A white, barely damaged staff and a blackened, mauled detonation device was all that reportedly remained of Muranthias, yet Diavatox had discovered some use for at least the staff. She had discovered that the power of Malcolm Lee Scott, the former White Turbo Ranger, resided within the weapon.

Since the island had blown up, Divatox had been using the staff to try and locate Malcolm in order to see how she could use his power to her advantage. In the process, she had discovered that Malcolm had lost his parents in a car accident some time before and that he was still working through the grief process.

After talking with Rita, who had planned to go after Rocky's parents because Rocky was close to the Rangers who had taken Zedison away forever, Divatox had decided to see if Malcolm would be tempted enough to use his powers for his own needs; in her mind, grieving people only thought of themselves.

Elgar, Goldar, and Rito were busy scouting Angel Grove and the surrounding area for Malcolm and when they found him, they would return and she would go confront him alone.

Rita had cautioned Divatox that as a Power Ranger, Malcolm had made selfless decisions in the past that hadn't been expected, but Divatox had ignored Rita's admonition; Rita had always been weaker because of her love for Zedd.

Thunder boomed overhead and heavy rain fell from the sky as Roberto DeSantos maneuvered the car down the highway back towards Angel Grove. In the seat beside him, Rosa was awake and busy wrapping a present that she had bought for Rocky since he hadn't been well enough to come.

In the backseat, six year old Adria and 10 year old Carlos slept in upright positions against pillows they had been given by their grandparents, who had also sent along a few things for Rocky that were stored safely in the trunk along with the family suitcases and the many souvenirs gathered from the trip.

Rosa and Roberto hadn't originally wanted to make the trip without Rocky, but Roberto's parents were very elderly and, although they were sorry to hear of Rocky's injury, they very much doubted that they would manage to live to the next holiday. Rocky had also unselfishly insisted that the four of them go.

"I am so excited to see Rocky," Rosa commented softly as the car moved along. "I missed him."

Roberto nodded and smiled sadly, "Rocky is so persistent in wanting to recover," he replied in a calm, amused voice. "He was so determined to not let that injury get the better of him. He is very tough…"

Suddenly, there was a flash of lightning and Rita and Zedd appeared in front of the car, causing it to immediately stop, "What are those ugly things?!" Rosa screeched, causing the children to wake up.

Roberto frowned as Rita raised her wand and all the windows of the car immediately shattered into a thousand pieces, "Mama, I want Rocky!" Adria whimpered, frightened by the sight of Rita and Zedd.

"You want precious little Rocky when he helped the Power Rangers take my precious Katherine and Zedison away from me?!" Rita screeched angrily, irritated by the little girl's fear. "The Power Rangers took my son away and I'm going to take their families away from them one Ranger at a time! Prepare to meet your doom!"

Rosa's eyes went wide; Rocky was a Power Ranger before his accident and he had never told them?

"…Attention students, applications for graduation are now available at the office," a voice spoke over the intercom as Jason held the door open and watched Malcolm hobble into the school wearing khakis, a sandal, and a loose shirt. "Applications for the freshman education program are also available…"

Malcolm sighed, "School's still in session for three more months and they're already talking about graduation?" he asked in an exasperated voice as he leaned heavily on his crutches. "Aah."

"Just take it slow, Malcolm," Jason said in a concerned voice as he carried Malcolm's backpack in his hand while wearing his own on his back. "Mom and Dad were worried about you coming back today."

Malcolm nodded and suddenly spotted Bulk lingering nervously outside of Dr. Oliver's office sporting more bruises on his face with a bag over one shoulder and a towel over the other. His clothes looked ragged and almost as if they came from a thrift store, but he still had his bandana around his head.

"Hey Bulk, how are you?" Malcolm asked, smiling at Bulk. "Did you have a good weekend?"

Bulk looked nervous and didn't meet Malcolm's gaze, "It was okay," he replied in an unusually quiet voice as he stared at Dr. Oliver's closed office door. "Doesn't Doctor Oliver usually come in early?"

Before Jason or Malcolm could reply, the door opened and Dr. Oliver was standing in his office doorway leaning on his cane, "What can I do for you, Mister Bulkmeier?" he asked in a calm voice even though he was very concerned about the bruises on Bulk's jaw. "Malcolm, Jason, the bell rings in fifteen minutes."

