Elissa stood there trying to open the locker. "You know something?"
"What's that?"
"I hope I can keep myself from trying to jump Adam during school hours!"
Evanthe smiled at her friend. It had been two weeks since their last encounter with the two young men, and all Elissa could talk about was Adam Park. "You should be able to, and I can scope out potential meals."
Elissa couldn't take it anymore, she hit her locker. "I can't get this thing open!"
"I could help, but I'd probably break it."
"Allow me!" A young man with short black hair walked over, hit it a couple of times and it pops open.
"Thanks!"
"So, cutie, what's your name?" Skull couldn't believe that the new girl in school was so drop dead gorgeous. He prayed that he would have a chance in hell with her.
"Taken!" _He is cute, in a weird sort of way._
"By who?"
"His name is Adam Park, if you must know."
"That wimp?"
Elissa glared at the young man. _HOW DARE HE CALL HIM THAT!_ "He is not a wimp! He is a gentleman." _And one heck of a lover!_
"Yeah, right."
"Here's the deal. After school you meet me at the Youth Center. If I can beat you in a small karate match, you leave me alone, and stop calling Adam a wimp. Okay?"
"Ummmm. Sure!"
Elissa closed her locker, a bit thankful that he didn't ask what he would get if he won the competition. _Not like he could stand up to a 117 year old werewolf._ "See you there, and thanks for opening my locker!"
Bulk watched, from behind Evanthe, as his friend failed to hit it off with the girl. _My turn!_ "Hey there babe!"
Evanthe turned to look at him, her eyes widened a bit. _A full eight course meal!_ "Yes?"
"Why don't you and I go out this evening, maybe catch the boat races."
"Sorry, I have other plans."
"What other plans?" Bulk leaned in closer to her, almost tempted to run his hands through her hair.
"Watching paint dry." Which wasn't exactly a lie. She and Elissa were painting their house that night. The two of them almost cringed as Skull let out a laugh.
"What about tomorrow night?"
Evanthe glared at him with pure amazement. "I already have a boyfriend."
"Who?"
"Billy Cranston."
"You are dating a DWEEB?"
Evanthe growled, while she slammed Bulk against the lockers. Her eyes flared a pure red. "If you insult him once more, I'll make you regret the fact you were ever born."
"Evanthe!" Elissa couldn't stand by and watch her friend hurt someone because of her feelings for Billy. She watched as Evanthe widened her hand just enough to let Bulk slide to the ground. "Come on. Let's go find the others, and give them the shock of their life!"
Evanthe smile shone with the brilliance of a hundred stars. "Yeah,
can't wait till they see us! Their going to have a heart attack."
The two friends walked off, laughing at the image that Evanthe's statement
had caused in their minds.
Ninjor glowed into existence. It was rare that the Ninja Master left his temple, but when he did it was for something important. "Zordon! I have found the Night Rangers!"
Have they truly come?
"Yes! And I do believe that they already know the Rangers!"
Zordon knew in an instant who his old friend talked about.
Evanthe and Elissa.
"You got it!"
Rita and Zedd already seek to control them, however
"They must not get them, or all is lost. We need to send them on their Ninja quest soon."
Yes. they must learn of what they are.
"Then they can take their rightful places as the Night Rangers."
When should we send for them so that they may begin their quest?
"We should let them finish their first day in school. Then they start their Ninja Quest!"
I will call them here then.
Elissa turned the corner to see Adam standing there, getting his books out of his locker. She couldn't resist, silently sneaking up behind him, her mouth softly tickled his neck.
"Hey! Stop that, I've got a girlfriend!"
"I know I am!" She whispered into the nape of his neck.
Evanthe snuck up very quietly behind Billy, running her fingers along his neck, she murmured quietly into his ear. "You look good enough to drink!"
Adam and Billy turned around, their mouths dropping open when they took in the sight of the two women in front of them. "You two?"
Evanthe giggled at their faces. _Their reaction was PRICELESS!_ "No, we're some other two!"
Billy hugged Evanthe, warmth and love radiating from him. "I missed you so much, it's been almost two weeks since we last heard from you!" He felt her arms encircle his body.
"I missed you too."
Adam found that the four of them were wrapped up in their hugging that none of them noticed the other Rangers and Mr. Caplan walking towards them. "Why didn't you say you were coming here?"
"We wanted to surprise you!" Her face buried itself in to his neck and the nibbling commenced again.
"Mmm. That feels good."
Mr. Caplan cleared his throat the moment he saw what the two were doing. "Excuse me, you two break it up!"
