"I... I can't believe it," Tommy said quietly, "I mean... you're standing right in front of me... and I can't believe you're real!"

David pursed his lips, nodding emphatically. "I know what you mean! I've lived my whole life just wondering if I was alone in the world. I have friends and family, but no blood relation. All I had were bits and pieces of faded memories, and a feeling that I had a destiny to fulfill. And when I got the arrowhead..."

David's eyes then widened, as his hand traced his bare neck. "I... I lost it on the cliffs..."

Tommy's smile widened, as his hand crept beneath his collar. He unveiled two leather chords, each holding one of two matching arrowhead halves. "I've got you covered, Brother."

Watching on from a distance, Rocky kept his hands clasped behind his back. He had made room for the Starlights to cluster around their injured teammate, since he could provide no further care. He visibly cringed as the Alligator fell victim to a spray of razors from the obscure sentinel. He could hear the loud crunch of metal on metal, and a deep frown formed on his face.

"Tommy," he said sternly, crisply approaching the brothers, "I hate to be the bringer of bad news here, but the rest of the team could use your help. The Terras don't stand a chance without the Megazord!"

Tommy's euphoric expression sobered almost instantly, as he turned away from his brother to face the grim situation before him. He picked up his discarded crimson helmet, and clenched his jaw as he pulled it over his countenance.

"You're right, Rocko," he said quietly, "I'd better get going." He pulled off the two leather strings, and handed them to David, who gazed at him quizzically. "You should keep an eye on them," Tommy decided, "Just in case... well... just in case." He gave his brother a reassuring thumbs up before stepping away. "Back to Action!"

Rocky watched as the Red Ranger's body melted into a pulsing column of light. He sighed quietly as he thought about the last time he had leapt into action in the Red armor. It was only last fall, right before Rita and Zedd transformed the team into children. Still, it felt like a lifetime ago.

"Rocky?" Aisha whispered, nudging the pensive former Ranger, "You okay?"

Rocky jumped, and turned to meet his close friend's inquiring gaze. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"You miss it," Aisha observed. It wasn't a question.

"I guess I do," Rocky confessed, "It's... hard to just sit and watch."

"Tell me about it!" Regina sighed, suddenly stepping closer to the congregation, "Hey Billy! Isn't there anything we can do?"

"Not unless you brought some Zords along with you," he responded, typing on a keyboard, "But, perhaps you can help me out. You're familiar with the CAC's primary functions, right?"

Regina's frown instantly flipped. "Will always called me a natural."

Billy nodded, waving her towards him. "Then, do me a favor and help me process the data I'm collecting."

"Collecting? From what?"

Billy's eyes narrowed. "From that Dark Knight."

Sparks flew from the head and neck of the Alligator Zord. One rather large blade was jammed into the right eye of the Zord, which was where the cockpit was located.

"I think this Ranger is finished," the iron-clad monster stated smoothly, "But just to be on the safe side-"

Faster than the warrior could even think, a wall of white light appeared between him and the Alligator, and stretched all around the monster in a brilliant cylinder. He stared at the wall intently, and then realized with some surprise that it wasn't a wall. Rather, it was an object moving so quickly, it was everywhere at once.

"Now you've done it!" Zack shouted, his Cheetah swiftly circling Rito. He suddenly stopped circling the monster, and ran right at him. He appeared as a streak of white light, and slammed into the creature's stomach. Rito howled with rage and pain as he hurtled through the air, crashing into a patch of trees nearby. But he recovered almost immediately, and rose to his feet. The fear-inspiring ruby gaze of the monster brightened, and fixed itself upon the Cheetah.

"No, little Ranger," he stated, holding up his massive ax, "I've only just begun."

The mighty blade began to glow, casting a web of sinuous energy around the ivory Cheetah. Despite its amazing speed and agility, the energy bands clung to the hull of the Cheetah, holding it captive.

All the Rangers heard a tense scream exuding from the Cheetah as flashes of white energy cascaded around the hull.

"We've got to do something!" Kimberly gasped, her eyes wide as she heard Zack's pained scream echoing in her mind.

^Hold on, Kim,^ said a voice, surprisingly calm and assured, ^Let me try something.^

The Gold Ranger couldn't help but smile as she gazed at her monitor. "Tommy, what the heck took you so long?"

"I'll tell you later," he answered, as the Phoenix sailed over the cliffs to the battlefield, "Activating Hyperflame Shield!"

The hull of the Phoenix began to glow with reddish-orange energy, and it catapulted towards the knight, leaving a streak of light like a falling star. The relatively small Zord arched between the Cheetah and its oppressor, and sailed directly towards the mighty ax the creature used as the focus of its power.

Even before the energized wing of the Phoenix touched it, the heavy metal melted to liquid. The knight gasped in astonishment as the head of his ax bent over, and the web of energy faded. Once freed, the Cheetah backed up slightly as the Silver Ranger recovered his bearings.

"Okay, roll call," Tommy said, pulling back on the wheel to bring his vehicle into the air again, "Zack, you okay?"

The gasping was heavy from the Cheetah, but a weak voice did transmit. ^Never better,^ he wheezed.

"How about Kat?"

Inside the Alligator, the Blue Ranger picked herself off the ground. She shook her head, and steadied herself against a console. She glanced at her seat, and gasped when she saw a razor, about seven feet long and three feet thick, sticking through her leather seat. It had crashed through the eye of the Alligator, and it would have killed her, had she not leapt for cover.

"Ah!" she moaned, pausing after she had tried to take a step. She tenderly tried out her leg, but much to her consternation, any pressure placed upon her right foot resulted in a sharp pain.

One of the ceiling consoles had fallen on her leg, and it obviously was more than her armor could protect her from.

She jumped as a loud screech of metal tore through the silent chamber. She backed away slowly as the back door of the bridge was forced open.

"Kat?" the intruder inquired, muscling through the small entrance, "Are you all right?"

Katherine released the breath she was holding. "Jason! What're you doing here?"

Jason hurried to the Blue Ranger, and quickly wrapped her in a tight hug. "You weren't answering your communicator, and all the sparking equipment created a flux that made it impossible for us to scan the bridge of the Alligator, or teleport in or out. So, I teleported into the Zord itself, and made my way over."

Katherine smiled widely beneath her helmet. "Thanks."

She tried to take a step, but once again winced when her foot touched the ground.

"Kat?" Jason inquired worriedly.

"It's my ankle," she explained, "but it'll be okay."

Jason gently pushed Katherine to the console, and let her lean against it. He then examined the razor blade embedded within her pilot's seat.

"We need to get the Alligator up and running," Jason decided, grasping the blade with both arms. His enhanced Ranger strength allowed him to pull the projectile out of the chair, and he dropped it towards the back of the cockpit. He then took Katherine by the hand, and escorted her to the seat. Katherine gratefully sat down, ignoring the gaping hole in the back, and glanced tiredly at the sparking controls.

"Well, the viewscreen's shot," she sighed, looking out of the glass to the battlefield, "I can only see what's directly ahead of me. All other screen views have been disrupted." She then began typing carefully on the main switchboard, and scanned the readout. "One of those daggers ruptured the Alligator's neck, and the LOX tubing there. I can't fire my Deep Freeze Cannon."

"Do you think you can form the Megazord?" Jason asked, glancing over her shoulder at the Megazord Transformation panel.

"Yeah," she responded, reaching over to begin the sequence, "it looks okay. The structural damage is minimal, so the Megazord will be able to stand up."

Jason stared through the open eye of the Alligator, and watched anxiously as a spray of razors streaked towards the newly-arrived Phoenix. However, the Hyperflame Shield melted the thorns before impact. Jason felt a wave of inspiration.

"Tommy! Guys!" he yelled into his wrist communicator, "Let's form the Megazord! Alexis, you flank us!"

^You heard the man,^ said Tommy, the Phoenix flying straight into the sky, ^Megazord sequence!^

Jason then grasped Katherine's shoulder for a moment, and vanished in a flash of obsidian energy.

Within seconds, the Megazord was complete, and the six Terran Rangers were inside the cockpit in the helmet. Right above, the Eaglezord hovered.

"Okay," said Jason, as his seat rolled into position, "let's try using flame attacks. They've had the most effect against that thing so far."

"Sounds good," said Adam, "Activating Terra Sword, and charging it with Fire."

The silver sword took shape in the Megazord's hand, and an orange aura spread onto its edge. The formidable Zord arched the weapon, but the agile monster dodged the attack, and released a fresh wave of gleaming blades at the Megazord.

Billy continued to monitor the fight with a tense expression on his face. He remained seated at his station, his entire focus upon the large screen that chronicled the cataclysmic battle. Surrounding him, the assembly of past and future Power Rangers stood firm, all cringing at each blow the Megazord suffered.

"I can't believe this!" Anthony groaned emphatically, pushing off from the console he leaned against, "We've traveled thirty years, and we're completely useless! The Rangers are losing!"

"This is so different from our world," Rebecca observed quietly, "No creature of this ability ever attacked Earth. Our parents were never so strained."

"That's so bizarre," Tanya commented, her brow wrinkling, "that this dimension and yours differ so much. I mean, from what I gather the breach in our two histories only happened last December. We're talking three months of time!"

"But during that time, Rita and Zedd had given up on Earth," Brittany pointed out.

"Do you honestly think Rita and Zedd have the capability to create a monster like this?" Rocky interjected, "Unless they've been taking an Evil Correspondence Course, whatever it is we're dealing with is leagues ahead of those two."

"Billy?" Regina called from her station, "I've run the various scans, including infrared, ultraviolet, and x-ray. I'm not picking up any weak spots, or any other clue as to how to beat that guy."

"I think it's time to run a decompositional scan," Billy surmised, rising to his feet.

"But, that doesn't give clues to beating him," Regina pointed out, swiveling her chair to face him, "It'll just break down what he's made of. You'll see layers of magic, but not any weaknesses."

"Well, we're out of options, so perhaps luck will be with us," Billy stated, moving towards Regina's station. On his way, he observed David, sitting silently beside Micah's still body. He then redirected his route, and walked towards the pensive young man.

"David?" he inquired, pausing in front of him, "Are you all right?"

David lifted his gaze from the floor, and fixed Billy with a blank stare. "Everything's happening so quickly," he confessed with a heavy sigh, "I don't understand what's going on here. All I do know is, my brother is fighting a monster no one here thinks his team can beat, and I just witnessed my nephew tortured at the hand of a being not of this world." He shook his head slowly, leaning back in his seat. "It's a lot to come to grips with."

Billy smiled weakly, offering his hand. "I don't believe we've actually been introduced. I'm Billy Mitchell."

David grasped the extended hand, and shook it. "Well, I'm David Trueheart, though you already know that."

David's grasp weakened, and his gaze returned to the unconscious boy beside him. "I was right there with him, in that cell," he reflected, "and I was completely useless."

"Don't think there was anything you could've done to spare Micah," Billy said firmly, "Goldar is a powerful warrior, who has been serving the forces of evil long before any of us were born. Even a fully morphed and armed Ranger will have difficulty beating him. It was entirely out of your hands."

