It was quiet again in Angel Grove. Almost a week had passed since the Power Rangers had blown away the evil Blue Ranger . It was unsettling to the Rangers. Usually, Lord Zedd didn't like to wait more than three or four days to hatch a new plan, and after six days of nothing, they were starting to get edgy.

It was inevitable, Zordon knew, that the stress of constant battle would get to the kids but it couldn't be happening at a worse time. He knew that Zedd was plotting something special. Both Zedd and Rita were livid that their latest scheme had been foiled.

The teens themselves knew something was wrong. All of them felt like watches that were too tightly wound. It was, they all agreed, difficult enough to worry about Zedd's evil plans and worry about school. The pressure had been building for weeks and was coming to a head.

Tommy walked into the Juice Bar that afternoon with air of concern wafting about him. He was the leader after all, and morale was his problem. Personally, he felt pretty ok.... the last couple of weeks hadn't been nearly as stressful to him as the last few battles he had fought as the Green Ranger had been, but he didn't expect everyone else to understand that. Sure, lately things had been tough, but as far as he was concerned, as long as everyone made it out after each battle with powers intact, then he was doing a good job. His only real fear as leader of the Rangers was the fear of one of his friends suffering the way he did. Spending months on end doubting yourself and living in fear of failure in a crisis was one form of punishment he had no wish to see inflicted on another.

He sat down at the bar, and faced outward, observing his friends and wondering what to do. Rocky and Adam were sparring on the mats, going at it a little rougher than normal. He wasn't too concerned about Rocky. Out of all the current Rangers, Rocky was, well.... as steady as a rock. Nothing seemed to phase him for long. Adam, on the other hand, was getting more and more jumpy with each passing day. Just from observing their sparring, Tommy could see that Adam's timing was off, he was jumping the gun on a lot of moves. It was definitely something to take into consideration.

Kimberly and Aisha were practicing a gymnastics routine in the corner. They were another source of concern, for different reasons. Aisha, like Adam, was getting a little nervous and that made her more tense and irritable than usual. Kimberly had the same tendency and Tommy suspected that it would be only a matter of time before the two of them had a cat fight. Of course, they would make up, but it would put stress on the team that he didn't want to deal with at the moment. A problem in waiting, in other words.

Then, there was Billy, sitting off to the side at a table, thumbing through notebooks and textbooks, trying to ignore everything around him. Billy had not done more than say hi to anyone in the last couple of days. Tommy hadn't even seen him crack a smile. Granted, Billy wasn't exactly a cheerful extrovert to begin with, but the grim, dour frown was indicating something other than a concern for calculus. Obviously, Billy was down about something, and Tommy had a couple of ideas about what that something was. For one thing, he knew from experience that fighting a doppleganger was...weird. Surreal. And upsetting. For another, Violet, the somewhat obsessive girl that'd been chasing Billy, had for some reason moved on to another guy.... Stuart in the Science Club of all people. She must have a thing for smart guys, Tommy thought with a smile, but it's too bad she had to pick now to dump Billy. Tommy had a feeling that Billy really hadn't been looking for a new girl, he'd seemed happy enough with the on again off-again thing with Laura, but it couldn't have been helpful to the ego to get dumped in favor of a geek like Stuart.

Still, out of all the problems that the team was having, Billy's seemed the most solvable, at least to Tommy. He thought for a moment, and asked himself the question, " what would Jason do in this situation?" It was surprising how helpful that little question could be. A little voice (his 'Jason" voice) answered the question quickly....Billy just needed a little ego reassurance. With that in mind, Tommy grabbed his juice and sat down next to Billy.

" Hey, what are you studying?" Another little leadership trick Tommy had read about was to never start a discussion with the actual problem...better to throw a little small talk around. Set the individual at ease.
It was, in retrospect, not a good plan. " I have a physics test next Monday, after the spring break." Billy muttered. He went back to the books. Closer examination let Tommy see the dark circles under Billy's eyes. Someone had been burning the midnight oil a little too much.

" Oh...well, listen, Kim and I are going out tonight...why don't you come along? Maybe Laura would like to go too." Tommy smiled. A little r+r with some friends was probably all Billy needed.

" Um...Tommy...Laura moved out of town last month. Remember? To New Jersey?" Billy turned a page of his book. " Needless to say, dating has been a little...inconvenient."

Tommy wanted to kick himself. Of course, Laura had moved away. That was why everyone had been pushing Violet as an alternative. " Well, what about Violet? Maybe you can patch things up."

Billy looked up from his book. " She's moved on to Stuart. She wants a true intellectual, not a geek in recovery. Besides, I fell asleep the last time we went out. She felt that I'm not there for her." He paused. " She said that I've changed. That I'm cold and impersonal and that I've isolated myself from my old friends. "

The conversation was getting weird. " What old friends?" It was times like this that Tommy regretted not growing up in Angel Grove.

Billy shook his head. " It doesn't matter. " He gathered up his books. " I've got a meeting with the Science Club."

" Billy, wait." Tommy didn't quite know what was wrong, but he didn't want his friend leaving upset. " I don't think you've changed."

Again, not the right thing to say. " Like you would've noticed. " Billy stuffed his books away angrily. " Exactly when did you realize that I'd been replaced with an evil clone anyway? When suddenly there were two of us? You know, if my life depended on your powers of observation, you'd be short one Ranger right now." With that, he stomped off.

Kimberly and Aisha walked over, not catching the conversation but noticing that Billy was angry. " Tommy, what did you say that got him so mad?" Kim asked.

Tommy shook his head. " I'm not sure." What he really wanted was to sit down and analyze what Billy had said, but the Juice Bar was not the place for deep thinking. " Say, I'm going to take a walk in the park. you two want to come along?"

They both shook their heads. It was just as well. Kimberly and Aisha were also not conducive to deep thinking.

The truth was that Billy was dreading the Science club meeting. More and more often, he felt an unpleasant hostility from the members. People were treating him differently and he couldn't quite figure out why.
He entered the classroom hesitantly, and was rewarded with stares. He checked his watch, he was early. Maybe about half the group was there. He hadn't been attending as much, and he wondered if that was the problem. Or maybe, he thought to himself, he really had changed into some cold, unfeeling jerk the way Violet had said. He didn't know.

