The next day Tommy was oddly subdued. He walked on mechanically, not paying any particular attention to his surroundings, only checking occasionally to ensure they were headed in the right direction. He couldn't get the dream out of his mind. He had never experienced a recurring dream such as this, he had no idea what to think of it. Was it an omen? Was it a warning? He just didn't know, and it bothered him.
It was well past midday when he finally thought to stop to eat. Sinking down on a nearby rock he looked over at Billy apologetically. "Sorry, bud, I haven't been paying any attention today. See, I keep having the same dream, where I am at the base of the mountain, near this temple. I have to get to the temple, I know that, but there is this huge man, being, creature, whatever you want to call it, keeping me from getting there. I can't beat him. He always wins no matter how hard I try. I'm not strong enough in my dreams, I can't fight him alone." His voice trailed off as he contemplated the problem. He looked up at last and noticed they were quite a bit closer to the mountain. Instead of the expected excitement, he felt an odd sense of dread.
They spent the most of the afternoon trying to find the way around a huge gully they came across. They finally found a place where they could go down into it without hurting themselves, then it was several hours before they found a way to get out again. By then it was almost nightfall, so they set up camp.
Tommy was dreading going to sleep, not wanting to face the dream again. He found that he needn't have worried, because when he finally dropped off he slept dreamlessly.
He awoke to find the sky overcast and the temperature dropping. Recalling Rory's advice about seeking shelter when faced with a storm, Tommy concentrated on finding a cave or deep overhang where he and Billy could avoid the approaching storm's wrath. With the weather growing steadily worse he finally found a shallow cave at mid-morning. Keeping the cave in sight he and Billy scouted around to find enough dry wood to make a decent fire. As an added bonus, Tommy found a fruit tree with a bountiful crop of ripe fruit, so he gathered enough to last them a couple of days. Mere minutes after they settled in their shelter the storm unleashed its fury.
Inside the cave the two young men watched the falling rain sporadically illuminated by flashes of lightening. Their fire provided both warmth and light, the fruit was particularly good, and they were more comfortable than Tommy would have believed possible. The only problem he had was the sneaking sense of relief that the confrontation he believed awaited him at the base of Mt. Sagacity had been delayed at least another day.
"I'm a coward," he muttered to himself, staring outside at the pouring rain. He looked around their secure shelter, savoring the safety to be found there. "Nothing but a coward."
"Who's a coward?" a familiar voice asked.
Tommy swung his gaze back to the cave entrance with a gasp. There, silhouetted against the rain outside, was another familiar figure. Tommy didn't need to see the face to know who it was. No one else Tommy knew had the solid muscle mass of Jason.
"Jase!" he cried out happily.
"Huh? The name's Jonan. Would you mind sharing your shelter for a spell? I could find no other, the storm caught me by surprise."
"No problem, be glad to have you here," Tommy replied.
"Thanks. You know my name, but who are you?"
"Tommy, and Billy. What are you doing here?" Tommy asked.
"I'd been out hunting, I was just heading home when the storm hit. I knew about this cave, but I was surprised to find someone here."
"We'd been warned that if a storm approached we should seek shelter," Tommy commented.
The two young men fell into an easy conversation, Jonan telling Tommy about the types of animals he hunted in the area. For Tommy it was almost as if he were talking to his old friend, he felt easy and comfortable. As suddenly as it had hit, the storm ended. Jonan looked at the late afternoon sky and decided there would be just enough light for him to reach his destination.
"Thanks for sharing your fire and food. I wish you great success on your journey," Jonan started.
Tommy had come to a decision and spoke rapidly. "Could I ask a favor of you?"
"You can ask."
"Take Billy with you. I don't think I can keep him safe."
Jonan considered Tommy and his request. "Why do you believe you can't keep him safe?" he asked, looking over at the silent young man.
"I have a…a…a premonition that I will be involved in a battle with a fierce opponent. If I lose, Billy would most likely be the next victim."
"You said that YOU were not of this world. Is Billy?"