"I just need to talk to you," Bulk replied quietly, ignoring Malcolm and Jason. "Do you have time?"

Dr. Oliver nodded as Malcolm started to hobble away and the bottom of his crutches slipped on the floor. To Dr. Oliver and Jason's surprise, Bulk hurried over and caught Malcolm before he hit the floor.

"Thanks," Malcolm replied in a shellshocked voice as Bulk helped him up. "That was a bit scary."

Bulk nodded and slowly backed away, "Mister Bulkmeier, why don't we go into my office and chat?" Dr. Oliver suggested gently, deeply unnerved by Bulk's sudden passiveness. "Jason and Malcolm, class."

"Jase, why don't you go ahead?" Malcolm suggested in a gentle voice. "I'll get there on time."

Jason frowned, "Are you all right?" he asked in a concerned voice. "You look a little pale."

"I just need a minute," Malcolm replied in a reassuring voice. "I promise I'll be on time for class."

Even though Jason was very concerned about Malcolm's unusual behavior, he nodded and walked off down the hallway, "Doctor Oliver, can I have a pass please?" Malcolm asked softly. "I just need a…"

Dr. Oliver was silent for a moment and then nodded as he fished a hall pass out of his pants pocket and handed it to Malcolm, "Mister Bulkmeier, shall we go into my office?" he asked the nervous Bulk.

Bulk nodded and followed Dr. Oliver into the office. As the door closed, Malcolm pocketed the hall pass and silently hobbled out of the school. As he reached the bus stop, Malcolm sighed; he knew he would get into trouble for skipping school, but school was more than he could handle in his state of mind.

What Malcolm didn't see was that Adam, Laura, and Tommy were coming towards the school after dropping Ashley and Justin off at the junior high school, "Malcolm, hey!" Adam called out in a cheerful voice, secretly concerned as to why Malcolm was lingering at the bus stop. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine," Malcolm lied, avoiding Adam's inquisitive gaze. "The bell's gonna ring pretty soon."

Laura frowned, "How come you're not in class?" she asked, seeing pain in Malcolm's tired eyes.

"I've just got things to do," Malcolm replied tonelessly, not intending on telling anyone where he was going because he didn't even know where he would go. "I got a hall pass from Doctor Oliver."

Adam frowned, "A hall pass doesn't cover off campus," he replied in a concerned voice. "Are you…?"

"Adam, just drop it," Malcolm replied in a cross voice as the bus approached. "See you all later."

Adam's eyes widened in shock as the bus pulled up and Malcolm slowly pulled himself on to the bus without looking back at them. As the bus doors closed, Adam looked at Laura and Tommy helplessly.

"He's not fine," Adam said in a worried voice as the bus took off down the road. "I've never seen Malcolm act like that before. I think we should find Jason or Doctor Oliver to help Malcolm…"

Wondering if Malcolm's behavior stemmed from stress and grief over Billy's death, Tommy nodded and sighed, "You two work on finding Jason or my uncle, okay?" he suggested. "I'm going to tail Malcolm."

"Be careful," Laura replied softly, knowing that there was nothing she could do but hope.

Tommy nodded and hurried off down the street while the bus was in view, "Adam, I'll find Jason and explain what happened and you find Doctor Oliver," Laura said in a worried voice. "I'm worried."

"Me too," Adam replied as he and Laura hurried into the school to get to class before the bell rang.

I can't feel my legs. Rocky thought as he opened his eyes and suddenly couldn't feel anything below his waist despite being able to walk just fine the day before. His feet and back had tingled last night after therapy, but Rocky had chalked it up to overtaxing his body and hadn't mentioned it to anyone.

"Good morning, Mister DeSantos," a nurse said in a cheerful voice as she walked into the room and over to his bed. "I know you worked hard at physio yesterday, but would you like to go to the cafeteria for breakfast and practice using your walker? If you keep improving like this, you might get out in…"

Rocky sighed, "I can't feel my legs," he replied in an anxious voice. "Is that normal after physio?"

Frowning the nurse lifted the blanket and poked Rocky's legs, "Can you feel that?" she asked.

