Between the Lines

Chapter Eight

"Peace at last," Lita Kino sighed sarcastically. She sat down heavily on the rolling swivel chair that sat before the computer console, and spun it gleefully, sending herself whirling like a merry-go-round.

The precious peace she described was from the incessant pacing and worrying the young Power Rangers had been occupying themselves with. The Rangers had been driving Lita, Larry and Zordon insane with their constant nervous presence. She could understand their worry, but it had become progressively harder to get any work done.

Finally, the psychiatrist had taken matters into her own hand.

"I know they were driving you crazy, Lita," Larry chuckled, watching her spin, "but don't you think your response was a bit extreme?"

She stopped the chair and arched an eyebrow at him. "Didn't you know? 'Get out of here or I'll sedate you' is Alpha's-- our Alpha's-- favorite threat. It's usually the only thing that works, short of force-teleporting them all to the park."

A soft rumble startled both of them. It took the two a second to realize that Zordon was laughing. "I'll have to remember that technique of persuasion for the next crisis, Dr. Kino." the inter-dimensional being mused.

Larry shook his head. "Well, such strategies aside, now that they're gone, we can finally get some work done. Alpha, did you finish that work-up you were doing on the scans we took of Salacia?"

"Yes, Mr. Zedden," the little robot replied. "but I don't know what you hope to find." Alpha brought the printout over.

Larry took it from him and began to scan it. "I'm hoping to find out why my sword had no effect on her! I was never in a close enough position to use it, but you can tell when a Blade like that is aware of its target. It can smell a threat to it a mile away, but it acted as though there was nobody nearby but us." he shook his head, dropping his hands. "I'm not usually that ineffective."

A hint of Zedd's habitual growl stained his dry tone.

Lita smiled. "Don't worry about it, Larry. I see a lot of men with that problem."

He looked up at her sharply, then chuckled.

"Touché, Doctor." Then he went back to studying the printout, and Lita marvelled to herself. It was often hard for her to believe that this man had been Lord Zedd, one of the most evil beings in existence. He was usually good-humored, even able to laugh at himself. Only his feelings of guilt over Zedd's actions served as a reminder of who had been.

"Hmm." Larry said, finding in interesting tidbit on the sheet he held. "It says here that the Power of my Blade was being sort of... deflected... by some external force."

That drew Lita back to reality.

Larry only snorted. "Oh, that's a lot of help."

"Well maybe it is. I remember, during the fight, noticing a jewel Salacia wore at her throat. When you came in, slinging fire, she clutched it much tighter, as though it afforded some kind of security for her."

Zordon frowned. "Do you remember what type of jewel it was?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. My cousin has a friend who's into all that New Age stuff, so I hear all about it when I go to visit. I think it was a carnelian. That's the only bright orange stone I know of, and it makes sense. In Earth gemstone lore, carnelians are know to possess power over fire."

"Yes," Zordon rumbled. "and quite likely, Salacia's is one in particular, the Starfire Carnelian."

Larry raised an eyebrow. "The what?"

He was never answered though. An alarm, different from the one that usually signified a monster attack, began pealing loudly.

"Oh, NOW what?" Lita groaned, her hands flying to cover her ears.

"Aye yi yi yi yi!" Alpha cried, shuffling hurriedly over to the console. "We have another problem!"

Lita and Larry looked at each other and sighed. "No surprise there, Alpha." Larry replied. "What is it now?"

"The Red Zeonizers are losing energy!"

Lita looked puzzled. "What does that mean?"

Ignoring her for the moment, Zordon looked down at the little android. "Alpha, I believe it is time to summon the Rangers once again."

"I can't believe Zordon threw us out of the Power Chamber." Rocky grumbled. Jamie raised an eyebrow.

"What, that's never happened to you before? Happens to us all the time; usually to Billy. He'll get so wrapped up in something, Alpha practically has to tranquilize him to get him out of the place."

After days of having the Zeo Rangers pace around the Power Chamber into the wee hours of the night, Zordon had had enough, and ordered all the teenagers to vacate and get some rest. The entire team had decided to stick together after their eviction from the Power Chamber, all except Kat and David. Kat left abruptly, claiming she needed to think. David decided to follow her, to make sure she was alright. The rest of them had headed for the Youth Center. Even Kimberly had joined them, eager to visit her old favorite hangout. First though, she had disguised herself with a little magic. Now they were sitting around a table, all five of them.

