"Jenny....."

It was midnight on the Megaship, and Jenny slept soundly in her bed......but she heard the ghostly, familiar voice calling to her.

"Jenny.....come out.....retrieve the Lights of Orion."

Jenny sat up and climbed out of bed and walked out of her bedroom. She had a glazed expression on her face, as if she were in a trance. She walked through the Megaship halls.....

"That's right.....keep walking, Jenny....."

Leo woke up suddenly. He saw Jenny pass the open door to his bedroom.

"Jenny?" he called. "Jenny, wait up!"

He rushed after Jenny and caught up with her quickly.

"Where're you going?"

No response from Jenny as she continued her walk. Her face was still completely blank. Jenny walked to the jump tubes and slid through the yellow one. Leo hesitated before following through the red tube.

Jenny teleported in front of a cave. She took a few steps through the fog closer to the cave. Leo stopped next to her.

"Jenny, what is it?"

Jenny only extended her hand towards the cave as if to reach out for something. Then she resumed her walk towards the cave. Still consumed by curiosity, Leo followed. The first thing Leo noticed was a shadowed figure digging in the cave. Rather than disturb the creature, Jenny produced a sword and sliced the rock at the opposite side. The creature spun around to face her. Jenny, however, didn't appear to notice the figure as she pulled an egg-shaped stone out of the rock. The creature stepped forward, allowing the light to illuminate him. He looked like some sort of black knight with brass horns protruding from either side of his head. He had a large, green, jewel-like hexagon in the center of his chest.

Around his waist was a belt where he kept his sword casing. He held out his hand.

"Who are you?" Leo asked. "What do you want?"

"The stone," the figure said coldly. "Give me the stone."

His voice was hideous, almost evil. Meanwhile, Jenny began to walk out of the cave, still unaware of the creature's presence. Leo followed, still keeping his eye on the mysterious entity.

"Stop!" the figure shouted.

As soon as Jenny was outside the cave, she teleported away. Refusing to face this knight, Leo teleported after her. The figure growled in frustration......

Jenny returned to the Megaship carrying the stone. She went straight into her quarters and climbed back into bed, holding the stone up to her chest, sound asleep once again.

"Treacheron," Scorpius called. "The Magna Defender has returned. Tonfa Spice has made an encounter with him."

"Yeah, I am aware," Treacheron replied. "Tonfa Spice mined a strange-looking rock from a cave while the Magna Defender was searching for it. It is believed that the Lights of Orion were hidden there. So now Tonfa Spice possesses them."

Scorpius narrowed his eyes. "I want both Tonfa Spice and the Lights of Orion brought to me."

"But now that Tonfa Spice has the Lights, the Magna Defender will be after her as well," Treacheron told him.

"I also know that the Magna Defender will stop at nothing to destroy me," Scorpius added. "So I want him destroyed first."

"Of course, sire. It will be done."

Treacheron left the Scorpion Stinger, and Scorpius sighed.....

The next morning, Jenny carried the strange stone to breakfast. She had a weird "who's-the-wise-guy" look on her face.

"Okay, which one of you jokers shoved this under me last night?" she asked.

The others shrugged. "It wasn't me."

"What do you mean?" Leo asked. "You got up in the middle of the night and dug it up from a cave yourself."

"You've got to be kidding," Jenny said. "I don't recall getting up last night."

"But you did. I followed you to the cave. I also saw this dude there."

"What dude?" T.J. asked.

"I don't know.....it was hard to see him in the dark," Leo said. "All I could make out were those horns and a cape."

"Sorry, Leo, I don't remember seeing any dude either," Jenny told him.

"But trust me; this really happened," Leo protested. "You got up, went to that cave, dug up that stone, came back, and went back to bed."

"That's a bizarre story," Spinal said.

"It is possible that Jenny may have been sleepwalking," Deca suggested.

"Yeah.....that could be it," Jenny agreed. "Because.....all I know is that I heard my father's voice last night.....calling to me. I had to follow it."

"Great," Pico mumbled. "So you thwart your own mother, marry despicable bounty hunters, visit monster-infested planets, hear your father's voice, and then you lay an egg. Is there anything you don't do?"

"Not really," the Cryptkeeper told him.

"Well, there is one thing," Jenny said. "I don't do drugs."

"There's something else," Leo added. "That dude wanted that stone, and since you totally ignored him, he's probably pretty ticked off at you."

"Do you think he'll show up again?" Hallie asked.

"I hope he does," Jenny said. "A guy with a cape and horns? Very curious....."

"So what's so special about that egg?" Fulgore asked.

"Let me see," Spinal said. Jenny handed him the stone, and he examined it carefully. "I don't sense any power here, so it's really nothing. You might as well just get rid of it."

"Well.....rumor has it that the Lights of Orion are hidden in a cave," Maya said.

