Sky stumbled onto the darkened front porch of the Collins mansion. He wasn't even sure how he had gotten here, only recalled getting into a cab drinking an entire bottle of whiskey and then being waked up by the driver telling him that they had arrived at their destination and asking for his money. His head was throbbing and he felt sick to his stomach; after his blowout with Eric he had taken off angry and had gone to every bar that he could find, just drinking away, not giving a damn about anything or anyone. He probably would have been at it all night, but at the last bar he somewhat recalled getting into it with some trucker, some words had been exchanged and fists started flying, which would explain why his jaw felt raw and sore. He had gotten thrown out of the bar before he headed to the nearest gas station and bought the bottle of whiskey that he downed like there was no tomorrow. It was there a cab driver spotted him and asked if he needed a lift anywhere.

Why he had told the driver to drop him off here was beyond him. This was the last place on Earth he wanted to be ….wait, he took that back, the last place he wanted to be was in Reefside with Eric and the others. Neither one of the places was on the top of his list. It just reminded him of all the lies he had been told throughout his life, by the very people who were supposed to care about him.

He reached for the door to open it, but it was locked and of course there was no one there to let him in. Nobody lived here anymore, even though the house looked as though someone could be living in it: the grass was cut, the flowers were blooming and furniture filled the house, but no… The last time anyone had stayed here for any length of time was when he had brought Syd here, the day when their relationship had gone beyond a friendship. Quick images of that night flashed before his eyes. Kissing her…..holding her tight to his body….as she responded to his touch….clothes being ripped off as they sank into the bed…

"…Sydney…." Vaguely he recalled that he had said he would call her after the fight they'd had when she kicked him out of her apartment. He had never called her ….he started to reach for his phone to dial her number, but in his drunken condition he felt his legs give away and he dropped to the ground, leaning his back against the door. His breathing was heavy and he could feel as the darkness started to close in. …. It was probably a good thing he passed out from all the alcohol he had consumed, because he was sure that Syd wouldn't be thrilled with him calling her in the state he was in. Their relationship was bad as it was…

Elsewhere…..

Sydney sat in her bed staring at the clock; the time read 2:00 am. It had been several hours since she had yelled at Sky and had thrown him out of her apartment, something she hadn't even been sure she was capable of doing. It really had been the first time she had stood up to him; she had tried in the past, but always had let him weasel his way back in. She sighed heavily as she watched another minute pass by on the clock. Her eyes turned to her cell, which was just lying there on her nightstand silently. When Sky had told her he would call her later she thought he might be telling the truth, but he hadn't called. She knew from Z that Chase had taken Sky away with him to go to Reefside for a couple of days, but she thought he would at least call her.

She tried to fight the tears, but she couldn't hold them any longer; once she let the one tear fall, the rest soon followed after. "….What have I done?" she cried as she buried her face into her pillow, clutching onto Peanuts her stuffed elephant, feeling that if she hadn't yelled at him, hadn't kicked him out, then they wouldn't be in this situation.

There was a knock on her door. "….Syd, are you okay?" asked Z, who had been waked up by her sobs. To tell the truth, she hadn't been able to sleep and was wide awake. All day she had been worried about Syd and that had carried on throughout the night. She knew something other than Sky was bothering her friend; Syd has been extremely emotional as of late.

"….It's nothing Z, go back to bed," Syd mumbled as she brushed away her tears.

"It's not nothing." Z opened the door; one way or another she would get to the bottom of this. "You wouldn't be crying if it was nothing." She walked over to her friend and climbed onto the bed with her. "I'm your friend, Syd." She looked her in the eyes. "I know something other than Sky has been bothering you. You can tell me…"

Syd sighed heavily, knowing she was lucky to have a friend like Z by her side. She couldn't ask for a better friend and even though she was older than Z by a good few months, at times she felt Z was the older sister, probably because Z had to grow up faster, due to living on the streets with Jack. "…I can't… Not yet." She felt a lump in her throat. "I have to talk to someone else first…"

Deep down in the pit of her stomach, Z had a feeling, as she had for the last few days, about what was going on with Syd, but she wouldn't push it out of Syd. She would let Syd tell her on her own time. She smiled faintly, as she leaned in to give her a hug wanting her to know she was there for her. "It's going to be okay, Syd."