"So what are the Rangers like in your world, Jamie?" Adam asked curiously. The others turned to her, realizing they didn't know much at all about the universe their new comrade came from.

"Well, first off, there are a few more of us in my neck of the woods." She chuckled, anticipating their reactions. "Sixteen, as a matter of fact."

"Sixteen?" Tanya gasped, barely remembering to keep her voice down. "How on Earth could you get-- or need-- so many Rangers?"

"It's a loooong story," Jamie replied. Quickly, she outlined the history of her Rangers from the point where they determined their worlds diverged; not long after Jason gave up his Gold Ranger Powers. As she had expected, her list of the Ranger's roster had an... interesting effect.

"SKULL?" all four of her tablemates hissed in surprise. Jamie nodded, grinning.

"Yeah. He's actually very, very good at his job, too. I wouldn't want him coming after me with that silver saber of his, especially if I was standing between him and Kimberly."

Kim shook her head. "I just can't believe it. Goofy old Skull, a Power Ranger... and me going out with him!"

"Morphin Warrior, technically, but yeah." Jamie said. "I don't know about in this universe, but back home, he's not so much the kooky weirdo you guys are probably used to. He's a darned nice guy."

That drew chuckles from the others, but they seemed to accept her story as plausible.

"Now, as for there being so many of us, you have to remember we have a few more villains than you seem to. We have King Mondo, Rita, AND Prince Gasket, all attempting to kick our butts at once. Plus, we seem to keep attracting these one-shot dudes who also need to be taken care of." She shivered. "Nyghtmayr was the scariest thing I'd ever faced. This 'Ivan Ooze' you mentioned doesn't sound like he even comes close."

The three who had been Rangers during Ivan's attack raised eyebrows, but said nothing.

Jamie downed the rest of her soda in one long swig and got to her feet.

"So, who wants to spar?" she grinned. "I'll go easy on you."

Rocky rose as well. "You're on." Removing their shoes, the two of them moved out onto the mats. The other three watched as they began to circle each other.

"She is probably one of the weirdest human beings I have ever met." Tanya mused. Kimberly shrugged.

"She's only half-human, she grew up in downtown Los Angeles, and she's a Power Ranger. Not exactly a list of qualifications that make you normal."

All three winced as Jamie knocked Rocky off his feet and he hit the mat hard.

"Sometimes I find it a little hard to believe we trusted them so quickly." Adam sighed. "I mean, she's Zedd's daughter! Not exactly a person you'd consider worthy of trust."

"Yeah," Tanya acknowledged. "but remember... they got into the Power Chamber pretty easily; and you saw Mr. Zedden with that sword on Venus Island. If they wanted to hurt us, they could-- and would have already, I think. Just look out there."

The other two followed Tanya's gaze in time to see Rocky hit the floor again. He had been taken off guard by Jamie's style. Most of the women he had fought before had relied more on their speed, knowing that it would be futile to try and match him in strength. But Jamie was as strong as he was, and had obviously learned most of her techniques sparring with guys. That knowledge in mind, Rocky adjusted his style accordingly, and was able to take her down with his patented scissor-kick, taking them both to the ground.

"Never fails." he said, pretending to bang his heel into her stomach as a finishing blow. She bounced up almost immediately, grinning.

"Nice," she complimented him. "You think on your feet."

"You too." he said. "You know, some parts of your style seem awfully familiar to me."

She grinned wider. "They should. My favorite sparring partners back in my world are Tommy, Jason and you!" Rocky laughed, shaking his head, and throwing himself back into the fight.

They circled for a few moments more, Rocky allowing himself to gaze blankly at the triangle formed by Jamie's chin and shoulders. The way of seeing was described as 'Gazing at the Distant Mountains', and it allowed a Martial Artist to see all of their opponent by not focusing directly at any one part. Leaving one's gaze unfocused and open made it possible to detect the tiny peripheral movements that were sometimes the only signal of an incoming attack.

Rocky saw just such an attack coming when he saw Jamie shift her weight to her back leg for a lead-leg kick. Before she could do so, he took her down with a sudden footsweep, sending her crashing to the ground again. It was a hard fall.