David conceded the point, nodding his head. "I can't imagine what it must have been like for him. The scars he bears..."

"The med-unit will completely heal all the wounds he's received," Billy assured him, "He may be sore when he wakes up, but that's all."

David shook his head, his frown deepening. "You can heal the wounds on his skin... but what can you do about the wounds of his soul?"

Billy was struck silent. During the flurry of work he had been administrating, he hadn't given consideration to Micah's mental state after the ordeal. After all, he was only a child, and this was his first experience as a Power Ranger. He had to face the unadulterated wrath of one of the most nightmarish creatures in Earth's history, and from what David had reported, the goal was to extract information from the boy.

Who knew what Micah would feel? Guilt, for revealing any pertinent information? Terror, for seeing the darkest side to being a Power Ranger before he was ready? Betrayal, for his friends letting him suffer so tragically on his own?

"Rebecca," Billy called, causing the Pink Starlight Ranger to approach, "is there any way you can discern if there has been any serious psychological damage inflicted upon Micah?"

Rebecca's brow furrowed. "Not until he wakes up," she answered, "I will be able to feel what he feels once he's conscious, but that may not give the insight you're looking for. I won't be able to tell what is a temporary effect of his experience, or if he suffers some sort of post-traumatic stress disorder."

Billy blinked in response to Rebecca's candid diagnosis. "You seem a little young to have studied psychology."

Rebecca shrugged in response. "Not really. I've been a patient of this dysfunction. Experiencing the pain of others is really stressful for a kid." She closed her eyes, shaking her head slightly to shrug off the memories. "I'm okay now, though."

Billy watched carefully as the girl took a seat beside David. She gingerly clasped his hand, and smiled warmly at him. "Still, while I can't be sure yet, I feel Micah will be okay," she told him, "I'm sure that, when he does wake up, having you by his side will really help."

Billy pensively continued his trip to Regina's station, every so often glancing back at Rebecca in amazement. She was younger than he was when first chosen by Zordon to be the Blue Ranger. Still, her maturity was overwhelming.

He bit his lip as he considered the reason for his daughter's personality. She had to grow up quickly. They all had to. They had to face the unthinkable at such early ages. Every time the Terran Rangers marched into battle, these children watched their parents go, with a measure of pride as well as dread... and their fears were realized. Anthony had lost his father for several years when he was just a child, and now he may have lost his mother. Micah had lost both parents at once. Brittany had to say goodbye to her father, someone she obviously cherished very much. Regina's parents were alive, but several dear friends were hanging in the balance. And Rebecca had to face the abnormality of powerful mutant abilities, which essentially destroyed what should have been the carefree, joyful childhood everyone deserved.

It was really tragic the pain these children had to experience. Yet on the bright side, the pain only made them stronger.

They were good kids... fit for the responsibility hovering over their heads as the next generation of Power Rangers.

Absently, he wondered what his future self was thinking at that moment, waiting anxiously for any word from the time-traveling party. Still, while the tension was surely high in 2025, at least that William Mitchell had Trini by his side, to offer peace to his soul with her very presence...

"Hey Billy!" Regina called, stirring him from his reverie. The young genius glanced at the Blue Starlight Ranger, who turned her swivel chair to face him. A sly grin tugged at her full lips, and she shrugged her eyebrows mischievously.

"Did you find something?" he inquired, as the exchange grasped the attention of the rest of the teens. With the exception of David and Rebecca, everyone quickly congregated around Regina, with Anthony standing directly behind her. He grasped her shoulders, and leaned closer to the screen.

"Is that what I think it is?" he questioned, his aqua gaze transfixed on a flashing bubble of energy visible around the monster the Rangers were battling.

"Yep," Regina responded, her smile widening.

"I think we may have hit the jackpot, gang!" he announced.

"Brace yourselves for impact!" Tommy barked, his hands flying to the armrests of his seat. Similarly, all the other Rangers were quick to hold on to whatever stable fixture they could, as the lightning-quick razors launched from the monster's mangled ax, drilling deep into the blue leg of the Megazord. The team held on as a series of powerful explosions sparked from the impact points on the Alligator Zord, rattling the entire construct to its very core.

"The Alligator can't take much more of this!" Katherine shouted, to raise her voice above the screeching explosions filling their ears, "The joint-connection to the Cheetah is barely holding!"

"Dammit," Jason groaned, pounding his fist into his console, "That monster knows exactly what he's doing. He banged up the Alligator before, so he knows it's the weak spot of the Megazord!"

"Hey guys," Tommy proposed, shifting in his seat, "do you think it's possible for us to channel the Hyperflame Shield into the Alligator? It's proven effective against those blades before. Maybe it'll give the Alligator the protection it needs to stay connected?"

The Green Ranger frowned under his helmet. "It should be possible, since in Megazord form the Phoenix's Hyperflame attribute can be extended to the sword." He bit his lip as his fingers began flying over the Terra Sword specifications console. "I'm deactivating the Hyperflame from the sword now."

"It could still take us some time to reroute the shield," Kim pointed out, "We've never even tried that before."

"Then we need to buy ourselves some time," Tommy decided, activating his communicator, "Alexis, do you read?"

^Hear ya loud and clear, Tommy.^

"How's the Eaglezord holding up?"

^I'm still a bit stirred from that last laser beam volley,^ she groused, ^but I've managed to straighten out my navigation system. I'm in decent shape.^

"Do you think you can buy us a few minutes? We're going to try something."

^I'll do my best!^

"Good luck," Tommy finished, terminating the communication. With a wary eye, he watched as the Eaglezord flew back into eyesight, launching a few razor feathers to distract the powerful knight from his primary target. The monster was quick to respond, thrusting his ax in the Eaglezord's direction. Tommy's frown deepened when he noticed how sluggish the Eaglezord was in evading fire.

"Alexis is having a bit of trouble," he commented, turning on his communicator again, "so we don't have a minute to spare. Billy? Do you read me?"

After a moment of silence, the CAC's com-unit responded. ^Tommy? It's Rocky. Billy's working on a project, but maybe I can help?^

"We need to know how to reroute the Hyperflame Shield to the Alligator, to reinforce it against the monster's attacks."

^Hmm. Attribute Rerouting. I'll see what I can do on my end, and then forward you the specs.^

"Hurry," Kim pleaded, "With the Megazord down, the Eaglezord can't hold out for long."

The Terra team was answered by silence, as the signal was broken from the Central Access Complex.

The former Red Power Ranger cast a grim glance at the Viewing Globe. As he held his breath, a wave of sinuous energy stretched towards the Eaglezord like a noose, intending to grab hold of the wily machine. Fortunately, the agile Zord managed to evade capture, as an aerial loop threw the Zord just a handful of meters away from the energy chain.

Alexis was certainly cutting it close up there.

His frustration building, Rocky turned away from the Viewing Globe, and returned his attention to Billy's desktop unit. He quickly scrolled through the text files of the Megazord, as well as the shared abilities the six combined zords had to offer. His patience wore as he screened each page, occasionally glancing up at the crowd still huddled around one of the workstations. Somewhere in the middle of that assembly was Billy, working with the amazing discovery Regina stumbled upon.

He knew Billy was hard at work, trying to find a way to exploit the weakness the scans he commissioned revealed. He knew that the key to finally defeating this foe rested on Billy's current work.

But he also knew the Rangers wouldn't last long without finding a way to construct the Hyperflame shield around the Alligator. Without the added protection of the superheated aura, the razors thrown by the monster would eventually tear the Alligator to pieces, or at least disrupt the systems enough to force the leg of the Megazord to separate.

It was impossible to tell how long it would take for the Megazord to be up and running again.

Rocky was determined to help. He knew he could find the specifications. While the CAC was essentially designed for Billy to be at the helm, he'd been working alongside the original Blue Ranger ever since the inception of the Terra team. He may not have been a natural computer genius, but he knew enough about the Zords' basic functions, as well as the data systems in the CAC, to be of some use.

"I'll be damned if I don't contribute," he groused, the tension in his body bringing him to punch the keys with exaggerated force.

He exhaled deeply when he finally found the specifications he needed, to program the Megazord to do exactly what the Rangers planned.

"Yes!" he whispered, pumping his fist proudly. He quickly activated his wrist communicator, his copper eyes focused on the paragraphs he needed. "Guys, are you there?"

^Tell us you've got some good news, Rock,^ Zack beseeched.

"Absolutely. There is a way to reroute the Hyperflame to the Alligator, but it'll only work if the Alligator's energy-reception capacitor is still functioning."

^In English?^ Kim requested, ^We're dealing with a really high-stress environment, and the simpler the directions, the better.^

Despite himself, Rocky grinned proudly at the masked compliment. No one had ever accused him of being too technical for common understanding.

"Kat, check out the system status screen of the Alligator. It should be right beside the manual controls for the Megazord leg."

^I found them.^

"Great. Now, there should be a steady green light next to an icon that kinda resembles a pair of crossed wires. Is it glowing green?"

^It's... blinking. What does that mean?^

Rocky frowned slightly. "That means the capacitor is slightly compromised, but mostly effective. Press the icon once, and a number should appear next to the light."

^The number is... 74.^

"So the capacitor is 74% effective. That'll have to do. Now, if you press the icon one more time, a small screen should come up, with a blank for a numerical code. When you find it, you have to plug in the code 68473, which'll connect the Alligator's capacitor to the Hyperflame Shield generator onboard the Phoenix."

^Okay... done,^ Kat said, after a few moments.

"Now Tommy, you've got to repeat what I told Kat, in order to channel the Hyperflame into the Alligator's capacitor, but your code is 10006. That should do it."

After a long silence, the communicator came back to life. ^It's working!^ Kat called, ^Now we're back in the game!^

^Thanks, Rocky,^ Tommy said, ^We're lucky to have you on our side.^

Rocky beamed with excitement as he leaned into Billy's chair.

^I've had enough of these childish games,^ the iron monster growled, holding his ax to his chest. Alexis frowned, as the menacing voice that channeled into her vessel vibrated in her mind.

"What is he up to...?" she wondered, her fingers hovering over the trigger for more feather missiles to launch. She pulled further from the stationary monster, glancing for a moment at the Megazord just barely on her back viewscreen, still motionless while the Rangers tended to their pressing problem.

Suddenly, Alexis screamed as the helmeted head of the large creature appeared in front of her without warning, laughing mockingly. Desperately, Alexis yanked the wheel with all her might, veering out the way as a stream of flames suddenly poured from the monster's mouth. While the flames didn't score a direct hit, the Zord was unable to pull completely out of the way, and the entire vessel shook as the right wing sliced into the side of the floating helmet.

"Where did that come from?!" she demanded, struggling with the helm to pull out of the spin the damaged ship fell into. Her eyes widened as the foreboding face of the cliff approached.

"Oh God," she whispered, her arms trembling with exertion as the Eaglezord sluggishly obeyed her command, "Pull UP, DAMMIT!!"

