Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers.

A/N: Takes place a couple days after the end of Broken Spell. Set in Briarwood High School, even though it was never seen on the show.

Confidence

Madison tapped her pencil against her textbook absentmindedly, staring out the classroom window with her chin resting in her hand. Her head swarmed with flashes of Hidiacs and oversized monsters. The details of Mr. Stevenson's American History lecture did not make an imprint in her mind.

The newly instated blue Mystic Force Power Ranger gasped as something jabbed at the back of her shoulder. She twisted in her seat, half expecting to see an enemy footsoldier behind her, but it was only Xander, looking amused. Leaning forward in his chair, he whispered to her, "You're staring off into space again."

Madison sighed and frowned. "I can't help it. I have so much stuff on my mind."

"Like what?"

"Xander? Madison? Is there something you'd like to share with the class?" Mr. Stevenson asked sternly before Madison could answer Xander's question.

"Sorry, Mr. Stevenson," she said meekly as her classmates turned to stare in her direction. "I-"

"It's my fault," Xander interrupted. "I asked her a question about Andrew Jackson."

The teacher gave them a disbelieving look but dropped the subject and continued lecturing about the War of 1812. Madison flashed her teammate a grateful smile before turning back to the front of the classroom.

The history class droned on for another ten minutes, and Madison tried her best to concentrate, but she couldn't. She was a Power Ranger now, and history class had dropped a couple of spots on her priority list. She was relieved when the bell rang; her next period was a study hall, so she could daydream without missing important information.

Xander draped an arm around Madison's shoulders as they exited the room. "What's up, Maddie? You never have trouble paying attention in class."

"I know. But with everything that happened the other day...it's the only thing that's on my mind lately."

Xander nodded. "I've been thinking a lot about it, too. Is there anything you want to talk about?"

"There's nothing I can really say in front of everyone else." Madison knew if she made the mistake of saying the wrong thing outloud, someone was bound to overhear her.

"Okay. Why don't we eat lunch outside today? We can sit in the courtyard. Not a lot of kids eat there."

Weather permitting, Briarwood High School students were allowed to eat lunch outside instead of the cafeteria, as long as they stayed within twenty-five feet of the campus. The courtyard was exactly twenty-five feet away from a side exit of the school, but most students who ate outside opted to eat near the football field so they could also walk around. "Lunch outside sounds good," she agreed as they stopped at Xander's locker.

Xander gave her a quick kiss before she continued walking through the hallway. Madison's anxieties were eased for the few moments hers and Xander's lips touched; the kisses they shared before they parted ways between classes had become enjoyable parts of the school day.

Her head started to spin again, though, as soon as she sat down in the quiet study hall classroom. She spent the entire forty minutes of her study hall lost in her thoughts. She kept a copy of The Scarlet Letter open on her desk to make it look like she was working, but she didn't turn the page once. She just couldn't get rid of the images of the Hidiacs and the sight of her friends in Power Ranger uniforms. She was looking forward to talking to Xander and getting some of her emotions off her chest.

Fourth period ended after what seemed like two hours. Madison rushed out of the classroom, happy for an opportunity to get some fresh air and have a conversation with Xander somewhere besides the cafeteria. She found her sister kneeling by her locker when she stopped to grab her lunch bag.

"Hey, sis," the DJ greeted Madison. "I'm putting my books in here for the rest of the day, okay?"

"Yeah, that's fine." Although Vida and Madison had the same last name, Vida's senior homeroom had lockers on the first floor, while Madison's was on the second. The classes Vida had after lunch were all on the second floor, or near the staircase, so Madison let her sister share her locker during the later part of the day. "Who are you sitting with at lunch today? Xander and I are eating outside if you want to come with us."

"That's okay. I have to sit with Chip in the cafeteria today. I promised I would since I accidentally hit him with a broom stick at work last week."

Madison giggled as she recalled the event at Rock Porium. Vida had been sweeping the floor, but she'd gotten frustrated when a customer stepped through the pile of dirt. As she went off on a barrage of complaints, she'd waved her arms around and poked Chip in the stomach with the end of the stick. "Okay. Have fun. I'll see you later."

The shy girl closed her locker and headed off to the side entrance of the school. Xander was just settling into a shady spot underneath a tree in the courtyard as she walked out the door. She walked over by him and sat crossed legged with her back against the tree. She thought it was weird that, if she wanted to, she could teleport through one of them now. She thought about trying it then and escaping to the peacefulness of Root Core, but seeing that her Power Ranger duties were causing her trouble, escaping to the source of her problem didn't make much sense.

"Gnutella?" Madison asked with a smile as she watched Xander pull a tinfoil-wrapped homemade sandwich out of his backpack. The chocolate spread was a staple in the Bly house and a frequent lunchtime cuisine for Xander.

"Of course. Does that surprise you?"

"Nope. I have to say it doesn't."

They grinned at each other and took a minute to take some bites of their lunches, satisfying their hungry stomachs.

