Oh, for Luna's sake. No one's going to kill you, Maffitte said and this time everyone heard her as she revealed herself to them.

"Yah, I'm with Billy on this one," Tai said tightly. "Just cool your jets," he said to Ryla softly. He eyed the cat warily. He looked at Ariana. "Speak. Make it good," he said tightly

Tell them everything. Leave nothing out then show them the gem, this time Maffitte spoke only to Ariana

This post has been edited by Ravie on Jan 3 2006, 08:59 PM

Ryla huffed, almost like a small child being told no for the hundredth time, and only now finally listening. She crossed her arms over her chest, her wrists still clearly glowling, but she moved abck to stand next to Tai, though she still glared at Ariana, distrusting her greatly.

Ariana nodded slowly, and avoiding looking at Ryla, frankly, the girl scared her. Ariana fidgited a few moments before speaking, "In all honesty, I never intended to hurt anyone ... I never wanted harm to befall anyone at all ..."

Ryla snorted indignatly, and rolled her eyes.

Ariana sighed a bit, and wrung her hands at her waist, "I am Ariana. But not the Ariana that you have been fighting," she turned to Felix a moment, "Or the Ariana you have been seeing secretly ..."

She looked down, as though ashamed, "I know what has ben happening, and I feel it is my duty to try at least to help in some way because ... I inhabit the body that began the distruction, though the being that intends to harm you all no longer lives inside of me ..."

Ryla laughed, "Yeah .. .right. So you were possessed is that it? You trying to pass that off as an excuse ... puh-leeze ..."

Ariana looked at her, then nodded, "I suppose, yes ... in a way that could be the right way of saying it ... though, I suppose it was I who possessed this body," she turned to Taren, "Thanks to you Gold Ranger. If it had not been for you, I would enver have come to exist. The power you leaked into this body, to ... neuralize I imagine ... caused my mind and being to become present. I infact was brought to life by you Gold Ranger, and I thank you," with that she bowed her head slightly in gratitude.

She urned to Felix again, "The woman who has been posing as me, the one who has captured your mind and manipulated your feelings ... she is," she sighed, trying to phrase it best, "Like you all have been saying about this shadow coin, she is my other half, I suppose the original ... she is Raina," Ariana sighed, "When I became present to Widow and Renzo, they did all in their power to seperate her from my body. She is ... evil incarnate, and I can feel her still ... I know what she does and says and feels ... what she has done to you Felix," she sighed again, turning back towards Tai and Ryla, "I want to help, I know that Raina has the power of the orbs, the Reaver orbs, and she has the white Dino Gem ... but," she she lifted her wrist, pulling the black gem out, "i ahve this ... and I want to help you ..."

Tai sat back quietly digesting everything. And since she was saying it was all because of Taran.."What exactly did you do?" he asked the tall blond guy in slight confusion

Taran crossed his arms over her chest. "I took the gamble that the lady had a soul. So I kick started her good parts. It was supposed to be temporary. I figgered Widow would handle it without too much of a problem. Guess I was wrong. It's plenty odd. But it's not imporbable. What's that she's got there?"

Felix stared at Ariana for a few minutes, not quite following what she had said.

Different Ariana?...what...

He slowly picked up his cuffs again. If Beez wouldn't teleport him out...

"This...dosn't make sense....but Ariana..." he scowled darkly, "She wouldn't double cross someone..."

With that he teleported out of the CC, not sure if he wanted to belive any of what he had just heard or not.

Zoe made a grab for his arm, but he teleported out before she could stop him.

"Damnit...Should I go find him? If you can't find him on the sensors at least..." she said, looking at Tai and Ryla inquisitivly, "Billie could come too..."

Tommy stepped forward finally (he was there the whole time, honest!), "That," he said, pointing at the Gem, "Belongs to me...."

He frowned at Ariana, "How did you get your hands on that? That was stored saftly in my apartment last I checked..."

Ariana watched Felix go and she opened her mouth to stop him, "No- I ..."

Then she turned to be accused by Tommy. She rose her hands up, and shook her head, "It was given to me ... by the same moon sprite ... mafitte," she looked down to the cat, "She said it would be important ... I didn't take it from you .. . I swear to you!"

She looked to Tai, "please ... you must believe what I say ... please Tai ..."

Her eyes were pleading.

Ryla looked arounda t everyone, then back to Tai, "Well? What do you think? Do we beat the tar out of her?" she sounded hopeful on this, "Or ... do we, ugh ... trust the girl?"

Kim sat next to Aisha, watching everything, "That poor boy ... he seems so mixed up ... if she's telling the truth .. .her evil bit did a number on him ..."

