Disclaimer: I do not own the Power Ranger series.

Chapter 14

It was the first day of the new semester. Everyone was gathered around a table at the student union.

"Well, we have officially survived our first semester as college students," Zack replied.

Kim did not have a pleased look on her face when Tommy looked over at her.

"Kim, what's wrong?" he asked, placing a hand over hers.

"You're not going to believe this shit. I have to find acts for the talent show," she explained. "We're performing for the new student orientation."

"I'm sure Jason, Zack, and I can come up with a routine," Tommy told her.

Jason and Zack looked over at each other in astonishment. Kim looked up with a huge smile on her face.

"Really?" she asked.

Jason and Zack looked at each other again and they gave a small nod.

"Yeah, sure," Jason said.

They we not going to leave Kim high and dry.

"Thank you," Kim said.

"It'll be fun," Zack replied.

They all then went their separate ways to their classes.

xxx

It was the day of the show. Tommy and Kim were gathering things for it.

"Thanks for helping out with this. I know you didn't have to do this," Kim said.

"It's nothing. It'll be good practice anyway," Tommy explained.

Tommy then stopped and turned.

"Where are you going?" Kim asked.

"I just have to run back to my place to pick up something," Tommy told her.

"All right. See you back on campus," Kim replied as she got on her tip toes and kissed his cheek.

As soon as Kim was out of sight, putties attacked Tommy.

"What's going on here? Let me go," Tommy yelled.

"Not a chance," a voice said.

Tommy's eyes grew in horror as the putties forced him to his knees.

"No, it can't be. That voice," he said.

It was a voice he wished he could forget. That voice haunted him every night. Fearing she would come back to take him.

"You should've known better than to think you could get away from me," Rita told him.

"I won't be controlled by you anymore," Tommy vowed.

"No, I don't want to control you. But you are forgetting that I created you, and I can destroy you," Rita said.

"What do you mean?" Tommy asked.

They disappeared.

xxx

Kim gave a frustrate sigh as she looked back down at her watch. Tommy should have been back by now. What was taking him so long?

"Where can he be?" Kim asked out loud.

"Everything all right?" Trini wondered.

"It's Tommy," Kim replied.

Trini looked over at Billy.

"Wasn't he with you?" Billy asked.

"Yeah, but had forgotten something and went to get it," Kim explained.

"I'm sure he'll be back soon," Trini assured her.

xxx

Tommy slowly got up off the floor. He spotted a green candle that was burning away.

"What's going on here?" Tommy asked, not expecting an answer.

"Greetings, Tommy," a voice said.

Tommy turned in shock. He thought he had been alone. A monkey looking creature came into view.

"Who are you?" Tommy asked.

"I'm Goldar," the creature said.

"Well, Goldilocks, I'd love to stay, but I kind of got somewhere to be," Tommy replied.

He looked around, but there did not seem to be an exit. He was trapped.

"Don't you want to know the meaning of this candle?" Goldar asked.

"Because it's dark and you need light?" Tommy answered sarcastically.

"As the candle burns, so does your powers," Goldar explains.

Tommy gave a nervous look at the candle. This time, it meant something different. It was like waking his life burn away.

"You're joking," Tommy said, trying to sound braver than he felt.

"I do not joke," Goldar replied. Tommy went after Goldar, but he found himself weaker than usual. "It was begun. Get ready to say goodbye to your powers."

Goldar laughed as he easily blocked Tommy's punches.

"You won't get away with this," Tommy yelled.

"I think we already have," Goldar said.

With that, he disappeared.

xxx

Tommy did not know how, but he found him walking into the auditorium.

"Tommy, there you are," Kim said.

She ran up in him, relived that he had made it. However, she could not help but noticed he did not seem to be himself.

"Where were you?" Jason asked.

"Sorry," Tommy apologized.

"Are you all right?" Kim asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Tommy answered.

"Let's do this," Zack said as their names were called.

About half way through the performance, Jason knew something was not right with Tommy. He fell to his knees after the performance.

"Hey, are you all right?" Jason asked.

"No, get me out of here," Tommy told him.

Jason and Zack helped Tommy off the stage.

"Are you going to tell us what's going on?" Billy asked.

"We should go to the Command Center," Tommy replied.

Trini gave Kim a concerned look.

xxx

Tommy looked down after hearing the news.

"It's as you said, Tommy," Zordon said. "You are losing your powers."

"How could this have happened?" Kim asked.

"I should have seen this coming," Tommy said.

Jason look away from them.

"There has to be a way to stop this candle," he said.

"I'm afraid that there isn't," Alpha told them.

"I thought so,' Tommy replied.

Kim shook her head.

"We just can't give up and let Rita win like this," she said.

Billy put a hand on Kim's shoulder to comfort her.

"She has control over the Green Ranger powers, not Zordon," he replied.

"Tommy…" Trini began to say.

"It's fine," he told her.

Zack looked down as placed a hand on Tommy's shoulder, unable to say anything.

xxx

Tommy and Kim were walking beside a lake, trying to make sense of what was going on.

"Hey, are you going to be all right?" Kim asked.

He looked at her and tried his best to smile.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Tommy answered.

"Really?" Kim asked.

"Yeah, why?" Tommy wondered.

She rested her head on his shoulder.

"Then I'm fine, too," Kim replied.

Their communicators went off.

"Rangers, Rita has sent down a monster," Zordon said.

"We're on it," Tommy replied.

Kim gave him a look when he put his hand down.

"We?" she asked.

"Yes. We," Tommy replied.

"There's no way in hell you're fighting," Kim said, grabbing his arm.

"You don't understand. I need to do this. If this is going to be my last chance to fight, I'm going," Tommy replied.

"There's no convincing you to stay, is there?" Kim asked.

"Nope," Tommy said.

Kim smiled and looked down.

"I guess we should go then," she said.

"Yeah," Tommy replied.

"Tommy," Kim said as he turned.

"Huh?" he asked.

Kim now had a sad look on her face.

"Just be careful, all right?" she asked.

They morphed and joined the others.

"Tommy, what the hell are you doing here?" Jason asked.

"I tried," Kim said.

"Let's not worry about that now," Billy replied.

"We need to concentrate on defeating that monster," Trini said.

They called upon their zords.

"Here goes nothing," Zack said.

Kim looked over at Tommy.

"Are you ready?" she asked.

"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't," he told her. Tommy took a deep breath as he entered the Dragonzord. "We can do this, buddy." As Tommy got weaker, so did his zord. "Come on, stay with me."

The rest looked on in horror as the Dragonzord went out of control.

"Guys, the Dragonzord's not looking so good," Zack noticed.

"Tommy," Kim yelled.

All of a sudden, the Dragonzord began to retreat, throwing Tommy out in the process.