. They both dropped their books, and knelt down to collect them. "Sorry," he apologized, then looked up. At first, all he saw was long red hair, but then the girl looked up, and Adam's jaw dropped. Meeting his eyes was the most incredible eyes he had ever seen. An incredible shade of blue, they reminded him of the sky on a winter's day.

Tyler, on the other hand, was just as speechless. Dark brown eyes met hers, and she was instantly lost in their depts. She finished gathering her things and stood up with the boy. "I- I'm Tyler," she stuttered an introduction.

Adam was lost for a minute, then realized that she was introducing herself. "Oh, I'm Adam. Going to school?"

"Yeah," Tyler said, straightening the skirt of her black jumper. Under the jumper, she had a dark purple silk blouse, and she tugged on the sleeves, not wanting to look at Adam for fear that she'd lose herself in his eyes. "I was supposed to meet someone, but he hadn't come by, so I decided to walk there myself."

"Uh, can I join you?" Adam asked. Tyler looked up at him and smiled, and Adam was startled at how it lit up her face. "I'd be honored," she replied, and they started to walk down the street.

"So, where did you come from?" Adam asked.

"Panama City," she said. "At least, most recently. I've traveled around a lot. When Mom and Dad had business, they'd bring me along. I grew up learning to speak Japanese, German, French, and Spanish, besides English, and I also know quite a bit of Danish and Russian."

Adam smiled, and asked, "Like what?" Tyler looked at Adam, and said something in a different language. "What did you just say?" Adam asked Tyler blushed, and said, "That was Danish. It was, 'it's a lovely day.'"

:Well, not quite,: she said to herself. What she had said was, "I could spend all day staring at your lovely eyes." But she didn't want to tell Adam that, just yet. She wanted to get to know him better. She sensed a deepness to him.

"Hey, Adam!" Tyler's head snapped up at the voice and she stopped, staring. Adam stopped, and asked, "What's wrong?"

She asked, "You know him?" motioning ahead. Tommy and Rocky were waiting. "I... kinda said something rude to him."

Adam smiled, and said, "Tommy isn't one to hold a grudge." Adam snorted, and said, "Kim wouldn't let him anyways."

"Who's Kim?" Tyler said, her curiosity piqued.

"His girlfriend. They're really close," Adam informed her. As he spoke, he started walking, and Tyler joined him. Soon they were up to Tommy. Adam smiled at his friends, and said, "Rocky, this is Tyler. Tommy, I believe you two have met before."

Both blushed at that, and Tyler said, "About what I said yesterday, I'm sorry. It's just that most guys I know would have been hitting on me."

"Don't worry about it," Tommy said. "I can understand why you would be thinking about it, but I already have a girlfriend." The group headed down the street, and Tommy asked, "Where did you learn control like that?"

Tyler shrugged. "Here and there. It's something that I've been working on since I was seven, and started learning martial arts. One of my parents' partners asked if I was interested, and, at the time, I didn't really have a lot to do, since my tutor wasn't feeling well. His son, who owned his own dojo, took some time out for me, and pretty soon, it was time to move again, and because I was always on the move with my parents, I started looking around for different teachers. I've never taken a test to see where I am, but I've been told I'm pretty good. A few years ago, my first sensei gave me the sword when I saw him again, as a birthday gift."

"You must have had an interesting childhood," Rocky commented. Tyler shrugged. "Mom and Dad owned a megacorp, or at least most of it. I was their designated heir, and when I wasn't in school, I was generally traveling with them, learning about the biz, and getting to know the contacts and the partners, etc."

"Hey, Red!" The group stopped and turned at the shout, and Bulk and Skull drove up in their motorcycle. Skull pulled off his helmet and goggles, and said, "You weren't waiting for me," in a wounded tone.

"You were late, Euie," Tyler shot back. "I had to start walking."

Skull laughed, and said, "Want a ride to school?"

Tyler snorted. "No, I'm wearing a skirt. Hey, Tiny," she directed at Bulk. "I'll see you two at school. And, Euie, you'll have to face the wrath of Mike and John." Skull made a face, and pulled on his helmet, before driving off. Tyler smiled after the two, and the rangers stared in surprise.

