Author's Note: Here's the new chapter! I can't believe that three weeks from now, my favorite show for a decade will end. All good things come to an end…Smallville, I'll miss you!

Chapter 22- Panic Switch

Sydney awoke once again. This time, she found herself wearing a knee length white dress that hugged her curves perfectly. She couldn't help but smile at the high heels she was wearing, which were the same color as her dress. She sighed and took a look around. She didn't need much of a visual to know where she was. She came to realize she was lying on the floor of one of SPD's many intergalactic prisons.

She stood up slowly and began walking down an aisle in the middle of what seemed to be two endless rows of containment cells. And of course, no intergalactic prison could be complete without having the finest selection of criminals locked up in those cells. She was beginning to dread her friend's subconscious as she continued to look for him inside the cells.

The row of cells seemed endless until she got to a small hallway with a big white door with windows. The windows had white blinds that blocked her view to what was inside and a lock kept her from entering. At this point, she was so determined to find Sky that a lock and a couple of blinds wouldn't stop her. The padlock was curious, she thought, since it had no hole for a key. She took a few steps back and pointed her right finger at the lock, a small energy blast forming on its tip. After the blast hit it, the padlock fell straight to the ground. She smiled at her handiwork and proceeded to enter the room.

Her heart sank when she found Sky inside a padded room. He donned a straight jacket over a grey prison jumpsuit. He looked up and simply stared at her. She took a deep breath and sat beside him. He turned his face away from her. At first, Syd thought Sky was just playing around with her, but after a few minutes of the eerie silence that took over the room, she knew something was really wrong with her friend. After a few seconds, she finally spoke, "Sky, please tell me what's wrong. Was it something I did or said?"

"You're not real." He muttered in a monotone voice. He shifted his eyes to the floor.

"Of course I'm real." She scoffed and smiled. "Now stop being silly and stand up, we've got a red door to find."

"You're just a product of my imagination. Please leave me alone." He replied with his voice raised.

"For your information, everything you're experiencing is a product of your imagination." She grabbed his face and stared at his eyes. "I don't what is going on with you or what's your problem with me, but I do know that we've got to get out of here."

Sky turned his head to face the wall again, "Stop it! You're not real!"

"Look me in the eye and tell me that I'm not real. I dare you!" She raised her voice too. She was getting fed up with Sky's attitude. She knew adding more fuel to the fire always resulted in something bad, but she had to at least try to get something out of him.

The Blue Ranger slowly turned his face and glared at her, straight in the eye. "You are not real because I killed you!"

Sydney gasped and soon realized that this was his worst nightmare. Even though she had heard Sky saying that he would never hurt her while she was Rogue, there was no doubt in her mind that if the time came where he had to choose between Rogue and saving the planet, he would choose Earth over her. It hurt her deeply, but deep inside she knew it was the right choice. If she were him, he would kill Rogue too.

In his dream, the worst case scenario had happened already; that's why she wasn't real to him. She wiped a small tear from her eye and raised her voice once again, "Look at me!"

He turned his face toward her. Before he could say anything else, Sydney grabbed put a hand to his cheek and began stroking it. She leaned in and put her lips to his, kissing him gently. She pulled away after a few seconds and looked pleased with herself, "Do you still think I'm a hallucination?"

Sydney looked at the locks on the straight jacket and discovered they were the same as the one on the door. She first decided to use her powers on them, but then retracted herself from doing so. Even a small doze of her energy blasts could leave someone in the hospital for days, and since the locks were very close to Sky's body she didn't want to take any risks. She then stood up and crossed her arms. "We need to get out of here."

"Yeah, you told me that already. I just need to get this thing off me." He struggled against the straight jacket for a few seconds and sighed as his efforts produced no results. Not long after, Sydney piped up: "This is a dream, your dream to be exact. You control it. Close your eyes and imagine yourself being free. You haven't done anything wrong, Sky. I'm still here."

He did as instructed and in a matter of seconds, it was gone and he was on his feet. "Thank you for freeing me."

"You've got nothing to thank me for. You freed yourself." She grinned and took his hand. She glanced and caught a glimpse of a red door at the end of the row of cells. She thought it was rather strange since it wasn't there at the beginning. As soon as they began walking, a team of faceless creatures wearing SPD guard uniforms intercepted them and began attacking them. "Guards? Sky, you're so by-the-book that it's almost ridiculous."

Sky shrugged and engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the attackers, who were very skilled and agile. The Blue Ranger groaned as he and the Pink Ranger hit the floor. Sky closed his eyes, trying to use the trick that his friend had taught him. It wasn't until he got punched in the face that he realized that these creatures would have to be beaten to get through. He looked at Sydney who was also getting her fair share of punches and ran to her. He stood in front of her and formed a force field around her, making it impossible for the attackers to do any more damage. She shot him a weak smile and raised her hand. "Desperate times call for desperate needs."

Before Sky could blink, one of Syd's energy blasts sent the guards flying to the wall. She stood up and took a deep breath. "I'm going to go ahead and bet that they won't stay like that forever."

