Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Power Rangers, this is all just for fun.

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far. The next four chapters will be fairly short, about the same length as this one, and then they will start to get longer.

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Chapter 1 – Living the Nightmare

"SYD NOOOO!" Sky shot sharply upright in bed, breathing hard, the nightmare still fresh in his mind. His body shuddered in shock at the vivid pictures he still carried in is head.

He buried his head in his hands, trying to block out the images when the truth hit him so hard he gasped in shock. It had been no nightmare, but a replay in his mind of what had happened the previous day. Syd was really gone. The blast she had taken for Z had killed her instantly.

Pain ripped through his chest as he remembered catching her as she fell, her eyes, lifeless as they gazed up at him seeing nothing, the sparkle that had always been there extinguished forever. He had refused to believe she'd gone, begging her to wake up, to come back, to say something, pleaded with her not to leave him. Then realisation had set in, she wasn't going to wake up, not ever again.

Sky raised his head from his hands, his face a mask of agony as he remembered ever so gently closing her eyes with his fingers, dimly aware of Z sobbing behind him. He'd started to shake and then buried his face in Syd's hair as he'd rocked back and forth as grief and an overwhelming sense of loss had overcome him.

Getting out of bed, he walked over to the window, staring out at the stars in the night sky. Glancing over towards Bridge's side of the room he noticed that the green ranger was missing. Probably down in the infirmary with Z, he thought, recollecting how Z had been sedated after becoming hysterical once she realised the awful truth. That Syd was dead. Dead after taking a hit that had been meant for her.

Gazing once more out of the window, a single tear trailed down his face, "Why Syd?" he whispered brokenly out to the night, "Why did you do it?" But deep inside of him, he knew why, because that was the kind of person Sydney Drew had been. She'd taken enough hits for him in the past, for all of them without a second thought. But this had been one hit too many.

It had taken Jack and Cruger to carefully prise Syd from his arms. Kat had taken care of Z after sedating her and Bridge had guided him to the jeep. After that everything became a blur. He couldn't remember getting back to the base or getting into bed.

Closing his eyes, he rested his forehead against the cool glass of the window, as a fresh wave of agony of losing Syd overcame him. He felt as though he were being torn apart inside. So many things left unsaid, so much he'd wanted to tell her and now it was too late. Was it only yesterday morning that she had laughingly teased him about his choice of reading material? A sob tore out of him as he realised she would never tease him again. No more would he see her beautiful eyes light up with joy when something made her happy.

Tears ran unchecked as he slowly slid to the floor, hugging his knees as his heart broke with grief.

tbc.