Author's Notes: We're actually fairly close to the beginning of season 3 and the Ninja Quest now. That's one of my favorite eras of Power Rangers, with long-running story arcs and the villain team at their best. That being said, there are still two single episodes I wanted to adapt before getting to Ninja Quest, and the first one is "Goldar's Vice-Versa." This episode, by the way, is a disaster on the show. The actress they got to play Scorpina is abysmal and does not even remotely look like the Japanese actress. The plot is completely pointless. The best bits, really, are when Scorpina, in human disguise, is being mean to Aisha for no reason. So I didn't have much to work with… except for the fact that Scorpina has become one of my favorite characters, and if you remember, the last we say her she revealed to Goldar that she was having a baby, and that the father was Tommy…

Oh, and Sadie Hawkins dances, where the girls ask the boys to the dance? Super terrible and pointless. The theme of the dance affects only the way people are supposed to invite each other and not the dance itself, and all of that happens not at the dance. Lame. It also manages to be heteronormative (only heterosexual pairings shall participate in the dance) and misogynist (obviously girls would NEVER ask boys, because they're weak women with no power) at the same time. I guess I never thought about it when I was a kid, but seriously, this kind of dance is the worst dance.

Reviewer thanks: The-Chibi-Poe (speaking of complex relationships…), The-Knight2000 (The Wizard of Deception did indeed fake losing. He had an entirely other objective, which might become relevant later.), brankel1, KLR (I love your commentary as usual; I wanted to address one of your concerns. Just as my interpretations of Rita, Zedd, Goldar, Divatox, and Elgar have diverged a bit from the show, my interpretation of Astronema will do the same. While people like Rita, Zedd, and the Machine Empire sort of represent the old guard of the forces of evil, people like Divatox and Astronema represent something new and infinitely more dangerous. Except unlike Divatox, Astronema has a great deal of power in her relationship with Dark Specter. Yeah, she's making people nervous on both sides.), GothamPowerKaiju (My biggest issue with Dark Specter? His voice actor. Seriously, he sounds like a kid who's trying to do a monster voice. It's especially bad when he's next to people with my better villainous voices.), and Psycho Tangerine (I feel like every character needs therapy, don't you?).


Brighter Paths

Book 6: Scorpina's Return

Chapter 23: It's Easier to Pretend

Adam reflected, as he rolled down the stairs, banging his elbows as he went, that the top of the stairs was probably not the best place to hang a banner. It had to be going against some kind of safety regulations. The only reason Aisha wasn't actively protesting it or just taking it down herself was she probably hadn't seen it yet.

He also heard high-pitched laughter after he'd fallen. Of course Bulk and Skull would have seen his fall. It wasn't like he wasn't having a crappy day already.

Before he'd fully come to a stop, he felt someone at his elbow. "You okay, man?"

Rocky helped him to his feet. He never laughed when Adam fell. At least, he didn't anymore.

"Just the usual," Adam grumbled, and then looked up at the banner that had caused his less-than-graceful descent of the stairs. "Sadie Hawkins Dance?" He blinked several times, wondering if he was reading it wrong. "Are they kidding?"

Rocky shrugged. "Apparently it's a thing here. Girls ask the boys to the sock hop, and other fun traditions from the 1950s." He grinned. "Surprised you haven't heard of it yet. I thought you'd be fending the girls off with a stick."

There was a certain brittle quality in Rocky's voice that surprised Adam, but then, ever since the Green Ranger thing, Rocky's sense of humor had slanted harsh. "I would need to be actually popular for that to happen," Adam said. "So no. How about you?"

Rocky made a face. "Saw a girl who looked like she was going to try, but I didn't know her, so I bolted. Saw her chatting up someone else later. I think I dodged that bullet."

They were walking idly toward their lockers, where Tommy, Billy, and Kimberly were having what looked like an attempt at a covert conversation.

"Well, that's not obvious at all," Rocky said as they approached, though he kept his voice down. "Something up?"

Kimberly rolled her eyes as they tried to look a bit more casual, which looked even more obvious. "There was a power surge at our friends' house," she said. "Z-man is looking into it. Nothing to worry about yet."

Considering they'd survived multiple monster attacks, mind control rays, disguised Putties, and an evil Power Ranger clone, not to mention time travel, Adam didn't feel all that comforted by Kimberly's words.

"Mind if I worry anyway?" Rocky said drily, again with the barely-concealed harsh edge to his voice.

Adam saw Tommy flinch a bit and avert his eyes.

"I highly doubt worrying will solve anything," Billy said. "I'll join Z-man after school."

"Is anyone going to do anything about this?"

