Divatox paced up and down in her Subcraft, thinking. She hadn't expected a battle when she'd come to Earth, not like what she was getting! She'd expected to arrive, destroy all the Rangers, and loot the place, then go on to the next. Instead, she'd destroyed six out of the seven Rangers, and the seventh had served her for a time due to a powerful enchanted collar. Then she'd been freed, and had rejoined her comrades against the pirate queen.
Then just a week earlier, a month after their arrival on the world, Divatox had taken a perfect opportunity to regain her Ranger slave. That had turned into an unmitigated disaster when instead of succumbing to her fears, the Amber Ranger had overcome them! Oh, yes, she'd let the Green Ranger fall almost to his death, and indeed he had been hurt. But they'd picked another Ranger to take his place, and the team was undiminished.
The only good thing that had come out of that was that Aura and her sister Azure were currently at odds over the choice of Ranger. Indeed, Azure was avoiding all the Rangers.
"I need an edge," Divatox muttered as she paced. "Something that will put me one up on those Rangers, something that will give me an advantage!"
Porto looked over at her. "What about that Ranger brat? The one who saw the former Green Ranger's fall last week?"
"Yes!" Divatox almost jumped up and down at that. "The ability to see the future is just what I need!"
"And with that feud going on between the Rangers, and the fallen Ranger's wife, it should be no problem!" Porto continued, "not with Kidster!" he gestured as the named monster appeared in the doorway, festooned with balloons, toys, and all other things that kids liked.
Divatox laughed evilly. "Yes! Go, Kidster, and bring me that child! I must have her at once!"
"Yes, captain!" the monster saluted and teleported off. Divatox
squealed with glee, this was going to work, she could feel it!
Aura watched benevolently as her two oldest played in the kiddy pool Billy had set up in their backyard. He was inside taking care of the other children.
"You're all wet!" Alex splashed his sister merrily, laughing as Alaina splashed him right back. She stuck her tongue out as she did so, then suddenly overbalanced and tripped.
"Alaina?" Aura rushed over to her, to see her daughter looking up at her with wide eyes. "You okay?"
"Mommy!" Alaina said hurriedly. "Had a vision!"
I wonder who's going to be hurt this time? "What did you see?" the Amber Ranger wondered.
"Hands," Alaina shivered.
"Hands?"
The seer-child nodded. "They were grabbing for me!"
Aura put a hand on her daughter's shoulder and held her close, concern in her gray eyes. "I'm not going to let anyone hurt you, or your brothers and sister, Alaina."
"I know, Mommy," Alaina smiled. This vision hadn't frightened her nearly as badly as the last one. "I wanna play with Katia!" she declared.
Aura sighed deeply. "You know Aunt Azure is mad at us. I wish she wasn't."
"Is she mad at me?"
"No," Aura took a long, deep breath. It hurt her to think her sister was angry at her in any way. So much had changed since Divatox had arrived. People who had never argued were having fights, Adam's Ranger career was abruptly ended, in the worst way possible short of death. . .
"Is she mad cause Uncle Adam fell?"
"Not just that," Aura sighed. "But. . ."
"Cause Justin's a Ranger?" Alaina and her brothers and sister liked the new boy who had come to stay with them. He was almost as smart as their dad, and he really liked them too.
Aura nodded. "Yeah, she thinks we're putting him into too much danger, and we are," she admitted that freely. Justin was in danger, Billy was, they all were. It came from living on a world under constant attack. "But there's no one else."
"Would she listen to me?" Alaina asked.
Aura smiled a very little. "I don't know. We can try. I really want my sister back!"
"Can we?"
"Yeah!" Aura decided at once. She led both of them into the
house to change, and asked her husband to keep an eye on Alex while she
and Alaina went to try and patch up their family.
Azure Park pushed Adam towards their car in his wheelchair, smiling very little as she did so. "It'll be so good to have you home again!" she told him. She'd missed him terribly the last week.
"It'll be good to be home again!" Adam sighed, watching Azure unlock the door.
"I've missed cuddling," she teased him a little.
"So have I!"
