Phantom Three
by Jeremy Ray Logsdon

~*~

"What?" Jenga grunted, sitting up in bed. "What do you want?"

"I-, who's the guy?"

"Pardon?"

"That man. Who is he?"

Jenga looked at the human lying beside her. "That's MasterVile," she returned. "He makes himself look human for sex. I guess he forgot to change back."

"Oh-kayee. More info than I needed. Anyhow, would you sign this?" Diva Tox asked, handing Jenga a sheet of black paper with red writing.

Jenga took the paper and quickly read over it. "You want to change your name? Why?"

"I'm tired of being Diva Tox, and now that I'm part of a Dynasty, I have to change it officially. Do you mind?"

"What are you changing it to?"

"Divatox."

"What?"

"I'm getting rid of the space between them. Diva Tox, Divatox... There is a difference."

"Whatever," Jenga remarked, summoning an ink pen. She quickly scribbled her name at the bottom of the paper in blood red letters. She flicked her hand, and the ink pen disappeared in a red flame.

"Thank you," Diva Tox smiled, kissing her friend on the forehead.

"Thank her in the morning," the humanized MasterVile grumbled from beside her. Diva Tox waved her goodbyes and vanished in a crimson flash.

Sunday afternoon
"Carlos Vargas," Cassie said thoughtfully. "Oh yeah, I know him. He was in my math class last year. I didn't see much of him, but he seemed to be a nice enough guy."

"How about TJ Andrews?" Adam suggested.

"Cute tall guy?"

"I don't know if he's cute," Adam told her. "He's tall though."

"Bald?"

"Yeah, that's him."

"He's a good martial artist, but I don't know him personally."

"Do you know Robbie Sinclair?"

"That freak who keeps mice in his locker?!" Cassie cried. "No way he's coming on the team."

"All right, all right," Adam said defensively. "I was just going by martial arts ability on him."
"He doesn't know martial arts; he just tells people he does," Cassie said, shaking her head no. There was a knock at her door. "It's Cadbury," she told Adam. "Go out on the balcony. He doesn't know you're here."

"Got it," Adam said, getting up from the chair and hurrying over to the balcony. Her attached balcony was larger than his entire room.

"Come on in, Cadbury," Cassie called.

Her prim and proper butler entered the room and said, "There is a young woman here to see you."

"Oh?" Cassie asked. "Who?"

"Tanya Sloan. Shall I see her in?"

Cassie glanced to the balcony. "Yeah, I guess," she said, somewhat nervously.

Cadbury gave a nod in Cassie's direction as he walked out of the room. As soon as he was gone, Cassie ran out onto her balcony. "Adam, Tanya's here," Cassie warned.

"Maybe I should go," Adam muttered. He glanced over the edge of the balcony and asked, "Do you think I'd survive a fall from up here?"

"Cassie?" Tanya called as she entered the room. "Are you here?"

"Yeah, I'm here," Cassie answered as she jogged into her room. "So, what brings you here?"

"I was wondering if you'd help me go over my list of Yellow Rangers?" Tanya asked, holding a thick notebook in her arms.

"I'd be glad to," Cassie answered. "Adam is here too, actually."

"Oh," Tanya said softly. "Maybe I should go."

"No," Adam said as he walked into the room. "I was just leaving."

"No, you weren't," Cassie informed him, stopping him with an open palm to his chest. She pushed him back and said, "I'm tired of this bull crap, you two always saying, 'We're still friends,' but you won't even stay in the same room unless it's the MegaZord cockpit. You're going to settle this, right... now..."

Adam and Tanya both crossed their arms across their chests and looked at Cassie. "So, why don't you like each other anymore. Just 'cause you broke up."

"Because I was dumped," Adam said softly.

Tanya said nothing, but her expression shifted slightly.

"So, because Tanya dumped you, you don't like her anymore. Right?" Cassie asked.

"I didn't say I didn't like her," Adam rebutted. "That's just why we haven't been talking."

"We haven't been talking because you won't talk to me," Tanya said firmly.

"You were the one who was going to leave the room!" Adam protested.

"Because I knew you wouldn't talk to me!"

"All right, we're communicating now," Cassie said with a forced smile.

"Cassie, there's more to this problem than just what is on the surface," Tanya told the Pink Ranger. "We've tried to make amends. It isn't going to work."

"Were you friends before you started dating?"

"Yeah," Adam said.

"But you aren't friends now?"

"I still consider you my friend," Adam mumbled, "I guess."

"Tanya?" Cassie asked, flashing her a big smile.

"Adam, I didn't break up with you because I wanted to hurt you," Tanya told him. "I really would like to be your friend, I honestly would."

Adam smiled bashfully as red came to his cheeks.

"Are we friends again?" Cassie asked hopefully. Since neither teen answered, she continued, "Why don't the two of you go the movies tonight? Just as friends." She could tell by their uneasy shifting that neither was very fond of the idea, so she added, "I'll come too. The three of us. Whaddya say? My treat? Ooh! Or better yet, a pool party. We can have it tonight! We can invite all kinds of people!"

"That sounds like fun," Tanya said.

"Yeah, I'm game," Adam agreed.

"Then I'll go tell Cadbury. We have it tonight at seven."

"Mind if I invite some of my prospects?" Adam asked. "It'll give me a chance to screen people."

~*~

"Can't you just reapply the spell?" Queen Machina, by her side, asked.

"I've been reapplying the spell all summer," Jenga said. "But Phantom Ranger may develop a tolerance for it. As it is, the spell has to be reapplied after every fight. Before long, it'll be twice every fight. Phantom is developing a brain callous. The spell just isn't lasting as long anymore. It isn't easy to make people, let alone Rangers, wholly evil without their consent. But I do have a plan."

~*~

"I won't swim if you don't want me to," Zack told her.

"Really? Would you do that for me?"

"No."

"Well, it was nice of you to say it anyhow," Aisha said with a smile. "How many people are you down to?"

"Rod Serling, Thomas Boy, Peter Fox, TJ Andrews, Bernard Gumble, and Walter Ashley," Zack said. "I was going to invite them to the party, but Adam is inviting his guys, and I don't think we need to have two changes at once."

Beep beep beepbeep beep beep. Upon glancing at her communicator, Aisha saw that she had not been paged. "Just mine," Zack said. He bent over to her and planted a noisy kiss on her forehead. "Catch ya later, cripple."

"Bye babe," Aisha said as Zack teleported away.

The black light ended as Zack rematerialized in the Command Center. Tanya and Cassie were already there, and in a streak of green light, Adam was close behind. Soon after, in a column of black and gold, Bulk arrived. "What's the problem, Zordon?" Zack asked.

"A new foe is approaching the Earth," Zordon said. "Adam, you will find him familiar."

Adam turned his attention to the Viewing Globe, and then he said, "Mordant?"

"Who's Mordant?" Tanya asked.

"A relative of Goldar," Alpha explained. "He isn't much of a threat in and of himself, but what he brings with him is."

"He brings with him a lost possession of Astronema. The Fire Crystals carved by the Master Carver Helena," Zordon explained.

"Who is Helena?" Cassie asked.

"She carved the Earth Crystals," Tanya told her. Cassie turned to glance at the thirteen softly glowing crystals in Zordon's bed of crystals.

"Did she carve the Zeo Crystals?" Cassie asked, taking note of the five colored crystals lying with them.

"No, that was someone else," Alpha answered.

"What exactly are the Fire Crystals, Zordon?" Zack asked.

"They are perfectly spherical, and within them burns a magical fire," Zordon explained. "The magical fire can be used to provide a boost to any magical spell. After being used once, the fire burns out."

"They're going to make Astronema stronger?" Cassie asked.

"They could make Astronema's spells stronger," Catalina said as she appeared by them. "Or worse yet, Jenga's. Tuesday is a day of evil power, Zordon."

"What could she do with them?" Tanya asked.

"I fear she may use their power to make Phantom Ranger's evil permanent," Zordon answered. "However, just a Fire Crystal alone could not do this. Even if it was activated on Tuesday. Jenga and Phantom Ranger would need to be on a powerful piece of ground as well. That would be four sources of evil, most likely sufficient to keep the evil permanent."

"Jenga, Tuesday, Fire Crystal, and the piece of ground," Bulk counted off. "What piece of ground?"

Adam looked past Alpha at the Viewing Globe. The answer appeared in the screen before any of their mentors could tell them. "Muranthias," Adam whispered.

~*~

"This Tuesday is a day of great, evil power," Zedd said. "If you were to go to Muranthias then..."

"The evil would be permanent," Jenga sighed.

~*~

"If you barely know her, then how can you call her stuck-up?" Daniella Vargas countered. "You haven't done a thing all summer since Courtney dumped you. Go to this pool party."

"I don't even know why she invited me," Carlos continued. "We only had one math class together last year, and I don't think we ever spoke."

"Then just go to swim," his mother insisted. "Please?"

"All right, all right. I'll go," Carlos relented. "Happy?"

"Very," Daniella said. "Now get ready and go. The party started fifteen minutes ago."

~*~

Adam watched as Tanya hauled herself out of the swimming pool. She was wearing a remarkably scant bikini, which kept her fully covered but still didn't do much good for Adam's nerves or hormones. "Stop it, Park," he muttered to himself, turning his attention away from his ex-girlfriend.

"Hey Adam," Aisha said as she hobbled up to him. "Swam yet?"

"Haven't even got in the pool," he announced, tugging at his dry t-shirt. He took her crutches and provided a shoulder to help ease her way down to the seat next to him.

"Pretty day, ain't it?" Aisha asked, trying to start a conversation. Zack had pointed her in Adam's direction after the current Red Turbo Ranger noticed Adam was looking somewhat forlorn.

"It is," Adam agreed, flashing her a smile. The sun was just starting to set, although the temperature was still more than warm enough to swim. There were a multitude of various lights strung up around the pool area, including several that were set in the pool's floor. Numerous tables, loaded down with food, dotted the area, as well as dozens of pool chairs. Music was playing over the laughter and excited squeals that filled the air.

"So, when you gonna go swimming?" Aisha asked.

"I at least have to wait until someone gets out of the pool to keep you company," Adam said, pointing to the red tank top sitting where her boyfriend had been just a moment before.

"Zachary Isaac Taylor!" Aisha yelled. "You promised me!" To Adam, she said, "He promised he wouldn't swim."

"Actually, we all promised we'd take turns sitting with you," Adam said. "Although right now is Tanya's turn."

"And here I am," Tanya said, coming up behind the pair with a towel around her shoulders. Adam smiled his thanks and stood up.

"Are you getting in the pool, Adam?" Cassie asked, walking up to him in a simple one-piece pink swimsuit.

"Maybe later," he answered.

"I'm giving you five seconds to get ready," Cassie said.

"Ready for what?" he asked as she walked back a few steps.

"To ram you into the pool," Cassie answered with a smile.

"Oh crap!" Adam cried, yanking his t-shirt off and tossing it aside. He stepped out of his tennis shoes, but before he could get his socks off, Cassie slammed into his body. Yelling, the two flew into the deep end of the pool with a gigantic splash amid shrieks of laughter.

Carlos looked up and smiled. Everyone else certainly seemed to be having fun. He wasn't having a bad time, but he didn't know anyone. He had taken a few laps around the pool, and afterwards gotten a bite to eat, but otherwise, he wasn't doing much. Just as he was about to decide to find Cassie and thank her for inviting him but he "had to leave," someone tapped him on the shoulder. Carlos turned around to find a beautiful, tall, bronze-tanned woman kneeling behind him. She was wearing a very small green bikini. "Hi," she smiled. "My name is Dulcea. And you are-?"

"Carlos," he replied, shaking her hand. "Carlos Vargas. Did you come here with anyone, or are you flying solo too?"

"No, that's my boyfriend right there," Dulcea said, pointing to her portly boyfriend who was in the pool with the others.

"Really?" Carlos asked. "The guy in the dark blue t-shirt?"

"His name is Bulk," Dulcea smiled. "He's a good guy. You'd like him." She paused for a moment, and then said, "It was nice meeting you, Carlos. I'll be around all night. If you see me, make sure you speak."

"Sure thing," Carlos promised.

~*~

"The sun has set," David Trueheart said, poking at Emily.

"Hmm?" Emily grunted, sitting up. She adjusted the straps of her orange bikini as she set up. "Oh. So it has. Guess I drifted off."

"Have you seen Marge around?" David asked, sitting beside her. "I get the distinct impression she's mad at me."

"Me too!" Emily cried. "I don't understand it. She isn't around because she left town over a month ago. Went to stay with her grandmother in Ontario for the rest of the summer. She didn't even say goodbye to me, and her grandma said she isn't accepting any calls from Angel Grove."

