A New Start

    Cerina was on the phone that night. She stood on the roof of the hospital looking down on the crumbled city. Cerina: "I don't believe it either, Lucas. Its like she changed instantly or something." Lucas: "I doubt it. Odds are she's been confused since you got to KO-35." Cerina: "She was so cold those first days. I don't think she could have faked that." Lucas: "You said she could have killed you at any time. If she was the person she claimed to be, she would have. But she let you live." Cerina: "I was starting to think it was a lost cause. Like my sister really was gone. Then this happens." Lucas: "You're lucky. Most people don't get a second chance like this. You two can bury the past and be a family." Cerina: "Yeah." Lucas: "I'm really happy for you." She looked around at the dead bodies below her. Cerina: "I think she wants this as much as I do. But she won't stop the war. She still wants to be Shelona." Lucas: "You can't expect her to change over night." Cerina: "She said she would never give up the freedom it gives her." Lucas: "She might. Give her time. Once she sees that she can trust you, she might have a change of heart." Cerina: "I hope so." She paused. Cerina: "I would have tried harder to get her to stop..." Lucas: "Yes?" Cerina: "I finally understand what she's been trying to tell me. I am just like her. I can't ask her to stop when I'm going down the same road she is." Lucas: "We've already been through this." Cerina: "I tried to kill Ransik today." It was silent on the other end of the phone. Cerina: "Lucas?"
    Shelona walked back onto her ship. It suddenly looked dark and lonely to her. The walls were made of a gray metal. There was no real life in the room. Only robots. She sighed. As she began to think about Cerina and Niki, the door slid open quickly. Caster walked in and bowed before her. Caster: "We have taken out another portion of the planet, my queen." Shelona: "Good. Keep the plan going. Take out one part of that worthless rock after another until there is nothing left." He nodded. Shelona: "It will be a pleasure to succeed where so many have failed. Not even Dark Spector could destroy this planet." She smiled. Shelona: "I wish he could be here to see me wipe it off the map." Caster: "You've researched the Dark Spector?" Shelona: "He caught my interest after you informed me of her previous attempts. His enslaving the United Alliance was quite impressive." Caster: "You will win." Shelona: "And add it to my long list of victories." Caster: "And the rangers? What about them?" She couldn't answer him.
    In Ransik's room, Kelly sat in front of the bed as she had for the past two days. She listened to the slow beeping of the machines and drifted into thought. Kelly thought: "God why won't you wake up? Open your eyes. Speak to me." She took his hand and held it in hers. Kelly: "You have to wake up. I want you told me in your arms the way you used to. Prove to me this world can't stop us. Please don't let Cerina win. Vulca already took Nadira from me. I can't loose you too." Karone stood in the doorway watching her. Karone: "You should go back to the ship for a while." She got up from the bedside and walked over to her. Kelly: "You know I won't do that." Karone: "You look terrible. Have you slept at all?" She shook her head. Kelly: "Not since we got here." Karone: "This is not healthy. You need to get out of here. Take a shower. Get some rest." Kelly: "I can't leave him. What if something happens?" Karone: "I'm sure a doctor will call you. Or I'll call you. Don't worry about it." She looked down at the plug in the wall. Kelly: "And what about Cerina? If I go home, I may not have a husband to come back to." Karone looked sad. Kelly: "She got back at Ransik with the attack. But me. She knows I can't live without him. She would take his life if not for anything else, then to pay me back. I won't give her that chance." Karone: "I'll stay with him." Kelly: "Really?" Karone: "Yeah. I won't let her anywhere near this room. I promise." Kelly: "Or Niki?" Karone looked at her kind of funny. Karone: "Niki? Are you saying you're worried about her too?" Kelly: "She's everything her mother is. Thoughtless and evil. I don't trust her at all." Karone: "Okay. I'll keep her out too." Kelly looked at Ransik again. Then back at Karone. Kelly: "If anything happens, call me. I don't care how minor it is. Call." Karone: "I will." She gave her a huge. Karone: "Relax all right. He'll be fine. I know he will." Kelly: "Thank you."
    Ice ran for what seemed like forever. Finally she stopped and looked behind her. It was clear. She kneeled down next to a tree, holding her chest. She could barely breath. Ice thought: "What is Hevesta doing? Why would she give Blaze all that power... or even bother to save her at all? This doesn't add up. She could finish me herself." A few seconds later, Blaze caught up with her. She grabbed her up from her knees and punched her repeatedly. After a final blow, she let go. Ice lay on the ground, gasping for air. Blaze: "Get up. You're not done." Ice: "I told you. I don't wanna fight you." She kicked her in the side. Blaze: "You have no choice. Now get up!"
    Rick and Kari were on a bench outside the hospital. Rick looked down at her arm. Rick: "So you finally got that cast off." Kari: "Yeah. Man I hated that thing. It was like.. a reminder of what Scorn did to me." He reached over and held her hand. Kari: "He was such a monster." Rick: "He lied to you. Its not a big deal." Kari: "He lied, but I fell for it. So what does that make me?" Rick: "Don't be so hard on yourself. It wasn't totally your fault. If I hadn't driven you away, you'd have never even known him." Kari: "You tried to warn me though. After all those times I pushed you away, you kept trying." She paused. Kari: "If I wasn't so da*n hard headed...." Rick: "Stop. That's in the past. The cast is gone, Scorn is dead, we can move on." She moved her arm a little. Kari: "It feels so good to move it again." She thought back to the day of their last fight. Kari: "I should repay Ice for getting rid of him. She really saved us." Rick: "Where is she anyway? I haven't seen her in a couple days." She shrugged. Kari: "Don't know. Think we should be worried?" Rick: "No. She is more than capable of taking care of herself. She doesn't need you to worry." He laughed. Rick: "She could probably take any one of us." Kari: "I guess. But it does seem weird that she'd run off like this. She's never done that before." Rick: "We can't deal with her right now. You have to rest and keep your mind off this stuff." Kari: "I'm not helpless, ya know. You don't have to go overboard all the time." Rick: "Think about it. What would you rather be thinking about? Ice or a name for our baby?" Kari: "Good point."
