Legal Disclaimer: Okay, here we go again with another Amber Ranger/Night Ranger crossover. You all know the drill by now. Aura, Azure, Evanthe, and Elissa, plus their various children, all belong to the two of us. Everything else belongs to Saban. Enjoy!!
Evanthe Cranston, the Purple Ranger, was somewhat bored. And worried. Worried had a definite edge in her thoughts at the moment, but for once, it wasn't worry over Elissa Park, the Rose Ranger and her best friend for the past century. She was concerned over someone from another dimension entirely.
"I really want to know how Azure's doing," she paced a little. "I'm kinda worrying about her."
"I'm sure she's okay," Elissa reassured her, then looked over to the little robot Alpha as he did research. "Any luck?"
"I think I might be able to figure out how to get the gateway opened," he said. He'd been trying for the past two days to figure a way to open up a gateway between universes, using the data from the natural phenomena that had first crossed the two worlds.
Adam nodded. "Let's just hope Zedd doesn't find out we're doing this," the Black Ranger reminded them all. Evanthe agreed.
"He did enough to Azure while he was here," she still vividly remembered the pure rage and fear in the visiting Amber Ranger's eyes when Zedd and Rita had captured her sister. "She doesn't need to deal with him on her own world."
"Especially when on her world, he's dead," Elissa still couldn't believe there was a set of Rangers somewhere that no longer had to deal with those two slimeballs.
Evanthe nodded, leaning back into Billy's arms. "We won't let him find out, or follow us if he does."
Silence reigned for a short time more, until finally Alpha practically jumped out of his metallic casing. "Got it!" he declared, joy filling his robot voice.
"All right!" Adam grinned; he'd been wondering what was going on with their extradimensional friends ever since they'd left.
"I can open it at the same spot where it was open the last time," Alpha told them, naming a place in the park. Tommy nodded thoughtfully.
"Cool. But we can't all go, if those morons on the moon try anything, we're going to have to have people here to do something about it," the White Ranger decided.
Adam smiled briefly. "Why not let Elissa and Evanthe go?" he knew the four of them, Elissa, Evanthe, Aura, and Azure, had formed a strong bond during their short visit together.
"What do you think, Elissa?" Evanthe asked, raising one eyebrow in query.
"I'd love to!" Elissa almost bounced up from her perch. Guess we'll see if our bond is over universes!
Guess so!
Evanthe smiled. "When do you want to leave?" she asked. Elissa looked over to Alpha before answering.
"I can have everything ready within the next two hours," he said. "The gateway will only remain open for two days, you must return within forty-eight hours."
Adam wrapped his arms around Elissa and whispered in her ear, "That's a long time to be without you," despite their bond, a soft whisper still had a great meaning for them both. "But I can make it."
"I just hope I can!" she laughed. Adam smiled and kissed her on the back of the neck.
"Just don't go getting interested in my counterpart over there!" he teased her gently.
She shook her head. "I won't!" she promised. "Besides,
he's taken!"
Azure hummed under her breath a little as she walked into the Physical Therapy center. It was her first day of work as a therapist, and she was a little nervous. She felt a little better remembering that Aura was painting a mural in the Children's Wing not too far away, and almost smiled when she saw Skull talking with a young teenager in a wheelchair. "Skull?" she asked, walking over.
"Hi, Azure," he smiled as he glanced over to her.
"Who's this young woman?" Azure asked, half-wondering if Skull was actually falling for someone! He'd had a crush on Kimberly for the longest time, she remembered. That seemed to have faded, though, and the young officer was, as far as she knew, still single.
He smiled briefly. "My cousin, Star."
"Hey, Star," Azure smiled. "How are you doing?"
A sigh. "Not too great."
"What's wrong?" Azure wanted to know, dropping down to look the woman in the eyes. Star gestured towards her chair.
"I'm in this wheelchair," her voice was almost acidic. "Don't you see it?"
Azure had an answer for that one, though. "So was my husband. But from what I was told, you should be out of that chair in a matter of two months, if that long."
"Yeah, right!" Star snorted derisively. Azure's eyes hardened.
"Star, let me tell you something," her voice was firm. "My husband was told he might never walk again, but he's already back to teaching karate, and walking with a cane, which he won't need that much longer," of course, he had some specialized help. But the Spirit said he would've healed, anyway. She just accelerated it a great deal.
Star's eyes went wide. "Really?" hope sparked that she had not had only moments earlier. Azure nodded.
"And his fall was about what. . .," she thought for a moment. "Three months ago?"
"I think so," Skull remembered them bringing Adam to the hospital; Aura had seemed very broken up about it, almost as much as Azure had. Things had worked out, though, it seemed.
Azure smiled. "Now, do you think you can work hard enough to be out of that chair in two months?"
Star thought it over. "I can try."
"That's all I ask," Azure nodded. "Now, want to get acquainted with the equipment?"
"Sure."
A chuckle came from Azure. "Good. We'll start with Benny," she looked to Star, seeing the confusion in her eyes. "The guy in charge got bored one day and named our equipment."
"He must've been bored!" Star chuckled. Azure laughed with her, then suddenly clutched at her stomach as a stab of pain shot through it.
"Azure?" Skull looked at her worriedly. "Azure, what's wrong?"
"I don't know," Azure whispered. "But whatever it is, it hurts!"
The young officer looked down the hallway to the Children's Wing. Aura's there. With a mighty cry, he called Azure's sister in to her. Aura ran over as fast as she could.
"Help me to Dr. Ashton's office," Azure gasped. Aura moved quickly, carrying her sister to the doctor's office, feeling ready to plow through the walls if she had to.
"What's wrong?" the doctor asked, once Aura had kicked the patient he was seeing out and almost tossed Azure bodily onto the examining table.
"Her stomach, I think. She's in pain," Aura reported. Azure glanced up at her dryly.
"You think?"
The doctor glanced at Azure for a moment, then looked to Aura. "You go to the waiting room. I'll send a nurse out to you when we have some news."
Aura bit her lip, not really wanting to go, until she saw the worry in Azure's eyes. "I'll call the others," she said, heading out the door. Azure nodded and laid down as the doctor began to examine her.
"I've been having stomach pains on and off for the past couple of days," ever since I got back from that alternate universe.
The doctor nodded. "Have you been lifting anything heavy or had a blow to the stomach somehow?" at the shake of her head, he continued testing her. A few moments later, he frowned. "I think we're going to check you into the hospital for a while."
"Okay," Azure couldn't hide her worry as he started procedures to get her checked in. Almost thirty minutes later, as she lay browsing through a magazine, she heard a tap on the door and a familiar voice.
"Hey, beautiful!"
"Hey, handsome!" she smiled at Adam as he came in and kissed her gently on the lips. She loved him so very much, one of the few people who had never betrayed her trust in her life.
"So, how are you feeling?" he asked, sitting next to her. She shrugged.
"Better," she told him. "The doctor gave me something for the pain. I just wish I knew what was wrong with me."
Adam grinned. "We ate at Billy and Aura's last night, remember? Probably just some of Billy's cooking!"
Azure stared out the window for a moment. "I've been having stomach pains since I came back," she said softly.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Adam asked, taking her hand. She shrugged.
"They weren't that major," she told him. "I mean, I thought I was just coming down with a stomach flu or something."
Adam smiled at her. "The doctor will find out what's wrong with you and fix it!" Azure squeezed his hand.
"Probably is just a stomach flu," she looked up as the other Rangers poked their heads around the corner.
"Everyone decent?" Tommy asked, smiling. Adam nodded, gesturing for them to come in as Azure waved. Aura came right over, her gray eyes worried.
"What's up?" she asked quietly. "Any word yet on what's wrong?"
Azure shook her head, sighing. "No. Not a good way to start your first day at work, is it?"
Aura shook her head. "But you'll be back to work soon!" s he promised. Azure leaned against her pillows, thinking.
"Have you talked to Skull?" she asked finally. "I would like to know if anyone finished showing Star around."
Aisha nodded. "One of the other therapists took over her case. She looks to be working really hard, too."
"That's good to hear," Azure smiled. Adam stroked her hand gently, gazing into her eyes.
"You know," he murmured. "I think they should reserve a wing of this place for us, Azure!"
"Me more than you!" everyone laughed; Azure did hold the record for hospital visits among them!
"You're going to be fine," Aura promised her sister. She would see to that, no matter what.
Azure smiled warmly at her sister. "I know."
They all looked up as the doctor walked in, a strange sorrowful expression on his face. "Mrs. Park?" his voice was very quiet and sad.
"Did the results come back in?" asked Azure. The doctor nodded briefly. "What is it?"
The doctor didn't look like he enjoyed what he was going to say, and he didn't. "According to the test results, you. . .you've had a miscarriage."
The room grew very quiet and still. Azure stared at him. "What?" she asked, her voice breaking. "How could I have a mis. . .," she bent over, unable to hold the tears back at this. "How long has the child been dead?"
"According to the test results," the doctor reported. "About two days."