"Feel what?" Rocky replied in an anxious voice. "I could walk fine yesterday and now I can't…"

Placing the blanket back down, the nurse hurried over to the phone and pressed a button before she picked up the receiver, "I'm just going to call a doctor in here and see what we can do for you, okay Rocky?" she replied in a voice that told Rocky that not being able to feel his legs was not normal.

"Okay," Rocky replied in a nervous voice as he lay there, trying desperately to keep himself calm.

"Jason, I need to talk to you," Laura said in an anxious voice as she came out of the locker room in her gym clothes and saw that Jason, Katherine, and Tanya were running laps while Mark was stretching over by the gym mats. "Adam's trying to find Doctor Oliver and Tommy's tailing Malcolm, but I…"

Jason frowned, as did Katherine and Tanya, "Malcolm left?" he asked in a concerned voice. "Why?"

"I'm not sure," Laura replied in an anxious voice as she joined in running. "Adam, Tommy, and I were on our way into school when we saw Malcolm at the bus stop. Adam tried to ask Malcolm what was wrong, but Malcolm snapped at him. I'm worried, Jason; Malcolm hasn't been like himself since Billy…"

Jason sighed and stopped running, "None of us have," he replied in a concerned voice. "Billy was one of the first friends that Malcolm met when he first woke up in the hospital after his parents were killed…"

"I didn't know that Malcolm and Billy were that close," Laura commented in a soft tone. "It must be…"

Jason's gaze softened slightly, "You said Tommy's tailing him?" he asked, not wanting to get into how much he himself missed Billy and risk opening old wounds for Laura to see. "That sounds like Tommy."

"Should we go after him?" Laura asked in a concerned, quiet voice. "Should we let Zordon know?"

Jason frowned at the mention of Zordon, "Malcolm and I aren't Rangers anymore," he replied in a confused voice as he moved close to Laura. "Zordon doesn't have to look out for either of us…"

"That's a load of crap, Jason, and you know it," Laura snapped in an aggravated voice. "Why shouldn't we ask Zordon for help in finding Malcolm? Zordon cares about anyone who's ever been a Ranger."

Jason didn't reply and took off running again, "I'm going to the locker room and contacting Zordon," Laura whispered in an agitated voice to Tanya and Katherine. "I don't know why Jason's so moody."

As Laura walked off, Katherine and Tanya exchanged a look and then sent a worried look Jason's way.

Malcolm sitting under a tree hugging himself and gasping for air while sobbing was the last thing that Tommy expected to see, but Tommy calmly hurried across the grass, "Malcolm, what are you doing this far away from school?" Tommy asked in a concerned voice as he picked up Malcolm's crutches.

"I-I c-couldn't," Malcolm replied in an anxious voice. "I've lost too much in my life so far…"

Tommy sighed and sat down on the grass, "I lost my parents, I lost Aisha, I lost Billy," Malcolm replied as he took some deep breaths to calm down. "I lost my powers and now I feel like I'm losing Jason too."

"Losing Jason?" Tommy asked in a confused voice as he looked at Malcolm. "How do you think…?"

Malcolm sighed and swallowed hard, "Billy was his friend, I get it," he explained in a distressed voice as he rested his head against the tree. "Jason doesn't ever talk about Billy anymore even when I want to and it drives me crazy because I was Billy's friend too! I want to remember my friendship with Billy!"

"Are you still having nightmares about Muranthias?" Tommy asked in a concerned voice.

Malcolm looked surprised, "How do you know about that, Tommy?" he asked. "I never said…"

"Jason told me," Tommy replied, figuring that now was a good time to share Jason's thoughts on everything with Malcolm. "Jason knows you're having nightmares and he's afraid that talking about Billy's death will make the nightmares worse. Jason wants you to get better, Malcolm; we all do."

Malcolm nodded, "I just wasn't expecting everything to happen the way that it did," he replied. "I…"

"Nothing ever happens the way you expect it!" Goldar shouted as he, Rito, and Elgar suddenly appeared not far from where Malcolm and Tommy were sitting. "Divatox would like an audience with you!"