"You know them?" Tommy asked.

Tyler smiled, and said, "Euie is my cousin. I've met Tiny a time or two."

"Tiny? Euie?" Rocky asked.

"Well, Tiny, because I could never remember his name. Euie, when I was little, I could never say Eugene. It always came out Euie. It's kinda become a joke between the two of us." Her smile softened, and she said, "He's a sweetheart."

"Excuse me, are we talking about the same person? Eugene Skullovitch?" Rocky asked.

"Yeah," Tyler said. "That's the same guy. It's just that I know him better than you."

Tommy snorted, and said, "The Skull we know is generally tripping over his two feet." The other rangers laughed, and Tyler narrowed her eyes angrily.

"If you're going to be that small minded," she began, "then I don't want to hang around you." With that, she stormed away. The rangers stopped in shock, and as Tyler rounded a corner, exchanged puzzled glances.

"Maybe we did misjudge him," Rocky said. Any reply made by the others was cut off as a shriek penetrated the morning air. The rangers dropped their books, and ran around the corner. They pulled up to a stop at seeing Tyler fighting off the Tengas.

Even with the restrictions the skirt put on her kicks, Tyler was putting up a pretty good defensive with just her punches. But before she could finish off the first ones, more Tengas appeared, and Tommy said, "Let's do it guys. We need Ninja Ranger Power!"

Tyler didn't hear Tommy, having gotten into what she called the Zone. All her mind registered was target, action, reaction. Her brain became a fighting computer, recording all of her opponents' moves, and planning her next move before she made it.

She flipped a black form that was sneaking up behind her, and slowly, she realized that it wasn't one of the over grown birds that had attacked her. Her eyes cleared from the battle haze, and she realized that what she had flipped wasn't a Tenga, but someone in a black ninja outfit. "Sorry," she apologized, panting. She backed off, and walked over to where she had dropped her things. Turning to grin at the rangers, she said, "That was a good morning work out. Later." She saluted them, and, shrugging to get her backpack settled, headed off through the park.

Dejanna laughed and clapped her hands. "Return to me, Spyder!" she commanded, and a mechanical spider appeared on a pedestal set up for it. Dejanna stroked it, knowing that it was just a robot, but it still wriggled as if it appreciated her attention. "Wasn't that just lovely, what my Gemborn did to those nasty Tengas?" she asked Corbeth.

The Aquishian was standing behind the sorceress, and said, "Yes, my lady. She is a formidable fighter, and would be a valuable addition to your crew."

"I know," Dejanna said, smiling. "ALL Gemborns are fighters by nature." Dejanna narrowed her eyes, and said, "My DEAR brother and his wife will have to pay for trying to grab my Gemborn. But how shall I make him pay?"

"May I make a suggestion?" Corbeth asked.

"What?"

"Trap them together," Corbeth suggested. "Use the Darkening Gem." Dejanna stared at Corbeth, and laughed.

"Why, my DEAR Aquishian, I didn't know you had it in you!" she exclaimed. Laughing evilly, she said, "I think I will. Thank you, Corbeth! Spyder, go watch my Gemborn, until I call you again!" The mechanical spider stood up, and disappeared.

Tyler met up with the three rangers that she had been walking with when they were almost to the school, and she greeted them coolly. "Hello."

"Tyler, look, about what we said earlier," Tommy started, but Skull interrupted him.

"Hey, Red!" He waved at her from the parking lot, and Tyler looked at Tommy. "See ya' around," she said, and then headed for her cousin.

The three boys exchanged looks, and shrugged. They didn't see Tyler's smirk. Her lips pulled into a full smile for Bulk and Skull, and said, "Let's get my first day started." She allowed the two bigger boys to lead her into the school.

"You mean that she was holding the Tengas off WITHOUT Ninja Powers?" Kim asked in disbelief. Tommy nodded. The rangers were gathered in the Youth Center after school, and the three boys told about their morning adventure.

"Well, she did say that she had never been tested," Adam said. He looked up and whatever he was going to add next was forgotten as Tyler and Skull walked onto the practice mats, Tyler in a karate gi and Skull in a pair of loose sweats. They stretched out, and then Tyler began to give some sort of lessons, Skull watching her closely. "Am I seeing what I think I'm seeing?" Adam finally asked. The other rangers turned their attention to the mats and watched in shock.

