"Billy?" Jason made his way ever deeper into the cave. A blue fog was forming around him, which he hoped was the preceding sign that his friend was drawing near. A sudden sound startled him and he looked around for the source. He glanced up and a drop of water hit him in the face. He cursed wiping it away. As he did so another fell, and another. He glanced down at his sneakers and found himself standing in a puddle of water that began to rapidly grow. "Shit!" He lit out through the water, but it surged in around him. Almost instantly he found himself waist deep in water. "Shit. Shit. Billy! This is not funny! I can't even morph! Billy!" A spray of water hit him in the face and he cursed again.

"Having trouble, Jason?" Came Billy's voice. The blue fog took shape, becoming the form of the deceased blue ranger. Jason took another step, trying to wade his way through the rapidly gushing water. The rocky floor of the cave had become saturated and with the next step the former red ranger lost his footing and went under. "Jason?" There was concern in the spirit's voice that Jason heard as he swallowed water and trying to get upright again.

"What's with the water?" Jason asked, coughing violently and wiping his face with the back of his hand. "Trying to give me hypothermia?"

"It's merely another challenge that you need to overcome." Billy replied calmly.

"Yeah, as if wandering blindly through the dark, and walking across a 50 foot drop weren't hard enough."

"I don't remember you being so easily annoyed."

"I burned your body; I think I'm allowed a couple aggressive emotions."

"Aye, there's the rub. You're not annoyed, you're angry."

"I am not angry." Jason stopped dead in his tracks and glared at Billy. "I am not angry." He said again, pointedly.

"Anger isn't a sign of weakness, Jason." Billy replied. "You don't have to lock it away."

"You know, what is it with you guys and all the cryptic crap? 'Trust yourself.' 'Let go.' 'Have confidence.' 'Fear isn't a bad thing.' And now you're gonna tell me some mumbo jumbo about anger and how it's gonna help me to do this. Why don't you just guide me like you're supposed to, instead of all these feel good calendar lines?" He roared at the blue clothed figure, taking a step toward him, eyes blazing.

Billy chuckled holding his hands up innocently as he grinned at the seething ranger. "Very good. You just made my job a whole lot easier. That was lesson number one. Ready for lesson number two?"

Jason took a step back, breathing heavily from the outpouring of anger and frustration. "What's lesson number two?"

….

"Kimberly!" Lin cried out as two putties knocked her to the ground. She held her arms up to protect her face, curling into a fetal position to avoid their blows. Her energy was spent and she could no longer fend off her attackers. Yellow sparks fizzled around her body, signaling her ranger form could no longer be maintained.

"I'm coming Lin." The red suited leader turned over into a cartwheel, turning flips as she plowed her way through the field of putties to get to her fallen yellow ranger. Sword drawn, she decapitated the two pawns assaulting Lin, and pulled the young girl up by her torso, twisting so that she was shielded from further attacked.

"I can't keep it together, Kim. I'm sorry." The girl gasped and the sparks disappeared, leaving the teenager unmorphed and vunerable. Kim looked at her and then glanced around. Matt sent a slew of putties flying and then dropped to his knees, his green ranger attire disappearing suddenly. Across the field Reby and Jimmy were thrown into nearby tree, both of them losing their powers and likely consciousness as they dropped to the ground.

"Damnit." Kin swore out loud. If she didn't retreat now she risked losing her rangers. They couldn't afford to die now, Jason was not yet half way through his quest to claim his powers. The red ranger knew this, in her heart she felt her lover growing stronger with each step, but his power was nowhere near its maximum. It gave her hope, but also dread. If he did not arrive soon, it would be too late. She took off her helmet and shook out her brunette hair as she turned to Lin and pounded the communicator on the Asian girl's arm. "Zordon come in, it's Kim. You have to teleport us out of here. We're gonna die if we keep this up."

"I read you, Kimberly. You are correct; your powers are beyond spent. Alpha will teleport the five of you back to the command center." Kimberly ducked just as a putty came flying towards her. Lin grapped unto her leader's arm and hit the grey blob with a powerful two footed kick, sending it flying into another small group.

"Thanks." Kim said as red and yellow sparks appeared. A few seconds later they were all standing in the command center. Or at least, she, Lin, and Matt were. Reby and Jimmy were obviously unconscious and wounded.

"Jimmy. Reby." Matt immediately went to their side. "They're hurt bad." He said, glancing up at Alpha and Zordon.

Kim nodded. "Alpha, help Matt take them to the chambers. Put Jimmy in Billy's room, and Reby in my old one. I'll help Lin." Kim touched her belt and her ranger form disappeared. "Come on." She nodded in the direction of the rooms and looped one of Lin's arms across her shoulders.

"So this was my sister's room?" Lin asked when they entered the yellow painted chamber. Kim helped her onto the bed and glanced around. Alpha had apparently cleaned them out, probably one day when she and Jason were out training. A brand new yellow bedspread blanketed the mattress were her best friend had died.

"Yeah. It was." Kim said as she bent down to look at the girl's leg. "Well you didn't break it, probably just twisted it." She said, referring to the girl's ankle.

"My first war wound." The yellow ranger answered in reply as she moved herself further unto the bed. "Mmm." She laid down and put her arm under the pillow. "I could go to sleep."

"Go ahead. It will take awhile for our powers to recharge." Kim got up and walked over to the dresser.

"We don't have awhile." Kim stopped, her hands firmly on the dresser drawer. "People are dying. You said we should be willing to give our lives."

"What I said before when said in the heat of battle. It does us no good to die right now. I'm not about to sacrifice you all for nothing. If we stayed, if we died out there, it wouldn't make a difference. Jason isn't anywhere near gaining his powers yet. We need him if we're gonna stop Rita." She reached into the dresser and hunted around for a moment. "Ahh, I was hoping Alpha didn't just get rid of everything." She pulled out a pair of capris and a yellow t-shirt. "Fresh clothes when you're ready for them."

"You're giving me my sister's clothes?" Kim set down on the floor near the bed and put the clothes down. "I miss her."

"I miss her too. She'd be proud of you. You fought very bravely. You're strong." Lin nodded. "Now get some rest. You're gonna need it." She got up and headed for the door, pulling it shut behind her.

"Kimberly?" Kim slipped a red tank top on her torso and pulled it down over her dark jeans. "Kimberly, may I enter?"

"You can on in Alpha." She replied, walking over to the door. The robot came in and looked at her. "What is it?" She crossed her arms and frowned. She was honestly glad that Jason was not here, she feared he'd flashback, relive the deaths of their friends.

"I just thought would like to know about your teammates."

"Thank you. Are Reby and Jimmy going to be okay?"

"They are going to be just fine after some rest. They were only knocked out and neither of them appear seriously harmed."

"That's good news. How's Matt?"

"Asleep as we speak. You need not worry about any of them."

"Thank you again, Alpha."

"Of course." The robot turned to leave but Kim reached out and touched his shoulder.

"One more thing. Does Zordon have any news on Jason?"

"No. I'm sorry."

"Okay." She muttered in replying, waving the robot out. She pulled her door close and sat the bed. On the stand beside it was a dual frame. The first was picture of her and Jason, taken when they were much younger. She kept it as a silent reminder of their childhood together. The second frame held a picture of the original rangers, Tommy included. It was his photo; really, she had taken it from his room sometime after the battle. She wanted them to have something to remember the others by. "Jason please hurry." She said softly, picking up the frame and pressing it to her chest. "There isn't much time left."