Disclaimer: The basic concept belongs to whoever Disney assigned it to but the characters belong to us. Like our previous fic series Viva La Resistance this series requires a lot of work due to differences in Time Zone and Hemispheres.
Please note that Mistri owns the Rangers of Phaedos, and they are unavailable for borrowing.

Power Rangers: To The Tenth Power
Lighted Darkness
by Robert and Mistri, Cho's Observer

The next morning, June 30th, 4124 Melody woke up screaming.

Adria wearily got out of bed, shook her head and ran in.

"What's wrong, honey?"

"I dreamed my parents were ugly monsters who killed people!!!" wailed Melody. Adria spent some time calming Melody, and then went to the kitchen.

"Maybe her parents did something horrible and Articula is going to fix it up, that would explain his interest," Adria mused. Pretty soon, she had convinced herself of this and after bidding Bereto goodbye, she and Melody went to the center.

"Adria... " said Melody. "What did you mean yesterday when you said you had to morph before he believed you?" Adria cursed inwardly, and sat Melody down for a talk.

~*~

Dani was lounging around the place, not really caring if she was wanted for anything. Jolik came along.

"Dani, you should be working, now come along and help me," he said.

"No thanks... I'm trying to remember something. . . " Jolik's eyes widened, and he ran off. Dani, ignoring him, decided to go out, and ported to a park, only to be confronted by the Rangers. But she didn't seem to notice them and sat down, thinking out loud.

"I can't remember something. What is it? Something about a little baby... and a great cloud of darkness. And a quiet voice saying 'The Fox must achieve her destiny, and so you must live... though not as who you were. Go now and the Owl shall care for the Fox from afar.'

"What is she going on about?" asked Valdi, puzzled. No one made any move to attack or defend.

"I surmise the Owl is the Pink Ranger of Phaedos," said Isidore. "If the references are to spirit animal."

"If you are correct, Isidore," said Radha quietly. "All you need to know is the movement of the Pink Phaedos Ranger to ascertain how she 'cared from afar.' Then by using her methods, maybe we will discern who the Fox is."

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking though?" asked Sita.

"If you're thinking that Dani is an idiot, then yes, I am," said Charda. "Let's go, we'll return when she actually does damage."

~*~

At the base, Radha, Sita, Landre and Isidore, the only ones interested in deciphering the cryptic statement were working around four different terminals.

"Well, I've ascertained that Owl and Fox have to be spirit animal references, unique and isolated to the Ninjetti," said Radha, finally. "There's no other type of power that uses those types of reference to one's person."

"Good," replied Landre. "The Pink Ranger of Phaedos though, well... her movements have crossed once to a planet known as Isleia... that was little over sixteen years ago... and then to Unaka immediately after that... reappearing three to four years ago for a brief period... "

"Isleia is the planet of the race of Islei," said Sita. "So logically, she was remembering my birth to her. Then... "

"She became evil only to allow destiny to happen, for it would not if she were dead. And so the Pink Ranger took you to Unaka, and then reappeared when your 'parents' died," said Isidore. "Ladies and gentleman, I think Dani might be able to turn good again."

"Not to mention we now know your spirit animal is the Fox," said Landre.

"Wrong," snapped Sita. Landre opened his mouth to protest and the Minartic Fox leapt on Sita, curling up on her head. "Minarctic Fox!" she shouted, tossing her head and causing the poor animal to crash into the wall.

"Now you know why Sita was pissed, and why E-Berg called the Fox Sita," said Radha. Isidore and Landre looked at each other, and cracked up laughing.

"Isidore, after we get married, IF we get married after what just happened, you ain't getting any for two months," snapped Sita, who then stalked off.

"Did she just propose to me?" asked Isidore, confused.

"I'm not sure... " said Landre, before bursting into laughter again.

~*~

However, in the city of Palin, country of Chinea, things were not so funny.

"I want to find my brother," snapped a young woman.

"Do as you wish, but you will not live here then," replied an older woman.

"I don't see what the problem is, Mother! I want to find my brother, my other half of me," she said. "You don't understand what it's like, to have the only person who understands you taken away from you. And you know I need to find him."

"I've given you your choices. You may stay, forgetting this nonsense, and remain Thalia Renault, my daughter." The young woman clenched her hands, her figure shaking with anger. "Leave, and you will once more be Thalia Cantrell, never again my daughter, and I will not give you the time of day."

The young woman picked up her bags, that represented her whole life. She strode to the door and turned back. "Miss Renault, you don't know the time of day." She slammed the door, walking out of that life, for good.

A hovercab came by, and she flagged it down. "I need to go the Transport Center."

