ZORDON

Their first battle came far sooner than they had expected. "Children..." His father said after summoning them all there. "It is time. Master Vile has sent a monster to the marketplace. Hundreds of innocent lives are at risk. It is time to test your skills. Go now."

Zordon saw the way Morgana cringed at the mention of Master Vile. Dimitri automatically stepped closer to her protectively. "Father... Are you certain they are ready?" Zordon asked cautiously.

"I have complete faith in this team, my son."

"Come, then. You are ready," Zordon said. He began to lead the way.

"Only the team may go, Zordon," his father said harshly. "You shall remain here. Prepare the house for their return. Have the stable boy assist you."

"You are sending them into their first battle and you wish for me to remain behind to clean? Father, they need me."

"They must prove they are worthy on their own. Go now, Children. Galaxia, open a portal to the marketplace and transport the team. Dimitri, remember, you are the leader. It is your responsibility to protect your team."

"With all that I possess," Dimitri vowed.

Zordon watched in horror as the team left. He prayed they were prepared, but he worried they were not yet ready to be on their own.

"Zordon... It is not your job to fight these battles," his father said harshly. "You are here merely to watch over them and keep the farm and house functional for them."

"I have been guiding them in your absence! You gave them power and no training and expected them to fight this battle for you, but I trained them! You would have sent them completely unprepared to be slaughtered!"

His father looked furious and Zordon immediately regretted his words. "My son..." He said in a warning tone. "My methods are beyond your comprehension, but I assure you, they will make them stronger. You were meant to encourage, guide, and care for the needs of this team, not lead it."

"Someone had to lead them, Father! They were unprepared. They would not have survived battle."

His father stepped out of the energy tube and Zordon automatically took a step back. "You forget, Zordon, who is in charge here. I am your father. Such disrespect shall not be tolerated."

"I am sorry, Father," Zordon said quickly.

"Come here, my son." He motioned for Zordon to come closer. Zordon reluctantly obliged. His father hugged him, and Zordon began to relax until his father dug his fingers into his shoulders and whispered harshly, "Do not ever question me on such matters again." He continued digging his fingers in deeper.

"Yes, Father. My deepest apologies. I know your wisdom far exceeds mine," Zordon said quickly.

His father released him. Zordon rubbed his shoulder automatically. "Oh, my boy! Did I hold you too tightly? My apologies. I cannot always tell my own strength when I first emerge."

"All is well, Father," Zordon replied with a brave smile. He had believed such claims as a child, but as he had grown older, he realized his father's lack of the ability to control his strength only seemed to be an issue when he made him angry.

It is your own fault, he reminded himself. He routinely did things just to anger his father. Perhaps Zordon simply craved the attention from his father that most boys received automatically, or perhaps he was simply a horrible person, but Zordon took every opportunity to rebel. He had grown his hair out to spite his father. He had also pierced his ear with a golden hoop because he knew it would horrify him. It had worked. His father had ripped the hoop right out of Zordon's ear, leaving him screaming and in severe pain. Zordon had eventually healed and had done it again, just to prove his father had not broken him. His father had given up after that. Certainly, any father would be a bit violent toward a boy like him. He was practically forcing his hand.

As Zordon began cleaning up the house, he could practically hear his father telling him he was not good enough. He had to work harder if he ever hoped to be a fraction as good as his father was. As Zordon lifted up a heavy bag of garbage, he cried out. His shoulders hurt.

To his surprise, Zedd grabbed the bag from him. "Are you well, Zordon?" He asked.

Zordon was still getting used to Zedd. He had only been at the farm for a few days, and he spent nearly all of his time with Galaxia. This was the first time he'd done more than politely say hello or goodbye.

"I am fine," Zordon lied.

"You are hurt," Zedd said.

"It is merely a muscle ache."

Zedd looked at Zordon and he knew he saw through the lie. "I can feel the hands which gripped you... Who has hurt you, Zordon?"

"It is nothing, Zedd. We must return to cleaning."

