After yet another fight with one of Rita and Zedd's monsters, the Rangers returned to the Command Center to rest and for debriefing. Elissa leaned against a console, breathing heavily and not looking at any of the others. She'd been exhausted ever since she'd reclaimed her powers three days earlier, and Adam had noticed it.
"Elissa, you all right?" he asked softly. She glanced up at him smiling.
"I'm fine."
"You've never been this tired after a fight before," Adam observed.
Adam, I'm fine. I just haven't been sleeping much.
Are you sure? She nodded, and he frowned. That's not true, Elissa. You've been sleeping MORE if anything!
Elissa looked at her husband, and he noticed her white-knuckled grip on the console. "Adam, I'm fine, honest," she told him.
"I'm just worried about you," Adam said softly.
"You worry too much at times," she said, kissing him gently.
Adam smiled. "That's what I do!"
"I think I'm going to head on home," Elissa said once it had been established there were no more monsters or Tengas in the vicinity. "Maybe get some rest."
"You do that!" Adam smiled and kissed her. As she teleported out, he looked at the others. "There's something really wrong with her, she just won't tell me what it is."
Tommy nodded slowly. "I'm starting to get extremely worried on this one!"
Adam looked at Billy, who walked over to the console Elissa had been leaning against. "What are you smiling about, Billy?"
"Adam, you're not the only one who's noticed over the past couple of days she's been overly tired. When she stood here, the computer did a medical scan on her, and the results are starting to come in," the Blue Ranger looked them over, then his smile faded.
"What is it, Billy?" Evanthe wondered.
"Nothing!" Billy snapped. "It shows that there is nothing wrong with her!" he sighed. "I was hoping that this would give us some answers, but I guess I was wrong. Sorry."
Adam shook his head. "Man, this just isn't natural, I can feel it!"
"I wish there was a way to find out what was wrong!" Billy groaned.
"There has to be a way, somehow!" Adam insisted. Kim thought for a few moments.
"You don't think Vincent might know?" she asked finally. Evanthe stood up.
"I can ask him."
Adam nodded. "I hope he knows!" if not, I don't know what else to do!
Vincent puttered around his house, humming softly to himself. Liana was fast asleep in the bedroom, she'd had a late night previously. He looked up as a knock came to the door, and smiled to see Evanthe there when he opened it.
"Vincent," she smiled her own greeting. "I need some help. Something's wrong with Elissa and we're hoping you night know what it is."
"What is the matter?" as Evanthe explained what was going on, he nodded slowly. "I'll see what I can do, but I can't promise anything. Now, I need to ask you something."
"What's that?"
He smiled. "How is William? I haven't need him since his birth!"
"He's just fine. Going to grow up to be a genius, just like his father, I know it!"
Vincent nodded. "I shall go talk to Elissa, I'll stop by later with Liana and let you know how things went."
Evanthe hugged him. "Thanks! You know, you're a lot nicer than you were when you were trying to marry me!"
Vincent chuckled a little. "Thanks. It's nice to know that I've mellowed a bit."
"Liana's good for you!"
"That she is. Now, go on home, I shall go to Elissa in just a few minutes." As Evanthe left, Vincent began to get together what he would need, pouring over what he knew of werewolf illnesses. None matched.
In the lunar palace, evil plots were being hatched continually, but nothing like what they had in mind now. "This is too perfect! One more fight, and she shall be asleep forever!"
"When should we attack again? And send the Rose Ranger into endless slumber?" Rita wondered.
"First, we need a monster!" Zedd reminded her. "Something fitting to this momentous occasion!" he roared for Finster.
"Yes, your evilness?" the monster maker asked.
"I need a monster," Zed told him. "For the Rose Ranger's final fight!"
Finster grinned evilly. "I have just the thing, sire! A monster created from a rose bush!"
"Good!" Zedd declared, gazing down at the sleeping Elissa. "Enjoy what little time you have left with your friends, Rose Ranger, for the morning light will bring your doom!"
Rita nodded. "Eternal sleep! And nightmares beyond imagining within it!"
"You are getting big, aren't you?" Adam smiled at his almost-one-year-old daughter as he picked her up in answer to a knock on the door. Vincent stood outside as he opened it. "Thanks for coming!"