Azure smiled, then as she looked up and saw her sister and niece coming towards them, her eyes and face darkened. Aura spoke before her sister could. "Azure, Alaina wants to talk to you."
I hope she hasn't seen another disaster! "What is it, Alaina?" she wondered. Alaina came over to her and stared up at her.
"You're worried over Justin getting hurt," Alaina wasn't asking a question with that.
Azure nodded slowly. "Yes, I am!"
"He's not going to get hurt."
Azure looked over to her sister, not believing this. "This is low!" she'd never imagined Aura would do this!
"She wanted to talk to you!" Aura retorted. "It was her idea, Azure!"
Azure turned away from them both. "If you'll excuse me, I have to get Adam home."
"Aunt Azure," Alaina looked up at her aunt. "You're not mad because they picked Justin, not really," she spoke in her soft voice. "You're mad cause you think he'll get hurt fighting," Azure was staring only into her husband's eyes.
"That's part of it."
Fear filled her niece's eyes and face. "Aunt Azure, if he hadn't become a Ranger, then Divatox would have already won!" she hadn't told anyone the second future she'd seen, with the world under the heel of the evil pirate queen.
Azure couldn't look at her niece. "It doesn't change how I feel, Alaina," she said softly as she came around to her side of the car. She glanced over at them, and her eyes widened in fear. "Alaina!" she screamed. "Look out!"
Kidster, who had been creeping out of the bushes towards the little girl, jumped back. Aura whirled around and growled at the sight of the monster so near her child. A second later, the Amber Ranger was running towards the creature. "Azure!" she snapped. "Get Alaina out of here, now!"
Azure didn't care if she was upset at Aura or not, she would not let a child come to harm if she could avoid it. That was the very core of her argument with the Rangers at the moment. She grabbed Alaina, almost threw her into the car, and burned rubber out of there.
"How dare you even attempt to harm my child!" Aura hissed. Kidster backed away.
"I will have her!" he promised as he vanished. Aura was about to power down when a troop of Piranatrons appeared.
"Oh, great," she muttered. This just wasn't what she needed
to deal with right now. She was going to have to take care of these things
before she could pick up her daughter. Oh, well, I DID need a workout
today!
Adam watched as Alaina and Katia played together on the floor. He tapped his fingers on the edge of his wheelchair for a few moments, then stared at it. I wonder if therapy will help? I guess I don't have anything to lose, really. If I don't go into it, I stay in here. If I do, I've got a chance to walk.
A knock on the door broke into his thoughts before they could become melancholy and he wheeled over. When he saw Aura there, the first thing he really noticed about her was the communicator on her wrist. It was all he could do not to be jealous. Because of a simple accident, because of suppressed memories and a monster, he couldn't walk anymore. I will again, he swore to himself. He'd never given up before, and he wasn't going to start now. No matter what.
"I came for Alaina," Aura told him. "How are you feeling, Adam?"
He shrugged. "Fine. She's playing with Katia," he moved aside a little so she could get in, noticing a shiver as she did so.
"That monster," she murmured. "Was after Alaina."
He nodded. "I know. Azure's in our room, if you want to try and talk with her."
"I'll try," Aura sighed. "But I don't know if she'll listen."
"I hope she does," Adam told her. "It's getting pretty annoying seeing her upset with you guys!"
Aura took a long and lasting breath. "We thought for a while we'd be at peace. Then Divatox had to show up and wreck everything!"
"And then some," Adam said softly as he wheeled towards Katia to watch her and his niece play. Aura sighed as she went towards their room and knocked softly.
"Who is it?" Azure's voice came from within.
"It's me," Aura was almost afraid to do this, she'd never really been at odds with her sister, and didn't know how to deal with her in this condition. But she knew it had to be done.
"It's open," was all Azure said. "What do you want?"
"To talk to you."
"About?"
Aura took a deep breath. "Azure, what did you tell me all those years ago, when I tried to avoid Billy, because I didn't want him to get hurt?"
Azure glared at her. "You know dang well what I said!"
"That I didn't have to be worried because Billy knew how to fight, how to defend himself, just like Justin does!" Aura had never thought she'd throw those words back into her sister's face.
