Tommy, Jason, Rocky, and Tanya touched down on top of the outdoor pillars of the Ninjetti Temple and were shocked to see Dulcea, Laura, Adam, and Katherine gathered in the center of the arena around Malcolm, who was unconscious and deathly pale.

Silently hoping that it wasn't too late to help, the four jumped off the pillars and joined the others. Dulcea silently looked at all seven of them before looking at Malcolm.

"You seven have been sent here to help Malcolm as he struggles to keep his life," Dulcea explained in a commanding voice. "As you may or may not be aware, Malcolm is a very unique young man whose ability to hold extraordinary powers is connected to his life force. Since Rito Revolto destroyed the Orange Tiger Power Coin, Malcolm's life is slowly fading away and you seven must work together if you are to save him."

Rocky and Tanya looked at each other and then at Dulcea, "We're not Power Rangers, though," Rocky replied. "How can we help Malcolm?"

"Our experiences of loss and heartache," Tanya suddenly spoke in a voice of intrigue. "We all carry hidden pain inside each of us."

Dulcea looked at Tanya, "Aisha told me that Malcolm carries a hidden pain inside himself," she explained. "She told me that she wasn't able to care for him like he wanted her to because she didn't understand the pain he carried. I don't understand what pain Malcolm carries, though."

"Malcolm's parents were killed in a car crash last summer that left Malcolm injured," Jason explained, remembering how far Malcolm had come since then only because of the family he had left and his new friends. "He was also kidnapped by Rita and Zedd a while back and forced to make some pretty tough decisions while putting his life at risk to be a Power Ranger. I thought he had settled his demons a long time ago, though."

Tommy sighed, "Nobody really makes peace with their demons," he commented. "They only become unafraid to acknowledge them."

"Tommy's right," Laura chimed in softly. "Just because I admitted that I come from an abusive household and that I have a little sister that I left behind does not mean that I'm at peace with it. I'm working on loving myself, but my memories are still there and sometimes haunt me."

Adam suddenly looked very ashamed and looked at the ground; he had been pretending his issues had just simply faded away.

"Every one of you carries demons, but you also have within you spirit animals that bring forth a quality that Malcolm needs to lead him safely from his inner prison," Dulcea stated in a calm voice. "Your Coins are gone, but the powers still reside within your hearts."

Nobody spoke, so Dulcea sighed, "Rocky, Katherine, and Tanya, you may not be Power Rangers, but you are also important to this quest and the future of the Power Rangers," she said as she smiled at Rocky and Tanya. "Rocky, your animal spirit is the Ape; you possess a strong intuition and great inner wisdom that is far beyond your years. Tanya, you who have come from a foreign time and land out of faith, you have the animal spirit of the Raven, as you are full of mystery that will bless those around you as time goes on and you adjust to your new life."

Katherine suddenly frowned, "Katherine, your animal spirit is the Swan because of your natural elegance and nurturing personality," Dulcea said in a gentle voice, well aware that Katherine was nervous. "You must all take courage and your spirits will help you save Malcolm's life."

"How can we help him?" Jason asked, wondering if there was anything they could actually do. "I don't mean to doubt, I'm just scared."

Dulcea nodded, "You will each be sent to a place in Malcolm's memory that haunts him," she explained. "There are seven memories."

Blackness suddenly fell over the seven and they each realized that there was now nothing to guide them but their animal spirits.

The fog-filled floor and windows with spiderweb bars on the windows were very familiar to Jason as he opened his eyes and immediately recognized the Dark Dimension. He immediately saw a fatigued looking Malcolm sitting on the floor in the corner of the endless room with his head on his knees, trying desperately to slow his breathing. Jason suddenly realized that the room was ice-cold and it was hard to breathe.

"Malcolm?" Jason asked as he slowly walked over to where his cousin sat, trying to relax. "Malcolm, it's Jason. I've come to help you."

Malcolm lifted his head and Jason could see that his face was badly bruised, "Did Goldar do that to you?" he asked in a worried voice.

"Zedison did," Malcolm replied in a trembling, faint voice. "He beat me up and told me that in a past life, we were brothers."