"ACTIVATING EMERGENCY TELEPORT," the computer suddenly announced, much to Alexis' surprise.

"No!" she commanded, pulling her hand from the wheel, "I'm not leaving!"

With that, a concentrated burst of purple energy flashed in her palm, and streaked toward the teleportation relay. Upon impact, the entire circuit board exploded, sending sparks of electricity flying in all directions. Still, the Purple Ranger's focus was completely set upon the approaching cliff wall.

"Come on..." she muttered, sweat dripping down her forehead as she glanced at the bottom of the viewscreen, "only twelve meters to the top..."

She breathed in exertion, pulling back on the wheel to increase the angle of incline with all her enhanced Ranger strength. She fought to hold the ship steady, and closed her eyes when the cliff filled the screen in front of her.

Clenching her teeth and holding on for dear life, Alexis shook and swayed as the Eagle barely pulled over the cliff, scratching the entire bottom of the hull against the jagged face, and skidding across the rocky terrain of the plateau. The screen died before her, the lights flickered constantly as the ship continued to skid, and consoles exploded with the force of the impact.

"Reverse engines!" she realized, straining to reach the switch. But when she activated the engines, more sparks flew from the console.

Then, Alexis realized she was completely powerless to slow the Zord, which continued skidding across the plateau, tearing through each boulder it came across. She struggled to hold on as the force of the trek attempted to throw her violently from her station, until, to her horror, the forward screen exploded, throwing large shards of glass everywhere.

With the golden eye of the Eaglezord gone, Alexis was finally afforded a front view of where the ship was going. She gasped in horror when she saw the edge of the plateau swiftly approaching.

Paralyzed with fear and shock, the Purple Ranger watched helplessly from her chair as the Eaglezord catapulted off the cliff, gliding through the air with the momentum it retained. She shivered as the darkened sky filled her view, until the head of the Zord tilted downwards.

That's when her view shifted to the trembling Pacific Ocean.

"Dammit, she's in freefall!" Rocky growled, slamming his fist into the closest console, "What do we do now?"

He turned desperately to Billy, who was at the main teleportation relay, surrounded by Brittany, Tanya, and Anthony. Regina was still at the mainframe, watching with interest as she observed a strange flux over the creature at the point of impact with the Eaglezord. David, Aisha, and Rebecca remained with Rocky, watching in horror in the Viewing Globe as the Eagle catapulted to destruction.

"We can't teleport her out," Billy muttered, wiping the sweat off his brow, "With the onboard teleportation relay on the Eagle down, we can't get a lock on her while the ship is accelerating like this. It's impossible!"

"It'll only get faster, until it hits the water," Anthony said quietly.

"Hitting water at this speed is the same as smashing into concrete," Brittany commented, "Is there any way she'll survive it?"

"Not surrounded by tons of iron," Tanya said quietly, "She's got to get out of there."

"Rocky!" Billy shouted, "Get on the line. Tell Alexis she has to evacuate. Get her out of the ship! It's her only chance!"

Rocky nodded, and lifted his wrist to his mouth, his eyes never leaving the Viewing Globe. "Alexis? Do you read?"

After an intolerable silence, she responded weakly. ^Yes.^

"Listen, Lex, you've gotta get out of the Eaglezord. If you fly through the broken windshield, you should be able to pull out of the way fast enough to avoid getting hit by the ship. But you've got to move now."

"Twelve seconds to impact," Billy stated, glancing back at Rocky.

^But...^

"Don't argue with me, Lex," Rocky said sternly, but calmly, "You're running out of time."

The Purple Ranger was shaking violently, watching the water get ever closer. She didn't need Rocky to tell her she needed to evacuate. She remembered enough physics to know that a vessel smashing into the ocean at that rate would be reduced to shrapnel. She'd be buried within an iron coffin, assuming enough of the vessel remained in one piece to sink into the ocean.

Taking panicked breaths, Alexis pulled her body over the front of the helm computer, making her way over to the open screen.

"I... I can't..." she whispered, trembling as she recoiled from the windy exit.

^You can do it!^ Rocky insisted, his voice pulsing from Alexis' wrist, ^I know you can!^

She didn't understand why, but that vote of faith helped ease her mind-numbing terror. She clenched her teeth, and pushed herself through the screen, her ankle wings beating madly as she touched the air.

She was a handful of feet away from the billowing waves, so without thinking, she arched her back, causing her to skim the water's surface while rocketing away from the huge iron hull at her tail. While she managed to clear the area directly under the Eaglezord, as well as dodge the flying debris that broke from the body of the ship on impact, she wasn't fast enough to avoid the tidal wave that erupted behind her. She barely managed to pull air into her lungs as a wall of water collapsed over her, pulling her into the dark waters like an anchor.

"She's going down!" Aisha shouted, racing from the Viewing Globe to the group surrounding the teleporter.

"But... is she alive?" Rocky whispered, his gaze transfixed on the globe. All he could see was the whirlpool of waves the crash created, as well as the broken pieces of both wings stop skidding along the water, finally sinking into the sea as well.

While there were bits of iron falling to the water, nothing was coming up.

"I've got a lock on her!" Billy announced, "Teleporting now."

The group formed a circle in the center of the Central Access Complex, and in the very middle, a wave of purple energy erupted. When it took shape, the fully-morphed Purple Ranger lay upon the dark tiles, completely motionless.

"Get the helmet off," Billy ordered, as he, Rocky, and Tanya crowded around her. Rocky unlatched the helmet, and to his relief, her full red hair poured from the helmet, completely dry.

"The helmet's water seals weren't compromised," he breathed, "so she still had air when she went under."

Tanya held her palm over Alexis' nose and lips, and nodded slowly. "I feel her breath," she announced, "She's breathing normal. I think that wave smashing into her knocked the wind out of her."

"De-morph her, and lie her down on one of the cots," Billy advised, "Tanya, make sure she hasn't sustained any injuries. David, could you carry her over to the cot?"

The young man nodded, lifting the prone Purple Ranger from the floor, and following Tanya to the corner sectioned off as the medical area. Rocky watched them depart, and turned to Billy.

"Maybe I should keep an eye on her," Rocky offered, "Tanya could probably use the help of someone who's been working with these systems as long as she has."

"Alexis will be fine," Billy assured, placing his hand on Rocky's shoulder, "Right now, I'll need your help over here. Regina's scan discovered a weakness in that monster's construction, but we haven't been able to figure out how to exploit it."

Rocky nodded, and followed Billy to the main computer system, where the Starlight Rangers and Aisha had already congregated.

"Gentlemen," Regina said when she noted their arrival, "There's something I've got to show you!" "Okay... now!"

Adam pulled the large joystick before him, and the right arm of the Megazord mimicked the movement, delivering a mighty swing to the floating head of their latest foe. Unfortunately, despite the speedy response of the Zord, the head of the obscure warrior easily dodged the blow.

"We're not gettin' anywhere," Zack muttered furiously as the Zord steadied itself for another blow from the monster's ax. Amazingly, the disjointed head and body seemed to work perfectly while separated. It was as if the Megazord were suddenly facing two opponents.

"This tactic is really getting on my nerves," Kim growled, bringing around the Zord's left arm for another swing. Once again, the metallic fist hit nothing but air. "This is the same trick Rito always pulls."

"Kat, how did you beat Rito when you fought him in the mall?" Tommy inquired.

"I froze him in place," she answered, "But since the Alligator's liquid oxygen tubing is seriously damaged, we can't possibly connect the Terra Sword to the Deep Freeze Cannon."

"With the Alligator barely functioning, we're too slow on our feet to match this monster's speed," Jason analyzed, "and with the Hyperflame diverted to protect the Alligator, we can't even channel the most powerful Terra Sword we've got."

"Then we've got one option," Tommy decided, "We separate."

"What? But the Megazord is more powerful than all six Zords!" Zack argued.

"We're too big and clumsy to keep up, so maybe five agile Zords will do the trick. Kim and Adam will take the head, while Jason, Zack and I handle the body. Katherine, you'd better bring the Alligator into the hangar. It won't hold up for long."

The Blue Ranger nodded in agreement, and in unison the six teens activated the disengage sequence. "Hey Billy!" Anthony called, walking away from the Viewing Globe towards the group huddled around the mainframe, "They've disengaged the Megazord."

"Now we're in trouble," Aisha groaned, "The individual Zords don't pack the power to destroy that thing, and with the Alligator in shambles, they won't be able to put the Megazord back together."

"But they weren't even hitting that guy while in Megazord form," Brittany pointed out, "Maybe they'll have better luck now?"

"This might work out perfectly," Billy whispered, touching a key. On the main screen, which held a snapshot of the monster, the helmet of the creature zoomed in for a closer view. "When the monster is divided, he's more vulnerable," Billy revealed, "Maybe, if we can give the head a really focused hit, it'll shatter that expansion shield we detected."

"Will the entire shield break, even if the monster is disjointed?" Rebecca inquired.

"It should," Rocky hypothesized, "Even when the monster is in two pieces, there is still a bond between them. It's still one creature. It's the same with the shield, even if it's not spatially one piece, elementarily, it is."

Brittany frowned. "That still doesn't make sense."

Rocky bit his lip, trying to form a logical example. "Think of it as... a cordless phone. You guys have seen cordless phones in the future, right?"

"You mean the ones without the visual link?" Anthony inquired, "Yeah, I know what you're referring to."

The other Starlight Rangers also expressed their passing familiarity with the archaic device.

"Well, even though the headset isn't physically attached to the rest of the phone, it's still one phone. If you disconnect the bed from the wall outlet, the handheld piece won't work either."

"Oh..." Aisha said, nodding, "That makes sense."

"Vibrations seemed to work," Regina pointed out, "The scanners did detect a shockwave in the expansion shield when the Eagle crashed its wing into the monster's left temple."

"Let's use that as the target," Billy decided, hurrying to the main communications relay. "This is Billy, calling all the Rangers. Do you read."

^This is Tommy.^

^Jason here.^

^Kim's reading.^

^Zack's hearing ya.^

^Adam here.^

^Kat here.^

Billy frowned pensively. "Kat, where are you?"

^I'm trying to reform the Alligator. I can't teleport as long as I'm still fashioned as the Megazord's left leg.^

"She's a lame duck out there," Rocky commented.

"Kat, hit the big red override button," Billy advised, gesturing to Rocky, "We'll teleport you into the hangar from here."

^Got it. Kat out.^

Billy watched as Rocky raced to the teleportation station. Then, he returned his focus to the others. "Okay, here's what we've figured out. That monster you're fighting is surrounded by a thin shield of energy, that is on file here as an expansion shield."

^What's that?^ Adam inquired.

"That's one method of making monsters grow," Billy explained, "When Rita and Zedd make their monsters grow, they actually cast an expansion spell, increasing the size of the monster molecule by molecule, into larger form. But this guy has been enlarged differently. The molecules aren't enlarged. Rather, it's the body as a whole that is enlarged... by the shield. The difference is internal versus external enlargement."

^What does all this mean?^ Jason wanted to know.