"Who said I was worried?"
Aura wasn't buying that for a second. "I know you, Azure, I've known you all your life, I know how you think!"
"Then you should know how upset I am with you and the other Rangers."
Aura nodded. "I do." Doesn't mean I can't try and get you un-upset with us! Azure turned and looked out the window, muttering something. "I didn't hear you, Azure."
"I said I wish I had taken that job in New York," she repeated. Aura bit her lip; to be away from her sister was one nightmare she really didn't want to have happen!
"Azure," Aura came to sit beside her sister. "I don't even know why you stay in Angel Grove anymore."
"I didn't take it because of you."
Aura raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
Azure looked at her. "At the time, I couldn't stand the thought of not being near my sister, or that my kids would grow up not knowing their cousins."
"Azure," Aura shook her head. "That isn't enough of a reason to stay in a place that has caused you so much pain." she wanted what was best for Azure, and if that meant she had to leave, then so be it.
"You don't get it," Azure sighed. "Adam's family is here, my family is here, Adam's job is here. There are just too many things that are here, and at the time, I wasn't ready to give them up."
"And are you now?"
Azure nodded. "After what happened recently? In a heartbeat."
"I don't blame you," Aura told her softly. It had never occurred to her that she would leave Angel Grove, ever. There was just too strong of a connection between her and this place. It had called her back from across the country, from across time and space. It would always be her true home, second only to the Heart of the Earth.
"I want to be alone, Aura," Azure sighed deeply. Aura nodded and hugged her warmly, trying to transmit all her love and care to her beloved sister.
"Please, at least let us know what you decide," she asked. "And thank you for saving Alaina."
Azure blindly nodded as she stared into Angel Grove Park from their balcony apartment. "You're welcome."
Aura sighed as she walked past Adam, who had wheeled in unnoticed during their conversation. A few moments later the sound of the shutting door echoed in the nearly silent apartment. Azure turned to see her husband sitting there looking at her quietly. "Don't start," was all she said.
"What's for dinner?" was his reply. Azure shrugged a little.
"There's some lasagna in the fridge that Mom brought over," she told him. Adam nodded and wheeled out. He'd learned when Azure didn't want to talk about something, nothing short of dynamite could drag it out of her. As he left, Azure laid on the bed and stared for long hours at the picture of her and Aura.
Can I really live without her?
"You couldn't even snatch one kid!" Divatox screamed. "What kind of monster are you?"
Kidster tried to defend himself from the raging pirate queen. "There was a Ranger there! And that lady had to go and scream!"
"You were scared off by one Ranger?" Divatox couldn't believe her ears! This thing was supposed to bring her that child, and one little Ranger got rid of him????
"And almost deafened by that lady!" Kidster added. The queen shook her head, sighing.
"Well, you'd better try again!" she ordered. "And this
time get it right!"
Billy looked up as Aura and Alaina got out of the car. Alex and little Shaya were playing in the yard, while little William was cooing in his cradle near his father. "You saw Azure, didn't you?" he asked softly, seeing the troubled look in his wife's eyes. Aura nodded. "She's still mad at us for making Justin a Ranger, isn't she?"
Aura nodded as she sat next to him. "She was. She might leave Angel Grove, I don't know," she caught him up on what she and her sister had discussed. Billy wrapped an arm around her and looked at his oldest son.
"Alex, why don't you and your sister go inside. I need to talk to your mother."
"Okay, Daddy!" Alex smiled as he pulled Alaina inside.
"And be nice to your sister!" Billy called out as the door shut behind them. He shook his head. "I wish I knew how to make things the way they were before Adam's fall," a soft whisper was all that clued him in that Aura had said something. "Aura?"
She looked up at him, and he hurt to see the look in her eyes. "I said I wish I'd died in that explosion." Death would be better than having to live with my sister hating me!
He gazed deeply within her eyes. "Aura, no, you don't," he told her. "Everything will be back to normal soon. Divatox will leave, Azure will forgive us, and Adam will be back on his feet teaching karate in no time."