On the mats, Skull muttered, "They're watching us."

"I know," Tyler said. "I take it you've never really given them a chance to see the Euie I know?"

Skull faintly blushed, and he said, "It's just..."

"They're so much?" Tyler asked. Skull nodded. "I noticed it. Poor, little Euie," she said, before tripping him in a sudden move. He was surprised when he fell just as she taught him. That caused a brief applause as Skull used the momentum of the roll to his feet.

"Wow!" Skull said. Tyler snorted.

"Honey, you're family, and that means that you're naturally a fighter. Let me finish working out, and we'll talk," Tyler promised, and Skull bowed to his cousin. He left the mats to head for the juice bar, and Tyler reached for her sword, which was waiting for her by the edge of the mats besides a portable tape player. She hit play, and dropping the sheath beside the tape player, took a stance as she waited for the music to start.

The beginning lines of "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen played, and she began her kata. She half closed her eyes, and reached a trance-like state similar to the Zone, except that she was more aware of what was going on around her.

"Is this the real life?
Is this just fantasy?
Caught in a landslide,
No escape from reality.
Open your eyes,
look up to the skies and see...

I'm just a poor boy,
I need no sympathy.
Because I'm easy come, easy go,
little high, little low.
Anyway the wind blows,
doesn't really matter,
to me.
To me.

Momma,
Just killed a man,
put a gun against his head,
pulled my trigger now he's dead.
Momma,
life had just begun,
but now I've gone and thrown it all away.
Momma, ooh,
Didn't mean to make you cry,
If I'm not back here this time tomorrow,
carry on, carry on.
As if nothing really matters.

Too late,
my time has come.
Send shivers down my spine,
body's aching all the time.
Good-bye, everybody, I've got to go.
Got leave you all behind to face the truth.
Momma, ooh
(Anyway the wind blows)
I don't wanna die!
Sometimes wish I'd never been born at all!"

Tyler let her lips pull into a smile. She loved this part of her practices. Sometimes it seemed that it was only her, her sword, and the music. She picked up the pace as the music did.

"I see a little silhouette-o of a man,
Scaramouche, Scaramouche,
will you do the Fandango
Thunderbolt and lightning,
very, very fright'ning
me!
Galileo (Galileo), Galileo (Galileo),
Galileo figaro, manifico!

I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me!
He's just a poor boy, from a poor family!
Spare him his life from this monstrosity!

Easy come, easy go, will you let me go?
Bismillah! No! We will not let you go!
Let him go
Bismillah! We will not let you go!
Let him go
Bismillah! We will not let you go!
Let me go!
We will not let you go!
Let me go!
We will not let you go!
Let me go-o-o-o-o!
No, no, no, no, no, no!

Momma-mia, momma-mia
Momma-mia, let me go!
Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me,
For me,
For me!

So you think you can you can stone me, and spit in my eye?
So you think you can love me and leave me to die?
Oh, baby!
Can't do this to me baby!
Just gotta get out!
Just gotta get right out of here!"

The music slowed down, and Tyler copied the change of pace in her kata.

"Oo, oo, oo, oo, yeah!
oo, yeah!
Nothing really matters,
anyone can see,
nothing really matters,
nothing really matters to me!

Any way the wind blows."

With that soft ending, Tyler bowed to the crowd that had gathered to watch her. Applause erupted, and Tyler smiled, and bowed again. She moved over to the tapeplayer, and hit stop before gathering her things up.

Skull watched his cousin practice, and saw some of her worries leave her, if only for a little bit. He smiled sadly, and then noticed the group sitting at their normal table. Adam was staring at Tyler like he was dazed or something. Skull's smile stretched even wider, and he shook his head. :Someone's in love,: he thought, pleased. He liked Adam and the others, and knew that Tyler would need to make more friends. That was a good place to start.

Tyler approached the Juice Bar with her things, and Skull asked, "What did you want to talk about?"