Zedd paused. "Ah. Your father. Interesting, given he lives in that tube." He sighed. "Go rest, Zordon. I shall clean this place up."

"Zedd-"

"You may deny it if you like, but I know the look of a boy covering for the cruelty of his father. Go on, Zordon. All is well. I do not mind cleaning so you may heal."

Zordon might have protested, but he was exhausted. He was also quite worried for the team. He retired to his chambers and tried not to obsess over what might be happening.

DIMITRI

If there was one thing Dimitri was comfortable with, it was battle. He had been trained to use a sword as soon as he could walk. He had never suspected that he would inherit the family sword, but every male in the Scott family was expected to be able to defend the family in times of battle, both physically and magically.

The marketplace was filled with the sound of screams. The monster was enormous and wreaking havoc. Raven raised his sword beside Dimitri. Quintus and Galaxia followed suit. Caius looked on nervously, clearly trying to assess the situation. Morgana stood, frozen in horror.

"Morgana..." Dimitri called urgently. "Stay close to me. I shall protect you." He guided her to his side. The armor Zell had given them manifested on its own. Dimitri prayed it would protect his team from harm.

Together, they began to do what needed to be done. Caius and Quintus focused on getting people out of the monster's path. Raven and Galaxia took turns attacking the monster. Raven was unpredictable, and it appeared the monster simply had not expected a girl to fight as skillfully as Galaxia did.

A tent full of people caught fire. Dimitri saw a haunted look in the eyes of Quintus before he took a deep breath and ran straight into the flames. "Quin!" Dimitri cried out. He began to head toward him, but stopped as Quin emerged with a child in his arms.

"Take her," he said. "They're alive in there, Dimitri. I can save them."

Dimitri took the child, then watched in awe as Quintus slowly rescued several other people. Finally, breathless, he remained outside the tent. "I saved them," he whispered. "All of them..."

"You did well, Quin," Dimitri told him.

Quintus began working to put out the fire. Dimitri realized he did not know where Morgana was. He searched for her frantically. What he finally discovered left him horrified... Morgana stood directly in the monster's path.

MORGANA

She had spent the battle frozen in terror as everyone else fought. She was no warrior. She should not be there. However, when Morgana spotted a girl barely younger than her in the path of the monster, instinct had taken over. Morgana had jumped into its path instead, sending the girl to safety.

"Run!" Morgana told her.

"What about you?" The girl asked. She was deeply familiar, but Morgana could not take the time to question why. They were still in immediate danger.

"I shall be well. Go, please! Be safe!"

The girl fled and Morgana felt something strange come over her. Suddenly, magic burst from her, knocking the monster back. It stared at her in confusion. She took the opportunity to release another powerful burst of energy.

You can do this, she told herself. You have trained for this, long before you met this group. You are a witch. Act like it!

The monster tried again to attack. Morgana hit it with everything she had and watched as it screamed before vanishing.

"Impressive!" Galaxia declared. "I had no idea you had that in you!"

"Nor did I," Morgana admitted. She might not defend herself, but when others were in danger, she could and would protect them.

"Morgana!" Dimitri cried. "Are you well?"

"I am," Morgana replied.

"That was incredible... You destroyed it!"

"It appears so, yes."

Dimitri pulled her into his arms and hugged her. Morgana rested her head on his shoulder, finally allowing herself to breathe again. It was over. They had won their first battle.

RITA

She had not suspected a trip to the marketplace might be dangerous. Rita simply wanted to explore it and perhaps bring home a few trinkets. Instead, a monster had nearly killed her. The girl who'd saved her life had been so courageous. Rita looked around afterward, hoping to thank her, but she had vanished.

Suddenly, Rita became overwhelmed with a sense of loss she could not explain. It felt like the missing girl was important to her, but she had never seen her before. She sat on the ground, pulling her knees to her chest, and began to cry, feeling terribly alone. Even as her cat jumped out of her bag to try to comfort her, Rita still cried.

"Hey, now..." A voice said gently. "What troubles you?"