Only the Rangers really noticed Azure's eyes flicking to Aura, and the tenseness that gripped the Amber Ranger. The doctor took a deep breath. "I'm very sorry, Mrs. Park. I wish I could do more for you than bring you this bad news."
"When will you have to. . .?" Azure laid a hand on her stomach, knowing they would have to remove the dead fetus from within her. As the doctor told her that it would be later that day, she nodded, and he left, saying she should get some rest. Azure only gripped Adam's hand tightly. When the door shut behind the doctor, she laid her head back on the pillow, eyes shut and tears flowing from behind them.
"Zedd," she whispered, remembering the pain that had been unleashed within her at that command of the evil Zedd in that other world. Aura clenched her fists and swore, "If I ever see him again, he's toast: burnt toast!"
Azure sighed. "I just want to sleep," she whispered. "Just sleep."
"Come on, guys," Aura started pushing them out of the room. "Let's let Azure get some rest."
"I'll stay here," Adam sighed, gripping his wife's hand as
everyone left. Aura looked at her sister with purest love in her eyes,
and swore in her heart that there would be revenge taken for what
had occurred!
"Soooo," Zedd's eyes glinted as he watched the Rangers prepare for something in the park. "They plan on seeing the Amber Ranger!"
"Excellent!" Rita cried out with joy. "While they're gone, they'll be short two Rangers!"
Zedd didn't really appear to be listening to her. "What if. .." he mused.
"What if what?" she growled. "Talk to me!"
"We sneak in to that other world, and make sure that those Night Rangers don't return! And capture the Amber Ranger power for ourselves!"
"Excellent plan!" Rita threw her head back, cackling wildly as she did. Zedd clenched his fist around his staff.
"Right after those Rangers leave the gateway, Rito and I shall sneak in, capture the Amber Ranger's powers and destroy the Night Rangers!" he declared. I just hope I don't regret going with that idiot!
Rita agreed eagerly. "And I'll keep the Rangers here distracted so they don't notice that you're gone!"
"We shall be victorious!" Zedd gloated. "With the power of the Amber Ranger added to my own, and the Night Rangers gone, there is nothing that can stand in our way, ever!"
Laughter that could best have come from the depths of hell sounded long
into the lunar night.
Elissa shifted the backpack she was carrying and smiled at Adam. I guess I'll see you in two days!
Have fun! Adam told her. They glanced over to where Evanthe and Billy were locked in a passionate kiss. Don't they EVER stop?
Do we?
Good point!
"Don't forget to feed," Evanthe warned her husband. "And take good care of William!"
"I won't, and I will!" Billy promised. "I don't think the others will let me forget to feed!"
Tommy nodded; the last thing any of them wanted or needed was a Blood Lust on their hands. "You bet we won't!"
"I guess we should get going," Elissa smiled, giving Adam a little nibble on the neck to remember her by as they prepared to go.
"See you guys in two days!" Evanthe smiled as she kissed Billy and waved to her friends.
I'll miss you! Adam told Elissa.
As will I, Elissa responded. Evanthe touched her friend's arm.
"Come on, Elissa," she smiled. "We've got friends to go visit."
"Bye!" Elissa waved as the two of them entered the gateway and vanished to the sight of the Rangers they'd lived and worked with for the past two years and more.
Adam sighed deeply. "I'm going to miss her."
Tommy touched his shoulder. "We'll keep you busy!"
"Not like she can!" Adam giggled as Tommy rolled his eyes,
muttering something under his breath about the two of them and their constant
'attention' to each other.
Billy and Aura walked quietly through the park, near where the gateway had opened up that had changed everyone's life so much. "Azure's going to be all right," Billy promised her. Aura sighed.
"I hope so. It's a good thing that the Zedd who did this to her is in that other dimension."
Billy agreed. "If he wasn't, I'd let Adam have first crack at him. After all, it was his wife who almost died, and his child who did."
"And my sister," Aura sighed as Billy wrapped an arm around her, and she leaned into him. "I'm glad and not glad that anomaly opened up the other day."
"What are you glad for?" he wondered. I can understand the not glad part. Oh, boy, can I understand that.
Aura explained, "We met Evanthe and Elissa. I liked them," her head came up as she heard a voice she hadn't thought she'd ever hear again calling her name, and saw two familiar figures coming towards them from a small opening in space. "Elissa! Evanthe!"
"We figured out how to get the gateway open," Elissa told her as they joined Aura and her husband. "We came to see that you guys are okay. All of our Rangers are worried about something."
"About how Azure's doing?" Aura's voice was quiet and subdued. Elissa bit her lip in worry.
"She is alive? Please tell me you made it in time to save her."
Aura nodded. "She's alive. . but. ."
"But what?"
The Amber Ranger sighed. "She had a miscarriage because of what the Zedd in your world did to her," she almost winced at the language Evanthe was using just then.
"Can we see her?" Elissa asked, glancing from Billy to Aura. Their friend nodded.
"Sure," she said. "Oh, by the way, this is my Billy!" she introduced her husband, with a slightly raised eyebrow to Evanthe, whom she knew was married to Billy on her own world. "Billy, this is Elissa and Evanthe, the Night Rangers."
Evanthe smiled, glancing Billy up and down with a practiced eye. "Looks every bit as tasty as my Billy did when we first met!"
"Come on," Aura started to lead them back to the hospital, then paused to look at Evanthe. "Fangs off!" she warned teasingly. The vampire chuckled.
"I wouldn't dream of it!"
Elissa giggled. "Yes, you would! Remember what our Rocky said?"
Evanthe smiled. "Only if I have to!"
"You'd better not go into Blood Lust!" she warned sternly. She was not going to let Evanthe's joy at visiting their friends accidentally unleash the hunger of the vampire on this unsuspecting world.
"I won't," Evanthe smiled. "I'll hunt like I do at home; from people who deserve to have their blood taken." Thieves, murderers, that sort of thing.
"Okay," Elissa trusted her friend. Billy cleared his throat.
"Come on," he said. "We'll take you to the hospital."
As they walked, Aura asked, "How long are you two here for?"
"Two days."
Evanthe nodded "And if we don't get back here by then, we'll never get home."
The four of them didn't notice two more figures emerging from the gateway as they left it's immediate vicinity. Lord Zedd and Rito Revolto looked around. "Ah!! It worked!!" Zedd laughed.
"Looks just like home!" Rito declared as he looked around. Zedd almost ignored him.
"Come! Let us find this Divatox person they spoke of."
Rito grinned foolishly. "Wonder if she's cute? And how do we find her?"
"That is the $64,000 question!" Zedd declared. Rito blinked.
"If I answer it, can I get the money?"
Zedd brightened. "That's it! She's a pirate! What attracts pirates?"
"Uhh. .." Rito performed the colossal effort of thinking. "Money?"
"Exactly!"
"So where do we get money?"
"A bank!"
"Okay!" Rito had never robbed a bank before! It did sound
like fun! Zedd shook his head in disgust as he wrapped them both in invisibility
and headed for the nearest bank: Angel Grove First National.
"There's Adam," Billy gestured as the four of them entered the hallway Azure's room was in. Aura called out to him.
"Adam, there's a couple of friends here to see Azure."
The former Ranger nodded and turned around. "Hello."
"Adam, meet Evanthe and Elissa," Aura whispered just loudly enough for him to hear it and no one else. "The Night Rangers from the universe Azure and I visited the other day."
Adam didn't smile. "Nice to meet you. She's resting. I'll take you to her." I wonder if she even wants to see them, considering that this happened in their world.
"How is she?" Evanthe asked. "Aura told us about what happened."
"Physically, as well as can be expected. Emotionally. . . .I wish I knew."
"Come on," Evanthe smiled. "Let's go see her," Adam led them down the hall to the room where Azure stared out the window. "Azure?"
"Yes?" the young woman barely noticed the voice that spoke to her, until it sounded again.
"Mind if we come in?"
Azure turned, eyes going wide with shock. "How did you???"
"We figured out a way," Evanthe told her. "We're here for a couple of days."
"You've got bad timing," Azure muttered, glad to see her friends, despite the negative associations that their presence stirred up. Evanthe glance over to Elissa.
"I wish we could say or do something more than just 'we're sorry."
Azure shook her head. "It's not your fault, Evanthe," she glanced up as Elissa took her hand gently.
"I wish you hadn't had to lose your child because of our Zedd. And I promise you that when we get back, I'm going to tear him apart, slowly for all the pain he's caused you!"
"And what she misses, I won't!" Evanthe promised. Aura chuckled a trifle.
"They sound like us, don't they, Azure?"
Her sister's lips curved quietly, but tears still shone in her eyes. "I didn't even know I was pregnant."
Evanthe sat down next to her. "If there was a way to go back and change events so that they never touched you, I'd do it," she felt as protective of this woman as she always had over Elissa.
"You sound just like Aura did on several occasions," Azure told her. "But I'll survive this. Like I have all that has happened to me."
Evanthe glanced to Aura. "I think we're a lot alike in some ways," she said, sensing a strength in the Amber Ranger that, like her own, was the product of much torment in her life. Aura took her sister's hand.
"And I know very well how strong you are, Azure. You've never let anyone or anything keep you down for long."