    Cerina: "Lucas?" Lucas: "I don't know what to say." Cerina: "You think she's right, don't you? We're both killers." Lucas: "You did it for a reason. Ransik has been nothing but trouble to you. Tracy is doing this for nothing." Cerina: "No she's not. Its misdirected. But she has her reasons." Lucas: "And those are?" Cerina: "Well... Mom basically. She never let her be a kid. And that's what she's been talking about since we met up here. That's the whole reason she left home in the first place. To find a place in the world away from our mother and all those responsibilities." Lucas: "You asked me if I think you're like her. Well the answer is no. But you do seem to be defending her actions." Cerina: "I'm not saying she was right to do any of this. All I'm saying is its not her fault. Our mother drove her to this point." Lucas: "Sounds like a short drive to me." Cerina: "What the he*l is that supposed to mean?" Lucas: "If she weren't already a little... out of it, she couldn't be capable of this stuff." Cerina: "So you think its her fault? Even though she was never allowed to live her own life." Lucas: "She had a tragic past. And that lead her to become a murderer. Hmmm. Sounds like she and Ransik have a lot in common." Cerina: "How can you say that?" Lucas: "Last week you would have agreed with me." Cerina: "Maybe." Lucas: "You're defending her because you love her. And that's good. Now you wanted to know if I thought you were evil. I think I proved you're not."
    Caster looked at Shelona waiting for a response. Caster: "The rangers, my queen. You have to take action against them. Otherwise...." Shelona: "Silence." He stepped back away from her and let his eyes go into the usual blank stare. While he stood there, he remembered what Niki had said to him in one of their battles. Niki in his mind: "Tracy doesn't care about you! How can you work for her? You can't think, you can't feel! All you do is take her orders!.... She treats you like dirt!" The words echoed through his mind. Then he began to focus on what Shelona had been saying to him. Shelona: "Understand this; I don't want your opinion. You are a mindless slave and nothing more!" He gave her a dirty look. When she saw it, she smacked him across the face. Shelona: "The only reason I let you continue to breath is to serve me. Not to question me. Those rangers will be taken care of when and how I say. And I don't need some worthless slave telling me how to lead." As he stared at her, still feeling the pain of her hit, something snapped inside him. The hold she had once had melted away. Furious, he pulled back his hand and punched her in the face as hard as he could. He let out a low growl; his face full of anger.
    Kari: "How do we decide something like this? Whatever we pick will be with our baby its whole life." Rick: "Are there any names you like? Start like that." Kari: "Oh I don't know!" Rick: "How about Vulca?" Kari: "I'm otta smack the sh*t out of you." He laughed. Rick: "Now that you're relaxed, lets give this some thought." She leaned closer to him. As the wind got colder, he put his arm around her. Kari: "Ally?" He nodded. Rick: "I like it." Kari: "Really?" Rick: "Yeah." Kari: "That was easy. Now what about a boy?" Rick: "I was thinking maybe..." Kari: "Wait!" He looked over and smiled. Rick: "What?" Kari: "Before you go any further, let me point something out to you. If you even think about naming my baby after a mob boss, I will beat you." Rick: "Aww, what happened to that caring side of you. It just kinda took the night off." Kari: "You do that and you'll be begging me to send you to Kitana." Rick: "All right. I guess Capone is out. Pichino..." He thought for a moment. Rick: "I did know a man named Bruno once." Kari: "Rick!" Rick: "He was not a mob boss." He paused with a silly grin on his face. Rick: "He was a hit man. A real good guy. I'm telling ya." Kari: "I can't see myself going 'Bruno, dinner's done. Bruno, pick up your toys. Bruno, get my shoe out of your dad's butt.'" They were both laughing. Rick looked up and saw Niki come walking up to them. Niki sarcastically: "I'm glad you two are having fun." Kari: "What's the matter?" Niki: "I'm leaving." Kari reached out and put Niki on her lap. Kari: "Why do you wanna up and leave us all of a sudden?" Niki: "My mom tried to get me to talk to Shelona." Kari: "I don't really know how to help you there. Your mom and I are finished with each other." Niki: "Cause of her, right?" Kari: "Yeah kinda. I don't really see your mother as being any different than your aunt." Rick: "Why don't you like Shelona?" Niki: "Are you kidding? She's scary! Going around killing all those people and now I'm supposed to like her?" Rick: "I know what you mean. I probably couldn't do it either." Kari: "So you're running because you afraid of her?" She nodded.