"I do not know," Rita admitted.

"Perhaps I can help." He picked up a guitar someone had discarded in their panic and began to play a cheerful, upbeat melody. He started dancing around. Rita felt the sun growing stronger. It lifted her spirits in a way she had not thought possible. Soon, she was no longer crying, and as the boy continued to dance around and play his guitar, she joined him, lifting her arms into the air and spinning as fast as she could.

"Raven! We must leave now," a girl Rita recognized called to the boy. She had been the one who saved her with the blue boy.

I would like to see him again, Rita thought. The blue boy had heroically saved her life. He was strange looking, but not in a scary way, and she was quite drawn to him. Unfortunately, he did not appear to be anywhere around.

The girl looked right past her and she knew she did not recognize her. The boy called Raven smiled at Rita kindly. "Do you feel better now?" He asked.

"I do. Thank you," Rita replied.

Raven bowed to her before putting the guitar back where he had found it and leaving with the girl. Rita picked up her cat and said, "Perhaps it is time we go home." That thought generally made Rita sad, but she was at peace with it now. Raven's light remained inside of her. She hoped the effect would last forever, but she suspected that was not the case. For the time being, she would hold onto it while it lasted.

ZEDD

When the team came home, Zordon was still out cold. Zedd wondered what had drained his energy, but he chose not to look into it. Some things were not for him to know.

As Galaxia came in, he flung his arms around her. "I was worried," he admitted.

"I am well, Zedd. We all survived our first battle!" Galaxia replied. "And our dear Morgana destroyed the thing!"

Zedd looked to Morgana with respect. "I knew you could do it," he said. "I sense great power inside of you, Morgana."

Morgana stared at her feet self-consciously. Zedd knew not to push further. She was not yet ready to fully accept her own strength.

"I have prepared your meal tonight," Zedd said. "I do hope it is acceptable."

"Where is Zordon?" Dimitri asked.

"Not feeling well. He is resting."

Suddenly, Caius collapsed, clutching his side. "Caius!" Galaxia cried.

"He is wounded," Zedd said. He lifted the shirt Caius wore, revealing a deep gash in his side.

"Caius! Why did you not tell us?" Dimitri asked urgently.

"You had others to worry about. I could not be a distraction," Caius managed to say.

Zedd knelt beside him. "My friend... Allow me to help," he said gently. He focused his energy on the gash, willing Caius to accept what he poured into him. Finally, the wound began to heal. When he finally released Caius, the boy looked better than he had before his injury.

"You are a healer?" Caius asked in surprise.

"I am an incubus. I can heal myself, generally... However, with practice, I learned it works on others as well," Zedd explained.

"You just became even more attractive," Galaxia said. "Come. Let me replenish your energy." She grinned at him suggestively.

"As tempting as that may be, I must feed you all. The battle took much strength. Food shall help."

"Very well... Afterward, then."

The Chosen sat at the table as Zedd retrieved the food. For the first time, all of them seemed to be paying attention to him. He looked at them. "What?" He asked. "Do I have some dirt on my face?" He added sarcastically.

"You have gifts," Raven said. "Gifts you can control, at that. We simply wonder why you are a stable boy while we are meant to save the world."

Zedd shrugged. "I like horses," he said casually. In truth, he believed he could not ever be one of them. He was an incubus. His blood was far too tainted to ever allow him to join them. Still, he was content to have it remain this way. He was their stable boy, yes, but he believed he could grow to become their friend. Zedd had never been allowed to have friends before.

If nothing else, he was Galaxia's love, and that alone made his life far better than he had ever dreamed it could be.

"Zedd?" Quintus called.

"Yes, Quin?" Zedd asked.

"You should cook from now on... This is far better than what Zordon attempted. Also, you are my new favorite housemate."

Zedd laughed. "Thank you, Quin. That is very kind."

"I'm easy to please. Keep me in a steady supply of food this delicious and I shall be loyal to you for eternity."

"Someone should mention that to any girl looking to earn Quin's affection," Raven said with a laugh.