Aisha walked up, looking furious, and for a moment it looked as if she was talking about mysterious power surges and other Ranger business that they really shouldn't have been talking about at school. It became clear, though, that she was pointing to the banner.

"Yeah, we need to ask if we can move it," Rocky said. "Adam almost broke his neck thanks to that."

"No… I mean…" Aisha quickly looked at Adam. He smiled at her to show he was fine. "I mean, it needs to come down completely. Whose bright idea was it to hold this dance in the first place?"

"There's… nothing wrong with dancing?" Kimberly said slowly, her voice turning up at the end in confusion. "We've been holding it for years. It's a tradition."

"A lot of things are tradition, but that doesn't make them right," Aisha said. "And it's not about dancing. It's about the whole 'girls ask the boys' thing. Why wouldn't girls ask boys for dates anyway? Why do we have to have a completely separate occasion for that? And what about girls who don't want to ask boys… or vice versa?"

Kimberly frowned. "Well, I mean…" she trailed off. It didn't look like she'd thought about it all that deeply. "I thought it was fun."

Adam shifted uncomfortably. Aisha was completely right, but the others were obviously not yet used to her fervor about these things. "I'm not sure this is something we can stop, Aisha," he said quietly. "We've already ruffled enough feathers when you guys got Mr. Caplan to allow Stone Canyon students into the clubs and teams." The other soccer players had given him hell for a little while… but things had cooled down a bit once they'd all seen him play.

Aisha's jaw set. "I don't mind ruffling a few more feathers." With that, she stalked off.

"You think she's going to be able to do anything?" Tommy said.

"Not a chance," said Kimberly, though she still sounded uncertain. "The Girls' Chapter and the cheerleaders are invested in that dance, and all the proceeds go to charity. Between that amount of power and the fact that a lot of them are still pissed at us calling the principal on them… They're not going to give this up, and there's not enough reason to shut it down."

The bell rang, and they broke apart, Adam headed by himself to creative writing. This was usually the high point of his day, but the dance was now looming over his head, one more ridiculous worry that probably wouldn't bother other people. Tommy and Kimberly were sure to go together. Aisha would either boycott the dance or go alone, because the truth was she loved to dance and didn't want a chance to pass her by. Rocky would probably get an invitation before the week was out. And Billy… he had the excuse of his space girlfriend to keep from worrying about a date.

Adam didn't have that excuse. As usual, the odd one out. He could go alone, but what would he do then? Hang out with his friends… and their dates?


Adam was brooding over his drink, completely unable to focus on the collection of poems he was supposed to read and waiting for their karate class to start. He didn't notice Aisha until she threw herself into the chair across from him.

"Well, you're right in what you're probably thinking," Aisha said. "Mr. Caplan was sympathetic, but he's not getting rid of the dance, or even rebranding it to be less…"

Adam smiled slowly. "Less awful?"

Aisha gave a sharp laugh. "Not the word I was going for, but probably more honest." Her drink arrived; she'd had enough time to order at the bar without Adam noticing. "So, are you going?"

Adam shrugged. "No one's asked me. Not sure if anyone will, to be honest. You?"

"I don't know. I'm not sure skipping the dance would do anything. I'm not going to ask anyone, though."

Aisha looked at the center of the gym. There was a martial arts demonstration going on; Adam had been watching it, surprised he hadn't heard of it beforehand. They looked like they were winding down, with one last woman prepping for a demonstration.

"Tell you what," Aisha said. "We could go together, if you want. As friends, you know? I mean, if you want to go. And you don't get asked by someone else."

Adam chuckled. "Thanks, but that's okay. I'm not going to use you for consolation. You do that enough for Rocky."

Aisha sighed, and Adam knew he'd guessed right. Aisha had gone to several parties with Rocky over the years, mainly acting as a shield against all the people Rocky didn't want to deal with. He'd always thought it was unfair to Aisha. As much as they were friends, it wasn't fun to be used.

"I make the choice to go with him," Aisha said finally. She sighed again. "It's easier, you know? Pretending something is true. I've never…" She looked down. "I've never really wanted to date. Anyone, you know?"

Adam didn't say anything. This seemed like something Aisha had been wanting to tell someone for a while, and just hadn't worked up the courage.

"I thought at first I was gay when I didn't like boys," Aisha laughed, her voice quiet. "But I didn't like girls either. I mean, everyone around me got crushes and wanted to date, and I just… didn't."

Adam reflected. Aisha had a lot of passion. She cared about justice, about the environment, about school activities, about grades, about world politics, about computers… But now that he thought about it, she had never once obsessed over a boy or girl. At least, not in that way. She was so busy with everything else, he'd never noticed.

