Leaning back against the coral wall, he studied the identical wall on the other side of the corridor. It was an odd color, for coral. Or at least, it wasn't the color he'd always thought of coral as being.

*But then, what do I know?* Carlos wondered wryly. The only coral he'd seen was the stuff that occasionally turned up in tide pools on the California coastline. And that was... he tried to remember how many light years separated those beaches from the place where he now stood.

The door at the end of the hallway slid open, and he looked up. Cestria smiled when she saw him, so he assumed Cetaci wasn't right behind her. "Evening," he said, unfolding his arms and pushing away from the wall. "How's the day?"

She looked down briefly, and he thought she was hiding another smile at his adaptation of the Aquitian greeting. Her face was perfectly calm when she caught his gaze again, but her eyes danced. "It goes well," she answered, pausing beside him in the deserted hallway. "And yours?"

"It's a bit late for me," he admitted. Then, with a rueful grin, he added, "Cassie says I'll get used to it."

Cestria inclined her head. "It is a difficult thing, to go daily from one time to another," she said noncommittally. "I am afraid your effort is in vain this evening, but I am sure that Aura will view her messages as soon as she returns."

He couldn't help sighing. "I didn't think she'd be back, but I figured I'd surprise her if she was. Thanks, Cestria."

She nodded once, but she seemed to hesitate before leaving. He gave her a curious glance, and she offered, "The solar-mapping expedition logged their revised flight plan with control this afternoon."

"Really?" She wouldn't have mentioned it if there weren't some way for him to access it. "I don't suppose it's public record?"

"No," she said, with every indication of regret. "And I am not allowed to pass on confidential flight plans. However... I would be very surprised if Aura were not back on Aquitar by two tomorrow morning."

Surprised, he could only stare at her for a moment. He supposed he had grown so accustomed to Cetaci's hostility over the past couple of weeks that he had forgotten it could be any other way. "Thanks," he managed, and she nodded.

"I mean it," he added, as Cestria moved to continue down the hallway. "Thanks for the help, Cestria."

She paused, and there was a smile on her face when she turned to regard him. "I am not--unsympathetic," she reminded him. "Your situation is not unique in our history."

It was a gentle reminder of her relationship with Billy, and he had to grin at the thought of the Blue Ranger struggling as hard as he to court his alien love. "No it's not," he agreed, feeling a bit more at ease. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Cestria replied.

This time he watched thoughtfully as she turned to go. He waited until she disappeared into her own room before he reached for his morpher and teleported out.

***

It took her quite some time to realize that the tapping meant something, and even longer to realize that she ought to do something about it. By that point, she was close enough to consciousness to think that perhaps if the tapping required a response from her it had been going on far too long without one.

She forced her eyes open, not truly comprehending the darkness until it occurred to her that she had been sleeping. It was supposed to be dark. The tapping, then, was coming from the door. Her mind offered helpfully that perhaps there was someone on the other side who wished to come in.

She considered ignoring the noise, but by now she was far too curious. Who would knock instead of paging? For that matter, who wouldn't use the chime? And who in the world would be at her door at such an abominably early hour?

Her body protested as she dragged herself out of bed, making her way to the door without the benefit of illumination. She caught herself looking automatically at the chime readout, but of course it was dark. Nothing for it but to open the door, then.

The light was overbright to her tired and night-sensitive eyes, and she blinked painfully as it streamed into her room. His voice registered before she could get a clear view of him in the brilliance, and she smiled involuntarily at Carlos' whispered, "Hey."

"Hey," she echoed, too tired to figure out a more appropriate response. "What are you doing here?"

"Kidnapping you," came the answer. "You ready?"

She frowned a little, knowing there were more important questions but unable to call them to mind. "I do not believe it is customary to ask permission before kidnapping someone."

"Well, if you're sure."

She found herself with the strangest sense of vertigo as he wrapped her up in a hug, and it took her a moment to realize that he had picked her up. "I'm too tired for this," she mumbled, not even sure she had said it aloud until he answered.

"I know," he agreed contritely, pausing to let the control door slide open. "I'll apologize later."

"Where are you taking me?" She felt his arm go around her waist as he set her down, holding her up while he fussed with the teleportation controls. There was something odd about that... "Where is everyone?"

"Cetaci took them off rotating alert while you were gone," Carlos answered, understanding her question without her having to elaborate. "Saryn's idea, I think. He said it wasn't fair to make five Rangers staff control around the clock."