"Forget girls. If this meal were a person, I'd marry it!" Quintus shoveled more food into his mouth.

"I think he has just proposed to you, Zedd," Galaxia said. "Should I be jealous?"

"Never," Zedd said. "As wonderful as Quin here is, none can compare to you."

Galaxia smiled at him. "Right answer," she said. She stood and took his arm. "Come, Zedd. Someone else can clean up."

"With Zordon resting, it is my job," Zedd reminded her.

"I can do it," Morgana offered. "You have done much for us, Zedd. I do not mind. Cleaning quiets my mind."

Zedd smiled at Galaxia. "Shall we?" He asked. Together, they retired to his chambers.

ZELL

His Chosen had done well. Zell had not expected them to be so successful, least of all Morgana. He had clearly underestimated her. Then again, it had been her daughter she'd saved. Morgana and Rita might not know that, but he did. Some bonds were so powerful, they inspired the impossible in people. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that he was going to need to keep Rita far away from her mother if his plan was to succeed.

I did not send her into labor so she could fight, he thought. Ensuring Master Vile took Rita away from Morgana had been meant to destroy her spirit, but here she was, inspired to fight when she did not even know who it was she had saved.

Morgana had not been the only surprise. Caius had been fatally wounded. Zell figured the Underworld God would have claimed him, but instead, the boy continued to fight to survive so that he could save others. Somehow, the boy had made it home, and Zell knew Zedd must have been the one to heal him. He would have sensed if it had been Galaxia's energy which had saved the boy's life.

Bringing him here so soon was a mistake, Zell thought. Zedd posed a serious threat to him. He had known that well before he summoned the other Chosen. That was why Zell had not called on the boy with the others. Zedd would one day become Chosen White, the strongest of them all, and the final piece of the team that would give them the ability to bring the prophecy to life.

They shall never find the strength, Zell reminded himself. He had made certain they were at their weakest when he recruited them. That plan had been brilliant. Upon discovering the prophecy, Zell had worked to figure out who the Chosen were. It had taken time, but after careful planning, he had set in motion a plan so intricate, he was certain it could not fail.

Morgana had already been nicely broken, but preventing her from escaping with her daughter had been essential to ensuring she could not rise to power. Her daughter gave Morgana strength, and in truth, she was destined to grow up to become quite a powerful force of good herself. Zell did not intend to allow that.

Dimitri's life had been easy enough to destroy. All Zell had to do was rape his mother. He knew as long as he made certain her husband knew about it, that man would go mad and destroy her. He'd even supplied him with the honey mead. Seeing the future allowed Zell to know Dimitri's gentle baby sister would sacrifice her own life to save his. It had worked out perfectly.

He had hired Raven and his friends to do the job in the cave knowing exactly what evil was trapped inside. He wondered if the boy who inspired such hope in all those around him still heard the screams of his dying friends when he slept.

Caius had been the most complicated. Zell had met with the High Mystic and convinced him to bring the boy to his land to study and learn more about the Mystics. Caius was a scholar, but Zell had seen that his destiny was entwined deeply with the High Mystic's own wife. The boy was so pure, he worried he would not give in to primal urges, but the connection between the two was so strong, he ultimately did.

Galaxia's mother had needed help to destroy that city. Zell had helped her brew the potion. He knew Galaxia would destroy her mother to save others, but he had not expected it to leave the girl so unscathed. She was much stronger emotionally than he had anticipated, and she broke rules. She had brought Zedd to him, something none of the others would dare have pulled. She was going to be trouble.

Quintus had been more difficult to locate. He knew the boy lived in a tight-knit farming village, but did not learn his identity. Seeing as how he was meant to be fireproof, Zell had sent the fire monster to destroy the village, knowing only the Chosen Gold would be able to survive. Although Quintus laughed and acted perfectly fine, Zell knew he had been deeply traumatized by the loss of everyone he knew.

