The sun was shining and the birds were singing...it was the perfect day for a unit test in math. Rocky DeSantos tugged on the collar of this red shirt before glancing at the clock on the wall. (Thirty more minutes!) he thought to himself. (Come on! Concentrate, Rocky!)

Looking around, he spotted his best friends, Adam Park and Aisha Campbell, sitting in front of him working hard on their tests. Why was it that everyone else could focus during a test except for him? Glancing to his right he saw that his friend and leader, Tommy Oliver, was looking up at the ceiling in thought. Apparently finding whatever answer he had been looking for, he smiled faintly and turned back to his test.

Gazing to his left, Rocky saw his girlfriend, Cassandra Wilcocks, working quickly on her exam. Cassandra was really smart, and Rocky had to admit that it was hard to keep up with her sometimes. Yes, she was easygoing and a blast to be with, but when it came to school the only person smarter than her was Billy Cranston, another one of his friends.

A hand suddenly fell on his shoulder and he looked up to see Mrs. Applebee towering above him with a stern expression on her face. “Rocky, unless you want to be sent to the principal’s office I suggest you get back to your test and stop your eyes from wandering to other people’s tests.”

“Sorry,” Rocky voiced quickly, blushing as the rest of the class chuckled. (Now that was embarrassing!) He glanced at Cassandra who was looking at him and shaking her head.

Looking back at his test, Rocky squinted at all the blurry numbers in front of him before shaking his head and continuing to work. Before he knew it the bell rang and Mrs. Applebee looked up from where she had been sitting at her desk and smiled. “All right, class, the first fifteen minutes of class tomorrow will be used to finish the test. No homework, and you are dismissed.”

Letting out a deep sigh, Rocky placed his test in the pile with everyone else’s before stepping into the hallway with his backpack over his shoulder. As someone touched his arm he turned around and found that it was Cassandra and she was smiling brightly. “Trying to cheat off my test, DeSantos?”

“I hate math tests,” Rocky told her with a frown, “and no, I wasn’t copying your answers.”

“I believe him,” Tommy said, patting the Red Ranger on the shoulder. “I mean, he wasn’t copying your answers and there’s no reason why he’d want to copy off of mine. Plus, Adam was too far away from him.” There was no reason why anyone would want to cheat off him in a math exam, at least in his mind. Most people knew that math was definitely NOT his favorite subject.

Adam and Aisha, who had come up behind the group together, glanced at each other. Aisha sighed. “So, what is everyone planning to do for Halloween?”

Cassandra shrugged. “I was going to throw a party at my place, but my folks forbid it. The last time there was a party at my house the place was literally trashed.” She remembered how crazy her parents had been after seeing the mess her friends had left behind.

Rocky nodded. “Yeah, I remember that party. It was fun.”

“Fun for you,” Cassandra told him. “At least you didn’t have to clean up afterwards.” Now THAT had been hell.

“You told me that I didn’t have to stay!” Rocky said with a pout. He knew that if Cassandra had asked him to stay he would have.

Cassandra smiled and kissed his cheek. “I meant it, too.”

Tommy sighed. “Well, my place is out. You know Jackie...she’ll get a whole bunch of her Freshmen friends to crash it.” (and a whole bunch of freshmen is not something you want at a big party) he added mentally.

(I’m glad I don’t have any younger siblings.) “Just lock her out of the house,” Aisha suggested flippantly.

Smirking, Tommy nodded. “Yep, that would work.” Stopping in front of his locker, he tried the combination, found that the door was stuck, and pounded it with his fist until it popped open. He grabbed a few books out of the locker, stuffed them into his backpack, and closed the locker, facing the others that were staring at him. “What?”

“You have got to teach me how to open my locker like that,” Adam said. “I’ve tried, but it always stays stuck and I end up with a bruised hand.” He had watched Tommy do that trick since he first came to Angel Grove and had always wanted to know how to do it.

Cassandra shrugged. “Yes, that’s what Tommy is going to be doing with his life; teach people how to hit their lockers so that the door will open.”

Tommy smiled at her. “Hey, it’s a gift that I am very proud of.” Turning around as a hand touched his back he grinned and hugged his girlfriend before saying, “Tell me now: is the Science test hard?” As with math, many people knew that science wasn’t his thing, either.

“You’ll want to shoot Mr. Bickford as soon as you see those questions,” Kimberly Hart told him “It is really hard.” Turning to Billy who was standing beside her, she shrugged. “He didn’t have any problem with it, though.”

“Obviously,” Rocky voiced. “I mean, come on. This is Billy we’re talking about.” (Surprise! Billy does well on another test! I swear, if he is not valedictorion I’m going to die of shock.)

The Blue Ranger blushed before saying, “I prepared for this exam just as much as everyone else did.” He didn’t know why people seemed to think that though he was naturally smart that he didn’t study. No one could do well on a test if they didn’t prepare for it...some of Rocky’s grades were proof of that.

Aisha looked at the two newcomers before inquiring, “Were you two planning on doing something for Halloween?”

“I’m already having a party when Christmas comes,” Kim explained, “so my parents wouldn’t let me have one now. What about you guys?”

“Nothing,” Adam told her. “Great, so we’re going to be sitting at home tomorrow?” Sure, he wasn’t going to go around for candy his junior year of high school, but sitting around at home just sounded so boring.

“Not quite,” A voice from behind them said. Turning around, they found themselves facing Jeff Fowler, one of the most popular guys in school, walking towards them with a large smile on his face and a pile of papers in his hands. “Come one and all to my big bash tomorrow starting at 7pm. Be there or be square.”

Looking at the paper that Jeff had handed him, Rocky shrugged. “Your parents won’t be there?”

Jeff laughed at this, his hazel eyes sparkling. “No way, Rocky. They’re going to some thing over at the Hilton and won’t be back till the first. We have the place to ourselves. Why? Are you scared?”

“Scared of what?” Kim questioned as he handed her an invitation. “You aren’t going to hire people to pretend to stalk us like Sean did at his party last year, are you?” (That was horrible. Jason ended up knocking one of the guys out because he thought the whole thning was series. Well, it did scare him, and I guess that was the purpose of having them.)

Shrugging, Jeff leered at her. “I wouldn’t want to give away any surprises.” Handing an invitation to Cassandra, he smiled. “Don’t worry, Cassie. We’ll keep the drinking at a minimum this time.”

Cassandra grinned falsely at him. “As long as you keep it away from me, Jeff, I don’t care what you have available tomorrow.”

Kim and Adam looked at their invitations before looking back up at Jeff and frowning. “Costumes?” Adam questioned.

As he took an invitation, Tommy sighed. “Great, Jeff. Now I have to find something in one day.”

“Wear that thing you always wear for karate if you can’t find anything.”

“That’s not a costume,” Tommy told him with a frown.

Shrugging, Jeff laughed. “Well, do a workout before you come. Some of the girls I invited would love to see you nice and sweaty, Oliver.”

Kim scowled at him. “Back off, Jeff.”

“Always the joker,” Tommy said with a smile, unaware of his girlfriend’s discomfort.

Jeff turned to Billy and eyed him up and down before handing him an invitation. “Be glad that Mindy begged for you to come.”

“Leave him alone,” Aisha said sternly. She didn’t how Jeff always found amusement in teasing Billy just because he was smart.

Tommy, however, beamed at this. “Mindy asked for him? Uh-oh. Watch out, Man.” (Mindy has...quite a reputation. I hope Billy can handle her.)

Shakily, Billy took the invitation and looked at it before glancing up at Jeff. “Mindy Skylar?”

“Yes, Sir,” Jeff muttered, his eyes shining. “Beware the big-breasted one, Billy.” As Kim, Aisha, and Cassandra frowned at him, he high-fived Tommy and slyly said, “Now, try to find something appropriate.”

“Like you know the meaning of the word anyway,” Tommy countered. As Jeff walked away from them, he glanced down at Kim as she elbowed him in the ribs. “What?”

Kim snarled. “I don’t know how you can stand him. He’s a chauvinistic pig.”

Adam shrugged. “He can be funny when he wants to be.”

“Yeah,” Cassandra muttered. “Making jokes about a person’s breasts is hysterical.”

Aisha rolled her eyes. “Only men would find him funny.”