"Then the next time some evil invader wants Earth, it all starts up again," Aura had never felt so pessimistic as she did today.
Billy stroked her hair gently. "I wish I could guarantee you that no one will ever attack Earth again."
Aura sighed. "I know you can't. And I knew what I was getting into when I swore my oath to Earth."
"But there are times when you wish you didn't have to be the Amber Ranger, aren't there?"
She nodded. "Yes. I'll never go back on it, never in my heart, but I wish it wasn't necessary."
"One day, it won't be necessary," he promised her. That was all he could promise, and they both knew it.
"I hope so."
Billy smiled a little. "Come on, let's get the kids to bed. Justin is finishing up his homework, and we need some time to catch up."
Aura shrugged. "Yeah," her head came up as Billy kissed her on the neck, in just the right spot. "Billy!! You know what that does to me!"
"Hey, you're the one who wants ten kids!"
Aura laughed, her dark mood banished by love. "It's just my biology! It comes from being the Amber ranger and being linked to the Earth, I can't help it! But even if it wasn't, I'd want a thousand, if they were with you!"
Billy smiled. "Let's go work on number five!"
After the appropriate interval of putting their already born children to bed, Billy pulled Aura into their bedroom and locked the door, turning to look at his lovely wife. "I love you," he told her. "And I fall in love with you all over again every time I see you."
"I've forgotten what it feels like to not be in love with you!" she told him as they began to kiss.
"Just don't remember!"
"Never," she promised. "I will love you until I die, and then even after that!"
After that, there were no more words. Then again, words weren't necessary
between them.
There was a light rain that night, and the puddles it left were being hopped into by a very active three year old in the morning. "I help Mommy shop!" Alaina giggled as she and Aura walked to the store.
"Yeah," Aura smiled. She felt much better that morning than she had the night before, and even entertained the small hope that one day Azure would not<?I> be mad at them.
"I like doing that!"
"And you're one excellent helper!" Aura loved her daughter with all her heart, and wasn't going to let Divatox get her slimy paws on her.
Alaina glanced behind them at the apartment complex they'd just passed. "I like helping you. And I like helping Aunt Azure too!"
Aura looked to see what she was looking at. "I know, honey," she said softly.
"She just left the building," Alaina told her. "Maybe she go shopping too?"
"Yeah, probably," Aura sighed briefly.
"Can we wait for her?" Alaina wondered. "I see her, she's heading this way!"
Aura bit her lip nervously. "I guess we could wait for a second," the silence was broken a moment later by Alaina's scream. "Alaina? What is it?"
Her daughter pointed to the bushes. "Thingie that tried to take me is in there!" Aura growled, then saw a rock on the ground. A quick throw into the bushes caused Kidster and a squad of Piranatrons to leap up and towards them. Aura groaned, as she hit her communicator to get the others there.
Too many people around to morph! Why didn't I go shopping earlier, when there were less people around! Aura berated herself as she fought. She'd lost sight of Alaina when the Piranatrons had swarmed her, then saw Azure coming up, lost in thought.
"What the?" Azure looked up as hands grabbed her suddenly. A pair of Piranatrons pulled her to a tree, holding her tightly. She saw Alaina struggling in the grip of the same monster who had attacked them the day before, and winced as Aura screamed out her name.
The monster held Alaina up like a trophy. "Surrender, Amber Ranger!" he hissed, and Aura was thankful people were clearing out to fast to hear what it said. "Or your child and this woman perish!"
Aura stopped in her tracks. "No!" she growled. "Don't you dare hurt them!"
"Then surrender!" Kidster taunted. Aura's eye flicked from Azure to Alaina, then she dropped her head in defeat.
"I surrender," she whispered. She couldn't let her sister or daughter be hurt.
Azure screamed, "Aura! Don't you dare!"
"I can't let you and Alaina be hurt, Azure," she said softly. "I love you all too much."
"No!" Azure insisted. "Don't!" that was the last she said as a Piranatron shoved her harder into the tree, hitting her head and causing her to lose consciousness.
"Azure!" Aura ran over to her sister.
