A soft cough prompted Tommy to open his eyes and sit up in his bed; he could see the others still sound asleep in their beds, all six of them. His eyes narrowed as he suddenly realized that a trembling form was lying in the previously empty bed with the yellow blanket over its body. He immediately got out of bed.

"Kimberly," Tommy whispered as he quietly crept over to Kimberly's bed. "Kimberly, wake up."

Kimberly immediately woke and sat up in her bed, "Tommy, what's wrong?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"The seventh bed is filled," Tommy whispered as he slowly made his way over to it. "Did Aisha…"

Suddenly letting out a moan, as she was in such pain, Laura slowly sat up and immediately keeled over forward, causing Tommy and Kimberly to hurry to her bedside, "Laura, are you all right?" Kimberly asked, carefully helping Laura sit up. "Tommy, is that bowl of soup and cup still on the table?"

"Yeah," Tommy replied as he turned, hurried over to the table, and hurried back to the girls with the cup and bowl in hand. "Laura, what are you doing here? How did you get to Phaedos from Earth?"

The need for food became greater than the need for pain and Laura quickly devoured both the soup and the contents of the cup, "Sorry," she whispered, suddenly embarrassed about her display of savage behavior in front of Tommy and Kimberly. "Wait, Tommy; didn't I see you at the hospital last night?"

"I got beat up by some bullies," Tommy lied, not wanting to reveal his identity as a Power Ranger. "What were you doing at the hospital after school anyway? I heard Lt. Stone mention some sort of deal…"

Laura sighed, "He wanted me to go to the hospital during school, but I said no," she replied in a tired voice. "I already told you my secret, Tommy, but I don't know if I can trust your friend well enough."

"Actually, I have five other friends besides Kimberly," Tommy explained. "Guys, wake up quickly!"

Laura was silent as Jason, Adam, Malcolm, and Billy all woke up and sat up in their beds, "You're all in Ms. Appleby's class," Laura commented, recognizing them from class. "Are you Power Rangers?"

"Yes, but we lost our powers because Ivan Ooze destroyed our Command Center," Billy replied in a gentle voice. "Our leader, Zordon, is dying and we were told to come to Phaedos and seek help."

At the mention of Zordon, Laura turned very pale and reached into her pocket, "Which one of you is Jason?" she asked, suddenly remembering what Trini had asked of her. "A girl named Trini…"

"What about Trini?" Jason asked, suddenly missing his girlfriend. "She's at the Peace Conference."

Laura suddenly looked very uneasy as she opened her hand, revealing the Praying Mantis necklace Trini had given her just before passing away, "Something happened at the Conference and she and two guys ended back up in Angel Grove at the shelter," she explained in a solemn voice, ignoring the horrified looks Jason and Billy giving her. "I was already trying to look after a little girl when they showed up."

"Aisha," Kimberly said, realizing that Katherine must have been successful in turning Aisha back into a child and sending her back to Angel Grove powerless. "How did you get to the Command Center?"

Before Laura could reply, Malcolm suddenly winced and leaned forward, "My shoulder's not any better this morning," he said in a pained voice as he tried to ignore the pain. "I think I need a sling for my arm."

"Take my jacket," Laura replied as she quickly removed her jacket revealing multicolored bruises on her arms, collarbone area, and neck. She handed both the jacket and the necklace to Jason. "Who are you all, anyway? I know Tommy because I saw him at the hospital, but I don't know the rest of you."

Jason silently pocketed the necklace, got out of bed, and walked over to Malcolm's bed. He quickly used Laura's jacket to fashion a sling and secure his cousin's left arm in it and pin it securely to his thin chest.

"I'm Jason and this is my cousin, Malcolm," Jason replied, giving Malcolm a reassuring pat on the back.

Laura frowned at Malcolm's pained expression, "What happened to your shoulder?" she asked softly.

"I was thrown over a cliff," Malcolm replied softly, wincing from being upright too long. "I'm really sore."

Swallowing hard, Malcolm lay back down and took a deep breath, quickly grabbing hold of Jason's proffered hand to keep his mind off the pain, "I'm Kimberly," Kimberly explained, smiling at Laura.

"My name is Adam," Adam offered in a quiet voice as he gestured to Billy. "That's Billy."

Before Billy could speak, the door slid open and Dulcea came into the room enshrouded in her cloak with her staff in hand, "Now that you have eaten and rested, we proceed with our journey," she said, taking silent note of the present conditions of the Rangers. "Rise from your beds and come to me."