Rocky glanced at her. “You know Mindy. She’s a slut, and the only reason anyone ever invites her to anything is because she gives out easily.”

“How would you know that!?” Cassandra questioned angrily.

Coughing a few times, Rocky lowered his eyes and shrugged. “Just a thought.”

Meanwhile, on the moon, Rita and Zedd were looking down at the rangers with spite. Snarling, Rita stomped across the throne room and glared at Goldar who was looking at her with frightened eyes before crying, “I’m bored! Let’s do something to those rangers!”

Glancing back at her, Zedd growled at sat down on his throne. “I was thinking of a plan and was about to tell it to you if you hadn’t screeched at me.”

“What plan?” Rita questioned, obviously paying his earlier comment no mind.

Sighing, Zedd looked at the Earth again before saying, “Tomorrow is Halloween. It is the day on Earth where spirits roam the planet.”

Eyeing him with interest, Rita moved towards Zedd. “What kinds of spirits? Could we use them?”

“The rangers are going to be at a foolish gathering tomorrow,” Zedd told her. “What we have to do is get them alone and, one by one, we steal their souls leaving them completely evil.”

“Brilliant, my husband!” Rita said. “You are a genius!”

“I know,” Zedd commented with a sigh. Finally, she was beginning to understand...

“I don’t understand why you get to go to a party and stay as late as you want and I have to be home by midnight!” Jackie Oliver pouted as she watched her adopted brother get ready for the party.

Hearing her, Tommy smirked. “I have curfew just like you.”

Jackie frowned. “You have an extra hour!” (Why is it that he gets all the priviledges and I’m stuck with a twelve o’clock curfew!?)

“I’m older,” Tommy argued stubbornly. Looking at himself in the mirror he pulled back his long hair and tied it up in a white band before looking back at Jackie. “Where’s my shirt, Jackie?”

“Kimberly will be happier if I don’t tell you,” Jackie told him with a sly smile.

Looking down at his bare chest and black pants, Tommy turned a bright shade of red before glancing up at Jackie again. “Please?”

Sighing, Jackie stepped into the bathroom at the far end of the room and returned with the white shirt in hand. “I don’t know what you have with wearing black and white all the time anyway. Are you color blind and just never told us?”

“That’s what I need to wear tonight,” Tommy explained while buttoning up the white dress shirt. Smoothing it down, he glanced at Jackie again. “Cape?”

“You left it in the bathroom with your shirt,” Jackie told him. Getting it for him, she sighed and threw it on the bed. “Have you ever thought about taking those new pills they have to help with memory loss?”

Frowning, Tommy slipped the cape on before saying, “It’s not like I have amnesia or something like that.” Having Jackie pick on his forgetfulness was a little irritable.

Jackie nodded. “I know, but you forget where you put your things, what your homework is, what time to meet people...by the way, when were you supposed to meet Kim tonight?”

“Um, let me see.” Tommy took a moment to glance at his clock and, seeing the time, his eyes widened in shock before nearly stumbling over his own feet. “Shit, I’m late!”

“I prove my point,” Jackie said with a small chuckle. Putting her hand on his arm, she smiled. “Relax. It’s just one party out of many that you will go to this year, and Kim must be used to your being late by now. Calm down and finish getting your costume together.”

Taking in a few deep breaths, he nodded and looked around. “What now? I have my costume and you determined that I shouldn’t wear my fangs.”

“For Kim’s sake if things heat up tonight,” Jackie noted.

Turning slightly red, Tommy shook his head before muttering, “You’re only a freshman. Mom’s going to kill me for getting you thinking about stuff like this now.”

Grinning, Jackie merely looked at him. “Who says this is the first time I’ve thought about making out and things like that? Who says I’ve never done it?” Walking over to his dresser, she grabbed his bottle of cologne before spritzing a little on him and putting the bottle back.

“That is something you do not want to tell your brother about,” Tommy told her with a shudder.

Jackie chuckled. “Well, you tell me about Kim all the time.”

Tommy shook his head in opposition. “I do not!”

“Yes you do, Tommy. ‘Oh, she’s perfect. Her hair...her eyes...her smile...damn it, if I didn’t have moral beliefs’...”

“I get the picture,” Tommy said with a frown (Ok, Tommy, no more talking with your sister about your personal life.) As Jackie laughed he lifted up his cape and leered at her. “What do you think?”

Jackie smiled. “You’ll be a knockout. Now, get out of here, Stud, before I start falling for you.”

Tommy smirked. “Yeah, yeah. Have fun tonight, Miss Pep,” he said, looking over his sister’s cheerleader attire.

“You too, Dracula.” She watched him walk out of the room before sighing and looking around for her mom so that she could plead for an extension of her curfew.

Kim and Aisha sat in Kim’s living room and glanced at the clock before sighing. Smiling faintly, Aisha muttered, “Well, you know Tommy.”

“All too well,” Kim said with a frown. “He is going to come, right?” She always got nervous before they went out. It wasn’t a secret to her that there were at least ten other girls who had crushes on Tommy and were just waiting for him to start pulling away from her so that they would have a shot at him, and she was determined to keep him happy for as long as she could.

“Of course he’s going to come, Girl!” Aisha exclaimed. She didn’t know why Kim always got so self-concious around Tommy. It was obvious he was madly in love with her, and it amused Aisha how they just kept getting a little scared around each other for fear that they weren’t going to make the other one happy because it was obvious to her and everyone else that neither of them were going anywhere soon.

Standing from where she had been on Kim’s white couch, she spun around once making her large yellow salsa skirt puff out in all directions. “If he doesn’t he’ll miss out on seeing a great outfit.”

“Two great outfits,” Kim said, standing and joining her. Displaying her pink low-cut 1920’s style dress with white lace on it, she sighed. “Do you think this dress is a little too showy?”

Chuckling, Aisha motioned towards her dress. “Look, Kim, I know it takes some guys a little while to get a message, and nothing speaks louder than this. It’s not like your asking for sex because I know how Tommy stands with his moral issues, but your asking for a more intimate relationship.”

As if on cue the doorbell rang and, opening it, she found Tommy standing there in his vampire cape. He looked her dress with wide eyes before stammering, “You look great, Kim.” (All of her looks great...the dress is great...the way the dress hugs her breasts is great...shit...breathe, Tommy, breathe...)

Apparently enjoying how his pants hugged his legs, she coughed a few times before extending her hand to him. “Well, I’ve always heard that vampires were extremely charming creatures.”

Smiling, he glanced past her and noticed Aisha before grabbing Kim’s hand and extending his other one to her. “Aisha, I never knew you were into salsa dancing.”

“In middle school we had a salsa dancing class and, well, I went for it,” Aisha explained taking his other hand. Laughing lightly, the three stepped out into the night sky and walked up to Tommy’s white jeep.

Helping them in, Tommy grinned. “Well, it’s not a limo or anything of that nature, but it’ll have to do until we get into 12th grade and I can afford one.”

“Well, I can tell that you cleaned it, and since that’s such a rarity I can appreciate this car more than I would a limo,” Kim told him as he stepped into the driver’s side.

“It wasn’t like I wanted to see either of you get your outfits messed up before we even got to Jeff’s,” Tommy said.

From the back, Aisha leaned forward as Tommy pulled out of Kim’s driveway. “You do know how to get there, right, Tommy?” She remembered the first time she had gone with Kim and Tommy to a party...Tommy hadn’t known how to get there and they had ended up having to turn around and hang out at Kim’s because they didn’t want to end up in the middle of nowhere. It had been fun explaining that one to Adam and Rocky the next day.

Grinning, Tommy glanced back at her. “I have the directions up here by the stereo so that I wouldn’t get lost.” Looking there, Aisha saw the small piece of paper with directions scribbled on it.

Obviously enjoying herself already, Kim flipped on the radio and grinned as she heard Usher’s ‘My Way’ playing. “Hey Tommy, if you were fighting over another guy for me would you use the lyrics from this song or something like them?”

“If anyone tried to take you from me I’d save the proud lines and kick the guy’s ass,” Tommy told her with a wide smile on his face. “Of course, if it was a friend of mine I’d use words first.”

Nodding, Aisha leaned forward again. “What if it was Adam?”

