Hand in hand, the seven carefully made their way through the darkness, following the faint breeze. Although they carried the glowing stones with them, the light the rocks provided did not penetrate far into the blackness. But for the grip they had on each other's hands, more than one person would have fallen over the hidden obstacles in their path. After what seemed like an eternity, there was a flicker of light in the distance.

"Man, my toes are happy to see that!" Rocky remarked, grimacing as he stubbed his toe yet again.

They were all happy to see daylight. In spite of their gradual approach, when they reached the mouth of the cave, they had to shield their eyes against the brilliant sunlight. When at last their eyes adjusted, the Rangers found themselves looking down on a lush, tropical forest. Greenery and riotous colors spread out before them as far as the eye could see. Laced through the verdant tapestry was a shimmering ribbon of silvery water. Not too far distant loomed the cone of a volcano. The heat and humidity enveloped them smotheringly, and the air was alive with the sounds of jungle life.

"It's beautiful," Kat murmured. She clutched Tommy's arm tighter.

"And deadly, judging by Amadan's estimation of our ability to survive it," Billy reminded them all.

"Some of those plants look huge--even from up here," Rocky said, awestruck.

"So, what do we do first?" Tanya queried.

"Get our bearings then start looking for the temple," Tommy answered. "Any idea which direction is which, Billy?"

"At the moment, no. The sun appears to be directly overhead," Billy replied, squinting skyward. "What I wouldn't give for a compass. I'll need the rest of the day to track the sun's position and part of the evening to chart the other celestial orientations."

"I doubt the stars will be the same as the ones from home," Rocky snorted.

"Does it really matter what direction we're headed in?" Adam asked. "We don't even know where Amadan's temple is."

"One of those little details he neglected to mention," Tanya added.

"East," Kim said softly.

"What makes you say that?" Tommy wondered.

"Just a feeling.... Amadan said we'd get everything back if we were able to stand before Xia's Rising. What if Xia's Rising refers to sunrise at the temple or something like that?" Kim proposed.

"A logical deduction," Billy said in support. "The sun has been a prominent figure of worship in many cultures."

"So we just travel in the direction of the rising sun?" Rocky asked dubiously.

"What if that's the wrong direction?" Adam added.

"If it is, we simply try a different one," Kim said with a shrug. "We can't just stand here debating what to do."

"Tommy?" Kat queried.

"Kim's right," Tommy agreed. "We have to do something, and east makes about as much sense as any direction at this point. Let's camp here for the rest of the day so Billy can make his calculations."

Billy stepped over to the ledge and peered into the foliage below. Then he glanced back at the cliff face. "Up there, I think. I need an open stretch of ground that won't be obstructed by evening--or morning--shadows."

"Wouldn't it be wiser to head down to the ground? We're going to have to go down there eventually," Rocky wondered as he glanced at the thick vegetation below.

"True, but for now we know the cave is a relatively safe place, and it will provide us with shelter for the night," Kim pointed out.

"And we'll be able to use the cliff as a point of reference while we do some scouting," Tommy added. "We need to find food and water...."

"... clothes...." Rocky slipped in for good measure.

"Somehow, I have the feeling that the only clothes we're going to find are ones we make ourselves," Tanya said.

"The river doesn't appear to be too far from here," Adam observed.

"Why don't you and Rocky head down to the river for the water," Tommy directed.

"And just what are we supposed to bring it back in?" Rocky wondered.

"Maybe you could find some gourds or something," Kat ventured.

"Here's another possibility," Kim said. She disappeared into the shadows of the cave and returned with a couple of the now-dark glow stones. The rock halves resembled shallow bowls. "They may not hold much, but they'll do until we find something better."

"Not a bad idea," Tommy agreed. "Okay, that takes care of that. Why don't...."

"Why don't Tanya, Kat and I work on finding the food," Kim suggested.

"Perfect," Tanya chimed in. "It's been a while, but it won't take long for me to remember all the stuff I learned about watching the animals. They know this environment a lot better than we do. They'll know which plants are safe, which animals to avoid and which ones to eat and so forth."

"That's a morbid thought," Rocky complained.

"You want to eat, don't you?" Tanya challenged.

"Maybe we can find some fish in the river," Adam said, amused by his friend's reaction. Rocky was not much of a camper. "That is, if we can figure out how to catch them with no equipment."

"So what will you do, Tommy? Join Adam and Rocky or come along with us?" Kat wondered.

"Maybe Tommy should work on finding stuff to make a fire," Billy recommended.

"If we find anything, we're going to have to find a way to cook it," Tanya concurred.

"Sounds good to me. Let's get going, guys," Tommy declared.

As the groups started to break up, Kimberly tapped Tommy on the shoulder and motioned for him to step away from the others. "Maybe you'd better stick close to Billy," Kim said delicately. She really didn't want the others to hear.

"Why?"

"I'm sure he could use a hand with his sundial or whatever it is he's constructing, and he could help you find some flint or whatever for starting the fire." She fixed Tommy with a piercing gaze, which he failed to grasp. She was trying to be tactful, but it wasn't working.

"What Kimberly means is that I'm going to need a good pair of eyes," Billy remarked ruefully as he joined their huddle.

"I'm sorry, Billy; it's just that I remember how bad your eyes are," she murmured, blushing. She hadn't wanted to hurt Billy's feelings by bringing it up.

"Oh." Tommy hadn't considered that Billy's lack of eyewear was going to be that much of a problem. "How bad are they?"

"Pretty bad, I'm afraid." He could have given Tommy the specifics, but the numbers wouldn't have meant much to him. "This is going to be a major liability on our trek."

"It'll be all right, Billy. We'll find a way to deal with it," Tommy assured him. The three looked up to find the others staring at them expectantly.

"What are you guys waiting for--an invitation?" Rocky wisecracked.

"All right. Let's all meet back here by dusk at the latest," Tommy directed, and the three groups set about their tasks.

"It appears that the littlest ranger has already proven her worth."

Green flecked eyes looked up from the image in the viewing globe and glanced back at the forbidding presence that hovered just beyond the globe's illumination. Dulcea, Master Warrior of the planet Phaedos, regarded Amadan with a satisfied smirk.

"I did not ask you to meddle in my affairs," Amadan glowered.

"Then you should not have summoned me."

"I did not."

"If not you, then who?"

Amadan had no answer for her. He spun away from the pictures in the orb and strode purposefully from the chamber.

Dulcea watched him, her mouth drawn into a tight line. Collecting her staff and pulling her cloak more closely about her shoulders, she followed the First of the Temple. She believed Amadan when he said that he hadn't summoned her; he may have been pompous and self-absorbed, but she had never known him to prevaricate, at least, not with her. Besides, she could readily believe that he wouldn't have wanted anyone else from the Council knowing what he was about. They were sure to disapprove--as she did.

"You should have left well enough alone," Amadan sneered.

"I should have left well enough alone? You are the one who kidnapped Zordon's Rangers and transported them here just because you did not think them fit to wield the Zeo Powers."

To Dulcea, it was clear that Amadan's thought processes in this matter were clouded; he was too close to the issue. She had arrived at the temple to find Amadan's machinations already in motion. The flow of time had been suspended; had Amadan not created solar interference to disrupt Zordon's sensors, the Ranger's mentor would surely have detected the time disturbance.

"You should thank me," Dulcea remarked as she followed him through the corridors. She wondered just how much Amadan's actions were governed by his concern for the crystal (which often bordered on the obsessive) and how much of them were born of his old rivalry with Zordon. "Your solar storm will not distract Zordon for long. Once he realizes that the time stream has been tampered with, he will discover that his Rangers are missing. Had Billy and Kimberly been left behind, he would have uncovered your involvement a lot sooner--and he will find you out, Amadan. Do not be deluded into thinking otherwise."

Amadan grunted noncommittally, and Dulcea sighed. That had not been her reason for transporting the two former Rangers, but it was the only reason Amadan would comprehend. Dulcea understood why Zordon's Rangers--past and present--had been so effective and why it was not unthinkable for the crystal to have chosen the young warriors as its champions. Zordon's protégé's were truly a team. Superior fire power and brute strength were not enough in the battle against the dark forces. They needed to be tempered with intellect and heart. It was a truth that eluded Amadan.