"Well, she'll be back eventually, right?"

"Surely she'll finish her senior year at AGH," Emily sighed. "I intend to talk to her then. Something happened to turn her off of Angel Grove."

"Same thing must have happened to Tommy," David groaned. "Every time I asked Daniel or Sarah about him they give me some b.s. excuse for why he isn't around anymore. I'm starting to think maybe I've made two enemies." David knew exactly where Tommy was at, but despite Emily dating a Power Ranger, he didn't know if she knew as much as he did.

"A lot of people have just disappeared recently," Emily continued. "Did you ever know Trini? She's visiting relatives in Viet Nam. Justin Cranston? Kid genius? Computer camp. Eugene Skullovitch, Lord only knows. Tommy?"

"Martial arts camp," David supplied.

"And then there are Jason, Billy, Katherine, Kimberly, and Rocky, who were sucked into that portal that the rest of the world seems to have already forgotten about," Emily said bitterly. "It's painfully obvious that they are five of the Power Rangers."

"Yea-," David started, and then blurted out, "Pardon?"

"Oh please," Emily continued. "It doesn't take a rocket scientist. Which is why I think all of the others, including little Justin, are also Rangers. And now that Marge has disappeared, I think she might be one, too."

"Oh?" David asked, raising his eyebrows.

"I think Marge Lubbock is actually the Phantom Ranger."

~*~

"I appreciate you inviting me and all, but I gotta be honest, I'm not really sure why," Carlos admitted. "I mean, you seem cool and all, but I don't really know you."

"That's why I invited you," Cassie lied. "I'd like to get to know you better." _OH MY GOD!!! It sounds like I'm trying to pick him up!_

_Is she flirting with me?_ Carlos asked himself. "You have a very nice... backyard," Carlos stammered.

"Thanks," Cassie returned. Suddenly, Cadbury approached them. He wasn't wearing his customary tux. Instead, he wore black shorts and an outrageous Hawaiian shirt the likes of which only Ernie had ever worn.

"Cassie, your mother is looking for you," Cadbury said. "She's on the tennis courts with Mrs. Grayson. Shall I escort you?"

"No, thanks Cadbury," Cassie told him. "Carlos, will I catch ya' later?"

"Absolutely," Carlos promised. "I'll be here."

"Great," Cassie smiled. She then ran out of the backyard, disappearing into the massive flower gardens.

"This is one rich family," Carlos muttered.

~*~

Jenga walked out onto the balcony. A smile crossed her face as the small silver saucer-like craft lowered to the moon's surface. "Astronema!" she cried. "Mordant has arrived!" With a mere gesture of her hand, the Fire Crystals in their silver chest appeared beside her. Kneeling beside it, she opened the chest to find it lined with black velvet. Eight spherical orbs rested inside it. Each was perfectly clear, and burning within each was a flame burning brightly in shades of one color. They were of many colors : blue, red, yellow, green, pink, black, white, and silver.

Closing the chest, she quickly teleported herself into the spaceship. "Mordant," she ordered before he could leave the ship, "set a course for Earth."

~*~

Zack, Adam, Tanya, Bulk, and Cassie quickly grouped together as the ship hovered above the pool. Suddenly, tiny pinpoints of light appeared all around the backyard, forming Quantrons. With a gasp, Carlos slowly climbed to his feet. Meanwhile, everyone but the Power Rangers were fleeing in a group panic.

Blue flames coalesced beside him, forming Jenga. He recognized her long before she saw him. However, Carlos still didn't move. He didn't know if it was fear, courage, or stupidity, but he didn't feel compelled to move. "Such a brave boy," Jenga said, tapping one of his cheeks with the back of her right hand. "Stupid, but brave."

"What do you want here?" Carlos asked valiantly. "There's nothing here for you."

Jenga cocked one eyebrow and smiled a crooked smile. "Quantrons," she said calmly, "attack." Before Carlos could react, she spin-kicked him into the pool.

"Should we morph now?" Cassie asked, stancing off as the Quantrons approached them.

"Carlos is still here," Adam said. "I know who I'm picking." He had no more than said it before the Quantrons rushed them. The group of five was quickly separated.

Carlos pulled himself out of the pool to find the five teenagers fighting the creatures Jenga had called Quantrons. Jenga was currently attacking the boy in red, although she didn't seem to be actually trying to do damage. It just looked like she was toying with him. Carlos looked around him, wondering why the Quantrons weren't attacking him as well. Instead of waiting for one to attack him, however, he ran to help his new-found friend.

He pulled one away from Cassie, giving her a better chance against the other attacking her. With a flurry of fast punches, Carlos tore into the Quantron. "Guys, let's do it!" Adam shouted.

"Are you sure?!" Bulk shouted back.

"Shift Into Turbo!" Adam cried. Carlos gave up on the Quantron before him and looked up just as the Rangers' Turbo Keys and Morpher appeared on their bodies in flashes of light. He watched, wide-eyed, as they all morphed in one, simultaneous Morphin Cry.

"Mountain Blaster Turbo Power!!!" Bulk shouted.

"Desert Thunder Turbo Power!!!" Adam yelled.

"Dune Star Turbo Power!!!" Tanya cried.

"Wind Chaser Turbo Power!!!" Cassie shouted.

"Red Lightning Turbo Power!!!" Zack bellowed.

"Power Rangers?" Carlos asked in a small voice.

Suddenly, pink light streaked past him as Cassie fired a streak of energy from Wind Fire. The Quantron he had been fighting was knocked backwards into the pool. "We'll explain everything in just a second, I promise!" Cassie cried.

Jenga grabbed Zack by the throat and pulled him to her. "See ya' on the islands, ma'n" she taunted. She then planted a hard kick in his midsection, sending him tumbling backwards. By the time he righted himself a split second later, they were all gone.

"Are you okay, Carlos?" Cassie asked, removing her helmet as she walked up to him.

"You guys are the Power Rangers?" he rambled. "I mean... you don't have to kill me now, do you?"

"Not intentionally," Adam said. "Grab your shirt; we're gonna take a quick trip."

Never once taking his eyes away from the morphed Rangers, Carlos retrieved his black t-shirt. As soon as he pulled it on, Adam reached out and touched his elbow. "Don't tense up. If you do, it'll hurt worse when you land," he said. With that, they all teleported away in a beautiful rainbow of colors.

~*~

"Ghostly Galleon was blown up, and besides, it wouldn't let evil on board," Jenga said, scratching Goldar's suggestion.

"I just had another thought," Divatox spoke up. "How are we going to pass into the Nemesis Triangle? Lerigot again?"

"Phantom Ranger's Ruby will allow us safe entrance," Jenga said. "Even though Phantom Ranger is evil, the ruby isn't. It will let us pass, just as the Turbo Keys would let the other Turbo Rangers pass through. But we need a vehicle. Something that isn't evil or good. Just a vehicle."

"Why don't we use a ship that has already sunk?" Elgar suggested.

"Yeah, let's resurrect the 'Titanic,'" Rygog said sarcastically. "Dumb ass."

"Actually," Jenga paused, "that's not such a bad idea. If we were to use a sunken ship, then it would have absolutely no association with it at all, good or evil."

"We're going to take the 'Titanic' to Muranthias?" Lord Zedd asked.

"No, that's far too cliched," Jenga mused. "But I know of a ship that is just as good. We will have to resurrect her, and of course, renew her, she was torpedoed, after all, but she'll get us there safely."

"Who is she?" Scorpina asked.

Jenga turned her gaze at the Earth. Blue beams of light shot from her eyes, and she saw the ship resting at the bottom of the Atlantic just off the coast of Ireland. "The 'RMS Lusitania,'" she answered.

~*~

"Oh man," Carlos sighed, looking about himself in disbelief. "What am I doing here?"

In a shimmer of green, Adam demorphed. "Some of us have been Rangers for a long time," Adam said. "Myself included. And it's time for me to pass on my Powers."

"Who to?" Carlos asked warily.

"You."

"Me?"

"Carlos, do you accept this great honor of being a defender of the Earth as the Green Turbo Ranger?" Zordon asked.

"Yeah!" Carlos cried happily. "I'd love to!"

Adam unstrapped his morphers, feeling a bit of nostalgia as he did so. _It was a good run,_ Adam told himself just before the Power Transfer.

~*~

The '57 Chevy rolled from her private quarters to the former Green Turbo Ranger. "I guess you know I just gave my powers on, huh?"

Blink blink.

"You'll like Carlos," Adam said, running a hand across her hood. "He's a good guy."

Blink blink.

"But I'll still be around here. I'm still the Green Ranger. We still friends?"

Thunder Runner blinked her lights and gently nuzzled one bumper against Adam's leg. "Good girl," he sighed. "Good girl..."

~*~

"I'm doing okay," he answered. "Waxing nostalgia, but okay. It's been a wild three years."

"You're still a Ninja Ranger," Aisha reminded him. "That helps. Takes the edge off of losing the thrill of active duty."

"I don't know how Billy stood it," Adam remarked. "I mean, how could he hang around the Power Chamber and watch us be the Zeo Rangers? I've still got the power, and I already feel different. But to be totally empty inside, watching us morph and save the Earth..."

"It probably was hard on him," Aisha agreed. "But, everything's okay now-..."

"If they ever come back home," Adam finished.

~*~

"Hmm?" he asked, looking up from his book and smiling broadly at her.

"You're acting weird," Linda informed him. "You're smiling all goofy and dancing all over the place."

"Am I not allowed to smile now?" Carlos retorted.

"Hey, is that a new watch?" she asked, pointing at his brand-new shining green communicator.

"Uhm, no. I've always had it," Carlos said, putting his book aside and standing up defensively. He then turned to his closet and began to dig through it for a green t-shirt.

"Weird," Linda repeated, leaving the room.

"I need more green," Carlos mused after finding only two green shirts. After closing his closet door, he smiled at the communicator on his wrist. "I sure am glad I went to that party."

Monday morning
Beep beep beepbeep beep beep. Zack retreated to his room. Once assuming he was alone, he pressed the button on his communicator. "I read you, Zordon."

"Zack, we have wonderful news!" Alpha squealed.

"How wonderful?" Zack asked.

"The sliders have finally caught up with the other Rangers! Teleport to the Command Center at once!" Alpha shouted. Zack immediately disappeared in a streak of black light.

"They finally made it?!" Zack cried as soon as he landed.

An attractive blonde hologram with an old hairstyle was standing with Catalina before Zordon's tube. The two were carrying on an animated conversation. "They finally made it!" Tanya cried, grabbing Zack in a big hug.

"How are they?" Bulk asked, smiling wide.

"They're fine," Catalina answered. "Haircuts for all of the guys, and some new woman, but fine."

"Haircuts?" Bulk asked. "Tommy got a haircut?"

"New woman?" Adam inquired. "They've got a new woman? What does she look like?"

"I'll go tell Rebecca," Tanya volunteered as she teleported away.

"I got the Olivers," Zack said.

"The good Reverend," Bulk added, referring to Skull's pastor father.

"I got the Kwans," Aisha said, propping herself on her crutches as she hit her communicator and streaked away in white light.

"What's going on?" Carlos asked. "Did I miss something?"

~*~

"In the Triangle?" Divatox asked. "When we went, it didn't take us but a few hours to travel to the Island. The long part of the trip was getting to the Nemesis Triangle."

"I can teleport the 'Lusitania' to within an hour's journey of the Triangle," Jenga answered. "The evil Power Boost has really lowered the defenses of the Triangle, and we can therefore teleport much closer. However, the evil Power Boost is having an adverse effect inside the Triangle. We'll have to travel much, much farther inside to get to Muranthias, and worse yet, we're going to be powerless until we set foot on the island."

"Say that again?" Zedd asked.

"We're going to be mortals inside the Triangle," Jenga sighed. "I obviously don't like it, but there's nothing I can do about it. Some things are even out of my control. Our powers will return to us as soon as we've reached the Island, however, so there shouldn't be a problem."

"What if the Rangers try something?" Astronema inquired.

"They'll be powerless, too," Jenga returned. "We'll be fine, just powerless. And the journey will take just shy of twenty-four hours. If we leave right now, we can be inside the Triangle by eight a.m., and we'll be on Muranthias at seven thirty tomorrow morning."

"Wait a minute," MasterVile interrupted. "You'll need to take Phantom Ranger with you, right?"

"Of course," Jenga said.

"But, Phantom will be missing for over a whole day," MasterVile continued. "Don't the Rangers have a list of four potential subjects? They'll know for sure now. We could have Phantom stolen right out from under our noses."

"One, you're talking to Jenga Xett. I have EVERYTHING planned for in advance. I'm going to use an organic mannequin to hold Phantom Ranger's place in society until we get back.