He hadn't meant to fall asleep during the movie they'd gone to see and he had apologized. She'd gotten angry and walked out, saying loudly that everyone else was right.... that he had changed.

The problem was that he didn't know what she'd meant. He didn't feel different...not really. What he was really feeling most of the time was a lot of outright fear concerning the last couple of months. Zedd had made a copy of him so easily, and so realistic that it had almost destroyed the team. It terrified him. He hadn't been sleeping much at all, nightmares of the evil blue ranger had kept him up, and he was too tired to think much of anything. He could'nt sleep, he couldn't concentrate on anything remotely complex... he'd been spending a lot of time just staring at a television set not even watching. He didn't know what was wrong, but something clearly was... He felt strange, that was the truth. Not himself. What he wanted, maybe even needed was to spend some time with people who didn't discuss karate, shopping, and Puttie battle tactics every second. People who would talk to him, not around him.

It was different when Trini was on the team. He missed her. He missed having something in common with his friends. Not that the new Rangers weren't his friends, he did like them. He liked them a lot. It just wasn't the same. He never had to explain what he was doing to Trini. Maybe later, he thought as he took a seat, I can give her a call in Geneva.

" Hey, look who's decided to grace us with his presence." A short curly haired kid stepped in front of Billy's desk. Billy jumped at the sound of the boy's voice. He'd gotten a little lost in thought. He drew a blank on the kid's name.

" So, when did you get the contacts?" The short kid persisted. His tone was snide.

" Um....about a month ago." Billy felt himself turning red. He hated getting put on the spot.

" I figured it was only a matter of time." The short kid gestured to the rest of the room's occupants. " I told you he was different."

" What?" Billy stood up. " What is your problem? What have I done to you?" It would help if he could remember the kid's name, but his brain was too tired to function. " And what's wrong with my getting contacts?"

" Look at you! Its not just the contacts." As the short kid spoke, Billy could see most of the other kids nodding along. " It's what those contacts represent. You dress differently, you talk differently, you act differently, you hang around the jock crowd, and now you've given up the last vestige of your former identity...your glasses. You don't belong here. Why don't you go join your cool friends? That's who you spend most of your time with anyway.... you don't need to slum around with us anymore."

Billy looked around. Instead of friendly faces, he was surrounded by angry ones. Part of him wanted to explain everything, tell everyone there just exactly why he had no time for them anymore. But he couldn't. He couldn't even explain that he preferred glasses, but contacts didn't fall off when a Putty kicked you down a hill. He got up, instead, and walked out, and tried to ignore the little dance of triumph the short kid was doing in his wake.

Tommy never did find the time to really sit down and think about his friends problems. Between walking with Kimberly and Aisha to the mall, grabbing dinner, and getting ready for his date, the situation had pretty much slipped his mind. But as he sat in the darkened theater with Kimberly snuggling up next to him, his thoughts kept returning to the same basic issues.

Obviously, he'd blown it with Billy, and that made him feel bad. Real bad. What made it worse was that he had no real idea of how to solve the problem. Not to mention that everyone else was getting mighty edgy the longer the time went without an incident. He didn't know what to do.

The lights went up. Kimberly took one look at him and said, " So, are you going to tell me what's bugging you? "

" I'm sorry... I'm not being really good company tonight." He rose and helped her with her jacket. " I've just had a lot on my mind."

They left the movie theater in silence. Without realizing it, Tommy let Kimberly steer them off towards the beach.

They strolled along, holding hands and watching the waves for almost a hour. Then, without warning, Kimberly drew him into an embrace. Startled, he stood there stiffly as she hugged him and then finally responded by returning the hug.

" I've got to go home, it's late." She pulled away a little. " Tomorrow, you and I are going to talk about what's bothering you. Understand?" He nodded, what else could he do? " Good. Until then..." She kissed him passionately. Then with a smile, she trotted off towards home, leaving him standing alone on the moonlit beach, feeling a warm glow of affection. It was, he thought as he moved down towards the dock, an auspicious end to a crappy day. He breathed in the cool night air, enjoying the cold salty taste. Then, as he walked by the dock, he noticed a figure sitting out on the edge of the pier. Surprised, he took a closer look. It was Billy, possibly the last person Tommy would've expected to find out on the beach at that hour.

He pondered the situation. On the one hand, when a person is out alone at night in an isolated spot, odds are that they want privacy. On the other hand, he really wanted to talk to Billy in a quiet, private atmosphere, and the current situation was ideal.

The wood on the dock creaked as he strode upon it, but Billy, with his back turned away from land, didn't notice. When Tommy dropped a hand onto Billy's shoulder, he jumped about a foot and dropped an object into the water.

" Jeez! Don't sneak up on me like that!" Billy was definitely startled. " What are you doing here, anyway?"

" Sorry, didn't mean to scare you. " Tommy sat down on the edge of the planking. " I was just heading home from my date and saw you here.....say, what did you drop into the water?"

Billy sighed. " Just my glasses."

" Oh." Tommy didn't quite know what to say. " So....what's up?" Another trick from one of the books he'd read was to act natural, even despite an odd situation. He figured the current situation qualified as odd.

Billy looked at him. In the moonlight, the dark circles under his eyes deepened and for an instant, Tommy saw a skull instead of Billy's face. " Do you know what today is?"

He thought for a moment and then shook his head. " No...dates aren't my strong point."

For a brief instant, a smile flashed across Billy's face. " No kidding, " he chuckled. " One year ago today was when I became the Blue Ranger. "

" Really? Cool... Kimberly must've forgotten." Tommy smiled, already considering what to get her as a surprise.

" Yes. I was just sitting here thinking about how things have changed...how I have changed....." Billy looked down at the water. " I can't sleep anymore. I can't think of anything but battles. All of my old friends think I don't care about them anymore, and the people I'm closest to....." He didn't finish.

" Look, ...." Tommy hesitated. He didn't want to make things worse by saying the wrong thing. " It was a really good replica of you.... I mean...Zedd and Rita were really trying hard to fool us."

Billy sighed again. " A good replica.... I've become an awful person if thats true. "

" Billy, you're letting this get to you. Its been a year, of course you've changed. " Tommy tried to be reassuring. " Change isn't a bad thing."

