Disclaimer: I don't own the Power Rangers. They belong to Saban, along with anything you've seen in any of the shows. I do however own Sedra/Christie, Locan, Ahzza and Zarian/Josh . And anything else you haven't seen on the show. I'm not doing this for profit. I'm not getting paid for this. This is for entertainment only. If you would like to use any of my characters, please let me know. Thanx.
Author's Notes: In this timeline, T:APRM does not happen. This is the seventh story in my Ranger of Light series. If you like this, please let me know. This series has kind of become my little baby, and of course, my muse thinks so as well. 🙂 I'd like to thank all the people on the message board who have helped me out by answering numerous questions. And a special thanks to all of those who have been keeping up with this series, and sticking with me through
this. This is for you guys, and you know who you are. 🙂 PS: This fic is rated PG-13, and maybe real close to 'R'.
The Rescue
By
Cinders
Kim paced back and forth within the confines of the Power Chamber, moving from one room to another. She'd arrived back in Angel Grove not quite two months ago, with Jason. They'd both heard the reports of Billy's disappearance, and had hoped that the current team of Rangers would have found him, and had him back, safe and sound, by the time they got back.
But, that was not the case. The whole team was in near hysterics when she and Jason met them at the Youth Center. It was hard forcing herself to be in the same room with Tommy, but the minute she walked through the door, the past seemed to melt away, leaving only the desperation of the moment.
She and Jason were greeted warmly by all of the team, and it just felt so right. Just like old times, except, someone was missing.
Tommy had seen the concern in her eyes when she saw that Billy was not with them. He didn't hesitate in wrapping his arms around her, letting her cry into his shoulder. Pulling away, she glanced at Kat.
Billy had told her that they'd dated a bit; after the letter, but weren't very close. And looking at Kat, she was only given a welcoming smile, instead of the bitterness that she thought she'd find.
Once everyone had been seated, Tommy began to fill her and Jason in on what had happened, and why they were unable to find Billy, to get him back.
"It's bad enough that we have all these parallel dimensions to search through for them, but every time we locate them, they disappear into another one before we can get a lock on Billy, or any of the others." Tommy finished in frustration.
"Not at all like Rita and Zedd, are they?" Jason stated.
"Right about now, I wish it was Rita and Zedd we were dealing with. At least with them, we'd know what to expect next." Adam added.
"What about the two people the authorities are looking for?" Kim asked. She looked across the table at David Trueheart. He'd been introduced as Tommy's brother, and she remember when she'd been watching the news, that they said that the girl's last name was Trueheart.
"Ahzza is our adopted sister. She had nothing to do with Billy's disappearance, nor did her friend, Josh White. Though, because they've not been seen since that day, we can't convince the authorities that they had nothing to do with it." David explained.
"Why would the police think that they had something to do with it in the first place?" She'd asked.
"They were there during the battle. When it was over and Billy was gone, they had disappeared. Sam said that they had stopped by the reservation and picked up some supplies. He figured that they would be gone for a long time. But, they refused to tell him where they were going. They said that it was for everyone's safety. We haven't seen them since, and there has been no reports of anyone seeing them anywhere." Tommy put in.
So had started her extended visit to Angel Grove. Tommy had tried to convince her to head back to Florida, about two weeks after she arrived, promising that they'd keep in touch with her, but she'd adamantly refused, having already explained things to Coach Schmidt, who had given her his blessing to stay as long as she was needed.
Since then, nearly all of their time had been spent in the Power Chamber, trying to locate Billy. The longer it took to find him, the more worried about him she became.
Now, as Kim entered the main control room of the Power Chamber, she was beginning to wonder if Billy was even alive. She didn't want to think about it that way. She wanted to believe, more than anything, that he was still alive. But it had been a little over two months since he'd been taken, and this wasn't Rita and Zedd, or even any of the other aliens that the Rangers had fought in the past.
Jumping at the sound of Zordon's voice, Kim watched as Rocky raced into the room, hands loaded with computer printouts.
"ROCKY, WHAT HAS HAPPENED?" Zordon asked, seeing the frustration in the young Blue Ranger's eyes.
"We had a lock on the castle, then it disappeared again." Rocky tossed the papers on to the console, sending them sliding across it's top, to slide off the edge and scatter onto the floor.
"I UNDERSTAND YOUR ANGER, ROCKY. WE ALL WISH THAT BILLY AND THE OTHERS WERE BACK HOME. BUT WE CAN NOT GIVE UP HOPE. WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN."
"I know, Zordon. There just has to be another way."
"I WISH THERE WAS, ROCKY. EVERYONE SHOULD GO HOME AND GET SOME REST. ALPHA AND I WILL CONTINUE THE SEARCH AND CONTACT YOU AS SOON AS WE KNOW SOMETHING." Zordon added, when the other Rangers; shoulders slumped and eyes down cast, entered the room.
As the group slowly began to teleport away, Tanya stayed behind, moving to stand a Kim's side.
"Are you sure that you won't accept my offer? My parents have a spare room."
"I know, Tanya. And, thank you, but I feel better staying here and sleeping in the sleeping quarters."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, thank you."
"All right. I'll bring something back for you to eat."
"Thanks."
"No problem." Tanya stepped back, teleporting away in a column of yellow light.
"KIMBERLY, ARE YOU CERTAIN THAT YOU WOULDN'T BE MORE COMFORTABLE WITH YOUR FRIENDS?" Zordon asked, concerned with Kim's isolation from her friends.
"Actually, I probably would, but I want to be right here, in case you do finally locate Billy." Smiling up at the mentor who had become so much like a father to all of them, she left the main control room, and headed back to the sleeping quarters.
Silently she made her way down the corridors to the room she had called 'home' for the past two months. She had to chuckle at the thought that she was becoming more and more like Billy.
She was beginning to spend all of her time in the Power Chamber, hardly ever leaving. And the quarters proved that Billy had, indeed, not left the Chamber for days at a time. All of the essentials that he needed, were left in t he room. Even the smell of his cologne lingered in the room and on his clothes and bed sheets. It was a comforting smell that brought back happy memories. After all, it was the same cologne that she had given him a few Christmas' ago.
Letting happier memories wash over her, Kim pushed open the sleeping quarter door. The room lit up as she passed through the door; the sensors picking up her movements. Moving to the bedside table, she picked up the book she'd been trying to read. Turning she found a seat on the bed, and opened the book to marked spot.