Jason's eyes widened, "Brothers?" he asked in a shocked voice. "That would explain why you look a lot like him, but…"

"Jason, I don't want to remember him telling me that," Malcolm replied in an anxious voice. "I don't want to remember that, but I can't forget that and I can't forget that he said he didn't want it either. I don't want to remember that, but does the family I have really love me?"

Jason frowned and he knelt down next to Malcolm, "I know your parents adopted me, but they just see me as their orphaned nephew who they had to take into their home," Malcolm said in a faint voice. "I don't feel like I'm valuable to your parents; I still feel like an orphan, Jason."

"When the paramedics came to the hospital and told my dad that you disappeared, he went ballistic right in the emergency room," Jason explained, knowing that he had to talk fast while Malcolm had the time. "He only gets upset like that when something bad happens to people he loves dearly. When my sister died, my dad went to the gym early every morning so he wouldn't have to be angry around my mom and I because my mom was recovering from a hysterectomy. Do you want to know what he did when he found out that both of your parents died?"

Malcolm shrugged and sighed, "Sure," he replied, remembering that he had gotten some of his old things from Jason's parents a while back.

"My dad actually took the day off from work and drove out to Crystal Valley," Jason explained, remembering what his father had confided in him not long after the accident. "He went to your dad's dojo and spent the day there gathering things together for you."

For a moment, Malcolm was silent and then sighed, "We never held a funeral for my parents," he whispered. "I never got to let them go."

"Would some sort of memorial service help you to be able to let the pain go?" Jason asked in a soft voice, suddenly realizing that Malcolm hadn't been mentioning his parents or referring to them much lately. "I'm really, really sorry that we've never got around to it."

Malcolm nodded, "It's okay," he replied in a faint voice. "Jason, please, I'm so cold here. Please help me be at peace."

Nodding, Jason gently put his arms around Malcolm and pulled him into a hug, "I will," he said in a calm voice. "Just hang on to your spirit."

She was back on Phaedos; back on the rocky surface where she had helped the Tengu hurt the Power Rangers.

Katherine suddenly heard yelling in the water and, remembering that Malcolm had been thrown off the cliff by the Tengu when the Rangers had visited Phaedos, she stared down at the water below. Her fear of heights was stopping her from actually diving off the cliff.

"Please, someone, don't leave me here!" Katherine suddenly heard Malcolm yell anxiously. "I can't really swim that well!"

Swallowing hard, Katherine ran forward and executed a perfect swan dive off the cliff. She landed in the water quickly and swam over to where Malcolm was struggling to remain afloat and was also crying at losing Aisha; guilt suddenly filled Katherine's remorseful heart.

"Katherine?" Malcolm sputtered as he struggled to remain afloat. "What are you doing here? I didn't think you could come back to this…"

Katherine immediately put her arms under Malcolm's armpits, "We'll talk when we're out of the water," she replied in a soft voice.

"I can't," Malcolm replied in a pained voice as he struggled to move his legs. "Aisha's gone, my parents are gone; just let me drown."

Katherine sighed, "I understand that you've lost a lot and I know what that feels like," she replied. "My parents are currently missing."

"I didn't know that," Malcolm replied in a sympathetic tone. "I didn't think anyone understood what losing loved ones was really like."

Katherine nodded, released him, and swam around to face him, "Even if my parents aren't alive anymore, I still remember their love and I also remember that I have the love of my brother and all my dear friends. I don't let the past hold me back from making a future, either."

"I never blamed you for what happened to Aisha," Malcolm replied softly. "I blamed myself for not being able to do anything to save her."

Katherine gently placed her hand on his face, "Would it help if I killed myself so that the one who hurt Aisha got her due?" she asked in a voice that made Malcolm wonder if she was being serious. "Why are you trying to kill yourself for something you weren't responsible for?"

"Katherine, I don't want you to kill yourself!" Malcolm exclaimed as he began to shiver. "You weren't responsible for any of what happened."

Katherine smiled and gently stroked his cheek, "I'm not going to, silly," she replied gently. "You shouldn't want to either, Malcolm."

"Please, don't let go of me," Malcolm whispered as he raised a hand and put it over hers. "I need peace from this."

Katherine leaned in close, "When you're well enough, I'm teaching you how to swim," she replied in an amused voice.

