"Kid? Kid, are you all right?"
A hand gently touched Malcolm's arm, causing him to sit up with an alarmed look on his face, "I didn't mean to frighten you, but Jason mentioned that you might need a pick me up," Ernie said in a gentle voice as he set a large milkshake and a sandwich on the table in front of where Malcolm was sitting.
"I don't have any money for this stuff," Malcolm replied groggily as he moved his binder off the table.
Ernie smiled, "Don't worry about it, it's on the house," he replied gently, not intending on telling Malcolm that Jason had paid him earlier for the food. "How are you liking being in Angel Grove?"
"It was a tough first day of school," Malcolm replied as he set his binder back in his bag.
Ernie nodded and took a seat at the table, turning his chair so that he could watch the class that Jason was teaching on the athletic mats, "I shouldn't have been on my foot so much today," Malcolm said in a tired voice as he took a sip of the milkshake. "This is pretty good. Thank you so much for this food."
"It's not a problem," Ernie replied gently. "You need to keep your strength up so you can heal faster."
Malcolm nodded and silently began to eat the sandwich as he watched Jason and the beginner martial arts students on the athletic mats.
Billy and Tommy were also in uniform, but seemed to be helping the other students with the techniques while Jason worked with Bulk and Skull on the more basic moves.
"When are you going to teach some more advanced moves?" a black haired boy suddenly asked as he shoved Billy. "Hey, four eyes, let's do some sparring! I bet I could take you with my buddy, Rocky!"
Rocky, however, wasn't paying attention; he had spotted Malcolm and was now making his way to the table where Ernie and Malcolm were sitting, "Hey Malcolm, how about that rematch?" he asked.
"Rocky, I need your help in challenging this guy over here!" the dark-haired man yelled, prompting Rocky to turn away from Malcolm and look at his friend and Billy. "I need a sparring partner!"
Scoffing, Rocky moved back down to the mats and got into a fighting stance, "Adam, we'll take him together," he said in a commanding voice, unaware that Jason was watching and was getting annoyed.
"Hey, this is MY class and there's not going to be any bullying!" Jason shouted as he hurried away from Bulk and Skull and over to Billy's defense. "If you want to be bullies, you both can leave the class!"
Rocky and Adam both looked amused, "I was actually hoping to spar with Malcolm," Rocky replied in a cocky voice as he gestured towards Malcolm. "He beat me bad in our last match and I want a rematch."
"I'll do my best, but it won't be like last time," Malcolm replied as he slowly got to his feet and made his way over to where Adam, Rocky, and Jason were standing. "We'll have to spar right here, okay?"
Rocky looked surprised, "We'll wait until we can fight in your dad's dojo with him refereeing the match," he replied in a slightly kinder tone. "Your dad'll get so angry if I try to fight you while you're in a walking cast. I can spar with Adam until you're well enough and then we'll fight at the Crystal Valley dojo."
"I'm afraid that we won't be sparring there anymore," Malcolm replied in a solemn voice as he took a step back. "Even after my injuries heal, I can't fight there anymore. I live in Angel Grove now, Rocky."
Jason frowned, "Malcolm, it's okay," he said in a gentle voice. "You can do martial arts here."
"No, I can't," Malcolm replied in a solemn voice. "It's going to take me a long time to heal."
Rocky scoffed, "We can still combat without feet," he said. "How about some arm wrestling?"
"Jason, I'm going for a walk," Malcolm said in a toneless voice. "Come get me when you're done."
Without waiting for a response, Malcolm walked out of the Youth Center, "Lay off on Malcolm, Rocky," Jason said, unaware that Tommy had come in late and had been ignored by a departing Malcolm.
"Yeah, he's had a hard enough time in Angel Grove," Billy replied, coming to stand beside Jason.
Adam grinned, "Probably bored out of his mind at this tiresome place," he replied. "I don't know why he came to live in Angel Grove anyway. His dad's running a successful dojo in Crystal Valley."
Having had just about enough of Rocky and Adam, Jason scoffed, "In case you weren't aware, Rocky and Adam, Malcolm was in a serious car accident three weeks ago," Tommy interjected, ignoring the stares that the other students were watching them. "He was badly injured and his parents didn't survive."
"Now I feel like an idiot," Rocky said in a solemn voice. "I should probably go and apologize to him."
Tommy sighed, "After the class is done, you can," Jason said. "Let's resume class in the meantime."
Jason went back to instructing the class and, feeling severely chastised, Rocky and Adam rejoined the class and helped Billy with the moves instead of continuing to taunt him.
Knowing that Jason or Billy wouldn't want Malcolm alone for too long, Tommy silently slipped past the group and went outside.
"It's absolutely beautiful!" Kimberly exclaimed as Thomas pulled the truck up to the curb in front of a large wooden bungalow with stone finishing on the front, glass windows, and a large wooden door.