~*~

Bereto Ninjao was working in the Transport Center, and had said goodbye to the last traveller when he saw a slim Asian woman sit down in the vacated seat. She put down all her bags. She wore a white sleeveless dress, two straps crossing over her shoulders to the opposite side on back. Golden stars and silver moons were stitched all over the dress, and if one looked hard enough and walked around the young lady, one would make out the word COMEDY from the positioning of the stars and moons. White sandals adorned her feet, and a straw hat covered her eyes.

"Good afternoon, how may I help you?" Bereto asked politely.

"I need a port to Pekjing," she said. Bereto pulled out the appropriate filing forms for her luggage and transport.

"Pieces of luggage, and any insurance on items?"

"Seventeen pieces of luggage and no insurance. I'll be lucky if I can crash in a seedy motel after this transport," she said, muttering the last part, but Bereto managed to get the gist of it.

"Any particular Port Center or will the main one be fine?"

"I guess the main one will do," she answered.

"Name and age?"

"Nineteen. Thalia Ren – Thalia Cantrell," she amended.

As he wrote it down, he asked absently, "You related to Isidore Cantrell?" He looked up when he heard Thalia collapse on the ground.

"Miss, are you alright?" he asked, coming around and helping her back into her seat.

"You know Isidore?" she asked, her breath coming in hitching gasps.

"He's one of my wife's best friends," he replied. "I suppose I even consider him a friend, though I don't know him as well as Adria."

Thalia was growing more pale as Bereto talked. Her system had been shocked and after the confrontation with Miss Rosie Renault, she wasn't equipped to handle it. She collapsed a second time, this time going into unconsciousness.

Bereto called for an emergency port to the hospital, and asked someone to ring Adria and get to ring him. Thalia was checked into the hospital and all the while Bereto was staying with her, and talking to Adria.

"Find Isidore, and get him to the hospital in Pekjing."

"You're working anywhere near?"

"Transport Center Company ports me to the different centres as I am needed there. I was attending to the traveller, so I went with her."

"Okay. I'll find Isidore and get his butt there."

Some hours later, Isidore ported in. "Bereto, what's going on?"

"I'm going back to work now, long story short, Room 1034 wants to meet you."

Isidore pushed the door open, and entered it, looking at the young woman who was sitting up in bed.

"Hello, Isidore," said the woman. Isidore's eyes narrowed.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"You don't remember," she sighed. "Not surprising though. After all, you last saw me... eleven years ago. And you gave me your stuffed puppy and told me to take care of Mon Chere."

"Thali?" asked Isidore, astounded.

"It's me, Isidore," replied Thalia. "Although... " She was cut off by Isidore hugging her tightly.

"It's been too long," Isidore said, breathing heavily, close to bawling.

"I'm here to stay," she assured him. When do I tell him? He has to know. Now... or do I wait? But the decisions were left unmade, as Isidore suddenly got a frightened look on his face.

"I'm terribly sorry, Thalia, but I have a prior engagement that just came up... " And Isidore exited the room in a hurry. She was left staring after him.

"A prior engagement that just came up... ? Isidore, you have some explaining to do," Thalia muttered.

~*~

"Articula, what is it?" asked Isidore, as his teleport materialized.

"We have a problem," replied Articula. "We've figured out the modus operandi of the Nameless One."

"And that's a problem?" Isidore looked blankly around at them.

"He will bring fiction to life. Every dark monster, every villain, every bad feeling invented in fiction will be created through his power," spoke Radha. "I only hope he doesn't learn of who Sita, companion of Lady Radha, was."

"Who was she?" asked Kylara.

"Not a vampire. Not a werewolf. Not a human. Not a goddess. And yet in some way, a melding of all four. She was not a bad person. But she was not a good person. Like Wolverine in X-Men II – X-Men United. You know he's a good person, and not a bad person. But in that movie, he killed so many people, and IF it was that he didn't like it, then it was that we weren't shown that he felt anything that indicated that he didn't want to be doing it. And in that, he was a bad person."

"If you're good, then you wouldn't like it. And if you were neutral, it being just something that had to happen, then you would wish that it didn't have to happen," murmered Valdi. "So what are you advising?"

"Read as much as you can. Make sure you are aware of how to kill monsters and things of fiction," replied Articula.

~*~

"I dealt with it," replied Isidore, creeping back in. "What was it you wanted to say?"

"I never said I wanted to say anything. But as it so happens, I do have something to say," replied Thalia. "Isidore... I have a slight problem... and it'll result in my death." She watched as Isidore became whiter than his shirt. Which was saying a lot, as Isidore had dark skin from his Asian heritage.

"What?" he finally said.