"I look forward to it," Malcolm replied in a whispery voice as he rested his head on her shoulder. "I'm so tired."

"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."

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, "If you don't take the coin and make a wish, I'll kill Tommy," she threatened. "I mean it!"

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."

"I should have never taken that Coin," Tommy heard Malcolm say as the scene faded and the Chamber of Light in the Command Center suddenly appeared. Alpha was hovering over an unconscious, barely breathing Tommy while Zordon gave instructions from nearby a modified time warp tube. "You didn't know I was there for a while, did you, Tommy? I had put some of my life energy into that coin that Rita gave me."

Tommy looked surprised, "I didn't know you stayed at the Command Center to make sure I would be okay," he replied in a shocked voice.

"Alpha eventually convinced me to go upstairs and rest on the cot, but I stayed at the Command Center for as long as I could," Malcolm explained in a soft voice. "I was so worried that Rita's coin was a trick and I had just signed your death warrant; I had to stay."

For a moment, Tommy was silent and then he looked at Malcolm, "What if Rita's coin had been a trick and I either ended up dying or being placed under an evil spell because of it?" he asked in a curious voice. "Did you know that I was once under an evil spell of Rita's?"

"No, I didn't," Malcolm replied softly. "If the coin had killed you, I don't know if I would ever been able to forgive myself for killing you."

Tommy sighed, "You're already doing a good job of not forgiving yourself for things that weren't even your fault, Malcolm," he stated. "It took a heck of a lot of courage to take that coin even if it was going to hurt you. These memories are hurting your courage to move forward."

Malcolm was silent as Tommy offered his hand, "If you just hang in there, we'll all help you," Tommy promised. "Just hang in there."

Swallowing hard, Malcolm took Tommy's hand and silently looked at the floor, "I'm trying," he whispered. "I'm really trying.

"So, now that you're out of the chair, ninja boy, do you wanna show me what you're made of?" Bulk hissed as he backed Malcolm into a wall.

"Bulk, let me help you welcome the new kid!" Skull shouted in an eager voice as he ran over to where Bulk and Malcolm were. Bulk and Skull pinned Malcolm against a wall so tightly that Malcolm couldn't move. Suddenly, Bulk and Skull went transparent, but Malcolm remained still.

"It's a relief to know that Bulk and Skull didn't single me out," Laura commented as she approached Malcolm. "They were bullies to both of us."

Malcolm nodded, but remained where he was, "At least I didn't try to fight back," he replied softly. "They were beyond my limits."

"Oh, Bulk's just a big coward," Laura replied in an amused voice as she put her hand through the transparent teens. "I shouldn't have tried to beat Bulk up, though. I allowed anger that I didn't deal with to get the better of me and I ended up doing a daytime detention as a result."

Laura suddenly laughed, "Oh, Malcolm, I'm honestly not a tough person," she stated in an amused voice. "Like you, I'm very vulnerable to my past and I have a problem with letting it dominate me. I lost my whole family due to things beyond my control, you know, but there wasn't a lot of love lost. Ashley depended on me because she had nobody else, yes, but we were afraid to love each other because of our circumstances."

"Circumstances shouldn't define a person's ability to love, Laura," Malcolm replied. "My parents died, but I didn't lose that ability."

Laura sighed, "If you trap yourself in these memories, you can't love yourself," she stated. "Self-haters can't really give love to others."

"Did Doctor Oliver teach you that?" Malcolm asked, surprised when Laura smiled and offered her hand. "All right, I'll let you help me."

Laura remained silent as Malcolm took her hand, only letting out a sigh of relief that her part in Malcolm's rescue had been successful.

Tanya gasped as she realized where she was; she was in a small hospital room and a battered version of Malcolm was lying in the hospital bed with injuries that looked very serious. She could also see Jason, Billy, and a police officer in the room; all of them were talking softly.

Lt. Stone sighed, "I'm very sorry to say that we also found the remains of two bodies," he said in a solemn voice. "The remains were examined and identified as Tyler and Karen Lee Scott. I'm so sorry."

"I've tried to block this memory from my mind," Malcolm replied as he came up beside her. "Losing my parents almost destroyed me."

Tanya nodded, "I'm Tanya, by the way," she commented in a gentle voice. "I understand how hard it is to lose ones that you love."