"Oh," she murmured. She would be more grateful for that when she was more awake, she supposed. Then the world dissolved into a rush of crimson fire and the Power raced through her with a vengeance, bringing her fully into the waking world at last.

"Where are we?" she wanted to know, as the sudden quiet of their destination settled around her.

"Almost there," Carlos said cryptically. He motioned her toward a nearby vehicle--black, she noted with amusement, wondering if it was his--and opened up one side, indicating that she should get in.

He went around to the other side and climbed in beside her. She looked around with more interest as the vehicle powered up, assuming this was Earth. She had not seen much of the planet, but the air felt dry and the sky shone a pale blue overhead. There was no sun, though, and she wondered if it was predawn.

The vehicle was following a stone path with no specific endpoint as it wound past the occasional structure on its way out into the barren hills. Carlos was silent and she didn't speak, soaking in the strangeness of the landscape all around them. There was no water anywhere that she could see, and she wondered if what she had originally assumed was vegetation could actually live without it.

She doubted she was understanding more than half of what she saw, but she couldn't tear her eyes away long enough to ask for an explanation. The land was the color of the sand she had seen at the lake, but it was covered by something she would have identified as "plant" had it been green. She glanced up at a sky that had become slightly brighter, but remained otherwise unchanged. Was this, then, his version of the ocean? These brown hills that went on forever under an open, undistorted sky?

She felt the vehicle shiver and slow, and she looked around as they turned off of the path and onto a dirt trail. The ride was rougher now, and he glanced over at her as if about to say something. But then he caught her eye and just smiled, turning his attention back to the trail in front of them.

She studied his profile for a moment, wondering what he could possibly be thinking. He had invited her to visit his homeworld several times before--had he finally seen through her excuses and decided to force the issue? Or was this some ritual he had neglected to inform her of beforehand?

"We're here," he said finally, bringing the vehicle to a stop near the crest of one of the hills. "Just in time, too."

"In time for what?" she wanted to know. She studied the view before them. It was as beautiful as it was foreign, but she saw no sign of an imminent occurrence.

"Sunrise," he said, pointing toward the horizon. "I thought you'd be glad to see it from the ground after the last week or so."

She stared out at the glowing sky in surprise. She couldn't remember the last time she had seen the sun through an atmosphere, although she was sure it couldn't be as long ago as it felt now. The mapping expedition had been nonstop, and during her too-brief breaks in escort duty she had seen nothing but the interior of the Ranger dome.

She felt a smile tug at her lips, and her voice wasn't as strong as she would have liked when she asked, "You did this just for me?"

"No," he said, startling her again. He gave her a sheepish look when she caught his eye, and he added, "I wanted to see you, and this was the quickest excuse I could think of. I missed you last week... I'm really sorry I dragged you out of bed the night you got back."

She smiled again as she remembered his promise to apologize later. "I am not," she said softly, touched as much by the affection in his gaze as she was by the sunrise trip from a self-described "late-riser". "I missed you, too."

***

He stirred, lifting one arm up to cover his eyes as he rolled away from the sunlight. A soft sound of amusement from somewhere nearby brought him more awake, and he squinted up into bright silver eyes that he'd recognize anywhere. "Morning," he murmured groggily, not questioning what she was doing there.

"Greetings," she said, delight evident in her voice. "You wake up slower than I do."

"So?" he muttered. He pressed the heel of his hand to his eyes, trying to make them focus better than they were. "Where are we?"

"So I thought I was unique," she informed him. "And I hope you do not expect me to answer that."

"You are unique," he replied automatically, staring up at her smiling face. She looked a little paler than usual, but he couldn't tell if it was the bright sunlight or not--he usually saw her in the more muted light of the Ranger dome on Aquitar. But her color did remind him that it was extraordinarily hot in the car, windows open or no, and he pushed himself up on his elbows. "You look thirsty," he said, studying her more closely.

She lowered her eyes briefly, and that was the only confirmation he needed. "You should have woken me up," he chided, but she shook her head.

"I was asleep until a few minutes ago," she assured him. "Your car is strangely comfortable."

"Strangely is right," he agreed, trying to suppress a yawn as he sat up. "I haven't slept in my car since... I think since the team went camping a few months ago." He twisted around, reaching into the back for the water bottles he had stashed there. "Here," he said, opening one and passing it to her. "Let's go find you some real water."

She accepted the water bottle eagerly, and he smiled to himself as he watched her drink. He hadn't meant to miss another day of school, but somehow it had seemed more important not to wake her than it was to make it to first period. When he had fallen asleep, though, he wasn't entirely sure.