Azure nodded. "Thanks to you."
Aura shrugged and smiled. "We're there for each other. That's what sisters are for."
"Yeah," Azure shivered a little, as Aura squeezed her hand.
"Elissa, they sound so much like us it isn't funny!"
They all looked up as a nurse cleared her throat in the doorway. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we must prep Azure for surgery. You have to leave."
Evanthe sighed. "We'll be back later."
"Definitely!" Aura declared as Azure bade them good-bye. They quietly walked out of the room, and the first thing Elissa noticed was this world's Adam. She smiled a little. Adam's GOT to do that to his hair!
"What are you staring at?" Evanthe leaned over to whisper in her friend. Elissa whispered in return,
"His hair!"
"What about it?"
"It looks nice long!"
"I foresee your Adam growing his hair out!"
"If he wants to."
"He'd do it for you."
"I don't want him to do it for me."
The object of the conversation, or this dimensional variant of him, anyway, looked around. Evanthe smiled at him. "So, when do we meet the rest of your Rangers? I'm sort of curious about the color change."
"Now," Adam told her. "Come on, I think they're at the Power Chamber."
Aura smiled briefly. "You two are sort of in for a surprise when you meet the Green Ranger."
Adam glanced at her strangely and just nodded; they'd all been trying
to get him back on the team. Aura sighed, and nodded. "Let's go."
Tommy packed back and forth in the Power Chamber; all the rest of them had decided to wait out the operation in here. Justin looked nervous; he'd never come this close to death before, not like this. He was going to go talk to him, when four beams of light, one in purple and one in pale rose, two colors he'd never seen before, appeared in the Power Chamber. The other two, light brown and white, transformed into Aura and Adam.
"Hi, guys!" Aura waved as the strange lights became two strangers, both female. Tommy frowned a little; they seemed familiar. "We brought a couple of friends."
"Hey, I've seen them before, haven't I?"
Aura nodded. "Briefly," she would never forget the mad dash for the only thing to save her sister's life.
"Evanthe Cranston and Elissa Park at your service," Evanthe bowed a little, smiling. "The Night Rangers."
Tommy smiled. "I knew I'd seen them. Welcome to the Power Chamber!"
Evanthe nodded, glancing around. "Nice place."
"You were right," Elissa agreed. "It is bigger than the Command Center."
As Aura introduced everyone to their dimensional friends, Tommy cleared his throat. "Guess we should tell you who we are, and which Ranger we are."
Evanthe smiled. "That would be nice. We already know there are some differences."
"I'm Tommy Oliver, the Red Turbo Ranger."
"Rocky DeSantos, the Blue Turbo Ranger, at your service," Rocky smiled, bowing a little in his own turn.
"Aisha Campbell, Yellow Turbo Ranger."
"Kat Hilliard, Pink Turbo Ranger."
"Justin Stewart, Green Turbo Ranger."
"Billy Cranston, the Phantom Ranger."
Aura chuckled. "And you know me. Aura Cranston, the Amber Ranger."
"Aren't you a Ranger in this world?" Elissa asked Adam. He sighed.
"I was," he remembered harshly. "Until I had an accident."
"The fall?" Elissa remembered Aura and Azure mentioning something about that when they'd been on their world. Adam nodded, and they all could see the trace of guilt still in Aura's eyes at that. It was going to be a long while, if ever, before she could get over what had happened.
"Justin's holding the powers, while I make up my mind on whether
I want them back."
Angel Grove First National had been robbed only a few times, but never by a couple of monsters. As Zedd and Rito, holding their bags of stolen loot, emerged from the bank, the walking skeleton looked at their haul. "Think this is enough cash to draw her?"
"It had better be!" Zedd growled. They both looked up as a flash of red lightning transformed into Divatox, Queen Pirate of this universe.
"I don't believe my eyes!" she stared at them both. "Zedd?"
The Master of Evil nodded sharply. "It is I!"
"You're supposed to be dead!"
He shrugged. "In this world I am, but in my own universe, I'm still alive and evil as ever!"
"Well, well, well," Divatox smiled wickedly. "An alternate universe Zedd. And just what are you doing here?"
"Two of the Rangers from my world are here, and I want the powers of the Amber Ranger!"
Divatox growled at the mention of that Ranger. "I once had her under my control," she remembered, her eyes glowing with rage at that.
"I will require your assistance!" Zedd told her, ignoring her anger. He had more important things to worry about than who she might've controlled at one point or another.
Divatox's eyes glowed even more intensely at that. "My assistance? Remember whose world you're in, Zedd!"
"Who's got the money?" Zedd said suggestively, holding up the money bags. Divatox stared at them for a long moment, then licked her lips.
"All right," she decided. "You give me the money, and we'll get rid of those Night Rangers, and you can have the Amber Ranger!"
Zedd laughed. "Shall we plan for their demise?" he offered.
Divatox snatched the money greedily and laughed. This was a truly unholy
alliance!
The Rangers of this Earth were showing the Night Rangers around their world, when Rocky's stomach grumbled. "You guys hungry?" he asked. As everyone started to nod and agree, Evanthe shook her head.
"I'll grab a bite later, after dark," she said. Hope the people around here are tasty!
"Good!" Rocky grinned. "Cause I'm starving! Let's grab something at the Youth Center!"
Billy shook his head, grinning. "Rocky, you're always starving!"
"I guess that never changes!" Evanthe smiled. Billy looked over to her.
"He's like that in your world?"
Evanthe nodded, and Aura grinned. "Come on, everyone! Rocky's buying!"
The Blue Turbo Ranger grinned. "Yeah! New job pays big!"
Adam paced back and forth some hours later as they arrived back at the hospital. "Hey," he murmured.
"Any word on her yet?" Aura asked. Adam shook his head in regret. There was nothing.
"I hope she's going to be all right," Evanthe cleaned her teeth; the sun had set while they were returning and she'd stopped off for a bite. Whoever that was, he was TASTY!! I really like the cuisine around here!
Adam nodded as he looked to the doors. "I just wish I could see her."
"I'm sure they'll tell us something soon," Aura said, looking up as the doctor came out.
"How is she?" were the first words out of Adam's mouth. The doctor took a deep breath.
"She came through the surgery fine, but she won't be waking up from the sedatives until tomorrow morning most likely."
Adam nodded. "Can I see her? Just for a moment?"
"Of course."
Adam practically ran into the room, not noticing the nurse in there. "One day," he said softly, looking at her. "This will all be behind us. One more bridge that we conquered."
"She's going to be fine," the nurse told him quietly. "She came through it very well."
"That's good to hear," Adam said, taking Azure's hand.
The nurse came over. "I've lost children before," her voice was thick with pain. "I know how you two must be hurting."
Adam sighed. "Why did it have to happen? We didn't even know she was expecting."
"No one knows why it happens," the nurse said, adjusting some of the devices on Azure. Adam sighed as he kissed Azure on the forehead.
"I guess I should let her sleep."
"We'll be keeping an eye on her. You'll know the minute she wakes up."
"Thanks," Adam smiled. "Thanks alot."
"She's feeling a lot better," he told the others as he rejoined them. Elissa and Evanthe both grinned; this was good news. But they all looked sad compared to the glow coming from Aura's eyes.
"It's getting late," Tommy said, glancing first at the clock on the wall, then to the Night Rangers. "We're going to have to get some sleep."
"You can stay with me," Adam said, looking to Elissa, knowing Azure wouldn't mind. Aura had Evanthe invited to her house and out the door, Billy in tow, before anyone could move; the expression on the Phantom Ranger's face was incredible, to say the least.
"Thanks," Elissa nodded, and headed there with him, feeling a trifle strange at being with an Adam she was not married to or deeply in love with. It only seemed to be moments later before they were in his house.
"You can stay in our room," Adam told her. "I'll stay on the couch."
"You sure?
Adam nodded, smiling. "Sure. I've slept on it before." Usually when Azure and I are having a fight!
"Okay," she nodded, as he started to make a little bed for himself on the couch. Adam sat back on his heels and glanced down towards the room she was going to.
"So, this is probably a silly question, but what's it like being a werewolf?"
She smiled at that question coming from the voice that was so like her beloved's. "It's like being human. Except you turn into a wolf once a month and don't age."
"That's got to be interesting," Adam observed. "Umm, just how old are you? If I'm not being too rude in asking."
"You're not," she smiled. "A hundred and eighteen."
His eyes widened. "You don't look over seventeen!"
"That's how old I was when I was turned into a werewolf," she told him. Adam smiled as she sat next to him.
"Your Adam is so lucky!"
Elissa smiled "So am I," And I miss my Adam a great deal. The bond still exists; but it's so faint; this is kind of weird. I'm with Adam. ..but not with him.
"So, you must miss him," Adam said. Elissa nodded, her mind already deep in thoughts about the man, er, werewolf, she loved with all her heart. "I miss Azure."
His eyes widened as their lips suddenly met in a deep and passionate kiss. His mind already filled with images of Azure in it, he returned the embrace, seeing her face before him, feeling her lips on his, her arms around him, and his around hers.