For several minutes she sat quietly staring at the same word, before coming to the conclusion that she couldn't concentrate. Closing the book, Kim gazed around at the cluttered room. When Zordon had offered to let her use the room, she'd been surprised that it had been used so often, and by Billy. She hadn't quite decided if she was more surprised by the fact that Billy had been living at the Power Chamber, or that he'd let the room become so cluttered.
Knowing it wasn't her place to move things around, she'd only decided to clear away enough room for her to get to the bed, and a small spot in the closet for her clothes, as well as one, unused drawer in the dresser. Surprisingly, that had been the only place in the whole room that was free of clutter.
But now, after two months of having to be careful when moving through the room, she'd decided to do something about it. Even if it was only to straighten the numerous piles of paper into decent stacks. Oh, who was she kidding? She only really wanted to do it to try to keep her mind off of other things.
Sitting the book back on the night stand, Kim got up, taking an assessment of the room. Where to begin? Spotting a pile of papers perched precariously on the edge of his desk, next to his computer, Kim knew that that would be the best place to begin.
Carefully she moved past several other stacks of papers. Slowly she began to sort through the stack of papers, lining them up into a neat new pile. Kim tried to read the things that were written on the pages, but she gave up after several pages. She desperately wished that Trini had been there to translate the things that were written on the pages. But, Trini had gone her own way, as had she and Jason and Zack had. No wonder Billy had gradually toned down his techno babble. Kim shook her head sadly, remembering the old days, when things had been so simple. The worse thing that they had to fight against was one of Rita or Zedd's cheesy monsters. But, nothing had ever prepared any of them for something like this. Or had prepared them for someone like Sedra.
What she wouldn't give to have those simple, carefree days back. To be a Ranger again. She truly was more like Billy than she could have imagined. Giving up the powers they had, because they felt it was the right thing to do, and regretting it all later.
Drifting off into thoughts of the past, Kim continued to straighten the pile of papers, unaware of another precariously stacked pile atop the filing cabinet behind her. As a piece of paper slipped from her hand, Kim bent quickly to retrieve it, bumping her backside into the cabinet in the attempt.
A slow, swishing, sound caused her to turn, just in time to see the stack of papers begin a slow tilt, sending single sheets of paper floating to the floor. But, as she began to react to the falling papers, the stack tipped completely, sending pages cascading to the floor. Kim dove for the pages, but was only able to capture a page or two at a time.
Throwing her hands down in frustration; after all, she was suppose to be straightening up the room, her hands swung back knocking over the stack she'd just straightened.
Moaning in frustration, Kim slapped the few pages she held in her hands, onto the top of the filing cabinet, for which she was rewarded with a slight, clank of medal hitting the floor.
Surprised by the unexpected sound, Kim began to hunt for it's location. The sound had come from the back of the cabinet. Quickly she pushed papers out of her way, as she squatted down, feeling around in the small space between the cabinet and wall. Stretching out her arm as far as she could, her fingers brushing slightly against something cold. Taking a deep breath, and using her free hand, she pulled the cabinet away from the wall, moving it only a few centimeters; and that was enough.
Kim let her fingers slip over the smooth edge of the cool object, pulling it across the floor until she was able to get a good grip. The medal object was cool, and somewhat familiar to the touch, as she wrapped her hand around it, pulling it carefully from behind the cabinet. Sitting back on her heels, Kim opened her hand, exposing the object to her view. She couldn't stop the moan of surprise that passed her lips.
Within her hand, she held a small device, about the size of a man's watch; it's silver and blue finish glinting back at her. She had never seen Billy without it since the day he had created them for the team.
"Oh, Billy. Why did you have to pull a 'Tommy' now, of all times?" She sighed, fingering Billy's communicator. Lifting it from her palm, the communicator's face fell into the pile of papers at her feet. Reaching down, Kim carefully plucked it from the top of the scattered white papers. As she began to grasp it, a single word on a piece of paper caught her attention.
Dimensional…
That has become a household name around here, ever since she'd returned. Quickly, she placed the communicator's face in her other hand, as she reached out to pluck that one piece of paper from the pile on the floor.
Kim carefully began to read all the words on the page, tring to grasp their meaning:
"I've been watching the scanners for some time, as Rita and Zedd travel between dimensions. A practice they seem to have been doing for some time.
"I started working on this project when Jason had become trapped in their Dark Dimension. At the time, I created a device that would allow us to pass into that dimension. But, I knew that there had to be another way, and easier way, because we wouldn't always know which dimension they were in, and the number of dimensions is so astronomical, that searching each one would take years.
"So, in watching them travel, I noticed a slight flicker of existence in this dimension, as they passed from one dimension to the next. I've now come to the realization that this dimension must be the main corridor for the dimensional plane. A place from which all other dimensions are accessed. If we could get a teleportation lock on them as they passed through; in that one millisecond of a flicker, we could teleport a Ranger of Rangers, to their location, there by allowing them to travel with them. Then with the lock, we could teleport the Rangers and anyone else back to this dimension.
"I've been trying to perfect a device to test my theory with, before I go to Zordon and Alpha with my discovery. But my creation of a device has been slow; the Rangers needing my help, it seems, more than ever before."
A voice behind her, caused Kim to jump slightly. Turning, she found Jason standing in the doorway.
"Kim? What happened?" Jason asked, looking around at the papers that covered the floor. "I thought I'd come back and tell you that we're all meeting at the Youth Center. Are you alright?" Jason looked at Kim as she stood quietly before him, a familiar looking communicator clutched in one hand, and a piece of paper clutched in the other. "Kim?" Jason felt a sense of dread come over him.
"We need to talk to Zordon."
"Does it make sense to you, Zordon?" Jason asked their wizened mentor.
"INDEED IT DOES, JASON. WE MUST CONDONE BILLY FOR HIS CONSTANT THOUGHT PROCESS." Jason and Kimberly exchanged glances, as she slowly approached Zordon's tube.
"There's something else. A reason we haven't been able to get a teleportation lock on Billy." Kim held out her hand as Alpha peered down at the silver and blue object.
"WHAT IS IT, ALPHA?" Zordon asked pensively.
"Oh, aye, yi, yi, Zordon. It's Billy's communicator. And it appears to be broken."
"THAT WOULD EXPLAIN MUCH."
"Explain what, Zordon? And what was the emergency you contacted us about?" Came Tommy's voice from behind them, as the Rangers teleported into the Power Chamber.