The key was still in the ignition, and he glanced over at the dashboard clock as the engine rumbled to life. Twelve-fifty. There wouldn't be anyone at Max Carter's right now, and he could drop the Jeep off there again without having to drive into the city. And they could probably get something to eat--he was starving.

"How do you feel about showers?" he asked, foot hovering over the brake as they made their way back down the dirt road toward the highway. He had gambled that the scenic overlook would be deserted during midweek; there wasn't much tourist traffic this far from town even on the best of days.

He saw Aura give him a blank look, and he elaborated, "I don't know how often you have to do that rehydrating thing. I was wondering if there's any difference between the lake and a shower."

She made a sound that was suspiciously close to a giggle, and he almost looked over at her as they turned back onto the highway. "What?" he demanded. "What did I say?"

"No," she assured him hastily, a hint of humor lingering in her voice no matter how she tried to suppress it. "There is... in this case, there is no appreciable difference. Thank you for your concern."

He narrowed his eyes at the road, wondering what she wasn't telling him.

"Why are the hills brown?" she asked, probably to distract him. "Is that vegetation covering them?"

He shot a quick glance out the window, still wondering over her reaction to the mention of showers. "The grass? Yeah, it's vegetation. It's just brown because it's so dry right now."

"Is it alive?" she pressed, gazing out the passenger window as the landscape flashed past.

He laughed. "Sure it's alive."

"But how does it get water?"

"It does rain some of the time," he said with a grin. The answer evidently didn't satisfy her, because she continued to question him as they headed back toward the outskirts of Angel Grove. He felt a little silly when he couldn't answer most of her questions about the climate, and he resolved to talk with DECA later.

They pulled into Max's driveway without having passed more than a handful of other people, but he couldn't help feeling relieved as he turned the ignition off. He still hadn't told his parents about Aura, but TJ's uncle was almost as well informed as a member of the team. He had let Carlos park here because it was so far from central Angel Grove, and the chance of running into anyone else on their way out into the desert was minimal. But he hadn't expected to be returning so late, and Aura wouldn't quite pass inspection in the bright light of midday.

"How do I open the door?" Aura asked, studying the mechanism curiously.

"You don't," he answered, climbing out his own door and coming around to open hers for her. "I do. It's only polite," he added with a grin. "But I don't suppose you have chivalry on Aquitar."

She looked puzzled. "I am not familiar with that word."

"Never mind." He wasn't sure he was up to explaining it right now. "It comes down to guys doing nice things for girls. But don't quote me on that, because that's probably the worst explanation in the history of bad explanations."

She smiled a little as he rescued the door key from its magnetic holder inside the mail slot and put it in the lock. "I think it's a good explanation."

He pushed the door open and grinned at her. "In that case, after you."

She gave him an amused look that made him wonder if she had understood the remark better than he anticipated. She stepped inside appreciatively, if not as though she knew what to expect, and he pulled the door shut behind them as he followed.

There was a note on the counter in front of them, and he picked it up automatically. Carlos, it read. TJ said you were still out at 7:30, so I called in for you. If there's no one here when you get back, make yourself at home. There's stuff for sandwiches in the refrigerator, and help yourself to some oreos--I left the stickers for you. I thought you'd appreciate them. --Max

He shook his head, envying TJ his relatives. Max was far more a friend than a parent even to his nephew, let alone to the rest of them. How nice must it be to live with someone who was always on your side?

"What does it say?" Aura wanted to know, watching him carefully.

He tilted the note toward her, but she took one look at it and shook her head. "My apologies," she said, an odd expression on her face as she caught his eye. "I never learned to read your language."

He blinked, startled from his contemplation of TJ's uncle by that revelation. "Really?" Then he frowned, irritated by his own expectation. "No, of course you wouldn't have. Don't apologize; I'm the one who's sorry. I just didn't think."

She smiled a little, not taking her eyes off of him. "You need not apologize either. I am flattered by your assumption."

Perversely, her acceptance compelled him to try to explain further. "It's just that you speak so well--it's easy to forget."

"You need not apologize," she repeated, her smile growing. "I did not take offense. What does it say?"

Abashed, he glanced down at the note again. "It says to have something to eat, and that the oreos are for us..." He looked over at the cookies, catching sight of the stickers lying on top of them for the first time. They had probably been removed from the package when it had first been opened, and the appropriateness of the "free prize" made him laugh.

"What is this?" Aura asked, reaching across the counter. She touched the stylized version of the ancient symbol, emblazoned in bright colors on both stickers.