Maffitte swung her weird pink cat eyed gaze to Tommy. Really? Funny. I found it laying in the street one day... her 'voice' was calm and serene as ever. Really. I told you to relax. Bloody mortals. I will scratch out Adaya's eyeballs if he has any next time I see him.

She blinked deliberately again and Felix was returned. Now NO ONE leaves again, now she was starting to sound annoyed

Tai rubbed his temple. "This is all too weird," he looked at the cat thing then at Ariana. "What were yur plans for the stolen goods around your wrist?" he asked

"Yeah. bad guys sure are meaner since our day," Aisha said softly

This post has been edited by Ravie on Jan 4 2006, 12:25 AM

Ariana shook her head, "I don't know ... she gave it to me ... said that it could be recharged somehow ... by the rangers," she sighed, "I just want to help ..."

She turned to Felix again, seeing him returned, "I really am telling the truth, Felix ... Raina has been posioning your thoughts .. .telling you she me Ariana, that she wants to change ... she has been trying to poison you into coming to her every whim ... doing whatever she wants you too ... you ahve to believe me ..." she sighed, turning away, "i may not know you myselkf ... but ferom what I've felt through her ... you are such a good person ... and I can't let you be corrupted by her ..."

SHe bowed her head, "I am so sorry for everything that's happened, if I could change it ..."

Ryla was done listening, "yea yea, 'if I could change it I would' you're sorry we've heard that ..."

She growled a bit angrily, pointing at Felix, "Regardless of who it is you've been seeing ... Ariana, or this Raina thing I've never heard of ... you can't be doing things behind the team's back ..." she sighed, "It's dangerous ... bad things happen ... lie wanting to quit the team ... putting yourself in danger ... am I getting through?"

Ariana sighed, and looked to Ryla, "That's what I've been saying!"

Ryla shoved the girl, "Yera, but you're EVIL ... no one listens to the girl that tired to kill us ..."

Ariana shoved back, "DOn't touch me, I've done nothing to hur tyou personally!"

"You tried to kill me! you skanky whore tried to run me through! don't you say you never tried to hurt me! And don't touch me!"

She rose her hand to the girl, ready to strike. She made her so mad ...

"Ryla," Tai said quietly, simply

Taran cleared his throat. "I can find out if she's telling the truth..." he said hestitantly. "But, I, er...need to be alone with her," he said, chewing the inside of his cheek

Tommy frowned at the cat, apparently not too phased by a cat talking in his head, "Found it in the street...hmph..."

He nodded at Tai, "He's not the only one that wants to know," he said. The normally good mood had vanished for the moment, he wasn't at all pleased with the way this was working.

He hated dealing with magic beings...

Felix looked startled at being taken back to the CC so promptly, and whirled around before pausing to listen to what Ariana said. He didn't even try to pay attention to what Ryla said to him.

He only sneered and stalked off to a corner of the CC, not at all happy about anything right then.

Zoe stepped forward to stand between Ryla and Ariana, "Calm down a little Ryla, nothing will get solved if you try to get rid of the White Witch now..." she said quietly.

She looked at Ariana, "I'm not sure what to believe right now, but somehow you've hurt my brother...if you're going to try and make up for it, fine...but it really dosn't prove much about how you're on our side or anything..."

Ryla thought amoment, before sighing, and lowering her hand. She nodded to Tai, and stepped abck from her, "Sorry Tai ... lost my temper weith the .. .girl."

Ariana turned to Taren, "Please ... anything to show I am telling the truth," she sighed as she watched Felix walk off, feeling all of it was her fault .. even though it was Raina's, "Anything to make things better ..."

Kim moved to Tommy, and touched his shoulder, "Tommy ..."

She looked into his eyes, she knew how evikl rangers got under his skin ... him being one, "Remember... she could be telling the truth ... nota ll people are evil by choice ..."

"Use the work room. I want an answer to pressing answer number one," Tai told Taran. Not even wantig to know the specifics.

He glanced at Felix, his lips thinning. But he didn't say anything. And all of a sudden, without his knowledge, he came is Grandpa's grandson, and suddenly you just knew you'd disappointed him. The weight of it was tangible

Taran nodded. "Girl and cat. This way please," he said and gestured toward the ipening to the passage to the workroom.

We only want these evil creatures gone from our home once and for all, mortal. You can be as mad as you like about dealing with me. That's just how things are. Besides it's not me you need to worry about. It's the goddess running around interfering in a much more direct manner for purposes unknown she pointed out as she stood to follow Taran

This post has been edited by Ravie on Jan 4 2006, 12:50 AM

Ariana nodded, and smiled slightly to Tai, ebfore following Taren, "What exactly .. .wil lyou be doing?"