As Kimberly and Tommy helped Laura out of the bed, Jason helped Malcolm get off the bed and join Adam and Billy at the doorway where Dulcea waited, "Each of you have suffered much, but have put yourselves aside to protect the world from monsters by serving as Power Rangers," she said in a gentle, yet determined tone. "Although your powers may be gone, they are not lost forever. However, each of you has a demonic barrier that prevents you from embracing your inner spirit and its animal guardian."

"Are we going to have to do anything to help ourselves?" Kimberly asked, suddenly very curious.

Dulcea nodded, "Each of you will be sent on a vision quest within your own souls to face that which holds you back from embracing your caged spirits," she explained. "Only after you have come face to face with your demonic barriers can you move forward in your preparation to meet Ninjor."

"Do we need to be physically able to do anything?" Malcolm asked, referring to his injured shoulder.

For a moment, Dulcea was very silent and then gently put a hand on Malcolm's cheek, "You only need to let your heart guide you as you have done before, Malcolm," she said in a motherly voice before releasing his cheek. "You were all brought into existence for a unique purpose; remember that."

The room suddenly began to get very dark; darker than night. Everything suddenly faded into silence.

Adam opened his eyes and found himself staring at a small, dark-haired boy sitting on a hard wooden bed in a room that was hardly bigger than a closet. The boy was huddled in a ragged blanket and tears were trailing down his pale face. Loud shouting and banging could be heard outside the room.

A gunshot suddenly went off and all was silent. Adam watched as the small boy climbed off the bed and left the room, clinging to the blanket. Blood, dirt, and garbage littered the hallway floors and scribbles were on the walls, things that the boy seemed to ignore as he wandered into the living room.

"Is your name Adam, son?" an officer who was in the room asked as he suddenly noticed the boy.

Adam watched as the boy looked up at the officer with wide eyes, "…Take that worthless little brat and toss him into the foster system for all I care!" a slurred voice yelled from nearby. "…I hate that BRAT!"

"I want my mommy and daddy," Adam watched the small boy say to the police officer in a quiet voice.

The officer sighed and knelt down next to the boy, "Your mommy and daddy were taken away by another policeman because they were hurting you and you were brave enough to tell your schoolteacher," he explained in the softest voice he could muster. "After you put your stuff in a suitcase, I'm going to take you to a hospital to be looked at and then to a house to live with another family."

"I don't have things," Adam watched the boy say. "My mommy and daddy burned all my stuff."

Adam sighed, relieved that this was only a vision; from that day, he had been bounced around foster homes all over the area and it wasn't until he came to Stone Canyon in fifth grade that he had been put in a group home for 'unplaceable children.' Although the standard of living was bad and the food was worse, Adam had found value in getting an education and had devoted himself to doing his best.

As he watched the officer and his younger self fade from view, Adam began to reflect on the more recent past; even though he had remained in the group home, high school had been a little better in that he had made friends with Rocky and Aisha and he had also gained a mentor in Mr. Anderson.

School had become his safe haven, as had martial arts. The anger he had felt from continual abuse by the proprietors of the group home for his weakness had made him angry, almost violent at times.

Adam sighed; his confidence was almost non-existent when he had transferred to Angel Grove High School with Rocky and Aisha and being put under a spell by Lord Zedd hadn't helped things. However, Adam reminded himself, that was all in the past and now it was time to focus on a future of unity.

White walls and sterile floors greeted Billy and he quickly realized that he was in a hospital of sorts. He walked down the long hallway and saw a frail man and a little boy lingering outside of a hospital room's open door. The man looked near devastation and the little boy looked both confused and scared.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Cranston, there's nothing further we can do other than make your wife as comfortable as possible," Billy heard the doctor say in a solemn voice. "Perhaps your son would like a snack so you…"

The little boy looked up at the frail man, "I want to go be with Mommy," he said in a firm voice.

Nodding, the man took the little boy's hand, "All right, Billy," he said in a gentle voice. "Go and see her."

Billy silently followed the little boy into the hospital room where a beautiful woman was laying in a large hospital bed wearing a fluffy blue housecoat over a nightgown and a blue bandana on her small head.

"Mommy?" Billy heard his young self ask as they both approached the bed. "Mommy, are you awake?"

The woman's eyes opened, "Billy," she said in a faint, but gentle voice. "Come up here and sit with me."

Young Billy smiled and eagerly climbed on to the hospital bed, edging as close to his mother as he could without touching any of the IV's or wires attached to her, "Oh, Billy, you're growing up so fast," the woman said as she gently caressed Billy's hand. "You are so smart and will grow up to be a genius."