Adam felt himself drawn as he looked at his principal then back at Elissa. "I guess we should." He whispered softly in her ear. "For now."
"Adam, I am ashamed of you. And you young miss, I don't know how they ran things in your old school, but here we have a code of conduct we follow. This is your first warning, the next time I see this happening it's detention!"
Elissa stood there, biting her bottom lip. "Yes sir."
"Mr. Caplan, I'm sorry and you won't see it again."
"I better not. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to see why Bulk is the nurse's office!"
Evanthe blushed a little when she heard that. She had no idea that she had hurt him at all.
"I didn't mean to get you in trouble Adam."
"It's ok, it was worth it." Their bodies were still stuck in the embrace they had started before Caplan interrupted them.
"It'll be more worth it later!"
The memories of what she had done his last night at the cabin flooded through his mind. _That was the night I lost it, and found the best thing in my life._ "I can't wait."
"For what?" Tommy's voice sounded from behind Adam.
Adam turned to look at the teams leader. "It's something personal between the two of us!"
"Uh-huh!" Tommy watched as Adam turned a bright shade of red. The Rangers knew what the two of them had done that night. Adam couldn't help but tell Billy, not realizing that the other Rangers were within earshot. He never did hear the end of it, after all he was the first Ranger to admit to losing it.
"I guess we better get going."
"Yeah, what's your first class?" Adam prayed he at least had one class with his beautiful girlfriend.
"Creative Writing."
"Hey, that's my first!" His smile showed the happiness he felt. _I get to spend first period staring at her. The woman who fills my every waking moment, and all my fantasies._
Billy looked at Evanthe, almost curious if he had the same luck as his friend did. "What do you got?"
Evanthe's face showed the antipathy of the school's choice. "Physics."
"This is too weird, that's my first class!" Billy said as the bell rang for the beginning of first period.
"Yeah, isn't it?"
Adam watched as the last of the stragglers ran towards their classrooms.
"Let's get going before Caplan gives us detention."
Elissa walked into the Youth Center, her hand in Adam's. "I can't believe we have every single class together."
Adam's mind focused very little on what she said, he was spending too much time admiring her. "That is cool."
"Does Caplan usually come here during the student's lunches?"
"Not usually. "
"Good." She dragged him off to a corner and started kissing him, praying it didn't go any further just yet.
Evanthe looked around as Billy came in and sat down. The light played with his baby blue eyes. "Too bad none of this stuff can feed me."
"I know." His eyes scanned the room, looking for Adam and Elissa who had promised to join the two of them for lunch. "Their at it again?"
Evanthe let her eyes follow Billy's to where her best friend and Adam were making out in the corner. "Elissa is one hundred percent in love."
"Among other things. Their lucky Caplan doesn't come in and catches them." Billy and Evanthe shared a good laugh as her eyes wondered down to the mats. She watched as Tommy and Rocky finished their workout and headed off towards the showers.
"Yeah. Hey, want to spar a little while we have the time?"
"Sure, let's let the two love birds go about their own business."
Rita watched as Elissa and Adam made out in the corner of the Youth Center. "Don't those two ever stop? That is disgusting. When are we going to grab that vampire, Zedd?"
"When she goes out to feed." Zedd said, rather annoyed at having to repeat his plan once more to Rita.
"She'd better hope she finds something quick, because it'll be her last meal for a while!" Their twin laughter filled the Lunar Palace. "How long are we going to keep her, Zedd?"
"It'll set in after three days of no blood, maybe even four."
"Why not a whole week? REALLY get her starving!"
"Then we get the Rangers in her path, and let her tear them to
shreds! We will be VICTORIOUS!" Zedd said, his eyes falling on Rita
as she smiled lustfully and evilly at him. _Oh, I am in for a wild night
tonight!_
Elissa slowly nibbled on Adam's neck as the four friends walked home, after Elissa had won her little match against Skull.
"Mmmm. That feels nice."
"I bet, wait till you see what I got planned for us tonight."
"Mmmm, I can hardly wait!"
Billy head shook as his hand wrapped around Evanthe's hand. "Those are the only two I know who can make out while walking."
Evanthe smiled; there was nothing more in the world she wanted at that moment than to take Billy back to their house and make incredible, passionate love to him, as she hadn't to anyone in two hundred years. She knew she wouldn't, though. With her being a vampire it was completely out of the question. "We could too, but making out tends to lead to other things with a vampire involved." _Things I'd rather not think about. You look too good mortal._
_Still doesn't change the fact that if I am never going to stop trying._ "I know." His hand squeezed Evanthe's a little tighter, feeling the unspoken words of love flowing between them. Neither of them wanting to hear, eyes rolling as his communicator went off. "Not now!"