"The result is the same: the monster is suddenly enormous. But the key difference is, since this monster is enlarged by a shield, that shield can be broken. If it were a spell that caused its phenomenal size, there is no way to reverse it."

^So, how do we reverse the growth?^ Tommy asked.

"By disrupting the expansion shield. And the only way to do it is to hit the head of the creature while it is separated, with a wave blast that'll put tension on the shield. The stressed shield won't be able to hold up to an energy barrage, and then the monster will shrink to its natural size."

Billy paused for a moment, turning to Regina. "Send that data file to the Rhinoceros?"

The Blue Ranger nodded, hurrying to the mainframe and preparing the file for transmission.

"Jason," Billy said, "you're Seismic Vibrator is our best bet. Hopefully, the violent quaking will reverberate within the shield, weakening the shield enough to be completely shattered by an energy attack from the other Rangers. Regina's sending you the exact target area you'll be aiming for."

^I'm on it.^ The Black Ranger watched the small screen beside his communication relay, and read "Data File Received." The press of an icon on the black screen caused the file to open, revealing an image of the head of their newest foe, complete with a faint outline representing the invisible expansion shield. A flashing green light represented the spot where a vibrating shot would likely prove most effective.

"Okay, we've finally got something to work with," Jason announced over the intercom, "Change in formation. Kim and Tommy's zords pack the most punch when it comes to energy bursts, so I want you two to be prepared to open fire once I hit the head. Kim, use your Lightning Rod to power up your stocked energy, and Tommy, make sure your systems have enough power for one good flame burst. I know holding up that Hyperflame shield around the Alligator probably drained most of your stored power."

^I've got enough for one good hit,^ Tommy decided.

"Great. So Tommy and Kim be prepared. Zack, do you think you can keep the body occupied by yourself?"

^No sweat... just don't take too long.^

"Good. Adam, you're with me."

^What do I do?^

"You're going to keep the head distracted, while I take aim. Keep him firing at you, but don't make him move too much."

^Circle him?^

"Sounds good. Okay gang, let's go!"

In an instant, Jason's teammates took action. Kimberly and Tommy pulled their aerial Zords out of the line of fire, to prepare for the biggest energy barrage they could muster. The Cheetah was easily running circles around the body of the knight, twisting and dodging every razor it launched. Finally, the Hawk performed an elaborate dance around the head of the knight, keeping it more or less stationary as it hovered in the air. This made Jason's job easier, as the red-rimmed bulls-eye appeared on his forward screen.

"And... fire!" he shouted, holding down the trigger. As he watched, the pulsing energy struck the target dead on, smacking the helmet at the left temple, right where it collided with the Eaglezord's wing before. But this time, the collision was more powerful, and was continuous. The head of the monster howled painfully, trying desperately to float out of harm's way. But Jason's volley of energy only followed it as it moved towards the body, despite the low energy warning lights flashing throughout the cockpit.

Jason watched, biting his lip in anticipation, as the head reconnected at the neck. The Cheetah backed away, leaving room for the monster to stumble around dazedly, its massive hands flying to its temples in agony.

"Got it!" Jason declared, as a sudden rippling effect covered the entire monster, "Now... fire!"

In unison, the Phoenix and Thunderbird released the blazing fury of red flames and blinding lightning. Both streams of energy hit their target, and continued the merciless bombardment.

^I'm running out, here,^ Tommy stated.

"Hold on a second," Jason instructed, "I think it's working!"

^You're right!^ Zack shouted from the Cheetah, ^Sensors reading the monster is dropping in magnitude, down to 90%... 83%... 65%...^

Suddenly, a bright white light erupted from the monster's position, exploding into a powerful wave of released energy.

"We did it!" Billy cheered, right before he was buried in an extensive group hug by all the Starlight team, as well as Katherine, Rocky, and Aisha. Tanya and David rushed over from the treatment area, and joined in on the small celebration.

"I can't believe it!" David marveled, watching the brilliant energy of the explosion die down, "It's over!"

"Terrific job, you three," Anthony congratulated Regina, Rocky, and Billy, "That was amazing teamwork!"

"Really impressive!" Aisha added.

Rocky grinned, brushing aside the kudos. "Don't act like you guys didn't all help out."

"Uh... gang?" Tanya called, glancing at the Viewing Globe, "It's not over yet."

The group turned to the globe, and watched as, from the epicenter of the massive explosion, the black knight reached out of the hole.

"Amazing," Billy whispered, stepping closer, "It looked like the release of energy contained in the expansion shield should've killed him."

"He's certainly a resilient tin can," Brittany muttered, racing over to the console where she left her yellow helmet, "But now that he's bite-sized, we can lend a hand!"

"Right!" Regina agreed, leaping from her seat, "We're finally gonna see some action!"

Katherine also snapped her aqua helmet back on, and watched as Tanya prepared to open a link to the ships.

"Oh no you don't," Tanya said to the Blue Ranger, "Did you think we didn't notice that limp? You're going to have a seat by the med-unit, and I'll take a look at that ankle in a second."

Katherine was about to protest, but sighed quietly instead. "Okay, you win."

Tanya nodded with a smile, and then turned on the link. "Tanya to Terran Rangers. Teleport your Zords into the hangars, and meet the Starlights at the epicenter of the explosion. He's not finished yet."

^We're on it,^ Zack responded.

Tanya and Katherine watched as Brittany, Regina, Anthony, and Rebecca assembled, their hands on their belts.

"Back to Action!" Anthony shouted.

Panting heavily, Rito pulled himself out of the crater created by the blinding explosion that had engulfed him only moments ago. Coughing the dust that had entered his skeleton, Rito dug his brutally damaged ax into the dirt, giving himself some leverage to rise to his feet. Still, his joints trembled at the exertion he placed just into standing, and it was clear to the ancient being that he was extremely weakened by the loss of the expansion shield. Not only was he reduced to his natural height, but the force of the explosion hurt him more than any of the other Ranger attacks offered that day.

He was convinced the brats had gotten lucky. He was certain that, if the Purple Ranger hadn't carelessly smashed her Zord into his temple, the Rangers never would've discovered the shield even existed. That collision gave him a splitting headache, giving the Megazord a chance to get on its feet before he could annihilate them.

He was so close... yet perhaps it wasn't over. After all, the Eaglezord had vanished, and the Alligator had retreated. If luck was with him, both Rangers were taken out of the battle, and since it was likely that all the Zords were weakened by the conflict, perhaps he'd only have to face five of the Terran Rangers. Considering the Rangers' crippling sense of honor, they wouldn't face a man-sized monster in a Zord anyway.

He felt a boost of strength in him, encouraged by the hope that perhaps he could still inflict damage. So, he stepped out of the spiraling dust cloud that formed by the explosion, and steadied himself for the inevitable arrival of his foes.

He deflated when nine fully-morphed warriors flashed into existence right before him. The majority of Terra team was at the ready, holding their weapons at the ready, and flanking them were four members of the team of Rangers from the Multiversal hole. Rito hadn't taken into account the upstart Rangers, who were completely fresh from not having participated in the previous battle.

"Curse you all," he groaned, grasping his mangled ax as he eyed each warrior.

"I'm frankly surprised you're still on your feet," the Red Terran Ranger taunted, "Now, how would you like to pick on someone your own size?"

"Or better yet, nine someones," the Red Starlight Ranger added.

Goldar trembled as he saw the light buried deep inside his master's eye sockets intensify. It reminded him of the pulsing red energy that Lord Zedd emitted whenever infuriated. Only with Umbriel, just a small dose of anger was terrifying for all surrounding him.

Other than this bright light, there was no indication that the Shadowed One was angry. His body was perfectly still, standing beside the large globe of Earth and watching the image of the battle that projected from a narrow needle inserted in the rocky cliffs that formed the western border of Angel Grove.

"So, the humans discovered the expansion shield," Umbriel noted, a hint of impatience rather than anger in his tone, "Very well. I shall not make that mistake again."

"What mistake?" Goldar ventured. The instant Umbriel's empty gaze fell upon him, Goldar wished he could melt into the wall behind him.

Still, he couldn't understand what had happened.

"I formed an expansion shield around Rito, in order to enlarge him to Zord proportions. It was his best chance of besting both teams of Rangers, since it was a safe assumption that the newer team could not participate in a Zord battle. However, until I have the M'Kraan Crystal in my possession again, my magics are weak. I cannot cast an expansion spell without its power. The shield was my only option, and unfortunately the Rangers recognized that it could be broken."

Umbriel then glided back to his throne, sinking into the frame and pensively folding his fingers.

"Still, Rito had completed his mission. He gauged the power of these Terran Rangers. They are bright and intelligent children. It is clear Zordon chose his champions wisely. But they were quite close to defeat, even before I have the power of the M'Kraan. Once I am once again in possession of it, these humans will undoubtedly pose little challenge."

Umbriel focused his gaze at the floor before him, and in an eruption of obsidian smoke, Rito Revolto appeared. He gasped heavily, lowering his sword from an attack position, and humbly fell to his knees.

"Forgive me, Lord," he begged, "I have failed you."

"Recall that your mission was not to destroy the Rangers. I would have brought you back if I felt you were close to crossing that line," Umbriel announced darkly, "Until I get the crystals from their bodies, the Rangers themselves will not die by my command. However, I shall find other ways of dealing with them."

With a contented grin, Billy deactivated the Viewing Globe. He then eased into the chair positioned at his desk, and reclined into the comfortable cushion, hefting his legs onto his desk and folding his arms beneath his head.

Considering the odds against it, this victory felt pretty good to the mentor of the Terran Rangers.

While he celebrated in silence, Tanya, Aisha, Rocky, Kat and David couldn't contain their excitement.

"It's over!" Kat shouted, hopping off her cot. Her gait was still marred with a slight limp, yet it didn't hinder her excitement in the least. Despite herself, Tanya laughed as she rolled her eyes.

"I take it that ankle's feeling better?" she asked, holding up the tissue-restoring tool she had used to alleviate Katherine's fractured ankle.

"It's practically good as new," Kat responded with a smile.

The Blue Ranger waited anxiously as a rainbow of light brought the nine other Power Rangers into the chamber. Kat rushed to greet the Black Ranger with a warm hug, while the others also broke up into smaller groups, exchanging hugs, shouts for joy, and congratulations.

"Mission accomplished!" Anthony announced, with one arm draped over Regina's shoulders, "Now we should contact Will, and let him know we're ready to come home."

"That's amazing," Kimberly marveled, watching as Anthony pressed a button on his wrist unit, "How long does it take for the signal to pass through the Multiverse?"

"He said it should take around twenty minutes for him to receive it," Regina answered.

"So," said Tommy, "should we unite the arrowhead?"

"Not quite yet," Brittany answered, pulling off her canary helmet, "Mr. Mitchell said that the point of the arrowhead's maximum healing capability is at the point of unification, and we'll need all the healing power it can muster to save our parents."

After she welcomed the team, Tanya slowly returned to her station by the med-unit. One quick glance at Alexis showed that the Purple Ranger was still unconscious, although other than that she was fine. However, her dark eyes widened when she turned the med-unit itself.