"This," Kim said, turning to face the group, handing the communicator over to Tommy.
"Billy's communicator." Tommy looked up at the group, the overwhelming meaning of it showing in his eyes.
Adam stepped forward, taking the communicator from Tommy. "He took it off the day he was taken; after the first battle with Locan. He said that it had been broken in the fight and that he'd have to fix it. I guess we all got caught up in Ahzza and Josh being here, that he must have forgotten all about it."
"So, that's why we couldn't get a teleport lock on him. He never had his communicator on him." Tanya stated.
"THAT IS CORRECT, RANGERS. I KNOW THAT WE WERE ALL UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT SEDRA AND LOCAN HAD IT, OR AT LEAST THAT IT WAS BROKEN. BUT, REGARDLESS, WE MAY HAVE A WAY OF FINDING BILLY, BUT ALPHA AND I WILL NEED ALL OF YOUR HELP."
"What can we do?" Kat asked, coming to stand at Tommy's side.
"I found a piece of paper that Billy had been keeping notes on. Notes about dimensional travel, and a device used to lock onto a person or persons who are traveling through dimensions, like Sedra and Locan have been doing." Kim stated, standing before the group, Zordon behind her.
"THIS IS WHY WE NEED YOUR HELP. BILLY STARTED A DEVICE FOR JUST SUCH A PURPOSE, BUT HE NEVER HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO FINISH IT. JASON HAS LOCATED WHAT THERE IS OF THE DEVICE, AS WELL AS THE REST OF BILLY'S NOTES. WITH THESE, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO CONSTRUCT THE DEVICE WITHIN A MATTER OF A FEW DAYS." Zordon explained.
"What good will that do us? There are so many dimensions, that it could take us months to locate them again."
"It could, Rocky. But Billy discovered something, back when I was trapped in Rita and Zedd's Dark Dimension. He found that when they moved from dimension to dimension, they had to pass through this dimension to get to the next. Apparently this dimension is like a corridor though which they have to pass to get to the next. And when they did pass through there was a brief moment of existence."
"CORRECT, JASON. BILLY FEELS THAT THIS DEVICE WILL ALLOW US TO GET A TELEPORTATION LOCK ON THE INDIVIDUALS PASSING THROUGH, THERE BY ALLOWING US TO TELEPORT YOU TO THEIR LOCATION AND THEY YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO TRAVEL WITH THEM THROUGH DIMENSIONS. FROM THERE, WE COULD TELEPORT YOU BACK TO THIS DIMENSION." Zordon finished.
"Then, what are we waiting for?" Tommy asked, feeling the excitement the new had given him.
Billy slowly approached the hooded figure, taking care to listen to any sounds behind him. The figure before him had casually passed by him where he had hidden in the shadows of another alcove. This one seemed much smaller than the other servants, but with the draping ropes, Billy couldn't take any chances. Muscle was harder to defend against than stature.
He'd been making his way through the corridors, carefully looking for Christie as well as keeping his eyes open for the main control room. At one point he'd nearly been caught when he heard three of the servants approaching him. Billy had made a frantic dash around to find a place to hide. Finding nothing, he risked everything by hiding in a darkened corner. He balled his body up, keeping Locan's sword to his back. He tried not to breath or move, wishing that somehow he could just blend in with the stone walls.
Billy fought the temptation to bolt from his spot, when the servants came into view, mumbling amongst themselves. He waited for one of them to see him, alerting the others to his presence. Squeezing his eyes closed, he chanted to himself in his mind. "Please don't let them see me. Please don't let them see me…"
As the servants drew closer to Billy's hiding place, the tallest of the three stopped, turning in Billy's direction.
"Did you hear that?" He asked, his voice deep and other worldly.
"No. Nothing." The shorter one responded in the same tone of voice.
"It was a scraping sound, from the corner over there." Came the tall one's voice, once more.
Billy began to panic. Every part of him was screaming at him to run, but he forced himself to remain still. Maybe if he didn't move, they wouldn't come any closer to investigate. Billy gripped the hilt of the sword tightly, prepared to fight if he was attacked.
"I see nothing but a dark corner." Came the third servants voice. Billy almost gasped at the words. Could he dare to hope that they truly hadn't seen him? Using that hope to fuel his determination, Billy remained still, listening for them to continue on their way.
The tall servant seemed satisfied with the others' statement, and joined with them in moving on down the corridor. After a time, Billy slowly stood; his legs protesting. Carefully he continued on his own way down the corridor, never to know that he had in fact become part of the wall, his skin shifting it's appearance to match the wall he had been hiding next to. And as soon as he had moved, and the thought was gone, his skin took on it's normal appearance once more.
Now it was several corridors later, that Billy found himself stalking the hooded figure, Locan's stolen sword, in hand. He needed to find Christie, and if the servants knew of his imprisonment, then there would be a chance that they knew of Christie's as well.
He hadn't confronted any of the other servants, as the advantage of surprise had been theirs at the time. Now it was his turn to have the advantage, and he'd use it get any information he needed.
Carefully he checked behind him, once more, making sure that there was no one else; they always seemed to travel in pairs, and this was the first one he'd seen traveling alone. Once again, Billy moved quickly, rounding the servant in a few steps. Billy held the sword out before him, it's point brought quickly up under the chin of the startled servant. A gasp of surprise escaped the figure, as the tray it had been carrying crashed to the floor, reverberating down the corridor. Billy jumped, almost near to panic thinking that they would be heard.
Acting quickly, Billy grabbed the servants arm, forcing it into the dark alcove nearby. Once hidden within the shadows of the alcove, Billy pressed the sharp edge of the blade to the servants neck, once more.
"Please, my Lord. I am sorry for anything that I may have done to offend you. Please forgive me." The voice was familiar, even though it was subservient in tone, instead of the outgoing tone it normally held.
"No." Billy breathed in disbelief. "Christie?" Hand shaking, Billy reached out to push back the cowl that hid her features. As the cowl fell away, Billy expected to see dark, black, soulless eyes staring back at him. But, a moment later, a sigh of relief passed his lips, when dark, brown, tear-filled eyes gazed up at him. "Oh, God. Christie." Billy whispered, letting the blade finally fall away, pulling Christie into his arms.
"Billy? Oh, Billy." Christie sobbed into his shoulder. A gasp from Billy caused Christie to pull away from him, looking up at him confused. "What's going on?"
"Sedra and Locan kidnapped me a few hours after they took you. Are you alright?" Billy asked, touching a small, fading bruise on Christie's cheek.