"And two, it doesn't matter if they do find out. By tomorrow night, Phantom Ranger will be forever evil and serving us. So relax. Now, Astronema, get the Fire Crystal of your choice. All fighters, come with me. You too, Zedd. Vile hon, you stay behind in case something bad happens and we need to be resurrected. And grab what you think you might need during our trip, because powers are not going to exist for us in the Triangle until we get to Muranthias. We're going to be mortals for twenty-three hours people, let's be prepared."

~*~

"I got it," Cassie volunteered, hurrying over to the console before the confused Green Ranger. She pushed a few buttons, and a map appeared on the Viewing Globe.

"Zordon, something is happening off of the coast of Ireland!" Alpha cried.

~*~

"I think so, Mom," Zedd answered.

"All right," she said, handing Scorpina her satchel. "The waters might get a little rocky. You mages ready?"

Divatox smiled as she removed her right glove. She flexed her fingers as a tinge of purple energy began to collect on her fingernails. Lord Zedd and Astronema both thrust their staffs forward. Her diamond and his 'Z' began to glow with their silver and red energies, respectively. Jenga pulled her own staff out of the air and pointed it forward as well. Blue energy began to coalesce around the sapphire on its tip. "NOW!!!" she cried. Pure magical energy burst from each of the four demons. It streaked a short distance away and plunged into the ocean, lighting it up with the four colors.

Their magical energy continued to stream from them, even as bubbles began to rise to the surface. A few seconds later, the ocean was churning and raging as though the waters were boiling. Large plumes of water began to burst from the surface, sending a slight mist over the group of space demons. Then, a horribly rusted railing poked out of the writhing ocean. "Oh yes," Jenga purred, as the fallen ship began to rise again. Their magic stopped flowing, as the ship was already rising quickly to the surface.

A hull, covered with rusticles rather than paint, became visible as the waters parted to make way for the ocean liner. A shadow fell over the group as the ship rose higher and higher from the water. The torpedo wound appeared from beneath the waves.

"We're gonna take this heap of junk to Muranthias?" Elgar inquired.

"Just wait," Divatox hushed him.

"It's so tall," Goldar said thoughtfully. He craned his head back to look at the stern, high above him. At last, the railing along the bow lifted out of the ocean. The rear end of the ship rose, until, despite the torpedo hole in her side, the 'RMS Lusitania' floated level atop the Atlantic once again.

Jenga pointed her staff at the ship. Blue tendrils of light surrounded both her crew and the ship. There was a brief blue flash, and when it subsided, they were standing on the first class promenade deck of the ship. The wood that had once stretched across was long since gone, and they were forced to stand on the metal skeleton. However, Jenga's magic wasn't finished. The rust began to disappear from the hull and was replaced with shining black and white paint. Wood grew beneath their feet, forming the first class deck. The railing became shiny and white, losing the growth of rusticles and other ocean life that had accumulated from her eighty-two years at the bottom of the Atlantic. Four smoke stacks appeared in a perfect row down her middle, painted beautiful gold, black, and red. Jenga's blue magic energy ran over the ship one final time, restoring her to the condition she was just before she entered the water.

"She's beautiful," Astronema sighed, walking to the railing. Peering over the side, she saw her name, 'RMS Lusitania,' printed along the stern.

Below in her belly, the engines roared to life. The three story high pistons began to pump, and the propellers started to turn. A gentle, peaceful rumbling temporarily shook the reborn ship, and then, she started to move.

"Now this," Goldar said, "is traveling with style."

"Serpentera would have been much easier," Lord Zedd grumped.

"Oh please," Jenga quipped, removing her hat. She tossed it over-board where it flittered down to the waves. "I actually intend to make it to Muranthias." She summoned a black and gold Captain's hat and placed it on her head. "And let's try not to have a repeat of the 'Titanic' incident, okay? We don't have ANY lifeboats." Blue light once again flared up around the ship, and then, the waters of the Atlantic were once again empty. The 'Lusitania' reappeared in the Pacific Ocean on the other side of the world, and began to sail for the Nemesis Triangle.

~*~

"Rangers, this is a time of great evil power," Zordon explained. "The journey inside the Triangle will take much longer. The increased duration of the trip is the Island's natural defenses against evil. Also, all powers while in the waters of the Triangle will be nullified until the island is reached."

"Our's too?" Zack asked.

"Your's too," Zordon said.

"How are we going to get to the Island?" Bulk asked. "I mean, we are going. Right?"

"You will need to get there quickly, and the Ghostly Galleon, provided it hadn't been blown up, would not be an alternative. No magical means would get you there, so we must use a physical source that is only powered by magic."

"Secondary magic spells will work in the Triangle," Alpha said. "For that reason, you will be morphed, but powerless."

"Like in that Theater," Adam remembered.

"Lightning Cruiser and Star Blazer will carry you to the Island," Zordon told them. "By hooking up the two vehicles with a special power conduit, the flight capabilities will be extended to the Yellow Sentient Vehicle."

"And they'll get us safely to Muranthias?" Carlos asked, saying the name of the island with utmost care.

"You guys, take a look at what they're traveling on," Aisha said, squinting into the Viewing Globe. "I don't believe it. That can't be right. Can it?"

"It is, Aisha," Alpha assured her. "They have resurrected the 'RMS Lusitania.'"

~*~

"The 'Lusitania' did to military lore what the 'Titanic' did to civil lore. 'Lusitania' was every bit a tragedy, and in some cases worse, but she has, for all practical intents, been forgotten. There are routine expeditions to her, sure, but no public mention. They don't care about the 'Lusitania;' they care about the 'Titanic.' We're gonna give this girl a chance to live again."

"Is she unsinkable?" Rygog asked.

"With Jenga Xett at her wheel, yes, she is unsinkable," she answered proudly. Turning to her morphed Phantom Ranger, she said, "Go to the lookout. Keep an eye out for icebergs and German U-boats."

"Aye, aye, Captain," Phantom promised. It saluted and then darted for the Bird's Nest. Scaling the flimsy ladder with super-human speed, Phantom was soon seated in the lookout.

"I'm going to go the Captain's quarters and see if I can find anything interesting of Captain Turner's," Jenga said. "You should all pick out a room for the night. We'll require sleep as mortals."

"I wanna sleep in first class!" Elgar announced. He and Rito simultaneously darted from the promenade deck, looking for appropriate quarters.

"So, Goldy," Scorpina started, resting her forearms on the rail and leaning over it, "whaddya think of all this?"

"She's sure big," Goldar remarked. He leaned against the front mast with his arms folded across his gold-plated chest. "I think we should have made our own ship, though."

"Evil association, remember?" Scorpina asked, climbing up to stand on the lowest railing. "We had to take a neutral ship. Goldar, do you know how to swim?"

"I know how to fly," he said. "Doesn't matter if I can swim. Besides, you heard Jenga, this ship is unsinkable."

"'Titanic' sank."

"It wouldn't have if Jenga was Captain."

"Good point," Scorpina relented.

"Do you know how to swim?"

"Of course I know how to swim," Scorpina chuckled. "I wouldn't be here if I couldn't swim. What are the odds I would have to swim anyway? She wouldn't sink again. That'd be too much of a coincidence. Besides, I don't think we'll have to worry about an iceberg in the tropic waters of the Triangle, or German U-boats. There is no reason she should sink."

_You're scared to death,_ Goldar sighed in his head as he turned to leave.

~*~

"Uh, I don't think so," Elgar replied, scratching his head. "Can I have it?"

"Sure, I guess," Rito answered, handing him the necklace. "Real men don't wear jewelry."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Elgar said, dismissing the subject. He tried to put the necklace on, but it wouldn't fit around his neck. "It won't fit! Man, what a rip-off!" He tossed the necklace, no doubt owned by the last people to have stayed in that cabin, aside. The two henchmen continued rummaging through the belongings of people who may have perished when the 'Lusitania' sank beneath them.

~*~

"Is it safe to eat food that's been at the bottom of the Atlantic for 82 years?" Astronema asked. "I am starved."

"It's restored. Help yourself," Jenga answered, walking away from the railing to explore the rest of the ship. Everything was perfectly polished and sparkling. The carpet was maroon and plush beneath her bare feet. "You are such a beautiful ship, you know that?"

She found herself standing by the wrought iron elevator that stretched from the lowest levels of steerage to the best of first class. As she touched it, her immortal powers brought to her a deathprint.

The power had gone out, and there were six people trapped in the elevator. It was between levels, and there was no way out. Being wrought iron, they could look up or down and see the people running to the decks for the lifeboats, but they were trapped. When the 'Lusitania' finally entered the water, they were still in the elevator. Their remains rested in their wrought iron grave for only a short time, as the fish that could swim through the bars made quick work of them.

Her powers flared up, and suddenly, Jenga found herself transported. It didn't take her but a moment to realize she hadn't physically traveled back in time. She had lost those powers when Trini stole her Crystal of Time. But her conscious thought had traveled backwards. The day was May 7, 1915.

She looked down, and saw the elevator trapped between floors. The six inside were screaming for help, but no one could help them. Jenga felt a slight tinge of remorse before chiding herself for feeling emotions. She turned and walked away from the elevator, headed for the decks.

Jenga saw a well-dressed young man with many white life vests in his arms. He was handing the life vests to woman and children. Jenga stretched an arm out to him, and his entire life was suddenly revealed to her. He was one of the richest men on the 'Lusitania.' His name was Alfred Vanderbilt, and he was passing out life vests, despite being unable to swim himself. Alfred Vanderbilt drowned, but he helped a lot of people survive.

On the deck, people were running and screaming everywhere. The ship was tilted horribly. She made her way to the uphill side of the ship, when suddenly, there was a cacophony of screams. Looking up, she saw a lifeboat swinging back over the listed deck. Seventy people in the lifeboat were screaming as it slammed into the wooden deck and began a murderous slide down. It was so heavy, they hadn't been able to push it up and out far enough to lower it to the ocean. Anyone who got in its way was either killed or horribly mutilated. She turned slowly, not completely in time with the 'Lusitania''s death print. A young woman with a baby in her arms was frantically trying to get through the crowd and away. However, the crowd either didn't care or notice her, and another second later, the lifeboat with horrifying blood stains at its base slid over her.

She heard another loud crash and a hideous mingling of screams, tears, and frantic prayers. Closing her eyes, she saw the scene play itself in her mind. A lifeboat being launched from stern starboard broke free. It plummeted to the ocean some distance before, and it landed on another lifeboat that did not have a chance to row away. Both lifeboats were obliterated, and those that didn't die in the impact, entirely in the upper lifeboat, were plunged into the fifty-seven degree water of the Atlantic. Everyone that survived the initial impact died of hypothermia...

"Jenga?" a voice asked, snapping her from the past.

"Pardon?" she asked, flipping her gaze quickly. She saw Scorpina standing beside her. "Is there a problem?"

"You just looked kind of distant. Are you okay?"

Jenga paused for a moment, thinking about the young woman and her baby. "I'm fine," she said at last. "I'm fine."

~*~

"Aye, my Captain," Phantom Ranger answered in a deep bass. The black Ranger ran up to the bow of 'Lusitania' and climbed part way up the railing. A black gloved hand steadied itself as Phantom stood on the third railing from the top. The other hand went to the center of the chest, and plucked the large red ruby from its bonds. Phantom Ranger outstretched the hand holding the ruby, as the 'Lusitania' made it closer and closer to the wall of the Triangle.

The evil fare of the 'Lusitania' was gathered on the bow. Lightning cracked all around the ship, which was heaving and tossing on the frantic ocean. She slowly got closer, and lightning began to strike the masts and smokestacks, doing no damage but sending a shower of sparks down over the group of demons.

"The ruby has to be the first thing to enter the Triangle!" Jenga shouted to Phantom, running up to the bow to stand behind her evil Ranger. "If even the railing touches first, the whole ship will be torn to shreds!"

"It is, Captain!" Phantom cried. The wall of water was no more than twenty feet before them. A thin tendril of red energy spanned the gap between the outstretched Phantom ruby and the Triangle. Then, tiny beads of red light began to swirl from the ruby. The beads of light slowly circled the ship, encasing her in a loose but efficient magical cocoon.

Not more than five seconds later, the ruby physically touched the wall of water. The ship continued to plow through the barrier. The ruby granted them safe passage, and the water passed over Phantom Ranger and Jenga. Jenga forced her eyes shut as the water sailed over them, and then, when she opened them, she realized two amazing things.