"The Lights of Ryan?" Hallie jumped in. "What are those?"

"One of the most powerful sources of energy in the universe," Maya explained.

"Oh boy, as if we needed any more of those," Fulgore said.

"No kidding," Hanim said. "If you want powerful energy sources, all you have to do is look under Jenny's bed; they're all right there."

Jenny laughed. "I'll say. Besides, I wouldn't want to risk my skin just for a bunch of light bulbs anyway."

"Well, whatever these lights are, they're not in that stone," Spinal said.

"I think I'll keep it anyway," Jenny said. "It looks decorative. Besides, if my dad called me out in the middle of the

night just to retrieve it, there must have been a reason."

"What are you going to do with it?" Leo asked.

"I'll just put it under my bed with the rest of my powerful energy sources," Jenny replied. "Then I'll go out, get into trouble.....you know how it goes."

"Yeah, we know," Fulgore said.

"Or better yet, maybe I can take this with me and meet that.....dude," Jenny added.

She carried the stone to the jump tube and hopped through.

Jenny sat at a table in a Terra Venture café waiting for this mysterious Magna Defender to arrive. If he truly wanted the stone that Jenny possessed, then he would come soon enough. But the only person who did show up was Spinal.

"Hello," he said, joining Jenny at the table.

"What are you doing here?" Jenny asked.

"For some odd reason, I think I'm aching for danger today,"

Spinal said. "Also, you've faced evil alone too many times."

"Well, don't worry....." Jenny began.

"Yeah, I know," Spinal said, cutting her off. "Darkonda will show up. He always helps you out in one way or another."

"I'm starting to think that he's more of an ally than an enemy."

"Yeah.....he's betrayed Astronema and Scorpius so many times, he might as well be an ally."

Before their conversation could continue, Treacheron appeared. Jenny and Spinal were promptly on their feet.

"Ah ha!" Treacheron called.

"Who are you?" Spinal asked.

"Never mind that; what do you want?" Jenny added.

"I want the stone," Treacheron replied.

"Why? It's just a stupid rock," Jenny protested.

"That rock contains the Lights of Orion," Treacheron said.

"No, it doesn't!" Spinal said. "It's just another bit of dirt!"

Treacheron glared at Jenny. "Give me that stone, girl!"

Jenny handed the stone to Spinal. "Here, hold this." She looked up at Treacheron. "I don't have any stone."

"Then I'll get in from that bone bag!"

Spinal gasped. "W-W-What!?"

"You're not going to take that from him, are you, Spinal?" Jenny asked.

"Uh.....yeah."

Treacheron charged at Spinal, who turned around and ran. As Spinal ran, he kept his head backwrds, trying to keep an eye on Treacheron. However, he forgot to watch where he was going, so he crashed into something. Treacheron stopped abruptly. Spinal looked up to see what it was he ran into. It was the same figure that Leo and Jenny had "met" in the cave.

"Cape.....horns.....that has to be him!" Jenny thought.

Spinal backed away from the figure slowly.

"Magna Defender!" Treacheron cried.

"Magna Defender?" Spinal asked.

"Magna Defender?" Jenny mumbled with a smile. "Hmm....."

The Magna Defender extended his arm towards Spinal. "The stone."

"Oh no," Spinal replied, backing away some more.

"I don't think so!" Treacheron shouted. "The stone is mine!"

He rushed towards Spinal, who gasped. Seeing that he was trapped between Treacheron and Magna Defender, he could only think of one option.

"Jenny, catch!" he screamed, throwing the stone carelessly into the air. Treacheron ran into Spinal, who staggered back, and they both crashed into Magna Defender. The stone rolled over to Jenny, who picked it up. Treacheron pulled back, then Magna Defender shoved Spinal aside. Seeing that Jenny now had the stone, Magna Defender leaped the distance, landing in front of her. He pulled out

a shotgun-like weapon and aimed it at her. Jenny gasped in fear.

"Get away from her!" a hideous, yet familiar voice shouted.

Jenny looked up to see Darkonda jumping in. He knocked the weapon out of Magna Defender's hands.

"What do you want this thing?" Jenny asked.

"The Lights of Orion are hidden inside," Magna Defender told her.

"Lights of Orion?" Darkonda asked.

"They're not in here!" Jenny said. "It's just a stupid egg!"

"You LIE!" Magna Defender growled.

Jenny scoffed. "Does this look like the face of a girl who would lie to you?"

Magna Defender pulled out his sword. As he attacked, Darkonda blocked the blow. As they battled, Jenny ran over to Spinal.

"Whose side is that Magna Defender on?" Spinal asked.

"I don't know. He sounds evil, but with a name like his, you'd assume he's a good guy," Jenny said.