"I'm fine…so far. You've been here that long? Why didn't I know?" She looked him over, taking in the cuts and bruises, his slightly gaunt features, and the tattered remains of his clothes. "What have they done to you?" She asked, moving around him to look at the torn flesh on his back. A gasp of shock and fear escaped her as she looked at his back.
"I need a place to hide, then we can talk." Billy said, turning to face her.
"I-I know of a place to hide. Sedra and Locan have never been there." Quickly, trying to be strong, she wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Can you take me there?" Billy asked as he helped to wipe away her tears. For a moment, the thought crossed his mind that he shouldn't trust her. She'd been there as long as he had been. He knew what Locan and Sedra had done to him, there was no telling what they had done to her. But, at the moment, preservation was of utmost importance. He needed to trust someone.
"I can't take you there, at least, not now. I'd be missed. But, I can tell you where it is. I'll meet you there later, and bring you some food and clothes."
"Will you be alright?" Billy asked, concerned.
"I will be. I'll come later, with the things that you need. We can talk then." Christie touched the remnant of a bruise around Billy's eye. A touch so soft and gentle, that Billy's head swam with the feeling.
A force, stronger than himself, pushed him forward, his bruised and callused hand touching the stray strands of dark hair at Christie's shoulder. So soft. Looking into her eyes, he saw a glint of hope, and something else that he couldn't describe. Letting the moment carry him, Billy drew Christie to him, taking her lips with his. The kiss was brief and gentle, renewing their hope. Pulling away, Christie pulled the cowl back over her head then picked up the tray she had dropped.
"I-I'm sorry." Billy stuttered out, afraid that he had gone too far. He hadn't ment to kiss her, but he couldn't help himself. He wasn't alone here, and that small bit of happiness made him see things a bit differently.
"For what?"
"For kissing…"
"No. I wanted it to." Christie stood, moving to stand before him. "We are all that we have." Carefully, she leaned into him, pressing her warm lips against his.
This time the kiss was deeper; a hunger that needed to be fed. Billy pulled her tighter, forcing the kiss deeper, their tongues touching, searching. Suddenly an alarm went off in Billy's head. They were not safe, not yet. Billy pulled away, breaking the kiss with a moan.
"W-Where is the hiding place?" He stuttered out. The kiss had effected him more than he realized.
"Um…oh, yeah. Take this corridor down, about seventy-five feet. There you will come to two sets of stairs. One set going up, and the other going down. Take the set going up. About half way up, fifty steps, I think, stop. To your left, press the fifth stone up from the step, and a hidden door will open. Go through it, and you will pass down a tunnel that will lead you down into the bowels of the castle. At the bottom, you'll find a large room. You'll be safe there."
Billy was surprised that Christie, who was a servant, would know of such a place, when Sedra and Locan didn't know about it. Again, warning flags went up.
"How do you know about the secret hidden door?"
Christie could hear the accusation in his voice. Billy watched the hurt fill her eyes.
"I have been here a long time. And I can understand your lack of trust in me. I know the door exists because when I was going up the stairs, I tripped on the edge of my robes. Falling, I hit against the wall, and the door opened. When I was sure that I was alone, I went through. Masses of cobwebs blocked my path, and the dust on the floor was thick and untouched. It was then, that I knew that Sedra and Locan hadn't found it.
"Satisfied that it would be safe to hid there, I went back to my tasks, planing to make my escape from Sedra and Locan when the time came. When I left the tunnel, I counted the stones up, so that I would know which one was the trigger stone, then I counted the steps down. Then I locked it all in my memory for later use.
"You can trust me, Billy. Who else do you have to trust? Because, right now. I don't have anyone but you to trust in."
Guilt hit Billy like a lead brick to the chest. How could he have even begin to think to accuse her? She'd never given him any reason to suspect her before. Squelching the small warning voice, Billy apologized.
"I'm truly sorry. I'm sure you, more than anyone, can understand why it's hard for me to trust someone right now."
"And I do. Believe me. The same thoughts of mistrust have crossed my mind about you as well. But, your injuries have told me differently." Christie gave him a small, hopeful smile.
"Thank you." Billy returned the smile. Giving Christie a quick kiss, he headed down the corridor. Before rounding the corner, he stopped to look back. Christie gave him a slight wave, then headed away in the opposite direction, passing out of sight.
Relieved that she was safe, Billy could now, focus his attentions on finding the control room, and finding a way for him to get Christie and himself out of the castle.
Checking to make sure that he was alone, Billy moved out of t he darkness, and down the corridor in the direction in which Christie had indicated, the sword gripped tightly in his hands.
Sedra watched from the dark, as Billy moved down the hall away from her, and out of site around the corner. Sighing in frustration she turned to face Locan who stood in the shadows behind her. With a shimmer, like the waves on the water, the image of Christie melted away, leaving Sedra standing in her place.
She had hoped that the persona of Christie would never be needed again. But, with Billy's unwillingness to co-operate, she had no choice. As close as he was to Christie, Sedra knew that the odds were better that he'd open up to Christie. And from the way things had gone a few short moments ago, she may yet be able to mate with him like she'd been trying to do since he'd been there.
"My Queen. Why must I watch you seduce that…that ugly human? It makes my stomach churn." Locan stated with distaste.
"It's not a matter of watching, Locan. It's a matter of doing your job. Protecting me."
"Looks to me like he's the one that needs protection." Locan said sarcastically.
With a harumph of displeasure, Sedra flipped a long strand of white hair over her shoulder, as she moved up next to Locan. Reaching out, she touched her fingers lightly against his face.
"What's wrong, Locan? Are you…jealous?" An evil smile crossing her lips, as she moved away from him, heading down the corridor. "Come, Locan. We have things to do."
Locan watched her, shaken by her actions and words. Confused, he didn't know if he should be honored that she thought he wanted her, or angered by it. As disgusted as he was with the human appearance, he was able to look past it, in Sedra's case, because he knew how black her soul was, and that made all the difference.
With a slight growl, Locan decided to be indecisive about the whole thing, and followed the corridor in the direction Sedra had taken.
Sedra heard him approach her, and smiled, slowing her stride a bit.
"What's our next move?"
"We get Billy to trust Christie. She'll bring him food and water, some clothes and things needed to care for his wounds." At the last part, Sedra gave Locan an accusing glance from the corner of her eye.
"I did what was necessary to break him."