" I never used to lie. Now, I lie to my parents about where I've been, I lie to my other friends about what I've been doing, and I lie to myself. " He looked up at the sky. " I wish I had never agreed to be a Power Ranger. I was a good person before. Now, I'm not even a person... Nothing matters except the next pointless battle."

Tommy was worried. He'd misjudged the problem and he knew that his friend was deeply troubled, but what to do? There was no simple answer. " The battles aren't pointless, Billy...we're defending the earth. Don't you think that's important?"

" Yes, ...I guess." He ran a hand through his hair. " I can't seem to think anymore. You know, the last month or so is just a big blur of monsters and putties. I'm just so tired... I'm tired of fighting. I have awful dreams... I keep thinking it'll stop but it keeps getting worse."

" It has been rough lately." Tommy agreed. " Did you ever stop to think that maybe you're getting burned out? Have you even considered that? Maybe you should take a break.... you know, skip school, get out of Angel Grove, get some rest."

" How can you even suggest that when you know that Lord Zedd is preparing some new monster?" Still, Tommy could see a glimmer of hope on his friend's face.

" Look, I'm not saying take off to Tahiti or India...just maybe a quick trip up to the mountains. You know, enjoy nature, go fishing...relax." An idea sprang into his head. " My uncle's cabin is twenty miles up in the Sierra Nevada's. There's a lake, and trees and deer....it's really nice. It's a great place to relax and get your head together. I know. " He did too. His own feelings of self doubt had been almost overpowering until he had taken some time away and put the whole situation into perspective. " Look, spring break is this week anyway so you won't miss school...I'll drive you up. You deserve a break."

Billy nodded but he was still hesitant. " But what about Lord Zedd?"

" I'll know where you'll be. If there's any trouble that we absolutely can't handle without you, we'll contact you.... but otherwise, you'll be alone. How does that sound?"

" That sounds .... really nice. " But Tommy could hear the doubt creeping back into Billy's voice. " I don't know... I don't like leaving you guys short handed."

" Billy, we'll be fine without you. " Billy nodded, and Tommy saw that his friend looked....relieved. As Billy walked off into the darkness, Tommy mentally congratulated himself. Another problem solved. Now, if only Zedd held off a little longer.

Monday morning, seven a.m.. Billy found himself feeling normal for the first time in months. He stood on the shore of the pretty mountain lake and breathed in deeply. He'd gone to bed early the night before, and there had been no nightmares. Nothing but deep refreshing sleep. Tommy had been right, he'd needed to get away.
Of course, there were still many issues troubling him, but he decided that he wasn't going to get upset over them. So what if a lot of his old friends didn't understand why he seemed different..... maybe he wasn't the only person who had changed...and he wasn't so sure that he wanted to be friends with people who got offended over his use of contact lenses. He was more than his wardrobe, after all, and just because he had let Kimberly and Trini help him pick clothes that were a little more attractive than functional, it didn't mean that he made some sort of choice about what was more important. It was nice, he admitted, that girls found him more attractive, but they weren't pounding down his door for dates, despite what the kids in the science club thought. He knew that he had changed as a person, more than just in appearance, and while he wasn't sure whether he liked the new changes in himself, it wasn't for anyone else to judge. And, if worse came to worse, he could make new friends. A little frightening, but it could be done.

Likewise, he was still tempted by the idea of resigning from the team. It was hard carrying around the secret load all of the time, and being free, even for a short time, of the burden was unsettling but nice. The truth of the matter was that he, and the other Power Rangers were in the fight between good and evil until the bitter end. If he resigned, he instantly became an easy target. So, if he wanted to ever consider having a life beyond Angel Grove and the Power Rangers, the forces of evil had to be soundly defeated. A daunting task.

That too, he put aside. For a while, at least, he wasn't going to think about it. What he was going to do was catch some breakfast. He didn't really like fish. However, it was either catch some fish or walk six miles to the nearest town for breakfast. Tommy had left some supplies in the cabin from his previous visit, but the thought of eating stale cereal again was not...pleasant. Neither was the idea of eating fish, but it was currently the lesser of the two evils.

Surprisingly, the fish were biting. He wasn't quite sure what he'd caught, but fish were fish. He stepped into the tiny kitchen the cabin contained and considered his options. He could fry the fish on the gas burner, or bake them in the stove. He sighed. Cooking was one of those things that just never seemed to work for him. He decided on frying and quickly threw some oil into a frying pan. He got the first fish scaled and filleted and dropped it in. He was intently deboning the second fish when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the curtains above the stove catch fire. His hand slipped and he gashed himself with the kitchen knife. Ignoring it for the moment, he ran for the fire extinguisher, tearing the small cabin apart in the process. Within minutes, the fire was out.

Billy looked at his hand. Without realizing it, he'd cut himself deeply and was now bleeding. Not too mention the burn blisters from the fire. He took off his communicator and wrapped his hand up with a towel.

" Great. " He spoke out loud, looking around the trashed cabin. The place was a mess. There was blood on the floor and counter and burnt curtains and fish everywhere. He could see blood seeping through the towel. There was no choice, he needed stitches. He held his communicator up awkwardly with his left hand.

"Tommy...Tommy, come in." There was no answer. He tried again, and got no response from anyone, including Zordon. A closer look revealed the problem. The communicator was scorched. Under normal circumstances, he would've taken it apart and figured out which component had malfunctioned due to the heat, but he needed both hands, or at least his good hand. He dropped the communicator on the counter. It was broken, useless to him. He would have to walk to the nearest town.

He grabbed a clean towel and rewrapped his hand, leaving the bloody towel on the couch. Hopefully, he thought to himself, I'll be back by nightfall to clean up the mess.

Kaitlin Starr normally didn't take the lake road. It was rather out of her way, and usually on a Monday morning, she was already at work. However, her boss wanted photos of the countryside springing into life and she aimed to please. Besides, it was a nice drive.