Frowning, Tommy handed Malcolm his crutches and helped him to his feet, "Why does Divatox want to talk with me?" Malcolm asked in a confused voice. "I'm not a Power Ranger anymore and can't…"

Goldar growled and Rito aimed his bone sword at Malcolm and Tommy, "Two for the price of one visit!" Rito crowed as Malcolm and Tommy suddenly disappeared, leaving Tommy's bag and Malcolm's crutches behind on the grass. "By the time anyone notices they're gone, it will be too late!"

The Power Chamber was empty, Laura observed as she touched down in the command area, "Zordon, Alpha?" she called out in an anxious voice as she walked over to Zordon's tube. "I need to talk."

"What is it, Laura?" Zordon asked as he suddenly appeared in his time warp tube. "What's wrong?"

Before Laura could reply, Alpha came puttering into the command area, "Laura, I have your test results if you're interested in hearing them," he commented, seeing that Laura was there and focused.

"I'm actually here to ask for help with finding Malcolm," Laura replied in an anxious voice. "He left school today and hasn't been himself since Billy died. I know Malcolm's not a Ranger anymore…"

Zordon sighed, "My dear Laura, does it matter that Malcolm no longer has powers?" he replied in a calm voice as she turned to look at him. "Even when Power Rangers no longer have their powers because they have given them to another or have lost them in the line of duty, I never stop caring about them."

"Of course," Laura replied in a reassured voice. "Do you have any idea where Malcolm might be?"

Zordon was quiet for a minute, "Alpha, see if you can detect Tommy's signal," he ordered.

"Ai-yi-yi-yi," Alpha muttered as he hurried over to a console and began pressing buttons at a rapid speed. "Zordon, I can't lock on to Tommy's signal or locate Malcolm's lifesign either."

Laura frowned, "Do you think Divatox, Rita, or Zedd did something to Malcolm and Tommy?" she asked in a worried voice. "Malcolm's been having a rough time since Muranthias and I don't think he's okay."

"I wouldn't doubt it," Alpha cut in anxiously. "Zordon, should we contact the other Rangers?"

Laura suddenly flinched, "Alpha, can you program the Viewing Globe to get a view of the highway?" she asked in an anxious voice as she hurried over to the Viewing Globe. "Something bad has happened."

Alpha quickly tapped a few buttons on the console and an image of a damaged van with smoke rising from the hood appeared in the Globe.

Several police officers including Detective Stone were searching the scene and several filled body bags were lying on the side of the road, "Registration on the vehicle says Roberto DeSantos," an officer told Detective Stone. "Is there any family to contact?"

"Rocky," Laura whispered in an anxious voice. "Alpha, is there any way you can find Rocky?"

Alpha pressed a few more buttons and an image of Rocky in a hospital gown and scrub pants lying in a tube appeared, "We're almost done, Rocky," a voice said in a reassuring tone. "How are you doing?"

"Do you think my cancer's come back?" Rocky asked in a nervous voice. "I had cancer as a kid."

There was silence, "There's a mass pressing against your spine, so you're going to have to have a biopsy to see if it's cancerous," the voice replied. "Is there anyone you want me to call to come be with you?"

"My family's away, but I have a best friend named Adam Park that I wouldn't mind keeping me company," Rocky replied in a nervous voice as he was slid out of the tube. "He's 18, but he's at Angel Grove High School and I know he has class, but I'd really like him here. Can you try to reach him?"

Laura turned to Zordon, "Maybe we should meet here and Jason should join us since Adam needs to be with Rocky," she said in a worried voice as she turned back to the globe. "Where are you guys at?"

"Alpha, contact all of the Rangers and inform them of the current situation," Zordon ordered. "They are in school, but try and contact them if you can."

Endless fog was the first thing that Malcolm and Tommy saw as they regained consciousness and saw that they were laying on a moist ground, "Where are we?" Malcolm asked shakily in an anxious voice as he sat up and gazed at his casted ankle. "Tommy, go and see where we are; I'll be fine right here."

"No way," Tommy replied as he quickly got to his feet and leaned over. "I'm not leaving you here."

Malcolm groaned as Tommy helped him up, "Just keep your ankle off the ground," Tommy instructed as he put Malcolm's arm around his shoulder. "We'll look around together because it's the right thing…"

"Tommy, thanks," Malcolm replied in a pain-filled voice as he lifted his cast off the ground and looked around, only to see that the fog covered them up to the chest and that there were trees around them.