"Well..., you, Euie. I kinda had an argument with those boys I was walking with, and I want to prove to them that there's more to you, than..." Tyler stepped back and, motioning to Skull, said, "well, you."

"Nuh-uh! No way!" Skull said. Tyler's lips pulled into a teasing grin, and sang, "Anything you can do, I can do better."

"No, Ty. Red, no!" Skull said, backing away. He knew what she was after. Tyler followed her cousin, the grin never leaving her lips.

She repeated the line again, "Anything you can do, I can do better."

"Oh, God!" Skull said, then sighed and asked, "What's the dare?"

"It's easy. One week, just one week of my special lessons, and if there isn't change within that week of how people treat you, then... I'll wash your bike and gas it up for a week. You can go back after the week if you want to, win or lose."

"What do you get if you win?" Skull asked cautiously.

"You continue the lesson in fighting with me. I mean, I need a practice partner to beat up."

Skull sighed, and then said, "All right, but only if I get to change back after the week."

Tyler grinned and said, "If you want to. When I get through with you, though, you might not want to." She hopped up, and shouldered her bag. "C'mon. It's time we go shopping."

The next day, people thought that Tyler was being escorted around by a stranger. Even the rangers didn't recognize the boy that walked beside her. "Who's your friend?" Adam asked as they walked up to the school.

"I think you know him already," Tyler said, her lips twitching with suppressed merriment. The rangers exchanged puzzled glances, and Tyler's grin grew. "If this is how good a reaction I get with one day with him in my hands, just wait until the end of the week. Guys, I'd like you to meet my cousin, Eugene Skullovitch."

"SKULL!"

Skull laughed, and shoved his hands into his jeans' pockets. Instead of wearing his punk leathers or his Junior Police Patrol uniform, he was dressed in white jeans and a black tee-shirt that was tucked into the jeans. The only jewelry was a single diamond stud, borrowed from Tyler, and a sports watch. Hiking boots completed the look, and he smiled. "Yeah. Red, here, dared me to a week of her 'special' lessons." He rolled his eyes, and said, "She forced me to go shopping with her yesterday afternoon." Looking at the guys, he said, "TRUST me. You do NOT want to go shopping with this lady. She is one determined shopper."

Tyler pulled a face at her cousin, and said, "Well, if that's the case, then you don't have to walk me home from school." She paused and pretended to think. "Of course, that would mean that Mike and John get to give you the third degree as to why you didn't, so... I guess it's a no win situation." The bell rang, saving Skull to have to answer to Tyler's comment. Laughing at her cousin's expression, the newcomer breezed into class.

As Tyler left her last class on Friday, Adam was waiting outside the classroom, and he said, "Tyler, can I talk to you?" Tyler was startled, but followed Adam away from the crowd in the hall.

Reaching a secluded corner, Adam looked uncomfortable, and Tyler was puzzled. "Yes, Adam?" she asked. "You wanted to talk to me?"

"Well,.. um, that is," Adam stammered, and blushed. In a rush, as an amused smile grew on Tyler's face, he asked, "Would you go out with me tonight?" Tyler's smile faded away, and she searched Adam's face.

"Are you serious?" she asked, after a pause. "REALLY serious?"

"Of course," Adam said. "But if you don't want to," Adam added hastily.

"No, no, no, no, I'd love to," Tyler said, cutting Adam off. "It's just... mainly when some guy has asked me out, it was either a cruel joke, some sort of bet, or they were wanting to dig information out of me about someone." Tyler looked down, and for some reason, that admission gave Adam some added confidence.

"I really want to go out with you, Tyler," he said.

Tyler looked up and smiled at Adam. "Great! Then you can pick me up at eight." She leaned in and gave Adam a quick kiss on the cheek before cheerfully running off. Adam stared at the spot Tyler had been in shock, and his hand slowly went to his cheek.

"Wow," he whispered softly.

Exactly at eight, Adam walked up to the apartment complex that Tyler lived in, and walked up two flights to the third floor. Finding Tyler's apartment, he knocked on the door. A blonde man with gray eyes, older than Tyler but with similar characteristics, opened the door, and asked, "Adam? Come on in. Tyler's almost ready."

"Is that Adam?" Tyler shouted as Adam entered.