One, for the first time in eight hundred millennia, Jenga Xett was a mortal. No magic coursed through her veins, and she no longer felt Satan's protective embrace. However, before she could think too much on that, she realized she and the 'Lusitania' had passed into a beautiful world. The ocean was a beautiful shade of crystal clear blue, and the sky shone brightly. Fluffy white clouds dotted the sky, and warm sunlight drifted over everything. With a smile, Jenga turned back to the others. She saw that so far, only she and Phantom had entered the Triangle. The others were still behind a hazy, gray screen of water. However, 'Lusitania' was passing through rapidly.

"Quite a journey we've just taken, isn't it Phantom?" Jenga asked.

"My Queen, I feel differently," Phantom said, still in a deep voice. No changes occurred to the armor, although the power was definitely gone.

"You've just lost the power for a while," Jenga assured it. "But don't worry, you'll be fine." Jenga turned away from the wall of water and back to the beautiful, peaceful ocean.

The wall of water washed over the other demons, and they, too, immediately became mortal. Red light continued to shoot off of the sides of the ship, until, nearly a full minute after entering the Triangle, the stern passed through. The gray screen of water immediately disappeared, and there was nothing but peaceful water and sky for all directions.

On the other side, the wall of water immediately lost its supernatural viscosity. The water fall back to the ocean, the storm disappeared, and the Nemesis Triangle was forgotten to Earth yet again.

~*~

"Like this?" Carlos asked, running through a rather sloppy version of the Turbo Call, as Cassie had dubbed it.

"You're getting closer," Cassie told him. "Come on, let's do something else. Wanna watch t.v., or go for a swim, or something?"

"A swim sounds nice, but I didn't bring any trunks," Carlos sighed.

"That's not a problem," Cassie told him.

_If this was a good movie, here is the point where she says we won't be needing our suits,_ Carlos told himself, honestly not sure of what he wanted her to say next.

"We've got suits in all sizes and colors in the pool house," Cassie said. "Come on. Let's go."

"You have a pool house, too?"

"Everyone with a pool has a pool house," Cassie said as they darted into the hallway. "Don't they?"

"Am I supposed to know?" Carlos asked, running with her down the ornate hallway. Upon reaching the end of the hallway, they were presented with a choice. One could either turn and go down another hallway or down a wide staircase. Cassie took him down the staircase, pausing to look up behind him at each landing.

"Hurry up!" Cassie urged. A few seconds later, the two emerged in one of the two kitchens in the house. Whereas in the upper levels rich woods had provided color, the kitchen was a spotless white. The entire back wall of the kitchen was just a series of glass doors, all of which opened out onto the patio of the flower gardens.

"Mistress Cassie," Cadbury announced. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"There are trunks Carlos' size in the Pool House, right?" Cassie asked.

"I'm sure there are," Cadbury said. "Shall I escort you there, sir?"

"It's okay, Cadbury," Cassie smiled. "I'll take him." Cadbury nodded once, and Cassie and Carlos continued their run across the backyard. A few moments later, Cassie led Carlos into the men's side of the Pool House. "What size do you wear?"

"Either a medium, or 34 waist," Carlos answered. "Is there green?"

Cassie smiled as she produced a pair of forest green swim trunks. "I've found myself wearing nothing but pink, too," she said. "My entire wardrobe has changed in the past month. Cadbury thinks I've gone insane." She handed Carlos the trunks, and then stammered, "I'll let you change."

"Okay," Carlos smiled. "Meet you at the pool?"

"You bet," Cassie said, returning the smile.

~*~

She nodded her thanks as she opened the bottle and began applying the clear oily liquid to her body. She was used to magic protecting her from sunburn. For that matter, she was also used to a magic-induced tan.

"The island certainly is a long way off," Astronema commented, sitting atop the railing with one leg on each side.

"What would happen if we did sink?" Elgar asked, looking into the clear waters below.

"We would swim to the island," Jenga answered noncommittally.

"What if we can't swim?"

"You drown."

"Cool," Elgar grunted.

"But the 'Lusitania' is unsinkable, right?" Scorpina asked nervously.

"Actually, that was the 'Titanic,'" Jenga said, "but for all practical intents, yes, the 'Lusitania' is unsinkable. These are warm waters, so they are no icebergs, and we're all alone out here, so there's no reason to be torpedoed. I can't really imagine a scenario that would make the ole' girl sink."

"I certainly hope so," Scorpina whispered to herself.

~*~

Jenga's eyes slowly opened. The previous day on the 'RMS Lusitania' had been very uneventful. They sailed through the Nemesis Triangle, seemingly getting nowhere. The island was much closer, however, and she knew it would be just a few hours until the 'Lusitania' was beached on the shores of Muranthias.

She sat up in her bed and looked out the ornate porthole to her left. The sky was still dark, and a quick look at the clock told her she still had a few minutes to get dressed. She turned on the lamp beside the bed, providing enough light to change from her silk pajamas into her usual fare of denim and blouse. She walked out of her first class quarters, buttoning her denim shorts as she did so. Barefoot, she walked down the carpeted hallway and out onto the first class promenade deck.

She leaned against the white deck railing and smiled as an orange sliver of light grew into being on the horizon in front of her. Surprisingly quickly, the sky was painted pink and purple. The orange orb of the sun slowly climbed into the sky, providing even more colors. Red and orange were added to the mix. All too soon, the sun had cleared the horizon, and the beautiful colors were mingling into a calm blue.

"Just enough time for a shower before breakfast," she said to herself as she returned to her cabin. The 'Lusitania' continued to sail on.

~*~

"I forgot how little it takes to please mortal," Jenga smiled. "I'd still be under the hot water if I hadn't run out. What time is it?"

"It's seven o'clock," Lord Zedd answered. "Another half-hour and we'll be on Muranthias."

"That explains why the ship is slowing down," Astronema remarked, mostly to herself. "We're barely doing ten knots now."

"Breakfast?" Goldar asked, putting a plate in front of Jenga.

"Ooh, what is it?" she asked, picking up her fork. "It looks decent."

"Western omelet," Divatox answered. "Don't worry, I didn't let Rito put any bugs in."

"Looks wonderful," Jenga said, smiling her gratitude. She picked up her glass of orange juice and clinked it against Divatox's. "Cheers."

~*~

Carlos, holding a long tube of clear wire, got on his back and slid beneath Star Blazer on a black creeper. "Uhm, is this it, Alpha?" he asked.

"That's the spot, Carlos," Alpha answered over the communicator. Carlos plugged the wire into the circuit. The vehicle met him halfway and locked the wire in place.

"We're hooked up!" Carlos cried, sliding back out. A few moments later, Lightning Cruiser was as well.

"Well, it looks we're ready," Zack said. "Shift Into Turbo!"

"Mountain Blaster Turbo Power!"

"Desert Thunder Turbo Power!"

"Dune Star Turbo Power!"

"Wind Chaser Turbo Power!"

"Red Lightning Turbo Power!"

In five flashes of light, the ordinary teenagers morphed into the world's most powerful fighting force. "This is amazing!" Carlos cried, examining his armor-clad form.

"Let's get this show on the road!" Cassie agreed, hopping into the passenger seat of Star Blazer.

"I'll go with you," Bulk told Zack, and the two Rangers leapt into Lightning Cruiser. Carlos and Tanya got into Star Blazer, Carlos taking the backseat.

"Do you know how to fly a car?" Carlos asked.

"I don't, but Star Blazer does," Tanya assured him. Lightning Cruiser lifted off of the ground, and Star Blazer was close behind. Carlos scooted over to a window and looked out.

"You're clear for leave," Alpha said over the radio. Lightning Cruiser and Star Blazer immediately darted away, headed for the Nemesis Triangle.

~*~

"Go with her, Zedd," Jenga ordered.

"But Mom!"

"Zedd," Jenga said, raising her voice.

"All right, all right," he relented. "Come on, Divatox."

"Oh, stop pouting," Divatox complained as the two of them walked off of the deck.

"Well, it looks like we've almost made it to the island," Scorpina said gratefully.

"I knew the old girl would get us here!" Elgar shouted happily. "Heck, the devil himself couldn't sink the ship."

"NO!" Jenga screamed to stop him, but it was already too late. "Maybe he didn't hear," she breathed hopefully. However, her hopes were squelched when, a second later, lightning shot down from the clear sky and hit the ocean to the side of the ship. "You IDIOT!" Jenga screeched. She ran over to the starboard side and looked out into the water. A line of white water was skimming toward the 'RMS Lusitania.'

"What'd I do?!" he cried. A few seconds later, there was a tremendous boom, and the 'Lusitania' tilted starboard. Sea water, wood, and metal launched high into the air, gaining an altitude of over one hundred feet.

"You don't tempt the Prince of DARKNESS!!!" she yelled. She grabbed Elgar by the arm and walked him to the railing. "See that green thing on the horizon? That's Muranthias. It's five miles away. Start swimming." With that, she pushed Elgar overboard.

"We're sinking?" Scorpina asked nervously.

"We got arrogant, and Elgar just jinxed us. We're being punished, and in eighteen minutes, we're going to be in the ocean." There was a loud whoosh, and billows of dirty steam and smoke began to stream from the four smoke stacks.

~*~

"Dear Satan!" Divatox cried, running down the cat-walk. The water quickly roared in, climbing above the boilers. Great billows of steam began to burst up through the raging sea entering the ship.

With a whizzing sound, a large nut was shot past Zedd. "RUN!!!" he demanded. Suddenly, one of the boilers exploded, overcome with the steam. A piston was knocked loose, and the gigantic steel rod hurtled straight up. It collided with the thin cat-walk, knocking both Divatox and Zedd off their feet. It cleaved the cat-walk in half, leaving the two ends balanced precariously above what was now a raging body of water. The piston only stopped when it hit the other side of the room.

"Zedd?!" Divatox cried. "What do we do?"

"We have to jump the gap!" he cried. The water was rushing into the room behind them, blocking the way they came in.

The engines were strangely silent, and the only sound in the room was the roaring of the water flooding into the hull of the ship. Divatox looked at the horribly twisted gap in the cat-walk where the piston had torn it in asunder. Glancing behind her, she saw that the water was rapidly approaching. Taking only a few steps back to get momentum, she ran at the gap. She waited until the last possible moment and then leapt. She sailed across the eight-foot gap with surprising ease. "Keep going!" Zedd shouted to her as he began to run toward the gap himself.

The seven-foot tall skinless beast made it as well, the powerful muscles in his exposed legs giving him all the strength he needed. However, the water behind them wasn't finished. Divatox and Lord Zedd ran down the catwalk toward safety, but it didn't matter when the water surged at them in all directions.

Divatox felt her feet leave the grating as the water hit her and lifted her up. She reached out to grab onto something, but only found water. Water rushed into her ears and nose, temporarily disorienting her. She was carried up and away by the water, sure that she was about to drown. Suddenly, a powerful hand grabbed her by the wrist and yanked hard.

Lord Zedd found himself in a similar situation, although he had the benefit of a visor which allowed him to see through the water. Still holding tightly to his Z staff, he hooked the Z onto a pipe that ran across the ceiling. Then, he reached out and grabbed Divatox, pulling her close.

Divatox sucked in a deep breath as soon as her face was out of the water. "Are you okay?!" Zedd shouted, one hand still clinging desperately to his hooked staff.

"I'm okay!" Divatox cried. The water in the room was still churning beneath them. It was rising, and at the rate, they didn't have more than a few seconds to escape.

"We're gonna have to hurry," Zedd said calmly. "Do you see a way out?"

"The stairs, right there," Divatox answered, pointing a few feet away. She started to grab the pipe above them for support, but Zedd stopped her quickly.

"It's burning hot," he warned. "We're just gonna have to swim for it."

"Well, swim hard," Divatox said. So saying, she let go of Zedd's hand and swam for the stairwell not more than twenty feet away. The water tried to push her off course, but she made it safely. She ducked beneath the railing, and then turned back for Zedd. He was close behind. "Come on," she breathed, pulling him to his feet even as they clambered up the stairs.

Suddenly, the ship lurched more bow and starboard, causing the stairs to become even more steep and listed. With a cry of alarm, Divatox's feet flew out from beneath her, and she hit the railing with her knees. She scrambled for a few feet on her hands and knees before finally uprighting herself. "Just hang on tight to the railing," Zedd instructed in his deep, throaty growl. A few seconds later, they reached a metal double doorway. Divatox forced it open, and the two hurried through it.

"Oh Lucifer," she sighed, turning to see that the water was just a few feet shy of the doorway. Where they had been was long since covered. Then, a rumbling came from beneath them. "What do you think it is?" she asked warily.

"Oh shit!" Zedd cursed. "The boilers on the other side of the ship are gonna blow!" He slammed the doors shut and then stuck his staff through the handles to lock it. "We gotta get to the deck before these hallways are flooded."