If Zordon's Rangers were to survive the jungle, they would need all the elements of their team to survive. When Xia had constructed the temple and the jungle in the dimensional pocket, she had created this world to confound the forces of evil. The spells which shielded the dimension allowed nothing that was not of this world save living beings to pass through the protective barrier. The shield could not differentiate between good or evil--it stripped all who would pass through--but beings of evil intent would be without their weapons; they would have to survive the primitive jungle long enough to re-build their devices of destruction, and the jungle--stocked with all manner of flora and fauna from throughout the cosmos--was unforgiving. The Rangers faced a daunting challenge in making it to the temple, but Dulcea would do all that she could to aid them in their mentor's stead. She owed Zordon that much.

Amadan continued on into Xia's Rising, and Dulcea followed. However, the two elders of the temple were brought up short by the brilliance that flooded the chamber. On the dais, a column of light enveloped the pedestal, and upon it rested the Zeo Crystal.

"By the old gods!" Dulcea gasped. The crystal--here? How was that possible? Surely Zordon wouldn't have sent it.

"Do you know what this means?" Amadan queried in an awed whisper. He turned and caught Dulcea by her shoulders. It took every ounce of self control she possessed not to throw him off. Battle instincts died hard. "It means I am right. Its presence validates my belief that the Rangers must be tested!"

Amadan released her, and Dulcea watched as he continued on his way, his carriage reflecting a new level of self-righteousness. He stopped suddenly, as if struck by a thought, and turned to face her once more.

"I trust, now, that you will not interfere further in this matter." Then, he was gone.

Dulcea looked up to the dais. Could you not have let the crystal remain with Zordon? Amadan did not need any more provocation than he already had, she silently petitioned whatever force had brought the crystal home.

... you will not interfere.... Amadan's self-assured words echoed in Dulcea's mind. He was right. She could not interfere since the Rangers had left the cave. By all rights, Amadan should have been unable to meddle as well; if it was to be a fair testing, he would leave the Rangers to the jungle, but Dulcea knew that Amadan had spent eons mastering his control over the wilds beyond the temple. If there was the slightest sign that the Rangers might succeed, he would intervene. She would simply have to cancel out whatever forces Amadan set in motion. There were other ways to help without directly interfering.

"You know, you never realize just how intimate interpersonal contact can be until you remove the thin barrier of clothing," Billy observed as he reached for Tommy's proffered hand. The two had succeeded in climbing to the top of the cliff. The foot and hand holds had been few, but somehow the two had managed. Still, the heat and humidity had taken their toll; however, as they gratefully collapsed on the grassy plateau, a blessedly cool breeze sprang up.

"This is going to be worse than showering in gym class," Tommy agreed.

"It won't be so bad once we become accustomed to our state of undress. We should be sufficiently acclimated in a few days."

"I just hope everyone adjusts all right. I was really worried about Adam and Kat back there; I knew Adam was really shy, but I didn't think Kat was."

"Not shy, merely self-conscious. I suppose we all were to some degree." Having caught his second wind, Billy scrambled to his feet and squinted at his surroundings. "This patch of clay should do nicely. Now for a few sticks and stones...."

"Makes me think of the Flintstones," Tommy snickered. That drew a grin from Billy as well. Tommy paused a moment to take in the view; it was even more awe-inspiring than it had been from the opening of the cave. "This place is incredible."

"Wish I could see it better," Billy murmured. He absently wandered over to a green and orange blur; as he drew closer he could make out the shape of the flower. "Whoever was responsible for my presence would have been better off leaving me home."

"Just because you can't see too well doesn't mean you can't contribute," Tommy said. "You're still the smartest one here."

Billy just sort of grunted, and Tommy busied himself with looking for potential kindling.

"Well, Kimberly has certainly already proven her worthiness to be here," Billy continued. "I was most impressed with the way she stepped forward in the cave."

"So was I. I never realized she had it in her. I can't believe she was able to stand there in front of all of us like that...."

" ... and the way she drew the rest of us out, playing up each of our strengths ... that look she gave me--I didn't dare refuse."

"I thought you said you couldn't see," Tommy remarked with a grin.

"I saw that well enough." Billy shook his head. "There's some pretty serious steel under that cute exterior."

"You got that right," Tommy murmured, closing his eyes as he recalled the image of Kim standing in the faint light. "I'm glad she acknowledged the fact that we'd all be curious; I tried not to, but I think I did more staring than listening--and not just at Kimberly. Tanya and Kat were pretty awesome, too."

"All three are very attractive women," Billy concurred. Both of them sighed heavily and realized that their hormones were getting the better of them.

"And I thought keeping things under control while we're in uniform was bad! This is going to be murder," Tommy said ruefully. "The girls are lucky; they don't have to deal with hard-ons."

"I'm sure that they will have their own particular difficulties," Billy added with a smile. "We'd better get busy. It'd be best if I could start my chart while the sun is still overhead."

"Right."

They set to work. Billy's search for the requisite paraphernalia led him deep into the thick foliage; although he tried to be careful, the dense leaves and his impaired vision made it impossible to watch the path. A gnarled root tripped Billy up, and he landed in a patch of riotous purple and pink blossoms.

"You okay?" Tommy called out, hearing Billy's mutters.

"Nothing is injured but my pride," Billy responded as he worked his way out of the bushes. "I ... hey! My eyes!"

"Billy!" Tommy hurried over and found Billy on his knees, his hands over his eyes.

"What happened?"

"The flowers ... the fuchsia colored ones ... sprayed something in my face...." Billy groaned.

"Geez, and there's no water up here," Tommy muttered. No water to flush them out or anything to wipe them with.

"It doesn't sting--I was merely caught unawares." Billy's eyes watered heavily, his body trying to clear the offending material on its own.

"Are you going to be all right?"

"I think so, there doesn't appear to be any dam...." Billy's words died in his throat as he wiped his eyes clear.

"What is it?" Tommy wondered, startled by the expression of amazement on Billy's face.

"My vision ... it's ... clear!"

"What?"

"My eyesight is perfectly normal!"

"But how...?"

"I don't know ... perhaps something in the pollen.... I have no explanation for it, but I can see now."

In the jungle below, off to the right of the cliff, Adam and Rocky made their way through the thick vegetation towards the river.

"This place is incredible," Adam murmured in appreciation. "I've never seen anything like it."

"Some of these plants look familiar, but most of them I don't think I've ever seen in any

botany book," Rocky concurred. He warily eyed a fallen leaf that was nearly as big as he was.

The two trudged on for several more minutes in silence, then, they came to a break in the trees. Before them glistened the liquid silver of the river.

"All right! Last one in is a...." Rocky began. He started forward, but Adam held him back. "What's wrong? A swim would sure feel good right about now."

"I know, but we'd better not rush into things. We don't know anything about the current or what sort of fish live here...."

"You have a point," Rocky conceded. "I wouldn't want to wind up swimming in a school of piranha or anything like that."

The two approached at a more sedate pace, keeping their eyes open for any animals that might be nearby. The coast seemed clear. Adam knelt on the bank and scooped up a handful of water.

"Man, that tastes good," he sighed. Rocky dropped down beside him to slake his thirst. When the two had drunk their fill, they sat alongside the watery ribbon to catch their breath.

"So, what do you think of the mess we're in this time?" Rocky wondered as he daringly dipped his toes into the cool wetness. He felt something brush his foot, and he quickly pulled it out to make sure all his toes were still intact.

"I'd rather face Zedd, Rita and Mondo all at once," Adam replied.

Rocky laughed. "I don't know; it's not so bad. At least we have the girls to look at." Adam just scowled at him. "Think of it, alone in a tropical paradise with three gorgeous, naked babes! It's every guy's dream come true."

"Those 'naked babes' just so happen to be our friends, and one of them is Tommy's girlfriend," Adam reminded him.

"So Kat's off limits. There's still Tanya and Kimberly."

"Either of which could knock you up side the head if you tried anything funny."

"Spoil sport."

"This isn't funny, Rocky. We don't have our powers or anything. We're out in the middle of a jungle we know nothing about. Any one of us could get hurt ... this isn't like a weekend camping trip."