It was a very good feeling.
Morning light streamed into the living room the next morning, and Adam slowly began to wake up. He felt something nuzzling at his neck, and smiled, opening his eyes. He went almost as pale as Evanthe when he saw who was next to him. "Elissa?"
Her eyes flew open and stared at the familiar/unfamiliar Adam before her. "Oh, crap!"
"What did we do?" Adam breathed. Elissa peeked under the covers and paled.
"Um, I think. . .we did. . .it!" Elissa moaned. Adam shivered and swore at himself. "It's my fault!"
"No, it's mine!" he charged.
Elissa shook her head. "I started it! I shouldn't have!"
Adam took a deep breath. "I shouldn't have responded!"
"It's both our faults then!"
"What are we going to do?" Adam asked. Azure's going to kill me! And I don't blame her!
Elissa sighed as the phone rang. "I don't know."
"I'll get it," Adam walked over to the phone. "Hello?"
Azure's tired voice sounded from the other end. "Hey. They let me call you."
"Azure!" Adam's voice ran with joy, but with a touch of guilt as well, and he saw Elissa's eyes widening with the same emotions.
"Adam?" Azure had picked up that emotion. "What's going on?"
"Nothing," Adam shook his head. He was going to face her head on with this.
Azure's voice hardened. " I want to see you. I think we need to talk."
"I want to see you! Can't wait! How are you feeling?"
"Fine," Azure sighed. "Just a little tired, and a little giddy. Then again, I think that part's from the pain killers."
Adam nodded. "We'll be there as soon as we can be."
"Okay," Azure agreed. "I really think we need to talk." Something is DEFINTILY up with him!
"See you as soon as we call the others and let them know. I love you."
"I love you too."
"See you soon," Adam said, hanging up and turning to Elissa.
"What did we do?" the werewolf sighed. Adam looked at her.
"Something I'm going to tell her about as soon as I can, because if I don't, she'll figure it out!"
Elissa nodded. "I'll have to tell my Adam as soon as I get home, or he'll find it in my head."
"Huh?"
She shrugged. "I've got a telepathic bond with my Adam. I think
we should get dressed and go tell Azure the truth."
Divatox was humming under her breath as she counted out the money Zedd had paid her. Oh, this is going to be a great deal of fun! I get rid of the Amber Ranger, which plunges the Phantom Ranger into a deep depression, at the VERY least, and all the other Rangers will be too distracted by trying to help him to stop me! She looked up at a laugh from her erstwhile otherworldly partner. "What's so funny?"
"This world's Adam and my Rose Ranger have just awakened from a little adulterous encounter!" he relished telling her of the Rangers' infidelity. "And now they're going to confess it!"
"Ohhhh!!" Divatox laughed. "Little Azure is just not having a good couple of days, is she?"
Zedd shook his head. "That she is not! And things are about to get worse! Do you have that monster?"
Divatox gestured to Porto. "Of course!" the chubby monster maker hurried a hunched over monster into the main chamber, with nets for hands and mad red eyes. Zedd looked it up and down and nodded.
"Then shall we sent it and Rito to destroy those two, and then the rest of the Rangers!" Zedd declared. Divatox cackled with hideous glee.
"Oh, yes!" she paused for a moment. "Zedd, I've been wondering. Just how do you plan to get the Amber Ranger? She's not going to be taken out by a couple of monsters. Trust me, I've tried."
"This!" Zedd pulled out a glimmering crystal. "This crystal shall siphon off her powers and give them to me!"
"Leaving me with one less Ranger at the least to deal with, and giving you enormous power to conquer your own Earth with!" as Zedd nodded, Divatox snapped her fingers. "Send the monster and your . . .whatever he is," she glared at Rito. "Now!"
"You heard the Lady!" Zedd ordered his brother-in-law, tossing him the crystal. "Go!"
Rito laughed, actually managing to catch it without breaking it. "Okay, Ed!"
"That's Zedd!"
Divatox's evil laughter sounded. "We make a great team!"
"That we do!"
I shouldn't have come on to him. I shouldn't have. This is all my fault. But I missed my Adam so much. . . .Elissa looked up to see Adam beside her; she could almost feel the guilt dripping off of him. "She is going to forgive you. It's me she won't."
"I don't know if she'll forgive me or you," Adam sighed. Elissa placed a hand on his shoulder, as a friend and nothing more.
"After we explain what happened, I'm sure she'll understand."
Adam sighed. "I hope so. You don't know how much I hope so."
"As much as I hope my Adam understands and forgives me," she told him. She knew it would be a trifle easier with her and her Adam, he could look straight into her mind and know the only thing she had been thinking of was him.
At least she hoped it would happen like that.'
"All you were doing was missing him," Adam told her. "And I missed Azure."
"And we were preoccupied," Elissa reminded him. Adam nodded.
"I was just thinking about her," he said, smiling briefly. I hope Azure understands, I REALLY do!!
Elissa swore suddenly, watching as the Rangers all around them fell into fighting stances. "Looks like we're not going to have much of a chance to talk about this after all!"
"Great!" Adam sighed, then stared at one of the attackers. "No way!"
"What is it?" Elissa asked, seeing Rito, Piranatrons, and a monster. Nothing very much out of the ordinary, really.
"I think we've got trouble from your world!" he told her. She stiffened, remembering what Aura had told her.
Rito's gone in this world. That's the one from OUR world. She turned to Evanthe, "Zedd found us!"
"This is not what we need!" the Purple Ranger groaned as the various powered Rangers morphed. The Turbo Rangers and the Night Rangers were ready for some serious battle!
Tommy almost cracked his knuckles in pleasure. He didn't like to fight, but when they had to, they did damage. "Let's rumble!"
"You know it!" Aura growled, prepared to knock into these idiots for all she was worth. It had been a long time since she fought Rito, but she still remembered how it was done.
Rito laughed as he came closer to her, pulling the crystal out as he did so. "This is gonna be easier than Zedd thought!"
"Adam, teleport out of here, now!" Aura snapped, wanting the effective 'civilian' out of the way. He nodded, melting away into his now-usual column of white light and removing himself from where Elissa had been trying to protect him. Evanthe ran practically through where he'd been to knock the crystal out of Rito's hands; she didn't know what it did, but she wasn't going to let the bad guys do whatever they were going to with it. A quick stomp with one booted foot, and whatever plan they had for that crystal was smashed.
Trapper, the monster, growled. "Time for your end, Amber Ranger!" he hissed, pointed at her and shooting a strong net of some unknown material around her.
"Hey!" Aura grabbed at the net, trying to get enough space to call forth her Axe. The net drew tighter around her, pinoning her arms and legs and holding her tightly.
"Say good-bye, Rangers!" Trapper laughed, vanishing along with Rito and the Piranatrons.
"No!! Aura!" Billy screamed, his eyes blazing under his dark helmet. As the group demorphed, Evanthe saw the tears in Elissa's eyes.
"You okay?" she asked softly. She could tell something was going on between her friend and this world's Adam, something very wrong.
The Rose Ranger nodded. "I have to talk to Azure, though."
Tommy cleared his throat, "Come on, we need to get to the hospital
to let Adam and Azure know about this, then get to the Power Chamber!"
Azure leaned against the pillow, crying. She couldn't believe what Adam had told her! How had it happened, how could they?
"I didn't mean to, Azure," Adam sighed. "But I was thinking about you, and she kissed me, because she was thinking about her Adam. . .and well. .."
"I don't want to hear this," Azure growled.
"I'm sorry, Azure, I'm so sorry!" Adam cried, as she shook her head. She didn't want to hear his excuses, they meant nothing to her. Nothing meant anything to her anymore. How could it?
Azure looked up as she heard footsteps, and saw the other Rangers, various faces peeking in the door. Her eyes narrowed as she glared at Elissa, then looked to Billy. "Billy," she said softly. "Can I talk to you for a moment, alone?" the Phantom Ranger nodded, then she looked to the others. "Do you guys mind leaving me alone?"
As they left, Adam included, she vaguely noticed the looks of upset on all their faces. She ignored it for now, though. "Billy, do you know a good lawyer?"
"Yeah, my uncle," Billy nodded, his eyes somewhat distant. "Why?"
She sighed, wiping away the tears that marred her face. "I'm going to be getting a divorce."
"What?" Billy's eyes were wide, then grew shocked when Azure explained what had happened. He had to sit down, there was no other reaction. First Aura, now this. What else is going to happen today?
"Do you think your uncle can see me when I get out?"
Billy nodded. "I'll talk to him, if you're sure."
Azure sighed. "I've never been more certain of anything in my life. I can't trust him anymore."
"I'll talk to my uncle," Billy decided. And maybe he can talk her out of this. Just one little indiscretion doesn't mean Adam's going to running out chasing everything in a skirt!
"Thanks," Azure nodded. "Where's Aura?" Billy didn't answer right away, and her eyes darkened even more. "Billy? Where is my sister?"
He sighed. "The Zedd from Elissa and Evanthe's world followed them here, with their Rito. Apparently they've teamed up with Divatox. We were jumped by a monster and some Piranatrons on the way here, and the monster took Aura."