"No problem," the vampire king told him. "Where is she?"
"In our room," Adam told him, worry creasing his forehead. "Unfortunately, asleep."
Vincent nodded thoughtfully. "I hate to wake her up, but I must speak with her."
"Go right ahead," Adam nodded. "I'll leave you two alone," he trusted Vincent now more than he ever had less than a year earlier. The king had proven by now he could be trusted.
Vincent walked down the hall and knocked on the door quietly. A few moments later, Elissa sleepily gave him permission to enter. "Hello," he said as he walked in. She smiled at him.
"What are you doing here?"
"I came to talk to you," Vincent said. "Your friends are very worried about you."
Elissa smiled a little. She'd known they would be. "I'm fine. Honest. Just tired."
"How long have you been feeling this tired?"
She thought for a few minutes. "Tired, the past year. Ever since Finster did, what he did. But this tired. . .since I took back my powers."
"Unusual," Vincent mused.
She shrugged. "Then again, most of that time, I've had to get up two or three times during the night with Gwen."
"I see," Vincent nodded. "Has anything else happened unusual to you?"
She gave him a look that could only be described as get real. "Besides seeing Gwen and William from the future, being a Power Ranger, a werewolf, and a full time mother, no, not really. Are you trying to get me to confess to some obscure werewolf disease that makes you incredibly tired?"
"No," Vincent smiled. "I think you're right, you just need some sleep."
Elissa smiled. "Then let me get some please."
Vincent smiled as he gave her a polite kiss on the forehead. "Sleep well, Elissa."
"I will," she said, and was soon fast asleep. Vincent told Adam to let her rest, then headed straight for Evanthe's house once he was done.
"Vincent," she asked as soon as she'd opened the door. "Did you see Elissa?"
He nodded as she let him in. "From what information I got from her, she's been tired ever since Finster did something to her."
Evanthe frowned. "Do you think they could've done something more to her?"
"It's a possibility," Vincent admitted. "But wouldn't Alpha have noticed it by now?"
Evanthe shrugged. "Most likely, but you can never tell."
"There is more," Vincent continued. "She said that she started getting extremely tired since she took her powers back a couple of days ago."
"That definitely sounds like something Rita and Zedd would do!"
Vincent advised, "I'm sure she'll be all right, she probably just needs a weekend of nothing but sleep."
"I guess," Evanthe admitted. "I just don't like thinking of what they could've done to her!"
As he entered the room with little William sleeping in his arms, Billy stated, "No one wants to imagine that."
"If they've hurt her," Evanthe growled. "Well, you know what I'll do!" bright fangs shone for a moment.
"You'd better not," Billy warned her. "Remember what happened that time you tried to drink from Zedd."
"I know!" Evanthe shuddered, remembering the hideous taste of him. "I can't feed, but I can at least cause some serious damage!"
Billy smiled. "I think all we can do now is wait."
"I hate waiting," Evanthe muttered.
"I don't see that we have many choices," Vincent sighed. Evanthe glanced a picture of her and Elissa. I guess not.
Good morning! Elissa yawned and stretched as she woke up, smiling to hear Adam's mental voice. I love you.
Morning. I love you too. Wait a second! Morning? How long did I sleep?
Since yesterday afternoon.
I must have been TIRED!
Yes. Do you feel any better?
A little. Enough for this! she pulled him in closer and started to nibble on his neck gently.
Ohhhhhh!! You do feel better! As she stifled a yawn, he looked at her. Elissa, you're still tired.
I wish I wasn't. I love nibbling on your neck!
And I love it when you nibble!
Just as things were about to get a lot more interesting than mere nibble, their communicators went off in tandem. Adam growled, "Don't they ever take a break??"
"Guess not," Elissa sighed. "This is Elissa," she said into her communicator. "What is it, Alpha?"
"Elissa, Adam, there's a monster attacking the downtown area of Angel Grove!"
Adam sighed. "They have no respect for your rest!"
"We're on our way, Alpha," Elissa cut the connection and looked to Adam. "Or our fun! Come on, it's morphin' time!"