"I know that, Adam," Rocky said, suddenly serious. He picked up a small rock and tossed it into the water. He glanced over at his long time friend. The fear was plain in Adam's face, and for a moment, Rocky let his own guard down, allowing Adam to see his own concern. "If we stick together, we'll be just fine. We'll reclaim our powers and make it back home."

Adam nodded, appreciating Rocky's gesture of openness. "I guess I'm still stressing out. I mean, why did Amadan have to take our clothes? I'm not all that comfortable around girls when I'm--and they're--dressed. I wanted to die when Kimberly came searching for me to drag me out of the shadows."

"I wanted to come when she first stood up," Rocky replied with a shake of his head. It had been a pretty powerful moment. "I can't believe she had the nerve to do that!"

"I guess we should be thankful that she did have the nerve, otherwise we'd still be sitting back in the cave," Adam murmured. "Kim's changed a lot since going to Florida." Another thoughtful silence settled over the two. "Come on, we'd better figure out a way to get the water back to camp. The rocks will be fine for transporting the water, but we'll never be able to get them back up the cliff."

"I wonder if any of those humongous leaves would hold water," Rocky mused. He scrambled over to where some of the larger fronds lay on the ground.

"Too bad there aren't any...."

"Hey, take a look at this," Rocky said suddenly.

"What is it?"

"This bright red thing on this plant. I thought it was a giant flower or berry or something, but up close it looks like a...."

"... sponge," Adam finished. The two traded grins and worked to pry the porous blob loose. Once their prize was free, they hauled it over to the river and dipped it in. Sure enough, it greedily soaked up the liquid.

"Man, this is heavy," Rocky groaned, nearly dropping the weighty orb.

"Hang on just a bit longer. I'll get one of those leaves you mentioned to wrap it in; that way we won't lose as much," Adam directed. Soon, their precious bundle was ready to be carried back to the cliff.

"It'll still be a bitch getting this up to the cave," Rocky pointed out.

"But easier than the stones."

"True."

Adam was about to step off when he realized that Rocky was still standing by the side of the water looking off in the distance thoughtfully. "What is it?"

"Just something ... did you ever wonder what was under those pink tights?" Rocky asked, his tone devoid of playful banter.

Adam didn't need Rocky to explain the reference. He felt himself blushing--a more eloquent answer than the nod of the head he managed. He had definitely wondered about those pink tights, too--both pair.

"Well, now we know what was under them. Damn!" Rocky laughed. Before Adam could offer a comment, Rocky jumped into the cool water.

"What are you doing?" Adam sputtered as Rocky resurfaced.

"There's no way I'm going back to camp with my hormones obviously in an uproar."

Adam considered his friend's words and his own state of excitement. He had to concede Rocky's point.

"You haven't run into any piranha yet, have you?" Adam gulped as he also jumped in.

Kim, Tanya and Kat started off in the opposite direction from Adam and Rocky in their search for food.

"Well, this isn't quite home, but it's not too bad," Tanya remarked. The other two knew she was referring to Africa and not Angel Grove. "I never figured that I'd have the chance to use some of the skills Ashala taught me again."

"We all have skills which we've forgotten about," Kim said. "We'll probably discover lots of things about ourselves as well as each other on this little adventure."

"It's so overgrown, there could be animals all around us and we'd never see them," Kat murmured.

"Just stand still and be quiet for a moment; you'll see," Tanya suggested. The three stopped and listened. Pretty soon they were able to make out the sounds of creatures all around them even though the animals themselves were invisible.

Kim strained her eyes to pick out anything useful and detected a movement in the leaves near her feet. Slowly she crouched down for a better look; she didn't want to startle whatever it was. Almost without thinking, she reached out to part the concealing leaves. Suddenly a frightened quadruped dashed out of the cover, knocking Kimberly over.

"Here," Tanya said, offering her a hand. Both she and Kat were smiling with amusement, but they had the decency not to laugh.

"Thanks."

"It left a pretty clear trail; let's see where it takes us."

Tanya took the lead, and the trio tracked the small furball to what amounted to a briar patch. Thick gnarled branches covered with wickedly long thorns and blade-like leaves occupied a break in the trees. The creature reached for one of the barbed, tennis ball-sized pods that clustered among the leaves. Cracking the hard shell open with a claw, it proceeded to scoop out the juicy inside and eat its fill.

"I never would have figured there'd be something edible inside something that looked so awful," Kat commented.

"Me either," Kim agreed. When their furry guide took off, she stepped forward collect the discarded shell. She dipped her finger into pulp then popped it into her mouth. "Not bad."

"I told you, the animals know," Tanya said.

"Ow!" Kat yelped, having stuck her finger on a prickly pod. "These things are sharp."

"We're going to need claws ourselves if we're going to get these things cracked open," Kim sighed, having stuck her finger as well.

"There are plenty of rocks at the cave to use as nutcrackers," Tanya mused.

"Why don't we gather up a bunch of these, and then we can see what else is out here," Kim recommended.

As the girls set to harvesting the sticker-pods, Tanya noticed that Kim seemed particularly withdrawn. While she and Kat chatted and laughed amongst themselves, Kim pretty much kept to herself. Tanya elbowed Kat and nodded towards Kim, a question in her eyes. Kat shrugged, and Tanya realized that Kat wasn't exactly at ease around Kimberly. Well, that was only natural all things considered, but they couldn't afford to have the two at odds. It wasn't good for the team.

"Are you all right, Kim?" Tanya wondered.

"Yeah, just tired. It's been a really long day," Kim sighed, offering Tanya an apologetic smile.

"You had already added three hours to your day with the plane trip home, and now this..." Kat ventured at Tanya's prompting. Really, she didn't know what to say to Kim. When Kim left, they had parted as friends, but now....

"I wanted to thank you for what you did back in the cave--coming forward, getting us off our butts and all," Tanya continued. "That took some doing."

Kim shrugged and answered, "Somebody needed to; it might as well have been me. It was no big deal really...." It was either that or have a screaming fit. "I kind of did the same thing at the training center. Whenever somebody was down, I was the one picking them up. Whenever the team needed something, I seemed to be the one doing it."

"I don't know that I could have been the first," Tanya said.

"I'm sure you could have, if that's what the team really needed," Kim assured her.

"Tommy couldn't, and he's team leader. You had to coax him out just like the rest of us."

"Well...."

"Tommy shouldn't have been too hard to convince, since you and he had...." Kat began, her words tinged with envy.

"Had what?" Kim wondered.

"Well ... seen each other before, and...." the Australian continued with a blush; she shouldn't have brought the subject up, but she had been unable to help herself.

Kim's cheeks filled with a scalding blush, too, as she realized what Kat was thinking. "Kat, Tommy and I had never.... I mean, in the cave was the first time we...."

"You mean you guys hadn't...?" Tanya queried. She looked to Kat, whose eyes were wide with amazement. The way everyone talked about the couple, she had always assumed that they had been intimate at some point. Kim shook her head, hot tears welling in her eyes. Tanya put her arms around Kim's shoulders and gave her a hug. "It's all right."

"I'm sorry, Kim; I didn't mean to embarrass you," Kat murmured, her own emotions in a turmoil.

"I know. I didn't mean to overreact. I guess I can't blame you guys for thinking that we had," Kim said, wiping her eyes and managing a brave smile.

"Come on, let's finish scrounging some stuff for dinner," Tanya recommended.

"How much more should we collect? How much do you think the seven of us will eat?" Kat wondered.

"I'd plan on feeding ten," Kim suggested, an impish grin touching her lips. She caught the knowing gleam in Tanya's eye as she nodded in agreement.

"Why ten?" Kat asked.

Kim and Tanya exchanged smiles and answered in unison, "Rocky."

Tommy sat near the fire at the mouth of the cave looking out over the dark jungle. It was eerily beautiful in the light of the three moons. In the cave behind him, the rest of the team had settled down for the night; he had opted to take the first watch. With Amadan's words in the back of their minds, they couldn't be too careful.

He was really proud of the way they had handled themselves thus far. He and Billy had managed to find all the necessary materials so that they could have a small fire ... good thing, too, since the night was so cool, and Billy had figured out which way was east. The plan was to start off shortly after sunrise. He still marveled at what happened with Billy's eyes. They had thought that the effects of the pollen would only be temporary, but it looked as if it was going to last. That was a godsend.