Zell could not break Zedd so easily. The boy's father had been trying for years. He knew preventing Zedd from joining the team would involve convincing the boy he was worthless. Ultimately, that might not be enough because of his bond with Galaxia. He must do more than simply break Zedd's spirit... He must destroy everything that the boy was.

Zedd, most of all, cannot walk his destined path, Zell reminded himself. He could not allow the prophecy to come to life. The Chosen were destined to destroy the greatest evil in existence one day... Thanks to Zell taking them on as his own team, the foolish children had no idea that the great evil they were meant to destroy was him.

QUINTUS

He sat in his bedchamber, thinking of a million things. He could not rest, so he left the farm to go exploring. He ended up at the tavern. Quintus began drinking, trying to forget the smell of burning flesh from his village.

The fire at the marketplace had brought it all back. His parents, dead and burning in their bed. His friends, each of which had met the same exact fate. The village elders, burnt beyond recognition. The babies in their cribs, helpless to save themselves even if they had awakened. The children in his neighbor's house, clinging to each other for comfort. He suspected they had woken up somehow, but had been too terrified to flee their bedchamber. He had known Liang and Ming since they had been born, respectively eight and six years earlier. The brother had been the eldest, and he was fiercely protective of Ming, who worshipped the ground her brother walked on. The two children were always smiling and laughing and ran around following Quintus because Liang wanted to grow up to be just like him.

Except he shall never grow up now, Quintus thought. He downed another drink. He had no money of his own, but he had raided the collective fund Zordon had set up for them "for emergencies." He reminded himself not to spend too much of it. Luckily, the drinks here were cheap.

A gorgeous girl sat at the bar. She smiled at him, and Quintus took that as an invitation. He was hurting, lonely, and a bit drunk. Some companionship would solve at least one of those problems.

Always the charmer, Quintus quickly had the girl laughing and flirting with him. An hour later, they were in her bedchamber. Soon enough, Quintus pushed his grief to the back of his mind. He remembered the marketplace instead.

You saved them, he thought. You saved every last person in that tent. They survived. You finally saved someone. Stop dwelling on the losses and celebrate that instead.

He lost himself in his date's embrace. Hattie seemed to be enjoying herself, and Quintus was finally able to focus on her beauty and her laugh.

"Will I see you again, Quin?" She asked afterward.

"I certainly hope so, Miss Hattie," he replied. He kissed her a final time before leaving, knowing he had to return to the farm.

THE NEXT MORNING.

CAIUS

He was reading when suddenly, the world shifted. He still wasn't used to these visions. He watched, trying to absorb as many details as he could.

Several images flashed through his mind. Morgana holding a baby blanket and sobbing. Dimitri's sword covered in blood. Raven trying to encourage them in their darkest hour. Quintus holding a baby boy and laughing. Galaxia screaming in grief and anger. Zordon being flung across a room by an invisible force. Zedd riding into battle on Winifred the horse. A little girl with blonde hair and blue eyes who appeared innocent but was deeply evil. A different, darker-featured girl, who began as purely good being turned into something evil. Finally, and most terrifying of all, a grave marker that left Caius with a grief inside of his heart that threatened to destroy him.

Caius returned to the present and found himself in tears. Whose grave had that been? Was it the reason for Galaxia's grief? Whose blood was on Dimitri's sword? Why was Zedd in battle beside them? Did Morgana finding the blanket reveal that her daughter was, in fact, dead? Who were the two girls? Why was Quintus holding a baby? Who or what would attack Zordon?

He shook his head, overwhelmed with too many clues and far too few answers. Caius had not discussed his visions with the others for the most part. He wondered now if he should at least ask Zell for help. He was their mentor, after all. He decided to give it a try.