Suddenly, Treacheron attempted to snatch the stone. "For the final time, give me that stone!"

"Never!" Jenny responded.

Spinal seized Treacheron's shoulders from behind, but the monster hit him with his elbow.

"Hold it right there!" a voice shouted.

The Rangers and Spices rushed into the scene. Leo tried a tornado kick, but Treacheron ducked and backed away.

"You got lucky, girl!" he told Jenny. "That will not be the case next time!" So saying, he disappeared in a crack of blue lightning.

"Here, hold this again." Jenny handed the stone to Spinal again, then rushed over to Darkonda and Magna Defender. She got right between them. "Stop this fighting!"

Magna Defender punched her roughly in the stomach, causing her to sink to the ground. Seeing this, Darkonda attacked again.

"That's no way to treat a lady," he said. "Especially MY lady!"

Magna Defender kicked Darkonda away, then approached the others. "Give me the stone!" he ordered.

"No way; I'm getting out of here!" Spinal cried. He pressed on his ring and teleported away with the stone.

"Spinal, wait up!" C.C. cried as the others teleported away also.

Magna Defender growled in frustration. Jenny stood up slowly and approached the mysterious fighter from behind. She lunged and

kicked him in the back, sending him flying forward, landing in a pile of boxes. Magna Defender stood up and glared at her. Jenny just laughed, turned around, and teleported out.

"Magna Defender, Lights of Orion, what's next?" Jenny asked once they were back at the ship.

"Magna Defender exacts vengeance, takes Lights of Orion, disappears," the Cryptkeeper said.

"No.....Magna Defender steals rock, disappears," Spinal added. "Magna Defender opens rock, finds rock empty."

"Magna Defender beats crap out of everyone, searches for Lights of Orion," Jenny said.

"I still say that Jenny lays eggs," Pico said.

"Jenny no lay eggs!" Hanim cried.

Jenny sleepwalks at night, walks into cave," the Cryptkeeper said. "Jenny digs rock, finds egg, brings egg back to bed."

Fulgore entered the room carrying the stone. "Fulgore and Rangers can't break egg."

"I have an idea!" Jenny exclaimed. We play soccer, and this our ball!"

"But stone will break poor little feet!" Spinal protested.

Jenny shook her head. "Nah. Poor little feet will break stone. And poor little hands tambien."

"What!?" the others asked in unison.

"We play martial arts soccer," Jenny explained. "We use hands, feet, punches, kicks, fighting moves."

"I like!" C.K. said. "Let's go!"

"Si! Vamos a Terra Venture!" Jenny called. She ran to fetch the Rangers. "Oye Rangers! Vamos a Terra Venture para jugar al futbol! Van ustedes tambien?"

The Rangers gave her a confused look.

"Sorry, I don't speak Spanish," Damon said.

"Pero yo hablo espaol," Carlos jumped in. "Si, vamos a ir a Terra Venture tambien."

"What on Earth did you just say?" Damon asked.

"I said that we're going to Terra Venture also," Carlos told

him. "Let's go!"

The Rangers and Spices went to an empty field on Terra Venture. The Cryptkeeper held the stone with his index fingertip while Fulgore stood at a distance. The preparation was the same as that of a football game.

"Stand by for kickoff!" he yelled.

He dashed over and kicked the stone into the air. The Spices stood ready to kick it around. Jenny attempted a crescent kick as the stone came down, but she missed. The others began to kick it around like in a regular game. Suddenly, green energy blasts exploded around them. The group threw themselves to the ground. Jenny held the stone tightly.

"Not him again!" Pico screamed.

Arbin noticed that his lower leg had come off. "Oh damn.....my leg!" He screwed his leg back on.

Magna Defender stepped toward the group. "You have something that belongs to me."

Jenny stood up. "What? A rock?"

"The Lights of Orion," Magna Defender responded. "Give them to me."

"I don't have the Lights of Orion," Jenny told him. "So you might as well leave us alone!"

Magna Defender pulled out his Magna Blaster and aimed it at the other Spices. "I refuse to deal with trouble. Just hand over the stone, and I will spare them."

"You wouldn't!" Jenny cried. "Leave them out of this!"

Magna Defender ignored her and fired his blaster at her friends anyway. Again, then attempted to shield themselves from the blasts, but they were too powerful. Jenny tossed the stone towards them and rushed at Magna Defender. She pulled out her sword. Magna Defender turned to her and just glared. Jenny attempted an overhead attack. Magna Defender blocked with his arm, pulled out his sword, and quickly struck her chest. She staggered past him, then stopped.

As Magna Defender rushed at her, Jenny stopped him dead with a roundhouse kick to the stomach. They clashed their sword together, where they maintained pressure.

"Why did you just blast at my friends like that!?" Jenny demanded.

"To make you realize how serious I am," Magna Defender replied.