"You've never talked about it," Adam pointed out.

Aisha shrugged and took a drink. "It never came up. Well, that's not true. I'd actively change the subject Just… it's easier to pretend that I do."

Adam didn't know what to say. But Aisha didn't seem bothered. She had lots of friends, and she seemed okay with that. He'd never thought about what it was like to not want anyone like that at all.

"So it would be okay if you wanted to go as just friends, because that's what I like anyway," Aisha finished, giving him a small smile.

"I'd be okay with that," Adam said, and they shared a smile. After a pretty awful day, it was nice to still have friends.

Adam glanced over at the mat, checking to see if the martial artists were clearing out already, and then stared.

Poetry in motion, the phrase came unbidden to him. The woman… girl? She didn't look too much older than he was. Her movements were slow and deceptively simplistic, but Adam could tell the sheer amount of power and control in each move. She was practically a master, using movements he'd never seen before, but that seemed uncannily familiar.

"Adam? You there?"

The performance ended, and he realized Aisha was trying to get this attention. He shook himself, feeling somewhat like he was coming up for air.

"Sorry, Aisha," he said, dragging his eyes away from the fighter. "I'm… I'm going to get set up for class tonight."

"Sure… I'm headed home," Aisha said, looking cautiously at the fighter who had kept Adam spellbound for several minutes.

The fighter… who was walking right toward them.

"You were watching me," the fighter said, giving Adam a wry smile.

"I… I was," Adam stuttered out. "You were really good." His face felt hot. Super eloquent.

Aisha smiled. "It was a fantastic demonstration. I'm Aisha, and this is my friend Adam."

The fighter flicked her eyes over to Aisha, and then back to Adam. "I'm Sabrina. Adam, I heard you teach a karate class this evening." She smiled. "Mind showing me a few moves?"

"Uh… sure," Adam said, then glanced at Aisha. "Talk to you later?"

"Sure…" Aisha said, frowning at Sabrina.

Sabrina didn't seem bothered. "Good to meet you. Adam?"

Adam joined her on the mat, deciding to figure out what was bothering Aisha later. At the moment, he wanted nothing more than to trade moves with this fighter.


Billy shrugged and handed the readings back to Alpha. "Whatever they're doing, they're cloaking it. More than usual," he added.

"Oh, ay-yi-yi, those were my conclusions, Billy. I just wanted to see if you could find something I missed."

Billy nodded, absentmindedly putting the computers through a diagnostic check, just in case that was a problem. He nodded to Zordon's empty tube, a sight that was becoming increasingly familiar. "What do you suppose he's doing?"

Alpha threw up his hands, which was his approximation of a shrug. "I wish I knew, Billy. Tommy tried to talk to him about what's bothering him, but Zordon wouldn't talk. He just keeps holing up in his own dimension."

"That can't be good for him," Billy said.

"Tell me about it."

Tommy and Kimberly walked into the Command Center, dressed in their workout clothes and covered in sweat. They'd been working out with each other far more frequently, and that was a much as Billy wanted to investigate about that.

"Being alone in another dimension can drive you crazy," Tommy continued.

"Not to mention not coming clean and dealing with your issues," Kimberly said. "Wait, who did I learn that from… I seem to recall a floating head… starts with a Z…"

"Speaking of, have you talked to Rocky and Aisha yet?" Billy asked, giving a pointed look to Tommy.

Tommy looked away. "Not… well, kinda. I tried, anyway."

Kimberly and Billy stared at Tommy.

"I'll try again," Tommy said. "It's weird to say, but it was simpler when I was the one hurting everyone, not my clone."

"Those memory problems are worse than we thought, then," Kimberly teased. "But, seriously, you know it's not because it was your clone. It's because it was Rocky and Aisha. You thought you could start over with them."

Tommy gave a weary smile. "It would have been nice if someone hadn't been terrorized by an evil version of me."

"Tell me about it," Billy echoed pointedly.

"I second that," Kimberly said. "But you can't bury things. They just keep coming after you… which is why we have to get Zordon to talk, by the way. Something happened to him, and I don't like how he's letting it affect him."

"Tell you what: I'll try to talk to Rocky and Aisha if you guys try Zordon," Tommy said. He looked up at the tube. "If you can ever catch him in. Could you contact Billy and Kimberly if he does show up and it's a good time to talk, Alpha?"

"Will do, Tommy," Alpha said.

"And in the meantime… dance plans," Kimberly said brightly. "Should be fun."

"I wouldn't know," Tommy said airily. "No one's asked me yet."

Billy looked around for an excuse to get away before things devolved into the particularly sickening, when he realized the time. "Excuse me, but I have an appointment to talk to Cestria."