At least, it was a nice drive until a sudden spring storm killed any photo opportunities she might have had. She was about to turn the car around when she saw a lone figure up ahead, waving an arm beckoning her closer. She looked closer. It was a guy, about her age. For a moment she thought it was her friend Ryan. He had the blondish hair and preppie look about him, though a second glance made her realize that it was not Ryan, but a close match. As she drew closer, she realized that it was probably one of the many sport fishermen that came to the area. He kept waving, and trotted up to the car with a sense of urgency. It occurred to her then that he might be in trouble.

She stopped the car. " Hey!" she shouted to the guy, who had slowed to a walk when he realized that she was stopping. " Is something wrong? Do you need help?"

The guy nodded and smiled in relief. In the rain, blushing shyly, he looked like a soaked puppy dog. " Yes, thanks. I'm in need of medical attention. Could you give me a ride to the nearest hospital?"

She got out of the car. " Sure...what's wrong?" She looked more closely. His right hand was wrapped in a towel, and he had it pressed tightly to his chest. There was blood on his fishing vest. " No, wait...get in the car. You can explain while I drive."

He got in the passenger side and awkwardly closed the door. " Thanks again. I was starting to get worried that I was going the wrong way." He hunched up on the seat, shivering from the cold. Kaitlin was again reminded of a little lost puppy.

" My name is Kaitlin....Kaitlin Starr. " Kaitlin waited.

" Huh...oh...uh...right...names...uh...."

She bit her lip to stop from laughing at the flustered young man. I ought to feel flattered, she told herself sternly, its not often I leave a guy tongue twisted.

" Billy....I'm Billy Crandall....from Angel Grove. I'd offer to shake hands but I'm currently a little incapacitated. " He hugged his injured hand to his chest. " Uh, I'm not some crazed lunatic or anything like that....don't worry."

" Well, I had wondered." She smirked. " What exactly happened?"

He explained.

And far away, they were watched by angry eyes.

Rita Repulsa shrieked with wild hate. " NOOOOOOO!!!!!! This can't be happening! NO NO NO!"

Zedd rushed to her side. " What is it, my mistress of evil?"

" Look! The Blue Ranger! With one of those V.R. Troopers! Zeddie, it's the worst that could happen! If the power of the Troopers and the Rangers combine..."

" It could be the end of evil in this universe. " Zedd finished. " But have no fear, my pet.... remember that the Troopers and the Rangers don't reveal their identities....the odds of the two groups of goody goodies ever getting together......besides, Grimlord is an old friend. I'll have him arrange a distraction."

" You better! And I don't trust that Grimlord....the virtual world mutants have been trying to take our turf. Look how close the virtual barrier is to our universe!" Rita shook her fist. " And when is the new monster going to be ready? Finster!"

Monday - 12pm.
Rocky stretched lazily in the metal chair and put his feet up on the table. It was vacation, after all, and though he was planning to spend the afternoon studying physics with Billy, it didn't mean he had to get all stressed out. Life, Rocky felt, was far too short to worry about things like tests. He wondered if he should take the time to explain that philosophy to Billy and Adam. Uptight was too kind a word to describe their recent behavior. Rocky had spent the better part of the weekend calming Adam down.

Not that he really minded that much. Adam was a good friend, and everyone had a bad day now and then. If spending a weekend bicycling around Stone Canyon was all it took to help a good friend, then so be it. And if spending an afternoon discussing physics with Billy was in any way helpful to Billy, then fine. Rocky could deal with it. Of course, he thought with good humor as he glanced at his watch, it would be nice if Billy actually showed up to our study session.

He looked up when Tommy and Kimberly walked into the Juice Bar. They pulled over a few chairs and joined him.

" Look, " said Kimberly excitedly, " at what Tommy bought me." She held out her hand. Rocky looked dutifully. A ring was gracing Kimberly's hand.

" It's nice." Rocky smiled brightly at her. The truth was that he knew very little about jewelry and had no idea what he was looking at. But why ruin Kim's happiness?

" Nice? It's beautiful." Kim gave Tommy one of those " I love you " looks. " I can't believe you did something like this..... "

" Well, it was a pretty special anniversary." Tommy glowed with pleasure. " It's not everyday you celebrate your first year as a ranger."

And certainly not everyday, Rocky considered, that Tommy actually remembers an anniversary, but he had enough tact not to mention it. " So, " he asked the couple, " where is the other celebrating ranger? I've been waiting for Billy for almost an hour."

Tommy shook his head. " He must not have gotten in touch with you. He took off for the week."

" That's..." Rocky didn't quite know how to put it, " That's not like Billy. "

" He was really depressed. " said Tommy. " I guess the kids in the science club threw him out for not attending meetings and said some rude stuff. You know, about how he'd changed into....a cold unfeeling jerk, or something like that. So I suggested that maybe he needed a little time away and drove him up to my uncle's cabin for the week."

Rocky couldn't believe what he was hearing. " He was depressed and you sent him off by himself? What were you thinking? Did it ever cross your mind that maybe he took that as another rejection? "

Tommy paled. " Well...no..." But suddenly a whole series of ugly thoughts occurred to him. " But he has his communicator...we can call and check up on him." He tapped his own communicator. " Billy...what's up?"

No answer.

Rocky stood up. He'd had more than enough. " I'm going to drive up and see how he's doing."

" You're right." Tommy also stood. " I'll go with you." It was, after all, a problem of his own making. His responsibility, and letting Rocky pick up his messes was not Tommy's way.

" You can't go. " Kimberly said. " Remember? You're parents are taking us out to dinner...you won't get back in time, and how would you explain it?" She had a point. " Let Rocky go. Rocky, you'll be sure to call as soon as you get there, right?"

" Sure." Rocky said. " And don't worry. I'm sure Billy's fine. How much trouble can he get in out in the woods?"

" There." said the doctor. " All ten stitches complete." The doctor eyed Billy intently. " You do realize, young man, how close you came to cutting the tendons in your hand, don't you?"

Billy nodded. What else could he do?

" And those burns....second degree. Prone to infection. Use the antibiotics I gave you. And try not to do something like this again."

Billy nodded again. He had no intention doing much of anything. His right hand was effectively immobilized by stitches and bandages. He was right handed. There was no way he could continue the week alone up by the lake. He would have to call Tommy and get picked up. From the Crossworld's City Hospital no less. It was embarrassing.

He was making his way to the pay phones when he heard his named called. "Billy?" It was Kaitlin.