"It wasn't just my parents, it was a girl that I was starting to like," Malcolm replied, suddenly feeling as if he could tell Tanya about Aisha.

Tanya smiled, "I've met Aisha," she stated, causing Malcolm to look at her in shock. "She said that you have pain that she can't understand, so she can't love you. I feel like you're not letting yourself be loved by anyone right now and I really don't know why; because you're an orphan?"

"People at school think I'm a freak and Jason's parents think I'm delicate," Malcolm replied. "That doesn't sound like love to me."

Tanya looked amused, "Well, you have a right to be different, but why do you think you're a freak?" she asked in a firm voice.

"I guess I'm not," Malcolm replied, suddenly understanding what Tanya was getting at. "I'm just a different person; that's not bad."

Tanya smiled and gently patted Malcolm on the back, "Just so you know, I lost my parents a long time ago," she replied in a soft voice as she held her new friend in a gentle hug. "Now, if you could wake up, you can get to know all of us better than you do now."

"…What if you get selected to go to the Peace Conference?" Rocky asked. "I know you signed up for an interview and Jason did too. If you go to Switzerland, how can you get a job in Angel Grove?"

The calm look on Malcolm's face suddenly melted into a frown, "I won't be going to Switzerland and I don't even have a shot at it anymore," he replied in a solemn voice as he looked at the floor. "The interviewers were given information about the students who signed up to help them decide who would be best at attending the Peace Conference. When they read the information on me, I guess the fact that I was recently orphaned because of a car crash disturbed them and I got a letter from them about their concerns while I was out sick; they thanked me for my interest, but had to refuse me an interview."

"You know, I ignored all the name calling and teasing from you, but this was much worse," Rocky heard a gentle voice speak behind him.

Rocky turned and saw Malcolm, who was dressed in the same outfit he wore for the demonstration they had done that same day, standing there with an agitated expression on his pale face, "The spirit of adventure that I had gained from becoming a Power Ranger almost died when I was told that I wasn't a suitable candidate for the Peace Conference," Malcolm explained. "My spirit was almost killed that day, Rocky."

"If you had actually gone to the Peace Conference, you would have been killed just like Trini was," Rocky stated, remembering how Trini had been stabbed while they were at the Peace Conference and had only made it back to Angel Grove by pure luck. "Zack and I were scared out of our minds that Trini was dying, but she died with her friends by her side. Malcolm, I don't want to lose another friend to death like I lost Trini."

Malcolm's eyes widened, "I'm dying?" he asked in a shocked voice. "I thought Rito had just taken my powers from me for good."

Adam suddenly appeared beside Rocky, "Dulcea said that your powers are connected to your life," Adam explained in a worried voice, having been prompted by his inner animal spirit to help now instead of later on. "You have to look beyond your powers and your memories for the will to live even if you are not a Power Ranger. You have family and friends that love you; don't let your memories destroy your will to live."

"Dulcea?" Malcolm asked, suddenly realizing that he must have somehow left Angel Grove. "How did I end up back on Phaedos?"

Rocky shrugged, "Dulcea said that you were brought here by the power of your heart," he explained. "Your heart is tired, it seems."

"Yes, I guess it is," Malcolm replied in a hollow voice. "I miss my home and I miss my family. How can I go back to Angel Grove?"

Rocky and Adam suddenly faded from view, "Let your heart take you home," a gentle voice suddenly spoke in a commanding tone as Malcolm suddenly began to feel very tired.

Night had fallen and for David, it was the end of one of the hardest times of his life; his adoptive father, Sam Trueheart, had been sick for many weeks and had passed away just as the sun disappeared from view.

David hadn't been there himself when it had happened; he had been helping Mark evacuate from the Youth Center after Jason and Malcolm had been attacked. They had been driving around Angel Grove and David had gotten the call on his emergency cell-phone from one of the reservation council members. Mark had cried about it and David had uttered a silent prayer.

Now, after wondering what he, Mark, and Katherine were going to do for a home since Sam was the only reason they had stayed on the reservation, David had parked his truck in front of Dr. Oliver's house, "Mark, I'm going to see if Doctor Oliver is home," David said in a gentle voice as he looked over at Mark and realized that Mark had fallen asleep. He smiled and quietly got out of his truck to let Mark rest.