"Didn't work, did it? No matter. Once he's assured that he's safe, and that he can trust Christie, he'll tell her anything, and even do anything, she wants. But, we will need to make him sympathetic to her." Sedra stopped suddenly, Locan nearly walking over her before he was able to stop himself. "That's it!"
Locan glanced toward her, his hand going for his sword; angered when he remembered that he only had an empty scabbard. "What is it?"
"I know the perfect way for Christie to get Billy's sympathy."
"How?"
"When Christie goes to the hidden room she told him about, she'll not only carry with her food, water and clothing, but a few new bruises. He's so protective of her, that she'd need only to shed a tear or two, and he'd be putty in her hands." With an evil cackle, Sedra continued on toward the throne room, happy with her deceptive plans.
Holding his breath, Jason twisted the last wire into the switch, then tightened the wire in with a screwdriver. Slowly he stepped back, joining the others who were standing by, watching the finishing touches on the device.
It had taken them longer than they had hoped, but through their diligence, the device was finished; each thankful for Billy's thorough note taking techniques. Now, all that had to be done, was for Zordon to turn on the device, and wait. The latter part becoming more and more tedious as time passed. Each Ranger, worrying in their own way, about the safety of their friend.
Tommy's concern was double. It had been over two months since Billy and Christie had been taken, and since Ahzza had disappeared, without a trace, after the battle. Though Sam had assured Tommy and David, numerous times, that Ahzza was fine, they still couldn't help but worry.
The sound of Zordon's concerned voice brought Tommy out of his thoughts, causing him to look up as the device began to pulse with a bright, white light, fluctuating over the exterior of the device. Slowly, a glass tube slid up around it, encasing it's energy.
"How, exactly, it this suppose to work, again?" Rocky asked, uncomfortable with the silence that had descended around the group.
"THE DEVICE WILL SWEEP THIS UNIVERSE EVERY ONE-HALF MILLISECOND, FOR A RIPPLE OF DIMENSIONAL MOVEMENT. AS SOON AS THE RIPPLE IS DETECTED, IT WILL LOCK A TELEPORTATION BEAM ON IT, AND TELEPORT THREE OF YOU IMMEDIATELY TO THE LOCATION. ONCE THERE, IT WILL BE ABLE TO KEEP A LOCK ON YOUR COMMUNICATORS, AND BE ABLE TO TELEPORT YOU BACK." Zordon responded.
"But, there's once little catch." Kim added, looking at the group before her.
"You have twenty minutes to locate Billy and Christie, or any of the others, and teleport back. After that time, the lock will be lost, and so will you, until we can reestablish a lock once more." Came Jason's voice from behind her. Kim turned as Jason came up next to her, putting a comforting arm around her shoulder.
"Oh, aye, yi, yi. We can't mess this one up, Rangers." Came Alpha's electronic voice.
"Why only three of us?" Tanya wanted to know.
"THE TELEPORTATION BEAM IS ONLY STRONG ENOUGH TO LOCK ONTO FIVE PEOPLE AT ONE TIME." Zordon stated.
"What about the others? There were six of them." Adam wondered.
"IF YOU SHOULD HAPPEN ACROSS ONE OF THEM, THEN IT MAY BE BEST IF YOU RETURN WITH THEM INSTEAD OF BILLY AND CHRISTIE. I KNOW THIS WILL BE A HARD DECISION FOR YOU TO MAKE. YOUR FRIENDS, OR STRANGERS. BUT, AS RANGERS, I TRUST YOU TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION."
There was that feeling again. Kim knew that there was something else behind the kidnapping, but everyone seemed to avoid the subject or hem around it, and it happened every time she questioned them about it. But, this time she wouldn't let it go.
"Alright. Enough." Kim slapped her hand against the console. "There's more going on here than what you all are telling me. I want to know, and I want to know right now; why does Sedra have Billy, and why would she want to kidnap him in the first place?"
"Kim…" Tommy started. They'd all been keeping the worst of the situation from her, though they felt that Jason was better able to understand and deal with it. But, Tommy could see the determination in her eyes, and they weren't going to be able to avoid the questions any longer. "…you're right. There is more to all of this than what we've told you." Tommy cast a glance at Jason.
"Wait. You knew, and didn't say anything?" She turned an accusing stare at him. "Am I the only one who doesn't know what's going on?" Looking around at all of the avoiding looks, she could tell that she was. "You thought that I couldn't handle it? Good God people, I used to be a Power Ranger for Christ's sake!" She screamed.
"Kim. We know ho close you and Billy are, and we didn't want to cause you anymore worry than what you were already going through." Kat tried to explain.
It was true. Kim and Billy were close. They'd grown up together and had been best of friends. She'd even begun to have deep feelings for him, until Tommy moved to Angel Grove from Stone Canyon. Until she had gone to Florida, she hadn't realized what she'd given up, when she started dating Tommy. Oh, she loved Tommy, there was no doubt about it, and she always would, but it wasn't until she'd been away for so long, that she realized her true feelings for Billy.
"I appreciate that you all care about me, and my feelings, but I'd really like to know just what the hell is going on." Kim demanded, trying to calm down.
"Sedra is looking to create the 'DarkChylde'. This child will be the one, and only one, who can stop the Powers of the Light, or destroy them. Sedra's been looking for the 'Light' and the 'Wolf', but so far, as we know, she has been unsuccessful. She's decided to bring forth the 'DarkChylde' in case she is unable to locate them." Tommy continued.
"So. What does this…'DarkChylde' have to do with Billy?" Kim wanted to know.
Taking a deep breath, Jason faced her. "There are certain criteria that have to bee met, in order to create the 'DarkChylde'. Sedra completes the first half of that criteria. Then she must find a mate who not only is an Earthling male, but has to fit two more criteria. He has to have a rare blood type…"
"Billy's type AB-." Kim gasped, remembering the day in biology when they had taken a sample of each other's blood to test their blood types.
"…and he also has to be a virgin." Jason finished.
With a hand cupped over her mouth, Kim looked up at Jason; tears filling her eyes.
"But…Billy will never have sex with her. Especially if he knows what is at stake. He'd never submit!" Kim nearly screamed. She hadn't ment to say the words out loud, but it just happened. And she didn't know if she said them to try and convince the Rangers, or to convince herself.
"We don't know what Sedra is doing, or has done to Billy since he's been there." Tommy added, knowing it would upset her more, but it was only fair that he be honest with her at this point.