"I hope so," she whispered, as a tear rolled down her cheek.

Chase violently tossed and turned in his sleep, his heart raced rapidly against his chest, as he began calling out the names of his former teammates, and once again like so many nights before, he relived the day that had changed his life forever, that had tortured him in his sleep all these months, a day he wished he could just wish away. "Dougy…. Link…. Val…. Callie….No…."

BOOM! Explosions were going off everywhere, left and right, there was no escape. Dark smoke filled the room. He couldn't see anything, only could hear faint cries for help, and then quicker than light something jumped in front of him. Before he could even react he felt a sharp pain going into his cheek. "Ahhhh…." There was another explosion, an even louder one than before.

"It ends now, Red Ranger!" exclaimed a voice.

Chase's vision was blurry as he tried to make sense of the figure in front of him. It was yellow, but it wasn't Callie's voice, someone else. This was a man's voice. Chase grabbed a hold of his head where he had a large cut running down his face and that was when everything came to and he could see the face of the attacker, or more so make out what it was. It was another yellow Ranger… Someone he knew. "Cliff?" Unsure of his own voice, he looked around and saw two other members of A Squad Earth Rangers fighting around him, but not fighting the enemy, they were fighting SPD cadets, other rangers, …his team. "What's going on?" He got to his feel, not understanding why this was happening. "Why are you doing this? We're on the same side…"

"Oh, but I'm afraid that I'm not fighting on the same side…."He smirked to himself behind his helmet, but made it perfectly clear to the man before him. "We have been working for Gruumm since before we joined the academy…"

"What?" Chase couldn't believe it. "But…..we fought side by side, you saved my life once, don't you remember?"

"It was all part of the plan, we couldn't let anyone suspect our true intentions." He pulled out his blaster and pointed it right at him. "…But I'm afraid that this time I will not save you Chase, it ends here."

"Don't do this, Cliff, I know you, you're better than this. This isn't you, be my old friend again."

"You don't know anything about me!" he snapped. "Goodbye!"

"Nooo!" Chase stood frozen, unable to move, not being able to understand why his old friend, who he had joined him on several missions over the years, why he and the others were doing this. Both of the A Squad teams had been friends, had even trained together on one of the neighboring planets. He just watched as the blast headed straight towards him, but it would never reach him. His body dropped to the ground, someone had gotten in the way. He turned his head, his heart skipped several beats and time seemed to stop around him. "….Callie, no!" he cried.

"You fool…." Cliff just stood there watching, he hadn't expected that to happen…

Chase had tears in his eyes as he stared into her face, blood was all over. "You shouldn't have done that," he cried.

"I couldn't let you die…" she whispered barely able to keep her eyes open.

His lips trembled as he held her close to him. Nothing else mattered anymore; as he looked around he watched as his team along with b squad and many other officers fall, being killed by the enemy, and those who had betrayed them. He locked his eyes onto Cliff, he wanted nothing more than to kill him, rip him apart for the monster he was, but he couldn't leave Callie, he'd rather die than leave her.

Cliff just stood there frozen, as if he felt torn inside, unsure of even himself at the moment. He stared at the gun in his hand, it was shaking, quick images flashed through his mind. He grabbed a hold of his head trying to get a sense of them, and tossed the gun to the ground. It was as if someone was trying to get through to him, but couldn't. "What do you want… Who are you… Ahh... Go away!" he screamed, going into a forced demorph.

"Cliff… It's time to go," announced Kane, the Green Ranger. "This place is going to blow!"

Cliff snapped out of whatever had just happened to him and looked at Chase, who held Callie in his lap. He was struggling with what to do, as if someone buried deep inside told him that this was wrong and he regretted the choice he had made, but couldn't bring himself to do anything but run after his teammates, leaving Chase behind.