Evanthe looked as the two Rangers exchanged worried glances. "Trouble?"
"I hope not, I was enjoying myself." Bringing the communicator up to his mouth, wanting to cuss Lord Zedd and Rita out for what they interrupted, stated. "This is Adam, what is it Zordon?"
"Adam, Billy, Evanthe, and Elissa; you must teleport to the Command Center at once!"
"We're on our way!" Looking at the two girls and Billy, hoping Rita and Zedd hadn't done something to hurt Elissa or Evanthe in anyway, just said. "Time to go!"
"Why us?"
All Billy could do was shrugged. In the time he knew Zordon, he never
fully understood him. "Who knows, Zordon works in mysterious ways
sometimes."
Evanthe stood there, almost as confused as Elissa, looking up at Zordon. "Why did you want us to come, Zordon?"
THERE IS SOMETHING I NEED TO TELL YOU ALL. He looked down on the assembled Rangers. This was indeed a momentous day. YOU KNOW THAT NINJOR WAS THE ONE WHO FORGED THE ORIGINAL POWER COINS. HE HAD FORGED TWO OTHERS ALONG WITH THEM, THOSE OF THE TWO NIGHT RANGERS. HIS SEARCH TO FIND THEM HAS FINALLY ENDED. HE HAS FOUND THE TWO WHO ARE TO BECOME THE NIGHT RANGERS, THOSE TWO ARE EVANTHE AND ELISSA.
"I'm a vampire! I can't be a Power Ranger!" Evanthe couldn't believe her eyes or ears at this point! She'd seen a lot over the past six centuries, but this just couldn't be happening!
"And just why not? I picked you two for a reason!" Ninjor told them. He knew they both held deep within themselves the qualities it took to be a Ranger.
"And those reasons being?" Elissa wanted to know. Evanthe nodded; this was intriguing her for some reason as well.
"Could we know?"
He looked at them both; truly of all the creatures of the night, they were almost unique. "You two contain all that a Ranger should be and more. You have a love for life, a respect for it that few have. When the two of you risked your lives to save Billy and Adam, I knew you were the ones."
"You're serious, aren't you?" practice at concealing her emotions enable Evanthe to keep the surprise from her voice.
"You got it!"
"Has anyone ever told you that you sound like Dudley Doright?" Elissa observed. Evanthe chuckled a little; Elissa had a very odd way of putting things at times. She had the feeling Ninjor would have been blushing if he could have.
"Umm, well, no, they haven't," Ninjor changed the subject quickly. "Time is of the essence, we must go!"
"Go where?" was Evanthe's question.
TO THE NINJA TEMPLE, TO GAIN CONTROL OF YOUR POWERS, Zordon told them. Evanthe and Elissa exchanged glances.
"What do you think?" the vampire asked. Elissa shrugged some.
"We'd better do it," she glanced to Adam. "We'll finish what we started later."
At Adam's eager nod of agreement, the others laughed. They were glad to see he'd finally found someone he loved as much as she obviously loved him in return. Evanthe cleared her throat a bit. "Well, then, let's get going!"
"Let's!" came from Elissa just as the two of them and Ninjor
vanished from the Command Center.
Elissa looked around at the big halls spacious beauty. A mound of pillows looked good enough to rest on, till she got the reminder of the last time she saw him. "Hey, this looks something like Michael's old place!"
"That was the guy who turned you into a werewolf, right?" Evanthe asked. She remembered meeting him a few times, and Elissa didn't like him one bit better now than she had a hundred years earlier. Elissa nodded a little.
"Yeah," she admitted. Even Evanthe wasn't certain of how deep her hatred of Michael ran. "The bonds are still there, though."
Evanthe nodded to herself as a quick memory flashed through her mind. For a second, for one moment, she was a child again, a child of seventeen. . ..
"Mother! Father!" Evanthe ran through the woods, fear mixing with anger as she searched for them. Her friends had said they had seen her parents coming this way, and she had to find them! They'd argued, but she loved them anyway. She came to the edge of a clearing and stopped, eyes widening in horror.
Two strangers stood there, one of them held her mother tightly in a grip that couldn't be broken. Her mother struggled weakly as her captor bent her head to one side and sank bright fangs into her neck. Evanthe screamed, unable to believe what she was seeing. That proved to be a fatal mistake, though, as the one who held her mother threw her to the other, and was over beside her a moment later.