Rocky and Adam had done a great job with the water. The sponge had been a great idea; since they had returned before he and Billy had finished with the charts, he wondered how they had gotten the huge thing up the cliff. And the girls ... they'd outdone themselves. He couldn't believe how much they managed to find--enough to take care of Rocky's bottomless pit and still have leftovers for breakfast. They had rigged up one of those huge leaves on a branch to form a hammock of sorts to carry it all in. Tommy toyed with the other little item they had found: a curved claw about six inches long and razor sharp. He had no desire to know what kind of animal it had come from, but at least now they had a cutting tool.

All in all, a rough day ... in more ways than simply being kidnapped. He was grateful to have gotten through it without anyone else realizing just how tough it had been.

"Is this a private fire, or can anyone sit here?"

Tommy was startled to find Kim standing behind him. When he glance back at her, he noticed that her face was pale, and she looked really anxious about something.

"Pull up a rock," he offered, trying to sound casual.

"Thanks."

"I'd thought you'd have been asleep by now. How many extra hours did this make?"

"I lost track." She managed a half-hearted grin. She reached over and collected the stick she and the other girls had made use of earlier. She examined it carefully. It was slender, slightly shorter than she was, and about as flexible. She sat down next to Tommy, leaving a comfortable distance between the two of them. Next, she retrieved the claw and began working the bark off the branch. "Even with the fire, it was too cold to get comfortable." She glanced back into the cave. Rocky, Adam and Billy were off on one side, and Tanya and Kat were on the other, and there was plenty of space between the individuals. "We aren't going to be able to keep these sleeping arrangements. The nights are too cool, and I'm sure we won't always be able to have a fire--or shelter. Without blankets, body heat is the only thing we can count on."

"We'll do what we have to to survive."

"I know."

"What happened to your arm?" Tommy asked, noticing the scar on the inside of her right forearm. "Did you do that today?"

"Huh?" Kim glanced down to see what he was talking about; she was surprised he had even noticed it. "Oh, that. No. I took a fall off the vault in practice. Scraped myself up pretty good."

For a while, the only sounds were that of the fire popping and Kim scraping the stick.

"What are you making?" Tommy wondered.

"I don't know. A spear maybe? We're going to have to make ourselves weapons if we ever hope to eat more than nuts and berries."

"Sounds like a good idea."

Silence again. Then, movement. Kim jumped up and wandered out to the perimeter of the ledge. She shivered as the cool evening breeze buffeted her and wrapped her arms about herself as she stared off into the darkness. Tommy gazed up at her. He had looked at her long and hard in the cave.... Well, he had looked at all the girls in the cave and for the better part of the evening if he wanted to be honest with himself. Even so, he found himself still affected by her petite, shapely body ... the way the firelight played on her skin, the way the breeze stirred her hair.... Tommy was suddenly struck by how tiny she looked against the darkness of the jungle. It was so easy to forget that she was so little when her spirit was so big.

Kim was aware that Tommy was staring at her. The thought made her feel all the more lonely because she knew there couldn't be anything in that gaze except idle curiosity. She couldn't do this ... she couldn't face him, but she had to. For the team....

"What's wrong?" Tommy asked as he wandered over to join her. She felt his hands on her shoulders, but then he seemed to remember ... and he pulled away.

"Tommy, I'm sorry," Kim blurted out at last before she lost her nerve. However, she couldn't even turn to face him. She didn't want to see what was in his eyes. "I know you may not believe it, but I never meant to hurt you."

"Why? That's all I want to know," Tommy said, his pain raw in his voice. It made Kim flinch. "What happened?"

Loneliness and fear ... the fear that I had already lost you ... the way my mom lost my dad.... Instead, she said, "Todd was just a friend from the team; I was feeling kind of sad and lonely, and he took me under his wing. I hadn't meant for anything to happen between him and I; it just sort of did."

"Kim, I could have understood your being lonely. I wouldn't have minded ... we could have worked something out. If you'd have only talked to me...."

I tried! I wrote! I called, but no one answered. No one had time for me any longer. "I'm sorry, Tommy. I had to do what I felt was best. Please try to understand." There was so much more she wanted to tell him, but she didn't have the courage.

After a prolonged silence, Tommy said, "I guess I can understand that."

"I know I should have handled it a little differently or something...."

"What's done is done," Tommy sighed heavily. He wandered back over to the fire and sat down. "So, how are things going for you and--Todd, was it?"

"Yeah. Things are fine. He's headed home to see his folks. How about you and Kat?"

"Things have been really good." Kim tried not to react to his words; she really didn't want to hear them. "I was hurt when I got your letter, and I wasn't looking to replace you, but Kat was really patient with me. She was there for me, and she waited until I was ready."

Kim went cold inside. Tommy hadn't gotten together with Kat until after...? She had known Kat was interested in Tommy--from the first time she met her. She had been so afraid that she would lose Tommy to Kat when she left ... that Kat would replace her in Tommy's affections as well as on the team. Kim felt a bubble of hysterical laughter welling up inside her. I gave you up for nothing! I thought you had gotten together with Kat; instead, I pushed you into her arms!

"What will you do now that the games are over?" Tommy queried.

It took Kim a moment to regain her mental equilibrium. "Since Aisha's in Africa now, I guess I'll just go to Paris--when we get out this jungle that is."

" 'When we get out?' Not if?"

"We've faced worse things than being naked and powerless on a strange planet. We know there's a way out; we just have to find it," Kim claimed, clinging to that conviction because she had nothing else to cling to at the moment. She saw Tommy staring up at her, and she felt herself losing her composure. "I'd better try and get some sleep; we've got a long day ahead of us. Good night, Tommy."

"Good night, Kim."

Tommy watched as she retreated to the shelter of the cave--well beyond the light of the fire. He continued watching her until she was still. Well, he had his answers; he would just have to learn to deal with them. He had lost her to simple loneliness? That seemed so.... He sighed and shook it off. Instead, he concentrated on Kim's other words. They filled him with a sense of confidence, much as they had when she lobbied to get them out of the cave. Kim radiated such strength that Tommy began to believe that they really would reclaim their powers and get back to Earth in spite of everything.

From the concealing shadows, Kim watched as Tommy returned to his position of watchfulness. Then, she rolled over. She had purposefully chosen a spot well away from Kat and Tanya. She didn't want to disturb anyone while she cried.

"Beautiful!" Tanya applauded as Kat executed another flawless dive from the rocks. The two had opted to claim some private time and get in a swim before breakfast. Private time was one of Kimberly's ideas. Being together day in and day out was bound to get on their nerves; claiming private time would allow a person to have a little time to him or herself. It would help them retain their sanity. The only stipulation was that one had to stay within shouting distance of camp in case of emergency. They were just a couple days into their trek, and already frayed nerves were starting to crop up--most noticeably between Kim and Tommy and Kim and Kat. The tension wasn't noticeable when the team was dealing with survival matters; it was during the quiet moments when everyone was supposed to be relaxing that things seemed a little strained.

"Thank you for your kind support," Kat giggled as she resurfaced, shaking the long strands of hair out of her eyes. She was glad they had found this pool. It was shallow enough near the banks to be good for bathing, but by the rock formation in the center, it was plenty deep. Most importantly, it was uninhabited--unlike the last body of water they had camped near. She and Tanya had hastily departed those waters--much to the boys' amusement--when they discovered 'Nessie' residing there. "It's been entirely too long since I've done any diving. It's good to see I haven't lost my form."

"It's hard to believe that we're not on vacation," Tanya murmured. "This almost seems too idyllic."

"You'd better knock on wood," Kat recommended with a laugh. "We don't want to jinx ourselves."

"So, has Tommy said what he and Kim talked about?" Tanya asked, getting right to the point. She had observed the pair conversing by the fire on that first night.

Kat sighed. She had known that Tanya hadn't asked her to come along just to swim! "All he'll say on the subject is that they talked, and he understands what happened. He's cool with it."

"Then why can't you be? It's like you're walking on eggshells around Kim. Are you so insecure in your relationship with Tommy that you think she's going to try and steal him back?" Tanya queried sharply. Kat couldn't meet her eyes. "What are you worried about? She has Todd now, and she hasn't done a thing since she's been with us to try and make a pass at Tommy."