"No… Come back and fight!" Chase abruptly woke from his sleep, heart pounding heard against his chest; a coat of sweat covered his body. His breathing was heavy, be took a few quick breaths to ease it down. He ran a hand over his face. "Callie…." he said, as he pulled the sheets away and got up out of the bed.

Chase wandered around his father's house, hoping to calm himself down and think about something other than his nightmare. He found himself in the study where he saw a packet of folders, papers from Tommy's students, most of the grades consisted of a B or better, which lead Chase to believe that his father must be a pretty good teacher, considering science had been his worst subject when he was in school.

He himself still couldn't believe that his father was a simple high school teacher, when it wasn't so long ago that Tommy Oliver had been one of the most feared Power Rangers ever. But it did bring some peace, that perhaps one day he too would have this, something simple. His eyes then locked onto a picture frame resting on the shelf on the back wall: it had his father, a woman with long brown hair, and a boy, about fifteen or so. He reached for it to get a better look. They all looked so happy in it, but he had no clue who the woman and boy were, although the woman did look a little familiar.

"That's Kimberly and her son, Junior…."

Chase turned around to see Tommy standing in the doorway.

"Kim is…." He sighed heavily, these days he didn't know what they were, she hasn't exactly answered any of the calls or e-mails or even letters he had sent her the last couple of months that he had come back here. Not that he could blame her after what had happened; it had devastated both of them …but he couldn't help but feel a little angry, because he was hurting just as much. "…or was my girlfriend. We went to high school together."

And that's when the light went on. "….She was a Ranger with you ….pink ranger?"

"Yeah." Tommy smiled as he took the picture from his son, to glance at it. It had been a while since he had even looked at it, after what had happened it was just too painful to even think about her, yet alone look at her picture.

"Is the boy, …Junior…" There was still just so much he didn't know about his family.

"No. He isn't mine." He set the picture back on the shelf. "His dad died a while ago, in a waterskiing accident. …But for the time Kim and I were together, we were close…" He had even come to view Junior as his son, they had done all the things a father and son do together, went to sporting events, even took him hunting and fishing a few times, and he had prepared him for his learner's permit.

"If you don't mind me asking, what happened?" It was clear to Chase just by looking into Tommy's eyes, that there were still strong feelings for Kim and teen he had left behind to come here. He wanted to know what would have caused someone to just leave when they were obviously very much in love.

Tommy turned to Chase, eyeing him directly in the eyes. "Only if you don't mind telling me what that nightmare of yours is about?"

Tommy and Chase sat across from each other at the kitchen table, each with a cup of coffee and donuts in front of them. For the last two hours the two had talked. Chase had told his father about that dreadful day, as he watched his teammates and fellow officers die around him as they were being betrayed by their own, and how the love of his life, girl of his dreams, died in his arms. How he was so full of hatred towards the former A Squad and how he wanted nothing more than to rip Cliff Chan apart, because it had been him who had taken Callie from him.

And though it was the hardest thing he had done, he did feel some sort of relief come over him, as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. The only thing that still remained was his pure hatred and desire to make Cliff pay; he could not let go of his hate and forgive his former friend. "….I hate him …I hate him so damn much."

Tommy couldn't blame Chase for hating the man who had killed the woman he loved, he knew he couldn't even ask him to forgive him, to let go of his hate before it ate him up inside. But what he could do is share his own experiences, he had seen a lot, done a lot in his life, some things that he wasn't too proud of and never would be.

He began to tell Chase his whole history of being a Ranger, even the things he probably didn't know about. The days when he had fought for the side of evil back when he had been put under a dark spell, when he had been just some pawn for evil to use, how he at fifteen nearly came close to killing the Power Rangers, his friends, …and the girl of his dreams. Though he had been under the spell, he knew what was going on, but couldn't stop himself or say anything …he had no way of reaching out. He only could hope that they would find a way to free him, to save him. He hadn't killed anyone then, thankfully, but years later he wouldn't be so lucky.