Lying on the cot, rubbing his eyes and yawning, was a fully wakened Micah Oliver.

"Jeez," he muttered, "it's awfully loud in here..."

Tanya's hand flew to her mouth, and she turned to the others. "Guys!" she called excitedly, "He's awake!"

The group rushed over to the med-unit, and watched in hushed silence as Micah sat up. He blinked tightly, his young face wrinkled with confusion.

It took a few moments of mental blankness... until Rebecca sensed a wave of cold rush through Micah with the speed of a heartbeat.

He remembered what had happened.

Suddenly, his body trembled as if he were cold. The boy blinked several times, rubbing his arms. He then looked down, and slowly stroked his bare chest.

Although there was no visible scar, everyone watching saw the distracted child trace a line down his chest, repeating the motion with tortured slowness.

"How do you feel, Micah?" David ventured.

Micah turned to his uncle, a weak smile on his face. "You're okay."

"Thanks to you," he respond.

"Not really," Micah whispered, his gaze falling to his lap, "I... I told Goldar everything. Everything..."

"That's nothing to be ashamed of," Katherine assured him, taking his hand and stroking it with an almost maternal affection. Micah lifted his eyes, and met the gentle gaze that reminded him so much of his mother.

His eyes grew moist, and his lips began to tremble.

"I let them down," he said, his voice raw with self-contempt, "I let everyone down! I cracked!"

"You faced a situation far worse than anything an other Ranger has ever experienced!" Tommy stated, standing beside Katherine and leaning closer to Micah, "We're all very proud that you managed to hold on long enough for us to find you."

Micah was silent as he considered Tommy's words. "Really?" he asked finally, his eyes wide with uncertainty, "I mean, you're not just saying that?"

"I'm one-hundred percent honest," Tommy insisted.

A weak smile returned to the boy's face, and he pursed his lips as the crowd congregated tightly around him, with warm hugs and cheers. Still, while Micah's face was stretched in a passive smile, Rebecca felt a strange coldness in his heart.

She bit her lip worriedly, uncertain what to make of the hollow sensation.

After a few moments, Kimberly stepped away from the assembly. While she was certainly relieved that Micah had regained consciousness, another concern began to plague her... especially when her eyes fell upon the cot not far from the med-unit.

"Uh, Rocky," she said quietly, tugging on the ex-Ranger's sleeve to grasp his attention, "what happened to Alexis?"

The question was loud enough to seize the attention of Tommy, Zack, Jason, and Adam, who hadn't seen nor heard from the Purple Ranger since the Eaglezord faced the dark monster one on one.

Rocky sighed deeply, guiding the team towards her. "She'll be fine soon," he answered, finally, "She's asleep now. The battle really banged up the Eaglezord, though."

"How badly?" Tommy asked, folding his arms in concern.

"I don't even know yet. We haven't gotten the chance to take a look at it. Now that the fight's over and Micah has recovered, I can work on locating the wreckage and teleporting it back to the hangar. Maybe there's something left to salvage."

"Wreckage?" Zack repeated, his eyes wide, "Jeez... what happened?"

"The Zord crashed into the ocean," Rocky reported frankly, "The ship was too damaged to function right, and it was unavoidable."

Tommy's lips flattened tightly, and he cast another quick glance at Alexis. "I shouldn't have told her to keep that monster busy..."

"Hey, this isn't the time," Jason interrupted, nudging the Red Ranger. He then turned back to Rocky. "But, you guys are absolutely sure Alexis will recover?"

Rocky nodded. "She basically got the wind knocked out of her. There might be a little muscle damage, but we can't tell until she tries to move. Still, that's not a major concern."

"And what about the Alligator?" Katherine inquired, "Did you get a chance to run some checks on the damage?"

"It's not as bad as it looks, although I haven't started any thorough examinations yet. But, the Alligator will definitely be on its back for several days... maybe even a solid week."

Tommy's frown only deepened. "We're down two zords," he realized darkly, "Will that be enough?"

"Not against... whatever it was we're fighting," Zack decided.

"I can tell you one thing," Micah called from the med-unit, "the Boss Man is definitely not Zedd or Rita."

All eyes returned to the Green Starlight Ranger, who weakly dragged his body off the med-unit. Leaning upon the apparatus to keep himself standing, he shook his head to quell a resurgence of dizziness before he lifted his gaze to meet the startled looks he felt on his skin.

"How do you know?" Regina inquired, "What did you see when you were captured?"

"I didn't see his face," Micah admitted, "But I know it wasn't Zedd. He had this... really low, hissing voice. And he was totally calm and controlled."

"That's certainly a big jump from Zedd," Aisha noted, "Is there anything else you can tell us?"

"When he appeared, Goldar was shaking in his boots," Micah recalled, "I could actually hear a tremble in his voice. He was completely terrified of his guy. He called him Lord."

"We'd better search through all Zordon's records to see if there are some major villains known that would fit this description," Billy said, tapping his chin.

"Thanks for the info," Tommy said genuinely, walking over to the Green Ranger. He planted his arms on the boy's shoulders, and smiled warmly at him. "You should probably take it easy. At least until we hear word from your universe."

"Hey Will!" a voice called, cutting through the hum of machinery that filled the Central Access Complex.

The speaker was instantly answered by a sharp "SHH!"

"Sorry," she whispered, cringing slightly, "I didn't realize he had fallen asleep, Trini."

Trini Mitchell sighed quietly, cocking her head to glance at her husband. Will's head was nestled in his arms, which were leaning on the large desk that had been his workstation for decades. Trini slipped closer to him, and gently pulled his thin glasses off his face. Not surprisingly, her soft touch didn't stir him.

"Poor thing," Trini whispered, lying his glasses near his forehead and softly tousling his graying hair, "He's utterly exhausted, Aisha."

The petite woman shrugged. "He's been waiting vigilantly since the Terras went up against that meteor last night. He's putting in long shifts."

"Still, no catastrophe we've ever faced has been worse than this one," Trini added, folding her arms, "Six lives hanging in the balance, and all we can do is wait. And, what if the Starlights-"

"Stop right there," Aisha interrupted, fixing Trini with a stern gaze, "No pessimists around here. The kid's be fine." She then paused, gazing pensively at the chronometer, which had been activated on the Viewing Globe since the departure of the Starlight Rangers.

Silence reigned between the two former Yellow Power Rangers, until a soft beeping sound grasped their attention. Trini's eyes widened, as her gaze fell upon the Viewing Globe.

"What's that?" Aisha inquired.

"It's the Rangers' signal!" she answered excitedly, "Where's David?"

"He's watching over the Terras."

"Quick, bring him out here," Trini instructed, before hurrying towards her husband. She grabbed his shoulder, and began violently shaking him.

"Just... resting my eyes," he groaned, squinting at his wife.

"It's the kids," she said, handing him his glasses, "They're trying to reach us."

Will blinked in disbelief, reaching for his glasses. A wide smile crossed his lips, which reminded Trini of the excitement he always displayed when one of his experiments showed promise. "Finally!" he declared, jumping to his feet with the refreshed energy of a teenager.

Trini couldn't help but giggle as she followed him.

Suddenly, a screen of static appeared on the Viewing Globe. Everyone assembled turned to the globe in surprise, and saw an image slowly take shape. It was a middle-aged man, with graying light brown hair and wire-frame glasses. He had a warm smile on his face.

"Dad!" Rebecca exclaimed happily, "You're here!"

The Terran Rangers were forced to take a second look at the image, after his identity was revealed. In particular, Billy found he couldn't take his eyes from the screen.

^I opened up the com-link as soon as I got your page,^ Will replied, ^Are you all okay?^

"Absolutely," Micah responded, limping toward the globe, "Just a little sore. Small price to pay to save the Terran Rangers."

Will's smile stretched with obvious relief. ^I'm very proud of all of you. You've come through when your parents needed you the most.^

All five Starlight Rangers smiled proudly at the compliment. Micah puffed up his chest slightly, while Regina slid her arm around Anthony's waist. Brittany crossed her arms and grinned the almost cocky grin that her father made famous. Finally, Rebecca remained very conservative, but she did feel her eyes sting slightly at the praise of the man she respected more than anyone else. "Um, what do you want us to do here, Mr. Mitchell?" Billy found himself saying once he found his voice. Afterwards, he realized how silly it sounded addressing himself in that manner.

Will chuckled. ^Mr. Mitchell is so formal, especially considering that you are me. Just call me Will.^

"Okay," Billy said.

^Anyway, I'm getting ready to send a portal. Send the Starlight Rangers through, along with Tommy and the two arrowhead halves.^

Tommy glanced at all his friends in surprise, and then at the globe.

"Why do I need to come Mr. Mit- uh, Will?" asked Tommy.

^You and David were destined to unite the arrowhead, and I don't know what the consequences would be of someone else doing it. It may be that the arrowhead wouldn't magically combine. I don't want to take any chances. Since your David doesn't have the Power, he cannot travel through the Multiverse. So I'm betting that our David can unite the arrowhead with you, since our Tom is... incapacitated.^

^Besides,^ said a gentle female voice from behind Will, ^someone has to bring the arrowhead back to you.^ On the Viewing Globe, Trini Mitchell's serene face peeked into view beside Will's. Oddly, Billy found himself startled by her sudden appearance.

^Aisha,^ Will called, turning his head from the Viewing Globe, ^do you have the Multiversal Transporter programmed?^

^It's ready to go!^ Aisha Drew exclaimed from somewhere to the side. Regina's eyes widened in surprise.

"What's Mom doing in the CAC?" she inquired.

^She came as soon as she found out the Terran Rangers 'died'.^ Will answered. All the Terran Rangers cringed at that choice of words.

"Should we be worried?" Adam asked, "Could the same thing happen to us in the future?"

Will pursed his lips pensively. ^It took decades of constant use of the Power to create the condition our Terra team is in presently. The best advice I can give you is this: don't keep the Power longer than you have to. It wasn't meant to be used by human beings for so long.^

Adam and the other Terran Rangers nodded, and Will's face vanished from the Viewing Globe. Seconds later, a black portal irised out from the center of the CAC. The Starlight Rangers snapped on their helmets in unison, and stepped closer to the portal. But before they stepped through, the Pink Ranger turned back to the Terran Rangers.

"I... want to thank you again for all your help," she said gently, "We know that you're making a great sacrifice by letting us unite the arrowhead now. You could have kept it for an emergency, when you need this healing power."

"We could have," Kimberly said, approaching the petite Ranger and embracing her warmly, "but then we wouldn't be Power Rangers."

It was impossible to see the expressions the Starlight Rangers wore, but it was clear that they were greatly effected by Kimberly's simple response. Those ten words, stated with such gentle conviction, completely encompassed what it meant to be a Power Ranger.

"We'd better get going," Anthony said after a brief silence, "Our parents need us. Tommy?"