"She'll live," Kidster growled. "It's time we left!"
Aura look at the creature. "Release Alaina!" she ordered. "She's only a child!"
"Divatox wants her powers!" Kidster denied. Aura sighed.
"Then let me hold her, at least."
The monster nodded, bringing Alaina over to her and putting a hand on Aura's shoulder. The Ranger growled at him, "Get your hand off me, or I swear, I'll break it off at the shoulder!"
"Once we arrive!" he teleported them all just as the other Rangers arrived. Billy couldn't believe his eyes.
"Tell me I didn't see what I think I saw!"
Tommy nodded slowly. "Divatox has Aura, Alaina, and Azure."
"I asked you not to tell me that," the Phantom Ranger sighed. Rocky shook his head.
"Oh, man, this is very bad!"
Justin nodded. "We'd better find them, and tell Adam."
"I'll tell him," Kat offered. "Billy, you need to start finding them."
He nodded. "Justin, I'm going to need your help."
The Rangers teleported off to various locations, on the job to get
their friends and teammate back.
As they arrived on the Subcraft, Kidster let Aura's shoulder go, as the Piranatrons threw Azure to the floor. Aura went straight to her sister, trying to get her to wake up. A soft moan cheered her a little. "Aura?" Azure whispered.
"It's me," the Ranger said softly.
Azure opened her eyes a trifle. "I'm sorry," she told her sister.
"For what?"
"I was wrong," Azure told her. Anything else she might have said was cut off by Elgar.
"That is so sick!" he growled. Aura turned to glare at him.
"Family business!" she snapped. "Keep out!"
Divatox intervened then. "You did an excellent job!" she told Kidster, then turned to Aura. "Hello again, my Amber Ranger!"
"Don't call me that!"
Divatox ignored that. "This is your sister, isn't it?"
Aura nodded as she hovered protectively over Azure and Alaina both. She wasn't going to let anyone hurt them.
"I suggest you do as I say, if you want her to live!" the pirate suggested lightly as she pointed a laser gun at the semi-conscious woman.
Aura leaped in between them. "Don't hurt her!" she insisted. "Don't hurt either of them!"
The marauder chuckled. "Then work for me!" her best times on this planet had been when Aura had been her servant Ranger, and Divatox wanted that back. It also fascinated her to see people struggle with mental dilemmas like this one.
Aura looked to her sister and daughter. "I have no choice," she whispered, tears in her eyes. Azure nodded her understanding. "As long as you don't hurt them, in any way, I'll. . .I'll. . .," she couldn't bring herself to say the words. Divatox didn't mind, though.
"Put that one in the brig!" she gestured to Azure. Aura nodded and helped her sister to her feet gently.
"Come on, Azure. At least you don't have to put up with having to look at her!" she glared at Divatox. Azure smiled a little.
"When we get out of here," she said. "We need to talk."
Aura nodded. "And we will get out."
"I know we will!" Azure smiled at her sister as they walked through the Subcraft. Aura locked her into a cell and sighed.
"I hope Billy isn't taking his time looking for us!"
"I hope not either!" Azure agreed. They might have to be here for now, but neither of them liked it!
Aura rolled her eyes a little. "I've got to get back to Divatox. I need to make sure she doesn't hurt Alaina."
"She's your main concern," Azure reminded her, glad to see a smile come from her sister.
"She's my daughter," the alien Ranger told her as she returned to the main chamber. She saw Alaina staring at Elgar, who had just asked if the little girl wanted to play with his flying fish. When Alaina saw her mommy, she ran straight over to her. "Mommy's here, Alaina!" she soothed her.
Alaina looked disgusted. "I don't wanna play with the egghead man!" she cried. Aura nodded.
"And you don't have to!" she reassured her, glaring at the idiotic crew.
Divatox gestured towards a cell specially set up in the main room. "Put her there!"
As Aura obeyed, all unwillingly, she asked, "What do you want with her, Divatox? She's just a little girl!"
The pirate smiled. "Her ability to tell the future."