"Are you all right?" he asked, helping her up. "You weren't even paying attention." He then turned to see what had taken her interest, and saw Jason and Emily coming in and sitting at the juice bar.

"He looks pretty good," she said, almost to herself. "Guess in this universe, the Gold power didn't disagree with him."

"In your world, are you two--" Rocky began hesitantly. Jamie nodded.

"Yeah. I just realized how much I miss him-- miss them all." Then, as if just recognizing her show of vulnerability, she shook herself like a dog shedding water. "Well, I can go home as soon as we're done here. In the meantime, let's go. I gotta pay you back for that."

His eyes bright with the challenge, Rocky replied "Bring it on, sister." and he dropped into a defensive position once again.

Later that week-- days since the last attack from the Rogue Rangers-- Katherine Hillard replayed the scenes in her mind over and over. She remembered how Tommy had just dropped his Zeonizers like unwanted orange peels, and join the strange alien woman before him of his own free will. She couldn't help but question why he would do such a thing-- what was possessing him that day?

Oh, don't even think about it! she scolded herself, Tommy was probably under some kind of spell. There's no other explanation! Why else would he go with that... that minx!? He wouldn't abandon his team of Rangers for just anything, he's too responsible for that!

Presently, Katherine was walking towards Angel Grove High. She had a gym bag in tow, and she was wearing her magenta and black tank suit with shorts over it. Her friends had gone to the Juice Bar, but Kat had declined to join them, assuming they'd spend the afternoon sparring. When the other Zeo Rangers were dismayed, they usually took out their pent-up rages on punching bags. Not Katherine. It wasn't in her nature to release her anger violently. She wasn't a violent person... right?

So, she made her way to the school gym, where the diving pool was. She hadn't had the time to dive in a while.

"Hey Kat!" called a voice from behind. "Wait up!"

Katherine turned around in surprise, and smiled when she saw David Trueheart running up beside her. He smiled back at her, and fell into step as they walked along.

"Where are you off to?" he asked.

"The pool." she said. "I want to spend some time on the diving board."

"All alone?"

"Yes," she said simply. "The others are at the Youth Center, probably sparring. I'm actually surprised you're not with them."

"Why?" asked David, "Just because I have my black belt doesn't mean all I do is practice. I may look like Tommy, but I don't act like him!"

"You're right," said Kat, cementing his statement. "You're not like Tommy at all."

"Look, Kat..." said David uncomfortably. "I know my brother's kind of special to you, isn't he?" Kat didn't respond, her eyes on their path and a frown on her face.

"I just mean, don't worry about him so much. We'll get him back!"

"I know we will," she said, stopping in her tracks. She took a deep breath, and closed her crystal blue eyes. David stopped with her, frowning worriedly.

"I... I'm just so, upset!" she said, a tear creeping its way down her cheek. "Why does he have to suffer so much?! Just when everything was going fine for him, that damned Green Coin appears, he vanishes, and there isn't a blasted thing we can do to help him! All we can do is watch and wait! Who knows what that witch has done to him already?!"

Katherine began to cry, and hid her face in her hands. "I'm sorry, David." she groaned between sobs. "I shouldn't be doing this to you..."

"Its okay, Katherine..." said David quietly, wrapping her in a warm, reassuring hug. "Everybody deals with pain in different ways, and I'm sure the others have had to spill their problems to you before. Now its your turn."

"I'm probably making you feel miserable--"

"Not at all. Kat, you are the strongest woman I know. I've noticed how you're always there for others when they need a shoulder to cry on. Tommy's told me about how compassionate you were to him, especially when he needed support. We all need someone to lean on sometimes."

David let Katherine go, and offered her his clean hankerchief from his jeans pocket. She wiped the tears on her face with the warm piece of fabric and managed a small smile. David smiled shyly in return.

"Thanks," she said after she composed herself. "I think I needed that."

"Anytime," he said, and they continued to walk towards the high school. When they arrived, Kat reached for the door handle at the same time as David, who had been about to open it for her.

Before an awkward moment could be declared though, Kat's communicator went off. They glanced at each other anxiously, and took a quick look around, to make sure no one was watching. Then, Kat raised her communicator to her mouth.

"This is Katherine..." she said.

"..and David." David added into her wrist.

^Please report to the Power Chamber,^ said a solemn voice. ^we have some news for you.^

Katherine's eyes widened at the realization that the voice belonged to Alpha. She'd never heard the robot so grim before. It could only be bad news.

