Episode II

Truth and Lies

Chapter Five

Sean had barely pulled out of his semi-trance before he tumbled forward, his head spinning to the point he did not know where he was. He crashed on his left side, splattering mud all over his already drenched clothes and face, and then collapsed onto his back as his right arm slapped the soggy earth above his head like a hundred pound weight.

For a few moments, he lay motionless with eyes shut outside the back wall of Kimberly's guest bedroom window—neither stirring nor shivering as he sank into the mud while the rain continued pelting his face. However, he barely felt the rain and mud. In fact, not even the roar or sight of the overhead turbulent sky tearing in half repeatedly reached his ears or eyes as he slumped into darkness—hovering within a millimeter of unconsciousness.

Yet behind his eyelids, he fought to stay conscious, but it was like somebody had injected his body with liquid iron and stuck him in a pool of quicksand. His body had still not fully recovered from its exhaustion after Jason's battle over six hours ago. Even after all that time, energy continued leaking from his limbs. Sean could not count the years it had been since he had been this tired before. Even simple thoughts were a struggle for him. The temptation to pass out… to rest… to let go… was all within Sean's grasp. He was so close to it. All he had to do was yield to it. Mere moments ago, he had told Billy that he needed to sleep. He just needed to let go.

Still, he refused. With every ounce of perseverance he had, he demanded that that temptation remained a tantalization.

Sean had been there since Kimberly, Zack, and Trini had arrived in order to watch over them. If he passed out now, he could sink into a coma, and he could not allow that. He needed to be here for Trini. It was partially his fault that Trini was in this condition, and because of that, she was his responsibility. Neither Zack nor Kimberly knew fully what Trini had experienced seven years ago. Only Sean and Jason could fully guide her to the truth. Yet given the currant circumstances, Sean figured he would be a better choice than Jason.

And it was that very thought of keeping Trini away from Jason that fueled his drive towards full consciousness. Eyes still shut, he flopped his head to his left side, facing the house.

As he focused on Trini, he felt the edge of her mind. Even though he was lightly touching it, he did not hear or sense her thinking. In fact, he felt hardly anything on the surface. Compassion and concern pumped adrenaline throughout his body, giving his mind the extra energy boost it thirsted for. He knew that people suffering from sever shellshock usually had less brain activity, but he sensed far less than he had expected. Nevertheless, he sensed she was alive but somehow inactive. Keeping his eyes closed, he inched his senses a little deeper piercing the surface of her mind, all the while maintaining a cautious distance from any of Trini's brain functions (memories and physiology) and masking his presence. The last thing he wanted was to cause her anymore suffering. Nevertheless, he needed to know what state she was in.

And yet, he was taking a huge risk in doing this. Knowing full well what Trini had gone through in the past eight years—more so than she or any of the others knew—he had a fairly accurate idea of what shape her mind was in. Yet there was still the problem that he was more exhausted than he had been in years. Sean could have thought of a similar situation but he knew that nothing in his life had been like this.

Automatically, his face drooped into a frown. The damage Trini had sustained from Jason's connection with her mind was extensive. Her memories were in shambles; events overlapping while some were scarred. It was no wonder she went into a vegetative state after her mental breakdown. Regrettably, Sean could not determine if the damage was caused by Jason or by Trini.

Yet it was just when he was assessing the damage, Sean's connection began to dissipate. With a rush of determined perseverance, Sean strengthened his partial link. He had to know if she was in a coma or just asleep. However it was very difficult for him to maintain his link while masking his presence. He barely had enough energy to lift one of his hands—let alone sneak around someone's mind. Nevertheless, this had to be done. Only he could determine the amount of suffering Jason had inflicted on her.

Mustering his concentration, Sean resumed his search for Trini's consciousness. Most of her conscious mind, from what he could see and hear, was almost a void (which probably meant she was asleep), but he sensed something behind the void—an echo of how it had functioned when she was awake. He redirected his senses, following the trail… and exclaimed softly something between a sigh and a gasp of horror, pity, and compassion.

Unfortunately, the link began to disintegrate again consequently. Regaining a better control on his emotions, he reinforced his link once more. Meanwhile, a tinge of guilt swam around his heart. The last thing Trini needed now—much less wanted—was another telepath running around in her mind. However her life was in danger, which none of the others knew. This had to be done, whether she wanted it or not. He made a solemn vow that he would reap the consequences later. Sean had endured too much to allow her to die so easily.

His composure restored, he focused on what was behind the void. The gap between her subconscious and her conscious mind had been torn to the point it had almost been almost completely ripped. Sean suppressed a shudder, focusing on the task at hand. He did not have the energy to divide his concentration. Nevertheless, he still had not found where she dwelled in her mind.

However it did not take him long before he stumbled into a mental wall. Sean almost mentally blinked. As inactive as her mind had been, he was very surprised to find such an impenetrable barrier. He tried to find an opening but there was none. Whatever this wall was, it was meant to be sealed—not opened. Forcing himself into it was out of the question. It would damage her further and he had stayed too long in her mind—exerting too much energy. Even now, his perception of the mental wall began to distort. It was time for him to leave her mind and meditate.

You never should have endured this, he thought once he crawled out her mind. And he opened his eyes for the first time since fainting, staring at the dying storm above him. Zordon, watch over Trini and help her.

I would like to know what you guys think about what's going on in the story thus far; and also some indepth critiques. The next chapter will deal with what Trini has been "seeing" since her confrontation with Jason, so for those of you who are dying to know, please wait just a bit longer.