Adam was doing his best to maneuver around their apartment. As he did so, he noticed Azure had left her keys on the table, and chuckled softly. A knock at the door at the same time got him rolling towards it. "You forgot your," he started to say, expecting to see his wife there.
"Hi, Adam," Kat said nervously.
"What's wrong?" he'd never seen her this concerned over something; he hoped everything was all right with Rocky and their kids.
Kat sighed a bit. "I've sort of got some bad news."
"What is it?" Oh, please let Azure be all right!
The Pink Ranger took a deep breath. "Azure, Alaina, and Aura. Divatox has them all," Adam closed his eyes at hearing that, doing his best to stop the tears. "Billy's already at the Power Chamber, looking for a way to get them back."
"What are we waiting for?" he asked, wheeling closer to her. He wasn't going to sit on the sidelines for this!
Kat smiled, and teleported both of them to the Power Chamber. The first words out of Adam's mouth were, "Any luck?"
Billy looked over at them. "Nothing yet," he shook his head, then turned back to the work. Adam sighed as he watched them going back and forth. That was me, once, he thought. I used to be one of them. Now I'm just a cripple! "Hey, Adam," Billy came over to him with a sheaf of papers in his hands. "Could you run these figures through that computer over there for me?"
Adam smiled as he got to work. You always could read me like a book! Several long hours passed as they worked to find their missing ones.
"I've found Aura!" Billy exclaimed suddenly. "She's. . .in the park."
Adam looked over at his friend. "What about Azure and Alaina?"
"No sign of them," the Phantom Ranger shook his head. Where are they??? We have to find them all.
"I hope she's herself," Adam glanced at the Viewing Globe. Aura was just standing there, morphed, it looked as if she were waiting for them. "And not under Divatox's control."
Tommy nodded. "Only one way to find out. "Shift into Turbo!"
Aura waited in the park, knowing the others would show up sooner or later. I've never fought them of my own will before, and that's what I'm technically doing now. I don't like this. Not one bit.
"Aura?" she looked up to see Billy there.
"Don't come near me, Billy, please," she protested. His face was hidden under his helmet, but she could tell he was confused.
"What's wrong?" he asked. "Where are Alaina and Azure?"
"With Divatox," Aura told him. "And if I don't work for her, she'll kill them."
The other Rangers went wide-eyed at that. Aura continued, "I don't have a choice, guys. I can't let her hurt my sister or my daughter!"
"We understand," Tommy told her. "But we won't hurt you."
Aura nodded, a little smile hidden behind her own helmet. "Then let's get this over with."
"Let's," Tommy agreed. "And we're sorry ahead of time."
"Same here," the Amber Ranger told him as she started towards Billy. "I love you, Billy."
"And I love you," he told her. Thus began one of the strangest "That was definitely the weirdest fight we've ever had!" Tommy declared. Billy nodded.
"Let's get back to the Power Chamber," he told them. "I think Aura might be the clue to getting them back!"
He held a hand out, and unfolded it. Inside was a scrap of paper.
Aura had slid it into his hand with the last punch she'd given him. It
held the co ordinates of the Subcraft.
"You lost!" Divatox screamed at the top of her lungs. She had never seen such a pathetic display as she had during that fight! Her Ranger hadn't even been trying! "You lost!"
Aura shrugged. "Six of them, one of me, you do the math!"
"For that. . .," Divatox gestured. "Bring her!" Aura turned to see Azure being brought in. Her eyes narrowed.
"You said you wouldn't hurt her!"
Divatox smiled evilly. "Who said I was going to?"
"Then what is she doing out here?" All I need is for her to break her word, then first I get them out of here, then I take this place apart, starting with HER!
Divatox produced a detonator suddenly. "Either you win the next fight, or this detonator, that I am going to put on her, is going to go off! After she's released into Angel Grove Park!"
"You wouldn't!" Aura's eyes went wide as Divatox attached the detonator to Azure's chained wrists.
"Then you'd better win the next fight!" Divatox purred. Aura almost literally deflated.
"I'll win it," she sighed. "Just don't hurt Azure."
Divatox nodded. "She'll live, as long as you keep winning! You lose, she dies!"