"Oh, Isidore... All the experts from Triforia to Aquitar to Edenoi have reached the same conclusion. It can be blamed on Wesley Collins and Jennifer Scotts, our ancestors. And Venomark. I assume you know your Ranger history. Wesley wasn't bitten. But he had gotten something worse. Something that made his DNA unstable.

"Jen's pure, 30th century DNA and Wes's 20th century, impure, unstable DNA melded and created a daughter and son. Wesley was given his daughter, Jen kept her son in the 30th century. Fast forward family thousand years, and a young woman, her own DNA supposedly pure, unknowingly married her many great grandmother's brother. Jen died of heartbreak, and no one thought to research the girl's family history.

"Unstability met unstability, and went on another thousand or so years. Until me. That unstability is now rearing up. My DNA is disappearing, random strand by random strand. And soon I'll be dead. Unless... there is a cure. Which there still isn't."

Isidore had been silent, and thought a while. "Are there theories?"

"Certainly. If someone would go back and stop Wes, then there'd be no problem. Yet to stop Wes, then the other Rangers would die. And the family line would cease to exist. The other option is to take Wes's place. Which is no good either. Another idea is Ranger Powers. But there are none that I could take. The Great Power could not recognise me because of my illness. You may contribute your own if you think of them." Isidore nodded and departed, thinking.

~*~

Isidore then went back to Articia to talk with Sita.

"Isidore, something wrong?"

"You could say that Sita. Something in my opinion worse then your being part Islei. Thalia tipped me off to it," he explained telling her about the genetic disease she had.

"Isidore, what if you have it as well. This could affect us or any family you someday have?"

"Sita, the power flows in me. IF I have it, I'm most likely just a carrier. Thing is my mom was pregnant when she left my dad. My little brother or sister could be affected by this someday as well."

"Do you think your sister will consent to some tests. I'd need you and your sibling to consent as well."

"Probably I think our mom would have to consent in my siblings case."

"We better talk to Articula since I might want to do any research here and he placed restrictions on who is allowed in after I had Cynthea bring Hilestra here for treatment from injuries she suffered in the attack on Valdi's house."

They went looking for Articula to see if he would consent. When they found him coming out of the head Isidore explained the situation.

"Nope absolutely not. Sita, this is a Ranger Installation not a medical hospital. While I can see the seriousness of the disease I don't see why the research has to be done here."

"Articula, an innocent human being is terminally ill. Sita might find a cure for the disease maybe even reverse it. If it was your kid wouldn't you want the best treatment possible."

"If it was my kid yes I would. Thing is Isidore she isn't my kid. I feel sorry for her being in the state she is but I don't feel as if the resources here should be used for that purpose."

"What about me Articula, Despite my being a ranger what if it should start to affect me. The Powers of the White Giant are internal to me. It doesn't sound as if anyone else can take my place on the team."

"Fine you two you win this round but Sita don't look at this as a blanket authorization to bend the rules everytime a relative of a ranger is sick or injured."

"Fine. As long as you go by that too."

Articula went quiet since he was hiding a secret from the other rangers.

Sita and Isidore then went back to the hospital in Palin, Chinea.

"What brings you back little brother?" Thalia inquired.

"I brought a friend who would like to run some tests on you. She thinks she might be able to help us."

"What kind of tests?" Thalia wondered.

"Tests that will determine if for one thing it can be treated and quite possibly reversed. If you consent to the tests I would have you transferred to where I do my research."

"Will they be painful?"

"Hopefully no."

"Where will you be transferring me for these tests which I will allow you to undergo on me?"

"Fortress Articia. It's a fairly secure facility where I can work in peace. It's so secure your brother and I butted heads with our boss over whether you should even be brought there."

"Why is it so secure?"

"Maybe because Fortress Articia is the Ranger's home base."

"The Rangers," Thalia said.

"Yes Thalia. In fact my friend and I are two of them," Isidore explained. "Thalia, what did mom shortly after you two left end up giving birth to?"

"Oh you didn't know about Calliope's birth I take it. What if she has the disease as well?"

"I plan on testing her as well. Do you think it's likely your mother will consent to the tests?"

"Considering how heartless mom is I couldn't tell you. She threw me out of her life just because I wanted to go looking for Isidore."

Isidore got upset and prepared to walk off. Before he did though Thalia slipped a piece of paper into his back left pocket. Sita followed him.

"Isidore, we need to get every piece of info we can. Calliope could hold vital clues to the disease."

That night Isidore was in his bedroom getting ready for bed when he noticed the piece of paper in his pocket. He grabbed his secure wrist phone.

"Yeah Isidore?"