More tears poured from Azure's eyes; she would've thought by now she would have no more. "Get my sister back, please," she whispered, a fresh pain in her heart at having to utter the words yet again.
"We will," Billy sighed.
"Don't tell the other Rangers yet," Azure sighed. "I haven't told Adam yet."
Billy nodded. "I won't."
Azure took a deep breath. "I guess I should get this over with."
"Do what you feel you must," Billy wished he had more advice than this, but with Aura gone, just hearing this news, he had nothing to say.
"Could you. . .ummm. . .get him for me?" she watched as Billy walked out of the room, crying when she was alone. She turned around at the sound of her name being uttered by Adam. He's been crying. "We have to talk," her voice was steel, though. He sat down, nodding. "I'm getting out tomorrow morning."
He nodded. "That's good."
"I'm not coming home with you."
"Azure?!" he stared, eyes spilling over with tears once more.
"I want a divorce, Adam," she said firmly. She was not going to back down on this, no matter what. She had never been able to trust anyone in her life, except Aura, and without that support, she was empty. Adam asked why, his eyes full of pain. "You spent last night with another woman and you have to ask?"
"It was a mistake!" he cried. Azure shook her head.
"One that I can't live with."
"Azure, no," Adam whispered, barely able to sit or stand. "Please. . .no. . ."
She shook her head. "No, Adam. It's over. There's not much left to say," she closed her eyes as he staggered to his feet and headed for the door.
"I love you, Azure," he whispered. She closed her eyes, her heart, and her mind, she would no longer listen to him.
"I'm filing tomorrow for the divorce," she told him. She would not back down.
"I still love you."
Aura struggled and fought as the Trapper's nets were unwound and she was held in the steel grip of Piranatrons. "Let me go!" she demanded.
"I think not!" the voice was from behind her, but it was one that froze her in her tracks. Almost without realizing it, she demorphed, wanting to see this with her own eyes, not masked by her helmet. She turned, shaking with fear even as she took in who it was. "No. . no. . ."
"Oh, but yes!" Zedd had never seen someone as terrified of him as she was, and he hadn't really done anything to her! Oh, he knew his counterpart in this universe had violated her in the extreme, but he had done none of it himself. To have someone fear him without him having ever raised a hand to them was a new experience, one rather intoxicating.
"G. . .get away from me," she stuttered in her fear, doing what she could to back away from him, but to no avail.
He leaned closer to her, watching as she shuddered violently. "And why should I?"
"Just get away!" she wailed; the one thing Aura Robinson Cranston feared was right in front of her, and she wanted it to leave her alone!
Zedd laughed. "I want one thing from you, and then you can leave!" if she falls for THAT, she shouldn't even be a Ranger!
"What?"
"Your powers!" he glared. Aura shook her head in denial, no matter what, there were some things she wouldn't give in to! "Oh, but yes! I want them!"
"You can't have them!" Aura hissed. "You couldn't use them even if you had them!"
Zedd laughed harshly. "That is where you are wrong!"
Aura growled harshly, "You're not going to get them! You can't have them, I won't let you have them!"
Rito cleared his throat. "Ummm. . .Ed. ..the crystal you gave me?"
Zedd held his hand out. "Give it to me!" when Rito didn't move, Zedd stared at him. "Rito! Where is the Crystal?"
The skeleton lowered his head. "It got crushed."
"It got what?" Zedd glared. Aura grinned and chuckled.
"He said it got crushed!" she repeated, rather enjoying the look of disappointment on his . . .face?
Zedd growled, and gestured to Aura. "Rito, please do something right for once: kill her!"
Rito was heading over to her, when Divatox stepped in the way. "Zedd, wait a second," the pirate queen advised, her eyes glinting at Aura, and not making the Amber Ranger feel one little bit better.
She might've just saved my life, but that doesn't mean she's going to let me go!
"What?" Zedd asked.
"Does the phrase 'hostage' hold any meaning for you?" Divatox grinned, glaring at her former slave. Zedd's eyes glowed briefly.
"The capture and destruction of the Night Rangers? You have a plan?"
Divatox nodded. From what I saw, your Night Rangers get along very well with this one. They could give themselves to you in return for her," she laughed. "Not that we'd give her back!"
"Perfect!" Aura screamed and started fighting again, keeping her eyes away from Zedd; she knew she couldn't fight and look at him. Zedd growled, "Shall we send the Rangers a message"
"Yes!" Divatox laughed, then frowned as Aura pulled away from the Piranatrons and started causing as much damage as she possibly could in the Subcraft, looking for some way to get out of there. Zedd sighed.
"Rito!! Get her!" he was surprised when Rito actually managed to seize the Amber Ranger and hold onto her! Divatox contemplated for a moment, then a cold, evil smile twisted her face.
"You know what your counterpart here did with her, don't you?" the pirate asked wickedly. Zedd nodded, he'd seen it plainly in Azure's memory in his own world; what she knew of it anyway. "Then kiss her," she whispered. "I guarantee she'll calm down."
Zedd chuckled, then walked over to the struggling Aura and seized her by the wrists, pulling her into a kiss. Aura held still for a moment, her eyes filling up with horror, then fainted. She couldn't handle that touch on her again, she simply couldn't. Divatox grinned. "Told you so!"
"Where do you wish to put her?" Zedd asked, having caught the unconscious Ranger. "The brig?"
Divatox nodded. "Perfect! And chain her, too! No need to take chances!"
Zedd agreed. "No need at all. Now, shall we wait and make the Rangers suffer?"
"Oh, yes!" Divatox rubbed her hands together and laughed.
"Nothing like suffering Ranges to watch!"
The Rangers were doing what they had ever done, in any universe, when one of their own was in danger: running around looking for them. They hardly noticed when Adam teleported in, eyes burning with mixed rage and grief. He pulled Billy harshly to one side, interrupting the Phantom Ranger's search. "You knew, didn't you?" he hissed. Billy knew at once what he was talking about.
"Yeah. She asked me not to tell anyone."
"Did she tell you why?"
Billy sighed. "She said she can't trust you."
Adam sighed, and turned to Elissa, where she and Evanthe were sitting out of the way. "Can we talk?" it wasn't precisely a question. The two of them headed out of the way of the scurrying Rangers, to a quiet area. There, in soft words, Adam told Elissa what Azure had told him.
"Adam. ..I. .. ," Elissa couldn't believe her ears!! "I don't know what to say!"
"I don't know what I'm going to do without her," Adam felt like throwing himself off the nearest cliff, actually!
Elissa frowned. "Maybe I should go talk to her."
"I don't think she wants to see you," she hardly wanted to see me!
Elissa sighed. "I can't leave things the way they are now!"
"You can if you want to," Adam sighed. "I don't know."
"I'm going," Elissa said, touching her communicator and teleporting out swiftly. Adam sighed, leaning against a wall, then jerked up as he heard Tommy clearing his throat near him.
The Red Ranger looked solemn. "We found Aura."
"Where?"
"Give you a lucky guess," the leader of the Rangers said dryly. Adam nodded; there was only one place she would be, really, with the Lunar Palace in their universe dust.
"Divatox's Subcraft."
Tommy nodded. "We're also receiving a transmission," Tommy looked at his old friend. "You going to be okay?"
Adam sighed. "Yea. Sure," without another word, he started walking to the main room. "What's the transmission?" he asked quietly.
Billy touched another couple of buttons. "It's starting to come in clearer," he growled at the sight on the Viewing Globe. "Zedd?!"
"Can't you even leave us alone across dimensions?" Evanthe wanted to know. Billy leaned forward, eyes blazing with hatred.
"Let my wife go!" he ordered; fighting to keep himself from thinking of That Month, a time of horror unparalleled in their history. Zedd only laughed.
"Why should I?" he taunted. "I'm enjoying her company!"
"Touch one hair on her," Billy growled, "And I'll kill you! Not only for what you did to her, but to my sister-in-law!" this is all Zedd's fault, if he hadn't done that to Azure, she wouldn't have been in the hospital when Elissa and Evanthe visited, and last night wouldn't have happened for Elissa and Adam!
Zedd cackled. "Too late, Ranger! I must admit, my alternate self had excellent taste! She was. . .very enjoyable!"
The Rangers stepped back as Billy looked ready to attack the Viewing Globe in revenge! How dare this monster touch his wife!
"Enough talk of pleasure," Zedd decided, smiling. This fool doesn't know I don't find his wife desirable. But the villain who can't lie is no villain at all! "Night Rangers! Listen to me and listen good! You have two hours to make up your minds."
"About what?" Evanthe snapped.
"If you want her to live, surrender!" Zedd ordered. Evanthe glanced around, seeing Elissa gone, and her eyes blazed with fury. She knew what her partner's reaction would be.
"You're slime, Zedd. Complete smile," she told him. Zedd only laughed.
"Two hours!" he told them. "Then she dies!"
Billy clenched his fists. "I'm going to kill you, Zedd! Azure got the pleasure of killing the version of you here, but you are mine!"