"I'm right behind you," Tommy said, placing his helmet in the crook of his arm. Anthony nodded, waved briefly at the other Rangers, and jumped through the portal. In order, Regina, Micah, Rebecca, and Brittany leapt through the hole, the blackness of the Multiverse flashing with red, pink, green, blue, and yellow light with each Ranger. Tommy turned to his friends, and hugged Kimberly tightly.

"I'll be right back," he said, kissing her on the cheek. Kim smiled up at him.

"I know you will," she said.

"Here," said David, approaching his brother, "you'll need these."

Tommy bowed his head, allowing David to draw both arrowhead chords around his neck.

"Don't go anywhere," Tommy told his new-found sibling, "You and I have some catching up to do."

David smiled, and hugged Tommy. "Be careful, Brother."

Once they broke, Tommy pulled his helmet over his head, took a deep breath, and jumped through the portal. It irised to a close behind him.

After a somewhat nauseating roller-coaster ride through the infinite expanse of the Multiverse, Tommy fell onto his stomach on a hard navy tiled floor. He groaned inwardly, and lifted his head off the ground. He was startled when a hand lowered, offering him help. The hand itself wasn't startling, though. Rather, it was the person to whom the hand belonged. Her thick black hair was cut very short, with longer bangs hanging over her forehead. Her dark eyes still twinkled with abundant energy, and the few lines near the corners of her lips only made her smile seem wider. Other than the fact that she was obviously older, her identity was unmistakable.

"Aisha?" Tommy asked. She nodded, and helped the young man to his feet.

"You got it, Tommy," she said, lifting her head to lock eyes with the Red Terran Ranger, "It's a good thing you recognized me. I've been told I haven't aged a bit since college."

Tommy shook his head, a grin crossing his lips. It was Aisha, all right.

Tommy scanned the CAC, and immediately recognized Will and Trini from before. Behind Aisha stood a man of Native American descent, with graying dark hair and a pair of glasses. He must have been David. Also there were all five Starlight Rangers, now helmetless and grouped behind David. Tommy was surprised to realize that that was all the people in the CAC.

"Where's everyone else?" he inquired.

"To whom are you referring?" Will asked, rising to his feet, "The Terran Rangers are by the med-unit, and all their family members were sent home. To be perfectly honest, they were getting in my way... and I'm sure some rest would do them all good. Aisha and Trini are here to help me. Aisha's not a doctor, but she's the closest thing to a medical doctor we have on the team, and so she kept an eye on the Rangers with Trini's help. David is here because he will unite the arrowhead with you. I sent everyone else home."

"They were making Will nervous," Trini added with a grin.

Will frowned at the comment. "They weren't accomplishing anything by waiting here," he protested, "Everyone is going through an extremely taxing experience right now, and the Rangers' families need all the rest they can get."

Will started to walk towards Tommy, but Trini caught his arm. He glanced at her face, which wore a knowing smile. He sighed, and began to chuckle. "All right, I admit it! They were making me nervous. Trevor constantly glancing over your shoulder would make even you lose it."

Tommy smiled at the exchange between Trini and Will. Although they had been married for years, they seemed as much best friends as husband and wife.

"Okay, Tommy," Will said, turning back to his guest, "where's the arrowhead?"

Tommy reached underneath his collar, and pulled out two leather chords, each with a half of a stone arrowhead on it. Will nodded, and took one necklace off Tommy's neck. He handed it to David.

"We're going to resuscitate the Power Rangers," Will said, "I'll come with you, and keep an eye on the vital functions of the Rangers. Tommy, you'd better un-morph. The Power may interfere with the energy of the arrowhead, and we don't want any complications."

Tommy nodded, and silently willed the Power to deactivate. His red uniform vanished, leaving him in the attire he wore to school earlier in the day. Will nodded, and turned to his wife.

"Trini, could you make sure to seal off the med-unit area with an opaque force-field? I don't want anything to interfere with this endeavor."

Trini nodded, and began the code to program the force-field.

"Will," said Aisha, "what about the Rangers' families?"

"Could you contact them for me?" Will said, continuing to walk to the med-unit, "Time is of the essence."

"I can't," she replied, her eyes not straying from a small monitor, "I have to keep the Multiversal Transporter locked onto Tommy's home world. He'll probably want to get home as quickly as possible, and if we lose the connection, it could take hours to re-establish. Time travel is far trickier than cross-time travel."

"You're beginning to sound like Will," Trini commented wryly, glancing up from her work, "Kids, you want to contact your families?"

"We'd be glad to," Micah replied, as he and the other Starlights hurried to the communications relay.

Tommy watched as the five Starlight Rangers began informing all the families of the Terran Rangers that the healing procedure was about to take place. He then followed David and Will, who were waiting for him in the corner by the med-unit. He saw the six cots, each with an individual on it. A chill rose his spine when he saw the man dressed in red. He didn't look more than perhaps thirty, although he was over forty-five years old. Tommy blinked in surprise when he realized his older self had short hair, cropped neatly in much the same style as Will's hair. Hesitantly, he reached out to touch his double, as if doubting he was really a person. But as soon as his hand drew close, instead of touching flesh, his hand contacted an invisible screen, about half an inch above Tom. Tommy blinked in confusion.

"They were dying," Will explained, typing in some commands onto the med-unit's scanner, "so I had to place them in stasis. The field around them basically freezes them, so their condition doesn't deteriorate."

Tommy nodded silently, although he had already known that information. Eerily, it felt like deja-vu. Just days ago, Aisha was dying from a mysterious disease, and required being placed in suspended animation while the cure was hunted down.

The hazards of being a Power Ranger were escalating on a daily basis.

"Trini," Will said, looking up from the computer, "activate the force-field, please."

Suddenly, a wall appeared around the two sides of the medical area, and connected with the two existing walls. The new wall was the exact color as the pre-existing ones, creating a small room completely sealed off from the rest of the CAC. Tommy glanced up at David, who was standing beside him, holding his half of the arrowhead. Will inhaled deeply.

"Here goes," he said, pressing a single button. The transparent shields surrounding each Terran Ranger vanished, freeing them from their stasis.

"Now what?" asked Tommy.

"Bring the two halves together," Will replied, "and pray."

Tommy nodded, and held out his half. Slowly, the two brothers inched their halves together. Once the halves were about half a foot apart, sparks of white energy began to flash. The closer they got, the more energy was being released, until the sparks of energy suddenly stretched out over the space between them. Finally, the two halves of the arrowhead touched.

A blinding pulse of white light brightened the chamber, causing both Tommy and David to release the arrowhead in alarm. The arrowhead hovered in the air, rotating on a vertical axis, still glowing brightly. Will kept his eyes focused on the screen, watching the life signs of each of the six unconscious patients on a continuum. Both Tommy and David quickly recovered from the surprise, and stared at the arrowhead. Tommy happened to glance at the Terran Rangers, and his jaw dropped.

"What's happening to them?" he called out.

Will glanced up at Tommy's call, and was startled as well. Each of the Terran Rangers suddenly had an aura of light surrounding their bodies, each in the color of their Zeo shard. Gradually, the bright color of the aura died out, until finally there was no aura at all. The arrowhead then stopped spinning, and remained hovering in the air. Tommy reached out his hand, and the arrowhead suddenly fell limp into his palm. The bright white light died out.

"Will?" David asked, turning to his friend, "What's the verdict?"

Will squinted as he read the information off the computer screen. His frown slowly died on his lips, leaving a small, relieved smile.

"I think it worked," he said, looking up at the unconscious Rangers, "but they're not awake yet-"

Suddenly, all six Rangers groaned, and slowly opened their eyes. At once, they all bolted into a sitting position, and looked around as if on the verge of panic.

"What's happening?" asked Zack Taylor, rubbing the back of his head.

"Where are we?" Adam Park inquired, running his hand through his matted curly black hair.

"The last thing I remember was... outer space," Katherine Oliver recalled.

"The meteor!" Jason Lee shouted, jumping off the cot, "We were trying to destroy a meteor!"

"And everything went black," Tom Oliver said, his voice tainted with concern. He looked first at Will, and then David. His chocolate eyes widened to immense proportions when they locked with an identical pair of chocolate eyes.

"What the...?!" he demanded, his voice dying on his lips. Tommy was startled as well by the experience of looking at himself.

"Ohmigosh!" Kimberly Monroe exclaimed, walking over to the shocked young man. She studied his face carefully, and a smile crept onto her face. "Tommy?"

He blinked, and looked at Kim. She looked exactly the same as she did the last time they met, when she came back in time to search for her husband.

"I... I don't understand," Tommy said, gazing at Kim intently, "Why don't you look different? What year is this?"

"It's 2025," she responded, "sixteen years after I got back from my little trip to your universe."

"But, you don't look any older," Tommy said.

"The Zeo shards inhibit the aging process," Kim explained, "The older you get, the slower you age. It's one of the side-effects of the Power."

"What happened to us, Will?" Jason inquired, glancing from the young Tommy to his friend. "What are we doing here?"

All eyes turned to Will, who stepped out from behind the computer he was using, and locked eyes with each of his friends in turn.

"I've discovered another side-effect to your using the Power for so long," he announced, "And this one is quite serious. Apparently, after using the Power for an undetermined amount of time, somewhere in the decades I'm assuming, it begins to have adverse affects on you. In short, it was slowly killing you."

"What?" Zack exclaimed, "But the Power has kept us healthy and strong!"

"Your bodies can only stand so much of the Power inside you," Will explained, "Remember when you first became Terran Rangers? Zordon told us that by having been Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, you bodies have been acclimated to the Power. A normal human body couldn't take the physical pressure the presence of the Zeo shard necessarily imparts onto it."

"I recall," said Katherine, "So what you're saying is, there are limits to how long we can use the Zeo Crystal, even though were are acclimated to it?"

"Precisely," Will said, "You almost died up in space, but we managed to find a way to cure the Power Poisoning, as it were. We needed the newly-united arrowhead, which meant that we had to travel back in time to get two halves of the arrowhead prior to their unification. The arrowhead proved to be infused with healing magic, but as time progressed, the amount of healing ability it had tapered off."

"So you traveled back in time, to where I went sixteen years ago?" Kim deduced.

"Well, I didn't do the traveling. The kids did."

Jason's eyes widened. "What kids? You mean our kids?!"

Will nodded, a smile creeping onto his face. "Remember, you were teenagers when you first became Power Rangers. Regina, Anthony, Micah, Rebecca, and Brittany are all mature enough to handle the Power."

"But you said the Power was dangerous!" Adam objected.

"The Terra powers are dangerous, because they are a more direct connection to the Power," Tommy said, "The team that came to my universe were Starlight Rangers."

Kat frowned. "What's a Starlight Ranger?"

Will smiled. "Perhaps I should just show you. They're anxiously awaiting some news about your condition... and so is everyone else."

"Let's go then," said Adam, hopping off his cot, "Tanya must be worried sick."

Will nodded, and turned on the communicator on the computer panel. "Trini, can you take down the force-field? We're ready to come out."