He couldn't help grinning as he handed one of them to her. "It's the yin-yang symbol. It's supposed to be the balance of opposites--light and dark, woman and man, that sort of thing. Cassie could probably tell you where it comes from."

"Yinyang," Aura repeated, studying the sticker with obvious fascination. "I have never heard that word before either."

"Yin and yang are the opposites that the colors represent." He put a hand on her shoulder gently, tracing one finger along the sinuous dividing line. "One half is yin, and the other half is yang. Each one begins where the other ends, and each has the seed of the other inside it. I think the idea is that no matter how different they are, neither one can exist without the other."

He felt her smile even before she looked up, and he smiled back at her as she caught his eye. He didn't tell her that the yin-yang was usually black and white--the stickers had substituted the traditional color of Chinese honor for the light side of the symbol. The intertwined teardrop shapes glittered crimson and black in the early afternoon light.

***

The wind flung her hair back, stinging her eyes and racing over her skin as the open flit bounced across the waves. They were heading west as the sun fell closer and closer toward the horizon, and she reveled in the welcome freedom of the sea.

"What are we doing, again?" Carlos yelled, leaning close to be heard of the roar of the wind.

She turned her head toward him but didn't look away from the horizon. They'd be coming up on shallow water, soon. "Chasing the sun!" she shouted back, a grin tugging at her lips. "What else?"

The flit beeped a "shallow water" warning at her just as she caught sight of the massive cliffs of the Eternal Falls peering above the edge of the ocean. She allowed the little vehicle to slow in its headlong rush, and they reached a decent maneuvering speed within moments.

"Where are we?" Carlos asked, his voice closer to normal without the rush of air to steal his words away.

"Over the agricultural domes." The flit skipped to one side, evading an unfriendly looking boulder that poked up through the water right in front of them. "Those are the Eternal Falls you can see on the horizon," she added, lifting one hand from the controls to point. "The ocean floor is nearer the surface here, and there's light enough to support the underwater gardens."

She heard him whistle as the cliffs edged into the flit's line of sight with the sun, casting their long sunset shadow back across the water. Her vehicle skirted the shadows' edge, finally coming to rest by a small island of stone. It was one of many similar protruding boulder piles this close to the cliffs, and she had been here or someplace like it many times before.

"Wow," Carlos murmured as she cut the engine. The word wouldn't have been audible until that moment, but he didn't look embarrassed at having been overheard. "This is amazing, Aura."

"Come on," she said, climbing over the edge of the flit. "From here, the sun should set right at the base of the cliffs."

He followed her over the edge and onto the slippery, seaweed covered rocks that passed for "shore". "How can you walk on this barefoot?" he demanded, throwing his arms out to the sides to keep his balance.

She kept pace with him, ready to steady him if he needed it. "How can you not?" she responded, amused. "It's no wonder you can't balance.

"Look," she added, before he could answer that. "Look down." She pointed into the water lapping against the rocks, where multi-hued fish flashed reflected sunlight just beneath the surface.

He stared for a long moment, and when she looked over at him she found an expression of rapt attention on his face. "Do they always look like that?" he wondered aloud.

She shook her head. "They come up to feed at dusk. They're most colorful near the surface; some of them fade to grey and black as you go farther down. The--" She realized what she was about to say a second before she said it, and she didn't stop herself. "The red ones especially."

She felt his hand on her shoulder again, and she looked up in time to see him giving her an odd look. "What if I don't want the red ones to fade?"

"Take a light when you go diving," she replied. She knew that wasn't what he meant, but she didn't know what he did mean, exactly, and it was true. As long as there was light, the red fish appeared red.

He chuckled at her answer anyway. "If I'm the light and you're the dark," he pointed out, "that makes you the night side of the yin-yang. The black side."

"And you the red," she murmured. "No one said life was perfect."

She could feel his surprised gaze on her as the sun touched the edge of the world, and she shrugged self-consciously. "Billy used to say that sometimes."

He slid his arm the rest of the way around her and squeezed her shoulders. "But it is perfect, sometimes," he whispered in her ear. The fiery sun caught the side of the cliffs as it lingered on the horizon, and the shadows came creeping across the water toward them. "Here and now, with you, is perfect."

She smiled a little, leaning into him as he pulled her closer. "Yes," she agreed quietly. The setting sun sparkled over the water at them, and it occurred to her that it had meant more to her today than it had at any time during her entire weeklong mapping expedition. "This is perfect."