Zedd laughed as the globe faded to black. Evanthe took a deep breath. "Where's Elissa? I've got to tell her what Zedd wants."
"She went to talk to Azure."
Evanthe nodded. "You guys work on getting Aura out of there. I'll go talk to Elissa."
Billy nodded as he got to work, and Evanthe teleported out. Couldn't
they escape Zedd in any universe?
"I know. And if I had it to do over again, I wouldn't. I just missed my Adam so much, and your Adam was missing you; you were the one who he was thinking about. Don't ruin your life in a moment of anger."
Azure spat the answer out. "I am not ruining my life. I'd be ruining it living with a man I can no longer trust!"
"How can you not trust him, when all he was thinking of was you?"
Azure sighed. "How can you be sure? You can't read his mind."
Elissa smiled a trifle. "Because before we went to sleep, he said I love you, Azure." which I'm surprised I remember.
Azure closed her eyes, as tears began to fall once more. "I'm not changing my mind." she was adamant about this.
"Azure, how long have you been married to him?"
"A long time."
"And has anything like this ever happened before?"
Azure looked over at her coldly. "Elissa, I don't know what your point is, but nothing you say or do is going to change my mind, or what happened last night. You slept with my husband, he slept with you, willingly."
"I think you can trust him. You just don't want to anymore."
Azure almost glared at her. "You don't know what I want!"
They both looked to the door as they heard Evanthe clearing her throat. "We heard from Zedd," the vampire said, walking in quietly. Azure's eyes widened at this confirmation of what Billy had told her. "He's working with Divatox now. And he wants us to surrender to him or he'll kill Aura."
Elissa stood up. "When do we go?"
"He said we have two hours."
"Let's hope we can get her out," Elissa stood up and glanced to Azure. "We'll finish this later."
Azure shook her head. "It's too late. It's done."
"Come on," Evanthe gestured. "We've got plans to make."
Zedd gazed at the chained Aura and laughed softly. "Not as appealing as your sister!"
Aura, recovered from the mental shock that had caused her to faint, still refused to look at him. "Leave her alone!"
"Maybe I'll take her with me," the master of evil mused. "Since it appears she is leaving her husband."
"What?"
"Your brother-in-law cheated on her," Zedd told her, laughing. Aura shook her head; she knew Adam would never do that, and said so. "Oh, but he did!" Zedd looked to his own brother-in-law. "Rito, what would you say about bringing along the Amber Ranger's sister with us to our world?"
"Yeah, sure, Ed!" Rito blinked happily. Zedd gestured for him to go 'collect' Azure, and Aura growled angrily.
"Whether he did or not doesn't matter," she swore, pulling at her chains. "But you aren't going to touch her! Amber Ranger Power!"
Zedd laughed as Aura snapped the chains and attacked him harshly. "You're going to be too late!" he told her, striking with his staff.
"Not if I kill you right here and now!" I only hope I CAN, if he figures. . .no. .he won't. . .no one knows that but me. . .
"Then your sister dies!"
Aura promised, "I'm not going to let you hurt her!"
"Then remain still!" Zedd ordered. Aura's muscles twitched in response, then her intellect fought down the ingrained reaction.
She approached Zedd, her Axe in her hands. "Leave her alone. Don't lay a finger on her."
"You are in no position to demand anything!" he reminded her of her captivity. Aura shook her head.
"You're going to leave Azure alone, or I swear I'll cut your damn head off!"
Zedd hissed and raised his staff, trying to knock her out. "Shut up!" he ordered. Aura blocked it, as Divatox entered, seeing the commotion. The pirate queen growled under her breath, then ordered her two henchmutants of Rygog and Elgar to seize her.
"Men," she muttered. "They can't do anything right."
At least her mutants did, clamping down on her with all their strength. Aura struggled, as Zedd demorphed her with his staff. "I shall have your sister for my own!" he hissed, then smiled as Rito reappeared with a tear-streaked and pain-tormented Azure.
Aura's eyes blazed. "If you touch her, Zedd, no matter what it takes I will hunt you down through every dimension that exists to tear your head from your shoulders and stuff it up your rotten posterior!"
"Put the Amber Ranger in a cell!" Zedd ordered, watching as she still fought with Rygog and Elgar.
"I can get out of any cell that you've got here!" Azure, Divatox, Zedd, and every mutant there winced at the language that streamed out of Aura's mouth just then. Azure looked up at Zedd, eyes distant and pale.
"Nothing you can do can make my life worse than it already is," she said quietly, ignoring Aura for the time being now. Zedd smiled, and leaned over, whispering his future plans for the two of them in one ear. Azure quietly hauled back and knocked him in the stomach as hard as she possibly could.
"Ohhh!" Zedd laughed. "I like a girl with spirit!"
"I have no spirit," Azure replied. "I am nothing but an empty shell, thanks to you, Finster, Elissa, and Adam."
Aura paused in her struggle. "Azure, what are you talking about?"
"Then you won't object to coming back with me?" Zedd laughed. Azure shrugged.
"I'll think about it. Just leave me alone with my sister."
"Why should I?" Zedd challenged. Azure looked calmly at him.
"If you do, I'll go willingly with you."
Zedd smiled, gesturing for everyone to leave the brig ahead of him, then followed. He glowed blue briefly; he was at peace. He had what he desired, almost all of it. All that was required now was the destruction of the Night Rangers.
"Azure, what in the hell do you think you're doing?" Aura shrieked, relishing the feeling of being semi-free again.
"Leaving this hell-hole of a life," Azure said flatly. Aura couldn't believe her ears!
"For what? Something even worse?"
"I'm divorcing Adam."
"Why?"
She sighed deeply. "He cheated on me."
"You mean Zedd was telling the truth about that?" gee, I'm gonna have to believe Zedd. I think the universe just ended and someone forgot to tell me.
Azure nodded. "If that's what he told you, yes."
"You're going to throw away all the love you two have had, and still have all these years because of one mistake?"
"Sometimes, that's all it takes," Azure wasn't looking at her sister, hadn't this whole time, but at the door he had left by. There was no emotion in her voice whatsoever.
Aura looked at her sister, disappointment and upset marked on her face. "Then I guess you really didn't love him, if you can't forgive him."
"I do love. I just can't trust him anymore."
"Azure, you can," Aura told her firmly. "If you're willing to try. You're just giving up now."
Azure dropped to her knees, pain and upset in her voice. "He slept with Elissa!"
Aura's voice dripped disgust. "So you're going to drop everything that you two have meant to each other all these years and go running off with Zedd. I always thought better of you."
"I'm doing that to get you out of here," Azure sighed. Aura shook her head.
"Do you honestly think Zedd or Divatox would keep their word? They both want me dead or worse!"
Azure slowly made her way back to her feet, turning from Aura. "You did the same once. Not for me. But for two others."
"Azure, you are committing yourself to a lifetime of living hell for nothing!" Aura went over to her sister as Azure doubled over in pain. "Azure, you can trust Adam still, you know inside that you can."
"I'm an idiot," Azure cried into her sister as Aura held her. She knew Aura would never betray her of her own will, would always be there for her, was her true and uncompromising friend and sister.
"And just what makes you an idiot?" Aura asked gently, holding Azure close to her, being as supportive as she had always been for her.
Azure closed her eyes, leaning against her. "Everything the past couple of hours."
"You were angry," Aura told her. "Not an idiot." and let's hope this ends her wanting to divorce Adam. I love Azure, but at times, she can get on my nerves! I probably do the same to her, though. It's just life.
Zedd's harsh voice interrupted them. "Enough. Time to prepare for your new life, my Azure."
Aura growled, pushing Azure behind her. "Sorry. No. Not happening."
"She agreed," Zedd reminded her. "Do you expect her to break her word?"
"This one time, yes!" Aura demanded. Zedd glared, eyes glowing a fierce and angry red.
"I want her!" he whined like a small child. "You can't stop me either!"
"Wanna bet!" Aura hissed, her eyes blazing with fury. "You're going through my dead body to get to her!"
Azure glanced from Zedd to Aura, bending over in pain suddenly. "Pain. .," she whispered. "Help me. . ."
"You're not going to lay a finger on her!" Aura promised, hovering over Azure as protectively as possible.
"I need to go back to the hospital," Azure groaned. "I need help."
Zedd grasped his staff. "I can fix you up right here. If you get that sister of yours out of the way. So we can go home!"
Azure sighed. "I want to go to the hospital. Please."
"Very well," Zedd decided. "But I will be watching you and your sister stays here."
Azure sighed as she looked to Aura. "Okay."
The Amber Ranger hugged her sister lovingly. "You get back there and get healed up," she whispered to Azure, "You'd be making the biggest mistake of your life if you left Adam and you know it."
"Later," Azure whispered. "We'll talk later."
Aura nodded. "You know it!"
Zedd raised his staff. "Time to get fixed up, my dear!" as a zap of light traveled from his staff to her, Azure reached out and grabbed Aura, causing them both to be transported! The next thing either of them was aware of, they were sitting in Azure's bedroom at her house.
Azure smiled as she sat straighter. "It worked."