"She spends enough time sneaking peeks," Kat pouted.

"So? I spend a lot of time sneaking peeks at Tommy. What do you expect? He's gorgeous!"

"You know, when she first told us that she and Tommy hadn't seen each other naked before--that they hadn't had sex--I didn't really believe her," Kat began thoughtfully.

"I could believe it, just by seeing the way the two reacted in the cave."

"I believe it now, too, and part of me is really glad."

Tanya cocked an amazed eyebrow at that.

"I was always kind of jealous of how close she and Tommy were. It was kind of depressing to think that he and I would never have anything special just for us--something that he hadn't already had with Kimberly. Now, to know that there's a chance...."

"Don't push it, Kat," Tanya advised; she could almost tell what her friend was thinking. Sometimes she wondered if Kat's feelings for Tommy were more infatuation than affection. "There had to be a reason why they didn't do anything in all the time they dated--and it wasn't lack of interest. You and Tommy have only been dating a couple of months; give it time. There's no reason to rush into things. Besides, it probably wouldn't be a good idea to get into sex here."

"Why not? You couldn't ask for more opportune circumstances."

"No protection ... no privacy...."

"There is that," Kat admitted grudgingly. She knew Tanya was right; it was just so hard not to act on her feelings.

"I also think you and Kimberly need to have a talk," Tanya continued, getting back to her original intent. "She's feeling pretty nervous around you, too, and...."

"Why are you so concerned about Kimberly's feelings? What about mine? Knowing that she was the first Pink Ranger ... always feeling like I don't measure up ... that she was friends with all the guys for so long...."

"You're part of the team; you belong. She's here because somebody wanted to throw a monkey wrench into Amadan's plans," Tanya interjected. "Everything is so different than when she was home last. She's no longer a Power Ranger; the team is different--we have different powers. Her best friend is gone. Then there's the fact that she dumped Tommy and he's dating you--that can't be easy to deal with even if she has another boyfriend. I don't think Kim feels like she belongs with the team any longer."

"You couldn't prove it by her actions over the last couple of days; it's almost as if she's usurped Tommy's position as team leader."

"She's just trying to find a way to fit in again." Tanya decided to try a different tact. "Kat, how did you feel after Rita's spell on you was broken? You felt guilty for what you had done, and you felt as if there was no reason for the others to be your friends, right?"

"Right."

"Who was it who told you that you deserved a second chance?"

"Kimberly."

Tanya folded her arms. There was nothing further that need be said.

With a sigh, Kat swam back out to the rocks. She knew Tanya was right. Still, she couldn't shake her concern. The way Tommy had looked at Kim in the cave.... It was enough to make her swear that there was still something there between the two of them. However, she and Kim had started on the road to being friends before she left ... well, if Kim could be a big enough person to forgive what Kat had done to her, Kat could be a big enough person to give Kim the benefit of the doubt now.

As Kat climbed up the rocks to make another dive, Tanya noticed Kimberly coming towards the pond. She had been gone when the two had ventured out to the pool. She wondered if Kat had seen her yet. The other Rangers had welcomed her with open arms when she had replaced Aisha. The least she could do was extend that same welcome to Kimberly.

"Hey, Kim, come and join us!" Tanya called out, waving Kim over. Kim looked hesitant.

"Come on, the water's great!" Kat added, to Tanya's surprise. Maybe her talk had done some good.

"Are you sure? You guys claimed private time," Kim demurred.

"The rule doesn't say how many people could claim private time together," Tanya said. She could see that Kim looked tempted. "Besides, no guys allowed."

"Well, as long as Rocky isn't around...."

Tanya laughed. Impulsively, she sent a huge wave of water crashing towards the shore.

"Tanya!" Kim shrieked, trying to dodge the cool spray.

"That was so mean!" Kat giggled.

Kim backed up a ways then ran full tilt towards the water.

"Oh no, not that!" Tanya protested. Kim's cannonball hit the water just in front of Tanya, dousing her. Kim resurfaced, grinning. Tanya was relieved. All they needed was a little something to break the ice, and she had a pretty good idea of how to do it.

"This'll give us a chance to talk and get to know each other and stuff," Tanya rambled on. "We haven't exactly had a chance to engage in any bonding-type activities."

"And what sort of bonding activities did you have in mind?"

"Actually, what I had in mind was hearing some of the stories from the early days of the team. The guys never tell us anything good. I bet you could tell some awesome stories--something really juicy about Rocky or Billy, something they'd just die if they knew we knew about it!"

Man, why'd I have to volunteer to find breakfast? Tommy groused as he made his way through the trees. Thus far, he had had little luck. The girls were much better at foraging than he was; maybe he should ask Tanya for some tips on watching the animals! All he knew was that he'd better not come back empty-handed; too bad he couldn't find one of those sticker bushes or something. As he wandered about, Tommy heard the sounds of laughter and water splashing. Curious, he headed towards the noises.

As he cut through the vegetation, Tommy winced when a frond grazed his hips--not hard enough to cause major damage, but enough to be unsettling. It was amazing to discover how much he had taken clothing for granted; he had never thought about how much protection was provided by something as simple as swimtrunks. And he had thought that the embarrassment of erections was going to be the limit of the discomfort! He found himself paying greater attention to every movement and bump in trying to avoid injury. Billy had said that the girls would have their own particular difficulties ... well, he had yet to see evidence of them having as much trouble as the guys.

Pushing through yet another impeding plant, Tommy found himself on a small rise overlooking the pool. He and the guys had visited it yesterday, taking a break from the strain of mixed company. The girls hadn't objected to them taking the afternoon off to go swimming; personally, he thought Tanya and Kat were rather relieved to let them have first crack at the pool after what happened the last time. Tommy grinned at the memory. The creature had probably been harmless, but it sure scared those two. Tommy cleared the brush in time to see Kat knife into the water.

Beautiful dive. He observed the pair for a few moments, then gave himself a mental shake. He really shouldn't be gawking. They had claimed private time. That's what it was for--privacy. Still, as he watched them talk--Kat was ringing out her hair--he realized that he hadn't experienced the usual rush of hormones. It wasn't that he had no reaction to seeing the girls, just that it wasn't as pronounced or out of control. Maybe I'm beginning to acclimate, as Billy said. He hoped so. Being aroused all the time was distracting, embarrassing, and rather exhausting.

So far, so good, he reflected as Kat swam back to the rocks, potentially for another dive. He was able to keep things under control so far; the real test would be when Kimberly showed up. Tommy shook his head, a bit disgusted with himself. It bothered him that Kim got to him so much ... then, he spotted her coming down the path. He felt his pulse rate jump, but it wasn't anything he couldn't keep a handle on. He had to fight to keep from laughing as Kim cannonballed right in front of Tanya. However, when she resurfaced, stretching and shaking her hair out.... Tommy failed his self-imposed test miserably as his testosterone levels went off the chart. Damn, but she looked good wet!

All right. Enough gawking. Everyone is waiting on you to find breakfast.

However, that wasn't enough to convince him to leave. The girls had started a water fight.

This is an invasion of their privacy! We all promised to respect private time.

That argument wasn't working either. The three swam out to the rocks and were sunning themselves.

You're as bad as Rocky.

That worked. Tommy slipped back into the foliage, and as he resumed his search for the morning meal, he tried to assert his will over his unruly hormones.

"Adam, come here, quick!" Rocky called out, but his voice was so low Adam almost didn't hear him. In fact, if he hadn't almost tripped over Rocky, he would never have found him. The Blue Ranger was crouched down in a thicket of reeds.

"What is it?"

"Sh! And get down!" Rocky yanked on Adam's arm, pulling him into the concealing rushes.

"Why are we whispering? What's going on?" Adam demanded. Rocky was supposed to be out looking for Tommy to tell him to forget the granola. A fortunate mishap at the river had provided them with something better for breakfast: fish. Under normal circumstances, fish for breakfast wouldn't be appealing, but after a steady diet of fruit and nuts, any kind of meat sounded wonderful.

"They'll hear you. Stay low, stay quiet, and follow me. You have to see this."

Rocky led Adam through the grasses to a small hollow. Parting the concealing reeds, he revealed the swimming hole. There was an excellent view of the rocks from their vantage point, and the girls were presently sunning themselves, braiding their hair, and giggling.