He blushed. She'd waited for him. She must've taken time off from work. He didn't quite know what to say. " Hey...um..."

Kaitlin grinned. She liked this guy. It was definitely a change from Ryan and J.B., both great guys but in the habit of treating her as their sister. It was nice to know that someone, even a high schooler from Angel Grove, found her attractive.

" So, they decided you weren't going to die?"

" Uh...yeah. I just needed some stitches." Billy said. " It was nice of you to wait."

" Well, I had to make sure that you'd live. " Kaitlin looked at her watch. " You want to go to lunch? You're not going back to the cabin, are you?" He didn't look like the outdoors type to begin with. " I mean, you being hurt and all...."

" No...uh...I was going to call a friend and let him know what happened. " He quickly explained his problem.

" So, let me see if I understand." Kaitlin felt bad for the guy. " Your whole vacation has just been ruined.... because of a fish."

" Fish hate me." Billy grinned. " You see the problem though....my dad wasn't overjoyed about this trip to begin with. " And was really not going to be overjoyed to see the hospital bill, but he didn't add that.

" Well..." An idea was forming in Kaitlin's head. " Why don't you stay with me and my friends for a few days? That way you don't look like a fool to your friend and father and you can give me a hand with a story I've been working on."

" A story?"

" For the newspaper.... I've been working on a story about Angel Grove and, well, the Power Rangers, and I could use the knowledge of an Angel Grovite." Kaitlin explained.

Despite himself, Billy was intrigued. " Sounds interesting...though I don't know how helpful I'd be...but why aren't you investigating the ...uh..V.R. Troopers? " He seldom paid attention to the news from Crossworld City but the whole Trooper thing was hard to ignore. " I'd think they'd be a little more newsworthy."

She covered her amusement. If only you knew, she thought. " It's a bit of a comparison piece... I really could use the help."

He considered her offer. It would be neat to check out Crossworld City. Picking up some info on the V.R. Troopers would certainly be handy... the stories that reached Angel Grove were sketchy, but oh so familiar. "Well, ok...as long as you're sure it'd be no trouble?"

" Naw...how much trouble could it be?" Kaitlin said with a laugh. Besides, she could use any information he had about the Power Rangers. Professor Hart, the Trooper holographic mentor, was constantly trying to get in touch with the elusive super heroes. Combining the groups together, he had said, just might give the forces of good the advantage.

Ryan, J.B., and Jeb the talking dog were not overjoyed with Kaitlin's idea. Kaitlin had called them from her job at the paper to let them know she was bringing a guest home. A guy. For a couple of days. They felt threatened.
" What exactly did she say?" Ryan asked again as he picked up the apartment they all shared.

" Just that she was bringing him here. " J.B. was briskly cleaning the kitchen area. He hated having guests see how slobby they usually were.

" I bet it's an old boyfriend." said Jeb.

Ryan looked up. " An old boyfriend? I hope not...." A slight rush of jealousy went through him.

J.B. chuckled. " It's not an old boyfriend, Jeb. " He didn't usually enjoy teasing Ryan but this time couldn't resist. " It's just some guy she found along the roadside and picked up."

" We should talk to her about that!" Ryan said angrily. " Who knows what this guy is really like! He could be a crazed psychopath, did she stop and consider that?"

" Ryan...." J.B. laughed outright. " He's a senior at Angel Grove High....not an escapee from a mental institution. Now, let's finish picking up and go meet them at the sidewalk cafe."

" I bet he doesn't like dogs." muttered Jeb. He went and fetched his leash, grumbling the entire time.

6pm. Rocky stepped out of his car and looked at the cabin. It was, he thought after a moment, a really cool place. There was a dock, a canoe, lots of trees. He could see why Tommy liked the place. However that was not his concern at the moment.

" Billy! Billy, are here?" He called several times, hoping that perhaps Billy had just wandered off on a hike through the woods. Finally, he gave in and opened the cabin door.

" Billy?" he said hesitantly. He took in the scene as his eyes adjusted to the dark interior. The place was a mess. Granted, Billy wasn't very neat sometimes, but the cabin looked demolished. Chairs were knocked over, dishes were on the floor, and there were flies crawling over a dead fish lying on the counter.

Rocky was disturbed. He looked for clues as to what had happened, and noticed first, another dead fish, burnt, in a frying pan, in the trash. The curtains were charcoaled. A fire extinguisher was on the floor.

Ok, he thought to himself, there was a fire. But where is Billy? If the fire was put out, and it wasn't very big from the looks of things, why is the place such a disaster area? His eyes fell on the ratty old couch. There was a brown stained towel thrown across the cushions. It was bloodstained. There was a lot of blood, on the floor, on the towel, and on the counter...too much to have come from fish.

Billy's communicator was in the sink. Rocky knew enough about communicator technology to see that it was broken. That explained a great deal. On the one hand, Rocky was pleased that his personal fears of finding a close friend acting on depressing impulses were apparently unfounded. On the other hand, there was an awful lot of blood all over the cabin. He picked up the communicator and stepped outside for some fresh air to clear his head.

Rocky sat on the stoop, broken communicator in hand, and tried to think through the problem. The first problem, as he saw it, was what happened. There had been a fire, a small one, while cooking. The fire had been put out...but in order to find the extinguisher, Billy had torn the place apart. That effectively explained the mess. Now, what about the blood? Sure some could be from the fish. Ok...he could accept that. Perhaps Billy had a catastrophic nosebleed. It happens....or perhaps a minor accident.

Rocky pondered that. He hadn't really known Billy for too long but he knew one important fact. Billy was an accident waiting to happen. If there was anything that could be tripped over, Billy would trip. Things just magically seemed to fall on Billy, or would hit Billy, or well...Rocky's father had, after meeting Billy, summed it with one simple phrase, " if there was a flat plain with just one tree, that boy would walk into it." Not very nice, but, Rocky admitted, pretty close to the truth. The idea of Billy having an accident was not a stretch by any means.

But, he reminded himself, where was Billy? Not here, that was obvious. If there had been some sort of accident, it couldn't have been too bad....Billy wouldn't have gotten very far otherwise. He hadn't seen anyone lying in the ditch on the way up...He stood up.