Evanthe saw the fangs, and knew she stood in the grip of the undead, a vampire! Before she could move or speak, pain tore into her neck as the creature drank from her. Darkness swept over her. .and it was a long, long time before she knew anything else. .. .
Evanthe shook her head suddenly as the memory faded. She took a deep breath, forcing her mind back to the present. Ninjor cleared his throat. "Please, take your places, we must begin."
As they did so, one on each side of him, Ninjor chanted the well-rehearsed words. "Older than time itself, man has always known the calling, light of the light, strength of the soul! Ignite this eternal fire inside of me! I am Ninja! I am pure of body, mind, heart, and spirit! Join with me now as I become one with the power of Ninja!" A glow enveloped both of them, and as it faded, Elissa and Evanthe stood there in Ninja-uniforms. Elissa's was a light rose-colored, while Evanthe's was a rich purple. On Elissa's chest was the symbol of a wolf, while on Evanthe's was a bat. She chuckled a little.
"Somehow, I thought that it would be this!" _I wish I really could turn into a bat! Would've made traveling around a lot easier!_
Ninjor looked at her. "You are the Bat, the symbol that has been connected with the vampire for almost as long as there have been legends about your kind," he said. He glanced to Elissa, and they could hear the shock in his voice. "Well, geez, this complicates things, doesn't it?"
Evanthe frowned lightly. "What's wrong with her being a wolf. It fits her perfectly."
"What is it, Ninjor?" Elissa wondered. Ninjor explained quickly.
"You are the wolf, but Billy's Ninja animal is the wolf too!"
Elissa giggled, that was the very last thing she would have expected! "Great!"
"You are the Rose Wolf, he is the Blue Wolf," Ninjor continued. "That shouldn't be too much of a confusion. . .I hope."
"It better not be!" Elissa giggled as Ninjor started out of the room.
"Come, it is time for you to meet your Zords!" he told them.
"Zords?" Elissa had heard the word before, from Adam, but wasn't quite sure what it meant just yet. It had something to do with being Power Rangers, she knew.
"Really big machines you can fight in if Rita and Zedd make their monsters giant size," Ninjor explained. Elissa smiled; she could hardly wait!! As they got outside, two Zords appeared before them. "Elissa, behold the powerful Rose Wolf Zord. You and it are as one with your strength, courage, and skill." as Elissa nodded, he turned to Evanthe. "Evanthe, the BatZord is yours, silent and quick, the essence of the night!"
"Cool!" the vampire smiled, she'd always loved bats, and considered them kin to her in a way. Now one was her very own Zord! Elissa asked what they did next.
"Now you return to Angel Grove, as the full Night Rangers," Ninjor told them. "when Rita and Zedd attack, it is your job to prevent them from taking over."
Elissa smiled. "To protect and serve."
Evanthe nodded. _We've got to get back to Angel Grove. I need to feed.
The last. . .the very last thing I need is a Blood Lust. Especially not
now that I have Billy in my life. Existence. Whatever._
Once they'd returned to Angel Grove, Elissa returned to Adam and what they'd been doing prior to the new Night Rangers' being summoned. Evanthe promised Billy she'd call him once she'd fed, and headed out onto the streets. It only took her a few minutes to find someone who could be used as prey, and she chuckled softly to herself as she recognized her 'lunch' as Skull. _I won't hurt him, though. He won't even know what happened to him._
She followed him for a few minutes, silent and waiting. _As soon as we get somewhere quiet and dark, I'll feed._
"Hello, Evanthe!" she whirled around; who was interrupting her feeding?? Who dared? Her fangs were already extended, ready to tear whoever this fool was apart.
"What do you want?" she hissed. The armored winged monkey behind her laughed wickedly at her.
"You!" he declared. Evanthe growled denial, her eyes flashing red with anger. He pulled out a clump of garlic and waved it at her. It would've been almost comical, if the odor hadn't assaulted Evanthe's sensitive nostrils. The only reason her kind were repelled by the plant was it's strong odor. She backed away, growling deep in her throat, and bumped right into someone! She recognized him at once as Rito Revolto; his stench was even worse than the garlic!!
"Hey!" she struggled, but for once in her life had come up against someone stronger than she was!! _That's not supposed to be possible, I'm stronger than any human on Earth! Then again, he's NOT a human. Sheesh, he reeks!!!! They didn't need the garlic at ALL!!_ "Let go of me!"