"I don't know for sure. I don't think my world's Billy was near me when I was brought here. So the odds would be this Billy is of this world. I mean, I woke up after a long fall with no injuries, why didn't he? I don't really know anything, except that I don't want him to be hurt in my fight. My dreams imply that if I can defeat my opponent, I will be able to go home. If Billy is supposed to go with me, I will come and find him. Please, I don't want him hurt."
"I don't think I can do that. Is this why you thought yourself a coward. Because of your fear for your friend?"
"Partly. Also, because I was glad the storm slowed us down, delaying the inevitable. I'm afraid I won't be able to beat him," Tommy was studying the tips of his toes as he said the last.
"Look at me Tommy. I have something for you. I give you the gift of self-confidence. You have all the requirements to make a leader, a good one. But without confidence all those skills will go to waste. Believe in yourself, first and foremost, and the rest of the world will tend to follow suit. Confidence is the basis for courage, which, despite your belief to the contrary, you have in abundance. You had been given the gift of faith. Confidence is the twin to that-faith in yourself. Be well Tommy, take care of Billy, you can do it." Jonan handed Tommy another wedge of metal with a warm smile. Tommy added it to the others with a grateful look.
"Thank you," he said, managing a smile.
"You're welcome. Perhaps we will meet again," with that Jonan strolled away from the cave, toward a home and destiny that Tommy would never know about.
Tommy debated moving on himself, but ultimately decided to stay the night in the cave. At least they were warm and dry there, the surrounding area had been thoroughly soaked by the rain.
He sat by the fire looking at the round disk the wedges of metal made. It was obvious he was missing only one piece now. One side of the coin was decorated with tiny renderings of a dragon, falcon and tiger, all inside a star shaped outline. On the other side of the coin was a symbol Tommy did not recognize. It looked like a two snakes with their lower bodies entangled and their heads and the upper quarter of each body separated, forming eyebrows over two eyes that resembled eagle's eyes. The eyes were set in a canine face topped by upright ears. Tommy found the image both mesmerizing and disturbing.
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That night the dream was again different. He had more success against the huge being, was even able to believe for a moment he was winning. But a strong blow, unexpected and catching him unprepared, knocked him several feet backwards. He landed hard, the wind knocked out of him. As he struggled to breathe his antagonist raised his sword for the killing blow….
"Ugh, no!" Tommy gasped, waking with a start. He looked around the cave in fear and confusion, before remembering where he was and what had happened. He glanced over to see Billy sleeping unconcernedly on the far side of the now extinguished fire. Tommy let himself sink back down to the ground, trying to slow his breathing. He found he could not get back to sleep, he spent the rest of the night tossing and turning restlessly.
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The next day the two travelers stopped by a lake to eat their midday meal. The day was one of the warmest they had had yet, and Tommy decided to take advantage of the warmth and take a bath. Encouraging a reluctant Billy to join him, Tommy stripped and eagerly swam out into the lake. The water was quite cold, but still wonderful as far as Tommy was concerned. Billy didn't seem to share his enthusiasm. After a quick splash he climbed back out of the water and went to sit in the sunshine to warm up. Tommy continued to swim, enjoying the experience.
He was treading water, looking at Mt. Sagacity, when he was grabbed from behind and his head forced under water. He struggled futilely against his attacker, unable to get a grip on the person, or to find anything he could use to push off against. He was starting to panic, his lungs felt like they were near bursting. As a reddish darkness came over his vision, he felt the hands gripping him release. He propelled himself to the surface and gulped in air convulsively. He whirled around to face his attacker.
"Kimberly!" he cried in surprise.
"My name is Kimba. I don't know any 'Kimberly'," she said calmly. "Go on back to shore and get dressed. I'll meet you there."
Tommy obeyed, his mind trying to process the thought that the girl he loved had just tried to drown him. He dressed quickly and wandered over to where Billy was sitting. He settled down on the grass and waited for Kimba and the explanation she had promised.