"Did you find my brother?" David asked.

^We'll explain everything when you arrive. Power Chamber out.^

Kat lowered her wrist, and took another quick look around. "All clear," she mumbled, and the pair pressed a sequence of buttons on their communicators. In two bright beams of pink and white light, the couple vanished.

The Power Chamber was far more crowded than usual. Along the far wall, where the uniforms of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers were forever displayed, stood the present Zeo Rangers-- Katherine, Jamie, Adam, Tanya, and Rocky. Beside Rocky was Kimberly, who was so worried she was starting to nibble on her fingernails. David stood beside Katherine, and he studied Zordon's face quizzically. By Zordon's crystal column were Larry Zedden, Lita Kino, and Alpha Five. Both Larry and Lita had urgent expressions on their faces. The teenagers all knew something horrible had happened.

"Power Rangers," Zordon began. "while you were absent, Lita, Larry, Alpha and I made two very important discoveries--"

"To put it another way," interrupted Larry. "we have some good news, and some bad news."

"Let's start with the good news," Rocky said. "None of us have heard any good news for entirely too long."

"Very well," said Zordon. "recall that I mentioned earlier that Salacia was half Venusian..."

"Say what?" Kimberly said in surprise, "You're kidding, right?"

"No, he's not," said Adam. Kimberly turned to Adam, and then back to Zordon.

"That's impossible! How could she be Venusian, if the fires she set on the Island didn't hurt her as well as us?"

"That was the mystery," Lita said. "and as it turns out, we have solved it. We have a positive ID on that orange carnelian on her neck."

"Well, spill it already." said Jamie impatiently.

"Its the legendary Starfire Carnelian." announced Zordon.

"Isn't that the long-lost Aquitian royal jewel?" Kim asked. Everyone turned to her in surprise. "Bridget knew those kinds of things. She told me all about it. Its said to be the most efficient protection one can have against fire; but, its been missing for decades!"

"Yes," said Zordon. "it was stolen from the Royal Palace by a group of seven warriors who seemed to know exactly where to go to find it. The Princess had gone missing the day before."

"Let me guess," said Tanya coldly. "it was seven unidentified Power Rangers. The Rogue Rangers."

"That's what we concluded," said Lita. "That gemstone is the key. It's what protected Salacia from the Sword of Fire, and we think if we can somehow separate her from it, we can maybe inflict some damage on her. Only fire can permanently harm a Venusian, even a half-Venusian like her."

"So, what's the bad news?" asked David, "..and why do I have the feeling that it has something to do with my brother?"

There were a few moments of silence, as Lita, Larry, and Zordon traded glances. None of them wanted to report the disturbing news; but someone had to. Zordon gave Larry and Lita a break.

"The Red Zeonizers that Tommy left behind when he departed have showed a steady decrease in potential energy."

"What does that mean?" asked Rocky.

"The Zeonizers enter a state of slumber when they are not in use," explained Alpha. "Only when they are bonded to a Zeo Ranger do they exhibit energy."

"So, you're saying what exactly?" asked Tanya.

"The bond between Tommy and his Zeonizers has been broken." Larry said. "That's the only way to explain the sudden drop in energy."

"Could Salacia have broken the link? To make him weaker?" Adam offered.

"No," said Zordon. "the link can only be broken in three ways: One, if the energy is stolen by evil..."

"Like when Rita used the Green Candle," said Kimberly.

"Close," said Larry. "but this time, the Zeonizers themselves haven't been taken, and no magical spell has been cast on them."

Zordon went on. "Second, if the ranger willingly forfeits the Power, the case very well may be. Lastly, the Zeonizers will lose their Power if the Ranger... dies." finished Zordon. The teenagers all cringed in horror at the thought. None of them had really realized that it was a possibility. Any of the circumstances Zordon described spelled doom for their leader. He was either dead, or somehow, Salacia convinced him to leave behind the Power that he had fought so hard to protect for the last several years of his life. If this was the case, there was no way they'd be able to bring him back to the light.

"Oh no--" choked Kimberly, turning around and burying her face in Rocky's chest, since he was the closest Ranger standing beside her. Rocky was startled, but tried his best to calm Kim down as she cried.