Rito laughed. "Oh, I will, but first. . . ."
The three of them vanished. Eugene Skullovitch looked behind him for a moment as he walked; he'd thought he'd heard something. _Oh, well! I've got to go meet Bulk._
He continued on, never realizing how close he had come to being a vampire's
dinner that night.
In a special cell on the moon, Rito, Goldar, and Evanthe appeared, with the vampire struggling with all her might to get out of the walking skeleton's grip. Goldar fastened chains to her wrists and ankles, ignoring the viscious glare she threw to him. "What are you up to, monkey-breath?" she hissed.
"Making sure you don't leave!" he fastened the chains to the wall, then threw some garlic over the doorway as he left. Evanthe pulled at the chains; she'd never had problems breaking bonds like these in the past. She received a nasty surprise when she didn't even dent them! _Oh, man! Billy told me Rita and Zedd used magic, they probably did something so I CAN'T break these things!!_
"Whatever Rita and Zedd are plotting, won't work!" Evanthe shouted at Rito, the only one left in here with her. He knocked her to the floor and started out, the glittering sparkle of a forcefield appeared behind him.
"Yeah, it will," he assured her. He looked at her for a second, wondering why he felt a brief spark of pity for the chained vampire. He shook his head, she was the enemy! There was no such thing as pity for them! Good versus evil, and all that!
"My friends will find me!" she screamed, nearly deafening him, if he'd had any real ears. He laughed at her, and a more evil sound she had not heard in her entire lifespan. Rito looked at her curiously.
"Yeah, that's the whole plan!" he told her. "And they won't last long after they do!"
Evanthe took a deep breath and moved herself into a sitting position.
She felt a tickle in her fangs, one she knew was just a shadow of the deep
hunger she would be feeling soon. _They have to get me out of here. SOON!!!_
It was a good thing no one else was at home in the Park house that day, as Adam and Elissa enjoyed themselves in the fashion they loved the most. Things were interrupted, however, with the annoying sound of their communicators going off. "NO!" Adam moaned in disgust. _Just when things were getting really interesting!!!_
Elissa sighed and picked up the communicator on the nightstand. "This is Elissa."
ADAM, ELISSA, COME TO THE COMMAND CENTER AT ONCE!!! Zordon had never sounded this urgent in all the time Adam had known him. Elissa nodded briefly.
"We're on our way!" Elissa told him, then mouthed to Adam, "Once we get dressed!"
Adam blushed a little bit, then nodded. "Yeah, we'll be right there!" it didn't take them too long to dress, since they didn't exactly take time for careful grooming. They were at the Command Center only moments after Zordon's call.
"What's happening?" Elissa wanted to know. She glanced around quickly, paling to almost white as she noticed someone was missing.
OBSERVE THE VIEWING GLOBE, RANGERS, Zordon told them. As one the Rangers turned to the globe, which showed something Elissa had never wanted to see.
Evanthe, chained to a wall, looking extremely annoyed, to say the least!! Elissa paled even more. "I hope she ate," she whispered. _She can't Blood Lust. .. she just can't! It would kill her!_
Tommy growled something under his breath. "Great. We need to get her out of there."
"How quickly can you teleport her out of there?" Elissa wanted to know. Zordon shook his head a little.
THEY HAVE A FORCEFIELD AROUND HER, THAT WE ARE TRYING TO PENETRATE. WE CAN'T GET TO HER UNTIL WE GET THROUGH THE FORCEFIELD.
"Hope you can do it, and quick," Elissa murmured. She knew that only she and Billy knew about the Blood Lust; Evanthe had a habit of keeping secrets, no matter what. Tommy looked at her a bit curiously.
"Elissa, what's wrong? We're all worried, but you look really upset!"
Elissa bit her lip, wondering for a second if she really wanted to tell them. "If she hasn't fed, and they can keep her away from blood for three days. .. ," she paused for a moment, glancing first at Billy, then at the other Rangers. "You don't want to know."
Billy paled. "She's right. You don't." _The Blood Lust._
"Oh, yes, we do!" Tommy insisted. Billy and Elissa exchanged a quick glance that spoke volumes, their mutual concern for Evanthe filling their eyes.
"We should tell them," Billy sighed. "Just in case."
Elissa nodded; he was right. "There is something that vampires go through, it's called the Blood Lust."
"That doesn't good," Aisha commented. Elissa continued telling them.
"If a vampire hasn't fed in three days, they go sorta crazy," she told them. "I've seen it, and barely lived." she smiled up at Adam briefly as he put an arm around her.