"Caius, my boy..." Zell said once Caius had explained his vision. "That is much to hold inside of yourself. To know the future is both a wonderful gift and a terrible curse... Let me try to ease your mind. Morgana's daughter is dead. I am certain that is what you saw. Dimitri most likely bloodied his sword in battle. Raven, of course, is always your inspiration and hope. I do not see Zedd joining you in battle. That is not his path. Perhaps you merely saw him as Galaxia does. She quite fancies the boy. As for her grief, death always comes eventually. Clearly, whomever is in the grave you saw caused her to mourn. My son must have been caught up in one of your fights when he was attacked. As for the girls, I do not know who they are, but I shall search for them to ease your mind."

"Thank you, Zell," Caius said respectfully.

"Quintus, I can answer definitively. The boy is his son, whose arrival is not as far off as one might think. He met a girl last night."

"What?"

"Quintus left the farm. He snuck off to a bar. Boys will be boys, and he was upset by the fire, most understandably. You must keep this to yourself, Caius. Quintus shall learn of his son in time."

"Are you angry he left?"

"No, just as I was not angry when you left to perform your goodbye ritual."

"You knew?"

"My dear boy, I always know." Zell smiled kindly at him. "You have all been through much in your young lives. It is understandable you will occasionally rebel. You must be allowed to heal." Zell paused. "Go on, dear boy. I shall work to decipher the rest of your vision."

Caius bowed and left. He was not sure how to keep this news from Quintus, but he understood to protect the future, it was vital not to reveal things before their time.

THREE DAYS LATER.

RITA

The meadow was still her favorite place. Rita was sitting there looking into the mists when she heard a strange sound. She realized someone was walking by, and she nearly hid before she saw it was the blue boy who had saved her life. She might have called out to him, but suddenly, she felt a keen sense of danger.

She saw the creature at her side as it slithered closer. This beast was not friendly like the others. It hissed at her and Rita let out a startled cry as it attacked, biting her.

The blue boy rushed to her side. "Stay very still," he cautioned. Then he took a sword and impaled the thing that had bitten her. He looked at her. "Are you hurt?" He asked.

"It bit me!" Rita said frantically. She was panicking as the poison from its bite began to spread.

"Try to remain calm. Steady your breathing. Panic will only spread the venom faster."

"Please... I'm frightened," she admitted.

He looked at her kindly. "I can reverse it. Do you trust me?"

Rita nodded. The blue boy began using magic and she felt the venom leaving her veins. Finally, she could breathe again, and she flung her arms around the boy. "Thank you!" She cried.

He seemed surprised by the hug. He relaxed after a moment and hugged her back. "You are safe now," he promised her.

"What is your name?" Rita asked.

"I am Zordon... And you?"

She hadn't thought about the possibility of him asking her that. Something told her that revealing her true identity would get her into a lot of trouble. She looked around for an idea, but all she saw was mist.

"Mist..." She said aloud. Zordon looked at her oddly and she quickly corrected herself. "Misty. Yes, that's it! I am called Misty."

Zordon looked at her with an amused smile. "Are you sure of that? You seem a bit uncertain," he teased her.

"I am Misty, and you are Zordon, and I am most grateful for your heroic decision to rescue me." Again, she added silently. "How may I repay you?"

"There is no repayment necessary." He bowed to her respectfully.

Rita kissed his cheek. He looked into her eyes then as he stood fully upright. She liked his eyes. They were both passionate and kind, although right now, they looked a bit confused.

"May I accompany you home?" Zordon asked. "I wish to ensure you arrive there safely."

"I fear that is not possible," Rita replied. "My father would frown upon it." She paused. "Perhaps we can stay here together for a bit? In case any other snakes come seeking me."

"Certainly."

They stayed together for quite a while. The more they talked, the more the funny blue boy made her laugh. She rather liked Zordon. The sun had set before Rita knew she needed to return home.

"I wish to see you again, Zordon. May we meet?" She asked.

"Yes," Zordon said quickly, making Rita wonder if he liked her, too. "When?"

"In two day's time, I shall be allowed to return to this place. Seek me as the sun is at its brightest."

"I look forward to it, Misty. Until then..." He kissed her hand before leaving.

Rita squeaked in delight once she was alone. Not only had she found the blue boy, but he had agreed to see her again.