“He wouldn’t do that,” Tommy said confidently. (Where do girls come up with all these questions? Adam would never betray me behind my back. If he had feelings for Kim he would tell me...wouldn’t he?)

Sighing, Kim looked at him. “I know he wouldn’t, but I want to know what you would do.”

Glancing down at the paper by the stereo momentarily, Tommy turned right at a stoplight before gazing at Kim. “I guess I’d talk to him and see if he was really serious about how he was feeling, and if he was I’d talk to you. If you felt the same way then, well, I’d have to let you go.” Stopping at a red light, he sighed and listened as the DJ flipped ‘Daydreamin’ by Tatyana Ali on.

“So, you’d just let me go?” Kim said, slightly upset by the answer.

Shrugging, Tommy looked at the light as it changed and put his foot on the gas before replying, “If it was what you wanted then who am I to stand in the way. I just want you to be happy, Kim.” Smiling suddenly, he added, “Now, if you didn’t feel the same way I’d have to go up to Adam again and knock some sense into him.”

Kim nodded. “That’s more like it.” As they turned onto another street she looked at the little kids walking down the sidewalk with bags in their hands that she assumed held enough candy for them to live off of for a year. Glancing back at Aisha, she smiled. “What are you planning to do there, Aisha?”

“I’m staying as far away from the cracks as possible,” She responded with a shudder. “If people are going to get high and drunk then I’m not going to let them hang all over me.” Aisha sighed. “Usually I would hang out with Billy for a little while but it sounds like he’s going to have his hands full.”

Tommy nodded and chuckled. “In more ways than one, if Jeff is telling the truth.”

Hitting him lightly on the arm, Kim sighed. “I just hope she’ll be good to him. Rocky was right; Mindy is a slut, and I don’t want her hurting him in any way.”

Pulling up to the house that the directions said was Jeff’s, Tommy cringed as he heard how loud the music was inside before saying. “Well, we’re here.” Stepping out of the car, the three stepped up to the house and knocked on the door as loudly as they could and waiting for the door to open.

After a few minutes it did and Jeff, dressed in his football attire, ushered them inside with a large grin on his face. “Welcome to the most slammin party of the year.”

“Slammin?” Aisha shuddered. “In what way?”

Laughing at what he assumed was a pun, Jeff took off the football helmet that he had been wearing before raising her hand to his lips and kissing it. “I know that Oliver is going to be making his girl happy all night, so I’ll be glad to keep you company.”

Pulling her hand away, Aisha sighed. “The only reason I came was because Kim said I would regret it if I didn’t. I don’t like you.”

“I’m crazy about you, Aisha,” Jeff told her huskily. “That’s why I invited you after all. Ever since I met you I’ve wanted you.”

“You met me a few months ago,” Aisha responded skeptically. “I doubt you could love a person like that for a few months.”

Jeff smiled at her. “I understand your puzzlement at these developments, but give me a chance.”

Tommy shook his head. “Uh-oh, now he’s saying words like ‘developments’.” Glancing at Jeff, he sighed. “How many have you had so far?”

“You’re too maternal, Oliver,” Jeff said with a shrug. “I don’t know...only three.”

“Get him away from me,” Aisha pleaded with her eyes on Kim.

She sighed and looked around before saying, “Hey, Jeff, has Billy met up with Mindy yet?”

“Billy’s not here yet,” Jeff told her. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the nerd never showed up.”

“Leave Billy alone, Man,” Tommy said, slightly annoyed. “He hasn’t done anything to deserve getting picked on by you.”

Jeff nodded. “Fine, I’ll leave the dork alone. I don’t know why you hang out with him anyway, but he is your friend so...whatever.” He motioned towards the stairs leading towards the basement. “Adam, Rocky, and Cassie got here a little while ago.” Before he could say anything else the three hurried to the stairs and practically ran down into the basement. Jeff watched them, sighed, and turned back to the people who had been dancing in the living room before walking past them and into the kitchen where the beer was being kept. “I was just ditched,” he told them sadly, “and I need a fourth.” Catching the beer he was thrown, he smiled and opened it before guzzling down nearly half of the can.

Reaching the basement, the three looked around and were almost shocked as a person in black grabbed Aisha in a large hug. Getting a closer look at him, Tommy laughed. “Hey, Zorro, what’s going on?”

Pulling off his black cloth mask, Adam smiled at them and bowed. “At your service. Too bad I don’t speak Spanish.”

“You look great, Adam,” Kim said with a smile. She poked Tommy in the ribs and snickered. “Doesn’t he look fantastic, Tommy?”

Sending her a cold glance, he looked back at Adam and tried to recover. “Great costume, Man.”

Aisha looked him over before grinning. “You really do, Adam.”

Blushing at all this praise, Adam extended his hand to Aisha. “My other dancing partner seems to have left, and I know we’re the odd people out. Do you want to dance? I doubt it will be salsa music, but we’ll make do.”

“Yes, we will,” Aisha said. As Adam led her away, she turned back to Kim and flashed her a shocked expression.

Kim laughed and brought Tommy over to a couch and, getting him to sit down, she plopped next to him and began massaging his shoulders before saying, “We need to talk.”

“Really?” Tommy looked back at her with concern. “Please don’t say that you’re interested in Adam.”

Smiling at this, she shook her head. “No, that’s not it. We’ve been going out for about a year, and I want to...well, I know you have moral beliefs, and I respect those, but I want to have a more intimate relationship.” Before he could respond to this she cut him off. “I’m not going to pressure you into making love with me, but every time I see you I can barely contain myself. I mean, we go to movies and the like, but I want more than that. Yes, we’re going steady, but that doesn’t seem to have changed anything. Tommy, I want you, and not just as in ‘great, I have someone to see the latest movie this Friday with’. I want YOU.” Taking her hands of his shoulder, she folded them over her chest and waited for his response in her nervousness. She hadn’t meant to sound so blunt, but this had to be the moment of truth. It was either this or they would have to break up.

Gazing at her, Tommy tried to find the right words to use, couldn’t find them, and tried again. “Kim, I don’t want to lose you. What do you want from me? I’ll do whatever you want me to if you just tell me what you want.” (Ok, Tommy, that was just a little on the needy side.)

Listening to the song that they were now playing, Kim smiled. It was N’Sync’s ‘Tearing Up My Heart’.

“It’s tearing up my heart when I’m with you,
but when we are apart I feel it, too,
and no matter what I do
I feel the pain
with or without you.”

“Do you hear that song?” Kim asked him as she listened to the words in the chorus. “That’s what is wrong with our relationship. I want you, but it seems like you don’t want me. You’re playing with me, Tommy, and I have to know what you want because you’ll hint at wanting something more. You’ll kiss me, but it’ll just be that and nothing more. Just a kiss, and I want to know if you love me or if I’m just a never-ending fling for you.”

“Baby I don’t understand
just why we can’t be lovers.
Thing are getting out of hand.
Trying to much.
But, Baby, we can’t win

Let it go.
If you want me, Girl, let me know.
I am down on my knees.
I can’t take it anymore.”

“Kim, you know how far I’m willing to go,” Tommy told her truthfully. “I can’t do all with you. You know that, and what you have to decide now is if you still want me.”

“It’s tearing up my heart when I’m with you,
but when we are apart I feel it, too,
and no matter what I do
I feel the pain
with or without you.”

Kim frowned at this. “How far are you willing to go with me?”

“Baby, don’t misunderstand
what I’m trying to tell you.
In the corner of my mind
Baby, it feels like we’re running out of time.

“If this move is too big, Tommy, then I’m sorry, but I’ve been waiting for too long for this, and I told Aisha that I was going to ask tonight. That’s why she was asking all those questions in the car.”

Let it go.
If you want me, Girl, let me know.
I am down on my knees.
I can’t take it anymore.

“Show me now then, Kim,” Tommy implored her pleadingly.

“Now!?” Kim exclaimed.

He nodded. “Yes, because you know my limits. I want to know yours.”

It’s tearing up my heart when I’m with you,
but when we are apart I feel it, too,
and no matter what I do
I feel the pain
with or without you.