She appeared a couple of minutes later, wearing a simple tunic over leggings with sensible boots. She approached the two young men confidently and sat down facing Tommy.
"Why did you do that?" Tommy asked abruptly, feeling more than a little hurt at what she had done.
"You needed to focus. And I needed to get your attention. I think it worked on both counts," she replied.
"What are you talking about? I needed to focus?"
"Yes. Thoughts and memories of your dreams consume you. Doom can be a self-fulfilling prophecy, if you let it be. You need to think of something else. Or at the very least change the way you think about it," she explained.
"Just a little something to get my mind off my problems?" Tommy hated the petulant sound in his voice, but was unable to change it.
"Something like that," she replied. "Let me ask you something. When you were under the water, what did you want the most?"
"Air. To take a breath."
"Were you thinking of anything else?"
"Not that I can remember. All I wanted was to get free from whatever held me and to get some air."
"So, you would say you had a passionate urge to breathe?" she asked, looking at him intently.
"Yes, you could say so," he replied.
"Hmm. That is what you will need in your battle tomorrow. That is my gift to you, passion. If you want something passionately, you will not allow anything to stand in your way. Passion is the driving force behind some of the greatest accomplishments in the history of mankind. If you see someone do something amazing, you know behind the effort is a passionate nature. Passion will enable you to focus completely on what you need to do, it will make you want success as much as you wanted air a few minutes ago. Passion in your fight, passion in your work, passion in your love, passion in your life. You need all of this." She handed him the final metal wedge.
Tommy halfway expected the jolt of energy to be stronger this time, but it was the same mild sensation as before. The nine pieces did not magically join together, but clinked and clanked with their own separate sounds at the bottom of Tommy's pocket. He looked over at Kimba and smiled. "Thank you."
She gave a warm smile that gladdened Tommy's heart and soul. "You're welcome. You have all you need to succeed in your fight. The rest is up to you." She stood up abruptly. "Be strong, be brave, believe. You can do it." She started away.
"Kimba!"
She turned to look at him.
He opened his mouth to speak and realized there was nothing he could say. He wanted to say he loved her, that she was the center of his world and his primary reason to fight to live. But this wasn't Kimberly, he would be saying these things to a stranger. "Thank you," he said at last.
She gave him another of her heart warming smiles, and walked away.
Tommy watched her until she disappeared beyond a boulder. He sighed and again looked at the nine pieces of metal that represented the gifts he had received. He arranged them into the coin, the symbols now complete.
"Grace, empathy, serenity, humor, intuition, flexibility, faith, confidence, and passion. All the best my friends have to offer," he murmured. "I will use them well, my friends, in honor of you all. Come on, Billy, we can get a bit further before nightfall."
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That night he did not dream of the fight at the base of Mt. Sagacity. Instead he dreamt of Dustin, remembering their friendship, the times they spent together, how he had always looked forward to seeing him again, someday. And how that chance had been taken from him by the accident. The dream was both joyful and sorrowful, and Tommy awoke to find his eyes feeling swollen, as if he had cried in the night.
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He lingered over the morning routine, delaying the inevitable. He felt the need to shake the emotional backwash from his dream before he faced the coming confrontation. He did another complicated kata, striving for emotional balance and serenity. Finally achieving a measure of peace he indicated to Billy they would head on out.
"Time to hit the road, bud. Today is going to be a big day."
Oddly, Billy seemed reluctant to get going. In all the time they had been traveling together, Billy had always been ready to go whenever Tommy gave the word. This morning he was dragging his feet.
"What's up, Billy? Maybe you understand more of my comments than you are letting on, huh? Don't worry, we will be okay. And home awaits us."
They started out, moving at a steady pace toward the base of the huge mountain that loomed ominously over them. At midday they arrived at the spot where Tommy's dreams always started. A large clearing was in front of them, and across the clearing was a stone temple, the one Tommy felt was the key to his getting home.
