Disclaimer; Not Mine!

A/N: Um, don't know who wrote "The Last Unicorn" but it's a great read. Also, if you've never read Mercedes Lackey's work, I totally recommend it. She's got everything from other worlds to Elves, and a series that's fantasy/historical romance about Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary, and their father King Henry that is totally worth reading as well. I can't find my copy of the Black Gryphon, but I do know that the question is there, right where I placed it.

By anyone's standards, Trini was a highly intelligent, practical teenage girl with a passion for martial arts. Her calm, logical approach to life was a steadying influence to her friends' more passionate natures. However, Trini did not live in a vacuum; life was not just science and martial arts for her. The truth is she had a deep dark secret. Since she was very small, Trini had harbored a passion for fantasy. Starting with a gift from her aunt, "The Last Unicorn", Trini had read every fantasy book the Berkley library had held by the time she was ten. Then, champing for something new, that same Aunt had brought her a new book, or rather, books: 'The Heralds of Valdemar' trilogy by Mercedes Lackey. In the depths of those pages, Trini had found a world she could love, and that filled her imagination. She could pretend that she was riding beside Talia and Roland on circuit, or fight with Vanyel in the past, at a time when magic stalked the land.

Today, Trini held in her hands another of Mercedes' books; "The Black Gryphon". It told of a time that had been only hinted at before, especial in the "The Last Herald-Mage Trilogy" during Vanyel's time. Already deep into her reading, Trini could see Skandranon, the Black Gryphon, Amberdrake, Gestin, Winterhart and Zhaneel. She could imagine living as they did, in the midst of a war of attrition that they were losing slowly against a ruthless enemy. Not only that, but Trini could understand the bonds that existed between the five, and in truth, she often thought of them as a Ranger team, brought together by war and bound together by love. She found that she best identified with Amberdrake, a kestra'chern, who was both healer and councilor to the troops. Maybe Trini couldn't imagine bedding someone to help heal them, but she understood what he was doing. She rubbed her wrist, thumb pressed tightly against her communicator, how well she understood. She had once done the same, albeit, she had been slightly less hands on, of course.

As she rubbed the communicator's band, a question Zhaneel asked Amberdrake in their first meeting rang a cord in Trini's heart, and took her back almost three years, when she'd first looked up at Zordon and accepted her place as the yellow ranger, "Who heals the healer?"…

"Trini," Zordon said, "I have asked you to come here for a very important reason."

Trini nodded as she looked up at the man…at least she told herself the giant head-in-a-tube was a man, otherwise she'd probably be questioning her sanity a lot more than she already was. "How can I help?" Trini asked, hiding her nervousness.

"I would like to explain a bit more about your place as the yellow ranger," Zordon said, calmly. Trini nodded and shifted her weight. She'd already done a full workout with Jason and the others, and her legs were beginning to ache. "Here," Zordon said, and a padded chair appeared in the center of the room. "I know you have had a busy day. This will not take long, but there is no reason you should not be comfortable."

Trini sat down gratefully, "Thank you, Zordon," she said, trying to reign in her curiosity. Used to reading between the lines with her father, a fan of riddles and word searches, Trini thought that Zordon was implying that being as he was could be uncomfortable at times.

"You are welcome," Zordon said. "I think that you shall find that being a yellow ranger will be in some ways no different for you than it has ever been, and yet, it will be unlike anything you have ever experienced. While I have not followed every aspect of your lives, I will admit, Trini, that when my sensors detected the strong potential that you and your teammates have in regards to tapping the grid, I did keep a close watch on things. I know that you have always had a fascination with your mother's work, and you consider following in her footsteps as opposed to a more scientific career as your father hopes. Your friends have come to you for reassurance even if they do not think of it. As Rangers, their concerns will have a great deal to do with their Ranger duties, as opposed to the emotional upheavals that they have brought up before. I do not say that your friends will not still come to you for advice on those matters, but they will also seek you out for help in dealing with the trauma of war."

Trini swallowed, she had never thought of that. She'd spoken and listened to her friends for years because it was what she did. Moving to Angel Grove, Trini had made friends by listening to what the people around her wanted to say, and she had chosen Billy, Jason, Kim and Zack because of what they had to say. "Zordon," she said, "How will I know what to tell them? I used to ask my mom, but, I don't think she has any experience with battle trauma. Well, she knows about post-traumatic stress disorder, but isn't that a little extreme?"

Zordon was silent for a long moment, and Trini fidgeted, "Trini," he said finally, "You will know what to say when your friends need you. The words are there, you only need to let them come."

"Are you sure I can?" Trini asked.

"I would never have given you the morpher otherwise." Zordon replied gently.

Trini straightened up, a little, but before she could respond, the alarms went off. Leaping from her chair, Trini spun to the Viewing Globe and prepared herself for the new battle. And, as Zordon summoned the others, she also began to prepare herself to be there after the battle, when her friends would need her even more. When I get home, Trini thought, I'll have a look at those books mom has from the VA.