Thomas smiled as he shut off the engine and climbed out of the truck, "I told you that Crystal Valley wasn't very big," he said as she, Helen, and Trini got out of the truck with the boxes that they had brought to gather some of Malcolm's things. "Even though I didn't ever write, my brother sent me pictures of this place. I feel bad that I can't ever take back what I said to him."
"What you're doing for Malcolm is more than enough," Trini replied calmly. "Can we go inside?"
Thomas nodded and led the way up the stone path and into the bungalow. The inside was decorated with simple furniture, knick-knacks, and a stone fireplace that had a mantle holding family pictures.
"Thomas and I can gather the photos and things out here," Helen said as she began removing photos from the mantle and setting them in a box that was on the hearth. "Kimberly, why don't you and Trini take another box and go through Malcolm's room? Gather whatever will fit in the boxes, okay?"
Trini grabbed a couple of boxes and hurried past the kitchen while Kimberly followed. They passed the bedroom belonging to Malcolm's parents and silently lingered in the open doorway to Malcolm's room.
Malcolm's room contained a bed that had a red bedspread, red body pillow, and a small white pillow on top of it. A desk was in the far corner that contained a small bookshelf that had small trophies on top.
A red dresser was in the other corner next to the small closet that had a few clothes hanging in it and had some photos and a few medals on top of it. There were family photos all over the white walls.
"Malcolm's parents were really important to him, it seems," Kimberly said as they entered the room.
Trini nodded and began removing the photos and medals from the dresser, "Malcolm must have been studying martial arts since he was a little kid," she said as she filled her box. "Some of these are old."
"Oh, here's one of Malcolm and Jason," Kimberly said as she picked up a photo of Malcolm and Jason as kids, both of them dressed in martial arts outfits and wearing gold medals. "They look so cute!"
Trini gazed at the photo for a moment before Kimberly added it to the box, "After we get all the photos, medals, and papers, let's get the books and clothes," Kimberly said. "We should get as much as we can."
Before Trini could reply, crashing sounds could be heard coming from outside. Suddenly, soccer ball sized hail broke through the roof and hit the floor with a BANG.
Kimberly and Trini ran frantically around the room, grabbing everything off the wall, out of the desk, dresser and closet that they could carry.
The loud banging continued as Kimberly and Trini fled from the bedroom with their arms full of Malcolm's possessions.
They quickly met up with Thomas and Helen, both of whom were just coming back inside with empty boxes. Soccer ball sized hail suddenly crashed through the roof to the floor.
"Girls, I think we'd better get out of here," Thomas said in an anxious voice. "We can return later."
Anxious to not get hurt from the hail, Kimberly and Trini quickly followed Thomas and Helen from the house and stored the full boxes in the truck.
Suddenly, Kimberly and Trini saw a large, gray cloud shaped monster standing nearby with his clawed hands extended towards the sky as he beckoned the hail.
"What is that THING?" Helen yelled as she clung to Thomas. "We need to get out of here!"
The monster cackled and Zedd suddenly appeared with Zedison at his side, "Meet the Hail Monster!" Zedd shouted in a menacing voice as the hail continued to fall everywhere in Crystal Valley.
Overwhelmed by the monsters and hail, Helen and Thomas quickly fainted just outside their truck.
"It's Morphin Time!" Kimberly yelled as she pulled out her morpher. "Pterodactyl!" she shouted.
As Kimberly morphed, Trini got out her morpher and held it out, "Sabertooth tiger!" she yelled.
"Ooh, how delightful!" Zedison crooned as he got into fighting stance. "Two Power Rangers!"
Although they tried their best to best Zedd and Zedison with their fighting moves, Kimberly and Trini found that they were no match for the two or for the Hail Monster. To make things worse, the Hail Monster quickly sent some hail crashing down near them, causing them to fall and suffer injury.
They're all too strong," Kimberly gasped, wincing. "Trini, contact the Command Center. We need help."
Beep-beep-boop-boop-beep-beep.
Frowning, Billy and Jason moved away from the crowd who was practicing some basic moves, "What's wrong, Alpha?" Jason asked as he raised his communicator to his face. "What's going on?"
"Zedd and Zedison have unleashed a new monster on Crystal Valley," Zordon's voice replied. "The monster has unleashed a hail storm that is destroying everything in sight. Your help is needed."
Jason frowned, as his parents, Kimberly, and Trini were in Crystal Valley, "It's Morphin Time, Billy!" he said as he whipped out his morpher and held it in front of him. "Tyrannosaurus!"
"Triceratops!" Billy shouted as he got out his morpher. "Let's go help Kim and Trini!"
Ruins were all that remained of Malcolm's house and the rest of Crystal Valley as Jason and Billy materialized. They could see Kimberly and Trini putting Thomas and Helen in the truck.
Unfortunately, they could also see the Hail Monster making enough hail to flatten even the ruins of Malcolm's house and the rest of the valley.
