Chapter 48:The Power Spring

Billy seemed to have gone into shock as he stared at Crystal. “You have - but that is only existant in theory! There is no feasible, veritable proof of its authenticity!”

“You’re joking!” Andros sputtered, looking completely stunned. “That - that can’t be - ”

“You’re telling us you want to put them in a Power Spring?!” Litania shouted. “Are you mad?! Why not have them drink from it as well?!”

The arguments and shouting flew through the air, but the Bavari didn’t move. Crystal’s glare was as cold as ever, and Lavender was now hugging Crystal's arm tightly as she looked upset. Crimson scowled furiously at them while Fuchsia practically cowered in her arms. Aqua sighed quietly, looking almost bored, Lemon watched with sad eyes, Onyx remained emotionless, and Apple looked irritated.

“Hold it!” Jason bellowed.

Everyone went silent.

Taking a deep breath, he turned to Crystal. “What’s a Power Spring?” he asked quietly.

“A place where the barrier between the physical realm and the Morphin Grid has been breached, allowing Morphin energy to spill over into the physical world. It is a direct connection to the Morphin Grid itself.” She studied him for a moment. “One of the reasons we Bavari are the strongest of Rangers is because we protect it. In exchange, it allows us to bathe in it without harm.”

“You’ve been bathing in the Morphin Grid?!” Zhane hissed at his sister.

Lavender met his gaze without flinching. “Yes,” she answered simply. “It’s what gives the Bavari Rangers their Power.” She lifted her chin slightly. “Violet chose me even though I’m Kerovian; I’m the first Bavari Ranger who isn’t a Mahalin. The ones before me will never harm me. They’re proud of me.” Her purple glow of her eyes dimmed, and her expression was hurt as she looked at him. “I thought you were proud of me.”

He flinched, looking tortured. “Sprite ... ”

“What is this Power Spring supposed to do?” Jason interrupted loudly, still watching Crystal.

Litania stared at him incredulously. “You can’t seriously be considering - ”

“It is a link to the Grid,” Crystal told him. “By entering the Spring, you are essentially entering the Grid. If you are indeed Zordon’s Chosen, the Grid will decide what is to be done with you. There is no deception in the Grid; it will weigh your soul, take measure of you, and determine what is to be done. If it declares you worthy, you may receive an immense amount of Power.”
“If?” he repeated, raising his eyebrows.

She hesitated for a split second. “We cannot say for sure what will happen; no one but the Bavari has ever used our Spring.”

“So this may not even help?” Tommy demanded.

“The ones before us have asked for you,” Lemon spoke up softly. “During Lavender’s debate, they shared the wish for you to meet with them as well. This is also unprecedented. The Spring has never ‘asked’ anything of us other than to protect its secret. We have never shared it, verbally or physically, with anyone. There is no one for us to consult; we must simply move forward on what we believe to be the best path.”

As Jason studied her for a moment, he was abruptly reminded again that she was only fifteen. The Bavari didn’t have any more idea of what they were doing than they did. -(Would Zordon want us to try?)- he wondered silently.

After a moment, he answered himself. -(Zordon would want us to decide for ourselves.)-

When he looked up again, his eyes were determined as he met Crystal’s. “I want to try.”

To judge by Litania’s incredulous stare, she was seriously considering walking over and hitting him.

Pahla looked up at him, studying him for several minutes before giving him a slow, understanding smile, and squeezing his hand. She didn't say anything, but he knew she respected his decision. Somehow he got the feeling she didn't like it, but she wouldn't stop him.

The Dino Rangers didn’t even have to look at each other before they had all nodded in agreement; whatever Jason decided, they would follow. If he believed they should try, they would. Billy still seemed somewhat nervous, but he said nothing as he gripped Trini’s hand.

The remaining five did look at one another, but they each smiled when they did. “We’re in,” Rocky said promptly.

Crystal nodded slowly, closing her eyes briefly as she seemed to steel herself.

“Are you guys sure?” Andros asked, frowning uncertainly. “This isn’t ... ”

“This is something that could help us save Justin,” Kat interrupted him with a weak attempt at a smile.

Adam nodded, looking almost grim. “It’s something Zordon believed we could do.”

“And we have to try,” Tanya finished, staring at Vengi as the look in her eyes begged him to understand. He nodded once, slowly, and she smiled as he lifted her hand to kiss the back.