"WE CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT SHE HAS BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL IN FORCING HIM TO SUBMIT, BECAUSE THERE HAS BEEN NO THREAT FROM SEDRA SINCE HIS CAPTURE, AND SURLY IF THE 'DARKCHYLDE' HAD BEEN CREATED, SEDRA WOULD HAVE LET US KNOW, BY NOW." Zordon added, trying to give them all a little piece of hope to cling to.
"Thank you. I need some time alone to think." Kim said, as she made her way from the main room. Jason moved to follow her, but was stopped by Alpha.
"Let her have some privacy. A lot has been happening, and Kim's been on the outside of the team, and the things that they go through, for some time." Jason nodded in understanding. It was hard for him the first time he returned to the team during the end of their Zeo era.
"Okay. So…which three of us are going to teleport to the castle?" Rocky asked, breaking the silence.
"Fifty…" Billy whispered to himself, as he mounted the final step that Christie had indicated. Looking to his left, Billy counted the stones up from the step. 1-2-3-4…5! Taking a moment to listen for anyone who might be following, or coming toward him, Billy reached out, hand brushing lightly at the fifth stone. Another warning bell sounded in his head, and he pulled back. Searching the wall before him, he found the barely noticeable cracks that indicated that there was indeed a hidden door. Carefully, he traced them, finding that the door would open to the left of the stone. Looking cautiously around, Billy stood with his back pressed to the wall to the right of the door, the cold stones stinging his bare, torn back. Holding the sword up as best he could, clutching it against his chest, Billy raised his foot, slamming his booted heel against the stone.
Holding his breath, he prepared to attack. Billy listened as the stone door rolled back, grinding rock against rock, as it opened. The sound was nearly deafening, as he glanced up the stairs and down, prepared for a figure to emerge from the darkness at either end.
Though it seemed as if it took forever, the door finally came to a grinding halt, the wall shaking at his back. Releasing the breath he'd been holding, Billy slid along the ruff stone wall, the stones tearing at his wounds. Leveling the sword to strike, the weight of it threatening to drag his arms down to his side, Billy stepped forward.
The last remnants of a dust cloud settled on the steps at his feet, having been disturbed by the opening door. Hesitating for a few moments, Billy strained to hear the faintest of sounds. When the silence continued, he moved forward to stand before the open door. Faint lights along the walls seemed to glow eerily. Glancing at the dust covered floor, Billy could clearly make out two sets of foot prints. Both from the same set of small feet. One set lead in, and were distorted by the second set that had lead out of the corridor. Cobwebs hung like wispy curtains from the walls and ceiling, as a slight breeze moved past him to fill the corridor.
Sensing that he was in no danger, Billy stepped up into the doorway, slowly moving in to the stand next to the first light in the wall. Even his scientific mind was surprised to find that the glowing lights were nothing more than stones set into the wall. A stone that seemed to absorb the light that touched it coming in from the doorway. The more the light touched it, the brighter the stone glowed, there by providing light for the other stones that lead down the dark corridor.
"Amazing." He could think of no other word to describe it.
Slowly he moved a few more feet into the corridor. As he took another step, a loud click sounded at his feet. Surprised, Billy glanced down to see a single black stone beneath him, his right foot resting at it's center. Behind him, the door began to grind close. Billy would have been panicked, and should have been if it wasn't for the fact that he knew he'd be safe behind the door for a while. A chance to get some real sleep. He just hoped that the same mechanism that opened the door, would also open it.
Letting the fleeting thought rest in the back of his mind, Billy made his way down the descending corridor, the glowing stones lighting his way.
Billy had no idea how long he'd been descending into the bowels of the castle. No more of an idea than he had about the time he'd been held prisoner within it's walls. He made a quick mental note to ask Christie if she knew, when she brought him some food and clothes. He was tired, and all he could think about was rest. To be able to close his eyes and sleep. At this point, he didn't give a damn if he had nightmares or not. They had become so much a part of his life now, just like breathing was.
Taking a glance behind him, he found that the stones were beginning to dim. Before long, he presumed, he'd be plunged into darkness, along with the corridor, and what ever room or rooms were at the end of it. But, he didn't care. His scientific mind wanted to evaluate and study the amazing stones, to find out what their composition was made up of, but the other part was only concerned about one thing…survival.
Ahead of him, Billy could see that the corridor veered off to the right. Being cautious, not letting the feeling of safety distract him, Billy grasped the hilt of the sword tightly, and inched his way along the wall; cobwebs clinging to his bare skin.
At the corner, he slowly peered around the edge, taking in any and everything beyond it. Before him the corridor opened up into a large room. The room was lightly furnished with a small bed-like structure in one corner, and a small, rectangular table at it's center. Three chairs were placed at three of the sides of the table. To the right of the table, against the wall, stood a cabinet that leaned precariously in towards the room. From where he stood, he could see every inch of the room, and knew that he was completely alone.
Relaxing, and letting the sword down, Billy stepped into the room, his feet kicking up the dust that covered the floor. He watched as it settled down into the smaller foot prints beside him. Curiously, Billy took in the contents of the room, the stones behind him starting to dim.
Gazing at the table's top, Billy found an indication that Christie had intended to return to the room at some point. In the center of the table set a lamp and a few, long, red tipped sticks and a striking stone.
Moving to the table, Billy lay the sword on it's scared, wood surface. For a moment Billy had the sensation that his arm was slowly floating up. He'd almost forgotten how heavy the sword was. Giving his arm a quick shake, Billy carefully lifted the glass dome of the lamp off. Sitting it gently on the table next to the lamp, he picked up one of the sticks; striking it against the stone. A small spark shot out, but didn't light. He wasn't surprised. They appeared to be quite old. A couple of more strikes later, and a small flame finally took hold of the sticks end. Billy held it still, letting the small flame grow brighter. Once satisfied that it would stay burning, he touched it to the lamp's wick. Once it had taken hold of the darkened end, Billy blew out the small flame at the sticks end, as he placed the dome back on top of the lamp.
Looking up from the lamp, he found that the stones in the walls were beginning to flicker, like a bad florescent light, then dim. Letting out a deep sigh, Billy moved around the room, touching the softness of the bed, exploring the empty cabinet. Stretching up, he felt along it's top, surprised when his fingers brushed against something that felt like a book. Unable to grip it, Billy pulled one of the rickety chairs over, and climbed precariously onto it, listening as it creaked and groaned under his weight.