"Yeah," the blonde man said back. As Adam looked around, he saw an older man, darker than the first and Tyler, and with the same family characteristics.

Tyler came bustling into the hallway from a brightly lit room, and asked, "Well?" She spun around, and her skirt flared out around her. She was wearing a long broomstick skirt of a deep maroon, and a sweater that was so deep a shape a purple, it was almost black. Her hair had been twisted back into a bun, and as a finishing touch, she was wearing a pair of silver earrings that looked like arrowheads with turquoise set in the center. "What do you think?"

"Wow!" Adam said, repeating his earlier comment. Tyler smiled, and behind him, Adam felt the two older men relaxing.

"Now don't stay out too late," the blonde man said. He helped Tyler into a light jacket, and she smiled.

"Don't wait up, Mike," she shot back. She was startled when the darker of the two men handed her something wrapped in black cloth. "You'll need this," he said quietly.

"Don't trust me?" Tyler asked in a slightly wounded tone.

"It's not you I don't trust," he replied. "Just take it." Tyler nodded, and then pocketed the item in her jacket. Turning to Adam, she asked, "Ready to go?" Adam smiled, and they left.

"What did..., uhm....?" Adam asked as they walked out to the parking lot.

"John," Tyler supplied. "He's the older of the two, even though they're fraternal twins."

"What did John give you?" Adam asked.

"Something that you won't need to know about," Tyler said easily. She stuck her hands in her pockets, because the night air had a small bite to it, and fingered the item. A small smile settled on her face.

After a movie, Tyler and Adam walked through the park, and Tyler said, "I couldn't believe how realistic those alien crafts were. I almost couldn't tell the models from the CGI." They had caught a SciFi movie, and had enjoyed it immensely.

"I didn't even bother to try," Adam said. He smiled at Tyler, and said, "I wasn't really watching the movie." Tyler blushed when she glanced at Adam, and then shoved her hands into her pockets.

"Tyler," Adam said softly, putting his hand on her arm. She turned to him, and Adam took a step towards her. Their eyes met, and Tyler smiled, moving closer to Adam. She closed her eyes as their lips were about to meet, and was startled when Adam shoved her to the side JUST before their lips met. Her eyes snapping open as she rolled to her feet in a crouching position, she was startled to see Adam fighting what looked like 3 giant suits of armor.

Tyler pulled the object from her pocket, and narrowed her eyes. Reaching back, she held a star-shaped weapon with blades that slid out of the curved arms, took careful aim, and threw it. The star bounced off of one suit of armor that had been about to attack Adam from behind, and it turned to Tyler as the star returned to her hand.

"Come and get me," she said, making a beckoning motion with one hand. The suit stepped towards her, and she threw the star again, hoping to startle the thing. The star hit the walking armor hard enough to knock the helmet off and the armor paused before falling to pieces. Tyler smiled, and then attacked another from behind, her flying kick landing perfectly and knocking off the helmet.

Adam smiled at Tyler, and said, "Thanks!" He and Tyler stanced before the last suit and Adam asked, "Double team?"

"Double team," Tyler confirmed, and they kicked at the helmet at the exact same time. The armor fell apart, and as the last piece collapsed to the ground, the three suits disappeared in matching flashes of light.

Adam collapsed as the pain from the beating he had taken from the Mecca Knights caught up with him, and Tyler caught him. "Adam?" she asked.

"I'm fine," he fibbed.

"We're going to my apartment," Tyler said firmly, and then started towards home, bringing an unwilling Adam with her.

When they reached the apartment, John and Michael were still up, and they jumped to their feet when the door suddenly opened. Tyler helped Adam to a chair she kicked back from the dining room table, and, dropping the star on the table, walked over to the drawer holding plastic bags. Pulling two out, she opened them and then walked over to the freezer, filling the bags with ice.

"What the hell happened?" Michael asked.

"We ran into some trouble," Tyler said, handing the ice to Adam. "Someone decided it would be fun to use us, or at least Adam as a punching bag." Sitting down, she allowed herself a wince, and then propped up her right foot. Pulling off her shoes and socks, she placed the second icepack on her rapidly swelling and bruising left ankle.