"He is brave, kind, and handsome," Rita told her cat. The cat meowed in apparent agreement. Rita allowed herself to daydream as she headed home. Her life was full of magic training and her father's mood swings. What if she could live the life of a normal girl? She could visit the meadow whenever she pleased, and find adventure and perhaps even love with the handsome blue boy who had saved her life twice. Was it possible? She desperately wanted to find out.

ZORDON

He felt inexplicably happy at the prospect of seeing Misty again. Zordon went home smiling for the first time in ages. There was something about that girl...

"My son." His father summoned him in his mind.

Zordon sighed before heading downstairs, knowing his father was most likely about to ruin his good mood. "Yes, Father?" Zordon asked.

"Where were you?"

Zordon worked hard to shield his own mind. It was difficult to keep secrets from his father, but on occasion, Zordon liked to have moments that were just his. Misty was not someone his father needed to know about. He looked at him and replied casually, "I was walking in the meadow. I needed to clear my mind."

His father frowned. "Why do you lie to me?"

"That is not a lie. I had much on my mind. Walking helps me focus."

"You were not alone. Who did you meet, Zordon?"

"Just a local girl, Father. She encountered a snake. I helped her."

"That is not-"

"...Why I am here," Zordon finished for him. "I know, Father, but did you expect me to leave the girl to die?"

"Of course not. You did well, my son, but from now on, leave the heroics to the Chosen. You are but a boy."

"I have abilities, Father. I can help-"

"You help by caring for the needs of the Chosen. Stop risking your life, Zordon. That is not your purpose."

"What is, then?" Zordon demanded. "If I am merely here to keep house, send me home! You have Zedd for that now. If I am meant for more, then allow me to do something, damn you! "

Suddenly, Zordon felt a force fling him across the room and into the wall. He hit his head hard and the room began to spin.

"Do not take such a tone with me," his father said coldly. "I am your father. You will respect me."

Zordon felt true fear in his heart. Normally, his father was more subtle about his anger. This attack had been quite clear. He touched his head and his hand came away with blood. He stared at his father, trembling.

"Oh, Zordon, my son! I did not mean to hurt you! I was simply trying to make a point, and the energy burst happened... Are you well?" His father asked, feigning concern. Zordon wanted to believe him, but it was difficult.

"All is well, Father," Zordon managed to say. His head hurt more than it ever had before. Zordon was barely able to focus. He forced himself to stand and excused himself, fleeing the underground room. He ran to his chambers, and only once he had closed the door did he allow himself to cry.

I should not have cursed at him, he told himself. That was wrong. All he asks is that I respect him, as any son should respect his father.

After a bit, a gentle knock on his door caused him to jump. Zordon quickly stood and composed himself before answering the door. Zedd stood on the other side. "What is it, Zedd?" Zordon asked.

Zedd cautiously reached toward his head. After a few moments, the pain was gone. "I sensed you were injured," Zedd said softly. "Would you like to talk about it?"

"No."

"I thought not. Goodnight, Zordon." Zedd turned to leave.

"Wait." Zordon looked at him. "Thank you, Zedd."

"Of course."

"Please keep this between us."

"If that is your wish... But Zordon... You do not have to face this alone. Xia taught me that. I understand having a father who enjoys inflicting pain upon his son."

"I appreciate your kindness, but my father is not like yours. He meant me no harm. "

"Pardon, Zordon, but your head wound told me a different tale."

"It was an energy burst from the tube. It happens sometimes. And before you ask, my shoulders were an accident. He does not know his body's strength when he first comes out of the tube. He only hugged me."

Zedd looked at him with eyes that clearly saw through these stories. "Very well. My mistake... However, should you ever wish to discuss your father's unfortunate frequency of accidents, I shall happily listen."

Zordon nodded and said nothing as Zedd left. He knew his father had deliberately hurt him, but he also knew he had provoked him. His father was the greatest force of good in all the worlds. If he felt Zordon needed to be disciplined, it was true, and no one in the universe would dare to question that.