Instead of saying anything, Kim pushed him back so that he was lying down on the couch. Crawling on top of him, she kissed him tenderly and pushed her tongue inside of his mouth, almost surprised by how natural this felt even though she had never done anything like this before. Yes, there had been that little fling with a guy her Freshman year, but ever since Tommy came to Angel Grove sophomore year she hadn’t cared about anyone but him, and now that she was tasting him like this her junior year...she realized with a mental grin that it had been worth the wait.

Returning the kiss with as much passion as she was giving, Tommy realized how much he wanted this...how much he wanted to go home with her after this and give up any moral beliefs he had to be with her. (Oh, she feels so good.) (Tommy, you know that this isn’t a good idea.) (She’s not going to pressure me into doing anything.) (Who cares? You’re already pressuring yourself.)

Pulling away from him, Kim smiled and caressed his cheek lovingly. “See? Was that so bad?”

“Kim,” Tommy gasped out. “Um...you’re right on top of me.” He shifted with discomfort at her positioning.

“What’s wrong with that?” Kim questioned, slightly hurt. “Don’t you want this?”

He nodded. “I love you, Kim, but you are RIGHT on top of me at a PUBLIC party, and though I’m wearing loose enough pants that isn’t going to make me feel comfortable and I’ll end up having to sit in very awkward positions the whole night.” Understanding, Kim quickly got off of him and sighed.

While dancing, Aisha looked over to where Rocky and Cassandra were making out fast and furiously before sighing. “Sometimes I envy them.”

“Really?” Adam asked. “Why?”

“They have the ideal relationship. They have the same personalities, got together in the best way, and have no boundaries physically.” Aisha shook her head. “Sometimes I wonder if they’ve gone all the way in just these past two months.”

Adam frowned. “It’s been two months already?” Rubbing the back of his neck, he shrugged. “Rocky hasn’t said anything about them going all the way, and I think I’d be the first to know if he did.”

“Seeing as how we’re best friends, you would have to tell me once he tells you,” Aisha said with a wink.

Nodding, Adam smiled. “Of course. I mean, we’re the Stone Canyon three. We share everything with each other.”

Aisha shook her head. “Not lately. Now it seems like the three of us have broken away from each other.” Seeing Adam’s eyes narrow curiously she chuckled lightly. “I don’t mean that I regret being part of the rangers. Kimberly is the sweetest, Billy is so nice, and Tommy is really caring. I don’t feel sorry about knowing them for a second, but, well, I guess I’m mad at Rocky for getting together with Cassandra.”

“He loves her, Aisha, and I know it may seems like he isn’t spending as much time with us, but, well, we should be happy for him and we’ll always have the rangers.”

Smiling, Aisha touched his shoulder. “You’re right.” As Brandy and Monica’s ‘The Boy is Mine’ began to play, they laughed at how ironic it was before moving along with the rhythm.

Meanwhile, Rocky was flushed with heat as he continued kissing his girlfriend who was dressed as a gypsy. As he had told her, the midriff silk top did nothing but turn him on as did the tight pants and sparkles around her eyes. In his disco outfit including white pants and a white jacket with a red shirt he had pleased Cassandra with tightness of the shirt, and now the jacket had been completely discarded.

Pulling away for a moment, he smiled at her confused look. “I need a breather.”

“All right,” Cassandra conceded. Leaning back, she looked to where Aisha and Adam were dancing before frowning. “I didn’t know they were together.”

Following her gaze, he smiled. “They aren’t. At least, I don’t think they are. Adam told me earlier today in school that since I was going to be with you the whole time that he would hang out with Aisha.” (If they did get together without telling me I’d have to kill Adam.)

Cassandra nodded before sighing. “Do they mind that I’m with you all the time?”

“No more then they mind that Tommy and Kim are always together,” Rocky told her with a laugh. “Why?”

“Sometimes I feel like I’ve come between you three,” Cassandra admitted. Before he could protest she continued. “You three were the little group from Stone Canyon. I think I’ve disturbed that.”

“Cassandra, if that were true then they wouldn’t want to be around Tommy, Kim, or Billy either, and everyone loves you!” Rocky exclaimed. Kissing her again, he smiled. “I love you more, though.”

Nodding in acceptance, Cassandra glanced around again before inquiring, “Where’s Billy? Did he ever come?”

Chuckling lightly, Rocky smiled. “If you knew that Mindy Skylar was going to be following you around all night would you want to come?”

“He’s at home then?” Cassandra sighed. “Poor Billy. You know, he would have a lot more friends if he broke out of that wall he has around himself. He’s too shy.”

Rocky shrugged. “He’s bashful, but I’m sure that in a little while he’ll get over it.”

“They really are pathetic,” Zedd grumbled. “Rita, have you ever understood human behavior?”

Rita shrugged. “Why try? All humans are fools. It’s always ‘oh, why don’t they like me?’ or ‘if only I could have this person!’. On our world we took who we wanted.”

“As you have taken me, My Sweet,” Zedd said with a chuckle.

Doing her best to smile, Rita groaned. “Yes, Zedd, as I have taken you.”

At that moment Goldar entered the room and looked at his two masters before announcing, “Sires, the Blue Ranger is alone and vulnerable. With the rangers at the party he would be the perfect target for your soul stealing monster.”

Rita cackled and looked out of her telescope just to see that the Blue Ranger, wearing a cowboy outfit, was walking down the street towards Jeff’s party. “Ah, the little cowboy ranger looks lonesome. We should send him some company. Soul Stealer!”

At this call, Finster came running into the throne room and glanced at Rita guiltily. “I will need a little more time to work on the monster, My Queen. Soul Stealer is not ready.”

“Keep this up, Finster, and I’m going to get a headache!” Rita screamed in anger.

Sighing, Zedd glanced at Goldar. “Go down to Earth with some putties and stall the Blue Ranger until the Soul Stealer is ready.”

“As you wish, My Lord,” Goldar said. With that, he teleported away.

In all honesty Billy didn’t know why he was going to Jeff’s party. He didn’t like Jeff, and he thought that Mindy was a whore, but there was just something about the sudden attention he had been getting from people when Mindy had asked for him to go to Jeff’s and he didn’t want to give this up.

All of his life he had felt like the nerdy link of a popular puzzle though all of his friends tried to assure him otherwise. Before he had gone to the peace conference, Jason had treated him like a best friend and had never been ashamed to have him around no matter how bad a reputation he had, which always surprised Billy. If things were the other way around he wasn’t sure he’d want a big nerd hanging around him all the time.

Zack had teased him a little bit, but after awhile Billy lost his self-consciousness towards him and realized that Zack only did it in fun. Hey, he teased all of his other friends, too. It was his way of being nice, and Billy came to appreciate that humor.

Then there had been Trini who Billy had the biggest crush on in high school. She was the only one who had ever truly understood him and sympathized with him, but she was off limits. Trini was together with Richie until she left for the peace conference, and he didn’t want to interfere with her happiness.

Kimberly, though somewhat wary of him in the beginning, had always been sweet and had offered to do things with him if he was feeling left out like that one time that Jason, Trini, and Zack had gone scuba diving and he hadn’t wanted to because of his fear of fish. Kim had been nice enough to go on a picnic with him and, though she had said it was because she didn’t want to ruin her good hair day, Billy always knew that she hadn’t wanted him to feel left out.

After that Tommy had come, and Billy hadn’t felt comfortable around him because he knew Tommy didn’t like him at first. He was the kind of guy that Billy had been teased by through his middle school and Freshman years, but after he had been on the team for a little bit the two had figured out that they had some similarities and areas where they could help the other person. While Billy had been eager to learn martial arts from Tommy, he had the dire need to learn material for math and science, and now that Jason was gone Billy had to admit that, though Tommy was sometimes a little stand offish, they were best friends.

In a way he missed Jason, Trini, and Zack, but the new rangers were nice enough. Billy had been surprised how quickly he had clicked with Adam. They were both shy, and Adam, while not as advanced as he was, was pretty good at science and math. In fact, they both would take turns when it came to tutoring Tommy and Rocky though, he had to admit, Tommy was getting better.

Rocky, on the other hand... Billy hadn’t liked him at first, and he still wasn’t completely fond of him, but he supposed that was because Rocky was like Tommy when he had first come; thinking he was too cool to hang out with the nerds, but he seemed to be growing more comfortable with him.

