Authour's Note: Every so often now through the continuation of the story, I'll be offering Track Inserts which are music tracks which I think would go well with a certain part, i.e. theme music, morphing sequences, fight scenes and the like. They are simply recommendations. Also, let me say thanks to the readers, and the reviewers, I hope you enjoy the rest of the story.

It was stupid of me, the dumbest thing I would ever do, but there are moments we all have when we just don't think things through. We react without thinking, and then something happens, and the result is a consequence we have to deal with for the rest of our lives. These situations are unavoidable at best, and destructive at worst. We all know the idea of a Ranger, they rarely make mistakes, and their mistakes are often rectifable, but its just a myth, because in reality, mistakes are mistakes, and the larger the scale, the higher the risk, the more costly the mistake.

In the north during the winter, the sun sets at five in the afternoon, and by six there is pitch black, since the moon rise is generally not for several hours after. Usually, right around six, while the other students attended dinner in the main dining room, I finished my job at the student center, then headed towards the woods to train. I'd jog down the main path, and then do a lap around the lake. Sure it was cold, but when you have telekinetic powers, and can wrap a small field of energy around your body to trap in the heat, and let a little cold air in to mix to make it just right, it wasn't so bad. I wouldn't train in martial arts, because I didn't know any, and the only fighting style I could really use was just basic kicks and punches. My weapon of course was telekinesis, and for that I needed isolation, and six at night in the middle of the woods during the winter was isolation at its finest, or so I thought.

The key to combat with telekinesis is your environment, what could be used as projectiles, what could be used to create cover, and shields. In the woods it was sticks and stones, and occasionally water. After one or two snow storms, I experimented with using ice, and snow as weapons. Icy is far from maleable at best, and cannont be reformed in any reguards, and the only thing I could do with snow was create a cascade of snow balls that could be hurled at any target, but it was still funny to watch. Most of the time I concentrated on forcing the telekinetics into small field of energy to block martial weapons, or projectiles, and then using them to fight. Occasionally, on the darkest of nights, I would practice levitation, and flying. I couldn't straight out fly, but I could jump pretty high, and float, or glide. It made jumping from tall buildings easier. I still wasn't faster than a locamotive.

One evening I found myself in the midst of training, I was working on my marksmenship with telekinetics by flinging stones at the center of a tree. The majority, seemed to hit, but every so often my focus would be distracted, and several missed. I tried to keep my mind as clear as possible, but at the same time after several weeks of training at night, I had become complacent in my surroundings, and did not actively keep an ear out for people around me. I tried to sense every so often for other people, but I spaced it out, not keeping it up at every second like I would during a battle.

With my arm outstretched, and flung another stone at the trunk of a tree striking it dead center where it was, when I heard the alarm go off. Not always using my mind to respond, I tapped the the jewel of lens with my finger letting the sensor detect my DNA, and establishing the communications link.

"Go Sean," I said outloud admist the trees.

"There's some trouble in Batlimore if you want to lend a hand," he reported. I closed my eyes and smiled. Study Hall was less than an hour away, but I thought maybe I could fit it in real fast.

"Sure," I replied.

"Its just north of the harbour," he replied. I nodded and concentrated for a moment trying to remember a few places nearby, and then slowly I focused on the place, and waved my hand at the air in front of me. Slowly a portal slowly began to shimmer into existance.

"Hit it," I told him.

"Morphing Grid, Online."

I smiled, thinking about how I never got tired of this part. "Ranger Form, Energize!"

Track Insert - Guardian Morphing Sequence - Apoptygma Berzerk - Kathy's Song

The energy rushed through me, and over me, and several seconds later, I was covered in my armor. I entered the portal, and went to work.

What I didn't realize though is that the whole time I had been watched in the darkness by someone I thought I knew, but someone who like me would be forced to change by circumstances beyond his control.

I returned from the mission just in time to make it to the two hour required homework period known as Study Hall. I stumbled into my room, nodding at my roommate, and sat down and did as little work as possible. I was tired, and the episode in Baltimore had taken a little more energy out of me then I had wanted.

After the period ended though, I headed over to my friends room. Xander, and Zach two of my closest best friends shared a dorm room. Zach was this big guy from Alaska who had the rare and unique trait of having firey red hair, and Xander was this well-built guy from North Carolina who had blonde hair, and blue eyes. They were both big time gamers, spending a good deal of their time in front of their computers, or sitting around a table playing some game or the other, which I also found quite fun. I sat down in one of their chairs and we talked for a little while.

"What's up guys?" I asked.

"What's up Keizle?" asked Zach, staring at his computer monitor.

"What do you have up?" I asked.

"Diablo 2," responded Zach. "Xander and I are running through hell again."

"I really wish we could get on Battle Net," said Xander, "it would be so much better."

"Yeah," I said. "Internet connections in our rooms would be great."

"Yeah, but you'd you probably just be playing EQ all the time piggy," Zach said, directly his statement towards Xander.

"So?" he asked. The door opened behind me, and Evan came into the room.

The look on his face was quizzical when he saw me, but at the time it didn't seem to bother me. Evan was very like me, especially physically, a little taller, we had roughly the same build, but his hair was a lot darker than mine. We ran in some of the same circles most of the time. Evan was quite elegant in his language sometimes too, his remarks about a situation sometimes more realistic, and true than any of us cared for.

"Hey dude," said Zach greeting him as he entered.