Tommy turned to face his companion, placing his hands on his friend's shoulders. "Stay here, Billy. No matter what happens, no matter what you see, you stay here. This is my fight, I'm ready for it. But I can't fight my best if I am worried about you. So, stay here."
Tommy stepped into the clearing. Immediately a huge being, resembling a cross between a WWF wrestler and a gorilla, but standing well over six feet tall, confronted Tommy.
"You no pass!" it growled.
"I come in peace. I wish only to reach the temple, to learn how to get home again. I have no desire to fight," Tommy said evenly.
"You no pass!"
"I must. You can let me by peacefully, or we can fight. It is your choice."
"We fight. You defeat Melnish-you pass. You lose-you die."
"So it shall be."
Melnish attacked without another word, charging Tommy and swinging powerful arms at the teen. Tommy easily evaded the blows, feeling the grace Zeke had gifted him with. He stood at the ready, watching to see what Melnish would do next. It appeared that the initial attack had been made in the hope that Tommy would prove an unworthy opponent. Now that Tommy had proved himself, Melnish would attack with more caution.
Tommy reached into himself, seeking the intuition and empathy he had been given, using them to determine how Melnish would react now. Forcing himself to not expect Melnish to react as he himself would, Tommy opened himself to all possibilities.
Melnish still surprised him when he suddenly started throwing rocks at Tommy, launching the sharp stones accurately and with tremendous force. Tommy reacted instinctively, batting the stones aside before they could strike. He found this odd attack to be somewhat funny, it reminded him of a kid pitching a fit on a playground. Tommy snickered as that thought passed through his mind. Melnish roared in frustration.
Again the two antagonists considered their next actions. Tommy needed to disable Melnish, to render him defenseless. He launched himself at his larger foe, striking out at him with a series of powerful kicks, but Melnish was easily able to withstand the attack, and landed a painful blow to Tommy's back in the process. Tommy was dismayed by the power of the blow, realizing he would not be able to withstand many such hits. He felt the fear he associated with the dreams return, and forced himself to let the thoughts go, to embrace a sense of serenity.
Melnish found a long pole to use as a staff. Tommy, seeing what he would be up against next, looked desperately for a staff of his own. He could not find anything to use before he was attacked. Tommy ducked and dodged, evading blows that would have easily incapacitated him. Finally, as he rolled away from yet another swipe he found a staff of his own. Much shorter and smaller than the one Melnish had, it would have to do. Tommy refused to believe he would lose this fight, it meant too much to him.
Deciding the best defense would be a good offense, Tommy started attacking. Using his superior agility to advantage, Tommy darted in, landing quick, painful blows. The only chance he had, it seemed, would be to simply wear his opponent down. He was starting to think he had a chance when a blow Melnish timed perfectly hit him with tremendous force. Tommy went down hard, his right side on fire from the hit. He felt his will to fight waver when he glanced over to see Billy watching from the edge of the clearing. The sight of his friend renewed Tommy's passionate desire to win this contest. As the adrenaline rushed through his body Tommy sprang to his feet and once again attacked. This time luck was on his side and Melnish stumbled over a rock hidden in the tall grass. That small opening was all Tommy needed, he swung his staff at Melnish's head, connecting solidly. Melnish fell to the ground dazed. Tommy followed it up with fierce blows to the large being's ribs and arms, causing Melnish to curl up on himself in defense.
"Give up?" Tommy panted.
"Yes. You pass," Melnish gasped.
Tommy looked over at Billy again and signaled him over. As the two young men started briskly toward the temple Melnish recovered enough to gain his feet.
"Melnish never loses!" he cried in anger.
Tommy and Billy whirled around at the sound to see Melnish draw his arm back and throw a large knife at Tommy. The sun glinted on the blade as it turned end over end on its way toward the target. Tommy watched, mesmerized. Then, before Tommy had a chance to react, an obstacle appeared between him and certain death.
And Tommy could only watch in horror as Billy stumbled forward under the force of the blow, the knife buried in his back, the tip of the blade protruding a couple of inches from his chest.