    Cerina: "I am so glad I get this chance with Tracy. But I don't know what to do about Niki. She doesn't want anything to do with her." Lucas: "She's a ranger now, right?" Cerina: "Yeah." Lucas: "So she saw everything Tracy did. I'm sure she's not going to warm up to her right away." Cerina: "I tried to tell her things were different now." Lucas: "You're not going to be able to convince her over night. You two have done a complete turn around in a matter of hours. That will take a while for anybody to get used to. And you also have to realize that last week, she didn't even know Tracy existed." Cerina: "I want this whole thing to be perfect, ya know. I was hoping our problems could be over. At least between each other." Lucas: "Its not going to happen that way. Let her get used to all of this." Cerina: "What if she's mad at me for this? Then what am I gonna do?" Lucas: "I don't think she would be. I've never seen her mad at you." She sighed. Cerina: "Maybe once we get home she'll be okay. When she's back in a place she knows." Lucas: "You're coming back soon?" Cerina: "I'd say within the next few days. This planet won't be here long after that." Lucas: "What about that girl you were going to help?" Cerina: "I would have helped her. Before I knew that meant fighting my sister. Karone is on her own now. If Ransik wants to help her so bad, he can go right ahead." She sat down on the rail and groaned. Cerina: "Ransik! I forgot! We can't go back home until he recovers." Lucas: "You can't stay there. Not if she's going to blow up the place." Cerina: "I know. But Kelly won't leave him. And as much as I hate to say it, we need them. Or at least one of them." Lucas: "If it comes down to it, leave them. I don't want anything to happen to you." Cerina: "I can't wait to be back with you. It feels like we've been here forever." Lucas: "Vulca and Kitana have been busy since you left. They've captured most of the population." Cerina: "Da*nit." Lucas: "Kitana almost got me too." Cerina: "How did you get away?" Lucas: "I'm slick like that." Cerina: "You could be in real trouble." Lucas: "I can deal with her. And I will be here with open arms when you get back."
    Shelona fell to the floor. Blood ran slowly down her face. She looked up at him angrily. Shelona: "How dare you!" He kneeled down on one knee and grabbed her throat. Caster: "Now its your turn to be silent." She looked up at him in fear. Caster: "I don't know how I got here or how many years I've wasted in this place. But I do know one thing. It ends now." She tried to get free, but he didn't let her. Caster: "I am going to leave here now and not look back. But you should understand one thing yourself; if I ever see you again..." His grip tightened drastically. "I will snap your neck like a twig." He let go and stood up. Shelona fell back flat on the ground. The puddle of blood beside her getting bigger. Caster stared down at her for a moment. Then turned and walked out the door. After hearing the door slam, Shelona realized that Cerina was right. Once she had told her she'd end up alone. As she looked around, all she saw were the lifeless robots. The floor was cold and she wanted desperately to call out for help. But there was no one there. She had driven away everyone in her life that ever cared for her. Finally, at her wits end, she broke down and began to cry.
    Rick: "You've fought people like that before? Why does she scare you?" She put her arms around Kari. Niki: "When I fought the rest of them, I had Mom's help. Or at least I knew she'd help me if I needed her. But she won't with Shelona. She thinks she totally good or something." Kari: "As much as I think Cerina has lost her mind, I don't think she'd let anything happen to you." Niki: "I don't care. I'm not going to stay anywhere near her. I'm not gonna end up like those guys in the street!" She jumped down off Kari's lap and ran down the road. Kari: "Niki!" She didn't turn back. Kari started to go after her, but Rick grabbed her hand. Rick: "She has her morpher. She'll be fine." Kari: "I don't know." Rick: "Trust me. Now can we get back to naming our baby please?" Kari: "All right. Got any real suggestions, Dad?" Rick thought for a minute. Rick: "How bout Sean?" Kari: "See. Was that so hard?" Rick: "I don't know what you're talking about. You're the one over there making this a big deal." Kari: "I'm making this a big deal? What about you? Mr. Protective and everything! Oh don't lift that pillow, honey, you might hurt yourself." Rick: "I never said that!" Kari: "Oh yeah! Lets see!" He pushed her a little. Kari: "Go... go get a pillow, smart a*s!"
- * * *     Kelly had laid awake in her room all night. She glanced over as the sun came in the window next to her. She looked sadly over at the place where Ransik usually slept. Kelly: "I will make Cerina pay for this." She got up and ran her hand through her hair. Then walked off frustrated. Kelly: "Forget it." She went out into the hall and headed for the door. The others weren't up yet. Kelly: "I can't sit here anymore. I have to see Ransik."
    Rick leaned over and kissed Kari on the cheek. She opened her eyes and smiled. Rick: "Hey you." Kari: "I had the best dream last night. We were alone in this beautiful cabin. The room was filled with candles. You were rocking the baby to sleep. Everything was perfect." Both of them turned their heads when the heard Kelly slam the door, leaving the fortress. Rick: "Welcome back to reality." Kari: "God, I know. I wish we didn't have to leave that bench last night. I could have sat there with you forever." Rick: "You know better." He got up slowly. Rick: "With Cerina and Kelly at each other's throats, nothing good can last." She went over to the mirror. Rick: "You were so good with Niki last night. You're going to make an amazing mother." Kari: "I wonder where she went. She doesn't know anybody here. So she'd of had to stay outside some place." He nodded. Kari: "I wonder if Cerina even knows she's gone." Rick: "Are you really finished with her? Cerina I mean." Kari: "Yes! She's sick. Her and Shelona are perfect for each other." Rick: "And you don't think Ransik deserved that?" Kari: "You do?" Rick: "Kinda. After everything he's done to people." Kari: "It wasn't his fault. Society made him that way." Rick: "Okay." He let the subject drop, not wanting to start a fight with her.