Aura couldn't help but laugh at this. "You little sneak!" she hugged Azure tightly. Azure smiled.
"You don't think your sister got the leads in all those plays for nothing, do you?" Azure grinned, reminding her of just what Azure did for a living. Aura smiled.
"We'd better let everyone know I'm all right," she glanced to Azure. "And are you all right?"
"I will be," Azure sighed. "I wasn't totally lying when I said I was in pain."
"That's not quite what I meant," Aura's voice was a touch frostier as she spoke. She wasn't going to let her sister off the hook so easily.
Azure closed her eyes. "I'd rather not talk about it."
"They ought to have your picture in the dictionary next to the word 'stubborn'," Aura shook her head. Azure smiled briefly.
"They probably do."
"I wouldn't be surprised," Aura smiled as they both sat down. "We're going to have to keep an eye on you until we can send that Zedd back where he belongs."
"Aura!" they both looked up to see Billy and Tommy standing in the doorway, both morphed. She smiled.
"Oh, hi, Billy," she said casually; one of her most pleasing pastimes was teasing her husband. Billy ran over, demorphing in a moment, and hugged her.
"How did you escape?" he asked breathlessly. Aura quickly explained what was going on, and Tommy nodded in understanding, telling them that Zedd had blocked teleportation for six miles around the hospital.
Aura nodded briefly. "Until we can get him back where he belongs, I don't want Azure to be alone for a second." that block must've been what got us bumped here instead of to the hospital. Geez, Zedd isn't exactly a genius! Then again, I already knew that.
"It also blocked our sensors," Billy reported. "When we found out where Rito had transported in, then it just went blank. . .," he shook his head. "You're right, Aura. I'll take the first shift, I want to talk to her anyway."
Aura stretched, wincing as more bruises complained at her. "That's fine by me, I need a bath and some clean clothes anyway!" and the chance to recover from another Zedd being near me.
Tommy told them, "We've got Zedd's block down and one put up, he won't be able to teleport in or out, but we can."
"Thanks," Azure told them as she tried to get out of the bed. Aura shook her head.
"Azure, you stay right where you're at. You need your rest!"
Azure smiled, as her eyes flicked to the bathroom. Aura giggled and waved her into it. Tommy looked around as the door shut behind the heartbroken young woman. "Is she really going to go through with it?"
"I don't know," Aura sighed. Billy shook his head.
"I hope not."
"What happened?" Tommy asked. "Why does she want to leave him all of a sudden."
Aura frowned. "You mean you don't know?"
"All I heard was Adam telling Elissa that she wanted a divorce, but I didn't quite make out what he said about her reasoning. Then Elissa teleported to the hospital to talk to Azure."
Aura glanced to the bathroom. "I don't know if I should say anything."
"Maybe you should ask Azure when she comes out," Billy suggested. That seemed to be the most logical thing to him.
Azure stood in the doorway of the bathroom. "Ask me what?"
Aura looked over to her sister. "When are you going to tell everyone the reasons for why you want to divorce Adam?"
"If you want to know," Azure said finally. "Adam cheated on me."
Tommy stared in shock. "You're joking!"
Azure shook her head harshly. "He slept with Elissa."
"Oh, man! Why?"
Azure shrugged. "I don't know. He said it just happened."
Tommy sighed deeply and shook his head. "I never thought that would happen when he told Elissa he could stay at your place for the night."
Azure looked at him, frowning. "He said what?"
"He told Elissa she could stay there that night," Tommy told her. Azure frowned, looking to her sister.
"I can trust my husband?" she said harshly. Aura growled softly under her breath.
"I didn't know!"
Azure laid down on her bed, facing away from everyone else and crying.
Aura looked over to Billy, eyes blazing. "Billy, you keep an eye on
her. I'm going to go talk to Adam."
"That little. ..," Zedd was raging up and down the Subcraft, screaming and thrashing in rage. "How could she!?"
Divatox laughed. "You were tricked by a human! A normal human! Not even a Ranger!"
"She will be mine again!" Zedd swore. "I will have her as my own and then destroy the portal when I am through it!"
"What is so fascinating about those two girls? Your counterpart had the most amazing love/hate relationship with the Amber Ranger, and now you're developing the same thing with her sister!"
Zedd shrugged. "There's something in her mind."
"Aren't you married?" Divatox said harshly. One of the very few things she even considered respecting were marriage vows; at least where they didn't conflict with any of her own plans.
"Your point being?" Zedd cracked. Divatox only grinned.
"Any cute evil guys in your universe?" she asked finally. "I've been looking to get married for a while now."
Zedd thought for a couple of minutes, then shook his head. "Not really."
"Too bad," Divatox shrugged. Zedd stretched out in her throne, and mused.
"Now, to wait and to plan!"
Divatox laughed. "You're really bent on getting her, aren't you?"
Zedd nodded. "I am!"
The pirate queen purred, "I like persistence in a man. ..or whatever you are."
Zedd peered down to Earth, and smiled. "This is perfect. When Aura takes her watch on Azure, I go in, put her to sleep, and take Azure!"
"Excellent!" Divatox pushed him out of her throne and took
her place. I do so love my work!
Adam stared at their wedding picture, and crying. He couldn't believe one moment of misjudgment was destroying his entire life. He growled as a pounding came at the door. "Go away!"
Aura's voice came from the other wide. "It's me, Adam! And if I have to knock this door off it's hinges, I'm coming in!" he sighed and went to open the door. As she marched in, she growled, "To put it mildly, I'm extremely pissed at you!"
"So's Azure."
"I know," she almost hissed. "Oh, how I know! How could you?"
He sighed. "It just happened. I was sitting there, thinking about Azure, the next thing I know. . . ," he shrugged. "It was the next morning."
"What in the world possessed you to invite Elissa here anyway, knowing that she's married to you in her world!?"
"Look," Adam groaned. "It was a mistake, okay!? And now, I'm paying for it!"
Aura told him, "Because of your mistake, we have to do a twenty-four hour a day guard on Azure, because their Zedd now wants her!"
"What?!" Adam stood up, eyes blazing.
"And he figures because of what you did, she's not going to mind too much!"
Adam growled. "No! He lays one hand on her, I'm going out of my way to kill him!"
"Billy's with her now. I'm going to take my shift a little later, once I've showered, and changed, and spent some time with the kids. I don't think she'd appreciate you being there, even if you were still a Ranger."
Adam sighed. "You're right."
"Elissa and Evanthe have to leave tonight. Which means you've got to get Zedd and Rito through that opening at the same time, then close it forever."
"Without Azure," Adam whispered. Aura nodded; her ears were sharper than any human's.
"He's not going to take her," she promised. "I've never let Zedd beat me before and I'm not going to start now!"
Adam sighed. "I wish none of this had ever happened."
"You and me both," Aura sighed. "I'll see you later,
Adam. I can hear Jeni crying, and I've got my own kids to deal with, and
a very long, very hot shower with my name on it."
Azure stared blankly at the book Rocky had brought into her, not even looking up when Aura entered the room. "My turn now," she said, giving Billy a kiss.
"Gee, you sure now how to make a person feel good," Azure said dryly. Aura sighed.
"Hello, Azure," she replied. Billy leaned over to whisper to her, "She's hardly said anything since you left earlier."
Aura nodded, whispering, "I'll see if I can talk to her, and if she'll talk back."
Billy smiled. "You've always had luck with that; you and Samuel."
"If I have to call him in to help, I will," Aura decided. Billy nodded and kissed her.
"I'm going to head home," he said, his eyes promising a warm talk and more when they were both home that night. Aura returned the kiss.
"I'll see you after my shift," she swore. Billy nodded.
"You'd better! he glanced over to Azure. "I'll see you later, Azure!"
Azure sighed as she stared out the window, and Aura whispered, "You might want to consider calling Samuel."
Billy nodded. "I'll have Alpha ready to contact him at a moment's notice."
Aura glanced to Azure. "You're looking better," she said quietly.
"He's an asshole," Azure sighed. Aura's lips quirked.
"Ohh, come on, Billy's not that bad," she teased. "So what if he can't cook without almost burning the state down?"
Azure looked at her sister a bit coldly. "I was referring to Adam," at Aura's sigh, Azure shook her head. "Don't I have a right to feel betrayed?"
"Yes."
"Then stop trying to cheer me up."
Aura closed her eyes for a moment, communing internally with the Spirit of Earth for strength and courage. "All right."
There was silence for a few minutes, broken when Azure asked finally, "Why did he do it?"
"I have no idea."
"You went to the apartment?"
She nodded. "He said it was a mistake."
Azure shook her head, trying to force herself away from caring. "I don't care anymore. I just want to know how my girls are."
"They're fine."
"Aura, When are they going back?"
"This afternoon. And we have to make sure Zedd and Rito go with them, and that you don't."
Azure barely nodded. "Any chance I can see Evanthe before they go?" the vampire had done nothing to hurt her, and she still considered them friends. Elissa, she wasn't sure about anymore.
Aura nodded. "As soon as I can, I'll call her. She was still at our place when I left," she hardly noticed as an orderly entered the room, watching Azure look out the window. She did, however, notice when the orderly transformed into Zedd!