The nearest hospital was in Crossworld City. He would check there, and if he didn't find Billy, he would have to call the other Rangers. He considered calling them anyway but decided against it. Whatever had happened to Billy was over.... Rocky had a feeling that more hands in the pot would be a waste of time.

Billy found himself feeling a little intimidated by Kaitlin's friends. It was hard not feel intimidated by two older men, both very good looking, and both martial art instructors. And the dog kept looking at him, like it was sizing him up. It was unsettling.

They were eating at a sidewalk cafe, a bit out of the way. Ryan, the blond guy, was feeding the dog under the table. Billy didn't have a problem with that, or with the dog in general...but all throughout the meal, it seemed as though someone was either talking under table, or else one of Kaitlin's guy friends was a great ventriloquist. It was odd.

Ryan found himself having to placate Jeb all through dinner. Even then, Jeb wouldn't shut up. It wasn't like Jeb to be so irresponsible...god knows what would happen if the kid figured out the dog could talk. He whispered that a few times but Jeb ignored him.

" So...." said J.B., " Have you ever seen a Power Ranger, Billy?" He was honestly curious. The news was a little short on details about the colossal struggle between good and evil sometimes.

" Oh, a few times. " Billy said nonchalantly. " They're pretty hard to miss, sometimes. How about you? Ever see one of the Troopers?" Billy noted the looks being exchanged. He hoped he hadn't committed some sort of Crossworld City faux pas.

" Once or twice." J.B. said. He was beginning to have some suspicions about the kid. For one thing, Billy was sharp. The fact that Jeb was making the occasional comment from under the table was not going unnoticed. For another, Billy didn't look like a teenager, even a senior. He looked about their age, early twenties. It was hard being suspicious, since J.B. also found himself really liking the kid. The vibes were right. J.B. was surprised to see that Kaitlin seemed to like the guy too....enough anyhow, to introduce him to her men friends. Still, Billy just wasn't the type she normally went for. " They tend to take things to the virtual world, you know. Makes for less wear and tear on the city."

" I wish the Power Rangers could do that." Billy sighed. Downtown Angel Grove had the look of a demilitarized zone. There was never really enough time to get things repaired. Crossworld City was beautiful by comparison.

" What makes you think they can't?" J.B. asked.

" Uh....." Billy raced for an answer. " Well...they haven't yet. " At that moment, fortune favored him. His contacts popped out. " Don't anyone move...my contacts came out."

They spent the next five minutes on their hands and knees. Finally, Jeb subtly directed Kaitlin to the tiny lenses. " Thanks, " she whispered. " Billy, here you go." She handed him the gritty contacts.

" I better clean them off." Billy couldn't actually see the grit, being very nearsighted, but the ucky feeling of the contacts made him think twice about putting them in. Ryan directed him off to the restroom.

" Well, " said J.B., " He seems...nice. A little awkward."

" Yeah." Ryan admitted. " He seems ok. Kind of evasive about the Power Rangers."

" Maybe he is one. " muttered Jeb from under the table.

Ryan poked his head under the table. " You aren't helping Jeb. You can't keep saying stuff. What if this guy figures out that you're the one making the snide comments?"

" Hummph." Jeb put his head down and decided not to mention the red clad teen that just walked into the men's room. See if he did them any favors. Instead, he decided to satisfy his own curiosity and wandered into the bathroom.

Rocky couldn't believe his luck. Not only did one of the doctors remember seeing Billy, the doctor had, after giving Rocky a weird lecture on knife safety, given him the name of the woman that Billy had been with. After chasing around all evening, Rocky stepped into the men's room and found his quarry. " Billy! Are you ok?"
Billy jumped about three feet. He'd been in the process of putting a contact lens in, not an easy maneuver to begin with, and made more difficult by his injuries. He dropped the contact into the sink. " Rocky! What are you doing here?"

Rocky was a little taken back. Billy seemed pretty ticked off. " We were supposed to study together. I was worried." Out of the corner of his eye, Rocky saw a dog push open the door to the restroom. He had half a mind to shoo it out, but then figured that if the restaurant owners didn't care, it wasn't his problem. " Are you all right? There was so much blood up at the cabin....and when I found your communicator...Billy, I've been going crazy looking for you. After the way Tommy was talking, I was...."

" What was Tommy saying?" He'd been a little irritated at first, but after hearing that, Billy was livid.

" Just....just that you were depressed and thinking about resigning from the Power Rangers. " Rocky said. " I didn't think he gave you very good advice to be honest, and I was a little worried. When we couldn't get a hold of you, I got really worried. That's all. "

" Just concern for a teammate, eh?" Billy muttered bitterly as he felt around the sink for his contact.

" No." Rocky stepped over to the sink. " I was concerned about you. My friend. Not a teammate, not the Blue Ranger, but you. The nice guy I study with and hang around with. Whether you're a Power Ranger or not, thats not going to change." Rocky felt himself blushing. It wasn't everyday he made impassioned speeches to his friends.

" I'm sorry." Billy ran a hand through his hair. " Lately, I've been so out of it...the truth is that Tommy was right....I really needed to get away, but you were right to be worried....." His voice trailed off as he noticed Jeb the dog push the door open and leave. The dog reminded him of the fact that Kaitlin and her friends were out front waiting. " Look, are you hungry? We were just going to eat."

" With that babe?" Rocky, hoping to defuse their tense meeting, tried a little humor. " She's hot! Where did you find her?"

Billy smiled. " Actually, she found me."

Grimlord was terrified. Lord Zedd, ruler of the physical dimension, had clued him in on the situation. Distract the Troopers, said Zedd. Grimlord shook his head. Easy for him to say, but Grimlord didn't have the endless flood of flunkies to do his bidding that Zedd did. Obviously, something had to be done, and Zedd wanted it done now, before the Rangers revealed themselves to the Troopers.

He called for General Icebot. " General Icebot, I want you to capture the teenagers with the Troopers. Is that clear?" He hoped it was. The last thing he really wanted was Zedd and his crew screwing around in the virtual world.

Lord Zedd, meanwhile, had decided to take advantage of the Blue ranger's absence. One less Ranger increased the chances of defeating them all, and Zedd knew just how to do it. He focused his red vision glare on the pair of glasses Billy had dropped into the water. " Just the thing to make my new monster! Arise, Optic-Face, arise!"