^Gladly,^ Trini replied, a smile evident in her voice. As soon as the field came down, dozens of ecstatic family members poured in, showering the six Terran Rangers with welcoming hugs and kisses. Tommy stepped out of the way, and was taken aback by how many people knew about the Rangers' identities. He expected spouses would be there, but even young children were present. Tommy smiled as he watched the reunion, glad to see that the Terran Rangers survived. Even though, now that the truth was known about the harmful affects of the Power, the Terran Rangers would likely disband. Still, the Starlight team seemed capable of handling whatever challenges the Terran Rangers were dealing with.

The future was certainly not lacking worth heroes.

She moaned slightly, as the sudden urge to open her eyes invaded the blackness of her consciousness. Emerald eyes fluttered weakly, but she had no desire to move another muscle in her body. So, she remained motionless, staring at the dark ceiling that covered the Central Access Complex.

Faintly, she wondered how many times she would wake up on one of the CAC's cots?

"Whew, you really scared us this time," a voice said, originating from outside Alexis' field of vision.

It was Rocky. It was always Rocky, keeping an eye on her, worrying about her, trying to help her.

She appreciated how much he was trying to support her, but at the same time... it was a bit tiresome.

"Hey, are you okay?" Rocky inquired, after the long silence that followed his previous statement. Alexis turned her head, resting her cheek on the cot so she could face him.

"How's the Eaglezord?"

Rocky averted his eyes, discreetly taking a deep breath. Still, Alexis saw all the signs.

It didn't look good for her battleship.

"It... uh... it's hard to tell at this point," Rocky finally stated, biting his lip slightly, "We did manage to salvage much of the wreckage from the ocean, but we didn't get a chance to determine if it's possible to reassemble the Eagle. Fortunately, there was little actual separation on impact. The main body is more or less in one piece, although the wings have been completely wrecked. That's a sturdy old bird you've got there."

Alexis frowned, rising to a sitting position. On her way up, she cringed as a sharp pain assailed her neck. Rocky noticed, and immediately grabbed a scanner.

Alexis held up her hand to stop him. "I'm fine," she muttered, "You don't need to fix every little ache, you know. I can handle a bit of whiplash."

Rocky frowned, obliging her by putting down the instrument. "Why suffer if you don't have to?" His frown deepened when her gaze dropped from his, focusing on the floor as she rubbed her injured neck. "You were really lucky," he commented, turning to put away the rest of the medical instruments he had left at the ready, "Considering you could've been killed, a little whiplash isn't half bad."

"Here we go," Alexis groaned, scowling slightly, "You're going to give me another sermon about being careful?"

Rocky felt his patience wearing thin, and his eyes narrowed slightly. "Obviously, you need it," he muttered, "Why'd you do it?"

"What?" she asked nonchalantly.

"Why'd you destroy your onboard teleporter? Did you even realize what you did?"

"The teleporter was going to kick me out of the Eaglezord," Alexis answered, turning around and letting her legs dangle off the side of the cot, "I couldn't just leave, and let the Zord fly into the face of the cliff!"

"So, it's better to crash into the ocean, and risk suicide!" Rocky countered, his voice rising, "When you blew the onboard teleporter, you made it impossible for us to get you out! The CAC's teleporter unit can't perform a safe teleportation at that speed. To be accurate, we need to patch in to a system that's moving at the same rate as you are. That's the whole point of the onboard system... that you carelessly destroyed!"

"I didn't want to bail out!" Alexis shouted, glaring up at Rocky vehemently, "That's my whole point!"

"And my point is, you almost killed yourself for nothing! A Zord isn't worth dying for, which is why the emergency teleport protocol exists! It was a stupid risk, Lex, and you can't be making judgements like that!"

Alexis took a deep breath, leaping off the cot so she could meet Rocky eye to eye. "It's my Power Coin, my Zord, and my life! Who the hell do you think you are, anyway... my father?"

"So, you value the opinion of the man who abandoned your entire family over mine?" Rocky shouted back, with matching anger.

However, as soon as those hurtful words passed between his lips, Rocky instantly regretted it. He knew he had gone too far.

He watched speechlessly as Alexis' eyes widened in surprise, and her lips parted in disbelief. Her lower lip trembled ever so slightly, and a glassy film coated her eyes.

Slowly, she stepped away from him, backing away from the confrontation. After a few steps, she stumbled over the cot behind her, and nearly fell to the floor. Rocky was quick to catch her, but she instantly struck his hand, forcing him to let her go.

"Don't touch me," she growled malevolently, her teary eyes narrowing with fury. Rocky stepped back, and watched as she turned her back to him, quickly activating her wrist unit.

He was still speechless as she vanished in a column of violet energy.

"Wow..." said Zack from behind, "I sure wish I didn't witness that!"

Rocky slowly turned, and noticed that Kimberly, Katherine, Tanya, Adam, Zack, Jason, Billy and Aisha were all staring at him in surprise. Rocky released a deep sigh, and grabbed his forehead.

"Not the best thing to say," he admitted, shaking his head, "I can't believe I came down on her like that."

"You did have a point," Adam ventured, "but... you came across as a bit paternal."

"...and that crack about her father was waaay out of line," Kim added, "You know she's really sensitive about her family."

"It wasn't a 'crack' about her father," Rocky defended, "I was right!" He sighed again, his forehead wrinkling. "Right?"

He sighed again as silence answered him. He then pursed his lips, and tightly gripped the bridge of his nose. "I'd better apologize. Now, she actually has a reason to be mad at me."

Tommy continued to take in the warm scene from a distance, until a hand fell on his shoulder. He turned around, and saw Trini Mitchell's smiling face. "Thank you," she said, "Without your help, the Starlight Rangers never would have succeeded. Thanks for taking the chance, and letting us use the arrowhead."

Tommy shrugged modestly. "It's the least we could do."

"Now, are you ready to go home?"

Tommy nodded, glancing back at the joyous group one last time. "My job's done."

Trini opened her hand, revealing the completed arrowhead. "Here," she said, placing it in Tommy's open palm and closing his fingers around it, "You'll probably want to keep this."

Anthony turned away from his family, and caught Tommy preparing to leave. He began waving frantically, hurrying towards Will. "Tommy," he called, "wait a second?"

Tommy watched in surprise as Anthony and Will discussed something for a few moments. Will then nodded, and pointed to the main computer console. Anthony rushed to the console, picked something up, and went back to Tommy.

"We've decided that we should give you guys..."

"It's really not necessary," Tommy interrupted, "With all the help your mother gave us with Solar, it's the least we could do."

"Still, you're going to need this," Anthony said, taking Tommy's hand. He slipped a small mini-disc into Tommy's grasp.

"What's this?" the Red Ranger inquired.

"It's all the information Will compiled about the Starlight Rangers. It took him two decades of research and experimentation to make the Starlight Rangers what they are now, and considering the monster you guys fought today, you'll need the boost. The schematics for the Star Discs and the Starzords are all on this, and Will included some step-by-step information on the process. I'm sure your Billy can work this out, and in a week or so, you can have your own team of Starlight Rangers."

"Are you serious?" Tommy whispered in an awed voice.

"You bet. Will actually thought it was a great idea. We Rangers gotta help each other out."

Tommy grinned, and tightly clasped Anthony's hand. "Good luck, Red Ranger," he said, "I can tell you're going to make a terrific leader."

Anthony beamed at the compliment. "I'll do my best to live up to your legend."

"Lousy, self-righteous, bossy, self-absorbed... jerk!" Alexis growled, pacing across her room frantically. Tears spilled freely from her eyes, and her arms were crossed tightly over her chest. She stopped talking, pressing her trembling lips together as she continued the nervous movement, pounding her feet against the carpet as if she could stomp the anger out of her body.

"I can't believe he said that," she sniffled quietly, wiping her eyes with her fingers, "I can't believe he said that!"

The tension in her body building, Alexis came to a stop, rapidly clenching and unclenching her fists.

"And I can't believe I let myself cry over this!" she growled, "I swore I'd never waste any more tears on him. But Rocky just had to bring him up..."

Don't cry. Don't cry. She kept repeating the command in her mind, trying desperately to regain some measure of composure. After her father's unexpected... and quite permanent... departure, Alexis had forced herself to be strong. She couldn't shatter every time she got hurt. If she did, then she'd never stop crying.

Someone would always hurt her... even the person she'd least suspect.

She couldn't believe Rocky had turned on her. He was always in her corner, assuring her that he had faith in her abilities, and appreciated the contributions she made as the Purple Ranger. She even let him see her cry, when Aisha was dying from the Space Virus.

He was a helping hand, and sometimes a slightly annoying one at that. But suddenly, she found herself slapped in the face by a completely different tone from the guy she thought was the most caring, gentle man on the planet.

"How dare he?" she continued, the rage building once again, "How dare he treat me like a five year old?!"

Her rage building to blinding proportions, Alexis stormed to her bed, and picked up her pillow. Without another thought, she threw the pillow across the room, causing it to crash into her dresser, and bowl over every article piled there.

The shrill crying of an child closely followed the loud crash, causing Alexis to deflate quickly.

"Terrific," she sighed, falling onto her bed.

"What's going on?" Amanda Darling demanded, throwing open the closed door, "Alexis, are you alright?"

"Just venting, Mom," she responded half-heartedly, turning away quickly so she wouldn't have to face her mother. The last thing she wanted was to have to explain what happened that day.

Amanda folded her arms, trying desperately not to shout at her youngest daughter. She easily recognized Alexis was hurting... she always threw a fit of anger when truly in pain. But she also knew Alexis didn't want her sympathy, nor support.

It was out of her hands.

"Fine," Amanda sighed, touching her forehead, "just try to vent a little less loudly? We have a baby in the house, and Denise is tired enough without having to put him to bed again."

"Okay," Alexis mumbled.

"I'll take care of Jonny. Good night, Alexis."

Rocky shivered as the crash resounded in his ears. He bit his lip nervously, glancing up at Alexis' bedroom window from the paved walkway.

It was clear she hadn't calmed down.

"Maybe this was a bad idea," he muttered, slowly walking towards the front door. He paused his finger just inches from the doorbell, before something inside him stopped him from moving further.

"Okay," he whispered, turning away from the door and violently shoving his hands in his pockets, "Alexis... Lex... I'm really sorry about what I said. About everything I said. I was totally out of line, and I had no right to yell at you like I did. But you keep provoking me..."

He stopped, and shook his head. "No... bad idea." he decided, licking his lips before he continued. "I had no right to yell at you like I did. I'm just really concerned. I know you've been kinda down lately, feeling like you're not helping the Rangers, but you don't need to take risks like that. You don't have to prove yourself."

He paused again, inclining his head towards the window again. "The Eaglezord is replaceable. You aren't."

A slight grin crossed his face, and he finally pressed the doorbell. He waited a few moments, listening as the echo of footprints slowly grew louder. Finally, he felt a presence behind the door.

"Go away."

Rocky blinked, looking back into the eyehole. "Lex, I need to-"

"Good night, Rocky."

He frowned slightly, listening as footsteps grew fainter.

She was leaving.