Billy teleported out, and Tommy and Kimberly, smirking, followed. Alpha stood in the suddenly empty Command Center.

"Oh, don't mind me," Alpha said quietly. "I'll just… do something to occupy myself. Everyone go have fun with your dances and your dates…"


"Good work, Jeremy," Rocky said, keeping an eye out to make sure all of the leaving students got to their parents. "Brittany, be sure to practice that kata. I want you to give a demonstration next time."

The kids filtered out slowly. It had been a good lesson, some ready to make a belt advancement. Adam smiled as he started to clean up the area.

"You know," Rocky said, flashing Adam a grin as he helped him stack the mats up, "it's nights like this that make me think of myself."

Adam raised his eyebrows. "I feel like you mean something entirely different than what you said."

"I meant, they remind me of a younger me," Rocky said, not perturbed in the slightest. "Full of potential, their whole lives ahead of them…"

"Last I checked you were only sixteen," Adam pointed out. "You still have your whole life ahead of you."

"Almost seventeen," Rocky said. "I'm practically ancient."

Belying his statement, Rocky launched himself up to sit on top of the rail, something that Ernie had had to tell him off for doing. Ernie, however, wasn't there: he'd asked Rocky and Adam to close up for him.

"So, what's the verdict," Rocky said. "You going to the dance? I tried to ask Aisha to ask me, but…"

"She turned you down?" Adam said, remembering their conversation earlier. "You can't keep using her as a shield, you know."

"She basically said the same thing," Rocky grimaced. "It's just… I still don't really know anyone here. So a girl asks me out… what do I know about her? We've mainly been hanging out with the same people."

"I think you'd get to know her at the dance," Adam said, shuffling uncomfortably. "Isn't that the point?"

Adam noted that Rocky was too kind to point out that Adam would never and had never done as he suggested.

"Say…" Rocky said slowly, looking away so that he looked like he was trying to look casual, "I mean, if it's just as friends, we could…"

"That was quite a good lesson."

Rocky fell from the rail with a loud "oof." Luckily, that was where they had stacked all the mats, so he bounded to his feet in seconds.

Neither of them had noticed Sabrina, leaning in the doorway of the locker rooms. She had showered. The demonstration Sabrina had asked of Adam had quickly turned into a sparring match, only interrupted by the beginning of karate class.

"Thanks," Rocky said. "I saw you sparring with Adam earlier. My name's Rocky."

"Sabrina," she said, again only giving Rocky a perfunctory glance before turning her attention back to Adam. "I'm new in town… just transferred to Angel Grove High."

Rocky looked taken aback. "You're a student?"

Sabrina gave him a cold look. "Senior."

"We're new to Angel Grove, too," Adam said. "Just since the beginning of the school year. This school… isn't great for new people. At least at first."

"I've heard," Sabrina said. "But you're nice. You don't make me feel like I don't belong."

Rocky was giving Sabrina a similar look to the one Aisha had given. Adam frowned; his friends didn't get it. Sabrina obviously just wasn't good at talking to people… much like himself. Sabrina didn't deserve to be judged just because she was a little awkward.

"I couldn't help but hearing that you didn't have a date for that dance, though…" Sabrina said slowly, finally giving Adam a smile. "Do you think we could…"

And now she was asking him to the dance. Adam didn't really know much about her, but he did know that she needed a friend. And, maybe he needed to start making other friends. Like Rocky had said, they basically stayed in their own group. They could both use a friend.

"Sure… I mean, if you're asking me to the dance, I'm saying yes." Adam winced at his awkward delivery, but the smile on Sabrina's face showed that she wasn't put off at all.

"It's a date, then… Adam." With that, she swept out of the Youth Center.

"So," Rocky said. "That was Sabrina. You're going to try the whole 'get to know her at the dance' thing."

"That's the plan," Adam said. "I mean, she's nice. And she looks like she needs a friend. She must be nervous, moving into a strange town."

Rocky frowned. "I guess you're right. She just… she rubs me the wrong way, you know?"

"I'm sure you just need to get to know her," Adam said. "And it's a better plan than going together."

"Yeah…" Rocky laughed, and Adam heard again the brittle quality that had begun to characterize Rocky's voice, ever since he'd been tormented by the clone. Just what had happened?


The chamber of command of the Moon Palace was deathly quiet. Everyone was there, waiting, but the atmosphere was tense. Even Squatt and Babboo had stopped the inane song they'd been singing most of the day.

Rita stood next to the balcony, slightly apart from everyone else. She drummed her fingernails against the rail, wishing she could retreat to her own throne room. This place was Zedd's, not hers. She didn't even have a throne here. Nothing was hers; she felt an interloper here, and she didn't like it.