"Is there any way to know... which circumstance we're dealing with?" asked Jamie, diligently keeping her composure.

"Unfortunately, no." said Larry, gazing at his daughter in sympathy. "We can't find him anywhere, so we have no way of knowing what condition he's in. I'm afraid we probably won't see any sign of him until he or Salacia wants us to."

Lita, being a trained psychiatrist, automatically studied the reactions of all present. Larry walked over to his daughter, and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. Both of them had grim expressions that denoted one thing-- failure-- and right now they just tried to find some reassurance in each other. They felt they had failed in their mission to save Tommy, and now all they could do was stand by and watch as he was lost forever. Kimberly was still crying outright on Rocky's chest. Rocky was trying desperately to reassure her, but Lita could tell that Rocky himself was on the verge of tears. He too believed the worst. David was pacing around the Power Chamber pensively, displaying obvious worry for his only brother. Tanya and Adam had both taken seats, and Tanya was holding Adam's hand tightly. Lita recognized that just like in her home universe, Tanya was more emotionally solid than Adam, and now Adam had the burden of leadership on his shoulders. Lita affirmed in her mind how lucky Adam was to have Tanya at his side. She was once again being his rock when he needed something to stand on.

Lita then turned to Katherine, and her eyebrows arched. She realized that, again just like in her universe, Katherine had strong feelings for Tommy. Even though they weren't a couple anymore in either world, there was still a strong concern present, especially in Kat's case. Lita had expected Kat to be crying, much like Kimberly was doing then; but Katherine wasn't displaying a hint of fear or worry. Rather, her usually gentle features hardened, and it seemed as if a shadow had darkened her crystal blue eyes. Her arms were folded, and she stood in a corner of the Power Chamber, separating herself from her friends. She was angry, but at what Lita couldn't automatically tell; and she couldn't remember ever seeing Katherine in such a state of anger before. Lita kept note of Kat's reaction.

"What do we do about the Red Zeonizers?" asked Adam suddenly, "Can they be given to someone else?"

"Are you suggesting we just run out and find a replacement for Tommy?" Kimberly cried. Adam was startled by her sharp tone.

"Of course not!" Adam said defensively, rising to his feet. "But, we have to remember that Salacia may return, and she has us out-numbered at seven to four... eight if she decides to join the party herself. If we count Larry and Jamie, we're still short-handed. We'll need all the help we can get, and that means having a new Red Ranger, just until we get Tommy back. And we _will_ get him back."

Lita couldn't help but smile. Adam had already stepped into his own leader mode, looking out for the welfare of the entire team, and reasoning out the best plan of action.

"The Red Zeonizers can be assigned to an interim Red Ranger, but we shall hold off on that for now." said Zordon. "Salacia hasn't attacked in days, and it may be possible that she has what she wanted. There is nothing we can do until she comes out again."

"So once again, all we can do is wait." grumbled Larry.

A murmur of frustration went up among the collected teenagers...

..all but one.

David looked at his friends a moment, and then stepped forward. "Well you all can sit around and wait if you want, but in the meantime, I know what I'm gonna be doing." he said. "Practicing."

He faced Zordon squarely, hands loosely resting on his hips.

"Make me the Red Ranger."

Zordon raised a brow. "David, surely you realize the severity of your situation. We all agree the Rogue Rangers are specifically targeting people close to Tommy. You are only here for your protection."

"Well then, tell me what you have in mind?" Tommy's twin challenged, cocking his head. "You heard it from Adam, we're outnumbered and out-gunned even with Larry and Jamie in the queue. We need to even up the odds here, and I can help."

Jamie did not hesitate to back him up. "He's right, Zordon. In our universe, our David has taken the Rangering Reins dozens of times, not just for Tommy. I know he's capable of it, and we need all the help we can get right now."

The argument was convincing. While Zordon considered it, Kimberly stepped up next to David and Jamie and faced the Morphin Master as well. She had composed herself as soon as she realized Rocky was about to lose it, and now her expression was as determined as David's.

"I'm fighting too." she said soberly. "I have a kingdom to defend from these freaks, and I won't just sit around here and be 'protected' while you all go out and get yourselves killed."

Her words drew surprised, yet admiring glances from more than a few of those present. The three universal travellers were especially glad to see that this world's Kimberly had just as much vigor and fighting spirit as their own. No one argued with her, and David added his expectant gaze to hers as they waited for Zordon's reply.