"Black Ranger Power!"
"Rose Ranger Power!"
They arrived at the fight moments later, with the other Rangers already deeply involved in it. "Sorry we're late!"
"No problem!" Evanthe waved to her as she cracked her Power Whip at the monster.
"Just glad you could make it!" Tommy grinned. Elissa smiled a little under her helmet, and started into the fight. She could already feel her energy draining, though.
The monster laughed at Elissa as she drew nearer to it. "This is your last fight, Rose Ranger!" it declared.
"We'll see about that!" Elissa growled as she attacked. Before she could move another step, though, she collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
"Elissa!" Adam ran straight to her, as Aisha growled something nasty.
"What did you do to her?" the Yellow Ranger attacked the monster, trying to drive it away from Elissa and Adam.
The Thorn Creature laughed and seized onto her with thorny arms. "You'll find out, Yellow Ranger!" Aisha screamed in horror and pain as it teleported away, her still in it's grip.
"Aisha!" Rocky growled in rage. Tommy spat out an oath, then looked to the others.
"Come on, we need to get Elissa back to the Command Center and try to find Aisha!"
So tired. Elissa whispered in her mind as they teleported back. Rocky looked over to his friend.
"Adam, can you talk to Elissa?"
"She was whispering something," the Black Ranger said. "Let me try." Elissa?
So tired. Help me. ..
We will.
I'm scared.
Elissa, please, don't leave me! her mental voice was fading!
I won't.
I love you so much! Adam looked up as Tommy put a hand on his shoulder.
"We'll get her back, awake!"
Adam nodded. "We'd better!" they all looked over as Billy swore something nasty and smacked at the scanner he was using on Elissa.
"There has got to be something wrong with this scanner! It's still saying that there's nothing wrong with her!"
Adam sat up straight. "No way! It's obvious something's wrong!"
"I'm going to run a diagnostic on it, but it's going to take some time. I'm going to see if I can locate Aisha while it's doing that."
Tommy nodded. "We've got to find her! Rita and Zedd could do anything to her!"
"They'd better not!" Rocky growled harshly. If they hurt his friend, he wouldn't rest until he'd torn the whole lunar palace down to rubble!
Aisha struggled in the grip of the Thorn Creature as Rita and Zedd glared at her. "Hello, Yellow Ranger!" Zedd laughed. Aisha snarled.
"Drop dead!" and spat at him!
"Pity you can't save your friend from where you are! None of the Rangers will be able to save her!"
"Billy will find a way!" Aisha asserted firmly. She had faith in her friend.
Zedd chuckled darkly. "Not when they won't be able to find out what's wrong with her!"
"What have you done to her, you. . ..," Aisha could find no words foul enough.
"Something she will never wake up from, and something we're going to do to you!" Zedd told the struggling Yellow Ranger. Zedd walked over to a table, and grinned, picking up a vial. "If only the Rangers had this, then, maybe they could save her!"
Aisha watched as Zedd locked up the vial in a cabinet, then once Zedd and Rita had left, really began to fight to get away from the Thorn Creature as it held her. She slammed away from it, and squirmed over to the cabinet. Before the monster could stop her, she'd shattered the glass and slipped the vial into her glove.
She started to back away, when the Thorn Creature seized her suddenly, growling in her ear, "Pity they will only be able to find out what is wrong with her if they search for the Cricadon poison!"
It threw her into a cage and left Tengas to guard her. Aisha chuckled softly to herself, Rita and Zedd had to be slipping. She'd been left morphed and with her communicator. This was going to be easy.
Adam watched Elissa as she slept soundly, far too soundly. Billy's voice broke his concentration. "Incoming transmission!"
"From who?" he wondered. If it's Rita and Zedd gloating, I'm going to kill them!
"Looks like. . .Aisha!" Billy was somewhat surprised, he hadn't been able to find a way to get her out yet.
Her voice came loud and clear through the speakers. "Guys! Scan Elissa for something called Cricadon poison!"
"Aisha, how can we get you out of there?" Rocky wondered as Billy got to work immediately on her information.
"I don't know!" Aisha told them. "But get me out soon, I think I've got the antidote!"