"Is there a way to stop it?" he asked.
"She needs to feed off someone, other than me," Elissa leaned against Adam for a second. She still remembered the pain they'd both went through when Evanthe had found out the hard way it was impossible for a vampire to feed off a werewolf.
Billy was already heading for the computer controls. "We have to get her out of there. She told me that the longer she goes without blood, the worse the Blood Lust gets. And who knows how long it will take to get through the forcefield?"
"Hopefully not three days," Elissa sighed. _Find a way to get to her, Billy. It'll be a living nightmare if you don't._
"We'll get her out," Tommy assured her. "We don't want
an insane vampire Ranger on our hands!"
Three long days later, Evanthe was pacing back and forth in her prison, pulling endlessly at the chains that bound her. She was paler than she usually was, and her eyes glinted red with the first beginnings of Blood Lust. Rita and Zedd stood in the doorway, out of her reach and watching her. "One good thing about her being here, those two Rangers haven't done it in three days!"
"Let me out of here!" Evanthe snarled. Her voice was deeper, more animal-like, as she plunged deeper and deeper into the depths of Blood Lust.
Rita chuckled. "Sorry, not yet! Tomorrow, we release you onto Angel Grove. You can have your fun drinking the blood of the Rangers, and knowing that you are the reason that they are dead!"
"I'll take your blood if I can get to you!" Evanthe snarled as she leaped to the end of her chains, wanting to kill them for keeping her from the blood she needed to survive.
"You can't!" Zedd hissed wickedly. "Get used to the fact that we now own you!"
That revolted every part of Evanthe that was still sane, which wasn't much. "NEVER!" she proclaimed. "A vampire is owned by no one!"
Zedd continued his plans. "Once you finish drinking the blood of the Rangers, you come back here, and will remain, until you suffer the Blood Lust, even worse than you are now!" Evanthe's roar of denial shook the entire palace. "Tonight, you go to Angel Grove Forest. ..and your friends will come running to you!" he walked out, laughing, leaving Rita there with their prisoner, who sank to the ground, crying.
"Maybe the first to die will be that disgusting friend of yours, what's her name, Elissa?"
Evanthe glared up at Rita. "Not possible!" she growled.
"And why not?"
"You're keeping me from my food. Why should I tell you anything?" Evanthe wanted nothing but to be out of here, to feed and be at peace.
Rita laughed. " Cause if you don't, you will never feed again!"
"And my friends live," Evanthe's fangs flashed in the pale light. Rita shook her head; she'd already thought of that.
"I have plans for that Elissa if she does live, and she will destroy your friends, starting with Billy!"
Evanthe glared at her; no one harmed her friends or her love! "You wouldn't dare!" a chill ran down her spine as Rita stared at her. She was rather forcibly reminded that Rita was far, far older and more evil than anything she'd ever encountered before.
"Wouldn't I?" was all the evil witch said. Evanthe closed her eyes and dropped her head.
"I can't feed off Elissa," she whispered.
"Because she is a werewolf," Rita figured that one out fairly
easily. "This will work out better than I thought!" she turned
and left Evanthe to her Blood Lust. The vampire twitched in pain and hunger,
thoughts of blood pouring through her mind ceaselessly. One small voice
of reason cried out in vain, only to be drowned completely as Evanthe entered
full Blood Lust.
"Three days," Elissa spoke the words sadly. "The Blood Lust will probably begin tonight, if it hasn't already."
Billy nodded, all his best efforts had failed to pierce the forcefield in time. "I wonder what they'll do once that happens."
"From what you guys told us, Evanthe would probably kill them trying to find blood," Adam said. He wasn't sure if that would be a good thing or not. Tommy shivered suddenly, thinking of the damage Evanthe could, and probably would wreak on them. Sudden, he stopped.
"Oh, no. I think I know that they might do."
"What?" Elissa had a fairly good idea herself, but wanted to know if Tommy had come to the same conclusion she had.
"Send her to Earth," the White Ranger whispered. Elissa nodded, almost to herself.
"To feed off innocents," she muttered. She knew how that would kill Evanthe; who hadn't fed off the innocent in the hundred years the werewolf had known her. She had always taken what she needed from criminals, those who preyed off others and thus in turn deserved to be preyed upon.
"We can't let that happen," Tommy nodded. It was the Rangers' job to protect people, even from one of their own if it needed to be done. Alarms sounded suddenly and Alpha pointed to the Viewing Globe.