Optic-Face did as it was told. It rose out of the water, the evening starlight glittering off the many glass facets of it's body. It shook its tentacles and raised it's angular face to the moon. " What is your bidding, Master?"

" Destroy the Power Rangers!"

Kaitlin was starting to get a little concerned. It didn't take fifteen minutes to clean and reinsert contacts. She was about to send J.B. in to check on Billy, when Jeb wandered out, looking very smug.

" I know something you don't know." he sung at them.

Ryan snickered. " What, Jeb?"

" First, you've gotta get me a steak." Jeb had no qualms about bribery.

It was at that point that General Icebot and several of Grimlord's mutant robots transported in and started tearing things apart. The three Troopers glanced around. No one was on the street. Ryan made the decision. It wasn't normally something they did in public but....

" Trooper Transform!"

In seconds, the V.R. Troopers stood where before had been just three young adults. " Wow, " said J.B., " I wasn't sure we could do this outside the lab. Interesting."

" Well, think about it later," warned Ryan, " We've got virtual mutant butt to kick."

Billy and Rocky stepped out just in time to see the three Troopers start whacking the robots. Billy's friends were no where in sight, but that made sense. Crossworld City residents, like those in Angel Grove probably didn't make it a habit of watching the forces of good and evil duke it out. They watched the battle for a few seconds.

" We've got to help the Troopers." said Billy.

" You're right! " agreed Rocky. They looked around, no one except Jeb the dog was watching. They grabbed their morphers.

" It's Morphin' Time!"

Ryan was surprised at the strength of the attack. Icebot was not usually this determined. Plus, the troopers were badly outnumbered. He turned around, slammed a robot mutant, and looked up just in time to see another bearing down on him. He steeled himself the blow, when suddenly the bot went flying to the ground. Standing above the fallen robot was none other than the Red Ranger.

" Looks like you guys could use a hand." The Red Ranger said nonchalantly. " Do these guys have any special
weak points?"

Ryan shook his head dumbly as he followed the progress of the Blue Ranger, who seemed to be grappling with another robot. " How...did all of you come?" Ryan asked. The Troopers had been looking for the rangers for some time but had no leads. To have a couple just materialize was shocking.

" Nope, just me and him." Rocky was patient. He know how he would've reacted in the same situation. " We were just visiting. " Rocky backflipped away.

Underneath his helmet, Ryan grinned. He jumped back into the fray, but soon realized that the battle had to be taken to the virtual world. Plus, it was becoming apparent that Icebot was under orders to get the Power Rangers. The Red and Blue Ranger were getting surrounded but there were fewer robot mutants fighting now. Ryan made the decision.

" It's time to take this fight where it belongs. " He pushed a button attached to his belt. " Virtual Vortex now!"

The vortex opened. In seconds everyone that had been fighting was transported to the virtual world. At first, Billy and Rocky had watched the vortex open with fascination, but as they were thrust along with the rest into the virtual world, both began to feel an unpleasant, painful pressure. It grew worse as they landed on the virtual battlefield, a place that looked surprisingly like the gravel pit in Angel Grove.

" Ohhh...." Rocky fell to his knees. " I can't breathe...it's like there's weights pressing on me."

" Our suits aren't designed to work in the virtual world." Billy said. " We've got to transport out of here." They tried to transport. It didn't work. " Oh no..." Billy's vision darkened and he collapsed, Rocky right behind him.

Kaitlin saw the Rangers fall. " Ryan, there's something wrong!" She ran over to the unconscious Rangers and ran a scan. " They're not breathing!"

" We have to get them out of the virtual world." said J.B..

" And to do that, we have to defeat these bucket heads! " Ryan shouted. " Virtual blasters now!" A blaster materialized. He swung it around and methodically blew away all of the mutant robots. That done, he ran over to Kaitlin and J.B.. " We'll have to take them to the lab." With that, they jumped back into the real world.

Meanwhile, back in Angel Grove, things weren't going so well. Kimberly, Aisha and Adam had earlier in the day decided to have a moonlight picnic on the beach. They had tried to get Tommy to come along but he was corralled by his parents at dinner, and was spending quality time with them.

A good thing, too, since he had been so upset about his failure to get a hold of Billy. Even more worrisome was that Rocky had failed to call in with news. At least, Aisha thought to herself, they won't be moping around, killing a good time. A little shallow on her part, but she was getting tired of everyone's mood swings. She felt that she deserved a few black thoughts....her own mood swing in other words.

The picnic was a great idea, great that is, until Optic-Face arose out of the water and snuck up on them. They were sitting innocently on the beach when it's glassy tentacles reached out of the darkness and grabbed the three of them. In less than a second, they were transported to a cage in Lord Zedd's dark dimension.

Tommy said good night to his parents and went to his bedroom. He was tired, and it had been a long wretched day. He was worried about Billy, and worried about Rocky. His parents had, after dinner with Kimberly, strongly suggested that he spend the evening with them. That amounted to playing Monopoly with them for four hours, feigning interest and happiness the entire time. Now, all he wanted was some sleep.

His communicator went off. " What is it Zordon?"

" There is an emergency, Tommy. You must transport here immediately."

Great, Tommy thought, the perfect end to the perfect day. He teleported to the Command Center.

Zordon was frowning. " Kimberly, Adam and Aisha have been captured by Optic-Face, Lord Zedd's latest monster. Optic-Face has tentacles that can transport anyone to the dark dimension. He is a formidable foe. "

" Have you located Billy or Rocky?" Tommy knew he couldn't take the monster by himself.

" No, Tommy." said Alpha 5.

" Is there anything we haven't tried?" Tommy asked.

" We could send a broad band distress signal." Alpha suggested. " That might cut through whatever is causing this interference."

" Yes," agreed Zordon. " If the problem is merely interference, then that just might work."

Tommy made the decision. " We have to try. It's the only chance we've got."

Billy awoke with a start. He found himself lying on a a flat surface in some sort of high tech lab. Thinking back to his last conscious moments, it occurred to him that he might have been captured. He sat up, and groaned as his head throbbed in pain. Looking around, he realized that something very weird had happened. Kaitlin and her friends were wandering about the lab. He saw Rocky, still suited up, lying on another table, evidently not yet awake.