"That's it!" Billy shouted. "The computers found it!"
Adam looked over, heart pounding. "Is it Cricadon poison?" Billy nodded, almost grinning. "Cricadon poison is a very rare and powerful drug from another galaxy, that has a pecular effect on those with the morphin powers. It drains their energy. That's why Elissa's been so tired, and why it got worse when she took her powers back. We don't have a lot of time left either, but if Aisha's got the cure, that won't matter!" he started working on how to get Aisha back home.
I love you. . .Elissa's mental voice was barely a whisper.
Elissa, hold on! We know the cure, Aisha has it, we're going to get you back!
So tired. . .so. . .
Elissa! Don't you dare leave me! Gwen needs you, I need you!
Her voice was fading even more. So. . .so. . tired. . .just want to sleep. ..
Elissa! Don't sleep, please!
Must. . .
No!!!!
Rocky was pacing back and forth, and finally looked over at Billy. "Any luck, Billy?"
"I think I might have it!" the Blue Ranger smiled.
"Please tell me you do!" Rocky's eyes danced with hope. Billy chuckled.
"I do! She's coming in now!"
Aisha appeared in a streak of yellow light. Rocky leaped over to her, whirling her around in a huge bear hug. Aisha smiled. "Hi, Rocky!" she smiled.
"You said you might have the antidote," Adam spoke up hopefully. Aisha nodded and pulled it out of her glove.
As she handed it to Billy, she told him, "Zedd said it was the antidote, but you'd better test it first.
Billy nodded. "Let's hope it is!" a few tense moments later, he breathed a sigh of relief. "It is!"
"How fast can you give it to her?" Adam wondered. Even as he spoke, Elissa's pale voice sounded in his mind.
Night, Adam.
NO!! Elissa, we have the cure!!!
There was no reply. "Billy, give her the cure now!" Adam ordered. He watched as Billy injected her quickly with it, and waited, praying to whoever might listen to one who was a werewolf and a Power Ranger both. Long moments passed, and Billy went over to check his notes again.
"Something should have happened by now!"
Elissa! Adam stiffened suddenly as he felt a faint whisper in his mind. Elissa come back to me!
I want to sleep!
Elissa, we gave you the cure!
Billy looked at Adam. "We need her to wake up, if you can tell her, if you can talk to her and she is answering.
We need you to wake up, Elissa.
No.
Please!
Oh, all right! Her eyes fluttered and came open. "I woke up, can I please go back to sleep now?"
Billy shook his head. "Need to make sure that the poison is totally gone. Sorry, you've got to stay awake!"
"You can do it, Elissa," Adam told her. "Then once that's done, you can sleep as much as you want!"
I know ONE thing that would keep me awake! she gave Adam a playful look as she bit her bottom lip. Adam leaned over and kissed her.
I love you more than words can say!
Let's go home!
As soon as Billy finishes his tests.
She shuddered. I HATE tests!
Well, it won't take long! It only took a few minutes for Billy to finish up this tests, then he looked at her smiling. "Unless they put some other hidden poison in you, you've got a clean bill of health!"
"Now we can go home!" Adam declared.
And we can play! Elissa hugged Adam quickly. After quick good-byes and thanks to Aisha for her courageous act, the two werewolves teleported home. They tumbled into bed quickly, nuzzling at each other. "Ohhh, that feels so good!" Adam moaned. When Elissa yawned, he looked at her. "I didn't know I was that boring!" he teased.
"You're not!" she laughed. "You'd think that with all the sleep I've gotten the past couple of days I'd be wide awake!"
"I think I can wake you up!" Adam kissed her tenderly as their hands began to roam all over each other.
"That feels wonderful!" she moaned, grateful that in the normal course of things werewolves couldn't have kids. With the way they went at it, they'd be up to their elbows in little ones in no time!
"Just as good as what you're doing feels!" Adam told her. Elissa smiled as she nuzzled his neck once more.
"I bet!" was all she said, before dropping into a deep, dreamless slumber. Adam smiled, and kissed her gently.
Sleep well, my love, and wake up with me in the morning, he whispered as he tucked her into bed. "I love you."