He then began to tell Chase about his work with Anton Mercer, of how the two experimented, how the dino gems came to be, what had happened between him and Smitty, of how Mercer and he created the monstrous beast that would later kill a group of scientists and how he'd barely escaped with his life to forever be haunted by their deaths, knowing that he in some way was responsible for it. It had taken him a long time to forgive himself for all the things that had happened.

And as promised, Tommy went about telling Chase what had happened between him and Kim. He started with the death of her husband, who before he had died asked Tommy to watch over his family and that he would be okay if down the line the two got together. All he wanted was for his son to have a father and for Kim to find love again… And he ended it with the sad tale of how Kim had miscarried the baby and how after that their relationship had tumbled down around him, to the point where they couldn't even talk to each other. Of how leaving was the hardest decision he had ever had to make, not just Kim …but for Junior.

"Did you ever tell her about what Pete said to you?"

"…No." He shook his head, all these years he had kept that a secret. It wasn't that he meant to, there just had never been the right time or place to say it. "I didn't. ….I guess I just didn't know how I was supposed to tell her that he knew he was going to die." He was recalling how Pete had told Kim numerous times that everything was going to be okay, that they would make it through this and have more babies.

"…You could leave that part out." Chase smiled faintly, understanding that would be a hard thing to tell someone you care about. He bit his lip. "But I do think you should tell her the part about him wanting you to be with her and Junior." He looked into his father's eyes. "…Because you still love her, I can see it in your eyes… You don't let love like that go, not without a fight."

"….And I will." Tommy smiled faintly; Chase reminded him a lot of Hayley and how good she was with words, it was a trait he had always admired about her and he was grateful that his son had it. "I'd fight for her to the ends of the Earth…" He cleared his throat. "…But she gets to decide when my fight is over." Because as much as he loved her, he loved her enough to let her go. If that was what she wanted, he would let her go.

That was something Chase knew all too well about, he had to let Callie go. He had let all his dreams with her go. Though his and Tommy's situations were different, Callie was dead and Kim was very much alive, both of them had the choice of letting the one they love the most go. He could hold onto Callie for as long as he lived and never love again, but she wouldn't want him to. She would want him to move on, learn to love again. …And with his father, it was too common of a situation; when a couple loses a child, they fall apart, some are able to hang on and start again, while for others it just becomes too painful and one of them just lets go, because they fought as hard and as far as they could. "...Anything's possible, she could come around."

"I hope so, Junior tells me she is doing better." Though he and Kim hadn't talked, he had stayed in close contact with Junior who gave him updates on how she was doing.

"….Can I ask you something?"

"Anything…."

"When I told you about my deal with Cliff Chan, why didn't you tell me to forgive him?" He would almost expect for him to tell him to forgive the man who had brought so much havoc to his life, especially after hearing about his father stories of when he had been an evil Ranger. Though his father's story was different from Cliff's, they still in a way were almost similar.

"Because you're a grown man Chase, who can make his own decisions. I can't tell you who to forgive or not forgive." He smiled faintly, wanting to offer an answer as best as he could to help his son through this difficult time and though it might not be the answer he wanted to hear, it was the type of answer that had helped him. "The only thing I do know is, the longer you hold on to that kind of hate, the longer the nightmares will remain."

Varanox 12

In a darkened prison room Mirloc sat alone, staring at the walls of his imprisonment. He had been here for months, ever since Sky, the son of Wes Collins, had struck him down and arrested him. A short time later he had been sent here, to one of the darkest and grimmest of all prisons, on a planet that receives no sunlight ever. This had not been part of his plan or the bargain he had made. He was beginning to regret the deal he had made with one of the most deceitful of all criminals he had ever come across. So many of his kind had already suffered because of it, and now Cruger was asking questions. Questions he didn't want to answer, out of the fear of his own life.