"Who's there?" an anxious voice suddenly asked as the front door opened and light flooded outside. "David, is that you out there?"

David smiled as he saw Dr. Oliver come out of the house, "David, in case you didn't know this, there's a temporary curfew on anyone under 18 in Angel Grove until Malcolm Lee Scott is found," Dr. Oliver stated. "Why aren't you and Mark on the reservation right now, anyway?"

"Sam Trueheart died tonight," David replied in a somber tone. "With him gone, Kat and Mark can't stay on the reservation anymore and I'm not going to abandon them now. I was wondering if you knew of any community supports that would help me to be able to help them out."

Dr. Oliver sighed, "Why don't you and Mark just crash here tonight and tomorrow, I'll see what I can do?" he suggested in a kind voice. "Nobody but me is home right now; I think Adam, Laura, and Tommy lost track of time and somehow dodged the town curfew."

David nodded and then his eyes suddenly went wide, "Your arrowhead necklace is glowing," he said in a shocked voice. "Why?"

"I don't know," Dr. Oliver lied, even though he knew that the Rangers must have succeeded in their quest to save Malcolm's life. "It's a very extraordinary healing necklace and I don't completely understand it. Anyway, do you need my help getting Mark out of the car, David?"

David looked confused at the sudden change of subject, but let it drop and allowed Dr. Oliver to come out to the truck with him to fetch Mark and get him safely inside.

Dr. Oliver was immensely relieved that David hadn't commented any further about the glowing arrowhead, as the arrowhead had been entrusted to him long ago with the promise that it would glow when the time came for it to be called upon.

Taking great care not to attract attention to himself, Jason, who had teleported back to the hospital after they had been sent back to Earth by Dulcea, gently dropped his karate clothes into the chair and climbed back into the hospital bed back in the hospital gown. As he lay back and pretended to be lost in thought, the curtain opened and his mother immediately gave him a gentle hug, which Jason immediately returned.

"Jason, I have wonderful news," Helen said in a gentle voice as she released him. "The police found Malcolm and are bringing him here now."

Jason smiled, but before he could speak, he saw his father come into the emergency room followed by Lt. Stone, who was pushing a tired looking Malcolm, who was covered in a blanket under his karate clothes, in a hospital wheelchair, "Hey," Jason said, smiling at Malcolm.

"Hey," Malcolm replied in a voice barely above a whisper. "Dad and Lieutenant Stone said I was unconscious in the park."

Jason nodded, "Can we just go home?" he asked in a tired voice. "Malcolm and I should get some rest before school tomorrow."

"You should really stay here and get checked over," Lieutenant Stone protested, thinking Jason and Malcolm were just trying to be brave.

Malcolm shook his head, "I just want to be at home with my family tonight," he replied in a tired voice. "I'm tired of being alone."

Thomas smiled and gently patted Malcolm's shoulders, "Of course we'll take you and Jason home," he stated in a firm voice. "Jason, why don't you get dressed and we'll go home?" he suggested in a gentle voice. "Helen, why don't we give the boys privacy while we get the car?"

Helen nodded and gave Malcolm a quick hug before she left with her husband, "I must say, Malcolm, you gave your family and everyone else in Angel Grove quite the scare when you disappeared from the ambulance. How on earth did you end up in the park with no injuries, though?"

Before Malcolm, who didn't quite know what to say because he had unconsciously sent himself to Phaedos and back to Angel Grove again, could figure out a reply, a nurse hurried over to Lieutenant Stone and whispered in his ear. Lieutenant Stone frowned and followed her away.

"Thanks for not giving up on me, Jason," Malcolm replied in a soft voice. "I would have died had it not been for you guys helping me…"

Jason nodded and grabbed his clothes, "Pull the curtain so I can get dressed," he replied softly. "We'll talk more at home, okay?"

Malcolm nodded and slowly pulled the curtain to give Jason privacy; it was better to talk about their experiences later when they were alone.

Tommy, Laura, Adam, Tanya Katherine, and Rocky touched down in the Command Center and Katherine immediately found that the piece of the Zeo Star given to her by Dulcea was still in the palm of her hand, "Rangers, welcome back," Zordon replied in a fatherly tone.