    Cerina stood in the kitchen of the fortress with a cup of coffee. She walked over to the door when she heard the buzzer. It slid open and Shelona stood on the other side. Cerina looked at her horrified. The blood from the night before had dried on her face. Her face was red from crying; her hair a tangled mess. Cerina: "Oh my God! What... what happened to you?" She pulled her inside the door. It closed behind her. Shelona: "You were right. I can't go on like this. I can't stay on that ship another second. All it does is remind me of where I went wrong." Cerina: "Sit down." They walked over to the table. Shelona: "When I went back there, I thought I could go on like I had been. Keeping the two parts of my life separate. But I can't. Being around you and Niki again... it opened up my heart. Now I can see things about that place I never could before." Cerina: "I'm not sure I understand. How can the ship bother you this much? You've been there for years." Shelona: "It was different then. I was different. Take the throne for example. I used to be able to sit there and feel like the whole world was mine. And now when I look around that room... it just gives me this empty feeling. The only thing I ever had in there was robots. Mindless machines. That's no life." Cerina: "No its not." Shelona: "How could I stay there all those years? Its so dark and cold." Cerina: "You're staying here now. There's no way I'm going to let you go back there." Shelona: "I realized something else last night too." Cerina waited for her to continue.
    Caster walked along a creak. His head was spinning. Caster: "Why can't I remember!" He had been walking the entire night trying to remember something from his past. Caster: "I couldn't have been born this way. There has to be some time when this started." He kicked a big rock into the water. Caster: "Why did I ever meet that woman? Who is she to me?" On the other side of the small creak, Niki came walking out of the trees. She froze, hoping she hadn't made a sound. Caster glanced up, seeing her. Caster: "You." She looked down at her morpher. Caster: "You don't have to do that." Niki: "Oh sure!" Caster: "You might not believe this, but what you said to me during our first battle changed my life." She was speechless for a moment. Niki: "What do you mean?" Caster: "I left Shelona." Her face lit up. Niki: "Good for you!" He smiled. Caster: "I owe you, Blue Ranger." Niki: "No you don't. Nobody should have to put up with her." Caster: "I can't believe I never saw the way she treated me. For some reason I kept letting it go. Looking back its like I had no mind or personality at all." Niki: "I know. You were scary before. You never talked and your eyes always looked so weird! You never blinked or anything! Like you were dead or something!" Caster: "I'm not sure I wasn't." Niki: "Well its over. You're free now." Caster: "Yes. Thanks to you."
    As Blaze was about to make her finishing move, Ice kicked her away. Ice: "Listen!." Blaze: "I've heard enough from you!" Ice threw her into a tree and put her arm up against her throat. Ice, breathing hard: "We've been fighting like this for God knows how long. Now you are finally going to shut up and listen to me." Blaze didn't respond. Ice: "I know why Hevesta saved you that day. You think it was out of the goodness of her heart? He*l no. She only kept you alive as a pawn. You're nothing to her. She wants you to kill me so you get stronger. After that, she calls forth Demosi's spirit and uses you to give him life again." Blaze stared at her for a long time. Ice: "The truth hurts doesn't it?"
    Shelona: "As I laid there on that floor, praying for someone to help me, I realized that is not the kind of life I really want. I went into that world as a teenager. Sure, I thought I knew what I wanted. Had my whole life planned out after I left home." Cerina: "So what do you want?" Shelona: "I tried the destruction thing. And I admit it was a thrill. But its not how I want to spend every waking moment." She paused, taking a deep breath. Shelona: "The war is over, Cerina. I want to start over again. With you and Niki." Cerina: "You said you'd never give up that life." Shelona: "I was wrong then. And it took Caster to show me that. I promise you once and for all... Shelona is dead." Cerina: "So you're really back? I have a sister again." Tracy: "Yeah." Cerina: "I don't quite get it though. What does Caster have to do with any of this? He's a robot." Tracy: "That's what I wanted you to think. He even believed it himself... until last night. Something inside him snapped. I'm not sure what happened. All I know is my control of him is gone." Cerina: "So he did that?" Tracy: "He was angry and confused. His first reaction was to lash out. So he attacked me. Then stormed out." Cerina: "What did you do to him?" Tracy: "We met my first year on the road. We kinda hit it off at first. But I never wanted what he did. I only lead him on long enough to gain his trust." Cerina: "Then?" Tracy: "After we were together a while, I began to make those robots. I snuck out every night after I knew he was asleep. He didn't suspect anything. Until one day he saw me strike a man down. The first person I ever killed. He was ready to leave me, not that I cared. He had his bags packed and everything and right before he could make it to the door...." She stopped for a second. Tracy: "I had some of the robots jump him. They took him to the ship and chained him to a table. There I said what I thought would be my last words to him. I ordered them to operate. Ripping away all goodness from him. When they finished, his soul was gone. And all that remained was a shell. In my mind he was the perfect soldier." Cerina: "I can't believe you could actually do that." Tracy: "I was pure evil." She sighed. Tracy: "I think he was falling in love with me... before that whole mess got started. We could have been happy together. If I hadn't destroyed that part of him."