"You're spying on the girls? That's pretty low, Rocky," Adam objected.

"What's it going to hurt this once?" Rocky rationalized. "I didn't plan on doing this, but when the opportunity presented itself, I couldn't pass it up. They won't know we're here, and I've been dying to get a really good look at them. It was so dark in the cave, and it's kind of hard when they know you're looking."

"Rocky...."

"Look, if I satisfy my curiosity now, I'm less likely to gawk later," Rocky pursued, knowing all Adam needed was just a little bit of persuasion. "Aren't you a little curious? Wouldn't you like to take a peek when the girls won't catch you?"

"We really shouldn't," Adam insisted but much weaker than before.

"And I'm really tired of walking around with a hard-on. I'm going to scope 'em out, take care of business, and then I'll be a good boy."

Adam had his doubts about that, but Rocky had him hooked.

"Check out Tanya, would you? Man, what a great set of tits! And that behind ... what a handful. Shawn didn't know what he was doing when he let her go; he doesn't know what he's missing."

"I doubt Tanya would ever let him find out either," Adam murmured. It was difficult for him to ogle Tanya, though; probably because he was too close to her. "Kat looks pretty good, too. She's got really nice legs...."

"Natural blonde, too," Rocky snickered. He cocked his head, eyeing her appraisingly. "Not too bad, built -you can't always tell though, but not a lot of curves. Too pale--I bet she burns real easily. Besides, she's no fun; she's taken. Now Kimberly ... wow! There's a heavenly body if ever you saw one. Full breasts--just the right size--curves in all the right places ... sweet, petite, and good enough to eat!"

"And packing enough muscle to rearrange your facial features if she knew you were violating the rules of private time," Billy admonished as he, literally, stumbled across the pair. When Adam hadn't returned, he had thought it best to go see what sort of mischief the two had gotten into.

"It was Rocky's idea," Adam declared defensively.

"Come on, Billy. You can't tell me you haven't been aching to take a good long look at the girls too."

"I won't deny that I am as curious as any of us; however, I do have a little more respect for the girls than to intrude upon their personal time. Besides, one has a beau, and another is one of my oldest friends."

"None of that changes the fact that they're three gorgeous babes and we're a bunch of horny guys."

"He has a point," Adam said, trying to bite back a smile as he observed Billy's discomfiture.

"Fess up; which one really does it for you?" Rocky prodded mercilessly.

Billy scowled at Rocky and squirmed inwardly. Locker room conversation was generally not something he engaged in--mainly because he never had anything to contribute except his own ignorance when it came to members of the opposite sex. Still, Rocky had that air about him. He would not leave the matter alone. If Billy didn't answer him now, Rocky would pursue the topic later--perhaps in the company of the girls. Better to get it over with now.

"As you pointed out, all three are physically pleasing to the eye...."

"Don't get long winded here," Rocky warned.

"What I find appealing is the way they carry themselves. Tanya has an almost regal dignity about her. Kat's appeal is in her gentleness and caring, and Kimberly's fiery spirit is exceedingly attractive."

"Yeah, but you can't see gentleness or fiery spirits."

"All right, wiseguy, what physical attribute captures your attention?"

"Tits, of course. What about you, Adam?"

"I don't know. I'm not sure ... I guess it depends on the girl."

"You mentioned Kat's legs earlier," Rocky reminded him, but he didn't give Adam the opportunity to reply. "I think they're okay--long, but not really all that great looking, and she has no ass to speak of...."

"But she is stacked--you said so," Adam shot back in Kat's defense.

"I'll give you that."

"I suppose if I were to pick a feature, I would have to say an aesthetically pleasing posterior."

"Hm, yeah. Both Tanya and Kim have really great asses," Rocky agreed.

"Show's over, guys. Let the girls bathe in peace."

The three turned guiltily at the sound of Tommy's stern voice. Tommy really hadn't meant to be so sharp with them, but he was still feeling a little guilty about his own peeking.

"So, what always got you about Kim?" Rocky prodded, grinning devilishly.

Tommy thought about not answering for a moment but gave in to the impulse. "I always thought Kim had great legs. Man, when she'd wear those short skirts and her hiking boots...."

"Kim's also got a really great mouth--I bet she kisses good," Rocky continued as he hurried away. "I bet she does other things good, too!"

Blushing (although he couldn't say why), Tommy took a swipe at Rocky.

"Do you think the girls have ever spied on us like this?" Adam wondered, a touch unsettled by the thought.

"While I imagine that they are as curious as we, I believe they are more mature than Rocky," Billy replied as they left the girls to their sunbathing.

"The guys are gone now," Tanya noted; the girls had known the guys were there as soon as Rocky had snagged Adam. However, they had been determined to ignore them and not let them spoil their fun. "Tommy chased them off."

"Rocky I could understand, but Adam and Billy?" Kat muttered, shaking her head.

"Why not? He's a guy," Kim said with a shrug. "I'm surprised it took them this long to pull a stunt like that."

"There haven't exactly been any good opportunities," Tanya pointed out.

"Still, I'm rather disappointed in them," Kat sighed.

"Why?"

"Well...."

"Didn't you check 'em out while they were all out here yesterday?" Tanya queried. "I know I did. Kim?"

Kim cracked a tiny grin. "Guilty as charged. Kat?"

"All right, so I did, too," she confessed with a blush. "At least we had the decency not to turn it into a party!"

"So, what'd you guys think? I've always wondered about Billy; doesn't he ever go shirtless?"

"Not as long as I've known him," Kim remarked.

"I never dreamed that he'd be so ... well endowed," Kat admitted, blushing.

"Yeah, I was so busy noticing how well the rest of him had filled out that I'd forgotten about that," Kim mused absently.

"What a minute--you've seen Billy naked before this?" Tanya gasped.

Kim's smile grew, and she had an impish twinkle in her eyes. "I haven't told you the best Billy story yet."

"Even better than punked out in chains and everything? I can't wait to hear this!" Kat said eagerly.

"What'd you think of Rocky?" Kim asked of Tanya, putting off the tale for a bit.

"About what I expected--athletic but nothing to write home about," Tanya replied, feigning boredom. Both Kim and Kat laughed. "Seriously, though, he's awful good looking, and I don't think he'd disappoint--y'know?"

"If he didn't act like such a doofus so much," Kim added.

"I kind of like Adam," Kat ventured. "He has an awfully cute bottom--among other things."

"I never knew he had a birthmark back there," Tanya snickered. "How about Tommy, though--yum!"

"Double yum," Kat agreed, positively glowing as she spoke. "I love his chest--so muscular and smooth ... I just want to run my hands all over it."

"I'd love to get my hands on his tush. Oh baby! As for everything else...." Tanya and Kat burst into peals of delighted laughter. "What about you, Kim?" Tanya prompted, and suddenly the only sounds to be heard were the voices of the jungle.

Kim bit her lower lip anxiously. She really wasn't wanting to get into this. It was hard enough listening to Kat; however, both women were regarding her expectantly. She took a deep breath. "His eyes ... he has the most beautiful eyes, with those long lashes ... and I like his hair--mm, that sexy, sexy hair. I always liked running my fingers through it." It was a safe, truthful answer.

"You expect us to believe that the first thing you ever noticed about Tommy was his eyes?" Tanya asked incredulously.

Kim shot Kat a worried glance. Kat offered her a look that seemed to say, 'fess up'; she seemed genuinely interested in hearing Kim's answer. "Well, I practically drooled all over myself the first time I saw the way he filled out his gi."

"That is one hot hunk of man," Tanya sighed.

"Definitely," Kat agreed with a sigh that was practically a purr, "and one of these days...."

She trade knowing looks with Tanya.

"Yeah," Kim murmured quietly, looking away.

"So, you going to tell us about how you got to see Billy au natural?" Tanya urged.

"Please, Kim," Kat entreated.

Kim set aside her moment of melancholy and let the memories wash over her. "Billy had invented a device to read minds, only it backfired. When he tried it out on the two of us, instead of reading our minds it switched them...."

"Breakfast!" came the cry from camp.

"Darn, I really wanted to hear this," Tanya grumbled as she started swimming towards shore. Kim and Kat followed suit.