He got on his feet and took her hand when he saw the creatures rising. They began running to the red door, never looking back. Once they reached it, Sydney stared at it. "I don't think this is the right door. This one is different."

"There's no other red door here. Come on, they're going to catch up to us." Sky pushed her away from the red door and opened it. He took her hand and ran inside with her.

Sydney woke up to find that the nightmare was far from over. She looked around and found herself in the post-apocalyptic NewTech she had dreamed of when she saw Rogue. The worst part now was that Sky was also there with her. Her dream and Sky's seemed like a marathon, they had done nothing but run. She hoped that he was ready to do more running, because that's what they were about to do.

After running to protect themselves from the rain that started not long after they arrived, they both sat down on the steps of the abandoned parking lot, trying to regain their breaths. "Where are we?"

Sydney let out a loud cough and stood up. "This isn't right. We are not supposed to be here."

"Where exactly is 'here'?"

She turned around to face him. "This is my subconscious, Sky. It's a dangerous place."

The familiar sound of high heels clicking against the asphalt became audible. Sydney took Sky's hand and pulled him up. Her expression was one of fear and he had no idea why she was acting this way. A few seconds later, she began running towards the exit. He followed her, no questions asked.

Once they were out of the lot and back in the rain, they both hid behind an alley. He'd only seen her that scared once before. Her reaction made him recall the first time Morgana confronted Syd. That was the first time she had shown any fear. "Is it Morgana?"

"What?"

"Are you running from Morgana?" He prodded gently, trying to get something out of her.

Hoping that Sky would believe her as he always did, she simply nodded. Sky didn't seem too sold on that idea but he would play her game. She stepped out of the alley to take a small peek. "The coast is clear. We need to move."

"Where are we going?"

She thought for a few seconds. "I don't know, Sky. You'll just have to trust me. I don't want her to hurt you."

She held out her hand to him. The Blue Ranger hesitated yet took her hand into his after a few seconds. "I trust you."

SPD Academy

While both Sydney and Sky were trapped in a dream without a way out, Kat tried to figure out what had gone wrong with the machine Sydney was using. Both doctors had become worried about both Rangers' well being. The Blue Ranger had experienced a small seizure just a few minutes ago while Syd's brain was going into overdrive.

Kat and Sydney both knew the risks implied but they took them anyway, no hesitation from the Ranger's part. Dr. Felix was closely monitoring Sky, while she did the same with Syd. As far as they both knew, the machine was fine. And even though it had never been used before, Kat trusted her inventions and knew how they worked by heart. When Cruger came in a few minutes later, both doctors stood up and saluted. After being asked for a debriefing, she gave the dog a complete summary. Three Rangers were fully awake now; Jack and Z were resting in the infirmary and Bridge was helping Boom with a secret project.

When he asked about the other Rangers' condition, Kat took him by the arm and led him outside. She sighed and decided honesty was the best policy. Lying to the Commander wouldn't be tolerated at the Academy. "They aren't awake yet."

"She's been inside his mind for over two hours now."

She took a deep breath. "There's a problem. We have a report that says that both Sydney and Sky exited his dream through the red door an hour ago."

"What is going on with my Rangers?" He demanded an answer.

"We are not certain but we are assuming they are stuck in her mind." She replied with a trembling voice. In all of her years, she had never seen him so mad about something.

"Assuming isn't good enough. Figure it out and get them out of wherever they are." She got lucky because no one was around when the Commander began raising his voice. It hurt that he screamed at her, but she understood his pain. Losing them was not an option. She walked back into the lab and began working on the computer while Doggy went into his office. He punched his desk and a picture frame made out of glass fell to the floor. When he bent over to pick it up, he made the grim discovery the frame had broken into a million tiny pieces. He brushed the shards of glass away and smiled at the photograph of him and his wife, Isinia.

Sydney's dreams

After running through the empty streets for a while, both Rangers had finally found a place they could call safe. The two smiled and walked inside, looking around at what once was the place they called home. It was in ruins now, but the memories they had treasured over the last few months would never go away.

Sydney walked away and found the stairway to the upper levels still intact. She climbed up the stairs in search of a red door. If there was one in her dream since being there was never part of the original plan. She walked for a few more minutes and stopped in front of the Command Center. She was amazed by the fact that the doors still worked. She stepped inside and immediately felt a drop of water hitting against her scalp. 'There are probably holes in the roof.' She though to herself and kept walking around.

At one point, she slipped because of the water. She landed on her left hip and groaned loudly. After standing up, she proceeded to dry her hand with her clothes. What she saw next was a sight she would never forget. Her hand was wet, but not with water. The parts of the body that had landed in the puddle were not white anymore, they were red. She immediately felt her stomach turning. She felt another drip of water landing against her forehead. She wiped it with the back of her hand. She heard drops falling against the puddle of blood. When she observed it, she almost fainted and threw up. It wasn't water that was falling from the ceiling it was blood.