Aisha was sweet but, like Rocky, was also wary of him. Billy couldn’t blame her since Aisha had had her own amounts of social bashing although with her it wasn’t about brains but about money. It wasn’t a secret that her dad had lost his job and was just beginning to get back up on his feet. Well, she wasn’t poor or anything, but it was enough to get the rich and snobby girls to pick on her. Then again, who wanted to hang out with them anyway? Kim was well off, and Billy thought it was great that she had never become a show off like those other prissy girls.

Shivering lightly, Billy looked up at the star-filled sky and sighed. All of a sudden, now that he was friends with these people, he had also been regarded as somewhat popular. People that he had been friends with no longer wanted to hang out with him because they thought he was too cool but, along with that, he had been accepted by people whose hand he would have been afraid to touch as a Freshmen.

Tommy kept telling him that if he would be himself that they would accept him anyway, but he wasn’t sure since Tommy could be himself still get any girl he wanted. Kim had once confided in him that she didn’t know why Tommy continued to date her. Since he had moved to Angel Grove sophomore year girls had fallen in love with his eyes...his hair...his voice...his martial arts moves...it was almost embarrassing to watch him practice in the Juice Bar since there was always a crowd around him, and it amazed Billy how Tommy still kept his cool around them, but that’s was Tommy was anyway. Cool and collected.

Now that he thought about it all of them had a group around them. Tommy had his fan club, Rocky had gotten quite a few admirers after practicing with Tommy and Adam in the Youth Center, and Adam, with his boyish looks and shyness, had won over all of the girls in school looking for a ‘cute guy who was sensitive and kind’. In addition to them there was Rocky’s girlfriend, Cassandra, who was one of the most popular girls in school. He had to admit that before Rocky had started dating her Billy had flipped over her. She was perfect in every way imaginable. Cassandra was kind, beautiful, and smart. In many ways she could outthink Billy when it came to history. Then again, he still held the crown in math and science.

Kim also had her followers, especially when she was in her gymnastics competitions that would require her wearing a really tight leotard, and Aisha, despite her financial problems, still had her male admirers. Shrugging, Billy glanced up at the sky again. What admirers did he have? None, unless there were some unpopular people who had followed his report cards and found all of his A’s stimulating. When he had heard about Mindy being interested...she wasn’t who he had hoped for, but she did have her popularity, and who knew? Maybe there were more out there who liked him for whatever reasons.

Suddenly, he tensed as tengas surrounded him. Looking around, he spotted Goldar. The large monkey was watching him and laughing with amusement. “What’s the matter, Billy? Lose your cattle? Ha!”

“I don’t have time for this,” Billy muttered getting into fighting stance.

Shrugging, Goldar told the tengas to attack before facing Billy again. “Too bad your friends are too busy at a party to care about you.”

Billy shook his head. “They may not be here, but I can beat your beaked buddies and you.”

“We’ll see about that,” Goldar growled.

“I guess so,” Billy said. “It’s morphing time!”

“TRICERATOPS!”

Now in Blue Ranger form, Billy flipped over a group of tengas and got all the space he needed before dropping into fighting stance and watching as the first line of the evil birds attacked him.

Meanwhile, in the Command Center, Alpha looked at the viewing globe in shock. “Ay yi yi! Zordon, Billy’s in trouble!”

“CONTACT THE OTHER RANGERS AT ONCE, ALPHA. RITA AND ZEDD MOST LIKELY HAVE A BIGGER SCHEME UP THEIR SLEEVES.”

“I’m doing it now, Zordon,” Alpha told him.

Meanwhile, at the party, Tommy and Kim both looked down at their communicators as they beeped. “Talk about horrible timing,” Kim muttered. Kissing along his neck, she pushed his head to the side of the couch so that no one could see him and pushed the button on his communicator to activate it.

Breathing heavily, Tommy brought the communicator closer to his lips. “I read you, Zordon.”

“TOMMY, BILLY IS BEING ATTACKED ON A STREET JUST A BLOCK FROM WHERE THE PARTY YOU ARE AT IS LOCATED. YOU MUST HELP HIM.”

“We’re on it, Zordon,” Tommy told him.

Hearing his breathlessness, Zordon frowned. “ARE YOU ALL RIGHT, TOMMY? YOU SOUND LIKE YOU’RE HYPERVENTILATING.”

Chuckling, Tommy sighed. “I’m fine, Zordon. Tommy out.” As Kim moved away from him, he glanced at her. “We’ve got to go.”

“What about the others?” Kim questioned. “Should we try to get them out with us?”

“Jeff will understand if we leave alone, but not if the others leave. Plus, Rocky is with Cassandra.” Tommy shook his head. “The others are wearing their communicators also. If we need them they’ll come and it will look less suspicious.” Kim nodded and the two began out of the basement.

Getting past most of the people in the living room, the two had almost made it to the doorway before Tommy felt a hand on his shoulder. Spinning around, he found that Jeff was leaning on him with a drunken smile on his face. “Why the hell are you walking out on my party, Oliver?”

Smiling, he put his arm around Kim and winked at Jeff. “Personal reasons. We might be back later.” Getting into the lie he was forming, Kim giggled lightly and got closer to him. “It’s a little crowded to do it here, if you know what I mean, and I heard that your parent’s bedroom was already a little busy.”

“What!?” Jeff exclaimed in shock. He sprinted for the stairs leading to the top level of his house and nearly slipped down them as he tried to get to his parent’s room.

Kim smiled at her boyfriend and the two walked out into the cool night air. Making their way to the side of the house they glanced at each other. “Are you ready?” Tommy asked.

Kim nodded. “Let’s do it.”

“All right.” They got into position and let out a deep sigh before Tommy called, “It’s morphing time!”

“TIGERZORD!”

“PTERYDACTYL!”

Now in ranger form, Tommy glanced down the street before saying, “We’re clear.” Pushing the teleport buttons on their communicators they disappeared in flashes of white and pink.

When they materialized again they found the Blue Ranger surrounded by a whole bunch of tengas. Spotting them, Billy smiled. “Good timing, guys.”

“Thanks, Bro,” Tommy said, kicking away one of the birds before catching a glimpse of his golden nemesis. “What the hell are you doing here, monkey breath?”

Goldar chuckled darkly. “Sticks and stones, White Ranger, and Happy Halloween.”

Pulling out Saba, Tommy aimed him at Goldar. “Ready, little buddy?”

“Damn, and I forgot to get a costume for Halloween,” Saba said with a sigh. “It’s just like you to forget to tell me.”

“What was I going to do, bring you to the party!?” Tommy asked with a smirk. “Sorry, Saba.” (Where would I have found a costume to fit a sword anyway?)

Saba snarled. “Just beat him, Teen Tiger.”

“You know how much I hate that name, Saba,” Tommy told him all the while keeping his gaze on Goldar. For some reason Saba had enjoyed calling him that name while Tommy hated it. It always made him think of Tony the Tiger on those Frosted Flakes commercials that they always gave on TV.

“That’s why I use it, Teen Tiger,” Saba taunted. As Tommy sighed, Saba groaned. “Fine. Let’s do this.”

“Come on, Goldar,” Tommy called. “I’m ready.” He knew he’d have to deal with his little buddy later.

“With pleasure,” Goldar snarled. With that, he charged the White Ranger.

Meanwhile, Kim flipped over a group of tengas and kicked one of them in the chest sending it flying into another group of Tengas. They all fell to the ground. Looking around, she was surprised to find that Billy wasn’t fighting by her side. Trying to find Tommy, she saw him battling Goldar and for the millionth time wondered why there was always some kind of rivalry between them. Lifting up her communicator to her lips, she pushed a button and began speaking. “Zordon, where’s Billy?”

“A MONSTER KNOWN AS THE SOUL STEALER HAS CAPTURED HIM AND BROUHGT HIM TO RITA’S DARK DIMENSION. YOU AND THE OTHER RANGERS MUST GET HIM BACK.”

“Tommy’s hands are a little full now,” Kim informed him as she watched the White Ranger duck under one of Goldar’s blows before delivering one of his own. “Can you contact the other rangers?”

“I WILL TRY, KIMBERLY. WAIT THERE.”

“You know, Adam, I’ve had a really good night,” Aisha told him honestly with a smile on her face. “I’m actually surprised; I didn’t know you were this good of a dancer!”