"How did that happen?" Adam asked, concerned. "How on Earth did you get me here with it swelling like that?"

"It's.. part of... the control," Tyler gritted. She managed a smile as Michael put a tub of water with ice floating in it before her, and she stuck her foot in, gritting against the cold and the pain as her foot touched the bottom.

John, who had pulled out the medicine kit, began cleaning the worst of Adam's wounds, and demanded, "What happened?"

Tyler sighed, and said, "We were walking home after the movie, and..." She debated how much to tell her brothers, and finally said, "these suits of armor appeared. Adam pushed me out of the way, and they basically ignored me until I used the star to get their attention. I found out through accident that if you knock off the helmets they fall to pieces. Adam was kinda busy with trying to defend himself, so I took care of the first two, and together, we finished off the last one. We came here when we finished." Tyler picked up the star, and then pressed a hidden button, causing first the blades to retract, and then the arms, until it was only a pentagon shaped piece of metal. She dropped that back onto the table, and said, "You were right, John. I DID need it."

John didn't comment, just finished bandaging the few cuts that Adam had. "You're lucky," he finally said. "You don't seem to have any broken ribs, but you will have a lovely set of bruises all over. It's a good thing that Mike and I are used to helping Ty after a fight."

Tyler mock-glared at her brother, and then winced, gripping then edges of her chair as Michael kneaded her ankle in the water with his fingers. "Find anything?" she asked in a tight voice.

"Nothing's broken," Michael said, "or at least not obviously. We'll have to get it checked out, but until then..." He began bandaging the bruised foot with a ready bandage, and said, "This should hold until we get you to the hospital for an X-ray." He looked at Adam and asked, "Do you need to come along?"

Thinking of the scanners at the Command Center, Adam shook his head. "No thanks. I'll be fine." He just wanted to get out of there and to the Power Ranger headquarters as soon as possible. The two men looked skeptical, but let him leave.

As soon as he landed in the Command Center, Adam felt as if he was going to collapse from pain. Leaning on a console, Adam grinned at hearing Alpha going, "Ai-yi-yi-yi-yi!" He knew that the pain was starting to get to him.

Zordon noticed the state of the Black Ranger, and, concerned, asked, "Adam, what happened?"

"Dejanna," Adam said, and gave about the same version of the story that Tyler gave her brothers. While he was telling his tale, Alpha gave him something to help his already accelerated healing ability heal faster, and the little robot informed Adam, "You had two cracked ribs, but they're starting to heal already, and should be fine by the morning."

"Thanks, Alpha." Turning his attention to the ancient mentor, Adam asked, "Zordon, is it possible that Tyler's a Gemborn? I mean, in all the stories, the Gemborns have been fantastic fighters, and I've seen her take on Tengas AND Mecca Knights without any powers to back her up."

"It's a possibility," Zordon admitted reluctantly. If Tyler was the Gemborn he suspected her to be, then... Zordon shook his mind from that line of thought. "Go to bed, Adam. Sleep will help you heal faster, and the scanners will watch Tyler, just in case." The Black Ranger nodded, already yawning, and then teleported out.

As soon as Tyler woke up in her bedroom, she sensed something. A thrumming of wrongness filled her, and Tyler pulled out her katana from its sheath under her bed. Grateful that she had fallen asleep in a tee-shirt and boxers borrowed from Mike after her trip to the hospital, she pointed the sword out and, favoring her bandaged foot, began checking the eight rooms of the empty apartment one by one. The living room, kitchen-diningroom, two bathrooms, three bedrooms, and computer room, she walked around each to check the hidden nooks and crannies, always her sword at guard. There was nothing unusual in the apartment, and she sighed.

Nothing was missing to indicate a burglar, or in disarray to show that someone went through her stuff, so what had sent her nerves on edge. She shook her head as she dropped into her computer chair, leaning her sword against the desk she was sitting before, and then jumped as her cat jumped onto Tyler's lap. When Tyler saw what it was, she laughed.

"Gata," Tyler said shakily, "you scared me." She brushed the cat's black fur with one hand, and said, "You know what, last night was the most enchanting, and frustrating, evening I've ever had." Tyler shook her head, and said, "Just a normal day for me, I guess." The cat crouched on Tyler's lap, and purred contentedly as Tyler scratched under Gata's chin.