Litania looked furious. “Well, if you’re all so anxious to get yourselves killed, who am I to stop you?” she snapped, whirling around. She stalked off without another word.

“I’ll talk to her,” T.J. said quickly. He bowed his head to the Bavari Rangers the way he'd seen Andros do. “I’m sorry ... she’s just .... ”

“I can feel her concern emanating as well as I hear your voice,” Fuchsia spoke up hoarsely. He looked worse than before; he was clearly sweating now, and he looked feverish as he seemed to be struggling to breathe. “Apology is unnecessary. Please - go to her.”

T.J. nodded and swiftly disappeared in the direction she had gone.

Crimson was frowning down at Fuchsia. “You must - ”

“I will wait,” he cut her off. “Their need is far greater than mine. The sooner this has finished, the easier we will all breathe.” He glanced at Crystal, nodding slightly in the direction Litania and T.J. had gone. “I shall remain here until their return.”

Crimson glared angrily at him, but his expression remained firm.

“Come,” Crystal said at last, moving to stand. She looked at them all. “I advise that you do your best to calm yourselves and clear your minds. I cannot say for certain what the Spring will require of you. It is practice for us to open our minds to the Power of the Grid in preparation. I assume it will aid you, as well.” She gestured for them to follow, and began to lead them deeper into the caves.

T.J. found Litania in the courtyard, almost at the path to the outside. She was leaning against the cave wall, face buried in her left elbow as her right fist reached up to hit the wall. After a moment, her shoulders shook slightly.

Compassion and understanding came immediately as he watched her, his expression softening. There hadn’t been a lot of time for him to spend alone with Litania with everything that was going on, but he was trying. He already knew he cared about her, even if he didn’t completely understand why. But he also knew that despite her flirting, teasing nature, Litania was a very passionate person. She fought hard, laughed hard, and loved even harder. And when she cared for something, she cared so deeply it hurt.

She tensed when he put his arms around her, and for a moment he was sure he was going to get a few new bruises. But the moment passed, and she turned suddenly to hide her face in his shoulder. He felt something damp as she shuddered. “Come to lecture my rudeness?” There was bitterness in her muffled voice.

He brought his arms around her, running a hand over her curls as he kissed the top of her head lightly. “No,” he said quietly.

Her head tilted just enough to look up at him suspiciously. As he’d expected, her eyes were slightly red and shining with tears. “No?” she repeated dubiously.

“Not for this.” He smiled at her, lifting her chin up to rest his forehead against hers. “You’re scared for them. I couldn't yell at you for that; I'm not a hypocrite.”

She looked startled. “You - ” Her eyes narrowed as she humphed indignantly. “And what makes you think that I am afraid?”

“You can’t hide it.” His words were soft. “You’re upset because you’re afraid of what’s going to happen. You don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

Her eyes flickered to the side. “It would be ... it would make things difficult if something were to happen to Zordon’s Children. I’m only annoyed at their lack of consideration.”

As he looked at her, he realized abruptly that he loved her. He blinked, wondering when that had happened; he wasn’t exactly the head-over-heels type. Girlfriends had never been high on his list of priorities, either. It startled him, but he just ... knew.

Slowly he smiled, kissing her temple. “You’re a terrible liar,” he told her. He reached up to gently wipe her cheeks. “It’s okay to be worried, Litania.”

“I’m not worried!” she blurted angrily. She faltered at his knowing look, his eyes understanding her without judging. “I - I’m not ... ” she stammered, her eyes flicking away again.

T.J. couldn’t help it; he kissed her.

He cupped her chin in his hands as he finally pulled away. “You know what I just realized?” His tone was more reflective than anything, but his eyes sparkled. “I love you.”

She blinked. After a moment, she smirked at him. “It took you that long to figure out?”

He shrugged. “Yeah,” he said honestly. He watched her for a moment. “They’re going to do it anyway. They have to. Even if there’s just a chance that it’ll help, that’s still a chance.”

“Then you’re all fools,” she muttered, her expression darkening.

“Yeah,” he agreed, stroking her cheek. “But that’s what makes us Earth Rangers.”

The corner of her mouth twitched. “There must be some sort of poisonous gas in the atmosphere of your planet.”