Finally, the old sage gave a single nod.

"Very well then, David... Kimberly. I commend both your wills to fight in this particularly dangerous time. David, you will take command of the Red Zeonizers now that their link to Tommy has been severed. Kimberly, you will fight along with the Rangers in your Ninjetti form in the next battle. However, you will all make an effort to keep her in a strategically safe position, due to her vulnerabilities to fire. We already know the Rogue Rangers are aware of that weakness; hopefully they will not rely so heavily on it in the next fight."

Kimberly nodded gravely, yet inside she was bursting with eagerness to get out on the battlefield. She had friends to avenge, and a friend to rescue as well.

"The same goes for you, Dave." Lita said, for the first time sounding like a parent. "No stupid risks or taking chances."

David rolled his eyes. "That's my brother you're thinking of. I know enough to stay alive to see the end of a fight."

Zordon continued. "The odds are now even, with the exception of Salacia herself. So far, she seems to be content to let the Rogues do most of the fighting for her, but for every one of them, there is now one of you."

Zordon gave a sigh.

"..but it is very probable that one of you will end up facing Tommy himself, fighting on the side of evil. In such a circumstance, you must stay strong and not lose your resolve. Tommy can endure injury, if that is what it takes to steal him back from the Rogues, but he is certainly capable of harming you if he so desires. Whatever the event, remain steadfast in our goal to retrieve him and destroy Salacia and the Rogues. Evil of their kind cannot be allowed to run free in the Universe. May The Power protect you all."

David closed his eyes briefly, saying a prayer to any and all gods that his brother would come home safely soon. When he opened his eyes again, the looks on everyone's faces told him they shared his sentiment.

Abruptly, everyone jumped as the alarm claxons rang out their warning.

"This is joke is getting slightly old!" Lita shouted, covering her ears again.

Rocky did so as well, unfortunate enough to be standing right near the claxon. "We all stopped laughing long ago!" he said.

"Is it Salacia?" David asked anxiously.

Zordon nodded, with that faraway look that he got when accessing computer information. "Yes, it is she. She has apparently brought the Rogues to the Castonguay Beach area of the park, where they are terrorizing civilians

Zordon paused.

"Tommy is with them."

Despite the grim news of the pending battle, all the individuals present showed marked signs of relief. At least they were sure Tommy was still counted among the living.

"Well what are we waiting for?" Rocky exclaimed, summoning his Zeonizers.

David glared at him. "Me, remember?"

"Oh yeah, sorry."

David turned back to Zordon and held out his wrists. "Hit me, big guy!"

A scarlet-red bolt of electricity shot out from Zordon's column and seized David's arms. David did not flinch, only watched in awe and anticipation as the Power flooded into him through the two devices appearing ghostlike on his wrists. Soon, the bolt vanished, leaving David bare-armed, shaken, and with an intense rush. He could no longer see his two spectral Zeonizers, but he knew they were there-- waiting for his call. He summoned them with ease as Rocky had done moments before.

He looked to Adam. "Let's go, chief. We got some Rogue Ass ripe for the kickin'."

As Lita, Jamie and the others burst into laughter at the remark, Adam gave him a high five and planted his feet in the ground.

"It's Morphin Time!" he called.

"Zeo Ranger One, Pink!" called Kat.

"Zeo Ranger Two, Yellow!" called Tanya.

"Zeo Ranger Three, Blue!" called Rocky.

"Zeo Ranger Four, Green!" called Adam.

"Zeo Ranger Five, Red!" called David.

"Zeo Shard Power!" called Jamie.

And Kimberly lifted her arms to the sky, reaching deep inside for the Power within her.

"Ninjetti!" she cried. "..The Crane!"

Lita and Larry stood watching, beaming in pride at the spectacle surrounding the youngsters. Lita slung an arm over Larry's shoulders. "They grow up so fast, don't they?" she remarked, and gave him a clap on the shoulder as she moved away. Larry only laughed, and reached out to summon the Sword of Fire. It appeared instantly in his hand, a blazing implement of power and white-hot energy. Larry gazed at the blade, shaking his head slowly.

"Never thought you'd meet your match, did you?" he said to it. "Let's go show that woman what we're made of."

And in an orchestra of color, the eight warriors vanished from the room.