[Ellen Brand]

After Tommy left, Lita played the tape she had made of the session, shaking her head. Tommy had been totally uncooperative. No matter what avenue of discussion she had tried, no matter what questions she had asked, he had refused to answer. Politely but firmly he had shut her down. Lita had been a psychiatrist long enough to know when a patient was hiding something. The question was, what could a perfect, All-American kid like Tommy be hiding? Drinking, drugs? Lita shook her head. Not this kid. Lita had actually heard of Tommy before he made the appointment, and she knew that he was very vocal at anti-drug rallies throughout Angel Grove. He wasn't at all the type to be mixed up in drugs. What secret could he possibly be keeping that was eating him alive?

..........Tommy walked into the Youth Center and flopped down into a chair. After a second, he felt someone sit next to him. He didn't have to look to know that someone was Jason.

.........."Hey, Jase. How're you feeling?"

.........."Pretty good. How about you? I called your house this morning and your dad told me that you were out seeing a shrink. What's the matter?"

..........Tommy turned to regard his friend speculatively. Jason had been his best friend for years. Through thick and thin, no matter what crisis Tommy had experienced, Jason had been there to lend support. Tommy knew that Jason would never betray a confidence. If anyone could be trusted with his secret, it was Jason.

..........Quickly, Tommy outlined the dreams that he'd been having, finishing up with the one he'd had the night before. "Every time, the Green Ranger's there, turning me evil. I can't fight him; nothing I do has any effect. Maybe he's right, maybe I am destined for darkness."

.........."Man, that's crazy. You are not evil, you will never be evil. It's just a nightmare," Jason hissed.

.........."Is it?" Tommy asked, his voice cracking slightly. "There's more. I've been having blackouts, periods of lost time. I have no memory of what goes on, and people say that I've been doing things that I would never do. I think I'm losing my mind."

.........."You should talk to Zordon about this. Maybe this is some trick of Mondo's, or Rita and Zedd's. It could be one of their spells," Jason offered.

.........."And if it isn't?" Tommy replied belligerently, the violent undertone in his voice startling Jason immensely. "Zordon will strip me of my powers faster than you can say 'Dragonzord.'"

..........Jason steeled himself for what he had to say. "Maybe that's for the best." Seeing Tommy's eyes widen in surprise, he hurried on. "Look, man, I don't think you're losing it, but if you are, or if one of our 'friends' on the moon is trying to control you, don't you think that you should give them up? Think of the team," Jason entreated. "You're dangerous enough without powers. With 'em...." Jason shook his head.

..........Tommy thought about that for a while, then nodded. "You're right, buddy. Let's go see Zordon." The two boys rose from their seats and walked out of the youth center. Ernie, drying dishes behind the counter watched them go.

..........Jeez, he thought to himself, Tommy looks like a zombie. Check that. Zombies don't look scared to death. Worried, Ernie made up his mind to ask Jason what was going on. Not that he'd get a straight answer. Those kids had stopped giving him the whole truth two years ago. Still, he'd be able to get some answers just from reading Jason's body language. That'd have to be enough.



..........At the Power Chamber, Tommy told Zordon and Alpha about the dreams he'd been having. "Alpha, scan Tommy for spells," Zordon ordered. The little android waved a strange-looking device over Tommy, shaking his head as he did so.

.........."Ai yi yi, Zordon. No spell energy detected. He's clean."

..........Tommy deflated. "Great. I guess I really am losing my mind."

.........."Not necessarily, Tommy. You have been under a great deal of stress lately, but this does not mean that you are mentally unstable. Most likely this is simply a reaction to large amounts of stress. I do think that you should seek professional help, though."

.........."Oh, yeah, right. What am I supposed to do, walk up to my psychiatrist and say, 'Dr., I'm a Power Ranger, and I've been having some weird dreams?'" Tommy asked sarcastically.

.........."Why not?" Zordon replied calmly. "You are not the first Ranger to experience stress-related psychological trauma. The previous holders of the Power Coins often encountered the same troubles. The only difference is that they were able to reveal their identities. I suggest that you return to your psychiatrist, and if you think she can be trusted, bring her here and tell her the truth. First, however, I think that you should choose someone to take your place as the Red Ranger. During your treatment, you should be spared the stress of battles."

.........."Jase?" Tommy asked, turning towards his friend.

.........."I am afraid that Jason is still too weak from his encounter with the Gold Powers to support the Red ones. They would place too much of a strain on his recovering system."

..........Tommy thought for a second, then smiled. "I know the perfect choice." With that, he teleported out of the Power Chamber.