“In martial arts you have to learn coordination and some type of rhythm so that you can do your routines,” Adam explained. “Grace, on the other hand, is something we lack, so we have to make do with whatever we have.”

Laughing, Aisha put a hand on his shoulder. “I guess I feel bad. You would think I would have known this back in Stone Canyon.”

Adam shrugged. “We weren’t as good of friends back then as we are now.” As Aaliyah’s ‘Are You That Somebody’ began to play, he smiled. “Hey, have you seen this video? They do this little sophisticated dance thing at the end. It isn’t salsa by any means, but I think you could do it.”

“Not in this outfit,” Aisha told him with a chuckle. “For that I’d need to get something very revealing.”

“If I let this go
you can’t tell nobody.
I’m talking about nobody.”

“Sometimes I’ve thought about taking modern dance,” Aisha told him. “You know...it seems like everyone has their talents and I don’t have anything.”

“What are you talking about!?” Adam exclaimed, startling her slightly. “You have plenty of talents. I mean, you can sing, and Kim told me you were beginning to get into designing clothing. I think you would be a great fashion designer.”

“Really?” Aisha implored. At his nod, she blushed lightly. “It’s what I want to do when I get older. I love clothes, so this is the next best thing. Besides, I’ll be out shopping and think of millions of shirts or pants that I would want to get, and then when I go to a store they won’t have anything like them.”

“Are you responsible?
Boy, you better watch my body
cause I’m not just any girl.”

Chuckling, she grinned. “It’s amazing how much fun it’s been talking to you tonight, Adam. Really. It feels so comfortable.”

“That’s how I feel, too,” Adam told her. “We haven’t talked like this since...never...” It had really felt good to be with her the whole night...REALLY good.

“Is it my goal? Is it your goal?
Sometimes I’m a goody girl
but right now I’m naughty-naughty.”

Turning red, Adam touched her hand softly. “I don’t know how to say what I’m feeling, Aisha. Ever since Rocky got together with Cassandra it’s felt like we’re getting closer, and I don’t know if you feel the same way.”

“I’ve felt it, Adam,” Aisha told him shyly, “but I don’t know exactly what it is. We’ve been friends for so long and I wouldn’t want to jeopardize that.”

“Neither would I,” Adam said, “but that doesn’t mean we couldn’t try.” He didn’t know what had happened to make him feel for Aisha like this, but he just did, and he wanted to try at a date or two to see if it could work.

“Say yes or say no
cause I really need somebody.
Tell me you are that somebody.”

At that moment it seemed like no one else was in the room except for them. Nearing each other, they closed their eyes and felt each other’s breath before feeling their lips graze the other person’s. As the kiss became more passionate they were interrupted by the beep of their communicators. Sighing in frustration, Adam motioned for Aisha to wrap her arms around him before he brought the device to where it could be shielded by her arms before saying, “We read you, Zordon.”

“KIM AND TOMMY NEED YOU. BILLY HAS BEEN CAPTURED AND TAKEN TO RITA’S DARK DIMENSION. GET ROCKY, TOO. FOR SOME REASON HE ISN’T WEARING HIS COMMUNICATOR.”

Aisha smirked. “Why am I not surprised? We’ll get him, Zordon.”

“GOOD. YOU MUST HURRY, RANGERS. MAY THE POWER PROTECT YOU.”

Aisha took her arms off of Adam, and the two looked across the room to where Cassandra and Rocky were still making out. “Oh, he just had do date a non-ranger,” Adam growled. He frowned. “Hey, did you noticed Tommy and Kim leave?”

“No. Well, any idea how to get her away from him? “Aisha questioned. Suddenly, she got an idea stupid enough that she knew it would have to work. Stepping into the middle of the room she cleared her throat before screaming at the top of her lungs, “There’s a monster in Jeff’s backyard! We need the Power Rangers!”

Naturally, everyone in the room ran upstairs to see the monster that Aisha spoke of. As Rocky was about to follow Cassandra and the crowd of people, Adam halted him and motioned towards his communicator. Rocky shrugged. “Well, if you had a girl like that would you wear it!?”

Groaning, Aisha glanced around before saying, “We have to morph.”

“All right. It’s morphing time!” Rocky called.

“MASTODON!”

“SABERTOOTH TIGER!”

“TYRANNASAURUS!”

Teleporting out, they landed by Kim who was tapping her foot and glancing at the sky. As they arrived, she frowned. “It’s about time you guys showed up.”

Glancing to where Tommy was still fighting Goldar, Adam pointed at them. “Hey, shouldn’t we help him?”

“Don’t bother,” Kim said. “You know, it’s like a competition and not a matter of life and death. Well, sure they want to kill each other, but Goldar likes playing with Tommy. I say, just let them fight, and if it gets really serious then Zordon will call us and have some of us help him. Anyway, we have to get to the moon. Zordon said something about Billy being taken up by a soul stealer thingy.”

“Sounds vile,” Rocky noted. Gazing once more at Goldar and Tommy, he sighed and looked up at the sky. “Well, let’s go.” With that, they teleported away in flashes of red, blue, yellow, pink, and black.

Jumping away from another one of Goldar’s attacks, Tommy looked around and was alarmed to see that Kim was no longer there. Glancing at his sword, he frowned. “Hey, Saba, where did Kim go?”

“If you hadn’t been so absorbed in fighting you would have seen that Kim, Rocky, Adam, and Aisha teleported to the moon to save Billy from the Soul Stealer, Teen Tiger,” Saba told him matter-of-factly.

After being knocked to the ground by another one of Goldar’s blows, Tommy gazed at the little sword again. “Soul Stealer? Why didn’t they tell me...and I thought I told you not to call me that!”

Saba chuckled. “I’ll call you whatever I want, and they didn’t tell you because you were so intent on beating Goldar that you didn’t have time for anything else.”

“That was a little rude,” Tommy mumbled with a pout. “They could at least have told me they were leaving...left me a note or something.”

As the space ape charged him again, he blocked Goldar’s sword with Saba and pushed him away before hearing him say, “Hey, watch your form, Teen Tiger! That hurt!”

“Well, that’s what you get for calling me that,” Tommy told him with a grin, “so don’t use that nickname anymore.”

“Fair enough,” Saba said. “I’ll just go back to calling you Sport.”

“Damn it,” Tommy muttered with a faint smile on his lips. “Just call me my normal first name.”

Saba frowned. “Too boring, Sport.” Sighing, Tommy turned his full attention back to Goldar who was coming at him again.

Teleporting into the Dark Dimension, Aisha shivered at the rapid change of temperature. “Why is it so cold in here?” She inquired shakily.

“Cold is associated with evil,” Adam said with a shrug. “It feels like Rita and Zedd are setting the mood.”

“Guys!” Rocky yelled. “Look!” Following his eyes, they saw Billy, still morphed, facing them with Zedd standing behind him.

“Welcome, Rangers,” Zedd said coolly never once paying Billy any mind.

“What do you want, metal face, and what have you done to Billy!? If you’ve hurt him in any way--”

Zedd scowled. “Enough.” Calming, he chuckled darkly. “I have not harmed the Blue Ranger...what I’ve done is merely transformed him into his true being.”

“True being my ass!” Rocky growled. “Now, what have you done to him!?”

“Ask him yourself,” Zedd remarked. “Blue Ranger, unmask and show the rangers that you have found your true nature.”

Obeying, Billy removed his mask making the others gasp at what they saw. Billy’s eyes were completely black and his skin had become deathly pale. “You, too, can experience this freedom if you allow the Soul Stealer to help you as he helped me.” Though they could tell it was Billy that was speaking it didn’t sound like him at all. His voice was low and so soft that they could barely hear him.

Suddenly, the room became almost pitch black and the rangers watched as there was a flash of light and a large shadow loomed above them. Clinging onto Adam, Aisha glanced at this being and realized that this being was more even then any other monster they had encountered...it was a force so dark that it could not hold a solid form.

“Join us, Rangers,” Billy said with an iciness that made even Rocky shiver.

Kim shook her head. “I don’t think so. Zedd, we’ll find out what exactly your monster has done to Billy, free him, and be rid of this Soul Stealer and you.”