"It's Evanthe! She's in Angel Grove Forest!" the little robot reported. Elissa glanced at the globe, biting her lip as she saw the brilliant red her best friend's eyes flared.
"I'm going to go get her. Calm her down, just a little. She'd destroy the Command Center if we brought her here," Elissa told them. Evanthe was at the least three times as strong as a human normally, and being in Blood Lust had tripled that strength. She was always dangerous, now in her madness, she was deadly.
"Be careful," Adam advised. "She might try to feed off you. . .or to kill you."
Elissa almost smiled. "If she does, that will calm her down. She got sick the last time and was throwing up. I think it would be safe to restrain her then."
"We've got to help her," Billy's eyes were full of tears as he watched Evanthe stalk through the woods, seeking out sustenance. Elissa accepted a vile of human blood from Alpha.
"It's morphin' time!" she cried. "Rose Wolf Power!"
she morphed into her full rose-colored uniform. "I'll be back!"
she was off at once to save her dearest friend.
Evanthe almost flowed through the forest in her search for blood. She no longer remembered anything or knew anything but the intense desire for blood. Through her mind there pulsed one single thought: feed!!
Her head jerked up suddenly as she heard something. "Evanthe!" she saw someone ahead of her, who had spoken. She sniffed the air lightly.
"Werewolf blood," she muttered. The person could hear her obviously.
"I have human blood with me," they said, pulling something out of a hidden place. There was the sound of glass shattering, and the strong odor of blood filled the vampire's hyper-sensitive nostrils." "Damn," the person whispered.
Evanthe licked her lips. "I need blood."
"I can get you more," the person tried to reassure her, but she didn't want to be reassured. She wanted blood.
"I must feed," she whispered. "I am starving."
The werewolf came closer to her. "Just calm down. I can get you some more blood."
The hunger was too great. She leaped onto the werewolf, fangs out and sinking into her throat. "BLOOD!" she cried out in triumph.
"Evanthe!" Elissa cried out. "You can't . . .drink. .
..."
Zedd and Rita watched in triumph as Evanthe tore into Elissa's neck. "She's going to destroy her werewolf friend!"
Rita laughed. "This is even better than what I had planned for the wolf-girl!!" she watched eagerly as Evanthe guzzled down the blood. "Just look at our little vampire tear into her!"
"She won't be around long!" Zedd agreed. "No more jumping into the sack with the frogboy!"
"And all due to her best friend!" Rita had never felt so triumphant! Things had never gone their so this well! Zedd turned to Goldar.
"Good job shattering that vial!" he congratulated him. Goldar had moved so quickly and quietly that Elissa hadn't even realized he was there!
"It was my pleasure, my lord," Goldar laughed as Zedd returned his attention to the Earth.
"What?" he stared in sudden shock. "The Blue Ranger!?"
Rita had started peering around, searching for jewels she could steal. "What?" she spouted.
"The Blue Ranger just showed up!" Zedd growled. Rita stared at the events transpiring below them. She murmured, "I don't believe what I am seeing!"
"Believe it!" Zedd growled. "He's going to sacrifice himself first!"
Rita shook her head; these humans were complete fools!! "What an
idiot!"
"Evanthe?" Billy approached them carefully, wincing a bit as he saw Evanthe looking up from Elissa. She was chalk-white, and spitting out what could only be Elissa's blood.
"She tastes hideous!" was the Blood Lusting vampire's declaration. She stared at Billy, eyes widening. "But you. . .you smell delicious!"
"Drink from me," Billy offered. He had known what he got into when he had come here. "Recover from your Blood Lust." he almost regretted it when she leaped on him, her fangs sinking into his throat deeply. She drank gratefully, the blood cascading down her throat in a glittering stream of life. She barely noticed when the other Rangers teleported in as she closed her eyes. A moment later, she opened them again, and this time they shone the pure glittering blue they always had.
"Huh?" she murmured. "How did I get. . .Elissa?" her eyes widened. "Billy?????"
"Evanthe?" Tommy said softly. "Evanthe? Are you okay?"
She glanced at them, tears in her eyes. "Get Billy to a hospital. Now!" Tommy was gone a moment later, Billy in his arms. Evanthe looked over to Adam and Elissa, tears streaming down her cheeks now. Adam didn't like the look of total devastation in her eyes.
"It wasn't your fault," he tried to tell her. Evanthe wasn't listening, though.
"Yes it was," s he whispered. "Because of what I am."
Adam shook his head. "Rita and Zedd are the ones to blame!"