"Nooooo!" Tommy cried in despair as he caught his falling friend in his arms. Beyond him, Melnish, satisfied with the results, lumbered off.
As Tommy looked down at Billy he noticed something that surprised him. For the first time since he found his old friend in this strange world, Tommy saw life, light, and intelligence in Billy's eyes.
"Billy?" Tommy whispered with almost superstitious dread. Billy didn't reply, but pawed at Tommy's jeans pocket where he kept the wedges of metal that formed the mysterious coin. Tommy reached into the pocket and withdrew the pieces. "Do you want these?"
Billy still did not speak, but wrapped his hands around Tommy's hand, closing it around the wedges he had been given. A strange golden glow surrounded their hands and Tommy felt a strong surge of power rush through him. It was reminiscent of the feeling of morphing. As the glow began to fade, Billy focused on Tommy and spoke for the first and only time in this strange land.
"Self sacrifice," he said softly, then the light faded from his eyes and he collapsed into Tommy's arms, dead.
Tommy, tears streaming down his face, eased Billy's body to the ground. Then he opened the hand Billy had grasped. Inside was the gold coin, seamlessly whole.
"Is this about the powers? Because if it is, I don't want them if the price is a friend's life! He didn't deserve to die! Is this what I came all this way for, to sacrifice a friend?" Tommy yelled at the temple, at the sky, at the impassive mountain.
Suddenly a feeling of vertigo hit, and his vision began to fade. Panicked, Tommy felt as if he were falling as his vision faded to black. He struggled to find a sense of location, to orient himself some way. He had no idea how long the dark, silent fall lasted, but gradually he realized he could hear a distant voice.
"tommy….hear me?…tommy…..movement…..awake"
Tommy wanted desperately to answer the mysterious voice, but try as he might he could not utter a sound. He strained his ears, listening with intense concentration, and eventually the voice became clearer.
"Tommy, come on, man, give me a sign here. I know you are close, come on, wake up! Come back to us, we need you," the voice said.
Tommy recognized the voice, he just couldn't quite remember who it was. He tried to determine if his eyes were open and blind, or closed. He focused on opening his eyes and was rewarded by the gradual lightening of his vision.
After what seemed like ages he could see enough to determine someone was leaning over him, speaking gently, urging him to wake up. He found he could see light brown hair, a fine-featured face, highlighted by weary looking blue eyes. Eyes he thought had been closed forever just a short time before. Shock and joy rushed through his mind and he found his voice.
"You're alive!" he gasped.
He was rewarded by a slight chuckle. "Yeah, Tommy, I'm alive, despite the ungodly hour. Why can't you guys ever regain consciousness at a decent time?"
"You can talk!" Tommy added grabbing Billy's arms in a painfully hard grip.
"Uh, yeah, I can. I can walk and dress myself as well," Billy said mildly, gently extricating himself from Tommy's grasp.
Tommy released him, leaned back down and closed his eyes in relief. "You aren't dead."
Billy looked at Tommy worriedly. "What exactly do you think happened?" he asked.
"It's a long story. Why don't you tell me what happened here, then I'll tell my tale," Tommy suggested. Suddenly he sat upright in a panic. "Are the others okay? Where are they?"
"Whoa, Tommy, settle down. Everyone is okay. Completely. They are all at their homes, in bed. It is two in the morning."
"They are really okay?"
"Yes. Tell you what, why don't I call them in to see you. Actually, the only way I got them to go home was by promising I would call them as soon as you awoke." Billy touched a button on his communicator, sending a signal to all the others.
"There. They should be here in a few minutes. Why don't you lie back and relax. Let me do a quick scan just to be sure everything is as it should be," Billy said as he went over to pick up a portable scanner and a couple of other devices Tommy had seen all too often.
He settled back, reflecting how different it was having Billy as the team nurse, after Kimberly had done it for a couple of years. With Kimberly you woke up to this warm, motherly presence. A lot of touching and soothing. Billy was gentle and reassuring, very competent, but not much for touching. Yet, despite his lack of physical demonstrativeness, Billy was obviously just as dedicated to helping his injured teammates. It was quite common for him to remain in the Command Center/Power Chamber for days when tending a patient.