" Hey." Ryan walked over. " How do you feel? Are you ok?" Ryan felt terribly guilty about the whole business. It had never occurred to him that the Power Rangers suits might not work in the virtual world. Fortunately, they had gotten the two Rangers back to their lab before any real damage was done.

" Ryan?" Billy was honestly confused. The last thing he remembered was the V.R Troopers transporting everyone to the virtual world. Then, it suddenly clicked. " You three are the V.R. Troopers?"

" Well, yeah." said Ryan." But how do you know my name?"

Billy realized he still had his helmet on. He quickly undid the clasps and took it off. Ryan's jaw dropped.

" You're a Power Ranger?" That was Kaitlin. She and J.B stepped over behind Ryan.

" Wow! This is incredible!" Ryan was ecstatic. All three of the Troopers beamed. If Professor Hart was correct, and they'd never known him to be wrong, with the help of the Power Rangers, the virtual mutants could be defeated once and for all.

Rocky, meanwhile, had come too, and had caught the last bit of the conversation. He took off his helmet and grinned at Billy. " You know, the rest of the gang is never going to believe this."

" Ha!" said Jeb, " I knew all along." Billy and Rocky stared. " The dog talks?" asked Billy. That explain a lot about dinner.

" It's kinda a long story." said Ryan. The Troopers quickly gave their guests the grand tour of the lab they used as headquarters. There was a sudden beeping.

" My communicator." said Rocky. " What's up?"

" Rocky, I need your help!" Tommy's voice sounded through the lab. " We've got a real situation here. Lord Zedd has captured Kimberly, Aisha, and Adam. Is Billy with you?" Neither Rocky or Billy could recall hearing Tommy sound so flustered.

" Yeah...he's here. We'll get to the command center right away." Rocky looked at Billy. " We gotta go." They got ready to teleport.

" Wait!" Ryan stepped forward. " It sounds like you could use some help. "

Rocky and Billy considered. With the Troopers added in, they'd be at full strength. Zedd could hardly be expecting that. " Is that an offer?" asked Rocky.

The Troopers nodded.

Tommy paced around the Command Center. There was nothing on the viewing globe. Optic-Face was apparently hiding, at least it wasn't running wild through the city. There was a flash. Rocky, and Billy, and much to Tommy's surprise, three other young adults teleported in to the command center.

" Hey..." said J.B., " This a a really nice set up."

" We try." Rocky said. He turned to Tommy, who was gaping at the newcomers. " We brought the V.R. Troopers with us. "

Zordon beamed while Tommy continued gaping. " Excellent. I have been trying to find the Troopers. Welcome."

" Well...." Tommy made an effort to regain his composure. " Now that you're here..." He quickly explained the situation. " Now, if you three could rescue our friends, we could call our zords and destroy Optic-Face."

" Sounds like a plan." said Ryan. " And when we're done, let's see if we can't figure out a way to get rid of these evil guys for good."

" Allright!" Tommy decided he liked these guys. " Now, we just have to locate the monster." An alarm blared.
Kaitlin jumped. " What was that?"

" Just our alarm system." Billy said reassuringly. He pointed to the viewing globe. " See? We got the monster located."

" We've got to get going. " Tommy said urgently. " You three know what to do?"

" Of course. " said Ryan. " Trooper Transform!" The Troopers teleported away.

" It's Morphin' Time!" The three Rangers went into action.

Kimberly, Adam, and Aisha hadn't been biding their time while held in the Cave of Despair. So what if there was a force field that prevented them from using their morphers....they weren't helpless. After testing the force field for weaknesses, they had decided to try to dig under it. It was slow going...but at least they had a plan.
The Troopers popped in with a flash. " Hey! " said Ryan. " We're the rescue committee!"

The Rangers stood. " Wow... the V.R. Troopers." Adam was impressed.

" What about Tommy?" asked Kimberly ," And the others? Are they ok?"

" Yes." said Kaitlin. " They're off battling a monster...now stand back." The Troopers blasted the force field. As soon as the field was down, the Rangers morphed.

" Thanks guys." said Kimberly to the Troopers. " Where is the monster now?"

" In Angel Grove Park." said J.B., " Would you like a hand mopping up?"

Rocky and Billy never realized how difficult it was to control the megazord without the others. It was lucky that Tommy had his zord up and running because they were having trouble maintaining balance. Optic-Face was really getting the better of them.

The White Tigerzord grabbed it off the Megazord and threw it into a building. At that opportune moment, the
other three rangers morphed into action.

" Boy, are we glad to see you guys." said Rocky as they grabbed they're places.

" We're getting creamed." added Billy.

" No problem." said Adam. " Let's blast it with the power sword!" With that, they called the Power sword, with one mighty swoop, conquered Optic-Face.

The Troopers and Power Rangers, untransformed and demorphed, stood around the Command Center, making introductions and congratulating one another . Tommy noted with pleasure that Billy seemed to be his old self again, and that he and Kaitlin had really hit it off. The rest of the Rangers also seemed far more relaxed and it was really cool the way the Troopers seemed to fit right in, despite being older.

After the first wave of excitement died off, Zordon gave them an idea.

" By combining the power coins and the v.r. crystals together, you should be able to transport Lord Zedd and his minions to the virtual world. The virtual barrier will be enhanced by the influx of power from the coins and none of the evil doers will ever be able to escape."

" Thats a great idea." said Ryan.

" Let's try it." said Tommy. They all took out their coins and crystals and carefully held them together. The small objects suddenly began humming with energy. A great wave of sparkly light shot up through the ceiling.
They ran outside to watch. The beam of energy flew to the moon. There was a great explosion and when they checked out the situation on the viewing globe, they saw that it had gone exactly to plan. Lord Zedd, Rita Repulsa were now safely encased in the virtual world, which was now surrounded by a new much thicker barrier.

" Allright!" shouted Rocky. He high-fived Tommy. Everyone jumped around, hugging and laughing and slapping each other on the the back. When Tommy took the time to glance at his watch, he realized that it was just past midnight; the perfect end to a great day.
 

THE END