“Don’t count on calling for Zordon this time,” Zedd told her with a cackle. “There is a force field around your position so that Zordon, Tommy, or anyone else cannot contact you. In addition to this, you cannot teleport out and no one can teleport in. I’m afraid, Kimberly, that this time we have won. As for the White Ranger...at first we thought it would be fun to get rid of you all at once, but Goldar so wanted to be the one responsible for his demise.”

Adam shook his head. “Tommy can beat Goldar any day, meat head!”

Zedd snarled. “I know this, puny ranger. Goldar is as incompetent as any of you, and then we decided that Thomas Oliver would not be a loss to us. Rita is going to him and is determined to make him evil again.” Laughing hideously, he raised his ‘Z’ staff and pointed it at the rangers. “Now, I wish I could stay to watch this lovely moment, but I feel the need to support Rita as she tries to get her underling to return to her. Goodbye, Rangers.” With that, he fired a bolt at the rangers making them fall to the ground in pain before teleporting away in a flash of fire.

Standing again, Kim was beginning to feel lightheaded. “Guys, what do we do? Billy is against us, we don’t have Zordon, a shadow above us wants to steal our souls and then kill us, and Tommy is going to be made evil again!”

Rocky shook his head and dropped into fighting stance as Billy faced them. “I’m sorry, Man, but you’re going to snap out of this if I have to beat you to a pulp to do it.”

“Rocky, you can’t fight Billy!” Aisha exclaimed. “He’s not himself!”

“We’re not going to be ourselves if we let Zedd win,” Rocky argued. “He thinks we won’t fight Billy. For all we know, the first blow might cure him and destroy this monster. I don’t see any way out of this. Zordon can’t help us now, and I’m going to go down fighting. If Billy is the one that I have to fight then...so be it.”

Adam shook his head. “I don’t like this. What if he does snap out of it? Billy would never do what you’re saying we should do to anyone on the team. We’re betraying the ranger code by offensively attacking him.”

Rocky groaned. “Adam, I feel the same way you do, and I want Billy to snap out of this. What we have to do is buy ourselves enough time so we know how to until it’s one of us against four soulless rangers.”

Kim nodded. “I hate to say this, but he’s right. There are no other options here. We need to get out of here and help Tommy.”

“We need to get out of here to save ourselves!” Rocky exclaimed. At Kim’s shocked gasp, he shook his head. “I’m not myself, and I’m not good at being the leader, but one thing Tommy would always do is think of things one step at a time. Number one right now is getting Billy back to normal. When it comes to helping Tommy we’ll help him, but there’s a lot we’ll need to do before that and, who knows, we may not be alive that long.”

Aisha and Adam both nodded and dropped into fighting stance. Kim followed, and Rocky after them. Right before giving the order to attack, Rocky sighed. (Billy, forgive me for this. Damn it, Billy, I hope you can forgive me for what we’re about to do.) “Go!”

Kicking Goldar to the ground again, Tommy laughed. “Had enough, Tin Man?” Honestly, he had had enough of the big monkey and wanted more than to get together with the others and go back to Jeff’s party, but he knew he had to keep going until Goldar either teleported away or died...or he died, but he was hoping the later wouldn’t happen.

Getting up again, Goldar growled. “I won’t have enough until your dead, White Ranger.”

“Well, then you’re going to be here for awhile,” Tommy told him almost flippantly before pointing Saba at him and watching as beams came out of the sword’s eyes and struck Goldar again.

“Good shooting, Sport,” Saba acknowledged.

Tommy frowned. “Saba, call me Sport one more time and I’ll be calling you ‘trash’. Got it?” Enough was enough. Even the most well-behaved teen could only hadle being called ‘Sport’ for so long.

“I don’t acknowledge your threats,” Saba said with a smirk, “especially since Zordon would never let you get rid of me. You remember why? I’m the wise enchanted sword, Sport. You’re just a punk kid. He’d get rid of you before getting rid of me.”

Tommy was about to retort when, suddenly, the sword dematerialized along with the rest of his armor. Looking with surprise at Goldar, he scowled. “What the hell just happened!?”

“Enough of our brawling, White Ranger,” Goldar said. Turning his gaze to the street the two watched as Rita teleported down along with Squatt, Baboo, and Scorpina. “My Empress, why did they come with you?”

Rita smiled at him. “They wanted to see this wondrous event,” She explained before looking back at Tommy. “Ranger, your fellow Power Rangers are in my Dark Dimension fighting the battle of their lives against one of their own and a power so strong that they would not be able to defeat it at full strength.”

“Bitch,” Tommy muttered. “What did you do to Billy?”

“He no longer has a soul. Billy is free to do as he pleases,” Rita told him.

Tommy shook his head with anger. “That’s not freedom! That’s robbing a person of life!”

“Perhaps you’d like to see what’s going on the Dark Dimension,” Rita said. Waving her arms and calling out in a language Tommy couldn’t understand he watched as a viewing screen came up before his eyes and he gazed at it with terror as Rocky and Aisha attacked Billy full force while Kim and Adam were calling for help as a black mass surrounded them.

Closing his eyes for a moment, his heart mixed with shame at his not being there for the others, sadness at what he knew would probably be Billy’s fate if the spell was not broken, and anger because he didn’t know how to stop the other rangers’ pain, he lowered his head and softly inquired, “What do you want from me?”

Scorpina took a step towards him before extending her hand. “Come back to us, Tommy. You can never be the Green Ranger again, but there are ways to convert the White Powers--”

“Why do you always ask me for something I can’t give!?” Tommy questioned with fury nearly startling Squatt and Baboo who shivered. “Don’t ask me to give my own soul for theirs!”

“You will save their lives,” Rita persisted.

Tommy shook his head. “Yeah, so I can kill them when I’m evil and unable to control my own actions...or be killed at their hands. I can’t do that; you’re asking me to sacrifice my life and their lives anyway.”

Scorpina shook her head. “No, Tommy. If you come back then we will not stay on Earth. We will go to another planet so that the rangers can live in peace without us here.”

“I have no reason to believe you,” Tommy spat maliciously. “Everything you’ve ever told me has been a lie.”

“If you do not give in we will kill your friends,” Goldar said, “and we know it is no lie that you would go mad if you knew that you were the reason for their deaths.”

“I love Earth!” Tommy cried out, not caring how silly it sounded to their foreign ears. “To you it may just be a population to make into your slaves, but I love it. These are my people! I won’t give into you!”

“Do you love strangers more than your friends?” Rita implored. “You would sacrifice their lives for the lives of those you don’t know? Then what? You would die by my hand and your world would be destroyed anyway.”

“Don’t underestimate me or the other rangers,” Tommy growled at him.

Rita shook her head with fury. “You dare defy me!? I created you! Without me you wouldn’t be a Power Ranger now! Do you think, selfish and stupid as you were, that Zordon would have picked you to be a Power Ranger!? If it weren’t for me you would be a mindless earthling just like the rest of them. I’m offering you a chance to make your life into something, and I am your rightful master.”

“Zordon w-would have picked me if he had the Green Coin first,” Tommy yelled, but it was at that moment he realized that he was trying to convince himself more than the monsters in front of him.

Scorpina shook her head . “No, Tommy. You know the truth. I know you do.”

Taking in a shaky breath, he looked at Rita. “I can’t live without Kimberly.”

“You will see her on a regular basis from a distance so that you know she is safe,” Goldar offered.

Nodding, Scorpina added, “We will also let you see your family so that you know they are well. Come back to us. It is where you belong.”

(Isn’t this about the time that the guys would be coming back and saving me from this?) Tommy questioned himself. (What if they’re right. This may be the only way that I can save their lives.) “I want to see them released now so that I know you aren’t kidding about this.”

“How do we know you won’t teleport away with them?” Goldar asked suspiciously.

Taking off his communicator, Tommy held it above his head for a moment and let the monsters watch as he dropped it to the ground. A tear rolled down his cheek and he whispered. “There. Now, release them.”

Rita nodded and looked back up at the sky and screamed, “Release them and return the Blue Brat to normal!”

In a matter of minutes the other rangers teleported to their position in a daze. With his helmet still off, Billy glanced around with confusion. “Where are we? What’s happening?” There was a large bruise on his cheekbone making it obvious to anyone that he had taken quite a beating.