    Niki: "So you're not evil anymore?" Caster: "What I did before wasn't by my choice. I never wanted to serve her." Niki: "Good." She stepped back a little and jumped over the small creak, landing beside him. Niki: "So what are you gonna do now?" Caster: "First I have to figure out my past." She looked confused. Caster: "I can't remember anything from before Shelona. Its like it never even happened." Niki: "Nothing?" Caster: "No. All I can recall are countless days under her service. I'm not even sure how many years back they go. Every day was the same. After a while I lost track of the years." He glanced down at a sharp rock. He bent down to pick it up. Then ran it down his arm. Blood began to run down it. Niki: "What did you do that for?" Caster: "I'm trying to find some answers." He held out his bleeding arm for her to see. She made a disgusted face. He lowered it again. Caster: "I know you think its gross." He laughed. Caster: "At least now I know I'm not one of her robots." He started to think again. He didn't say anything for about a minute. Caster: "What are you doing out here by yourself?" Niki: "I ran away last night. Mom brought Shelona home and tried to get me to talk to her." Caster: "Stay away from her. Whatever you do." Niki: "I am!" Caster: "You probably should go back home soon though. Shelona is probably gone now." Niki: "I will. I just ran cause I didn't know what else to do. Mom's acting like she's changed or something. I can't believe she's falling for it." Caster: "I always thought she had a soft spot for the two of you. She'd never admit it though." Niki: "I doubt it." Caster: "I'm not saying get close to her. That would be a mistake. It wouldn't be bad to be around her though. I'm not sure she'd hurt you." Niki: "You said stay away from her." Caster: "What I meant was don't trust her alone or anything. Stay with Cerina and you should be fine." Niki: "I'm not gonna go back yet. I might later." He shrugged. Caster: "Okay. Whatever."
    Ice: "You were so convinced she gave you the ultimate power; a way to pay me back. Hevesta doesn't care about your revenge. She only needs you as a vessel for her bas*ard husband." She paused. Ice: "The same thing she did to Burner." Blaze: "She promised me..." Ice: "She lied! You're smarter than this! If you put this stupid feud behind us and we work together its not too late to stop her!" Blaze: "Our training was a waste on you wasn't it? You didn't hear a word they said in the briefings. We fight with honor. We keep our word." Ice: "Yeah, but she doesn't. She's evil. She has no honor!" Ice backed away from her slowly. She put her hands up. Ice: "Now you can play into Hevesta's hands if you want. Throw your life away for a second time. See if I give a da*n. I am through fighting you." She didn't move. Ice: "What'll it be? Give your soul to that woman for eternity or fight back? Show her who she's messing with." Blaze: "Why do you keep doing this with me? This is the second time you've tried to save me. If it were me, I'd have let you go from the beginning. It would have been so much easier that way." Ice: "Maybe. But I don't want to see you die. You have potential like I've been trying to tell you. There's more out there for you than this. You deserve a chance to experience it." Blaze didn't speak for a while. Ice saw her slowly starting to realize Hevesta wasn't who she had seemed to be. Blaze: "How do we stop her?"
    Cerina: "If he's free of your control, there's still a chance. Maybe his love for you is still in him somewhere." She shook her head. Tracy: "He may love again, but there's no chance for us. He doesn't know what all happened then. Maybe he never will. But he does know I ruined his life." Cerina: "You don't think he'll forgive you?" Tracy: "He would have killed me if he had it in him. There is no way to go back." Cerina: "I'm sorry." Tracy: "Forget about it. He's ancient history. I need to put him in the past with the rest of my life as Shelona." Cerina: "You'll find somebody else." Tracy: "I don't know if I want to right now. I need to fix things with my family first." She looked around. Tracy: "Is Niki here?" Cerina: "No. I haven't seen her since I tried to introduce you." Tracy looked concerned. Cerina: "I thought she was just throwing a fit. You know how kids are. I never thought she would have ran away. She did it once before and I thought I had lost her. She promised me she'd never do it again." Tracy: "She'll come back when she's ready to." Cerina: "What? You're acting like she's a grown woman or something. She could be in serious trouble." Tracy: "Do you remember all the times you ran off? He*l it was a weekly thing for us." Cerina: "Sure, I wasn't the most well behaved daughter..." Tracy laughed. Cerina banged on the table in frustration. Cerina: "That's how I know she could be in trouble. You have no idea what kinda stuff I got into when I left. If she ever got those ideas... I don't know what I'd do." Tracy: "We can't go look for her. Every time we did that with you, you thought we were trying to control you. It only made you run again." Cerina: "You're saying let her go? Let my six year old daughter run wild on a strange planet and wait for her to calm down and come back. I don't think so!" Tracy: "Da*nit if you love her, let her do this. She needs some freedom." Cerina: "I'm not over protective. She'll tell you that." Tracy: "I'm not saying you are. All I'm saying is you can't go off on her every time she pulls a stunt. You'll be loosing your mind before she turns 12! Now relax. She has her morpher." Cerina: "Its not the physical danger I'm worried about..."
    Niki and Caster were sitting down by the creak throwing rocks into the water. Caster: "Where'd you get that bracelet?" Niki: "My friend stole it for me. She was really cool." Caster: "Is that right?" Niki: "My mom hates her though. She even had her boyfriend arrest her!" Caster: "She got out didn't she?" Niki: "No. She died before I could see her again." Caster: "That's terrible." Niki: "Now I don't have anything to do. Mom's going on about Shelona, Rick and Kari are having a baby, Ransik and Kelly are butt heads..." He laughed. Caster: "Why is that?" Niki: "They just are. Even when Nadira was alive they still weren't nice to me. She was their daughter. But guess what! Ransik's in the hospital! My mom's friend Anthony almost killed him." Caster: "I don't see how anybody could be mean to you." Niki: "Well they are." Caster: "He probably deserves to be in the hospital." Niki: "Kelly's all torn up about it. I make sure to pester her whenever I can. I like making her life suck."