People who hadn't been flattened by the hail were fleeing on foot with nothing but the clothes on their back. Zedd and Zedison were watching with amusement.
"Your time is up, Zedd!" Jason shouted as he and Billy raced over to where Kimberly and Trini were closing the doors to Thomas's truck. They could see that Kimberly and Trini had been hit by the hail.
Zedd cackled as the Hail Monster tossed another piece of hail towards them, barely missing the truck where Jason's parents were, "As much fun as this is, we have done all that we came to do," Zedd said in a menacing voice as he waved his staff and the Hail Monster vanished. "We now bid you farewell."
As Zedd and Zedison disappeared, there was another beeping sound, "Rangers, return to Angel Grove immediately," Zordon's voice said. "Malcolm and Tommy are in danger. Return immediately."
"We'll come back for my parents later," Jason said to the others. "Let's get back to Angel Grove."
A sigh escaped Malcolm's lips as he skipped another rock across the lake that was just yards from the Youth Center. His new life was just beginning, but he had to lose so much already; was it worth it to embrace this life?
Other than the problem with Bulk, Skull, and Rocky, school had been quiet for him that day and he had been fine until Rocky had started taunting him about his parents.
Despite Jason's advice to relax and Dr. Oliver's advice to engage in therapeutic drawing, Malcolm found himself too tired to do much but think.
"Well Malcolm, you're finally alone!" Rita shouted as she appeared with her staff in hand and the Black Knight by her side. Both were unaware that Tommy had followed Malcolm and was watching from the bushes. "My name is Rita Repulsa and I know that you have a great power inside of yourself!"
Confused, Malcolm slowly stood as Rita and the Black Knight approached, "The Power Rangers cannot protect you, but they do not need to," she said as she conjured up the coin. "I have a coin for you that will grant one wish to you that must come true. Anything you want can be yours, Malcolm."
"DON'T DO IT!" Tommy yelled as he came out and ran towards Rita. "Don't trust her, Malcolm! She's an evil sorceress!"
Rita growled and quickly zapped Tommy with her staff, sending him to the ground unconscious. Before she could speak, however, Jason, Kimberly, Trini, and Billy materialized in their Power Ranger suits. They saw Rita and the Black Knight surrounding Malcolm.
"What do you say to my offer, Malcolm?" Rita asked as she extended the coin towards him. "You can wish for anything you want."
An uneasy feeling filled Malcolm's heart as he looked at Tommy's unconscious form, "If you're not sure what to wish for, let me show you the condition of the place you once called home," Rita said as she conjured up a crystal ball. "Crystal Valley was decimated by a hail storm."
"Malcolm, don't listen to her!" Jason shouted as he moved towards Rita. "Rangers, come on! Malcolm and Tommy need our help now!"
Rita cackled and used her staff to conjure up a batch of Putties that blocked Jason, Trini, Kimberly, and Billy from reaching Malcolm.
"Malcolm, don't do it!" Billy yelled as he knocked one of the Putties out and helped Trini to knock out another one. "She's evil!"
Malcolm swallowed hard, "I don't want it," he said in an uncertain voice as he glared at Rita. "I don't want one wish."
Rita roared and zapped Tommy again, "If you don't take the coin and make a wish, I'll kill Tommy," she threatened. "I mean it!"
"MALCOLM, DON'T DO IT!" the four Rangers roared as they defeated the last of the Putties. "SHE'S TRYING TO TRICK YOU!"
Swallowing hard, Malcolm tried to walk over to Tommy, but Rita quickly used her staff to create a forcefield separating him from both Tommy and the Power Rangers.
Only she and the Black Knight remained close enough to Malcolm to touch or even communicate with him. All Jason, Trini, Kimberly, and Billy could do was watch and hope Malcolm made a wise decision.
"I will kill every last one of the Rangers if you don't take this coin," Rita roared angrily. "I'll begin with Tommy, the former Green Ranger. If you don't do as I tell you right now, you'll go down in history as the one who destroyed the Power Rangers!"
Even though he was in extreme pain and scared out of his mind by all that was happening, Malcolm mustered all the courage he could and held out his hand, "All right," he said in a nervous voice. "I'll take the coin if you don't hurt the Rangers at all."
"Good choice, Malcolm," Rita said as she stepped forward and forced the coin into Malcolm's hand. "Now make a wish."
Jason, Trini, Kimberly, and Billy watched as Malcolm stared at the coin for a moment before looking at Rita. Malcolm them gazed at Tommy before resting his tired gaze on the Power Rangers; his mind and heart were unsure of what to focus on.
There was so much he could wish for, Malcolm thought; so much had been lost and could be easily gained with one wish. He thought for a moment and with a sigh, he closed his hand around the coin. A tear fell down his face as he placed his other hand over his fist to secure his decision.
The Rangers, Rita, and the Black Knight gasped in shock and horror as Malcolm and Tommy suddenly vanished without any trace left behind.
What do you all think of the story thus far? Please read and review!