"Meet me here tomorrow. I found my mom's address in my back pocket."

"I see," Sita exclaimed.

The next morning Sita ported in while he was eating breakfast.

"I took the time to compute port belt coordinates from the address," Isidore explained.

They then ported to the address only to find Rosie packing the houses contents into boxes.

"Miss Renault, are you moving or something?" Sita inquired.

"Yes I am. I can't live here anymore. What are you after?"

"This mainly concerns your daughter."

"Calliope what about her?"

"It will effect her as well but mainly Thalia?"

"I have no daughter by that name."

"You do Miss Renault I know you do. Right now Thalia is dying and she has consented to certain tests so we can maybe stop the disease in it's tracks. The disease is genetic though so Calliope might and probably does already have it."

"How common is the disease?"

"Based on information she had only descendents over the last thousand years or so of Wes Collins and Jennifer Scotts are affected by this form of the disease that I'm going to research."

"I will allow you to do the tests on Calliope on one condition and you must agree to this condition before I will even consider allowing the tests."

"That condition being Miss Renault?"

"The two people you spoke of are from my side of the family so I will require testing as well. In fact I demand you test me."

"Fair enough Miss Renault. I'll require Hair, blood, tissue, and saliva samples from each of you. The hair samples will have to be full samples off a brush or comb not a mere clipping since I will require genetic material."

Rosie then went and woke Calliope up so Sita could take the samples from her. Sita and Isidore collected the samples in the privacy of the young girl's room.

"Are you my brother?" the ten year old girl wondered.

"Yes I am Calliope the big brother you've never seen before."

"Do you know the Power Rangers?"

Isidore thought about her question and decided that estranged or not she was family.

"Yes I do Callie in fact I am one."

"No one has ever addressed me as Callie it was always Calliope a name I hate as it is."

"I don't blame you Callie. I hate my full name as well," Sita told her.

Sita marked the samples with Calliope's name. She then took similar samples from Rosie along with a complete medical history for everyone before they ported out and went to the base where Sita ran her genetic tests. She then left so she could collect Thalia.

"Hi Thalia."

"Oh hi. Where is my brother?"

"He is at the base. I have test samples from your mom and your sister. I'll collect your samples when we get to the base."

Sita helped the older girl stand up Just as they were getting ready to port out her doctor walked in.

"Ah Miss Cantrell I see you are all set to leave. I think your fainting was due to fright more then anything so try not to place yourself in similar situations for a while."

"I'll try not to." Thalia said. Thalia then underwent paperwork the hospital required before she was placed in a wheelchair and taken outside. Sita then took a hold of her and ported to the base.

"That was pure luck Thalia. You always seemed goofier when we were younger."

"Strange I don't exactly remember you."

"I tended to hang more with Radha Xenta and Landre Basto more then with your brother but I was around him enough. Of course when I wasn't hanging with what few friends I had I would keep myself occupied with some science or engineering challenge. Before too long I had earned a reputation as that Tiarean Science Whiz."

"Sita I didn't even recognize you. But then you were a lot shorter when I last saw you."

Sita then began to run all of her tests on the various samples she had making sure to keep them separate. When she got done she looked toward Isidore and Thalia.

"Thalia, do you know if this disease skips generations at all?"

"Sorry Sita I don't why do you ask?"

"For one thing her mother's DNA structure is intact with no sign of the disease having gone active. Your DNA structure shows clearly how it affects the patient. Callie's DNA well she will eventually get the disease. Isidore through luck is only a carrier. How old were you when you starting seeing evidence of the disease?"

"I was sixteen when I first saw evidence but it didn't really start to kill me until I was eighteen."

"Thalia, you said how Ranger Powers can stop the disease. Isidore, I have a feeling you lucked out by the power awakening when it did. Otherwise the disease could have rose within you and then well the power might not have protected you."

"What will the treatment involve Sita?" Thalia wondered as she sat on a treatment couch.

"First thing I will have to do is find a way to stop your DNA from disappearing. Once that is done I will have to rebuild your DNA. Finally I'll have to find a way to purge your DNA of the actual part that results in the disease. Unfortunately it might take a couple generations before the disease is eradicated in your family."

"How do you figure that Sita?"

"Because once the disease is far enough along I can repair the damage in Thalia and eventually Calliope but well since the disease is dormant in you it will never reach the point of eradication in your DNA so your children will get the disease and the treatment will be used on them. Thalia, I'll have to run tests on your fairly regularly so I'm not sure what to have you do."

"What you are saying is I will get well sicker before I get better."

"'Fraid so Thalia. I won't know more until I start seeing what will be required at each step in the treatment. I don't see you dying before treatment is complete."

End