Tommy's thoughts were interrupted by the noisy arrival Alpha Five who waddled in happily burbling about how glad he was to see Tommy feeling better. Zordon's visage appeared above a nearby monitor, also expressing relief at his recovery. Moments later the rest of the Zeo team hurried in.
"Tommy, you are awake!" Katherine's voice telegraphed her joy and relief.
"Glad you made it back, man!" Rocky added happily.
Tanya and Adam both chimed in with their quieter greetings as Tommy looked around with relief at his teammates.
"I am so glad to see you guys! I never thought I'd get back here again. Did you have to give my powers to someone else until my return? What has been happening? Are my parents worried?" Tommy was starting to get wound up, more and more worrisome thoughts occurring to him.
"Whoa, slow down there Tommy. We were able to handle fifteen hours without you. Hope that doesn't hurt your feelings too much," Rocky commented, giving Tommy an odd look. "As for your parents, I think Billy called them and said you were spending the night at his house." Rocky looked over at Billy for confirmation of that.
"Fifteen hours? What do you mean? I was gone a couple of weeks at least," Tommy said with a wondering look at his teammates.
"Tommy, you were out of it from about ten thirty yesterday morning until two this morning. You have been in the Power Chamber the entire time since Vapornator hit you with his poison dart. You were very lucky, it just grazed you," Billy told him in a steady, reassuring tone.
Tommy looked at him with considerable confusion. "No, man, I was somewhere else, and a lot of time passed. We had to travel a long way to Mt. Sagacity so we could come home."
"We? Mt. Sagacity? Tommy, I think it might be best if you got some sleep, then you can tell us about it in the morning. Guys, it's time to clear on out." Billy gently herded the other Rangers toward to door of the Med Room. "Come back in the morning and we will talk about it then," he added softly.
Once they were gone, Billy returned to Tommy's side. "Try to sleep, Tommy. You are still showing some aftereffects of the poison. You should feel much better in the morning."
Tommy obediently settled back down and tried to relax. "You were easier to deal with when you were mute," he muttered. He didn't see the odd look Billy gave him.
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He awakened much later to find himself alone in the Med Room. "Billy? Zordon? Anyone here?" he called out.
"I'm right here Tommy. Good morning," Billy's voice preceded him into the room. "How are you feeling?"
"Okay. I think. It really has only been about a day since I was hurt?" Tommy was still boggled by the idea.
"Yep. About 23 hours now. You should be pretty hungry."
"God, yes. I could eat a horse," Tommy declared.
"I took the liberty of getting you some breakfast, but, sorry, I couldn't find any horse. I thought about cooking you breakfast myself, but decided one poisoning a week was sufficient," Billy said with a grin as he handed Tommy a bag emblazoned with a well-recognized restaurant's trademark.
"Thanks, man. My favorite," Tommy tore into the food with enthusiasm. He was almost finished when he looked over at Billy sheepishly. "Uh, did I just eat your breakfast, too?"
Billy chuckled. "No, I had mine earlier. Go ahead and finish. If you are feeling okay the others would like to hear more about where you think you were while you were unconscious."
"Sure. I feel fine. I guess I must have sounded like a lunatic earlier, but really, I swear, I experienced a couple of weeks worth of events while I was out of it."
"I believe you, Tommy. Anything is possible. And we would like to hear about it."
"Do I have to stay here?" Tommy asked, crumpling up the last of the food wrappers and neatly putting them in the bag.
"Nope. I ran another scan earlier, and Zordon confirmed it. It seems you check out fine and are free to leave."
"Cool. Let's go," Tommy enthused, all but leaping from the medical bed.
Billy laughed quietly. "You are definitely feeling better. I told the others we would meet them at the Youth Center. Okay with you?"
"Absolutely."