He heard footsteps coming towards him. It was one of the guards, and walking beside him was a man dressed in a long black coat, his face hidden by a hood. "You have a visitor, Mirloc." Lt. Logon eyed him closely. "Don't pull any tricks, otherwise you know what will happen." He turned to the man wearing the cloak. "If he tries anything, use this." He handed him his blaster from his harness.

"Thank you," the man answered. "Now leave us, I have some very important things that I must discuss with my friend here."

"Of course." Lt. Logan nodded his head and left the prison room.

"….I see you've picked up some new tricks since we last met."

"I have picked up many tricks, my friend." He pulled of his hood to reveal his face, but just for a moment. He laughed grimly, seeing the shock on his yellow-eyed friend. "As you can see."

"That explains why they let you in."

"With a place as heavily guarded as this, do you really think they would have welcomed me in if they knew who I really am?" Two yellow lights flashed in the darkness of the cape where his face was hidden. "Though my little mind control tricks do help make things easier."

"….So have you come to free me?"

"Free you? But why would I want to do such a thing?" He walked circles around the prison he was being held in. "After all, you did kill an officer of the law, it would be a crime if I helped you escape."

"I didn't kill anyone." His eyes grew grimmer, staring at the man wearing the cloak. "At least not yet…."

"Strong words, for a pathetic little worm."

"After what my people have done for you, the sacrifices my brothers have made, you owe me."

"Owe you?" He laughed. "I owe you nothing! You see, it is you who still owes me so much more. I spent over a decade of my life in some prison while you and your kind roamed free."

"We got you out, it may have taken longer than expected, but you did go free." He gripped his hand tightly around the prison bars, snarling back at the man with the cloak. "Help me escape, my old friend. I have done all that you have asked of me."

"No, you weren't able to kill him….."

"He proved to be much stronger than you said he would be."

"It is not my fault you couldn't handle him, but I suppose I do owe you for not killing him." He walked around some more, gun in hand, toying with it. "Because now I will be able to finish him off myself. It will be so ironic, poetic even," he smeared.

"I should warn you that Cruger is becoming suspicious, he's already been here, asking questions."

"By the time Cruger realizes what is going on, it will be too late."

"What makes you think I haven't told him already: the truth about what really happened that day?"

"You aren't that stupid, you know I still have one of you left in my care, to do with what I want." He crooked his neck and two yellow eyes shone in the darkened cape. "…But we both know how I hate loose ends." He raised the gun up and set it to kill. "You have been of great service to me, but I am afraid your time has come to end, old friend."

"Would you really kill me?"

"Do you really think a man such as I would have a problem killing the likes of you? I had no trouble killing others far more worthy of sparing than you." He snickered under his breath. "I even killed my own blood." He tightened his fingers around the blaster.

"So it is true, you did kill him?"

"Of course I killed him. The universe isn't big enough to hold the two of us." He snickered. "….Any last words?"

He could only stand back and watch as the blast made contact with his body. There was nothing he could do but stand there and take what was coming for him. He was surprised he had lasted this long, it had been his own fault for trusting the likes of him, and now like so many before him, he would fall to the hands of this monstrous beast.

"Hey, what's going on here?" exclaimed Logan as he rushed into the room followed by several guards behind him.

"Pity." The cloaked figure turned to meet Lt. Logan and the guards. "Seems my mind control wore off." He raised the blaster up, setting it to full power. "Looks like I will have to kill you."

Logan started to reach for his blaster, but it wasn't there. That's when he heard the snickering of the cloaked figure and saw the glowing yellow eyes. His heart skipped a beat when he understood what was going on. "You're-"

"The man who's going to kill you and your men." He pulled the trigger, blasting away, hitting Logan right on target. Logan dropped to the ground clutching his chest, watching as blaster shots were going all over the place, as a war broke out, his crew, his squad was dying around him and there was nothing he could do but watch, as he held onto the last few breaths he had left in him. A dark shadow hovered over his near lifeless body, pointing a blaster to his face. "Don't worry, I'll let myself out…" BANG!