Carefully, he grabbed the old leather bound book, and stepped off the old chair. Quickly, his curiosity getting the better of him, he thumbed carefully thought the old pages. Seeing hand writing, he almost fell to his knees in thanks. He could finally give his brain some exercise. Placing the book on the bed, he pulled the chair up beside it, and placed the lamp from the table, onto the seat. Once satisfied with his makeshift side table, Billy sat down on the bed, sliding back until his back was resting against the wall, then grabbed the book up once more.
Billy opened it carefully; the yellow page edges, brittle to the touch. Opening the book, Billy turned to the first page, and was disappointed to see that it was written in a scrawl that he couldn't decipher, let alone read. Flipping though a few more pages, Billy decided that he'd just look through the book, after seeing a few interesting drawings. All the writings were unfamiliar, and even the few diagrams he'd seen were foreign to him.
At one point, half way thought the book, Billy's eyes locked onto a couple of paragraphs of familiar words. Sitting up straight, leaning into the light, he began to read them aloud.
"It has been nearly one hundred years since Walking Wolf separated himself into two individual entities. I have but one hundred more years to wait for the powers to reunite, manifesting themselves into one being. And I have a plan. While that being is still too young to protect itself from me, the way Walking Wolf did; I will take the powers for myself.
"I've spent this time studying the people of Earth, even having been a part of them. I know their weakness', and what it will take to rule them. The only thing that would make the victory so much sweeter, is if the DarkChylde was at my disposal. But, I have found that the possibility is beyond me. But, I will still take what I can get.
Year, 1879
Heratron, Llynorackib "
Billy knew his earlier dreams had been about actual events. That much he'd learned from Sam Trueheart, but to see the things he's actually dreamed of in black and white, made it seem more real, and more frightening. And now, instead of knowing the alien being as the Heratron Lt., he had an actual name to put with the dreamed image.
Hoping to find more information, Billy continued to flip through the old pages. The last page containing the image of a multi-armed creature, with an insect like head. To the sides were images like petrogliphs. One like the sun, and one like a wolf. A bolt of lightning was drawn as if it was coming from the two images and going into the creature.
Billy assumed that the figure in the center was the Heratron's real visage, and that he was predicting that he'd be able to absorb the powers. Sitting the book on the bed next to him, Billy let his head rest against the wall behind him. His eyes were growing heavy, and he knew that he couldn't fight sleep any longer.
As his eyes began to drift shut, Billy spotted the sword laying on the table. For a brief moment, the thought that he should get up and place it next to him, crossed his mind, but he didn't even finish out the thought before the blessed darkness of sleep over took him.
Immediately, images began to form, swirling in the void. A creature with multiple arms, surrounded by bright light, stood at the center of the darkness. A wolf paced the parameter of the light around the creature; it's growls coming from everywhere. Slowly the images began to fade away, replaced by new ones. At first the image was of Kim, her smile and laughter lifting his spirits. Then that image faded replaced by Christie. A different feeling came over him, as she looked at him, smiling. But, this image seemed to be changing, growing darker. Once more the image faded, replaced my Ahzza, who seemed to be glowing; a halo of light surrounding her. Billy listened, as her lips began to form words. "Find the 'Wolf'." Then her image faded as well.
For a time, Billy floated in the darkness, letting it lull him, caress him, soothe him. He was falling under it's spell; feeling safe.
A sudden, bright light exploded in front of him, blinding him momentarily. From out of the light echoed the sounds of battle, and cries of pain. Billy tried to see what was going on, but the light kept him at bay. Unexpectedly, there was a figure appeared before him, gripped in his own hand. A feeling of victory washing over and through him, filling him. But, why? What had he been victorious over?
A voice, a single familiar voice emerged from the sounds of battle around him, becoming the only sound he could hear. Turning to the voice, his vision cleared and now he could clearly see the figure he held. Billy held the figure gripped in one hand, while in the other he held a sword, it's razor sharp edge held against the figure's throat.
The one he held in his hand was dressed completely in red, bands of white encircling each upper arm. Black trimmed the yellow chest plate as well as gauntlets and boots. A helmet complete with chrome trim and lights covered the individuals head, except for the portion that had been blasted away, exposing the left quarter of the person's face; a cheek and one terrified, brown eye. A single word drifted up to him from the figure held in his hand, "Billy…"
"There is no use in begging. It's over…Tommy." Surprised by his own words, and how cruel and cold they sounded, Billy looked down into the face of the man he had once called friend, and ally; and laughed.
"No…" was the last word Tommy spoke as Billy slowly, methodically, pulled the blade cleanly across his neck; feeling the warm, thick blood rush over his gripping fingers, watching as the light slowly faded from Tommy's eye. A smile of satisfaction curved his lips. From behind him, came a seductive voice, whispering in his ear.
"Well done my King. Victory is sweet, and it's ours." Billy pulled his eyes from the dead stare of Tommy's eye, letting his lifeless body slip from his fingers. Looking out around him, from where the sounds of battle had been, he finally saw what the light had hidden from him. Billy saw the remnants of battle laying all around him. Bodies littering the ground. The only figure standing was that of Locan. Billy pulled his eyes from Locan's victorious stance, to take in the bodies that lay lifelessly all around. They were all clothed in colorful uniforms; Pink, Green, Blue and Yellow. All of the uniforms were nearly identical to those worn by the figure laying at his own feet.
Two words escaped him then…Power Rangers. Then he heard his name being called, but the voice calling to him seemed to be growing further and further away from him, letting the darkness enter once more.
Sedra slipped quietly into the corridor, the stones in the wall beginning to glow gently, lighting the descending tunnel ahead. The door behind her ground closed, alerting Billy to her entrance. Once more she'd taken on the visage of Christie, garbed in the black robes of her servants. She hated having to be anyone other than who she was, but after two months of resistance from Billy, she had no other choice.
Slowly she made her way down the corridor, listening for any sound coming from down below her; expecting Billy to appear out of the darkness holding Locan's sword. Her head still ached from all the carrying on that Locan had been doing since Billy had taken his favorite sword.
Ahead of her, she could see a faint glow of light. Good, he'd found the lamp and lit it. Carefully, she passed her fingers over her cheek, testing the tenderness of the bruise there. Though she's used her magic to create the appearance, the full effect would not seem real, unless the bruise truly did cause some amount of pain.
What she wouldn't do to mate with this human. To bear the 'DarkChylde'. Any other options were pretty scarce right at the moment. Locan had returned from yet another unsuccessful attempt at locating Ahzza, and who know where or who the 'Wolf' was? And it seemed as if no one did know.