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The six teens sat around a table in a quiet corner of the Youth Center discussing the events of the previous day.
"So you pushed Adam and Katherine out of the way, but didn't have enough time to dive out of harm's way yourself. You were lucky it was a glancing hit. You were unconscious when we got to you, and you stayed that way until you woke up in the Med Room," Rocky concluded the story.
"I remember the first part of the fight, up until Vapornator launched the attack against Tanya. After that the next I remember was waking up on the blue/green grass in that other place."
"Blue/green grass?" Tanya asked.
"Yeah. Everything was oddly colored and a lot of things had strange shapes. The rocks were all real angular, the shrubs were squat and very wide, the trees had long branches shooting off in every direction. It is kind of hard to describe, but everything was a bit off, nothing seemed quite right," Tommy said reflectively. He then began to tell them about the events that occurred in that strange land. Finding Billy, meeting Zack, who called himself Zeke, then Katherine.
"Except, you said your name was Katrinka, and your gift was empathy. You were pretty mad at me for fighting that little guy," Tommy admitted. He continued through the rest of the meetings, telling the other Rangers what names they used there, and what their gifts were. The Rangers and Billy listened quietly, not interrupting, caught up in the narrative.
"When Melnish went down that last time I knew I had him. I asked him if he gave up and he said 'Yes, you pass'. Billy and I went past him toward the temple," here Tommy paused, considering.
"Well, what happened when you got to the temple?" Tanya asked.
"I guess I blacked out. The next thing I remember was waking up hearing Billy's voice," Tommy said, not looking at the former Ranger.
"Wow. No wonder you were confused," Adam declared. "That would be enough to confuse anyone."
"Yeah. It was so real, though. And the time seemed to pass like real time. I don't understand it." It was obvious to them all that Tommy was bothered by the experience.
"I'd tell you it's all in your head, but you'd probably smack me," Rocky grinned.
Tommy smiled back and lurched forward to smack the Blue Ranger, much to the amusement of the team. The solemn moment passed, and their youthful natures reasserted themselves.
Shortly thereafter they group dissipated. Adam and Rocky started sparring, Katherine and Tanya went shopping, Billy headed back to the Power Chamber, and Tommy went for a walk in the park.
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Tommy found himself sitting at the edge of the pond, near a place that held special meaning to him. Just a few feet away was the place where he first kissed Kimberly, just before asking her to a dance. This place always lifted his spirits, but today it just wasn't working. Tommy sighed deeply, knowing there was only one person who could help him.
Zordon greeted Tommy with a slightly puzzled sound in his voice. It was apparent that the teenager was struggling with something, but he had no idea what it might be. "Is there something I can do for you, Tommy?" he asked.
"Not really. Is Billy around?" the longhaired teen asked.
"He is in the zord holding bay."
"Thanks," Tommy said as he prepared to teleport out.
He found the team genius working on a console in the corner of the huge holding bay. Tommy always found it awe inspiring to enter the holding bay and see the massive fighting zords at rest, ready to be piloted into battle at a moment's notice. He paused as always to admire their powerful beauty, then crossed the area to talk to Billy.
Billy looked up from his work on the console to see Tommy approach. He smiled his greeting before turning his attention to the exposed wires inside the console itself.
"What brings you down here, Tommy?"
Now that he was here, Tommy had no idea how to proceed. He looked at Billy and found he was incapable of broaching the subject that was weighing on his mind. Billy seemed to sense his friend's problem.
"Why don't you ask me what I am doing?" he suggested to Tommy.
"What are you doing?" Tommy asked obligingly.
Billy's response was a long and convoluted explanation involving words Tommy only vaguely recognized. Tommy held up his hand in confusion. "Please, Billy, translate that to simple English."
"Oh, simple English. Okay. I'm tinkering," Billy's eyes sparkled with suppressed mirth.
Tommy looked at him in exasperation for a moment, then burst into laughter. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"For that fine translation. And for your earlier silence," the laughter in Tommy's eyes suddenly extinguished.