"Are you going on a trip, Mommy?" Billy asked in a soft voice as he gazed up into her tired eyes.

Billy cringed as the woman nodded, "I am and I'm not coming back, my little radbug," she replied in a soft voice as the frail man came into the room. "You need to keep doing amazing things and always being curious about everything that is good. Listen to your father and take care of him for me."

"I'm a better cook than Daddy," Young Billy replied. "I make cool foods with rad looking bugs!"

The woman chuckled and looked to the man, "Aaron, I want Billy to be given every opportunity that he can have because I know he'll make the most of it," she said in a frail voice. "Billy, sweetie, hug me."

"Mommy, I love you," Young Billy whispered as he huddled next to her and rested his head on her chest.

The woman smiled and gently stroked Young Billy's hair, "Melissa, we'll be here to the end," Aaron promised in a sincere voice as he sat on the edge of the bed and took her cold hand in his own.

Billy sighed as the memory faded from view; his mother had died that evening and he and his father had stayed with her that night and long into the next day. It was only after the funeral home had come for the body did Billy finally allow his father to take him home. The funeral had been a quiet affair and after it was done, Billy had been helped by his father to embrace all knowledge and opportunity available.

"I will make you proud of me, Mom," Billy whispered, a tear sliding down his pale face. "Always."

The interior of a red station wagon greeted Jason and he found himself watching a younger version of his mother, himself, and his little sister travel on a road heading out of Angel Grove. He and his little sister were in the back seat, both of them in booster seats and reading books while his mother drove.

"Mommy, does Daddy know that we're going to visit Auntie Karen and Malcolm?" Jason asked as he looked up from the book at his mother. "He would have liked to come and see Uncle Tom, I bet."

Helen Lee Scott smiled, "No, Daddy doesn't know we're going," she replied in a pleasant voice.

"Mommy, I wanna show Malcolm my new taekwondo moves!" Jason said as he put his book on the seat.

Helen chuckled and watched as Jason opened a bag of crackers on the seat and offered one to his little sister, "Elsa likes crackers, Mommy," Jason watched his younger self say as the little girl giggled.

"Don't give her too many, Jason," Helen said as she suddenly swerved. "Oh, this road is so icy!"

The car swerved again and Jason watched, fighting the urge to cry as the car smashed into a ditch.

Jason watched as the scene changed to a quiet hospital room. His younger self was sitting in a chair in the corner wearing scrubs with a bandage on his head and bandages on his right arm and right foot.

"Jason?" a concerned, anxious suddenly filled the room. "Jason, Helen, are you in here?"

Jason watched as a younger version of his father came into the room wearing a paramedic uniform. He watched as his younger self cringed away, "I'm sorry, Daddy," Young Jason said as his father came over to where he was sitting. "Mommy wanted to take me and Elsa to visit Auntie Karen and Malcolm."

"Oh Jason," Jason heard his father say in a compassionate voice. "The roads were so icy because of the cold and the rain. The police told me that the car was really badly damaged. I'm just glad you're okay."

Young Jason frowned, "Daddy, where's Mommy and Elsa at?" he asked. "I want to see them now."

"Mommy was operated on, but you can see her later," Thomas replied in a soft voice. "Jason, we need to talk about Elsa for a minute. She was really hurt badly in the accident and isn't alive anymore."

Jason cringed as he watched his younger self process the information and then silently start to cry and hug his father, "Oh Jason," Jason watched his father say. "It's okay; everything's going to be okay."

As the vision faded from view, Jason reached into his pocket and pulled out the necklace Laura had gotten from Trini; before Trini, he had only known of the deaths of his aunt, uncle, and little sister.

"Jason," a familiar voice suddenly said as Jason felt a gentle hand on his arm. "We need to talk."

Jason turned and saw Trini standing there dressed in a white karategi with the symbol of the sabertooth tiger on a ribbon around her neck, "Jason, I know you cared for me," she said in a gentle voice as she approached him. "We had a lot of fun together and you will always have those memories with you."

"Trini, please be at peace," Jason said as he took her hands in his own. "I'll learn to be okay; I will."

Trini smiled and gently caressed Jason's cheek, "You are doing better work than you would have done at the Peace Conference," she replied softly. "Hanging out with Rocky and Zack while trying to help the world become a better place was amazing. Right before I died, I got to see them and Zordon again."

"Zordon's still alive?" Jason asked, gently caressing Trini's hands. "I didn't think he still was."