He buried his knee into Jenny's chest, then attempted a quick overhead strike. Luckily, Jenny managed to throw up a defense just in time.

Little did anyone realize that Treacheron and Trakeena were watching the fight from the side.

"Hmm.....the mighty Magna Defender....." Treacheron mumbled.

"Is he evil?" Trakeena asked.

"No, he is good," Treacheron told her. "I don't know why he's fighting that girl."

"Her name is Tonfa Spice, Astronema's eldest daughter."

"Why would she fight against her own mother?"

"She's been corrupted by the forces of good," Trakeena explained. "She's become quite a nuisance."

"Has there been any effort to bring her back to the dark side?" Treacheron inquired.

"There have been many efforts, but all have failed."

"Is she a good warrior?"

"One of the best warriors I've seen. She might even be able to beat Magna Defender."

"She must not be allowed to defeat him! I've beaten him before, and I will beat him again!"

"But what about them?" Trakeena asked, pointing to the Rangers and Spices.

"No problem." Treacheron turned back to the Stingwingers, who were hiding behind them. "Stingwingers, attack."

"We have to stop this fighting," Carlos said. Spinal turned and happened to see the Stingwingers rushing at

them. "Stingwingers!"

The Rangers and Spices rushed into battle with the Stingwingers, leaving the battle between Jenny and Magna Defender

undisturbed. Magna Defender knocked the sword out of Jenny's hand. She staggered back, holding her hand and gasping. No one has knocked

her weapon out of her hand before. To her surprise, Magna Defender stuck his sword into the ground.

"We don't need weapons to finish this," he said coldly.

"It really doesn't matter," Jenny replied. "You're still going to die."

They rushed at each other, blocking each other's punches. However, Magna Defender gave her several fierce jabs to the stomach.

"Jenny!" Spinal screamed, tossing the stone at her again. Jenny caught the stone, and Magna Defender reached out for

it. When Jenny refused, he picked up his weapon and aimed his Magna Blaster at her.

"The stone is staying with me!" Jenny declared.

"Not unless you can walk around with holes in you," Magna Defender responded.

Jenny held her ground. From nowhere, Magna Defender fired his blaster. The blasts struck both Jenny and the rock. Jenny sat

up and noticed that the rock had been shattered. There were no Lights of Orion!

"See!? I told you that we didn't have the Lights of Orion,

but you didn't listen!" she sobbed. "You should know better! Nobody would hide a stinking light bulb in a stupid rock!"

Meanwhile, the others had beaten the Stingwingers and ran to join Jenny.

"You've got a major attitude problem, buddy!" she cried.

"You have no idea what you're talking about," Magna Defender snapped.

"The hell I don't!" Jenny responded.

"A long time ago.....Scorpius took my only son from me." Jenny's sour expression melted from her face. "What?"

Magna Defender turned around and leaped to the top of a cliff. The Spices stared up at him.

"Ah, screw that old nin-cow-poop!" Pico cried. "I'm leaving!"

He turned around and began to walk away. The others followed, but Jenny continued to stare at Magna Defender. After

several more steps, the others stopped. The Cryptkeeper walked back over to her and put his arm around her shoulder.

"Come on, just forget him." They turned around and walked to catch up with the others.

"Hurry it up!" Fulgore called. "By the time we get back to

the ship, Magna Defender's kid won't even be dead anymore!"

Jenny and the Cryptkeeper didn't quicken their pace at all. The Cryptkeeper kicked Jenny's behind. She only looked at him, then kicked his behind in return.....

That night, Jenny sat in her bedroom on the Astro Megaship. What was the purpose of sleepwalking if she'd heard her father's voice? Why did he coax her out in the middle of the night? She was about to find out.

"Jenny....."

Jenny looked around. She looked in the mirror and was stunned to see the image of her father instead of her own reflection.

"Dad? What are you doing there? I thought you were dead! How can you be here?" she asked.

Jenny's father Daniel smiled. "I'm not really here; I'm just in your mind."

"What was the deal with that stupid rock anyway?" Jenny asked.

"I have eyes and ears everywhere, my daughter," Daniel replied. "I've been watching and found the Magna Defender emerging from a crevice. As soon as I saw him, I thought he was someone you ought to meet."

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really. However, your decision to make him an enemy was totally up to you."

"I don't like him, Dad," Jenny whined. "He blew up my friends for no reason!"

"I also thought that he would be a worthy opponent for you," Daniel added.

"He was quite an opponent, all right," Jenny agreed. "Dad?"

No answer. Daniel was gone. Jenny shrugged and climbed into her bed and went to sleep.

So Magna Defender has had his own tragedy, just as Jenny had. Yet they can't even get along. Will they work together to deal with the pain, or will they make their tragic emotions even more difficult to cope with?

The End