"You're welcome. For both. I figured you would explain what went on when you could."
"I need to talk about it, and you are really the only choice I have. But I'm afraid what I say might upset you," Tommy explained haltingly.
"Tommy, you can tell me anything you need to. If it upsets me, well, I'll deal with it. It bothers me much more to think you feel you can't talk to me about something. And it's not like I don't have some idea of what may have happened. I remember your comments when you came to."
Tommy took a deep breath as if preparing for an ordeal. "After I defeated Melnish you and I started toward the temple. That much was accurate. But when Melnish recovered and got to his feet, he threw this huge knife at me. You stepped in front of me, and took the knife that was meant for me. It went all the way through you. Then you held my hand with the wedges I had gotten from all the others, and our hands glowed. You looked at me with eyes that were finally THERE and said 'self sacrifice', then died in my arms," Tommy finished in a rush.
Billy looked at him quietly for a moment. "I'm sorry, Tommy. That had to be horrible for you. No wonder you were so surprised to see me when you woke up in the Med Room."
"I can't remember the last time I was so glad to see someone."
"I can only imagine. So I did have a gift for you after all. I had wondered about that."
"Heck of a gift-your life for mine. Remember this, Billy: I never want that gift. Never."
Billy gave him a cryptic smile. "I'll remember. So, what do you think it all meant?" he asked.
Tommy's expression indicated the thought had not occurred to him. "What it all meant?"
"Yeah, why did you have this particular dream, vision, whatever?"
Tommy started to respond, then stopped and a thoughtful expression drifted over his features. Billy saw what was happening and gave Tommy time to organize his thoughts.
"I don't know," Tommy muttered at last.
"You sure about that, Tom? I think maybe you do. What did you learn from it? What was it trying to tell you?"
"That we are all, at least in part, the sum of those we have known?" Tommy said hesitantly. "That we all carry within us a part of those who have meant something in our lives," he concluded more confidently.
"Mm-hmm. Anything else?"
Tommy was lost in thought. "Why were you mute? And brain damaged? What was the meaning of that?" he muttered more to himself than to his companion.
"Maybe it had to do with my being powerless now. I'm here, but I'm not here," Billy offered, keeping his expression carefully neutral. This was not the time to get into his feelings and issues surrounding his powerless status.
"And you have always been here. That makes sense, you are the only other one to be teammates with all the others," Tommy added. "But, this still doesn't answer why I had this dream."
"Maybe it was offering you some comfort, about how through others' memories a person can live on past their death," Billy offered with a sympathetic look. He was the only one Tommy had really spoken to about Dustin's death.
Tommy looked thoughtfully at Billy. "Maybe."
"It's like Dr. McCoy said about Spock at the end of the second Star Trek movie: 'He's not really dead, as long as we remember'."
Tommy outright laughed at that. "Deep philosophical lessons from Star Trek. I never know quite what to expect from you, Billy." He sobered again. "However, it is a nice thought."
"Yes, it is."
Tommy fell quiet, his gaze fixed on a far corner of the holding bay as he sorted through his thoughts and feelings. Billy went back to work on the console, allowing Tommy all the time he needed.
"You know, Dustin was a terrific person, he had such a passion for life. The kind of person who saw an opportunity where someone else would see an obstacle. I hope he did gift me with a portion of that attitude, it is a valuable thing to have. I've been very lucky, I have had extraordinary friends, who have given me extraordinary gifts."
Billy smiled at Tommy gently. "You know, Tommy, it works both ways. We have received from you as well."
Tommy smiled back a bit embarrassed, having no reply to that comment. Billy put his tools away and closed the cover to the console.
"Have you had enough philosophy for today? Are you feeling better about what happened?" Billy asked.
"Yes, to both."
"Good. I'm ready to get the heck out of here for a while. What do you say we round up the others and go to the park for a picnic and game of volleyball?"
"Sounds like a plan to me!" was Tommy's enthusiastic response.
The two young men headed out together, back to their ordinary lives.
THE END