Nodding, Trini stepped back, "He and Alpha are counting on you," she replied. "Doctor Oliver, Rocky, and Zack are doing what they can, but they need you and the others to get the help you seek."

"I'll miss you, Trini," Jason said in a sorrowful voice as he pocketed the necklace. "I really will."

Trini chuckled, "You will for a while, but your heart must remain open to new possibilities," she said in a gentle voice as she assumed the Praying Mantis stance. "Share your memories of me with the others."

As Trini faded away, Jason crossed his arms across his chest, bowed, and blew a kiss after her. The whole vision had taught him that although death happened, it was not the ending and should not destroy. Likewise, he would only use the losses in his life to strengthen his love for goodness.

"…You NEVER listen to anything I have to say!" Kimberly heard her mother's voice yell as she appeared in a house that she remembered living in right before her parents divorced. "…Ian, don't walk away…"

Kimberly frowned and walked into the living room, suddenly seeing her exasperated looking mother hurrying after her irritated looking father. She then saw herself laying on the living room couch with headphones on her ears, pretending to be asleep while she had really been eavesdropping.

"…Anna, this isn't working anymore," Ian Hart said as he suddenly came back into the living room.

Kimberly watched her mother approach her father, "Ian, this hasn't been working for months," she said in a regretful tone. "I was trying very hard to pretend it did because Kim just started high school…"

"Kim, take those off, we need to talk to you," Ian Hart said in a gentle voice as he walked over to the Kimberly, who was only a year younger than the one experiencing the vision. "It's very important."

Kimberly watched as her younger self removed the earphones and sat up, "What's up?" she asked.

"Kimberly, your mother and I have been fighting a lot lately and we've decided to get a divorce," Ian explained in a sorrowful voice as he sat down next to her. "We have decided to get a divorce…"

Kimberly was surprised as the vision quickly faded, but it also caused her to reflect on what had happened after that; she and her parents had discussed it and said that they both loved her very much and always would, her father packed a bag, and then left she and her mother the next morning.

Compared to others, Kimberly reflected, she had lived a pretty easy and simple life as the only child of two hard working people. Even after her parents had divorced, they had spent as much time with her as possible and always showed that they loved her. However, now her father was very busy with work trips and her mother was in Paris with her new husband. She had been staying with Aisha since then.

Aisha. The truth hit Kimberly like a ton of bricks; Aisha was no longer with them and there was a possibility that she would never be with them again. Where would she live after this was over?

Swallowing hard, Kimberly sighed; she would figure that out at another time and for the moment, she was grateful to have come to terms with the divorce of her parents. Now, she could move forward.

"Laura, I'm gonna be late for school!" a small voice said as Laura found herself watching Ashley, who was very young but very smart for her age, come into the small bedroom they shared. "Laura!"

Laura sighed and got out of bed in only sleep pants and a ragged shirt that barely hid colorful bruises on her abdomen and chest, "Ashley, it's Saturday, honey," she said in a gentle voice. "You don't have school again until Monday. Since we're up, though, do you want me to make us some breakfast?"

"I haven't eaten in two days," Ashley complained as she and Laura left the bedroom and stepped around the beer bottle glass that littered the hallway that led to the kitchen. "Mom and Dad are still out."

Laura sighed and opened the fridge door, "Oh great, no food," she said in an annoyed voice, disgusted that it looked like mold was growing in the crisper drawers. "Ashley, get dressed; we're going shopping."

"We don't have any money," Ashley replied in a worried voice. "Are we gonna have to steal food?"

Laura looked disgusted at that comment, "No, we're gonna take the car to Angel Grove where the food is way cheaper and I know where Mom and Dad keep their cash stash," she replied in what she hoped was a comforting voice. "If we try and shop in L.A., we'll get beat up for taking money for food again."

"We've been to Angel Grove so many times, what if someone recognizes us?" Ashley asked worriedly.

Laura sighed, but before she could reply, there was a knock at their apartment door. Figuring it was friends of their parents needing a crash point, Laura hurried over to the door. When she opened it, however, she was very surprised to see a man in a police officer uniform standing in the hallway.

"Laura Hammond?" the officer asked in an official tone. "My name Is Jerome Stone and I'm a lieutenant with the Angel Grove Police Department. "Could I possibly come in and talk to you and your parents?"