As if on cue, an explosion came from the other side of the ship. Water suddenly began to spit from the minute crack between the doors before them. "RUN!!!" Divatox screamed. She turned up the hallway and ran as fast as she could with Zedd right on her heels.

The sound of Zedd's staff breaking in half was lost in the roar of water shooting out of the engine room and entering the hallway. Divatox looked behind her just as water shot out of the doorway and slammed into the opposite wall. "Keep going!" Zedd shouted. However, far up the hallway, water burst out of another set of doors.

"Zedd!" Divatox cried.

"The stairs!" Zedd suggested, pointing to the stairwell a short distance up from them that led to the next level. The two kept running, seemingly into the wave of white water rushing toward them. Divatox made it into the stairwell, perpendicular to the hall, only a few seconds before the water would have hit them. Zedd and Divatox only made it a few feet up the stairs before the water shot straight up at them. Screaming, the two were swept off of their feet and pushed up the stairwell.

A few tumultuous milliseconds later, the two were sprawled out on the stairs out of breath. The water had lost its momentum as soon as the hallway beneath was filled to the ceiling. However, they both suspected they only had a few seconds before they were once again running for their lives. "We gotta hurry," Divatox said, running up the stairs and out of the water.

The lights in the hallway flickered, and a deep, ominous rumbling filled the hallways. Sighing, Divatox leaned against the wall. "We have to hurry," Zedd said, pointing to the water that was already reaching the hallway. "It isn't blasting through here anymore, but it is coming up fast."

"I think... if we go all the way to the end, we'll find a series of staircases that will lead us up to the main deck," Divatox suggested. She looked down and saw the water was pooled around her ankles. "You're right. Let's hurry."

~*~

"They went to the engine room," Phantom Ranger answered, standing by Jenga's side.

"Oh no," Jenga sighed. "I've gotta go get them."

"No my Queen, allow me," Phantom Ranger offered.

"All right," Jenga relented. "But hurry, and don't do anything that could get yourself injured. Be back in ten minutes, with or without them. If you aren't off the ship in fourteen minutes, you'll have to stay on until it goes under." Phantom Ranger nodded and ran off.

"Why aren't there lifeboats?" Scorpina asked woodenly, sitting on a deck chair.

"They were all used the first time," Jenga sighed. "It never occurred to me that we would need them, so I didn't make any. But, we'll do okay."

"What exactly is our plan?" Astronema asked. "Other than swimming."

"What is going to happen?" Scorpina asked. "Oh, I'm gonna be sick." Biting her bottom lip, she jumped out of her chair and darted into the quarter regions.

"Here in about five minutes, the bow will be completely submerged. The deck will be at about a thirty degree angle stern, forty degrees starboard. 'Lusitania' will continue sinking, the bow getting lower and lower, which in turn makes the stern rise higher and higher. All right, here's the immediate plan.

"If you aren't humanoid, then you can go ahead and leave," Jenga said, leaning against the promenade deck railing. "The fall from up here would be disastrous to a human being, frankly, but Rito and Rygog, you'll be okay. Feel free to jump overboard at any moment and start swimming for the island. In fact, I recommend you either leave now or stay on the ship until it actually enters the water. When she finally goes under, there is going to be powerful suction that might pull you under. The safest place will be directly on top of the ship as it goes under, or the epicenter of the suck zone, rather than at the perimeter.

"For the rest of us, we're going to leave as soon as we can just step into the water, unless we won't have time to swim to safety, and then we stay on until it goes out beneath us."

"I'm outta here," Rygog said, unbuckling his blue armor. He discarded the heavy equipment, revealing his rather plain form underneath. He wore a shiny green jumpsuit, and he was neither muscular or tall. He dropped it to the deck, climbed the railing, and leapt into the ocean far below. A few seconds later there was a splash.

"See ya' on the island," Rito announced, leaping as well.

"My Queen?" Goldar asked.

"Go ahead and fly to safety, Goldar," Jenga assured him. "It's okay."

"Shall I carry you to Muranthias?"

"This captain is going down with her ship," Jenga answered with a bitter-sweet smile. "But thank you Goldar. I'll meet you there."

He gave a nod, and then flapped his powerful wings. He lifted off of the deck and up into the air.

"The stern is going to end up straight up in the air, right?" Astronema asked.

"Essentially, yes," Jenga answered softly. "Before long, the starboard lilt will correct itself, but when that happens, we won't have much more time."

"How will we survive that?" Astronema asked.

"I'm not totally sure," Jenga said, walking down to the lowest deck of the ship. She walked to the bow, which by then was no more than ten feet above the ocean. Astronema was close behind, and the two sisters stood there, the only two people left on the deck of the 'RMS Lusitania.' "I guess we'll need to be on the other side of the railing when it's vertical, so that we will literally be on the ship until the very last second." She paused, and then continued, "I can't believe she's actually sinking again. This isn't fair. Not to her. It's just not right."

"When we get back to the moon, you can put her remains back where they were."

"That's not what I mean," Jenga sighed. She turned around and looked at the full length of the ship. She was taking on water fast, and her stern was rising higher and higher out of the water. "It's beautiful and hideous at the same time. The sinking, I mean."

"Mom!" Zedd cried from the promenade deck. "What happened?!"

"We're sinking!" she answered, just as water surged up over the bow and across their feet. With twin cries of alarm, she and Astronema scurried off of the bow and ran up to the slanted deck to Divatox and Zedd.

"Why are we sinking?" Divatox asked, flipping her wet ponytail out of the way.

"Elgar's fault," Astronema answered.

"Zedd, you should jump overboard and start swimming for Muranthias," Jenga said.

"We all should," Lord Zedd said as he moved toward the railing.

"I'm staying on the ship until everyone is off," Jenga said. "You go ahead and go; the rest of us will be close behind."

"Then I'll stay, too," Lord Zedd volunteered.

"No, go," Jenga ordered. "For me?"

"All right, Mom," Zedd relented. "But be careful."

"I will, sweetie," she returned, standing on tiptoe to plant a kiss at the corner of his metal mouthplate. "Swim hard."

Zedd gave her one last look, and then dove off of the railing. "All right, ladies, there are five of us left on this ship," Jenga said. "We're all gonna survive, is that understood? Now I want all leather and metal left behind. Only cloth can go in the water. Otherwise, you'll get weighed down."

"No leather or metal?" Divatox asked. "Do you realize this is going to leave most of us naked?"

"Go find some of the clothes that went down with the ship the first time," Jenga suggested. "Now... wait a minute. Where are Scorpina and Phantom?"

~*~

Phantom Ranger reached the end of the now-tilted hallway. Water suddenly gushed up to the Ranger's knees. "IS ANYONE HERE?!!!" Phantom yelled. The deep, bass voice echoed throughout the halls of the ship.

"Phantom?" a frightened female voice asked.

"Scorpina?" Phantom Ranger asked, stepping back to find the voice's source. It entered one of the quarters and found Scorpina sitting on a bed. She had her knees pulled tightly against her chest and was rocking back and forth. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm going to die with dignity and wait for Jenga to resurrect me," Scorpina answered softly.

"You should swim to safety with us," Phantom said. "You'll be okay."

"I... no," Scorpina said flatly.

"Then you leave me no choice," Phantom Ranger said firmly. It walked over to Scorpina and picked her up roughly.

"What are you doing?!" Scorpina shrieked, struggling wildly.

"You listen to me, little girl, and you listen good," Phantom snapped. "You are a warrior of Jenga Xett, and that means you represent her. You had best not give up. Is that understood? Neither one of us has powers, but I can and will still kill you if you don't go down fighting. Now are you going to walk or will I have to carry you to the deck?"

"All right, all right," Scorpina growled, pushing Phantom Ranger away. "I'll walk."

~*~

"Pajamas," Divatox commented. She stepped up behind Astronema, wearing a similar black pair. "Great minds must think alike." Divatox looked completely different than she did in full costume. Only her dark purple hair hinted at her previous appearance, as she had removed her face make-up and golden eye mask. She was a remarkably beautiful woman.

"We should wait for Jenga before we leave," Astronema remarked.

"You're right," Divatox agreed.

Jenga climbed up to them with two white life vests in her arms. "Here, I found these," she said, handing them to her. She was wearing one herself. "Walk down to the bow and step out into the water. If you start swimming now, you'll be far enough away the suction won't get you."

"Don't you want us to wait for you?" Astronema asked.

"Go!" Jenga insisted. "I'm waiting for Phantom."

"Let's hurry," Divatox said, stepping out onto the deck which was slanted almost forty-five degrees. "It's not too bad," she commented, hurrying off the first class promenade deck via the stairwell. Astronema was close behind, and once they got moving, they realized that walking down the slanted deck wasn't as hard as they would have suspected.

They soon reached the bow, which was far beneath the water. "The water is warm," Astronema said softly. She waded out into the ocean and then began to swim away. Divatox was close behind.

~*~

An ominous moan rose from the ship's belly as she continued to strain. Jenga soon found herself standing in the foyer to the dining hall. The water was above her waist. Glancing to her right and left, she saw that the entire hallway was flooded. Beautiful white columns rose out of the water. The scene was both familiar and completely alien at the same time.

"Phantom!" Jenga cried. She pushed the gilded doors to the dining room opened and trudged in. Jenga gasped as she saw the condition of the room. Plates, saucers, and tea cups floated above the surface of the water, clinking delicately against each other. The tables were staying put, but the chairs were floating in precarious positions. "Scorpina! Phantom Ranger! Please answer me!"

Walking as fast as she could through the water that was quickly approaching breast level, she created slight waves that made the floating china clink and ring against each other. She reached a table and climbed atop it. "PHANTOM!" she yelled. Discovering a new means of travel, she leapt from one submerged table top to another. The table cloths, weighed down by the silverware that was unable to float, made her landings a bit uncertain. Jenga, however, was in too much of a hurry to pay that any mind.

Then, very faintly, she heard a non-descript answer far off. "I'm coming!" she shouted. She jumped off of the final table and walked through the warm waters. Using all of her weight, she pushed the swinging doors open, entering the third level hallway. "Where are you?!"

Another answer came, and Jenga realized the voice was coming from a room that was in the submerged part of the hall. "Air pocket," she whispered to herself. She hurried to the back hallway, leaving the water in the process. The ship was tilted at such an angle not all hallways on any one level were flooded.

"HELP US!!!" a deep bass voice demanded. It wasn't a panicked voice; it was just forceful. However, it frightened Jenga, because the voice was coming from her right, somewhere beneath the water.

"Where are you?!"

"ROOM 38B!" came the reply.

While Scorpina may have been temporarily expendable, there was no way she was going to let her Phantom Ranger die on the 'Lusitania.' She ran back to the stairwell and looked down into the surprisingly clear water that stretched down the slanted hallway. A gilded sign just at the edge of the water level indicated that 38B was the third room on the left. "About sixty feet," Jenga muttered to herself. "I can do that."

Taking a deep breath and throwing a quick prayer down at the master of evil, she leapt into the water. Her body's natural buoyancy tried to force her back up, but she kept swimming. It only took her a few seconds to reach 36B, and that gave her the strength to continue. However, by the time she reached the closed door of 38B, her lungs were screaming in agony. She beat her arms and legs against the door, splintering the wood, and then swam into the room. She immediately swam straight up, finding that the room only had water at the lower-most end. As soon as she cleared the water, she opened her mouth and sucked in a long breath of air. Unfortunately, water from the hallway began pouring in after her.

"I'm here!" she cried as she clambered out of the way of the water flooding into the tilted "uphill" suite. "We only have a few seconds. Where are you?!"

"We're here," Phantom said, forcibly pushing Scorpina out of the back room of the suite. "How do we get out?"

"Is there a back door?" Jenga asked. "One that opens on a different part of Deck Three?"

"Yeah, but it's underwater, too," Scorpina said.

"Shit," Jenga muttered. "Well, swimming up isn't as hard as swimming down. C'mon, we gotta hurr-...," and then she stopped. The water had already filled the first half of the suite. "We gotta go out the back door," she said as she hurried up the steep floor of the suite. She reached the back and looked at the locked door. Water was squirting into the suite around all four sides of the door. "Get uphill of the door," she ordered. "We're gonna have to wait for the room to fill up, though. It'll just suck us right back in if we don't. Are you ready?"

Scorpina nodded nervously and clutched tightly to Phantom Ranger's shoulder. "Brace yourselves!" Jenga cried. She threw the door open and jumped back as a flood of water rushed in. Scorpina was unable to suppress a scream as the water quickly rushed into the suite. The water coming in from both open doors was rapidly filling the rooms up. "We can go now," Jenga said as the water lifted her off of the ground. "Swim up, and swim hard. Let's go." She took a deep breath and darted at the door jamb. Using her legs, she pushed herself up into the submerged hallway and began to swim with hard strokes.