    Tracy: "Then what?" Cerina: "There's nobody on the planet that would attack her now." She thought for a minute. Cerina: "God what if she's like me!" Tracy: "Oh she is! There's no if about it." Cerina: "I don't want her going out there and doing something she's gonna regret." She took a drink of her coffee. Cerina: "Ya know the first time I ran away?" Tracy: "Yeah. You were about her age I think." Cerina: "I met a boy out there. I really hope she doesn't do what I did." Tracy: "So you met a...." She saw the expression on her face and understood. Tracy: "Oh!" Cerina: "Yeah. We weren't exactly G rated if ya know what I mean." Tracy: "The same thing isn't going to happen to her." Cerina: "Something like it could." Tracy: "Just stop worrying, okay. She'll be home before the sun goes down. I know it." Cerina: "You don't even know her. How can you sit there and say that?" Tracy: "Weren't you?" Cerina: "Usually." Tracy: "And why was that?" Cerina: "I was hungry and tired." Tracy: "There ya go! She can't run around all night and keep it up for very long. You'll see her today." Cerina smiled. Cerina: "This is why mom trusted you with so much stuff. You're to smart for your own good." Tracy: "If I'm so smart I wouldn't have made so many mistakes." Cerina: "Mistakes happen. Especially in our family. They're like learning experiences. That way you can tell somebody else in the family not to go down the same road." Tracy: "So they can turn around and do it anyway." Cerina laughed. Cerina: "Yeah basically."
    A few hours later, Kelly was by Ransik's bed. A doctor walked in flipping through some papers on a clipboard. Kelly turned to face him. Doctor: "I'm afraid your husband's condition hasn't changed." Kelly: "Well do something to help him!" Doctor: "We're running as many tests as we can to find out what the problem is." Kelly: "Then try something else! I'm paying you people to save his life and all you can do is tell me the same story over and over again! I'm sick of this!" Doctor: "You need to..." Kelly: "Calm down? I don't think so! Not when the love of my life is lying there dying and you all refuse to help! Now you either do something to turn this around or I swear..." Rick came walking in, interrupting her. Rick: "There's no need for that." Kelly: "Butt out, all right. It is their job to..." Rick: "Kelly stop." She gave him an angry look. Rick: "Its not going to matter weather or not they help him." Kelly: "Let me guess, Cerina sent you. You're going to give me some long speech about how we're both evil and should rightfully be dead. Well I don't wanna hear it." Rick: "I don't do Cerina's bidding. If she wanted to tell you something, she'd come down here and do it herself." Kelly: "What then? Why won't this matter?" Rick: "Because we're leaving."
    Niki came in a side door of the fortress. Caster looked around at the ship. Caster: "Why did you bring me back here?" Niki: "I told you, you're gonna stay with me." Caster: "Your mother will not go for this." Niki: "Oh! Please!" Caster: "I'm not saying no. All I'm saying is that Cerina will say no." She laughed. Niki: "No she won't." She paused. Niki: "Because we're not going to ask her." Caster: "Now wait." Niki: "What's your problem? You said you ran out on Shelona. That means you need a place to stay." He tried to think of something else to say, but he couldn't. Finally he gave in, realizing he wanted this as much as she did. Caster: "All right. I'll stay." Excited, she jumped up into his arms. Caster: "You know, as much as I tried to fight you on this coming over here, I really appreciate it. You don't have any reason to speak to me, let alone open your life to me. I owe you, Niki. And I'm sorry for the way I acted before." Niki: "Shelona made you do all that stuff. It wasn't you." Caster: "Shelona is partly to blame. But I was as much at fault as she was. I could have stopped her. I should have seen what I was doing long before now. Before all of those people had to suffer." She didn't know what to say. Eventually he put her back on the ground. Caster: "You should go find Cerina. Let her know you're okay." Niki: "Yeah." She pointed down the hall. Niki: "Wait in our room. Its the third door on the right. Mine and my mom's are connected." He nodded and walked slowly down the hall. Caster thought: "I'm free. I can finally put Shelona behind me and move on."
    Kelly: "What?" Rick stared at her with his usual cold expression. Rick: "We're leaving. Now. Pack your sh*t and lets go." Kelly: "We can't. Ransik is hooked up to life support here. If we leave, he's dead." Rick: "I've talked to Cerina and Kari. We're taking the fortress and leaving in one hour." Kelly: "What about Ransik?" Rick: "Have them transport him to the fortress or let him die for all I care. You've got one hour. If you're not there, we're leaving without you." He turned and walked out slamming the door. Kelly sighed. Kelly: "Can you do it or not?" Doctor: "Yes. But once he is out of this facility, he is no longer our patient. Therefore, all responsibilities fall upon you and not the staff of this hospital. To put it simply... his life is in your hands." She was silent for a moment, looking down at him. Kelly: "I don't have a choice. Do what you have to do."
    The rangers waited in the bridge of the fortress. Cerina looked over at the door when Niki came in. She looked around at all of them standing there. Niki: "What's go'n on?" Cerina ran over and put her arms around her. Cerina: "Where have you been?" Tracy: "Cerina..." She looked up at her, then back at Niki. Cerina: "Never mind." Niki: "Why are you all standing here?" Cerina: "We're going home." Niki: "With her?" She pointed to Tracy. Cerina: "Niki stop it. She is your aunt." She jerked away. Niki: "She's nothing to me! She killed all those people and you want me to act like it never happened! Forget it!" She ran back out of the room. Kari was standing next to her with a huge grin on her face. She could tell Cerina was mad. Kari: "She's right, ya know." Cerina: "Nobody asked you." Kari: "Obviously. Or this bi*ch wouldn't be here." Rick came back onto the ship at that moment. Rick: "I gave Kelly the notice. Cerina, give Tracy a tour of the ship. Kari, come with me."