"So did I, but if we don't hurry, there won't be anything left," Kat added.

"I'll talk on the way," Kim assured them.

"Man!" Billy groaned, rubbing his jaw, which sported several days' growth of beard, as he returned to the campsite. The Rangers had covered a lot of distance that morning and decided to call it an early afternoon. He found Kimberly sitting by the fire working on her arrowheads; no one else was around. He picked up her project. She had taken the stick she had found on the first day and, instead of a spear, turned it into a crude bow. The bowstring had come from a rather tough cocoon she had found and unraveled; the thick thread, while sturdy, had been no match for their talon-knife. Spread out around Kim were the arrow shafts, feathers for fletchings, and stones waiting to be shaped into arrowheads.

"I never thought I'd hear myself saying this, but I wish I had a razor. I hate beards."

"Well, if we're here long enough, you guys won't need to worry about clothes; your beards will cover you," Kim joked. She chipped away at her neo-arrowhead for a moment longer then paused to wipe the sweat from her brow.

"Where is everybody?" Billy queried.

"Kat and Tanya are swimming. Tommy's working on his kata, and Adam and Rocky are who knows where," she replied.

"Why didn't you join the other girls?"

"Kat and Tanya are really close friends, kind of like Aisha and I were. I felt like I'd be intruding," Kim said with a sigh. "Besides, we really need the arrows if we ever hope to bag anything of decent size to feed us."

Their efforts at hunting had proven to be pretty dismal--not to mention messy; the only way to bring down the small game was to bash it in the head or to lay down crude traps. Although, fishing was easier thanks to the crude hooks fashioned out of fish bones and line from the cocoons.

"I concur; I'm getting really tired of fruit and fish."

"At least we've been able to feed ourselves."

"And we know where we're headed. Provided the weather holds out, things shouldn't get too unpleasant."

"I feel a lot better knowing we'll be able to carry water with us," Kim remarked. "That sap you found was a godsend. I tried it out on the skins we've saved; it's a great sealant. All I need to do is stitch the hides together and make a cap."

"Water bags are a good idea, but with us sticking close to the river, we probably won't need them," Billy pointed out.

"We may not always be able to follow the river; you said so yourself," Kim countered.

"I'm not really worried about water; it seems to be abundant in this environment. I'm more concerned about the sunlight. The UV rays are much stronger than at home. Considering how much of our skin is exposed, we could be in for some serious bouts of sunburn and sun poisoning once we get out of the trees."

"That's right! I usually tan rather than burn, and I imagine Tommy, Adam and Rocky do too. You, however, and especially Kat with her fair skin, probably burn real easily," Kim agreed. "I doubt we'll find anything to use as sun block, but maybe we can find some aloe to treat the burns."

As they conversed, Adam returned to the camp. He looked annoyed and grumbled under his breath.

"What's up?" Kim queried.

"Rocky. He's being a butthead again," Adam muttered.

"I take it he's somewhere observing Kat and Tanya," Billy said matter-of-factly, to Kim's surprise.

"Yeah," Adam confirmed. "Have you seen Tommy?"

"He's up the trail a ways in another clearing working on a kata," Kim answered. Adam took off. Kim held her peace until he was out of earshot. "Rocky's still spying on us girls and you let him get away with it?" She fixed Billy with an incredulous glare.

"Still? You--um--know about that?" He fidgeted under the heat of her stare.

"Yeah, we caught you guys that time at the pool. We could understand once, but...."

"We don't always catch him. Tommy's the only one who can effectively run him off; he won't listen to the rest of us. He doesn't mean any harm."

"Harm? It's an invasion of privacy! Why is he behaving like such a jerk any way? I thought he was a little more mature than that."

"I think it's his way of dealing with the stress of our predicament."

"You don't catch any of us girls ogling you guys for stress relief," Kim snorted.

"Catch being the operative word?" Billy teased. Kim just glared at him. "Everybody is coping with the situation in a different way; Tanya appears to be the only one truly at ease here. Kat seems more dependent upon Tommy than usual. Adam, when he isn't meditating, falls into extended periods of silence. Tommy turns to his katas for reassurance, and I've observed that he tends to become a little incautious at times--almost as if he's trying too hard to be team leader. In contrast, you've taken control, asserting yourself more, and...."

"... and you go thesaurus on us," Kim finished for him. Billy eyed her questioningly. "Using big words more than normal."

"Touché. Can you blame Rocky? All three of you girls are very attractive, and he's a healthy, heterosexual male. To be honest, none of us guys has been unaffected. I would have thought the same to be true for you girls, too."

"Yeah, well ... at least we don't try and intrude on your private time," Kim conceded.

"As you said at the outset of this adventure, we're all going to be a little bit curious about each other. Prior to our being deposited in this jungle, how many times had you the opportunity to observe unclothed members of the opposite sex?"

"Excepting the day I spent in your body, none," she admitted grudgingly.

"Really?"

"There aren't a lot of magazines that cater to female readers--at least that I have access to," Kim countered tightly, her cheeks hot with a blush.

"While the various forms of media provide men with more accessible outlets for viewing our female counterparts, I imagine that the rest of us have not had much more experience with the 'real thing.' Rocky will settled down eventually, when the novelty has worn off." Billy assured her.

"If I ever catch him sneaking and peeking while I'm on private time, I'll kick his butt," she warned. "It'd serve him right."

"I think that might prove very entertaining," Billy said, goading Kim a little. She stuck her tongue out at him, much to his amusement.

While they were talking, a tiny animal the size of a squirrel scampered into the camp. It darted around investigating all the sights and sounds anxiously. It appeared especially curious about the fire. It could not seem to make up its mind whether or not it wanted to approach, but eventually it gave in and inched closer. It was still safely away from the blaze when an ember popped and sparks shot out, landing on the creature's fur. The animal let out a rather human-like scream and darted off. Kim, who had been watching the critter, quickly scrambled to her feet to follow it.

"Kim, what are you doing?" Billy called after her.

"I want to see what it does to treat its wound."

"Be careful; wounded animals can be very dangerous."

"I won't go far," she promised him.

The critter had a good lead on Kimberly; she very nearly lost him, but she managed to pick up its trail. She was still a novice at following the animals; she would have to ask Tanya for some more pointers.

She quickly found herself in unfamiliar territory but felt confident that she could find her way back. The squirrel-thing finally stopped by a plant with huge, star-shaped white blossoms. The little fellow proceeded to rub its singed skin against one of the sword-shaped petals; the measure appeared to provide some relief. Kim waited until the animal wandered off before coming closer to examine the flower. She sniffed at the bloom and found the scent pleasant without being heavy or cloying. It didn't smell like aloe or any other flower with which she was familiar. Rocky might recognize it, being more of a botanist than she. She touched a petal gingerly. It was very soft and silky, and her fingers were covered with a white, sticky fluid. She noticed that some reddish-brown fur from the critter was stuck to the petal it had rubbed against. The liquid was cool and made her fingertips tingle. Kim took a dab of the substance and spread it on a patch of skin above her right ankle. The cooling sensation reminded her an awful lot of Noxzema, and she knew that was good for treating sunburn.

Billy was inspecting Kimberly's handiwork and wondering if he should have let her go off alone when Tommy and Adam returned to the camp.

"Did you chase Rocky off?" he queried.

"The girls were gone by the time we got there," Tommy answered.

"Rocky was taking a nap, so we just left him," Adam said with a mischievous grin.

"He found a good place to take a snooze--plenty of afternoon sun," Tommy added, also grinning impishly.

"Ah ha," Billy murmured, understanding perfectly.

"It'll serve him right," Adam said. "I thought the four of us decided that after that one time, we were going to respect the girls' privacy."

"Well, he'd just better watch himself. Kim knows now; she'll get after him if she catches him."

"Where is Kim?" Tommy wondered. "She was here when we headed for the river, wasn't she?"

"She's out observing the wildlife--in particular a little thing that got singed by our fire. I think she's hoping to find something to treat sunburn."

"Do you think she'll be all right? We all agreed that no one should go off alone," Adam said.

"She promised she wouldn't go far. She can take care of herself," Billy said. He set down the arrowhead he was holding and picked up the twig Kim was shaping to use as an arrow.

"These are looking good," Tommy admitted, reaching for the arrowhead Billy had just set down. "Kim's doing a super job with them."