The tension shifted at the flame of teleportation, and Scorpina appeared, wearing the same black Chinese-style gi she'd been wearing in the Youth Center. It was a bit too large, making her look slightly younger than she usually appeared, just enough to plausibly be a teenager.

"Empress Rita… Lord Zedd," she said after a pause. "Reporting in as ordered. Mission's going well: I've got a date to the dance."

"I expected no less," Rita said, advancing from the balcony before Zedd could say anything. "And you avoided notice from the Rangers who know you?"

"No sight of Kimberly, Billy, or Tommy," she said. "I was careful. And if Lord Zedd is doing his job, the Command Center won't be able to sense me either."

The room flashed red at Scorpina's words, and everyone except Rita and Scorpina tensed.

"I fail to see, my dear wife, why we needed to bring in Scorpina in the first place." Lord Zedd did not rise from his throne, but he did grip his staff harder, the metal of his claws screeching against the metal of the staff. "After your failure with the clone…"

Rita glared at him. "And why is that my failure, dear husband? If it weren't for your hare-brained time travel plot, then…"

Scorpina opened her mouth to say something, but then felt a hand on her shoulder. Finster shook his head and began pulling her away from the chamber. She noticed Goldar, Squatt, and Babboo making the same escape. Neither Rita nor Zedd noticed.

"I was going to ask how the conjugal bliss was going," Scorpina said once they were well clear of the chamber of command, "but I can see how it is pretty clearly. Is it always like that?"

"No…" Finster said. "Sometimes they argue."

Scorpina followed Finster to his lab, not really wanting to sequester herself in her old room yet. Goldar had already wandered away. They had spoken briefly when she'd gotten there the day before, but no more. Scorpina found she didn't really have anything to say to Goldar, anyway.

"So the honeymoon is over," Scorpina said. "Or did it even begin?"

Finster was making himself busy at his computer, monitoring the cloak that Lord Zedd was maintaining, the one hiding her presence. "The less said, the better," Finster said primly. "They are married, and they'll have to figure things out for themselves."

Scorpina draped herself over Finster's desk. "And what's this clone thing about? I never thought Rita would get involved in that."

Finster hesitated, refusing to meet Scorpina's gaze. "Queen Rita had her mentor the Wizard of Deception create a clone of Tommy, and they gave him a facsimile of the Green Ranger powers. Things… did not go as planned."

Scorpina opened her mouth angrily, and then shut it. "Seriously, Finster, what the hell is going on around here? Nothing makes sense."

"No," Finster admitted, his voice growing quiet. "Nothing seems to make sense at this time. We just have to trust in Queen Rita."

Scorpina crossed her arms. "Whatever. I'm just here for one mission. Fail or not, I'm outta here after this."

"You seem quick to abandon your friend, when she needs allies," Finster pointed out.

Scorpina pushed herself off the desk and headed for the door. "What can I say? I saved her life, and she used that life to marry a monster. I'd say she's used up a lifetime of favors."


Adam carefully combed his hair. He knew his hair was just going to curl all over the place, but he wanted to at least look like he'd put some effort in taming them. His suit jacket lay on the bed. Thankfully, this dance wasn't going to get more formal than that, as he wasn't sure if he could spring for a tux rental.

The past week had been fun. Other than one monster attack (a rather routine one), he'd spent most of his time with Sabrina. He'd shown her around Angel Grove: they'd hiked together, exercised together, and eaten a worrying amount of junk food together. Seriously, Sabrina had a yen for junk food.

It was nice. She was easy to talk to, but more importantly didn't mind sharing silence with him. He didn't really think of her as a girlfriend, of course, but it was nice hanging out with someone who wasn't out saving the world with him on a weekly basis.

Aaron stuck his head in the doorway. "Your date's here. Want help with your tie?"

"I've been tying my own tie for years… but thanks," Adam finished, softening the statement. "What do you think of her?"

Aaron considered. "I'd know more if she were in any of my classes, of course…"

Adam rolled his eyes. "I'm not worried about whether she remembers her homework or not."

Aaron looked like he had something to say, but didn't really want to say it. "I… Adam…" He let out a breath. "Like I said, I don't really know the girl. But I want you to think about something. She treats you really well: laughs at your jokes, wants to know about you…"

"She's obviously a monster," Adam commented.

Aaron gave him a look. "How does she treat other people when she's around you?"

Adam frowned. He wasn't sure what Aaron was getting at, but he didn't like it.