Alpha suddenly came over from the Viewing Globe, "Malcolm is safe and being cared for by Jason and their parents," he reported in an enthusiastic voice as he held out Billy's Communicator. "Unfortunately, Billy has decided that he no longer wants to help us."

"Why would Billy just leave without an explanation?" Tanya asked in a worried voice. "He was so enthusiastic to have my help."

Zordon sighed, "I do not know, Tanya," he replied somberly. "However, we now have six pieces of the Zeo Star and the seventh will soon be within reach. When the Zeo Star is complete, we will be able to defend the Earth against King Mondo and the Machine Empire."

"How powerful is this King Mondo?" Adam asked in a worried voice. "How exactly is a star going to help us defeat these new villains?"

Alpha sighed and took the Star piece from Katherine, "For now, Rangers, all you can do is ensure that you are at peak physical and mental fitness so that you can receive the powers of the Zeo Star when the time comes to assemble it," he explained. "We know where the seventh piece is, but the time is not yet right to call upon its power. When the time is right, we will gather you together and give you the Zeo powers."

"Tommy, we should really get home before your uncle freaks out," Laura commented. "Besides, I have that essay on heroes due tomorrow."

Adam smiled, "You found someone to write about?" he asked in a gentle voice, relieved that Laura could once again trust in other people.

Laura, however, merely smiled and teleported out of the Command Center, "Katherine, Tanya, why don't you come over tonight and keep Laura company after she's done her essay?" Tommy suggested. "It's kind of late to go looking for David and Mark, don't you think?"

"Sure," Katherine replied in a gentle voice as she took Tanya's hand. "Doctor Oliver's really nice, Tanya."

Tanya nodded and was silent as she teleported from the Command Center with Katherine, Tommy, and Adam, "Zordon, I don't know if I can really do this," Rocky said in an anxious voice. "I've never forgiven myself for how I acted and how much I fought against the Rangers."

"Those cuts on your back are still deep and painful, I take it?" Zordon asked in a gentle voice. "Rocky, please let Alpha check your back."

Rocky immediately stepped away from Alpha, "They don't hurt as much as they used to," he lied anxiously, not wanting to be subjected to tests that would show that he was still struggling with aftereffects of the whipping. "I'm able to get through each day with only a little pain."

Alpha walked over to Rocky and gently touched his arm, "Rocky, if you are going to have a chance at accepting the Zeo power that I have chosen to give you when the time is right, you must let us help you now," Zordon stated. "You are not currently in top physical condition."

Rocky sighed and walked over to the cot, "I don't want the others knowing about this," he replied as he sat on the cot and lifted his shirt, revealing that the cuts had grown and were significantly redder than before. "The nightmares have stopped, but the pain hasn't."

"Just lie down and let me run a scan," Alpha stated, unconcerned when Rocky immediately lay on his side. "Breathe slowly."

Silently praying that none of the other Rangers found out about his continued suffering, Rocky gritted his teeth and remained silent as Alpha performed a bioscan. As he lay there, his eyes began to feel heavy and before Rocky knew it, he was slowly falling asleep.

"Greetings class, welcome to your last day of classes before semester finals!" Ms. Appleby said as she walked into the classroom. "Since it IS the last day before finals, I thought I'd make it an easy class. Laura Hammond is going to read her essay on the hero in her life. Laura?"

There was suddenly a knock at the door and Dr. Oliver walked in. He ignored all the bewildered looks he was getting from Ms. Appleby and every student in the classroom except for Laura and took a seat in a desk close to the door. Laura smiled, stood, and hurried to the front with a purple duotang in hand that contained the paper she worked on before spending the rest of the night chatting with Katherine and Tanya.

"When Ms. Appleby first assigned us this paper on heroes, I didn't think I knew anybody worth writing about because I had just come from a less than happy home environment to a new town," Laura explained as she opened the duotang. "However, as time went on and things happened in my life that I wasn't expecting, I realized that there was someone who is now in my life that definitely deserves the title of hero and that someone is our school counselor, Doctor Oliver. Doctor Oliver was definitely earns the title of hero as far as I am concerned…"

Dr. Oliver blushed; he didn't say anything, however, as it would only discourage Laura from ever wanting to do any sort of homework for the rest of her school career. He knew that she had struggled with this assignment and was honestly flattered to be considered a hero to not only Tommy and Adam, but Laura as well. Unlike Laura, however, Tommy and Adam had told him that he was the topic of their hero essays. He also knew that Laura might have selected Lt. Stone as her hero except that Lt. Stone didn't like students writing papers on him.