"I didn't know she knew anything about making arrowheads," Adam remarked.

"When she first got the Power Bow, she felt really uncomfortable using it, so she did some research on archery, different types of bows and the various equipment," Billy related.

"I never knew that," Tommy replied.

"She didn't want anyone else to know; the only reason I know is because she asked me to help her find the materials at the library."

"Rocky had better hope Kim doesn't find him lurking about during bath time," Adam said with a grin. "If she's still a half-way decent shot, he's in big trouble."

"He'll be in big trouble even without the bow," Billy added. "She's promised to kick his butt."

"Kim couldn't take Rocky out," Tommy objected.

"I think she could, if sufficiently provoked."

"Come on, Billy; Rocky has a good eight inches and at least sixty pounds on her. Plus he's a black belt. In a fair fight, Kim's butt is the one that'd get kicked."

"That's true, but who said Kim would fight fair? She's a clever, resourceful fighter--a survivor. She'll do what she has to to get by. She'd find a way to out smart Rocky. Don't underestimate her."

"I could see her taking Rocky, but not someone like Tommy," Adam conceded.

"She'd find a way," Billy said confidently.

"Get real, Billy. If I didn't pull my punches, there'd be no way," Tommy shot back.

"Kim may be small, but she has an edge to her now that she never had before. She is also quick. As far as taking down an opponent of greater size, what is it that you always teach your students? Size doesn't matter in martial arts; it's your mind that counts?"

"I'd like to see Kim try and take me," Tommy laughed.

"So would I," Billy retorted.

Before Tommy could offer a rebuttal, the three heard a loud crashing in the underbrush. They got to their feet quickly and assumed defensive stances. However, the disturbance proved to be an overly exuberant Kimberly. She was carrying a flower blossom as large as her head.

"What's that?" Adam queried, relaxing his stance first.

"I think it's the answer to our sunburn problem," she declared triumphantly.

By late afternoon, the sky began to cloud up, and the temperature dropped. Adam, Billy, Kim and Tommy were busy constructing a shelter to ward against the pending storm. Kat and Tanya returned to the campsite with armfuls of fruits and nuts. Rocky had yet to make an appearance.

"Do you think we should go looking for him?" Tanya queried.

"He's probably fallen asleep somewhere," Adam replied with a knowing grin. Shortly thereafter, the six heard a strange moaning. When they looked up from their task, they saw Rocky walking rather stiffly towards them. The expression on his face was priceless.

"Rocky, what's the matter?" Kat inquired. Adam, Kim, Billy and Tommy all tried to hide their knowing grins.

"I fell asleep and got roasted," Rocky groaned. Kat stepped around behind him.

"Good lord, Rocky; you look like a boiled lobster!" Kat gasped. She guided him over to the crude lean-to they had built and helped him lay down.

"That'll teach you to pay more attention to your environment and less attention to bathing beauties," Kim hissed in his ear.

"That is a nasty burn," Tanya commiserated. "I think it's starting to blister; if we only had some aloe or something...."

"Have pity on the poor guy, for the good of the team," Billy whispered to Kim. "We won't be able to get very far tomorrow if Rocky can't move."

"For the team's sake," Kim agreed reluctantly. She retrieved the blossom she had found. "All right, who gets to do the honors?" There was a lack of volunteers.

"Maybe we should draw straws," Adam suggested.

"Straws nothing, I want Kimberly," Rocky insisted.

"Oh no!" Kim objected.

"It's Kimberly's discovery...." Tommy began, trying to fight a smile. She shot him a look of pure hatred, to the merriment of the others. She appealed to Billy with a glance.

"It would be exceedingly awkward for any of the three of us to execute this delicate task," Billy said, also trying to keep a straight face, "and of the three people remaining, the patient has chosen you."

"I'll get you for this," Kim snarled, but she took the flower and knelt beside Rocky. She pulled off a petal. She winced as she examined his back. "You look like raw meat," she said. "I'll try and be gentle; I'm not real certain about the spread-ability of this stuff."

"As long as it cools the burn, I don't care if you glop it on like oatmeal," Rocky murmured. The sassy banter was out of his voice, and Kimberly could hear his obvious pain. It softened her temper somewhat. She lightly touched his shoulders with the flower petal, pulling it along his reddened skin. It left a glistening trail of white liquid in its wake.

"Oh, man, that feels wonderful!" Rocky sighed.

Kim continued to rub the petal across his back until she observed that there was no more fluid left. She pulled off a second petal and continued down his back. She had a moment's pause as she reached the small of his back; her cheeks burned as red as Rocky's skin as she faced the task of coating his behind. In the background, she heard someone snicker. Kim closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. She was grateful for the fragile flower petal that was all that was between her and Rocky's bottom. Rocky sighed again, but this time it was more than a sigh of relief.

"Man, this feels awesome. I'll have to ask you to do it again sometime when my body doesn't hurt so much," he murmured.

"I wouldn't press your luck right now," Billy advised. He could tell by the taut muscles in Kim's back that she was not in a mood to be teased. "You're not exactly in the position to be flippant."

Kim went through two more leaves while finishing up Rocky's legs, but she managed to get him thoroughly covered with the cooling substance.

"I don't know how long to leave it on; I guess until it starts to feel uncomfortable," she said wearily as she sat back. She stood up and, without looking at any of her companions, marched off in the direction of the river.

"What's wrong with her?" Tommy wondered.

"I think we embarrassed her," Kat said softly.

"We shouldn't have laughed," Tanya agreed.

"We should've let her tend to Rocky in private," Adam said.

"Why don't we go find her and apologize," Billy suggested.

Kimberly knelt on the river bank and washed her hands in the cold water. She splashed a little on her face, trying to ease the fire in her cheeks. She had never been so embarrassed in her life. Damn Rocky for being such an idiot, and damn the others for being so mean! Once she had cleaned the gunk from her hands, she sat down and tried to unwind. She didn't need to justify her actions. Rocky couldn't have put the salve on his back himself, and it would have been extremely awkward for Tommy or the other guys to have done it. It wouldn't have been so bad if they hadn't laughed--and Rocky hadn't seemed to enjoy it so much. It stung her to think that the first time she ever touched a naked guy it wasn't even her boyfriend. Kim almost wished it would have been Tommy in need of burn relief, but then again, if it had been Tommy, Kat would have volunteered, and she would have had to watch Kat touching Tommy as she longed to.

As she was mulling over the situation, Kim reached down to scratch her right ankle, which itched something fierce. She belatedly recalled that she had spread some of the salve on her as a test. The substance had hardened and was cracking and peeling. As she pulled away the flakes, she noticed that there was an awful lot of hair stuck in the milky crust. She ran her fingers over her ankle. It was as smooth as if she had shaved.

"Oh no!" she gasped. She had the remaining leaf with her and spread a little more of the fluid on her shin. It dried surprisingly fast. When she pulled the milky skin away, she removed more hair. The cream was a natural hair remover! Then, she thought of Rocky covered with the stuff ... his legs, his behind....

The others arrived to find Kim sitting with her legs dangling in the water. Her shoulders--her entire body--were shaking; her face was buried in her hands.

"Is she crying?" Adam wondered.

"Kim?" Billy called out tentatively as he approached. She turned to look at him and dissolved into helpless peals of laughter. He looked back at the others, his expression as perplexed as any of theirs. "What's so funny?"

"I think I've found an answer to your shaving problem," she chortled as she scrambled to her feet. She reached up and smeared a liberal handful of the salve on his cheek. He was about to question her when she bade him wait. When the liquid was dry, she pulled away the thin sheet--and a generous portion of Billy's facial hair. "See, it takes the hair right off!" Then Kimberly lost it again, holding her sides and cackling riotously.

"A natural depilatory?" Billy murmured, rubbing his hand over his now smooth cheek. As one, the five turned to look back towards the camp. Tommy and Billy lost it first, joining Kimberly in helpless laughter.

"That means Rocky...." Tanya began with dawning comprehension. "Oh, no!" She, Kat and Adam lost it as well.

"Do you think we should tell him?" Adam wondered between chuckles.

"It's his own fault he needed the salve, let him discover the side effects on his own," Billy advised.

E-mail: kittiec@starpower.net