"I understand," Aura whispered, just managing to keep the tears from her eyes as she looked about for Alaina. Divatox got her attention as she waved towards the cell.
"She's over there asleep."
Aura looked at her unwilling mistress. "Will you never let them and me go?"
"Maybe!" Divatox crowed a little. "And maybe not! Put them in the cell with the little girl!"
Aura and Azure were both hustled into the cell and locked. Azure trembled at the thought of the explosives so close to her, her sister, and niece. Aura sighed deeply as she gathered her daughter into her arms. "She looks so peaceful when she sleeps," Azure whispered.
"I know," Aura sighed.
"Aura," Azure asked softly. "What happens if this thing on me goes off?"
Aura trembled. "You remember the Community Center?" she whispered. Azure nodded briefly.
"Except this time, someone loses their life."
Aura closed her eyes. "I won't let that happen."
"Just do me a favor," Azure made her promise. "I don't want this thing going off and hurting Alaina."
Aura nodded as Alaina opened her eyes and smiled. "I had good vision!" she told them.
"What did you see?" Aura asked.
Alaina smiled. "Uncle Adam and Ghost Lady! Uncle Adam was standing!" she told them.
Aura's eyes widened. "Ghost Lady," she repeated. "The Spirit of Earth is going to heal Adam!"
"I hope I can see it!" Azure prayed as Aura agreed. The
Ranger leaned over to hug her daughter. This was truly the greatest of
news!
"I've got them!" Billy grinned. The co ordinates had been just what they needed to get things completed so they could find them. A few moments later, the three of them were sitting on the floor of the Power Chamber.
"Billy!" Aura smiled at her.
"We got you!" Billy smiled as he hugged her. Azure looked up, terrified.
"Teleport me out of here! There's a detonator on these restraints, get me out of here!" Azure insisted. Billy snapped,
"Get her out of the restraints!" Azure watched as the Rangers worked quickly to remove the chains, then Billy teleported the detonator to the sun, where it could and did explode safely. As soon as it was gone, she went to Adam, holding him tightly and shaking.
"I owe you all an apology," Azure said softly.
Tommy nodded. "We understand you were worried," he told her. Azure sighed.
"But that doesn't excuse my behavior," she continued the apology. Aura looked curiously at her brother-in-law, then smiled.
"Adam," she got his attention. "When's your birthday?"
Adam frowned. "You should know that one! It's the day after tomorrow."
"Want an early birthday present?" Aura asked.
"I don't follow," Adam wondered what she was up to. Aura wasn't really an evasive person, but this was confusing him.
She smiled. "You will."
Before any of them could react, they were all standing in the Heart of the Earth. The Spirit appeared even as they did, and Aura quickly went over to her, whispering in her ear. The Spirit smiled, and turned to Adam. "Are you ready to walk again, Adam Park?"
The former Ranger responded, "Huh?"
"Are you ready to walk again?" the Spirit asked. "I believe it is an easy question."
"Yes!" Adam didn't even have to think about that. The Spirit smiled as she and he both glowed briefly.
"So be it!"
Adam stood up, staring at his once more functioning legs and body. "Oh, wow!" he declared. He caught up Azure in a warm hug and kissed her passionately. "Oh, Azure," he whispered. She looked up into his eyes.
"Think we should tell them?" she asked softly. Adam nodded, as she turned back to the others. "You know how I was offered that job in New York?" when everyone nodded, she continued, "I made up my mind. . .I'm. . .," she paused, biting her bottom lip. She noticed the worried, but hopeful, look in Aura's eyes. "not going to take it."
"Well, I hope you. . .," Aura stopped in the middle of her sentence. "What?"
"I got offered something better right here in Angel Grove!" she smiled. "I'm going to start training to be a physical therapist, I start Monday!"
Aura smiled. "That's great!" the sisters hugged again, all the bad feelings washed away. Azure might not agree with Justin's being on the team, but she accepted it.
"That, and I have a family here," she continued. "One I can't live without!"
Aura chuckled. "Guess we're all stuck with each other!"
Her sister nodded. "And I wouldn't have it any other way."