As Laura continued speaking, Jason's attention wandered to the empty seats in the classroom; Bulk and Skull's were empty, as was expected with recent events, but the strange thing was that Rocky's seat was also empty. Rocky was never, ever absent. Had something happened?

"Jason, are you paying attention?" Jason suddenly heard Ms. Appleby ask in a stern voice.

Deeply embarrassed, Jason focused his attention back on the front. Ms. Appleby smiled and stayed quiet as Laura continued talking.

"This is disgusting," Malcolm commented as he ate a spoonful of the cafeteria soup Katherine offered him. "What do you suppose is in it?"

The lunch bell had rung not long after Laura had finished reading her essay and, desperately hungry, the large group of friends had come to the cafeteria together and Tommy and Laura were still in line helping Tanya get a good lunch while Jason, Adam, Malcolm, and Katherine had quickly gotten their lunches and picked a table big enough to seat everyone. Since David was a senior, his lunch period was at a different time and Mark didn't like the cafeteria because it was difficult to navigate with lots of people, so he ate alone in the quiet resource room.

Adam and Jason exchanged an amused look as Katherine chuckled, "It's good for you, whatever it is," she replied as Malcolm swallowed and made a disgusted face. She smiled at him and then gently stroked his cheek. Malcolm immediately calmed down and smiled at her.

"Hey guys, now that I've had my fill of lunch, I was wondering something," Malcolm said in a gentle voice. "I talked to my aunt and uncle last night and we're going to be having a memorial service for my parents at Angel Grove Beach on Saturday. If Crystal Valley hadn't been destroyed by Rita and Zedd, we would have held it there, but a beach is still a good place for a memorial. Would all of you guys like to attend?"

Katherine smiled, "I'll talk to David and Mark and see if they want to come too," she replied as she hugged Malcolm. "I'll come, of course. I wouldn't miss it for the world, Malcolm."

Adam smiled and then suddenly frowned as Doctor Oliver suddenly came into the cafeteria and hurried over to Laura, "Guys, do you suppose Doctor Oliver is upset that Laura wrote that essay on him?" he asked as he watched Dr. Oliver explain something to Laura and immediately saw horrified looks on Laura, Tommy, and Tanya's faces. "Jason, we should really go see what's got Laura so upset all of a sudden, don't you think?"

Jason, who had secretly liked Laura from the moment he met her, nodded, but before he could get up, Laura suddenly started to cry. Katherine, Malcolm, and Jason turned in their seats just in time to see Laura hug Tommy and Tanya. She then looked at the rest of them sadly and left at a fast and very unsteady pace. As Dr. Oliver followed after Laura, Tommy swallowed hard, whispered something to Tanya, and then left the room.

Tanya looked very uneasy as she walked over to the table, "Tanya, why is Laura so upset and why did she leave with Doctor Oliver all of a sudden?" Jason asked in a worried voice. "She was very happy until Doctor Oliver came and talked to you, her, and Tommy."

"Doctor Oliver didn't say a lot in front of Tommy and I," Tanya replied uneasily. "He said that she had some unfinished business to take care of in Los Angeles and she suddenly started crying so much that she couldn't talk. Doctor Oliver said that he was going with her and I think Tommy's going to try and go with them too."

Jason suddenly looked heartsick, "Laura's from Los Angeles," he stated, suddenly feeling ready to puke. "Tanya, have a seat; there's some stuff we should tell you."

Tanya nodded and sat down on the other side of Malcolm. Malcolm suddenly looked uneasy and rested his head on Katherine's shoulder and Jason stared at his food for a moment and then pushed his tray gently rubbed Jason's shoulder, but didn't say anything to his distraught friend. Katherine looked around at Malcolm, Jason, Adam, and Tanya.

A feeling of sorrow and uneasiness had suddenly made them not want to do anything but think together in total silence.

Please read and review!