Aaron held up his hands. "Again, I could be wrong. But… I saw how she treated Rocky and Aisha the other day, when you were all over here. She came over, and then she practically ignored them until they finally left. I'm not sure if you noticed or not, but she doesn't really like it when your friends are around."

The problem was… Adam sort of knew he was right. But that really wasn't what he wanted to hear right then. So he didn't say anything.

Aaron sighed again. "Okay, it's just something to think about. Now don't leave your date waiting."

Adam walk down the hallway to see Sabrina staring at the television. She was frowning at the remote, as if she didn't really know what to do with it. She set the remote down and smiled as soon as she saw him. She was wearing a red dress that was far more glamorous than he thought anyone at the dance would wear, and he suddenly felt underdressed.

"Ready to go, Adam? I parked on the street, but I'm not sure if I'm supposed to do that."

Adam took her arm, noticing that she barely gave his brother a second glance, and sort of hating that he noticed that.

"Be back by midnight!" Aaron called after them. "Have fun!"

"We will," Adam called, and then followed Sabrina out the door. They got in a sporty little black car, the likes of which Adam could never envision affording.

"So, the dance will be pretty fun," Adam commented. "I mean, you'll get to meet my other three friends there."

"Yeah…" Sabrina said distractedly. She was concentrating hard on the road. She couldn't have been driving long: she held the steering wheel like a foreign object.

"At least, I think they're all there," Adam said. "Tommy and Kimberly will definitely be there together, but Billy might not go. He's got his sp… his girlfriend from out of town, and she couldn't come, so…"

She didn't answer. He looked at the road. "Hey, is this the way to the Youth Center?"

"Taking the scenic route," Sabrina said. She had been accelerating while Adam had been talking, and now they were flying down the road. It was dark, and he could only make out a couple of feet in front of the headlights.

"Yeah, that's… Hey, listen, shouldn't we have taken that right?" Adam said, laughing nervously. He grabbed at his morpher, wondering if he'd have to break the rule about secret identities just to save their lives. "Or, you know, slow down a little?"

"You always play it safe, don't you?" Sabrina said. Her voice was angry and clipped, a manic light in her eyes.

Adam very quickly realized he knew absolutely nothing about Sabrina. He didn't even know her last name, and now she was speeding down the road with him, their lives in her hands.

"Come on, live it up!" Sabrina barked out a laugh. "We're young. Nothing tying us down. You barely have a family, and mine…" She smirked and whipped around a curve, not losing control of the car despite her supposed lack of experience.

"Sabrina, stop the car!" Adam shouted. His hand hovered close to his communicator. He could teleport them both out, but that would still leave the car to crash and hurt someone. He tried to grab the wheel, but Sabrina fended him off with a surprising amount of strength.

"It's easy to pretend, right?!" Sabrina said, her voice growing shaky. "We all keep pretending, Adam! I am, you are… the whole damn universe!"

"How am I pretending?!" Adam shouted, at the same time realizing that this was probably not the most useful of questions.

Sabrina gave a wild laugh. "Oh, come on! As if you'd be interested in me, or anyone like me!" She looked at him coldly. "Or are you fooling yourself?"

Adam sat frozen at her words, but then looked up to see something that drove her words out of his mind. The headlights suddenly shone on a figure in the road. Adam opened his mouth to shout out a warning… then everything went black.


Aisha danced as Billy awkwardly tried to keep up. She noticed that he was trying to replicate some of her moves, so she simplified things a bit so he could have an easier time. After a minute, he was starting to look much more at ease.

She, Billy, and Rocky had all driven over together. She at first had thought that they'd be the only unattached people, but it turned out that only a few couples arrived together. Between the nervousness of the weird gender role reversal and the rule that only Angel Grove students could attend, there were far more groups of friends than there were official couples. All in all, it seemed like the theme of the dance was going out of style.

The song ended, and she laughed with Billy as they vacated the dance floor. Rocky followed them. He had been dancing with a girl, but she looked rather pouty as she walked off. Probably because Rocky had spent their entire dance glancing over to the entrance.

"They should have been here by now," Rocky said, again glancing at where other teens were milling in and out of the doorway. No sign of Adam or Sabrina.

Aisha frowned and glanced at the clock over the door. She'd stopped wearing a watch ever since she'd started wearing a communicator. She'd asked Billy why they couldn't put a watch there, and he'd used so many technical terms that Aisha was convinced he'd just not thought of it and was trying to hide the fact.

"You're right," Aisha said. "Unless they decided not to come… to go somewhere else first. They've been pretty tight."

Rocky shook his head vigorously. "No. That's not like Adam at all."

"But it might be like Sabrina," Aisha said darkly.

"The girl Rocky met?" Billy said. "I haven't met her yet." He frowned. "Do you think Adam would date someone dangerous?"