"So tell me," Xander spoke after he swallowed a sip of soda, "what's on your mind?"

Madison locked eyes with Xander for a moment, picking at her sandwich as she contemplated how to express her thoughts. "I'm just overwhelmed, I guess. This Power Ranger business is a lot to handle. There are six hundred high school students in Briarwood, and we're the ones who were chosen to protect the entire world. Doesn't it scare you?"

Xander shook his head, giving her a quizzical look. "No."

"Come on, Xander. Haven't you been wondering why all this is happening to us, and not another group of teenagers?"

"You think anyone else would really believe in all this magic and spell stuff?" the Australian asked matter-of-factly.

"I guess not. But we didn't at first, either, and now we do. Anyone else probably would have gotten used to it, too, after they experienced what we did. But that's not my point. What I'm saying is..." her voice trailed off. She knew whatever she would say wouldn't make sense. Her mind was a huge jumble of thoughts, and she couldn't keep them all organized. "Never mind."

Xander stared at her for a moment, but he didn't urge her to keep talking. "I think it's great. We're heroes, Maddie. People look up to us. Don't you love the feeling you get knowing you're making a difference in someone's life every single day?"

After he said that, Madison remembered the afternoon almost a year ago when she ran into Xander at the food store, helping his elderly neighbor shop for groceries. Knowing that he had a compassionate nature buried somewhere under his fun-loving, happy-go-lucky personality, it made sense that he saw the role of a Power Ranger as a person who influenced the lives of other people.

Then she recalled the way he had acted when the Woodland villagers had knelt before them. "I always wondered what it would feel like to be worshipped," he had remarked. Vida had rolled her eyes at him, but maybe there was a more sincere meaning behind the statement. He must have liked the feeling of people thinking highly of him. And maybe that was why he liked taking charge at Rock Porium. Chip and Vida accused him of being a suck-up to Toby, but maybe he just wanted to be looked up to.

He has all the confidence in the world, and most of the time, it drives other people crazy, Madison thought as she opened a bag of pretzels. But if I can find the good side underneath his cockiness, why can't I be that positive when I think about being a Power Ranger? Why is this scaring me to death? "I get what you're saying," she said out loud, "but I'm having trouble seeing it the way you see it. All the pressure and the injuries and being faced with evil all the time…do you worry about it a lot?"

"Sure I do. But you won't get through it if you let it cause you so much trouble. Going through something like this, you need to be strong."

The brunette frowned. "Maybe I don't have the strength that I thought I did. I don't know how much I can handle all the battling and all the evilness."

"Maddie, don't be ridiculous. You are a strong person. When you let go of all your doubts and insecurities, you'll realize that. And when you think about how much good we're doing with our powers, getting through the bad stuff is a lot more worthwhile."

And people think he's just a shallow teenaged boy. Madison smiled to herself, chewing on a pretzel thoughtfully. She could be strong. She could forget about her insecurities and her anxieties and learn to be more positive about the situation. Being more open to and accepting of her powers, like Xander was of his, would surely be better than second-guessing herself. "I guess you're right," she told him. "Maybe I just need some more time to get used to everything. It still just feels so scary to me. I've never just rushed into something huge like this before."

"It is a big change," the green ranger agreed. He stuck the last bite of his Gnutella sandwich in his mouth. "But you know what else helps?"

"What?"

"Knowing you're not going through it alone."

The admiration Madison had for Xander's optimism at that moment was stronger than the admiration she'd had for him at the food store a year ago, and probably even stronger than any admiration she'd had for anyone else, ever. She took a long sip from her water bottle and considered telling him how much she appreciated his positive attitude. But when she opened her mouth, she lost the courage to voice her thoughts out loud and instead said, "I'm glad we're going through this together."

He grinned at her reassuringly and rubbed her knee. "Yeah. Me, too."

The bell rang a few minutes later, signaling the end of the lunch period.

Xander gripped Madison's shoulder as they entered the building together. "Are you feeling better now?"

"Yeah. I'm sure I'll be fine," Madison replied with a nod.

But even as she headed towards her Algebra II classroom, the blue ranger couldn't help but feel a lingering sense of self-doubt. Xander was so encouraging when he had talked to her outside, and so far it wasn't even helping.

Even her other teammates had much more confidence in themselves. "I kicked some serious butt back there!" Madison remembered her sister saying. And Chip had fought like he was a character out of one of the video games he often played.

Nick had been doubtful at first, much like she was feeling at the moment. He'd almost given up on them. But Madison didn't want to do that to her friends and teammates. She didn't want to let everyone down because of her uncertainty. Xander was right. She'd be a much better ranger if she found a way to believe in herself.

Madison hesitated outside the classroom. After clearing her head for a second, she walked through the door with her head held high. Having confidence in Algebra class didn't seem like much compared to the confidence she'd need in the middle of a battle, but she needed to start somewhere.