Ryla sighed, and turned to Tai, "Do you really think she's telling the truth? I mean honestly .. .she triesd to kill us all ... and no matter what ... she's ... she 's her!"

Ryla still had very bad blood with the whole incedent. it didn't matter if her and Tai had been under a love potion, you don't go around stealing a girl's boyfriend ...

"Not as far as I can throw her. But that doesn't mean she's not telling the truth. I'll wait to see what Taran says," he trusted Taran almost implocitly. ever since the weird alien with the farmboy mentality joined the team, he'd been a valuable asset, plus Tai just liked him. He's proven himself. So has Sora for that matter, but there was the shadow coin to consider in that case

Taran closed up the workshop. "Don't worry, it won't hurt, i just have to change before I can do what I need to do," he eyed her a long moment. And he began changing his shape. It happened fast and with less ugliness than what one would expect, but he wasn't exactly...pretty as what was some perverted spider-taur.

He blinked eight eyes and found the right frequency of vision until he was seeing not Ariana and mafitte, but a white ball of engergy hovering in the air and and almost blind white light from the sprite

Ryla nodded, and smlied to Tai, "Gotta hand it to you leader boy ... you really are good at this ..."

She looked down at her hands, the glowing finally starting to go away, "I'm just too angry ..."

it wans't that she ever wanted to resign her coin .. it's just ... she wasn't much of a leader in her eyes ...

--

Ariana's eyes widened, and she took one step back, but watched him curously. She took in a breth, and hoped that is she didn't pass his test ... that he wouldn't ... eat her or something ...

--

lol ... had to add that

Tommy nodded, "I know that...I don't like odd creatures like that cat though...Magic....Hm, what is this, Dungeons and Dragons?"

He shook his head and smiled a little, "No worries...If Taren proclaims her to be good like she says, then so be it."

He looked over to where the blue boy was sitting, "I'm not too sure how he'll take it though..."

"You know...if you want to talk about anything..." Sora said, wandering over to Felix, "Feel free to use me as a punching bag," he said finally, "I've gotten used to it..."

Felix glared up at him, "I'd rather not talk about anything."

He was too boiled up in anger at himself, more than anyone else, to try talking to anyone right now.

If what Ariana had said now, was true, then he had been fooled...and he had kept things from his friends at the same time...and made everyone worry. Heck, he had put people in danger.

Sora nodded quietly after a moment, "Alright then..."

He turned and went back to the main group, "Um...If you don't mind, I think I need to find Rei and have a talk with her," he said, "I wouldn't mind having some answers..."

Tai nodded to Sora. "Go ahead," he agreed. "Let us know what she says," he added

Taran changed baack into hiself and shuddered slightly and went through a long moment of just enjoying being himself again. Despite the fact that the other was his true self.

He gave Ariana a look that plainly said she should follow him and left the workshop. He rejoined the others. "She's tellin the truth," he said simply

Sora nodded and teleported out just after Taren confirmed that Ariana was the good one.

He gave her a small smile before dissapearing in a flash of gray light. If she was going through something similar to what he was...well, he was willing to support her as best he could.

He arrived in the park, and looked around for a bit before finding Rei. He didn't noticed the person she was talking to, "Rei-chan, I need to talk to you..." he said, walking up behind her.

who was she talking to anyways?

--

Felix twitched slightly at the news, "So I've been taken for a fool," he said finally, "Hmph...Once again, a reminder of why girls aren't worth the hassle," he muttered, not looking at Ariana.

The girl on the swing disappeared , in a flash of purple and black light, at the sound of Rei's voice,

Rei turned around a little surprised, she'd expected her to flee, but this she hadn't expected, "Sora," she smilled "shouldn't you be .....," she trailled off realising she shouldn't know that question at all.

Ryla's eyes flitted from Taren to Ariana, before she sighed, "Fine then ..." then her eyes brightened a bit, "But there is still the other one right? The Raina ..."

She smirked, I can at least look forward to kicking her ass ...

Ariana walked back with Taren, and smiled to everyone, before hearing Felix speak. She sighed and turned to him a moment, "I'm really sorry ... it's all my fault ..."

If I hadn't had ... feelings, she wouldn't have fed off them to find you ...

Kim reached for Tommy's hand, squeezing it gently, "You're just now realizing how much magic is involved ..."

She smiled to Ariana gently, Kim always tried to be the nice one, accepting.

Adma leaned into Trinmi, and began counting on his fingers, "So that makes ... 15? No ... 14 rangers now rihgt? not counting the evil white half thingy she was talking about ..."