A few precious seconds later, she was crawling on hands and knees out of the water. Glancing behind her, she saw Phantom Ranger following her with Scorpina in its arms. "Let's go!" Jenga cried, flipping her wet hair out of her face. Keeping one palm on the wall at all times, she struggled up the slanting hallway. The ship was getting ever deeper, and the water was quite visibly rising behind them. By the time they reached the main stairwell, the water was moving faster than they were. "We got three minutes, tops, before the ship is vertical," she said. Suddenly, the water leveled out in the ship's hold, and the ship lilted port. "Maybe less," she muttered.

She forced the heavy doors of the stairwell open and stepped into the room's chest-deep water. She took careful steps over to the large stairwell until she could wrap her arms around the partially submerged banister. "C'mon," she said, helping Scorpina onto the stairwell. "Keep going," she ordered as Phantom Ranger climbed onto it as well. They ran up the steep stairs and onto the First Class Promenade Deck.

"Oh dear Satan," Scorpina sighed, covering her mouth with her hand. The ship was now tilted even more. Even though the actual change in degrees was probably no more than five or ten, the change was enough to be drastic. By that point, it required a conscious effort to stay on one's feet.

"We're gonna make it," Jenga promised them.

"Jenga, I can't swim," Scorpina sighed.

"You're still wearing your metal," Jenga complained. "We gotta get that off."

"Jenga, I don't know how to swim," Scorpina reiterated as Jenga began to undress her.

"That's gonna make things harder," Jenga said with a nod. "Phantom, go up to the stern."

"But my Queen, I can't lea-"

"NOW!" Jenga bellowed in a tone that left no room for discussion.

"Yes my Queen," Phantom Ranger obeyed.

"Let me die with dignity, Jenga," Scorpina requested. "Please. Don't die trying to save me." "A warrior of Jenga Xett does not die if I can help it," Jenga insisted. "Come on, we'll get you out of your armor, into real clothes, and you'll survive. I promise." Taking Scorpina's hand, she darted into what had been her suite, situated right atop the Promenade Deck. "Get undressed, quickly," Jenga said as she looked through an overturned chest for suitable clothing. Scorpina did as she was asked, also removing her golden head ornament and the claw on her left arm, although she did leave on her modest underclothing that was worn beneath the armor.

"Jenga, watch out!" Scorpina cried. Jenga looked up just as the bed came loose from the wall and tumbled for her. She threw herself out of the way, narrowly missing death. Then, water surged in through the large windows on one wall. The water quickly reached Jenga's waist. Scorpina screamed, but Jenga only climbed back to her feet, still holding a lilac summer dress.

"Here," Jenga said, pulling it down over her body. "C'mon," she said, trudging back out of the room and onto the Deck. As she did so, she removed her life jacket and put it on over Scorpina's dress.

"We're not going to make it in time," Scorpina said nervously, looking up at the tilted ship before her. The bow was long since submerged, and the stern was completely out of the water.

"We got two minutes; we got time," Jenga told her. "Just run!" Jenga ran to the end of the Promenade Deck. She barely stopped as she planted on foot on the middle rung of the railing. She stepped again on the top rung and then leapt off, landing on the Second Class Promenade Deck. Scorpina was close behind. The two women continued to run up the 'Lusitania''s length, not stopping as a cacophony of destruction sounded beneath their feet. They both made it over the railing of the Second Class Deck as quickly as the first, and after jumping another fifteen feet, they were on the Third Class Deck, the deck leading all the way to the stern.

Suddenly, the sound of a taut wire snapping filled the air. The supports holding the smoke stacks were breaking loose as the giant columns began to break off. Jenga turned back to see the stacks' bases crumpling as they tilted forward. "Jenga!" Scorpina screamed. Jenga turned around just in time to see one of the anchor wires flying toward her. She tried to jump out of the way, but she wasn't quick enough. It caught her right shoulder, tearing through the denim and flesh, before continuing its travels. Jenga placed a hand over her wound and was startled to see warm, red blood trickling over her hand. "Are you okay?" Scorpina asked, hurrying back to her.

"I'm fine," Jenga said, shocked. "We're almost there."

The deck was getting progressively steeper. The stern was several hundred feet out of the water. The ship was moaning uncomfortably as she strained to hold herself in that awkward position. Jenga reached the railing first. Phantom Ranger moved to help them, but Jenga said, "Stay there." She wrapped her left arm around the top railing and frantically scrambled atop the railing. Then, she turned around and pulled Scorpina up beside her.

The stern's mast creaked, and then broke off, tumbling down the length of the 'RMS Lusitania.' Numerous splintering and shattering sounds drifted up to them as the interior of the ship was torn asunder. All up and down both sides, the portholes exploded, sending tiny shards of glass out into the air.

"She's going to flip completely over," Scorpina moaned as the 'Lusitania''s stern rose higher and faster out of the water.

"No, she won't," Jenga assured her. The ship was still moving forward; she had yet to reach a vertical position. However, she was incredibly close. It wouldn't be but a few seconds more. "Take a deep breath just before you go in the water," Jenga instructed, "and kick as hard as you can. And make sure you're pointed up. If you start swimming down, the ship was pull you so hard you'll never reach the surface." Then, with a mighty creak, the ship was standing completely vertical in the world.

For a moment, everything was still. The 'RMS Lusitania' bobbed calmly for several long, torturous seconds. "Get ready to swim hard!" Jenga cried. With that, the 'Lusitania' began her final plunge.

Scorpina cried out as the wind rushed up through the railing. The 'Lusitania' began to drop. The water was white at the base of the ship. Large plumes of water shot straight up into the air as the ship began her steady but rapid descent into the ocean.

Jenga had one foot planted against base of the railing and both hands wrapped tightly around the top rail. She looked straight down, watching the water seemingly climb up the 'Lusitania''s vertical decks. The First Class Promenade Deck was underwater, and with that, they were only a few hundred feet more from the ocean. As they neared the ocean, the roaring grew louder. Jenga felt the spray hitting her, despite being more than two hundred feet from the ocean below.

"Like an elevator ride," she thought to herself as the ship began to fall even more rapidly. The white water consumed the second class deck. "This is it!" Jenga shouted. She tensed her muscles, ready to start swimming. The ocean was just fifty feet from her. Faster and faster it rose. Then, the raging white water was directly below her. She opened her mouth to take a deep breath, just before the 'RMS Lusitania' sank completely beneath the waves.

Water surrounded Jenga, and she let go of the railing. She was immediately yanked under, and the suction started to pull on her. It pulled on her back, and she was almost pulled upside down. Bubbles surrounded her, disorienting her, and her only guide to the surface was the color of the water. She thrashed her upper body about and kicked as hard as she could with her legs, but still, she was being pulled down. She tried a powerful breast stroke, and then, she started to move toward the surface. She kicked her legs with a renewed vigor, and much to her joy and great relief, she was moving toward the surface. It was then that she realized just how far she had, in fact, been pulled under. The surface of the water looked far above her, but she had at last escaped the suction. Several seconds later, she reached the surface.

Desperately, she sucked in a long breath of air, alleviating the pain in her chest. She brushed the hair out of her face and frantically looked all about her. There was debris everywhere, pieces of wood of all sizes that had escaped the 'Lusitania,' but she didn't see a single soul.

"Phantom Ranger!" Jenga cried, looking around frantically.

"I'm here, my Queen," Phantom Ranger answered. She turned in the direction of the deep bass voice and saw the black armored Ranger swimming toward her. "Scorpina?"

"I don't know," Jenga answered, swimming toward her Ranger. "I don't see her."

"Over here!" a voice shrieked.

"Scorpina!" Jenga cried happily. She turned away from Phantom and swam to Scorpina, who was floating in the water and clutching her life vest desperately. "See, you made it," Jenga said.

"I still don't know how to swim," Scorpina stammered. "I just... I just kicked like you told me to."

"Come on," Jenga ordered, taking her hand and pulled her with her. She swam Scorpina over to a large, flat piece of wood. "Hang onto this, and just kick your feet. Can you do that?"

"Yeah, I think so," Scorpina answered, grabbing the floating piece of wood. "Are you coming with me?"

"I'm right behind you with Phantom Ranger."

Scorpina nodded slowly and did as she was told. Using the wood as a kick board and her life vest to keep her above the water, she began to slowly swim away from the wreckage site. Jenga pointed at her, nodding at Phantom Ranger, who promptly swam toward Scorpina to help her make it ashore.

Jenga waited a moment longer, looking at the debris in the water. Despite being mortal, another death print came to her.

"Get back!" the man yelled, poking at desperate swimmers with an oar. "We have no room for you!"

"We can't turn them away!" some woman cried.

"It's our lives now! They'll swamp the boat! Get back!"

The people were everywhere, trying to stay alive in the fifty-seven degree water. The lifeboats were full; they could take no more souls. Already, people were dying. Some drowned, some died of exposure, and still others were beat to death by the oars of the lifeboats.

With a heavy sigh, Jenga returned to the future. She was now alone in the warm waters. "Goodbye," she said softly as she turned away from the downed 'Lusitania' and swim away.

~*~

However, as soon as she stepped out of the water, her full arsenal of powers returned to her. Energy roared through her body, and the exhausting fled. "Oh yes," she sighed, tilting her head back. A tall glass of ice cold lemonade twinkled into existence in her hand, and she promptly put it to her lips and drank it in one, long gulp. "Well, that was an experience."

Her normally red and blue hair was maroon and purple from the water. When she ran her hands through it, it magically dried and cleaned itself. She quickly produced a hair tie and tied her hair out of the way. Just as she was about to go walking up and down the beach, looking for her fellow villains, Phantom Ranger washed onto the beach.

The body was still covered in the black armor, but the helmet was missing. It lay on its side a short distance away. Phantom's long hair was wet, stringy, and mingled with sand. Phantom attempted to get up, but its body was too tired. Instead, it just lay on the sand, attempting to catch its breath.

"Phantom," Jenga said, kneeling beside the Ranger. "We're on Muranthias. Morph back and you'll feel fine."

"Back to action," Phantom Ranger muttered. The helmet and Phantom Ranger's head both flared up with black light, and when it subsided, the Ranger was fully morphed.

"Feel better?"

"I feel much better, my Queen. Any other survivors?"

"I'm not sure yet," Jenga said, shielding her eyes with her hand as she looked over the ocean. Then, she reminded herself she had powers, and said, "All are on the beach except Scorpina, and she should be washing up on shore shortly."

~*~

. "Scorpina!" Jenga cried, running up to her.

"Jenga!" Scorpina shouted back. The two women met in a big hug. "I can't believe I survived!"

"And you were just going to sit there and die," Jenga smiled.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go find Elgar," Scorpina said, cracking her knuckles.

"In the jungle," Phantom Ranger said, pointing.

Jenga turned her attention back to the ocean, sending twin beams of blue light out into the jungle. "Do you see them?" Phantom Ranger asked.

"Not yet," Jenga said.

"I'm here," Astronema groaned from behind them. Jenga and Phantom Ranger spun around to see her leaning against a palm tree. She was still wearing dark blue pajamas, and her hair was still dark and wet.

"Fire Crystal?" Jenga asked.

Astronema smiled and held her right hand out. A clear orb with a black flame burning in the center hovered above her open palm. As she put it away, silver light shone around her, transforming her water-logged pajamas into her black and silver armor.

~*~

"Uh, hey," Elgar retorted, looking at the attractive Asian woman in the faint purple summer dress. Raising his eyebrows in a mockery of seduction, he said, "I dunno who you are baby, but you sure do look fine."

"It's me, Scorpina," she said. Then, her face fell into an angry scowl. Clenching her hand into a tight fist, she pulled her arm back and slammed it into his deformed face. Elgar cried in alarm and stumbled backwards, both hands flying to his bleeding nose. "There," Scorpina said, smiling. "I feel much better."

~*~

"They can protect themselves," Bulk commented. "Which way do we head?"

Tanya pointed her Turbo Navigator out in front of her. "I'm not sure," she said slowly. "What exactly is it we're looking for?"

"They'll be going to an area of high power concentration," Cassie reminded her.

"The Volcano would be our first choice then," Tanya muttered.

~*~

"I honestly know how you feel," Tommy said. "I really do. But don't worry. In four days, you'll be home."

"What if it doesn't work?" Crystal asked, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "What if I end up lost, forever?"

Before Tommy could do what little he could to alleviate her fears, Crystal continued, "So, do you know anything about the Phantom Ranger?"