"They're not even dating," Rocky said, an edge creeping into his voice. "They've just been hanging out. Adam barely knows her. You just don't like her, Aisha."

Aisha shrugged. "Neither do you. But that's not the point. Adam's just been… different around her. Or maybe she's just so terrible that being around Adam is different."

Billy glanced at the communicator that Aisha was toying with unconsciously. "Alternate theory. You don't suppose they could have run into a different kind of trouble?"

Rocky and Aisha looked startled. They'd been Power Rangers for a couple of months, but attacks from aliens still weren't foremost on their mind. Billy was a bit more used to it.

They were distracted from further discussion by a throat being cleared behind them. Bulk was standing there, his eyes shifting around the room as he tried to look unconcerned. His outfit could be described as formal leather: a tuxedo shirt under a leather jacket. He looked like he'd washed his hair: it was a bit fluffier pulled back in his customary ponytail.

"Adam's not here to make fun of," Rocky pointed out, his eyes turning cold.

Bulk started, and then looked nervously at Billy and Aisha. "I'm sorry for making fun of your friend, okay? I got the message."

"Then…" Rocky said leadingly.

Bulk looked like he was choking on some words. His face turned red, and the pale. "Um… Aisha… doyouwanttodancewithme," he said all in one breath. "I mean, as friends… I mean…"

Aisha smiled and got up. "Sure, Bulk." Her smile turned into a smirk. "Because I like this song, you know?"

They swept away in a sort of exaggerated waltz, Aisha laughing as they went.

"So, we're in some kind of alternate universe, right, Billy?" Rocky said, still looking at the two in shock.

"Not at all," Billy said. He nodded over to a table across the room, where Skull sat. A girl was standing near him hopefully, but Skull didn't even look up. He was too busy looking at Kimberly, who had been dancing nonstop with Tommy ever since they'd gotten there.

"It can't be fun to hang out with someone who's too distracted to notice you're there," Billy said, but Rocky hadn't heard. He'd again glanced over at the entrance, hoping to see Adam walk in.

Billy looked down at his communicator. He was also worried about Adam, but he wasn't sure if it was time to alert Zordon… or, more likely, Alpha, as Zordon was probably off in his own dimension. Another half hour, and then he'd start searching.


Adam groaned and tried to move as he slowly woke up. He was in pain, as if he'd been body-slammed into the mat a few too may times. There was a burning smell, as if oil was burning…

Adam's eyes flew open as he suddenly remembered. The drive to the dance, Sabrina's sudden shift, the crash… It was still dark, but he was still buckled in the passenger's seat. The driver's side windshield was busted through, and Sabrina was gone.

Adam tore his seatbelt off and slammed the car door open. It was bent and hard to move, but after three tries he got it open. He stumbled out of the car and stumbled forward. He was sore, but it didn't seem like he'd been badly hurt. He knew the same couldn't be said for Sabrina, who hadn't had her seatbelt on. He prepared himself for the grisly sight of her broken body.

Instead, he saw Goldar, a squadron of Putties behind him.

"Going somewhere, Black Ranger?" Goldar's mocking voice drifted from the darkness.

Adam ground his teeth. He didn't want to deal with this. "Where's Sabrina?"

Goldar laughed. "Oh, you don't have to worry about her," he said. "Or, you should worry more about yourself."

Adam grabbed for his morpher, knowing that he stood no chance in a fight against Goldar and Putties without the extra protection. He morphed… but nothing happened.

He tried again, sweat beading on his face. He was hurt from the car wreck, but not that hurt. This should work.

"Having problems with your morpher, Black Ranger?" Goldar said slyly.

Adam cursed and pressed his communicator, knowing that retreat was the best course of action. He pressed against the naked flesh of his wrist. He felt around for it. It was gone.

Goldar grinned, not talking, but knowing that that Adam was defenseless and unable to escape.

Adam ducked behind the car to avoid any initial attacks, and then he ran for it, ignoring the pain in his ankle and going as fast as he could into the dark night.


"Okay, I'm officially worried," Rocky said as soon as his friends joined him off the dance floor.

Kimberly and Tommy threw themselves into chairs at the table and downed their waiting drinks in two gulps. They had been dancing the whole time, and they looked happily exhausted. Aisha had finished her awkward dance with Bulk, both of them parting in good spirits. Billy had refrained from this dance and was currently watching the doorway along with Rocky.

"Adam hasn't shown up?" Kimberly said, looking around but knowing that Rocky would have already spotted him.

"Adam usually shows up late for these things," Aisha said, "because he doesn't want to just stand around when there's no crowd. But… yeah. This is extreme even for him."