"What are you guys up to?" asked Evan, once he was inside the room.

"Diablo 2," I answered for them.

"Killing a great deal of demons," said Evan reflectively, "an ancient gamers pastime."

"Word," said Xander, clicking away at the game. We sat for a little while, watching the other two play the game, and chatted about it, and the logistical aspects of it.

"I'm going to head off to bed guys," I told them all. "Gonna turn in early." The episode from before still left me a little drained. I opened the door and headed towards the hallway.

"Yeah, all that power must be getting to you," said Evan. I stopped and turned around, looking back at him. I was caught off guard by the comment, and concerned and confused at the same time.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing," he replied.

"Night bro," said Xander, oblivious to the comment.

"Later Keizle," said Zach. I turned back towards the hallway, and headed back to my room. Maybe I was just over tired from earlier, and I was hearing things, but it was still a strange to say. I fell asleep quickly, but halfway through the night I woke up, and headed to the bathroom.

I stood before the sink washing my hands when I suddenly felt another presence in the room. I looked in the mirror as I heard the door shut, and saw Evan come into the room.

"Good Evening," he said, cyncism creeping into his voice. "How's our champion of light this evening?"

I shut off the facet, and shook my head, "What?"

"I never had the opportunity to talk to a real hero before," he said, "wanted to make sure I got it right."

"What are you talking about?" I asked him, confusion and concern drifting into my voice. Had someone finally stumbled onto my secret?

"I saw your little training session in earlier this evening, including your little power charge," he told me.

"I don't know what you think you saw Evan, but I think you must have gotten it wrong," I told him. He grinned, telling me he didn't believe me.

"You keep spinning lies like this to me, and I'll tell everyone your secret," he replied.

"What would that be?" I asked him.

He leaned in close, and grinned, then whispered, "That you're a Power Ranger. I mean hey that's not the way I would of gone, and it seems a little bit childish, but knowing you that seems pretty much accurate."

I stared straight ahead. Suddenly I was both stunned, and upset. I had become to complacent in my training sessions, and someone had gotten the drop on me without my realization. Once more they had also seen me morph, and now what were they going to do with that information. Evan was someone who was just going to sit on it, or act like he thought it was amazing, and was glad for me. He had something up his sleeve, and now I had the benefit of trying to uncover just what that was.

He watched for a moment, and then smiled again, "Tell you what I'm going to do, you let me in on your little secret order of Power Rangers," he said, "and I won't tell anyone about what I saw."

I had two ways to play this, either try and call his possible bluff, which I didn't think he was doing at the moment, or come clean, and hope that would satisify his curiosity. "Duplicating the powers is not possible."

He smiled, a grin of triumph. "Bull."

"Its true," I told him. "There's no way to reproduce what happened to me." I tried to keep the other secret, the one about me only being part human, still a secret, because obviously he still hadn't managed to stumble onto that yet.

"There aren't any more like you?" he asked.

"Not that I know of," I replied. He turned away looking somewhat frustrated, like he had lost the upper hand, but it was only momentary for a second later he turned back around.

"Well here's what were going to do," he said. "You're going to work for me now."

"Doesn't work like that," I told him. "This isn't some game, and my power isn't for sale to blackmailers."

"Fine," he replied, turning to leave, "then I'll just have to deliver the tape I have to every news source that wants it." One thing about me is that I have a very short level of patience after being woken up, doesn't matter if it's the middle of the night, or an hour after I get up in the morning, it still tends to be a little while before I'm at my full level of patience, and at that moment, he had exhausted the last bit of it. I pulled him back with my mind, and forced him against the wall, facing towards me. My eyes flashed red as they always do when I use my mental abilities, and I looked at him.

My voice came out calm, and quiet, building slowly as the statement progressed, "Listen to me very carefully. This is real life, and if you want to mess with someone like me, you're going to get burned, bad. I'm not going to be your pawn, so if you want to go ahead and release that tape and make everyone's life harder, including your own, then go ahead and do it. If you want to protect yourself though, I'd heed my advice, DO NOT screw with me." I let him fall to the ground, and he crumpled. A look of horror had spread across his face, and terror stricken he tore off towards the entrance. Quickly, I realized I had just made the situation worse, so I followed him. I made it into the hallway just as he made to the stairwell. I could hear him fly down the stairs, the noise echoing up threatening to awaken everyone, and then I would be in really big trouble. I took off after him, using my abilities to make my descent much more stealth like. Finally I reached the bottom of the stairs and heard the door to the outside slam shut. I could feel the coldness of the winter night surround me, and even though I had yet to set foot outside, I covered myself with a mental barrier.

I took a step into the cold, noticing how it was raining lightly, the remaining snow being turned into slush. I could not see nor sense Evan anywhere, and decided that if I had been in his position, straight would have been the best direction to run. I headed towards the rec fields when I saw it. A bright flash, followed by a loud thunderbolt. They were exceedingly rare this time of year, but not unheard of, and it was quite nearby. I realized what I meant, and quickly hurried forward.

I found him lying in a snow drift. He appeared unhurt, but his eyes were open, and he was looking towards the sky, he had this calm look on his face, like he was peaceful, but at the same time, like something was different. He was out cold, and lying in the snow in barely anything didn't help things at all. I grabbed him, and stealthy turned him into Sick Bay without anyone noticing, hopefully, he'll forget the whole thing in the morning, I hoped I would.