Tyler reached over to turn on the computer, and then paused. Something made her whirl around, sword in hand. Gata dropped to the floor yowling, and Tyler looked around, wide eyed. Something wasn't right. Scooping up the cat, she headed for the hallway. She turned, opened the door, and ran, sheathing her sword in the spare sheath she always kept by the front door.

As she reached the park, she ran into someone, and backed away, falling into a stance. Gata dropped to the ground hissing at the rough treatment. "Whoa, what's wrong?" Tyler's sight cleared, and she saw it was Tommy, Adam, and Billy. Tyler didn't get out of her fighting stance, and, breathing heavily, eyed them warily.

"What's wrong?" Tommy asked. He noticed that she seemed to be on edge about something, and that she looked as if she had just woken up. Whatever was wrong, the way she was favoring her left foot, which had been bandaged up as if sprained.

Feeling silly, Tyler said, "It's nothing," dropping out of her fighting stance. She picked Gata off the ground and lifted the irritated feline to her shoulder, and said, "Sorry about running into you."

"You were scared," Billy said. "What's wrong."

"I said it's NOTHING!" Tyler snapped, irritated. But then the feeling of wrongness surged, and Tyler whirled, pulling out her sword. Just as she finished turning, 4 of the giant suits of armor appeared, and she sensed the boys falling into fighting stances.

Tommy said, "Tyler, get out of here!"

"Are you kidding? And have you think of me as a helpless female? I don't think so." With that, Tyler attacked one of the suits with a kick from her good foot. The suit caught her foot, and then threw her to the ground. Tyler rolled to her feet, and the suits attacked. "Tommy, knock off the helmets! They fall apart when you do!" she informed the boy. She didn't know that he had already been informed of the suits' weaknesses.

Within a few minutes, the suits of armor were in pieces, and Tyler got her first good look at the inside of the suits. Last night had been to dark for her to see anything. "Just suits?" she asked. "Nothing inside? No.. wiring, or hydraulic system? Just... nothing?"

"Nothing except for magic," a female voice said, and Tyler turned to see a woman with strange, violet eyes, standing behind the quartet. The woman's long black hair was pulled back into a braid, and she was clothed in a loose black outfit that looked like a cross between a ninja's attire, and a dress. She said, "I've come to claim what's mine, rangers," and Tyler spared a puzzled glance at the three boys, who had dropped into fighting stances again. "Rangers?"

The woman laughed, and said, "It's time for you to discover your true destiny, Katherine Tyler Noble." Tyler widened her eyes at hearing her full name come from the stinger's lips, and turned her attention back to the woman.

"How do you know me?" Tyler demanded.

"I know more than your name, Gemborn," Dejanna said. "I know that there's something missing from your life, and I know that I have what's missing."

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Tyler said, her hands shaking as the woman voiced what Tyler had never told anyone before. She had been afraid that someone would think that she was crazy for thinking that something had been missing from her for all her life.

"Then let me show you," the woman said, and held out a hand. A purple jewel appeared in her palm, and the stone caught Tyler's eyes and refused to let go. She couldn't even glance at the boys when they made sounds of surprise. The gem seemed to pull her deeper within it, and as purple light swallowed her, she thought she heard Adam call her name. An irrelevant thought, that he'd look good in green, was the last coherent thought as blackness superseded the purple.

Dejanna laughed as the girl collapsed into the waiting hands of a Mecca Knight, and turned to the rangers. "Thank you for helping me get my Gemborn, rangers." She saluted, and disappeared with the Mecca Knight holding Tyler.

"No!" Tommy said. "I can't believe we just let Tyler slip through our hands into Dejanna's!"

Billy looked from the Whiter Ranger, to the Black, and he asked, "Adam, are you okay?"

Adam shook off the daze that overcame him as Dejanna spoke, and he said, "Yeah, I'm fine." As Billy turned his attention back to Tommy, Adam softly added, "I think." Dejanna's words shot a little too close to home with him.

"Let's get back to the Command Center," Tommy said. Adam agreed with the White Ranger.