"Could they have done it to me if I wasn't a vampire?" Evanthe shouted. "NO!"
Elissa couldn't stand to see her friend hurting. "Don't blame yourself," she said softly. She'd recovered quickly from Evanthe's attack; werewolves couldn't be hurt by much for long.
"I could've killed you," Evanthe whispered. "I may have killed Billy."
Elissa came over to her. "I survived the last time, and so will Billy." Evanthe shook her head again, she had centuries of stubbornness in her.
"You didn't see how pale he was. . .how much I drank," she whispered. Elissa sighed; she'd had practice in dealing with her friend over the last century.
"So was the last guy you drank from. He lived, and that was eighty-nine years ago!" Elissa and Evanthe both knew human medical science had advanced somewhat in those years. Billy would be fine. Evanthe sighed some.
"True," I can't stay here now. But they can't know that.
Adam nodded a little. "Let's get you to the Command Center. Make sure you're all right," he suggested. Evanthe nodded.
"Let's go."
Evanthe quietly stood over Billy's bed, watching as the IV dripped blood into him. Tommy had told the hospital staff that Billy was the victim of a monster attack, and all reports said he'd be fine in a day or so. The terrible guilt refused to stop gnawing at her, though. "Billy. This is my fault," she whispered. She kissed him lightly on the lips. "I'm leaving Angel Grove, Billy. I should never have left my home in the first place. I've brought too much pain to people by being what I am," she didn't notice Elissa standing in the doorway. "I will always love you, Billy, but when you wake up, I won't be here! You'll never see me again."
"He had better see you again, or I will hunt you down!" Elissa said sharply. Evanthe turned, eyes widening briefly.
"Elissa, what are you doing here?"
"Visiting Billy," Elissa snapped. "What, you thought I'd be in bed with Adam again?"
"Doing this would be easier if you were," Evanthe muttered. Elissa had noticed her hand hadn't left Billy's wrist for a single moment.
"It isn't your fault," Elissa tried again to convince her. "Just like being a werewolf isn't mine. It's just something we were turned into."
Evanthe gestured to Billy. "And because of it. . ."
"The doctors are expecting him to make a full recovery in a couple of days," Elissa told her. "Rita and Zedd are to blame for what happened here, not you. Thank about that."
"I can't stay here, Elissa," Evanthe told her. "I can't face him or anyone else being what I am!"
"Then I'm going with you," Elissa would willingly go with Evanthe to the ends of the earth, and beyond. Evanthe shook her head.
"You stay here. They need you more than they need me. You don't cause the damage I do."
Elissa almost smiled. "I just have to fear killing one of them when I turn into a wolf once a month."
"And I have to drink every day," Evanthe reminded her. "If you stay away from people, you're okay. Me, I have to be near people!"
Elissa sighed; she won few arguments when Evanthe really set her mind to something. "Promise me one thing, and if you don't keep it, I'll hunt you down personally and make you keep it. Come back in one month. Visit. If you decide to leave again, fine. Leave. But stay for a month, and then decide."
Evanthe nodded. "All right, I promise," _I don't think anything's going to change my mind about that. Anything at all._
Elissa hugged her as she smiled. "I'll tell Billy when he wakes up. I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you, too," Evanthe whispered. It had been so long since they had told each other how they felt; they really didn't need to. They both knew.
"You have your communicator and morpher? Just in case," Elissa hardly believed how easily the words fell from her lips. In a manner of days, she and her best friend's lives had changed eternally. They were now responsible for the defense of the planet.
Evanthe nodded. "I'll see you in a month," with one more kiss
on Billy's forehead, she vanished out the door. Elissa stood watching her
go for a few minutes. _Come home soon, Evanthe. I miss you already._
Zedd and Rita watched as Evanthe left as well. "So, she is leaving," Zedd mused. Rita laughed.
"What a wimp!! She goes insane, nearly kills her boyfriend, and runs!"
Zedd shrugged a little. "Only for a month," he had eavesdropped on the conversation between Evanthe and Elissa. Rita muttered something vile under her breath. "And she will be ours again! As will that werewolf!"
Rita laughed, a crafty evil look in her eyes. "I have plans for that werewolf!" Zedd nodded.
"You shall have your way with her!" he promised. He loved the evil thoughts in Rita's mind.
"They'll learn that they're supposed to be evil! After all, they're creatures of the darkness!"
Zedd's hideous laughter echoed. "And they will do as we command!" he declared. Oh, those two Night Rangers had such an evil fate in store for them!!!!!