Tommy frowned as he nodded, "This looks like Muranthias, but that's impossible," he said as he helped Malcolm move through the fog. "Muranthias was destroyed in the explosion that Billy caused…"

"Billy did it because he thought it would help," Malcolm commented, suddenly feeling uneasy.

Tommy sighed, "It destroyed Maligore and saved the world," he replied as he suddenly spotted a faint, but very obvious beam of light not too far ahead. "Hey, Malcolm, there's a beam of light over there."

"I wonder if it's a way out," Malcolm commented, wincing as he felt his ankle give off twinges of pain.

The light increased as Malcolm and Tommy got closer, but instead of a way out, they found a dirt path illuminated by torches that were lit by fire. At the end of the path, there was a small platform where Billy's detonation device and the white staff lay next to a small ball that looked like the Viewing Globe.

"Welcome to the Echo," Divatox said as she suddenly appeared in front of Malcolm and Tommy.

The echoes of the school bell was still ringing in Ashley's ears as she followed Justin and their new friends from school, Cassie and TJ, across the grass towards the Youth Center where she and Justin had promised to meet Dr. Oliver for lunch.

As they reached the path that led to the Youth Center, however, Ashley noticed that Tommy's bag and a pair of crutches were on the grass near a large tree.

"Guys, hold on!" Ashley said in an anxious voice as she ran over to the tree and picked up Tommy's bag just as Justin joined her. "Justin, this is Tommy's bag, but what's it doing here instead of at the school?"

Justin frowned and picked up the crutches, "These are Malcolm's," he replied in a worried voice. "I was at the Youth Center yesterday and saw Malcolm using these. Something's wrong, I think…"

"We should take these to Doctor Oliver," Ashley replied anxiously. "He'll know what to do."

There was a cackle and suddenly, Goldar and Rito suddenly appeared out of thin air, "You little brats aren't going ANYWHERE with those things!" Rito howled as he held his sword out. "Hand em over!"

For a moment, nobody did anything and then Ashley, Justin, Cassie, and TJ took off running down the path that would take them to the Youth Center. They could find an adult there and get some help.

"What do we do now?" Rito asked in a confused voice, clearly not expecting that they would run.

Goldar chuckled, "We follow them of course!" he crowed in an excited voice. "And fight them! They're just kids and kids don't know how to fight!"

"Doctor Oliver?" Dr. Oliver heard a familiar voice say in a nervous tone. "How are you?"

Wondering if he was dreaming, Dr. Oliver looked up from the book he was reading at one of the tables at Ernie's and was surprised to see Zack and an exhausted looking Kimberly approach his table, "Well, hello there, Zack and Kimberly," he said in a pleasant voice. "How are you two doing these days?"

"Between spending my time either trying to find a place to live, visiting Skull at the hospital, and getting my own counseling, I'm exhausted," Kimberly replied in a tired voice. "How are you?"

Dr. Oliver immediately looked to Zack, "Are you two okay for lunch?" he asked in a concerned voice, wondering if Zack and Kimberly had enough money. "I'm meeting Ashley and Justin here, but…"

"I'm actually not that hungry, but Zack said I needed a break," Kimberly replied in a nervous voice as she hugged herself and looked around self-consciously. "Billy's dad is working today and he promised me that he'd keep an eye on Skull and to take care of myself. We also need to visit Rocky later on today…"

Dr. Oliver nodded, "You're welcome to pull up a chair," he offered as he put his book back in his tote bag and looked towards the kitchen. "I already ordered, but I'm sure Ernie could get something for you."

"Yeah, okay," Kimberly replied nervously as she and Zack sat down at the table. "Thanks."

"Excuse me, I'm Adam Park and I got called to the office," Adam said in an anxious voice as he approached the high school office with his textbooks in hand. "Does Mister Caplan want to see me?"