Laura silently cursed and stepped back to let him in; she had taken Ashley to Angel Grove in the car for a better Halloween than they would get in Los Angeles. They had both been dressed as butterflies and had stumbled upon a party at a place called the Youth Center. The party had been nice and until Ashley had been approached by a couple of thugs named Bulk and Skull, who thought Ashley was cute. Laura had ended up in a fight with the two of them and already in pain; she had taken Ashley and quickly left.

"Look, some thugs named Bulk and Skull were harassing my little sister at that Halloween party," Laura replied in a confrontational voice, now really annoyed. "What else could I have done to protect her?"

Lt. Stone looked confused, "You left your wallet at Ernie's Juice Bar and a young man named Jason Lee Scott found it during cleanup and turned it in," he replied, pulling a wallet out of his pocket and offering it to her. "The identification listed your address and I decided to come deliver it to you personally."

Laura quickly took the wallet, "Alright, I'll be honest with you," Lt. Stone said in a more serious voice, suddenly noticing Ashley lingering nearby. "Jason and his friends noticed your little spat with Bulk and Skull and they mentioned it to me. They gave me the wallet and asked me to see if you were okay."

"You have to get out of here before my parents come back," Laura said in an annoyed voice.

Lt. Stone, however, did not move, "Don't you need some sort of reason to be here unless I invite you to stay?" Laura asked, clearly annoyed by him not getting the hint. "It's not like I've done anything illegal."

"No, but you're obviously concealing information about your domestic situation," Lt. Stone replied in an authoritative voice as he looked around at the ruined furniture and broken glass. "You said your parents aren't home, right? How long have they not been home for and who is responsible for this mess?"

For a moment, Laura was silent and then sighed, "My parents have problems," she replied softly.

"I see," Lt. Stone replied in a softer voice. "Ladies, please go get some warm clothes on and gather all of your personal identification. I'm going to take you to the Angel Grove station for further questioning."

Laura sighed and watched her vision fade; they had all gone to the station that day, but her parents had shown up after being contacted and had duped the cops into sending Ashley back to Los Angeles with them, promising that they would clean up the apartment and get steady jobs. Laura, however, was deemed old enough to choose what she wanted to do and she had chosen to become emancipated.

Since she knew nobody, Laura had then decided to live at the shelter and go to school, intending on later getting an after school job to start saving money for a house and to apply for custody of Ashley within the next few years. Now, having been chosen to undergo this quest, those dreams seemed dead.

However, for the sake of the others who had all been nice, Laura decided to make the best of things.

The coldness of the Dark Dimension was all too familiar a sight for Malcolm and he watched himself sit there on the fog-covered floor. Goldar stood nearby, watching him with amusement and pity.

"It doesn't have to be this way," Goldar said in a menacing voice. "If you join Rita and Zedd, your memories of sorrow, pity, and pain will be no more. You will be given new memories; better ones."

Malcolm shook his head and Goldar chuckled, "Before I send you to death by combat, you should be given the chance to meet your evil self," he said in a menacing voice. "I present Zedison, son of Zedd!"

Zedison appeared and Malcolm was shocked to meet his doppelganger, "You can call me Mark," Zedison said as silver clothing appeared over his black jumpsuit. "Are you surprised that we're identical?"

"Only in appearance," Malcolm replied as he got to his feet. "I am good and you are evil."

Zedison cackled, "We were both born of the same aged mother, fool," he hissed. "I was rescued by Lord Zedd and Rita and raised as their son while you were raised in a simple home on Earth. We may have been born identical, but we are not brothers. We will never be brothers so long as you are good."

"Then I truly am alone," Malcolm replied in a firm voice. "The Rangers will come and save me, though."

Zedison sneered and a gray ninja mask appeared over his face, "GOLDAR!" he roared in an angry voice.

"Yes, mighty Prince Zedison!" Goldar proclaimed, unimpressed by Malcolm's never ending weakness.

Zedison smirked, "I believe Malcolm is ready for battle against the Dark Rangers," he said menacingly.

And the rest was history. Malcolm thought, the memories of his battles against the Dark Rangers and the subsequent rescue of all of them but Mark coming back to his mind. Dulcea had told them to make peace with their visions and Malcolm knew that his true family was Jason and Jason's parents; nothing, not even the revelation from Mark, would ever change his desire for good and his love for his family.

"…I'd advise you not to waste your time, Doctor Oliver," a brisk voice said as Tommy found himself standing in the corner of a room that was lit only by a small lamp on a bedside table. "We have tried to talk to Tommy and engage him in group activity several times, but he has been non-responsive to our efforts. Any tests that we have been able to perform indicate that he suffers from mental retardation…"

Tommy was silent as the door opened and light filled the room, revealing a small bed where a young boy with greasy hair down to his shoulders sat with white sweats and a sleeveless shirt covering his body.