"Uhn uh," Tommy said. "He didn't show up until after we left." He paused a moment, and then suggested, "Let's go to the Youth Center. Ernie would probably get a kick out of meeting someone from another dimension."

"I do need to do something," Crystal agreed. "I'm liable to go stir-crazy."

"I can also introduce you to Aisha and Adam," Tommy said as he escorted Crystal out onto his side patio.

~*~

"Temporary, trust me," Tommy assured her. "Aisha, this is a new friend of mine, Crystal Mills."

"Hi," Crystal said, shaking her hand. "Do you know about me?"

"One of Sigma's?"

"That'd be me," Crystal said, helping Aisha to her chair. She took her crutches and slid them under the table.

"Tommy!" Ernie shouted, spying the recently arrived Ranger. Laughing happily, Ernie darted around the bar and grabbed the tall teen in a hug.

"I've missed you too, Ernie," Tommy laughed, eagerly returning the hug.

"So, who's your friend?" Ernie asked.

"Crystal, from another dimension. She kind of got pulled here accidentally," Tommy whispered. "Also a Ranger, just not our's."

"It's nice to meet you, Ernie," Crystal smiled. "My little brother preferred you to Lt. Stone."

"That's ni-... Pardon?" Ernie asked.

"The t.v. show," Crystal repeated warily. "Ooh, I've said too much."

"We're a television show in her world," Tommy said quietly. "Characters of fiction."

"All of us?" Aisha asked. "Even Ernie?"

"Wow," Ernie sighed in fake awe. "I'm a television star."

"Yeah, and you wear spandex."

"What do you mean?" Aisha questioned.

"Instead of armor, you were spandex suits," Crystal murmured. "Except for the first movie. You wore armor in the first movie. Spandex in the second, though. The show is pretty corny, actually. But boy, Rocky sure looked good in his spandex. Or Steve, as it were."

"Spandex?" Aisha repeated. "How on Earth can you defend the planet in spandex? And who's Steve?"

"Maybe it's magic spandex," Ernie suggested. "Crystal, can I get you anything to eat or drink?"

"Uhm, can I have a Diet Coke?"

"Sure," Ernie repeated. "I'll bring you one of my smoothies, too."

"Is a smoothie anything like a milkshake?"

"Sort of," Tommy said as Ernie walked away. "Not as thick, though, and more sweet. Ernie's smoothies are famous in this city. His blueberry and cinnamon, man... I have missed his smoothies more than I've missed anything."

A short time later, Adam joined Tommy, Aisha, and Crystal in the Youth Center. Ernie kept bringing them food, always insisting it was "on the house." The four moved into a quiet corner of the Juice Bar so they could discuss the various intricacies of being a Power Ranger.

"Phantom Ranger is our current pain in the butt," Aisha muttered, shaking her head dramatically.

"You have no idea who it is?" Crystal asked.

"There are four potential suspects," Adam said slowly, looking to see if Tommy knew his brother might be one of the most evil Rangers ever to hit the Earth.

"I know, Adam," Tommy said. "It could be my brother, David, or Adam's dad, Rocky's little sister, or Billy's mother."

"Can't you just look at Phantom Ranger's height and build and compare it to the four?" Crystal suggested. "They surely have different builds."

"We have reason to suspect Phantom Ranger's size is different when morphed," Adam said. "Phantom Ranger is 5'7", and none of our suspects is five seven."

"Well, what did your analysis of joint strain reveal?" Crystal asked.

"Joint strain?" Adam asked.

"You did check for strains in the armor, didn't you?"

"Well... Alpha did everything," Aisha said.

"If there is a height difference that takes place in morphing, then there will be some strain in the joints," Crystal told them. "Winter of... '96, we had a time trouble stink on our hands. Somehow, our then-bad guy Nadia had kidnapped a future version of one of us, transformed that Ranger into a hideous visage of a Power Ranger, and sent him or her, most likely her, back in time to fight us. The Ranger was this big, ugly, bulky black-armored thing. The helmet was sheer black, you couldn't make out the visor or anything. Pretty ugly. We were able to measure the strain in the elbows and knees and determine the exact height. Guess who it turned out to be?"

"You?" Tommy realized.

"Me," Crystal said with a nod. "Once we figured it out, that Ranger disappeared from everything except out memories. We had no idea what happened to it; we couldn't find the Black Ranger in any of our recordings or anything. We didn't really know what had happened, but we finally figured it out. When Nadia joined our side, the alternate future where she was kidnapped me and transformed me into her Ranger never happened."

"Could you show Alpha how to run a scan on our Phantom?" Adam asked. "If we could figure out who it is before the evil power permanence..."

"Let's go," Crystal agreed. The four Rangers hurried to a private location and teleported away in a very Christmassy collection of reds, white, and green.

~*~

"Still scanning," she answered.

The morphed Green, Blue, Pink, and Red Turbo Rangers stood behind her, looking about the island. They had made it to one of the highest points on the island, and all of Muranthias stretched out around them.

Her Turbo Navigator beeped and she said, "They're heading for the Volcano, and we only have about three minutes to beat them there."

"How far are we?" Zack asked.

"Seven miles," Tanya said. "We gotta run." She put the Turbo Navigator in its pocket dimension, and shouted, "Let's go, people!" Relying on her Turbo speed, she darted away, fully intent on beating the evil to the Volcano. The others were close behind.

~*~

"Beautiful, my Queen," Phantom Ranger agreed.

As she and her soon-to-be permanently evil Phantom Ranger talked amongst themselves, four glistening green eyes watched from the jungle.

~*~

"What exactly are we going to do here, Mom?" Lord Zedd asked, tapping the end of his staff against the rock ground.

"Gimme a sec to find the highest source of energy concentration," Jenga said noncommittally. Blue beams of light shot from her eyes, and she began to sweep them across the room.

~*~

"Lead the way, Tanya," Zack said.

"Right," Tanya agreed as she moved to the head of line. With their defenses at ready, the five Rangers hurried down the dark tunnel.

~*~

"You got it, sis," Astronema said, tossing the round orb at Jenga.

Before the evil Power Permanence could occur, however, there was a loud series of yells as the Turbo Rangers ran into the room.

"What the bloody hell!" Divatox cried. "Not again!"

"ATTACK!!!" Jenga bellowed. Phantom started to join the battle, but she reached out and grabbed the Ranger by the shoulder. "Not you."

Bulk looked up as Goldar and Rito came barreling for him. With an emphatic ki-yaah, the Blue Turbo Ranger flipped over the two Warriors. He dropped to the ground and swept his leg beneath Rito, knocking the skeleton off of his feet. Then, Bulk leapt to his feet in one fluid motion and high-kicked Goldar, connecting solidly in the golden-armored henchman's chest. Bulk cried, "Hand Blasters!" With twin flashes of glittering blue light, his gun-like weapons appeared in his grip. "Catch this!" he cried as he shot a blue burst of energy at them, knocking them once again backwards.

Tanya dropped into a split as Elgar's Sword of Cards shuffled into being above her. He swung them at her, but she rolled away in a somersault. Balancing herself on her hands, she pushed herself back into a standing position. With only a split second to make the decision, she spun into a spinning kick, just enough faster than Elgar to take him down.

Carlos attempted to high-kick Rygog, but the heavily armored being caught his foot. Just as Rygog began to laugh at him, Carlos pushed off with his free foot and kicked Rygog in the chest. He stumbled backwards and rolled onto his back, temporarily disabled.

Cassie grabbed Scorpina's arm and flipped her, causing her golden scepter to clatter away. She intended to literally stomp Scorpina, but the attractive villain quickly got to her feet and planted a heavy foot in Cassie's stomach. With an oomph, the Pink Turbo Ranger flew backwards, landing on her knees. Glancing up, she saw Scorpina had retrieved her scepter and was running at her. "Wind Fire!" Cassie cried, producing her weapon. She pulled the string back and fired two pink energy arrows, both striking Scorpina full on.

Zack summoned his Lighting Sword just as Lord Zedd swung his Z staff at him. Red sparks flew from both weapons as they made contact. Lord Zedd was well over a foot taller than Zack, and considerably heavier, but Zack had the benefit of morphed agility. Without taking his eyes off of Zedd's stance, Zack dropped down enough to kick Zedd's left leg out from underneath him. The skinless man tried to elbow Zack in the face, but Zack let his legs fold up. He fell flat on his back, missing Zedd's attack.

"Hurry up and do it!" Astronema cried, holding her staff at ready. Fortunately for them, the other henchmen were holding the Rangers off.

"Hold this," Jenga ordered, shoving the Fire Crystal into Phantom Ranger's hands. She tilted her head back and extended her arms. Wind began to blow around her, whipping her hair frantically. She extended her hands, and black flames began to coalesce around them.

Suddenly, blue flashed before both of them. Four heavy paws collided with Jenga's body, knocking her to the ground. Phantom Ranger darted its gaze toward Jenga, just as another blue object hit it. The Fire Crystal tumbled from Phantom's black gloves. Looking up, Phantom saw that a tiger, colored blue, was the source of the attack.

"NO!" Jenga yelled angrily, physically throwing her assailant aside. The tiger was a full-grown male. His eyes were a vibrant, emerald green, while his coat was a pleasing shade of sky blue. His throat and underbelly were white, and black stripes traversed his frame. With a mighty growl, he leapt at Jenga again. She put her hands up defensively, and he clamped a tooth-laden mouth on her forearm. She screamed angrily as black blood began to flow from the wound. Then, with the scream of a banshee, she placed her free hand on the good Samaritan animal's neck and yanked hard, killing it.

The tigress, standing atop Phantom Ranger, gave a pained screamed as she saw her lifelong mate murdered. Her eyes flashed angrily, and with an angry growl, she snatched the Fire Crystal with the black flame burning inside from Phantom's hand. Using intelligence far beyond a normal tiger's means, she activated the Crystal. Then, she snapped her head down, throwing the Fire Crystal at Phantom Ranger's ruby. The orb shattered, sending a slight burst of black fire up into the air.

"NOOO!!" Jenga screamed. The tigress then leapt off of Phantom Ranger and hurried over to her fallen mate. Whimpering sadly, she nudged him. "KILL HER!!!" Jenga demanded.

"Gladly," Phantom Ranger growled. Black light swirled around Phantom's outstretched hands and a long, ebony blade materialized. With nary a scream or hint to its actions, Phantom ran at the blue tigress. She looked up just in time to see the blade enter her body. She gave a pained scream, and then collapsed beside her dead mate. Dark blood flowed from her side, staining her sky-blue fur maroon.

"Let's get out of here!" Jenga yelled. However, before she could teleport them all away, a realization hit her. "No!" she shrieked angrily. She thrust her hands at the sky, and blue bolts of lightning burst from her fingertips. "Let's go!" she snapped. Blue light flashed around each of her crew, and then all disappeared, leaving only the Turbo Rangers and the two dead tigers behind.

"They sacrificed themselves for us," Carlos sighed.

Tanya removed her helmet and hurried over to the tigress. "She's still alive," Tanya murmured. However, she knew from the look of the wound that the tigress stood no chance of living. The tigress opened one eye and mewed sadly. "Thank you, girl," Tanya whispered, stroking her beside the face. "I don't know if you can understand me, but we really appreciate what you did. Phantom Ranger would be evil for good now if you hadn't intervened."

The tigress mewed again, and then she made a slight motion with her head. Suddenly, the volcano rumbled beneath them. "This place is gonna blow," Tanya announced. However, the tigress again jerked her head. "What is it, girl?" She then saw, however, what the tigress was saying. Tanya's hand went to her abdomen and saw a single, pale blue, nipple poking out of her white fur. Turning to the Turbo Ranger, she said, "She has a baby."

"Tanya, if the volcano is about to erupt, we have to go," Bulk said calmly, approaching her.

The tigress then jerked her head in the opposite direction. She emitted a slight mew, and then, a tiny, blue tiger cub crawled into the room. Upon seeing its parents, she began to cry. She hurried over to the tigress and bumped her head against her mother's. The tigress gave a deep rumble, and the baby tiger began to mew pitifully.

"We need to be going," Cassie said, approaching the pit. Glancing down, she saw the magma surging toward the surface.

With a contented mew, the tigress died. The baby pawed its mother, crying all the while. Then, after it realized her mother had died, she turned to Tanya. The baby was very young, probably not more than a month. She was, however, already the size of a house cat. Her fur was pale blue, and there were only the briefest hints of stripes in her coat. It stretched up and placed both paws on Tanya's thighs. It gave a little roar, and Tanya scooped the baby into her arms. The baby tiger nestled against Tanya's chest, her feline heart beating frantically.

"Tanya, we can't take it with us," Zack said.