He laughed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and squeezing. “Probably.” He kissed her one more time, then smiled. “Come on. Let’s go watch the fools get themselves killed.”

She scowled even as she walked beside him back to the garden. When he caught her hand in his, she squeezed back. “I’m not helping any of them. They made the choice; they can deal with the consequences on their own.”

“I know.”

“I won’t.”

“I believe you.”

“I won’t.” She glowered mutinously as he continued to smile.

The Earth Rangers weren't quite sure exactly what to expect from this 'Power Spring'. Crystal's vague explanation had left them all wondering, especially since - excluding Billy - they seemed to be the only ones with no idea what it was. Unfortunately Billy had been muttering frantically to himself about 'illogical impossibilities' while Trini tried to calm him down, which made it difficult to ask him what it was. Instead, they were forced to wonder by themselves as they followed Crystal deeper and deeper into the caves, moving down into a place where the only light came from rocks glowing softly along the path. It was getting colder, and the air was damp. Somewhere the sound of dripping water echoed, creating a somewhat unnerving atmosphere around them.

The path through the caves had narrowed, forcing them all to walk single file. Crystal never stopped and never looked back, walking as though she expected them not to ask questions. She only slowed when they seemed to reach a dead end. Before anyone could ask, she wiggled through a small crack in the rocks which looked to have been left after a cave-in.

Jason hesitated only a moment before forcing himself through. It was smaller than he'd hoped, but still just big enough to cram himself inside. He turned to offer a hand to Pahla as she followed, listening to make sure everyone else was still all right. Then he turned to find Crystal, and stared.

The cave was huge, open, and airy, the high arched ceilings glistening with stalactites. Something had caused the entire place to glow with a rainbow of colors, every rock shining brightly. In one corner a large crack had formed, where liquid spilled out into a natural fountain. In one glance, it was obvious that the fountain was what they had come looking for. The liquid coming from the wall wasn't water: it glistened and shone with more rainbows. The colors separated and mingled together again as they flowed down into a large pool in the very center of the cave. They continued to blend and twist in the pool, creating the effect of a fluid rainbow. It steamed in places, looked ice cold in others. Above all else, it was the most incredible, beautiful sight any of them had ever seen.

Kat struggled to find words. "It's ... it's .... "

"Wow," Rocky whispered.

"Yeah," Tommy said softly. "Wow."

Crystal looked at them as the rest of her team moved to stand behind her. "At this point, you will go alone. We cannot tell you what you will find in the Spring, and we cannot help you understand it. All we may do is give you our prayers for your success."

"Thank you," Jason told her sincerely. While he didn't completely understand everything that was going on here, he did know that the Bavari had just done something important for them. 'Thank you' seemed like a pitiful way to put it, but there was no other way.

Crystal smiled at him in return, her cold eyes softening for once. She titled her head slightly toward him in acceptance, but said nothing more.

He turned to consider the pool. How they were supposed to do this was up to them ... His eyes narrowed, as only one solution seemed best. The way Earth Rangers always did things: as a team.

"Everybody in," he commanded. His voice was soft even as it echoed through the chamber.

They moved as a group to the edge, each taking a place as they formed a circle around it. Aisha, still weak, leaned on Zack as he kept one arm gently around her waist to hold her up. Everyone looked around the circle, each person matching eyes one after another. They were nervous, they were scared, they were uncertain. But they were together.

The Astro Rangers exchanged puzzled glances as they watched. The way the group had chosen to stand was odd - not the circle itself, but how they'd positioned themselves. Instead of each team standing together, the way they usually did, they had all chosen a particular pattern to stand in before separating to leave a specific amount of space in between each person.

Rocky was closest to the spout of the fountain; Jason had moved to his immediate left. Following Jason was Kimberly, then Tommy. Billy stood on Tommy's other side, but for some reason, the two boys had left a large gap between them - big enough for another person to fit - making the only break in the circle. After Billy came Tanya, Trini, Kat, and Zack. Aisha clung to Zack and Adam's hands as she forced herself to remain upright; she was still pale, and it was obvious by the look on her face she was standing on sheer determination alone. Adam was last in the circle, reconnecting it to Rocky.

There was no command this time. They moved as one, each instinctively catching hands with the people on either side of them. And as one, they stepped down into the pool.