[Tuesday, October 5th, 1993 7:54am]

Trini sat in complete silence, allowing herself to take in the ambient sounds of her surroundings. Her legs were comfortably folded Indian style, leaving the soles of her feet facing outwards and upwards. On each hand, her index finger and thumb were pressed together gently, forming a small circle as she left the palms of her hands facing upwards as well.

With her eyes closed, she inhaled and exhaled slowly, developing a calm, soothing rhythm. She was aware of her thoughts, but not engaged in them as she straightened back, allowing herself to become one with her environment.

The last year has been an emotional rollercoaster for Trini; struggling with living in another country, trying to find ways to fit in without losing her sense of self, and as soon as she felt she'd been able to achieve the balance she was hoping for, it all changed again when she became a power ranger.

She had her concerns, her doubts, but as she exhaled, she allowed those negative thoughts to leave her body. With every breath, she found herself closer and closer to her emotional center. The sound of wind blowing through the leaves and grass was all she heard, it was soothing.

Each of her friends had come to terms with their new responsibilities in their own ways. While she'd never spoken to any of the others directly about their thought process, they each seemed to have found resolution.

But not Trini.

She had a laundry list of doubts and insecurities that continued to plague her, which is why her uncle suggested she try meditation as a way to center herself and cope with the problems of life. In the beginning, the only thing she managed to do was fall asleep during meditation, but over time she discovered that she depended on meditation to clear her mind, to focus on a goal, to manage her emotions.

Soon, the rhythm of her own heartbeat was the only sound she could hear. Positive mental attitude, mind over matter, she told herself. And it was working. The repetition of her heartbeat allowed her to pace herself. She was at peace, she was in peace.

Her index finger and thumbs separated themselves, laying her the palms of her hands flat on the ground. She opened her legs, out stretching them on either side of her until she had completed a split position.

Without thinking about it, not concerning herself with the physics of how or the amount of strength or effort it would take to complete the task, Trini simply allowed her legs to lift up in the air and over her head. Soon, she was in a complete hand stand, not that she'd noticed. The sound of her heart beating surrounded her, engulfed her. It was all she could hear, it was the only thing to hear.

Finding a balance between her personal life and her duties as a ranger, at one point, overwhelmed her, but now there was a stillness within her, a serenity. Yes, on almost a weekly basis the city of Angel Grove was being threatened, but Trini was filled a certainty that Rita and her monsters would be defeated. Even certainty wasn't a strong enough conviction; it was a foregone conclusion to her. It was only a matter of time before Rita was defeated and the Earth was saved.

Trini's legs began to separate again into the split position, this time in mid air. There was no sign of strain of exertion on her part at all. Thinking about how to do anything only clouded the issue. Thoughts prevent action, her uncle explained to her. She'd learned that anything was possible if she stopping concerning herself with the steps on how to achieve a goal and simply operated under the assumption that goal had been completed.

With precision balance, Trini raised her left arm lifted off the ground and at her side, leaving her completely still and balanced on one arm. Again, there were no signs of struggle or effort being expended. She simply did it.

Soon, even the sound of her heart beating washed away, leaving her in a void of everything. There was nothing, the absence of everything. Why worry about how to manage things? she thought to herself. Worry only adds an extra step and opposes results.

As Trini found herself surrounded in darkness, engulfed in the vast nothingness, there was only clarity of thought. Peace of mind. But… there was something else. It was only for a moment, but it seemed as though… off in the distance there was a light of some kind. It seemed to be swirling with electrical energy. It was unlike anything Trini had seen before. But before she could investigate further...

"Whoa! That is slammin'!" a voice said.

In an instant, Trini's eyes blinked open, and she collapsed under her own weight, falling to the ground. As she turned over, regaining her composure and standing to her feet, she saw Zack standing under a tree across from her. He was leaning up against a tree with his arms folded.

"How did you do that?" he asked her.

There was no reason to be angry with him. The truth was, it had already happened. The damage was done. Expressing her anger or resentment towards him for interrupting her would lead to him apologizing to him. She would in turn forgive him, and they would right back where they started. She saw no need to complicate the situation further.

"It's a meditation technique. It helps to keep me centered, focused," she told him, taking her index finger to remove the hair in front of her face,tucking it gently behind her ear.

"That was great. Can you show me?"

"I can, but it takes time to get that level of concentration. That's why I come to the park, to limit my distractions."

"Oh no. I totally interrupted you. That was my fault. I'm sorry, Trini," Zack said sincerely.

"It's no problem," she told him. See? Right back where we started, she thought. "If I had stayed any longer I would have been late for school anyway. We should get going," she said, putting on her tennis shoes.

Trini gathered her belongings, then made their way towards the school with Zack. Trini had to admit that at first glance, Zack was a lot to take in. His flamboyant and outgoing personality was the complete opposite of how she had been raised, but there was a charm to him that she admired. Zack seemed to embrace life, enjoying it to the fullest, while she seemed more interested in finding peace. After all, there was a lot of things in her past that was a cause for concern, and she wondered when those skeletons would find their way out of the closet.

As they walked, there was a chill in the air she hadn't noticed before. So preoccupied with her meditation that she hadn't accounted for the weather. Somehow, her yellow tank top and black shorts weren't doing the job.

"You're cold," Zack noticed as they walked.

She appreciated that his statement was that, a statement. He didn't ask her if she was cold, he simply realized she was and took steps to alleviate it. He removed his oversized black sweater, wrapping it around her. She allowed herself to be enveloped by the sweater, and almost instantly she was much warmer. From inside the sweater, she grabbed either side, pulling it closer to her. The smell of his cologne was all over it, and while it wasn't her original intention, she found herself drawn the scent.

"Thanks!"

"No problemo," he said cheerfully, wrapping his arm around her for additional warmth as they continued to walk.