Taking off their helmets as well, Kim smiled as she saw Tommy but it quickly fell from her face as she saw who he was stepping closer to. “Tommy!”

“I’m sorry, Kimberly, but it was an even trade,” Goldar said.

Adam’s eyes widened in shock. “Tommy, what trade?”

“Adam--” Tommy began sadly.

“Damn it, what trade!?” Adam questioned hysterically.

Another tear rolled down his cheek as he glanced at Rocky. “Take good care of the team, Man. You’re a good leader.”

“Tommy...” Rocky’s voice trailed away. (He couldn’t have...no...shit, no...)

Aisha just watched as the White Ranger stepped closer to Rita and grabbed Scorpina’s outstretched hand. “Tommy,” she whispered quietly, “why did you do this?”

Glancing back at her, he smiled weakly. “I would die knowing that I had the chance to save you and didn’t take it.” As another tear fell from his eye, Scorpina wiped it away before putting her arm around his shoulders and leading him back to where Rita, Goldar, Baboo, and Squatt were standing.

The image sickened Kim until she was barely able to stand. She began to run towards him but the others quickly restrained her. “How can you let him go!?” Kim screamed.

“He made his choice,” Adam said, his voice quavering. “It was our lives for his.”

As Rita put her hand on his shoulder, he shuddered before saying, “I love you guys, and I...I hope I did the right thing.”

“This cannot be happening,” Billy told himself out loud, having told himself this a million times in his head. He knew this was his fault for coming late to Jeff’s party and being attacked in the first place. If he hadn’t been captured then the other rangers would have never left Tommy alone with Goldar.

As the monsters faded along with the White Ranger into a cloud of smoke, Rocky could no longer take it and he collapsed to his knees and cried. Aisha put her hand on his shoulder and lowered lowered her head. Adam was barely able to catch Kim as she fell into his arms. Embracing her tightly, he tried to comfort her as sobs shook her slim form before giving up and letting his own tears fall. Billy, however, was still in shock over what he had caused to happen and the tears inside of him refused to fall. Slowly, he glanced up at the sky before muttering, “How are we going to tell the Olivers?” The others gazed at him before doing their best to calm down and think of a solution to this dilemma.

As the monsters dined in the moon palace, Tommy sat with his arms around his knees against the wall with silent tears still falling from his eyes. Zedd looked at him momentarily before sighing. “I don’t understand what you’re blubbering about. It’s not like we’re going to harm the rangers anymore, and we aren’t killing you.”

“Not physically, anyway,” Tommy muttered shakily. As Zedd scowled, Baboo and Squatt entered the room and sat down next to Goldar.

Rita glanced at the White Ranger and frowned. “Why don’t you eat, Ranger? You’ll be hungry if you don’t.”

“I doubt I’ll feel the need to eat anytime soon,” Tommy told her before wiping away fresh tears from his eyes.

Scorpina shook her head. “It shows in are studies that Earthlings eat three main meals a day. Is that true, Thomas?”

Closing his eyes, Tommy nodded. “I guess you could said that, but if you’re particularly upset about something then sometimes you lose your appetite.”

“Ah, I’ve heard of these things,” Finster said from where he was sitting next to Rita. “If you want, I could come up with a potion to restore your need for food...”

“No, um, thanks though.” Pushing a few loose strands of hair out of his face, he glanced up at the table before standing. “I’m worn out.”

Squatt shrugged. “Humans require more sleep than we do?”

“I guess that’s why he’s tired!” Baboo exclaimed as if he had just figured out the cure to AIDS or something of that grandeur.

Scorpina stood and walked over to him. “I’ll escort you to your room, Thomas.”

As they left the room, Zedd growled. “Why you want that brat around all the time is besides me. He’s a whiny child, damn it! What good will he do if he just mopes around here and sobs whenever he remembers something about Earth?”

“After awhile Tommy will learn to appreciate us. He’ll have to since we will be the only things that he will know on other planets,” Rita said.

Goldar nodded. “Then, we can have him fight for our side against our enemies!”

Rita smiled at him. “Of course, Goldar, but it will take time for him to give up his past morals and give in to our every need. As it is, his being here is going to require a lot more work.”

“We have started receiving water from Aquitar?” Zedd implored.

Finster nodded. “Yes, My Lord, and we will have Earth foods of all kinds delivered by Tengas and putties whenever he needs more in addition to clothes of all styles.”

“With all this stuff he’s going to become spoiled really fast!” Baboo noted.

Squatt shrugged. “Probably, but I doubt it will make up for what he had to leave behind.” Finster glanced at him and nodded before turning back to his food and suddenly losing his own appetite.

Meanwhile, Scorpina opened the door to a chamber and lead Tommy inside of a room that was simple enough with stone floors and everything in wood except for the large bed with white covers in the middle of it. She smiled faintly. “I know the place is rather bleak. Whenever you feel up to it, you can decorate it however you like with things from Earth.”

At his morose nod, she bit her lip before motioning towards a water filter by the bed. “We don’t need to have water to survive, but since you do we will be getting shipments in from Aquitar as well as Earth foods and clothes.”

Again, he nodded sadly before whispering, “Thank you. If you don’t mind, I’d like to be alone now.”

“Mourning isn’t going to change the present,” Scorpina informed him.

Sighing, Tommy nodded. “I know that, but I still don’t believe that the present is really happening.” Not understanding, she merely touched his arm before leaving him alone. Closing his eyes again, more tears fell from his eyes and he literally fell onto the bed in despair before, alone for the first time, allowing himself to sob.

Outside of the door, Scorpina listened to his crying before shaking her head. “You will come to feel for us as you felt for the rangers,” She mumbled before leaving him alone with his grief.

Having just got home from her party, Jackie was alarmed to find Kim standing outside her door when she answered it. “Kimberly...” Looking behind her and noticing that everyone was there except for Tommy, she leaned closer to her. “Where’s Tommy?” Smiling, she muttered, “Please don’t say that he’s going around the neighborhood on a sugar high.”

Kim was about to tell them what happened when Mrs. Oliver walked towards them with a grin on her face. “It’s a little late for trick-or-treating, guys.” Realizing, as Jackie had, that Tommy was not with them, the smile fell from her face. “Where’s Tommy?”

Adam coughed and took a step forward before saying, “I’m sorry, Mrs. Oliver. Tommy’s missing. We’ve already called the police and they should be here to talk to all of us in a few minutes.”

In that moment, Jackie felt her whole life turn upside down. She remembered how, just earlier, she had been teasing her older brother before he had gone out. “What happened?” She asked finally.

“We were leaving Jeff’s party, but then we were attacked by those bird things that were attacking people in the park a few days ago,” Rocky told her.

“Tommy told us to scatter so we did,” Aisha said, “but, in the end, they got to him and took him to wherever they dwell. W-we tried to help him, but there were too many, and we don’t know why they went for him and not the rest of us.”

Crying again, Kim took in a shaky breath. “I’m sorry.”

Mr. Oliver, who had just entered the room, was barely able to catch his wife as she passed out in anguish. Jackie looked back at her before letting her own tears fall. Sliding down the wall to her knees, she shook her head. “Please say that this is a joke.”

Kim shook her head and, sitting next to Jackie, embraced her tightly. “Jackie, I’m so sorry that we couldn’t save him.”

Adam looked back at Billy who had chosen to stay in the car before shaking his head sadly. “Tommy always had to be the hero.”

Rocky nodded in agreement before saying, “If we ever can, I promise you both that we will get him back at whatever cost...if I have to die trying to get him back then I will.”

The End

Do you want a sad ending, or should this have a sequel? Oye, I wasn’t planning for this story to have a sequel, but it just...happened. All of a sudden I started writing and lookie, it’s 3:20am! Oh boy, I am tired. Anyway...let me know what you think. Well, in the Allied Evil series everything bad happened to Rocky in the first three parts so I figured that it was time to put some Tommy and Billy angst in here although poor Billy was beaten up by his friends. There will be a lot to do if you want a sequel, so please e-mail me because if I get no responses then I’m not writing one. Believe me...I have enough on my hard drive to work on :) Anyway, my e-mail addy is Rkacat@aol.com Anyway, thanks for reading.