"Adam has been singled out for attack before," Billy pointed out. "We might want to check on him."

They were already headed for the door to try out the communicator when Rocky thought of something. "We can't just call him," he said as soon as they were outside, away from the crowd. "He might be with his date Sabrina. It would be pretty hard to explain…"

"Sabrina?" It was Tommy who said this, and there was an edge to his voice. "Who's Sabrina?"

Rocky was a little annoyed at being interrupted, but the took on Tommy's face made him forget his annoyance. "Um… Sabrina. Adam met her a week ago at a martial arts demonstration? She just transferred to Angel Grove."

"No she didn't," said Kimberly, her face growing worried as well. "I was helping Mr. Caplan with the new student records yesterday, making sure all the new students got a chance at extracurriculars. There have been no new students since the Stone Canyon students began this year."

"Has anyone met this Sabrina?" Tommy asked sharply.

"I have, and Rocky has," Aisha said. "Do you think…"

"Describe her," Tommy said. "What does she look like?"

"Um…" Aisha thought a moment. "Kind of East Asian, except kind of not? Long black straight hair, a little shorter than Rocky, with a sort of compact build, and…" she glanced at Rocky, "kind of mean."

Tommy, Billy, and Kimberly were shooting each other horrified looks, completely out of proportion with Rocky and Aisha's experiences with Sabrina.

"So, is she an old girlfriend?" Rocky laughed. "I mean, she didn't seem all that eager to meet you guys. Not that she paid much attention to us, for that matter."

Tommy didn't answer, although his eye twitched at Rocky's words. He hit his communicator. "Adam, come in. Adam, are you there?"

The had gone behind the Youth Center, where a couple who was making out had run off to find a more private area. They were alone, and the silence from the communicator was ominous.

"Adam, come in," Tommy said more urgently.

The communicator crackled to life. "Adam's not here," a woman's silky voice answered.

Except it wasn't just from the communicator. The voice echoed in real life as a woman in a red dress materialized from the shadows. She was holding Adam's communicator and smirking.

"Sabrina?" Aisha began. "What are you…?"

"That's not Sabrina," Tommy growled, and Rocky and Aisha were shocked to see Tommy, Kimberly, and Billy falling into a defensive stance. They followed suit.

"What have you done with Adam?" Kimberly said, her voice dipping dangerously.

"What do you mean, that's not Sabrina?" Rocky said. "Who is she?"

The woman laughed. "You know, I think you downgraded on Red Rangers. This one's none too bright. Pretty, though."

"Cut the bullshit, Scorpina," Tommy said, advancing on her. "Tell us where…"

No one saw her move. One minute, she was standing there, regarding Tommy disdainfully. The next, she had Tommy pinned to the brick wall of the alley by his neck. His feet hung an inch from the ground, and his fingers clawed at her grasp.

Before the rest of the Rangers could react, Scorpina pulled out her sword and brandished it at the Rangers. "I could break his neck right now and not break a sweat," she said, her voice deathly calm. She turned her attention to Tommy. "Let's get this straight. I'm still your enemy, and I'm dangerous. You don't make demands, especially when you want your precious Adam back. Got it?" She tightened her grip, and Tommy's face was starting to turn from red to blue.

"Scorpina…" It was Billy who spoke up, pushing his way to the front. He held his hands out placatingly. "You won't gain anything by killing him. And don't forget that he took a blow for you last time. You're in his debt."

Scorpina regarded Billy coldly, but she let Tommy go and stepped away from him. "You speak of debt… you really have no idea…" She frowned and shook her head, watching as the Rangers crowded around Tommy. "No… doesn't matter."

"It really doesn't," Kimberly said acidly. She had quickly checked to see if Tommy was okay, but now she faced off against Scorpina. "Look, we just want to know the score. Are we talking ransom? Evil spell? Or did you decide you really needed a new boyfriend?"

Scorpina laughed unpleasantly. "Rita does tend to use the same plans, doesn't she. Zedd doesn't seem any more creative. All right, children, think of this as more of a game. Adam is hurt… lost in the woods… and unable to morph. He can't morph because I've stung him with my venom. I've been dosing him the whole week, putting it in his drinks, but now I've given him a sting that should finish him off in an hour. Find him in time, and you can use the serum on him. After that…" She let the silence linger.

"And that's all?" Kimberly said, only a slight tremor betraying her fear.

Scorpina shrugged. "You could always give up Zordon, but we've danced this dance before. You're not going to. So let's see how many martyrs we can make before we break the old man."

Scorpina gave a little mocking wave and teleported out in a burst of flame, leaving the Rangers to stunned silence.