"We have to," Tanya insisted. "If we don't, it'll starve to death, and... I think it's mother asked us to. Back to action. Now let's go!" Holding the tiger cub protectively in her arms, she ran down the darkened tunnels of the volcano with her teammates behind her.

The volcano shuddered violently as it erupted. Hot lava barreled down the tunnel after them, prompting the Rangers to shift into Turbo Speed. In colored streaks, they all disappeared into jungle.

"Let's go home," Tanya said as she ran up on the Sentient Vehicles. "This baby is starting to get hungry." Star Blazer's door opened, allowing Tanya entry.

"Shotgun," Bulk commented, hurrying up to the passenger side of Lightning Cruiser. Moments later, the two Red and Yellow Sentient Vehicles lifted off of the ground and flew off into the sky.

~*~

"Kill?"

"Kill," Jenga said. Folding her arms across her chest, she asked, "Do you have a problem with that?"

"No my Queen." In a whoosh of black fire, Phantom disappeared.

"You can't win for losing," Jenga mumbled. But, she had almost tasted victory. She knew what an evil Phantom Ranger could do, and that Ranger had been created purely as an after-thought. "If I really set my mind on it, I can take these Rangers down," she said. "I'm sure of it."

Despite the anger filling her mind, one thought kept returning to Jenga. She couldn't get the images of the 'Lusitania''s death throes out of her mind. She cast her gaze at Ireland and saw that it was past midnight there. "I wonder," she thought out loud.

Jenga didn't like to think of herself as an overly emotional personal. She considered herself a sexual person with a great sense of humor, but on the positive side of things, that was as far as she was willing to delve. However, she had fallen in love with 'Lusitania.' "I'm not gonna let you die, girl," Jenga promised.

Closing her eyes, she melted into a wispy stream of blue light. The blue light flowed out of the Lunar Palace and drifted down to Earth.

~*~

"What in the bleeding blazes?" he asked, jumping out of his chair and hurrying over to the window. He stared in shock for a second longer, and then he darted from his post, flying down the steps two and three at a time.

The 'RMS Lusitania' was slowly cutting her way through the waters. She was as tall and majestic as she had been when she sank just twelve miles away, eighty-three years ago. He watched in silent and total awe as the ship docked at the harbor.

Blue light bridged a gap between the 'Lusitania' and the docks. Magically, a long, gangway appeared there. Had Dedrick known his history, he would have realized that gangway was the one used in the early 1900's for the 'Lusitania.'

"I'm hallucinating," Dedrick finally said, still staring at the mysterious ocean liner.

"If you are, then so am I," a voice said behind him. Turning, Dedrick saw one of his coworkers, Michael Langley, standing nearby.

"The 'Lusitania?'" Dedrick asked.

"Yup," Michael agreed flatly. "Hey, wait a minute. Would you look at that..."

Both men glanced up at the top of the gangway. A beautiful woman stepped out on it. She wore a floor-length white dress suit. Thin, vertical, purple stripes ran up and down her outfit. She wore white gloves, and she carried a tall but thin purple umbrella, currently used as a walking stick. Long, curly red hair cascaded down across her shoulders and back. A large-brimmed purple hat, with a large white bow, sat at an angle atop her head. She was dressed in vintage 1915 period clothing, and she carried herself with a proper grace.

The woman walked to the end of the gangway. No one else followed her from the ship. She stepped out onto the pier and walked over to the man. It was then that Dedrick saw she carried something in her hands. She held a black captain's hat. Upon passing them, she nonchalantly handed it to him.

"Uh, Miss," Dedrick finally managed. "I- Well,..."

She stopped, paused, and then turned to face him. Smiling, she said, very simply, "Occam's Razor." After that strange message, she continued her journey off of the docks, quickly disappearing into the nights, just as mysteriously as she arrived.

Dedrick looked at the hat, still shocked. Golden letters read, "Cunard Line CAPTAIN."

"Unbelievable," Dedrick sighed, staring at the 'RMS Lusitania.' She rested in complete silence by the docks.

Michael crossed his arms, glanced at his co-worker, and said, "Better late than never, I suppose."

~*~

"Aisha, there are temporal disturbances in the Nemesis Triangle," Zordon assured her. "We have no reason to fear anything is Wrong."

"Knee strain is... negative 2.3%," Crystal said, carrying on a different conversation with Alpha, Adam, and Tommy.

"Elbow, negative three, even," Adam said.

Suddenly, the alarms went off. "Alpha?" Aisha asked.

"Aye-yi-yi!" the android cried. "Phantom Ranger and Quantrons are attacking in the park!"

"They are back?" Aisha asked, turning to Zordon.

"The Turbo Rangers aren't," Catalina said, shimmering into being beside Zordon. "They're still in the Triangle, but they'll be here soon. Morph and get out there. We'll let you know how the Turbo Teens fared as soon as they get here."

"Let's go," Crystal said, assuming the morphin stance.

"What are you doing?" Adam asked.

"I'm coming, too," Crystal said defiantly. "It's morphin time."

"White Tiger —- Bear!" Aisha cried.

"Squirrel!" Crystal yelled.

"Zeo Ranger IV, Green —- Frog!" Adam shouted.

"Zeo Ranger V, Red —- Falcon!" Tommy added. With that, the Power Rangers teleported to the park.

"There they are!" Tommy yelled.

"That is one pug-ugly Ranger," Crystal remarked.

Phantom Ranger looked at the female Ranger in the red armor of the Tyrannosaurus. Phantom dropped stance and stared at Crystal.

"Do you know him, Crystal?" Adam asked.

Crystal shrugged, not sure why Phantom Ranger was staring her down. Then, a black laser pistol appeared in Phantom's grip. A series of black lasers shot forth. With a loud yell, Crystal flipped high into the air and out of the way, narrowly missing the heavy assault.

"ATTACK!"

Crystal looked up to track Phantom Ranger, only to see several Quantrons rush her. "Tyrannosaurus Talons!" she cried, summoning her red weapons of destruction. However, unlike the random fighting styles of the Naddies and Gargoyles of her dimension, the Quantrons had a very specific fight pattern. For every move she would make, a Quantron would either counter it or have already moved aside. _I can't believe what I'm about to say._ "Tommy!" Crystal cried.

Tommy destroyed a silver fighter with his Power Sword. Looking up, he saw that Crystal was being several ambushed by Quantrons. Despite her best efforts to the contrary, she was getting a serious beating.

"Crystal!" he shouted, starting to run for her. However, the Quantrons suddenly left her alone.

With a confused grunt, Crystal looked around. Then, she saw why the Quantrons had left. Phantom Ranger leapt at her, both booted feet striking her hard in the chest. Oomphing, Crystal flew backwards. She landed on her back, but quickly recovered, narrowly missing a sword thrust from Phantom Ranger.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Phantom Ranger bellowed. The black Ranger high kicked Crystal, knocking her backwards.

"I don't want to fight you!" Crystal cried, holding her hands up defensively. Phantom Ranger, however, had every intention of fighting. The black sword quickly transformed into a black whip. The whip lashed out at Crystal, coiling around her left forearm. Phantom yanked her off her feet, but Crystal saw the move coming and planned for it. She pushed off with her feet, sailing high into the air over Phantom Ranger. With a hard yank, she yanked the whip off of her arm and landed nimbly on the ground. "Don't make me fight you!"

"YOU BITCH!" Phantom screamed. The angry Ranger darted at her again; Crystal flipped over the evil Ranger, missing its attack.

_He's so mad, he can't concentrate,_ Crystal realized. "Can't we talk about this?!" Crystal tried. Twin blades appeared in Phantom's hands. "Guess not," Crystal groaned, summoning her own Talons. Crossing them at chest level, she barely blocked a hard hit on her chest. Crystal leapt off of the ground and gave Phantom a hard enough kick in the chest that the Ranger stumbled backwards.

"Tyrannosaurus Freeze Lights!" Crystal cried. Pale blue lights flashed from the eyes on her helmet. Immediately, the entire battlefield paused, except for the Rangers. _Should've known,_ she muttered to herself as Phantom continued coming at her. Crystal leapt aside as Phantom fired another series of laser blasts.

"What the?" Adam asked, realizing the Quantrons he was fighting was standing stock-still.

"Why is he after Crystal so hard?" Aisha asked, ignoring the frozen Quantrons poised all around her.

"The freeze wears off after fifteen seconds!" Crystal shouted, ducking a side-kick. She had no more than said it when the Quantrons returned to life, resuming their paused actions.

"What did you do with him?!" Phantom Ranger yelled, now circling with Crystal. Both Rangers were at a current dead-lock, neither having the upper hand.

"What did I do with who?" Crystal asked. With an angry scream, Phantom Ranger ran at Crystal with a broad-sword raised high over it's head. "Crap!" Crystal cried. She put her twin Talons above her head, blocking the hard down-strike. "Tyrannosaurus Scream!" she cried. A loud, thunderous roar filled the air. All Ranger present, both good and evil, clamped both hands over their ears. The Quantrons all fell to the ground, their internal processors destroyed by the 200 decibel sound.

Phantom Ranger wouldn't answer her, and Crystal had no idea what it was trying to imply. As Phantom Ranger began to come at her again, Crystal realized she was going to have to fight. Suddenly, Phantom brought the sharp edge of its sword down across her chest, taking her by surprise. Crystal yelled in pain and surprise as it pulled the sword away, sending a brief shower of red sparks from her armor.

"That's it!" Crystal yelled, suddenly angered. "TYRANNOSAURUS SCAN!" Immediately, her black visor was replaced with a sheet of silver, a line of red lights dividing it. Her vision immediately changed, plunging the entire world into a black and red infrared vision. She mentally commanded the scan to look for the weak spot in Phantom's armor. Every Ranger had an Achilles' heel; she just had to find Phantom's. Then, a second later, she found it. Phantom Ranger's weak spot was behind its neck.

She stood still, allowing Phantom Ranger to come for her. At the last moment, however, she flipped straight up into the air, nimbly sailing over its head. Upon landing, she spun around and brought both Tyrannosaurus Talons on Phantom's weak spot. Black sparks shot out of it, and Crystal leapt back, spinning the Talons as she did so.

Phantom Ranger fell to its knees, screaming. In that instant, the intense pain triggered the fallen blue tigress' command given to the Fire Crystal. The tigress used the Fire Crystal to ensure that Phantom Ranger would soon return evil; even though the blue tigers were a natural animal, they also knew what Rangers were. As such, they knew that no Ninja Ranger would willfully serve evil. As the pain wracked Phantom Ranger's body, the spell fled. Realization hit the Ranger hard, and if Phantom Ranger weren't already in a kneeling position, the list of horrors committed while morphed would have felled it.

Aisha, Adam, and Tommy hurried over to Crystal's side. The heavily armored Phantom Ranger stayed on its knees. No sound or movement was made. "What happened?" Tommy asked.

Crystal silently deactivated the Power Scan. Her helmet scanner had given her the news first. "The evil spell has been broken," she said softly.

Adam, still worried that Phantom Ranger was his father, approached the Ranger. "Dad?" he asked cautiously. "Whoever you actually are, it's okay. We won't reject you. Let us help."

"No," Phantom Ranger grunted in a deep voice.

"David?" Tommy asked, walking up to the Ranger. He placed his hands on the armor-clad shoulder.

"No!" Phantom Ranger cried, jumping to its feet. Instinctually, Tommy and Adam both fell into a defensive stance. "I- I'm sorry," Phantom Ranger finally stammered. Black flames coalesced around the being, and it disappeared.

"Let's get back to the Command Center," Aisha said. "If he's good now, we can track him." Instantly, the four Rangers teleported away.

~*~

"You're back?" Aisha asked of the Turbo Rangers.

"We just got here," Tanya said, still holding the baby blue tiger in her arms.

"Alpha, scan for Phantom Ranger," Crystal said. "The spell was just broken."

"I just discovered Phantom Ranger's true identity!" Alpha cried.

"Phantom Ranger isn't evil anymore?" Bulk asked.

"True identity?" Adam asked. "Alpha?"

"I've just located Phantom Ranger in the desert," Alpha said.

"Please pull up the image at once," Zordon said. "Bulk, please contact Dulcea. We will need her assistance."

Immediately, the image appeared on the Viewing Globe. All eyes traveled to the round orb. "Oh dear God," Tanya sighed. Tommy realized he had both hands clamped over his mouth in complete and total shock.

"Who is it?" Crystal asked, turning to the others for the answer.

~*~

"Please God, please God, please God," Emily repeated over and over, not entirely sure what she was praying for. She slowly rocked back and forth, perfectly in time with her wooden mantra. "Please God, please God, please God..."

The End... for now