"Get out of here, Azure!" Aura screamed, falling into a battle ready stance. She would not let him hurt her sister!
Azure started out of the bed, only to have Zedd push her back into it and pin her there. "Time to rest, Amber Ranger!" he hissed, laughing.
"Get your hands off her!" Aura insisted, doing what she could to push him away from Azure. Zedd laughed mockingly at her.
"What can you do?" he teased. Aura's eyes narrowed and performed what most had come to refer to as her 'patented Aura maneuver', kicking him in the crotch with all her strength. He doubled over, then pointed his staff at her, zapping her with a sleeping spell. He laughed as she collapsed into a deep and lasting slumber.
"Aura!" Azure screamed as Zedd grabbed her by an arm and jerked her out of the bed. She stared into his face as he dragged her closer to him.
"She's not who I want, Azure! You are!"
"Let me go!" Azure demanded, struggling as hard as she could, with her eyes on the sleeping form of her sister.
Zedd laughed, running his cold fingers along her arm. "Certainly! Once we've returned to my world!" he waved his staff, transporting Aura and a little note to the bed. "Time to go!"
As they teleported out, everything remained quiet in there for a few minutes, until the door swung open. "Aura, Azure!" Aisha grinned. "Brought you something much tastier than hospital food!" she glanced around as she entered, then paled to see Aura sound asleep on the bed, Azure nowhere to be seen, and a note next to the near-comatose Amber Ranger. She quickly snatched it up and read it, paling. "NO! Aura! Wake up!"
She shook her friend quickly, until Aura's eyes began to open. "Uh. .wha. ..ZEDD!" the Amber Ranger jerked herself up, fully awake. "Where's Azure?"
Aisha handed her the note silently, and paled even further at the look of pain in Aura's eyes. "I think we should head back to the Power Chamber."
Aura nodded. "If he's hurt her, if he's so much as breathed
on her, he's toast."
"Let me go, you big moron!" Azure growled as she struggled in the tight and disgusting grip of Rito Revolto. Why did I ever say I'd go with Zedd? He won't stop now! I know Zedds, they won't ever stop!!
"No way!"
"Time to go home!" Zedd started for the portal, with Rito dragging Azure behind him. Azure swore and fought, wanting away from them!
"That's not my home!"
"It is now!" Zedd told her. They looked up as teleportation beams appeared in the park, transforming into the Rangers and Adam. Aura growled, pointing at them with her Axe in her hand.
"Let her go!"
Azure turned, her eyes fastening immediately on Adam as he tried to get to her. He screamed out her name, as the portal's light overwhelmed her eyes and she was gone.
"Damn!" Aura growled. "Let's go!"
"I want my wife back!" Adam declared.
Evanthe's fingers flexed in rage. "Then let's go!" with a dual leap, she and Elissa were through it, with Aura and Adam right on their heels. Just when Billy was going to go after them, the portal flared and vanished. Tommy sighed.
"I guess all we can do now is wait."
Billy sighed. "Yeah," he glanced up as Aisha handed him a note, telling him she'd found it with Aura in the room. Billy read, his eyes going wide, then staring to where the portal had been. "Not this," he breathed. "Not again."
"What is it?" Tommy asked. Billy handed him the note.
"The worst possible thing that could happen to her," he sighed. Tommy growled as he read it. It was a very simple note, but one that was powerful in it's intensity.
The Amber Ranger was quite tasty. And so VERY willing. Zedd.
"I think the Power Rangers are going to be standing in line to kill this Zedd!"
Billy nodded. "Starting with Aura and Adam."
Azure stared up at Zedd as he pushed her to the floor of a dimension that seemed to be totally made up of pillows. Vaguely she recognized it by description as where so many years earlier, Aura and Billy's twins had been conceived.
"Welcome to my playground!" Zedd declared. Azure looked up at him, eyes blazing.
"Let me go!"
"Oh, no!" Zedd mocked. "We're going to have some fun!" he took her by the arms, pulling her closer to him. She made a face, turning herself away from him.
"Your breath stinks!" she told him. Zedd laughed as he turned her head back to him.
"Your sister didn't think so when she was on the Subcraft!"
Azure's eyes widened. Please, no, let him NOT have done that!!! "What did you do to Aura?"
Zedd laughed. "Let's just say, my counterpart in your world had the right idea!" as Azure crumpled, whispering denial, he laughed. "And she seemed to be enjoying herself, too!"
Azure closed her eyes, remembering that Billy had told her once the portal shut, they had no way of reopening it! "I'm stuck here, aren't I?"
Zedd nodded. "Indeed you are! You're here with me, forever!" Azure closed her eyes, blocking off every emotion she had. Zedd ran a hand down her cheek. "My counterpart picked the wrong sister."
Azure refused to notice as he touched her and kissed her. She did, however,
pass out as he kissed her. Zedd laughed harshly, raising his staff to perform
a spell he'd had waiting for half the day. I've won, he purred to
himself. I've won.
The Ninja Rangers stared as another Adam, Elissa, Evanthe, and Aura appeared in the Command Center. As soon as Elissa saw her Adam, she burst out into tears. He ran over to her, holding her tenderly and gently. Elissa? What's wrong? Elissa?
I've made a terrible mistake! Can you ever forgive me?
What did you do? Adam stared at the inside of her mind as she showed him what had happened. Well I never expected this when you went there!
Can you forgive me?
Of course, I love you! You made a mistake, but you had ME on your mind! You didn't mean it.
I wish Azure would forgive her Adam.
I'm sure she will.
She's filing for divorce, and Zedd has her now, we've GOT to get her out of there!
You're damned right we have to get her out of there!
All that had taken place in the space of under two seconds. Elissa looked at the Rangers, who were being introduced to the non-werewolvian Adam, and renewing their acquaintance with Aura. In quick words she told them what was going on.
"Any idea where he might've taken her?" Tommy asked, jumping into his leader role automatically.
Evanthe shook her head. "Nothing. No clues."
"Would that one dimension be here?" Aura looked over at the Adam from her world, he was blushing some. "That one where the evil you took Billy?"
"I don't know," Aura bit her lip, as that world's Adam looked over to them.
"What is it?"
They listened as Aura told them of how she'd once been split in two, and how that evil version of herself had taken Billy to a small dimensionette and conceived the twins. Billy smiled at her, and she was very warmly reminded of her own love.
"Think you could give me a hand finding it?"
Aura nodded, and came over to the computer, working quickly. Moments later, the two of them looked up, Aura a trifle pale. "It's there."
"Is Azure?"
Aura nodded. "It looks like she's unconscious, though. If Zedd's hurt her, he's dead meat!"
Both Adams nodded in agreement. "Let's go get her," the one from her world said. In moments, Black Ranger Adam, former Ranger Adam, Evanthe, Elissa, and Aura had teleported there. Aura shivered at the memories this place brought up. The Adam of her world stared over as they saw Azure under a blanket, her hospital gown somewhat askew from what they could see.
"Come on," Aura growled, running over to her sister as she started to stir. "Azure?"
"Aura?" Azure looked over to them, scowling as she saw her own Adam there. He sighed.
"Please, Azure, you can yell and scream at me later, let's just get you home!" he declared. Azure looked to Aura, tears in her eyes, and hung onto her sister for pure raw comfort.
She paled when she saw her gown disarrayed, then screamed when something flashed through her mind. "Azure?!" Aura asked. Her sister opened her mouth to say something, when she simply collapsed.
"Come on," Aura sighed. "We've got to get her home!"
They were about to teleport out when Zedd appeared in a flash of brilliant red light. "Not so fast! You're not taking her anywhere!"
"You son of a . . ." Aura growled, eyes blazing almost as brightly as his were.
"She is mine now," Zedd declared. "Remember that while you sleep!" he pointed his staff at them, a blue light pulsating outward. Elissa, Evanthe, and both Adams collapsed; Aura had dodged out of the way of the spell; she'd seen him do that spell on her when he'd taken Azure, and the Amber Ranger made a point of it to never fall for the same trick twice if she could!
Zedd growled as she lashed out with a harsh kick to his chest. "Put her down!" he ordered. Aura only laughed.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding!"
He laughed. "How are you going to save her and your friends?" he mocked. "You're all alone!"
"We got in here without you and we can get out without you!"
Zedd seemed to grin. "Not when I allowed you to get in!"
"You're lying!" Aura screamed at the top of her lungs. Zedd laughed again, enjoying this game almost!
"There's now a teleportation barrier around this dimension."
Aura shook her head. "Doesn't matter. You're still not getting Azure!" she insisted. Zedd hissed; fun was fun, but this was going too far!
"Dream, Amber Ranger!" he commanded. Aura growled.
"You get her over my dead body, and not even then!"
Zedd laughed, aiming his staff directly at her. "Fall asleep!" he ordered. Aura stiffened, caught by the magic, and collapsed into a deep sleep. Her last words echoed in the dimensionette.
"Going to kill you. .."
Azure fell to the ground, once Aura's support was gone. Zedd's evil laughter echoed all around them. He had won.