    Cerina and Tracy went out into the hall. Cerina: "Go find an empty room. I can give you a tour later." Tracy: "You're going after Niki aren't you?" Cerina: "What else am I going to do? I have to find a way to get through to her. She can't keep treating you this way." Tracy: "Its all right, really. She's right about me. She has every reason in the world to hate me. I was never there for her like I should have been. You either. Instead, I was on a war path some place. Think about it. Why should she give me the time of day?" Cerina: "You made your mistakes. And you're trying to move on." She folded her arms in front of her. Cerina: "It would be good for all of us if you put this behind you. But the way she's acting, you're never going to be able to do that." Tracy: "Name one thing she's been wrong about." Cerina: "Its not that she's wrong. She just doesn't understand." Tracy: "Put yourself in her shoes." Cerina: "Hey, I forgave you. I am giving you back the life you gave up." Tracy: "What about Mom?" Cerina threw her hands up in the air. Cerina: "What does she have to do with this?" Tracy: "You can't forgive her. The same way Niki can't forgive me." Cerina, pointing her finger at Tracy: "No that is not the same thing!" Tracy: "See what I mean. You can't even discuss her calmly." Cerina: "You're defending our mother now?" Tracy: "I would never do that. She's the one that drove me to becoming Shelona in the first place. What I'm saying is, we aren't letting her forget her mistakes so why should Niki do it for me?" Cerina: "Because you actually want a second chance! That woman couldn't care less what we think of her!" Tracy: "Maybe. Maybe not. Neither of us have spoken to her in years." Cerina: "Stop right there. There's no way in hell that woman changed. Not in this life time." Tracy: "You can't be to hard on Niki about this. That's all I'm trying to tell you. We aren't any better. Not until we make an effort with Mom." Cerina: "That'll be a cold day in hell." With that she went down the hall.
    Kari and Rick went into their room. Kari slammed the door behind them. Kari: "How am I going to do this?" Rick: "I thought you'd be happy about us going home." Kari: "I am. Believe me. Its Shelona. First Cerina starts working with her. Fine. Whatever. But now, now we have to live with her! I swear I don't think I can do this!" Rick: "She could move out of here after we get back." Kari: "Yeah right! Like Cerina'd ever let that happen. They're both totally sick. I'm sure that they love each other's company!" Rick: "All I can tell you is stay away from them. We can't tell her what to do." Kari: "You can't be serious! This woman destroyed countless worlds and you wanna give her a home!" Rick: "I don't want to! I don't agree with what she did either." He sighed. Rick: "What if you were Cerina? Would you throw your own sister out? I don't think so. So there is no way we can ask her to do that. Even if we hate the woman." Kari: "So pretend like nothing happened? God I'm so sick of blowing things off!" Rick: "You have to learn to pick your battles. I know I've told you that before. And I'm telling you now, there is no way you can win this one. It would be better for all of us if you let it go." Kari: "Do you want our child growing up on a ship with her? Cause I sure as he*l don't!" Rick: "You're wasting you breath. I will do everything I can to keep our baby away from her. And if she causes a problem regarding it, she's out. I'll see to that myself. Until then, we have to let her stay." Kari gave him an angry look; not being able to think of what to say next.
    Cerina saw Niki sitting on the floor in an empty room. She started to go in but stopped. She started to think about what Tracy had said. About their mother. Her mind drifted back to a hot night in June. She was five standing on the back of a chair. She was looking out the kitchen window at her mom and dad. They were on the back deck, which was surrounded by several small lights. Dad: "How could you do this to me? After all we've been through." Mom: "I can't stay in some loveless marriage anymore. I know we said we'd stay together for the kids. Its what's best for them. But I can't do it anymore!" Dad: "I loved you more than the world! I can't believe after all I've said and done you can stand there and tell me I didn't love you!" Mom: "Not you! You... you did everything you were supposed to do. You provided for us, you are a good father to the girls..." Dad: "So what's the problem? Why do want out all of a sudden?" Mom: "Whatever I felt for you when we met... I don't feel it now. The spark is gone and there's no getting it back." Inside, the little Cerina watched, hurt and confused. Dad: "We can find a way to get through this. We can't just throw it all away without even trying to work it out." Her mother was looking out across their big back yard. She had turned away from him a little while before. They were quiet. for a long time. Until finally, Cerina's mother broke the silence. Mom: "I'm seeing someone else! There, that's why we can't work it out! That's why I want out! I've moved on!" He didn't know what to say. Cerina grabbed onto the back of the chair. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Dad: "Who is he?" Mom: "Does it really matter? Its over." Dad: "Da*nit, who is he?" She turned back around to face him. Mom: "Your brother." He didn't say another word. After standing there for a long time, he pushed the door open on the deck which was covered by a screen all the way around it. Back in the present, Cerina heard the screen door slamming in her mind over and over. Cerina: "No way Tracy. I can never let go of what she did to us."