She looked up, still hoping that there were really holes in the roof. Instead of holes, she found her three remaining teammates' mutilated bodies plastered on the roof. They were held by a number of different gadgets.

Tears began falling from her eyes but that didn't stop her from making out the very clear message that had been written in the center with blood: 'Followers live; Rebels die.'

She gasped and ran out of the room but by the time she found Sky, he wasn't alone. "Did you like the welcome home present I made for you?"

"You're sick, Rogue." Sydney spat, nothing but venom in her voice.

Rogue clicked her tongue and made her minions bring Sky forward. "No, you're the one who's sick. I am you, silly. We are two peas in a pod."

"I will never be like you." She hissed.

"Don't make promises you can't keep." Rogue grabbed Sky by the arm and put her arm around his neck, holding him tightly against her. She smiled and stroked his hair gently. Sydney didn't give in to her even though she really wanted to kill her, for good. "Loss is something you never really get over."

"What are you talking about?"

"You'll see." She smiled and kept stroking Sky's hair. Sky groaned and even tried to let himself free a few times. Her hold on him was too strong. This Rogue was different from the one he had met before. The other Rogue was more human, this one was just a cold-blooded villain who felt nothing. "The loss of someone close to you can drive you to losing yourself."

"Don't listen to her!" Rogue put her other hand over Sky's mouth.

"What do you want?" It was official; she wanted to rip Rogue's head off with her bare hands. But she couldn't make a move until he was free of her hold. She came closer. "Stop playing games with me."

"All right then, we'll just have skip to the fun part." She let go of Sky's neck and took a step back as both Rangers reunited. Syd closed her eyes for a few seconds as she embraced Sky, knowing that this encounter with Rogue was far from over. She suspected the villain had some more stuff planned out for them.

What happened next was completely unexpected. As she hugged Sky, she felt a warm, sticky substance spreading through her blouse. Before she could do anything, she felt Sky's body go limp on her arms. She gasped when she saw the villain's sword stuck on his back. She placed the body down on the ground gently and slowly. She then removed the sword, and held his head in her arms, cradling him as she cried.

Rogue kept a smile on her face through the whole ordeal. She took a few steps forward. Sydney glared at her. "I'm going to kill you."

"Go ahead, princess." She taunted as she took out a pair of daggers from her belt.

The Pink Ranger took the sword used to kill Sky and held it like she knew what she was doing. Both girls began a vicious attack against each other. Five minutes into the fight and both already had several cuts and scrapes through their bodies. After a few more minutes, Sydney finally got a shot to put an end to Rogue after hitting her in the face, disorienting her for a few minutes. The Pink Ranger stabbed her in the stomach and stared at her. Rogue let out a small laugh. "You did good."

"What?"

"I was just testing you." She grinned and took held her daggers. She stabbed Sydney ferociously and turned her head when she saw her body roll over to a position next to hers. "You passed with flying colors."

Sydney's mouth felt like tit was full of cotton balls. She couldn't feel it or any part of her body. As soon as she felt that she had taken her last breath, her body jolted awake back at the tank in the Academy. She gasped loudly and put her hand over her stomach, which hurt like it had really been stabbed.

Kat came by her side before she could call for help. She helped her climb out and put a towel around the trembling girl's body. She didn't even dare ask if she was all right. It was evident she was quite shaken up. Sky came by her side and gave her a small hug. Sydney returned the hug and stepped back after a few seconds. Lucky for them, the Commander stepped inside just a few seconds after the embrace. Sydney sat on Sky's bed awkwardly, pretending to be looking at her nails while Kat removed the probes her head.

The remaining Rangers came pouring in seconds later. Z hugged her friend and smiled. "I'm glad you're ok."

"I'm glad to be back." She confessed weakly.

Bridge poked her shoulder. "It's ready and you are going to love it! Boom, bring it in!"

The Commander quirked his eyebrow and looked at Doctor Manx, who in return shrugged. Kat's assistant came in a few seconds later with RIC following in his footsteps; he let out a bark and made his way to where the Pink Ranger was sitting. "This is RIC 2.0, everyone."

"How does RIC 2.0 differ from RIC 1.0." Jack asked.

"Well, the sound problems have been fixed. RIC also comes with a CD player, a high-end movie player, and… a fridge for our drinks." Bridge grinned as RIC turned around and raised a part of his back, exposing a soda that Jack grabbed.

"Does this invention have a point apart from being a perfect party accessory?" Sky asked as he crossed his arms. Sydney nudged him in the elbow.

"I'm also happy to inform you that RIC 2.0 is also a very useful weapon once we assemble our weapons together." Bridge announced proudly.

"We combined the technology used for containing criminals in your morphers with the one used in your weapons. This new version attacks and contains criminals." Boom informed happily. Sydney stood up and grinned. She gave each of them a hug.

Just as they were about to celebrate over the newest addition to their team, the alarms went off again. "I think it's time you test your new weapon, Rangers. The alien is back."

Jack looked over his shoulder, "Ready?"

"Ready!" The rest of the Rangers shouted.

"SPD Emergency!"