The secretary was about to reply when Mr. Caplan's office door opened and Mr. Caplan came out followed by a somber looking Detective Stone, "Ah, Adam, it's good that you came quickly," Mr. Caplan said in a somber voice. "I got a call from the hospital that Rocky's condition has worsened and he's asking you to be there to serve as support since his parents are out of town. Detective Stone also…"

"I regret to inform you that Angel Grove police found a car and some very badly injured people outside of the city limits this morning," Detective Stone explained in a somber voice. "Roberto DeSantos, his wife, and two of their children died at the scene of what looks like a horrific attack by monsters…"

Adam's eyes widened in shock, "Rocky's family was killed?" he asked, horrified. "Have you…?"

"No, I need to go to the hospital and tell Rocky and I was hoping that you would accompany me there, Adam," Detective Stone replied in a somber voice. "You're Rocky's best friend and you could help…"

Adam was at a loss for words; how could he help Detective Stone tell Rocky that his family was dead?

"What is the Echo?" Malcolm asked in a pained voice as he stared at Divatox. "Are we in the past?"

Divatox sneered at Malcolm, "This is an echo of the island that your annoying brainiac friend blew up," she snapped as she picked up the detonation device. "Apparently, he made this while looking after that skinny kid that Goldar almost beat to death on the submarine. Who knew it could do that much damage?"

"That device killed Billy," Tommy snapped, keeping hold of Malcolm. "I hope you're happy."

Divatox sniggered, "Maligore's dead, but that doesn't stop me and the rest of us evildoers from wreaking havoc in the lives of you Power Rangers and your friends," she hissed in a vengeful voice as she picked up the globe and thrust it at Malcolm and Tommy. "Rita and Zedd started with Rocky…"

"Rocky's family," Malcolm whispered in a shocked voice as he saw a wrecked car, body bags, and a swarm of police officers in an area of highway just outside of Angel Grove. "Rita and Zedd killed them."

Divatox looked amused, "Very good observation," she replied in an amused voice as she picked up the staff. "You took their son and daughter away from them, so they decided to take family away from your dearest friends."

"Where did you get that?" Malcolm asked in a shocked voice. "That was destroyed on Muranthias."

Divatox held out the staff for Malcolm to see, "Not all your powers were taken when you saved Mark Hillard's life, you stupid boy," she replied snappishly. "Tell me, Malcolm, do you miss your parents?"

"Nothing can bring back the dead," Malcolm replied angrily. "What are you asking me that for?"

Divatox smirked, "Rita told me about your little experience with her Wishing Coin," she replied as she threw the staff towards Malcolm. "If you could do anything in the world, Malcolm, what would you do? Resurrect the dead?"

For a moment, Malcolm and Tommy were speechless, "If you could have anything in the world, even to have your old life back without all of the pain that you're now going through, would you take it?" Divatox asked cunningly.

"You found this in the park by a tree?" Dr. Oliver asked in a worried voice as he took Tommy's bag from Ashley and looked it over while Justin stood with Cassie and TJ, all of them taking turns holding Malcolm's crutches while Zack and Kimberly looked on worriedly. "And you say you were chased?"

TJ nodded, "Some big gold guy and some freak with bones chased us from the park and we haven't seen them since," he explained in a worried voice. "They wanted the bag and the crutches, but we didn't…"

"Why would Tommy's bag and Malcolm's crutches be in the park?" Dr. Oliver asked in a confused voice as the ground suddenly began to shake violently. "What in the heck is going on? Are we having an…?"

There was a cackle as Rito and Goldar suddenly appeared, "You wish!" Rito hooted as he thrust his sword at the small crowd around the table. "Give us the stuff right now or Malcolm and Tommy will…"

"What did you do with Tommy and Malcolm?" Dr. Oliver asked anxiously as he got to his feet.

Goldar cackled menacingly, "Divatox has rendered them incapable of helping!" he yelled, unaware that Jason had come into the Youth Center for lunch to get away from everything that reminded him of what he had lost and was staring at Goldar and Rito in shock. "Give us what we want or they'll be goners!"

Nobody spoke and Goldar scoffed as he spread his wings, "The Power Rangers won't even be able to save the day this time!" he crowed in a gleeful voice. "Their powers will not be able to endure what Divatox has planned!"

Jason's eyes widened and he quickly left the Youth Center before Goldar or Rito could spot him; he had to find Katherine, Tanya, Laura, and Adam and warn them that their powers were in danger of being forcefully taken away again.

What do you think will happen? Please read and review!