    Rick: "Think about when you tried to play peace keeper between Cerina and Ransik. Sure they fight like cats and dogs. And even though it would have been easier to throw one of them out, you kept telling them to stay out of each other's way. Now it looks like you'll have to take your own advice. You hate Cerina and her sister now. Understandable. Just avoid them." Kari: "I said that to them to shut them up. I never actually thought it would work." She paused. Kari: "He*l, you see it didn't work! Cerina tried to kill him yesterday!" Rick: "You're not like her though. She can loose her temper in the blink of an eye. You know that." Kari: "No kidding." Rick: "You have more control than that. So prove it. Be the bigger person." Kari: "Do you know how much you sound like an after school special?" He laughed. Rick: "I don't doubt it. But you have to listen. There's nothing else we can do about this." Kari was quite for a while. Kari: "This sucks." Rick: "Yeah it does." They walked over to the window and looked out. They could still see smoke rising off the planet from Shelona's bomb showers. Kari: "We're living with a monster." Rick: "Several if you ask me." Kari turned away from the window and back towards him. Kari: "You mean Ransik and Kelly, don't you?"
    After composing herself, Cerina walked into the empty room. Niki looked up at her from the floor. Niki: "If its about your stupid sister, forget it." Cerina looked sad. Cerina: "We've always been close right? Like best friends since your dad died." Niki: "Well yeah. Its Tracy I don't like. Not you." Cerina: "Well I know that. But... do you know how much it hurts me when you treat her that way? I want more than anything for us to be a family again. And that means you have to at least give her a chance." Niki: "Why? I liked it better when it was just us. I mean, first you bring Lucas in and now her." Cerina: "She won't come between us if that's what you worried about." She walked over and sat down beside her. Niki: "That's part of it. But even if she doesn't, I still don't like her. Not after what she did before." Cerina: "What she did was wrong. And I'm glad you can see that. I'm only asking you try here. If it doesn't work I guess I'll have to learn to except it." Niki: "What do you want me to do?" Cerina: "Just talk to her every once and a while. Don't treat her like a total stranger." Niki: "She is though! I don't know her!" Cerina: "You could get to know her." Niki: "I don't see why you wanna forgive her. She's evil." Cerina: "I think you're forgetting something. It wasn't very long ago when I was too. I know I never discussed my job much when we lived with Vulca. Its not something I'm proud of. But the fact is, I wasn't any different back then than Tracy was." Niki: "You did Vulca's fighting for her. You told me that." Cerina: "I was her assassin. I killed people without question. Anybody she ordered dead, I had to take care of." Niki: "You really did that?" Cerina: "I wish I never had to. A lot of them didn't deserve it. Now do you feel any differently about me?" Niki: "No. You didn't wanna do it. You just did it to save me." Cerina: "There was a time I started to enjoy the work. I think if I would have stayed there any longer... I may have been like Shelona." She paused. Cerina: "The point is I changed. And so did Tracy." Niki: "Are you sure you can trust her?" Cerina: "Absolutely. You're too young to remember what she used to be like. But she is really herself again. The evil is gone." Niki: "And you're sure she wants me to like her? She seemed kinda mean." Cerina: "Of course. She loves you, Niki. Why do you think she stopped being Shelona? She wants to be a family again." Cerina put her hand on Niki's shoulder. Cerina: "Can you go talk to her for me? Please."
    Rick: "Oh no! I feel like I'm walking through a firing range. Can we not have this fight again?" Kari: "I know you don't like them. I'm not going to argue with you about that right now." Rick: "There is a god." Kari: "All though I really don't get why." Rick: "Forget it. You like Kelly for some reason I completely don't understand. Fine. Lets not have that coming between us." Kari: "Its not. I'm trying to have a calm, rational discussion with you." Rick: "Face it, that can't happen with us. What starts out as calm and rational almost always turns into a blood bath. Slamming doors, breaking glass, the works. Lets not go there again." Kari smiled. Kari: "We do fight over some pretty stupid stuff sometimes." Rick: "Exactly. If you want to be friends with Kelly that's your business. I still think she's after something. But that's me. Go on. Prove me wrong. I hope you do."
    Niki: "I guess. If you think she's good again." Cerina: "She'll be thrilled." She felt the ship begin to move. Cerina: "Looks like we're outta here." Niki: "Bet you can't wait to see Lucas again." Cerina: "Yeah. I've missed him a lot these two weeks." Cerina thought for a minute. Cerina: "Hey, how do you know I miss him?" Niki: "I hear you on the phone to him every night!" Niki in a mocking tone: "Oh Lucas, I love you, I want you, blah blah blah!" She pretended to gag. Niki in her normal voice again: "Its gross!" Cerina laughed. Cerina: "I can't wait till you get a boyfriend. I swear, that last little comment is gonna come back to bite you in the a*s in a few years." Niki: "I'll never act like that for a boy." Cerina: "Oh please! Can I get that in writing?" Niki rested her head on her arm. Cerina: "I'm glad you're not pi*sed anymore." Niki: "I wasn't mad at you. It was just the Tracy thing." Cerina: "I think you two are going to like each other. Once you start talking. Did I tell you how happy she was when you were born?" Niki: "I heard you telling her about it in one of your fights." Cerina: "Right after you were born, after the snow stopped I mean, she was right there." Niki: "Didn't she leave soon after that?" Cerina: "Probably a couple weeks or so." Niki stood up and headed for the door. Cerina: "You gonna talk to her now?" Niki: "In a little bit. I'm going to take a nap first." In her mind she thought of Caster. Cerina: "Okay. I'll stay out of the room for a while. I realize you didn't get any sleep last night." Niki in her mind: "Good. Now me and Caster can have some privacy." Niki: "Thanks. I'll let you know how it goes with Tracy." Cerina smiled. Cerina in her mind: "Maybe everything can work out this time."