"Tommy?" Tommy heard as he watched a younger version of his uncle, who looked about the same except for having a small ponytail, enter the room and slowly make his way over to the young boy.

Tommy watched as his uncle sat on the bed next to the young boy, "I'm your Uncle Frank, Tommy," Frank said in a gentle voice. "I heard you were living here and I decided to come visit you today."

Young Tommy said nothing, however; he merely showed his bruised arms to Frank and then rubbed his tummy to indicate that he had also been hurt there. Frank sighed and offered his hand to Tommy.

"Tommy's past was a violent one and he became a ward of the state nearly six months ago," the brisk voice stated as Young Tommy took Frank's hand and lay down near him. "He stopped talking around that time and that's the most affection or emotion he's shown to anyone since he's been here."

Frank nodded and gently stroked Young Tommy's hair, "How would I go about seeking custody of Tommy?" he asked in a sincere voice as the center director came into the room. "I just finished my doctorate in Psychology and Child and Youth Counseling and I think I can help Tommy get better."

"I'll look into it," the director promised, impressed by Frank's willingness to actually work with Tommy.

As the director left the room, Tommy moved towards the doorway, his eyes on the younger selves of himself and his Uncle Frank. Even though the adoption process had been quick, Tommy remembered that it had been difficult to trust that everything would be okay and it had taken him three more months and a lot of positive encouragement from his uncle before he rediscovered the ability to speak.

It had taken three more months for him to get enough skills to leave the center, Tommy remembered as the vision faded from view; his uncle had then taken him to a small condo at the edge of a city called Reefside and he had homeschooled Tommy for the next few years and enrolled him in martial arts to rebuild the confidence that had been lost. When his uncle had been offered a job at Angel Grove High School as a full-time counselor, Tommy had willingly followed him to Angel Grove for a fresh start.

His experience with Rita and being under her spell had nearly damaged the trust between him and his uncle, Tommy suddenly remembered; he had been forced to lie to his uncle several times about his whereabouts so that he could do Rita's evil bidding or spend time in the Dark Dimension. When he had finally been freed from Rita's spell, Tommy remembered apologizing to the Rangers and also to his uncle for being dishonest. Fortunately, both the Rangers and his Uncle Frank had been very forgiving to him.

Tommy sighed and immediately felt his heart swell; now the past was buried and the future waited.

What seemed like an eternity later, the seven Rangers opened their eyes and found themselves sitting cross-legged on soft pillows in a room smaller than the sleep area. Dulcea stood before them with her cloak over her thin frame and her staff in hand; she was between them and a closed silver gate.

"You have made peace with your barriers," Dulcea said in a calm voice. "How do you all feel now?"

One by one, Jason, Kimberly, Billy, Tommy, Adam, Malcolm, and Laura all got to their feet silently and joined hands; their vision quests had all been tough and there would be time to discuss them with each other later on, when the current problem was dealt with. Right now, they were a team on a quest.

"Take a moment to reflect and then I will introduce you to Ninjor," Dulcea said in a soft, intrigued voice.

Katherine's cat form touched the floor of the Command Center with grace, but she was confused and disgusted to find nobody there but the dying Zordon. Everything was as it was when Ivan had visited, she reasoned, as she crept across the floor. It was as if nobody had helped the Rangers get to Phaedos.

How is this possible? Katherine wondered just as she suddenly heard a voice nearby, "Trini, I'm not going to move you until the others come back," Zack said as he came into view from the back. "Once the Earth is saved, we'll gather together and give you a proper burial like you have earned. For old times sake."

Katherine remained quiet and suddenly morphed into her human form, "Ah, the former Black Ranger and Black Knight is all alone," she cooed in a condescending voice. "Your name is Zack, isn't it?"

"There's nothing left here but me, the dying Zordon, and Trini's body," Zack lied, hoping that Dr. Oliver had managed to escape with Rocky and Alpha after feeling an instinct to retreat. "Take me if you want."

Katherine chuckled and waved Rita's staff at Zack, once more clothing him in the ninja outfit that he had worn as the Black Knight. Zack could feel the goodness fading from his countenance and he knelt helplessly. Even though he was no longer a Ranger, he had given others a chance to survive by staying behind despite the protests of Alpha, Rocky, and Dr. Oliver. Now, rightfully, he would pay the price.

All right, I would really like some reviews so I feel motivated to continue this story. Please?