Sedra had made several trips back to the reservation, and had found nothing in the minds of anyone there that would tell her where Ahzza had gone. She also had checked a few minds of some of the other friends of Billy's and Ahzza's, but no one seemed to know anything about the 'Wolf' or it's identity, which added to her frustration and urgent need to bring forth the 'DarkChylde'.
Sedra stood at the corner, the dim light from the room hiding her in shadows; the stones behind her blinking into darkness once more. Quickly, she checked over the items that she'd brought with her. A pouch of water, a bowl containing cheese, fruits and bread. She'd thought about drugging the food, but thought better of it. She wanted Billy to be able to trust Christie. She'd have a chance the next time.
The bowl, Billy would be able to use to pour water into to bathe with. Over her arm, she'd draped a towel and a change of clothes. She'd seen Billy dressed in black before, and found him to be quite attractive in that color, so she had whipped up a set of clothes tailored to her tastes. Black leather pants, and a loose fitting black, silk shirt.
Satisfied with her procurements, she moved around the corner of the wall, into the light, calling out Billy's name, to let him know that it was only Christie.
As she moved into the room, she was surprised to find Billy asleep on the bed, his back against the wall, legs drawn up, with his arms draped over his knees. His head was leaned back, exposing the fine lines of his chest and neck to her view. Taking a deep breath to calm her sudden pangs of lust, she set the items down on the table's top, noticing for the first time, the he was without the sword.
Sedra had wanted to rush back to this place, almost as soon as she had told him of it's existence, but she had had other things to deal with, and had been detained for nearly 12 hours. She had nearly ran all the way to the door, once she had a spare moment.
Free of her baggage, she moved toward the bed, skirting the chair and lamp. Quietly, she moved the chair away from the bed's edge, as she sat gently on the bed next to Billy. She watched, entranced, at the even, rise and fall of his chest. Slowly, keeping her eyes locking on his, she reached out with her cold fingers, to touch the warm planes of his chest, feeling the light tickling brush of fine hairs against her fingertips. How she would love joining with him. Then he would be hers…forever.
An unexpected touch on her arm brought a gasp from her. She watched from the corner of her eye, as Billy's slender hand moved gently up her arm. She focused on his eyes, and was startled when they slowly blinked open. He seemed to be looking straight at her, and yet through her.
"Billy, I-" Before she could utter another word, Billy's hand grasped her arm painfully, jerking her toward him, pulling her up tightly against the hard wall of his chest. Roughly he wrapped his arms around her, almost as if he were trying to mold her into himself. At first she tried to push away. A reaction from the human part of her that she had duplicated. But the resistance faded as Billy savagely took her lips with his own, mating their mouths in an ancient dance of desire.
The touch of his tongue against hers sent and electrical charge through her body. Suddenly her hunger began to match his, as she accepted the caresses of his hungry hands, and savage kiss. She could feel the caress of his strong hands as they searched the thick folds of the robes she wore. She suddenly wished that she hadn't have worn the robes at all.
As his kisses and caresses deepened, she couldn't help the moan of pleasure and hunger that escaped her, as his passions became more demanding. Shifting, Sedra tried to position herself more comfortably. A sudden jab to her hip startled her. Trying to pull away from Billy's grasp, she tried to see what she was leaning up against, but Billy's grip was like iron.
With one push on his chest, she was able to drag her swollen lips from his hungry kisses, long enough to whisper a few words.
"Billy…something is jabbing my hip." Sedra looked up into his eyes, and saw the lust suddenly fade away, as if he was finally seeing her for the first time.
"Oh, God! Christie! I-I'm so sorry. I-" Billy released her, leaping off of the bed, like she'd just burst into flames in his arms. Which, from Sedra's point of view, wasn't far from the truth.
Standing a few feet away from her, he could see how swollen her lips were, and brushed the back of his hand against his own. What the hell was he doing? The dream! Oh, God! The dream! A sudden feeling of nausea began to swim up from his gut as he looked at Christie; the memories of the dream still vivid in his mind.
Sedra watched as Billy bolted toward the corridor, disappearing around the corner. She felt a bolt of anger wash over her, but she had to carry on with the charade.
"Billy! Where are you going?" She called out, pushing off from the bed, her hand grazing the object that had been jabbing her. Looking down she saw the Heratron's Journal. She'd left the book here, just in case something happened to her, that way no one else would learn of the secrets that she knew, and use them to take her universe. She hadn't even thought that Billy would find it. Not that it mattered, he wouldn't be able to read it anyway.
A groan of anguish, from the corridor, reminded her that she wasn't alone, and that she had better check on Billy. After all, that's what Christie would do. Getting up from the bed, she grabbed up the lamp and went to find him.
As she rounded the corner, the light of the lamp lit up the pale, scarred and torn plains of Billy's back, where he squatted with his head against the stone wall of the corridor. The small stones set into the wall beginning to glow faintly with the light.
She could tell he was breathing deeply, trying to control his overflowing emotions. Even she was confused by what had happened. Carefully she moved toward him.
"Billy? Are you all right?" Billy's response was somewhat muffled by the wall, and she strained to hear him.
"I don't know what I was doing, and I apologize if I've hurt or offended you. One minute I was having the worse dream of my life, and the next I was…"
"You didn't hurt me, Billy. Surprised me? Definitely. But, you know, I've never made a man sick before. I don't know weather I should be insulted, or honored." Sedra chuckled slightly. To her it sounded as forced and fake as her appearance. But it must have sounded genuine to Billy, because he slowly lowered himself to the floor, turning to rest his back against the wall, a slight smile on his lips.
The redness in his eyes indicated that he'd been crying, though she thought better of mentioning it. His face was flushed, but seemed to be getting some of the color back.
"Do you think I could ask you to take it as a complement?" Billy asked, taking a deep breath. He listened to the soft ruffle of fabric, as Christie sat down across the corridor from him.
"Are you okay?" She asked again. "What happened in there?"
"I'm fine. I…I wish I knew. I know I was having the worse dream I've ever had."
"Do you mind telling me about it?" Billy nodded and began to describe the dream, telling her every detail, leaving nothing out, except the names of the Rangers.
"Sedra kept whispering to me that victory was sweet. And I felt evil, and it felt good. Then I woke up, and I was…" Billy stopped, feeling the bile rise up in the back of his throat agai