"Alexis!" he called into his wrist unit, "I really need to talk to you!"

"And I don't feel like hearing it," she responded, loud enough for him to hear both through the communicator, and through the door.

His lips tight with determination, Rocky deactivated the signal. Wasting no time, he pressed a few buttons, and in a wash of white light, he vanished from the porch of the house, only to instantaneously reappear within the living room, just feet from Alexis, who was at the foot of the stairwell.

"What do you think you're doing?!" she demanded in a whisper, gazing worriedly up the stairs, "My mother and sister are here!"

"And I figured they weren't right here, if you answered my communique so... strongly," he answered.

Alexis sighed indignantly, folding her arms and arching her eyebrow. "Well, say what you have to say, and leave."

"Listen, I just wanted to apologize," he said, bowing his head slightly, "I know I was really out of line, and I had no business talking to you like that. I'm not your father, I'm not the adviser... I'm not even the leader. I... I'm just a guy who's really worried about you."

"Then stop worrying," Alexis said, her gaze still hard, "I can take care of myself."

"You're right, but... I'm still concerned. I mean, I understand how you feel, thinking you're not useful-"

"Rocky, please," she sighed, her voice more tired than angry, "You don't know what I'm going through."

"But I do," he responded, careful not to let his voice rise too much, "Hey, I know what it's like to feel inadequate. I was right with the Terra team as they got their new powers. I even went on the Zeo Quest, and found one of the missing shards! But I was overlooked. I don't know why, or who even made that decision... but I wasn't 'worthy' of being a Ranger anymore. That crushed me!"

"But it's not just the Power," Alexis insisted, sinking down to sit on the bottom step, "My entire world is falling apart, brick by brick. I'm losing my sister, I'm becoming more and more useless to the team, and now my zord's gone. And then, you casually bring up the worst thing that ever happened to me during my formative years!"

She leaned forward, grasping her forehead with her hands, and propping her elbow on her knee. "You don't understand. You can never understand. You like to think that everything is sunshine and happiness. You think a joke can cheer me up after any catastrophe. Can you even grasp what it's like, to feel a complete void? Or do you just gloss it over with some corny joke, or the naive 'Everything is going to be all right?' And now you want me to just forget what you said, and pretend it never happened?"

"I didn't say that," Rocky answered quietly, "I'm just trying to apologize."

She glared up at him. "And a little apology will completely erase the hurt, right? Rocky, you don't have a very good grip on reality. Maybe that's why Zordon didn't make you a Terran Ranger? Maybe he wanted to make sure the world was in capable hands?"

She saw the change instantly. His eyebrows rose slowly, and his lips tightened. Her own eyes widened in amazement, and she lowered her gaze from his, unable to meet his eyes.

It was as if she were deliberately trying to hurt him. Deep down she knew Rocky had no intention of hurting her, or stirring up painful memories. In fact, her anger was more enflamed by her current situation, further aggravated by memories of her father, rather than Rocky's efforts. He was only the target of her rage because he was immediately available. But, what had she just done? She purposely stabbed at a personal wound, explicitly to hurt the man she still truly trusted, despite their earlier argument. It was by far the cruelest statement she had ever shot at another living being. Was her verbal blow even excusable?

Why was she trying so hard to push him away?

After a long silence, Rocky cleared his throat. "Ouch," he said quietly, a forced grin on his face as he swayed back and forth on his feet, "Uh... touché. Now we're even."

He took a deep breath, and looked up at the ceiling for a moment. "I'd better get going. I'll see you."

With that, he hurried towards the door. Alexis lifted her head up urgently, and followed his retreat with her eyes.

"Rocky, wait," she called, rising from her seat. But he continued, as if he hadn't heard her request.

As the door swung lazily behind him, Alexis felt certain he did hear her.

"God," she whispered, holding her forehead as she reached the door. She quietly pushed it closed, and then leaned against it, resting the back of her head against the hard wood as her eyes shuttered closed. "Why did this day even happen?"

Kimberly gazed once again at the Viewing Globe, and once again, there was nothing but static. Will Mitchell had broken communications shortly before the Multiversal portal opened, as if one couldn't maintain a lock on a dimension through both mediums. Therefore, she expected the communication to re-establish itself, informing the Terra team that Tommy and the Starlights arrived in 2025 safely. Although it had only been a few minutes, Kimberly couldn't help but worry. It was certainly an irrational worry, because she herself had traveled through the Multiverse before: once into Langstrum Alps, and again into the Age of Apocalypse. Although the trip wasn't comfortable, it wasn't particularly dangerous. Yet again, Tommy Oliver had a knack for getting into dangerous situations. Still, he also had a knack for getting out of them.

Kim looked away from the globe, and scanned the CAC. David, whose resemblance to Tommy still startled her, was busy talking to Billy. No doubt David had a lot of questions about the Terran Rangers, Starlight Rangers, and the rest of the situation. Not far away, Kat and Jason were standing together, involved in a relaxed conversation. Kim smiled when she noticed that they were holding hands. She was glad to see Katherine fall in love, and she was also glad to see Jason finally find a fulfilling relationship. Aisha, Zack, Adam, and Tanya were discussing something, and Zack was going into detail about the new game at the arcade. Kim shook her head at her own disbelief at her concern. She was obviously the only one worried about their leader, therefore affirming that there was nothing to worry about.

Suddenly, a bright light flashed in the center of the Central Access Complex, and all the teens took notice. The bright light faded, and was replaced by a circular black portal. Seconds later, the Red Terran Ranger flew out of the portal like a cannonball, and landed at Kimberly's feet. Kimberly began giggling immediately as Tommy staggered to his feet.

"Is Multiversal travel always this painful?" he wondered, pulling off his helmet and shaking his head to steady himself.

"It's not the travel that's painful," Kim answered, wrapping her arms around his neck, "It's the landing."

Tommy chuckled, and gratefully returned the hug. Then, he turned, and greeted the rest of the Rangers, Billy, and his brother.

"Hey, where are Rocky and Alexis?" he inquired, noticing their presence was lacking.

"They had something to discuss," Kim informed him, eyeing him meaningfully. Tommy nodded with understanding.

"I trust everything went smoothly?" Billy asked.

Tommy nodded. "Yeah, the arrowhead saved their lives. But, since the Zeo shards already caused so much damage to their bodies, I doubt they'll remain Terran Rangers. I think the torch has been passed to the next generation." He then pulled out an item hidden in his glove. "Oh, and Tony and Will wanted us to have this. It's the schematics for the Starlight powers."

Billy stared at the mini-disc, his eyes wide with excitement. "Prodigious! These powers were developed over years. Now, we just might have an edge over whatever power created that monster."

"Now that's good news!" Aisha commented, watching as Billy quickly moved towards the mainframe. She then turned back to Tommy. "So, what was the future like?"

"Well, that's a weighted question," he said with a smirk, "I was only there for about fifteen minutes! But, from the looks of it, I can tell you one thing: the future looks bright." He frowned slightly, and then added, "So long as we avoid that power-poisoning part."

"The Terran Rangers of 2025 will finally get a break from super-heroing," Adam commented, stretching his back, "Speaking of which, I think we've been working far too hard. Who's up for smoothies?"

"Good idea," Jason said, "Let's get going." He then turned to Billy, who was sliding the disc into the drive. "Billy, are you coming?"

"Actually, I'd like to get a jump start on this Starlight project," Billy said, stifling a yawn, "Who knows how much time we have before the next attack? Considering how difficult that monster was to beat..."

"Billy," Kim sighed, walking towards him and grabbing his arm firmly, "It can wait. You're human too. You need food and rest!"

"Yes," Katherine added, "Don't you think you've worked enough for one day?"

Billy sighed, casting an almost longing glance at the wealth of information he wanted to explore. But another forceful yank from Kimberly convinced him to rise to his feet.

"Let's compromise," he proposed with a weary smile, "I'll meet you guys in... fifteen minutes at Ernie's?"

Kimberly scrunched her nose, but finally nodded. "Okay, it's a deal," she conceded, releasing his arm.

"Well, I'd better go home," David said, "My father's probably worried about me. I've been gone all day!"

Tommy's smile instantly eroded. "Couldn't you just grab a quick snack with us? We've got some catching up to do, and I know you've got tons of questions."

"Well..." David began.

"You might as well come along," Jason said, "I think we all are a bit curious about you."

"It just wouldn't be right without you," Aisha chimed, grabbing David's arm, "You helped out big time today, in getting Micah on his feet and saving the future Terran Rangers. I think David should be an Honorary Power Ranger!"

A chorus of smiles and agreements flooded the room.

A smile crept onto David's face. "I'm in."

In a symphony of bright light, Tommy powered down, and everyone teleported out of the Central Access Complex.

Everyone except Billy, that is.

His gaze fell upon the mini-disc once again, and he eagerly approached the main computer. He slid the disc into the device, and waited while the computer processed the information.

While he waited, his mind drifted slightly. With all the concern about saving Micah and David, and then defeating that nightmarish creature, he barely had time to process the historic, mind-numbing event that had occurred.

He had met his daughter, and she was certainly someone to be proud of. She was absolutely beautiful, inheriting her mother's grace and gentleness, as well as the numbing intelligence of both parents. She also inherited special superhuman abilities. For someone so young, she handled the pressures of being a mutant extremely well.

He hoped with all his heart that some day, in the not-terribly-distant future, he would have a daughter like Rebecca.

And he also hoped... beyond all hope... that some day he and Trini would really be together.

The screen flashed, informing the young genius that the data transfer had been completed. The computer was ready to display to him the immense knowledge that would enable the Terran Rangers to stand firm against whatever new evil they faced.

Yet... his interest in the schematics dwindled as thoughts of Trini submerged his mind.

He'd get to the disc some other time.

He hadn't contacted Trini... in a personal manner... in months. Chalk that up to the intense battles the Rangers faced, as well as the grueling schedule Trini had to live with. Since the summer, e-mail was the only form of communication he utilized, and even that was scarcely taken advantage of.

That had to change.

Seeing Rebecca today, as well as a mature version of himself with Trini Mitchell, gave Billy a feeling he hadn't felt in a long time. A feeling that had all but evaporated on that winter morning when Trini, Zack, and Jason moved to Switzerland.

Hope.

Hope that he and Trini really were meant to be. Hope that they could bridge the thousands of miles between them, and find a way to be together... in a way they never really were when she was in Angel Grove, right under his nose.

A smile crossed Billy's face... one that reflected the warm feeling in his heart. He then stood up from the main computer relay, and casually strolled to his desk. He took a seat on his cushioned chair, and slid open the top drawer.

Within that drawer was a pad of paper, and a fountain pen.

He rarely used such materials, opting for computers at every turn. But there was something so much more potent about a letter. E-mail didn't even have the writer's handwriting on it. It was so disconnected... so impersonal.

And the last thing he wanted to be was disconnected and impersonal with Trini Kwan.

He bit his lip with a shudder of anxiety as the pen touched the paper.

He had so much to say to her, and now he finally was inspired to do so.