The Soul Cages
by Kittie

Adam looked up from the play he was reading. "What?"

"Can we please change the CD?"

"What's wrong with this one? I love Sting!"

Rocky squirmed. "Yeah, he's cool and all but he's depressing me."

"Whatever," Rocky said, relieved. "Put in something cheerier."

Adam flipped through his collection. "I've got.. Sting, Sting, The Cure, The Police, Nirvana—"

"YOU have Nirvana?"

"Yeah. Unplugged. I like the one about Hell."

Rocky rolled his eyes. "It figures. Don't you have any B-52's?" Adam shook his head. "Weezer?... Hootie?... Gin Blossoms?"

Adam shook his head. "None of the above." He paused. "I have Simon and Garfunkel?"

"All right, fine." Rocky made a mental note to buy Adam some decent CDs for his next birthday. _Well, at least he's got one cheery...._ His thought was interrupted as the first notes of "I Am A Rock" filled the air. Rocky was incredulous. "Adam, what are you doing?!"

"What? You said you didn't mind—"

"You picked the most depressing song on the whole album! What is wrong with you?!?"

Adam thought about it for a moment. What was wrong with him? Why was it that all of his favorite songs were the depressing and pessimistic ones? Rocky was waiting for an answer. "I don't know," he said. "I guess it just speaks to me."

"I am a rock, I am an island?" Rocky quoted. "A rock feels no pain and an island never cries? Come on, Adam!"

"Sorry." Adam shrugged and went back to reading his play. Rocky was reading into this way too much.

~*~

He rose from his throne and snuck into Rita's chamber. The witch was away for two weeks, visiting her father. Zedd was enjoying the quiet. He found the book he was looking for and hurried out.

Back in his throne room, he flipped through the book until he found the page he wanted. "Ah, yes," he growled, eyes glowing an ominous red. "The legendary sword of darkness." He read the description aloud. "One strike and the victim is doomed to a fate worse than death. The soul is drawn from the body and into the sword." He grinned. "How useful can a ranger be without a soul?"

He started to call Goldar, but changed his mind. Goldar would surely screw up the task if he was sent to retrieve the sword. Zedd sighed. "I have to do everything myself."

~*~

Adam sighed as Rocky once again interrupted his train of thought. _Remind me never to invite him over to do homework again,_ he said to himself. Rocky's attention span was way too short. "Zoo Story," he answered aloud. "It's a play by Edward Albee."

"Oh." Rocky paused. "Is it good?"

"I don't know. I've been reading this same sentence over and over again."

"Why?... Oh." Rocky blushed and tried to concentrate on his math homework. _a2 + b2 = c2. Huh?_ Rocky sighed. _I wish Billy was here. He wouldn't mind helping me out._ He sighed again and stood. "I should go."

"Oh," said Adam, not looking up.

Rocky frowned. "Bye," he said, and left without another word.

~*~

~*~

He made a face and lay back down on the bed. _Maybe I should grab a bite to eat._ He was just about to get up and call room service when he was surrounded by a weird red light. He felt like his brains were being sucked out of his ears. The next thing he knew, he was in a dark room, standing in front of a huge throne. _This is new,_ he thought. There was a dark form in the throne, but he couldn't make out any features. "Um... hello?"

"You are the human called Sting, are you not?"

Sting nodded. "Sometimes. Other times I'm just Gordon Sumner, humble servant of—"

"Do not toy with me, human." The form leaned forward and Sting gasped with horror. "Good God what are you?" It was a man, or what may have been a man long ago. He had no skin, just muscle, and his face was covered by a metal mask. His brain pulsated out of the top of his head. "I'm going to be sick."

"There's no time for that," the thing said impatiently. "I am Lord Zedd, soon to be supreme ruler of this world."

"Really?" Sting said distantly. _I must have a gas leak in my room. I'm hallucinating._ The thing raised a large wand with a big Z at the end of it, and pointed it at him. Suddenly, he couldn't move. _This can't be good...._

"You will serve me, human. You will help me rid the world of those Power brats!"

"Power brats?"

"The Power Rangers, you dolt!"

"Power Rangers?" The thing sighed and approached him. _Uh-oh._ But Zedd only guided him to a balcony overlooking the Earth (?!) and bid him look through a telescope. To Sting's surprise, he could clearly see a group of teenagers sitting at a table in what looked like a small cafe.

"Those are the Power Rangers," Zedd explained. "The bane of my existence. I cannot conquer this planet until I am rid of them!"

"Let me get this straight. You are a... space alien?" It nodded. "And you're trying to conquer the earth?" Another nod. "And you want me to help you?"

"Yes."

"Oh. Now I know I'm hallucinating."

The thing raised an arm and Sting flew across the room, landing painfully on his back. "Does that feel like a hallucination?" The thing roared. "I did not ask you to help, I am ordering you!"

Sting could only watch helplessly as it unsheathed a large sword and began to advance on him. _I'm in real trouble,_ he thought dimly.

~*~

"What's wrong with you?" Everyone, including Adam, turned to look at him.

He shrugged. "Nothing. Just... thinking."

Billy raised an eyebrow. "About what? It doesn't sound as if you are in the best of spirits."

"I guess," he said noncommittally.

"Have a Frostee," suggested Aisha helpfully. "That'll make you feel better."

"I guess," he said again, and stood. But he knew there was no way a Frostee would do the trick. He was just about to ask Ernie for a Jumbo Mango Blast when his communicator buzzed. _Ooops._

"Sounds like your beeper, Rocky." said Ernie helpfully.

"Uh, yeah. Thanks." Rocky joined the others in a deserted corner of the Juice Bar.

"What is it, Zordon?"

RANGERS, WE HAVE A SITUATION ON OUR HANDS.

"So what's new," muttered Rocky as Aisha eyed him strangely.

REPORT TO THE COMMAND CENTER IMMEDIATELY.

"Right, Zordon," agreed Billy, and a second later they were in the Command Center.

"Oh, Ai-yi-yi!" Alpha was saying, running around in circles. The alarm bell was whooping loudly.

"What's going on?" Kimberly asked, stepping forward.

OBSERVE THE VIEWING GLOBE, RANGERS.

They turned to see a monster that looked like a cross between a scorpion and a rattlesnake wandering around the park. "What is that!?" Kimberly said, making a face.

THAT IS STING, said Zordon grimly.

"Like the singer?" Rocky asked.

NO. THAT IS THE SINGER.

"What?" Adam looked like he was about to faint.

LORD ZEDD HAS CAPTURED STING AND TURNED HIM INTO THE VICIOUS MELO-STINGER.

Billy looked confused. "Melo-Stinger?"

"Yeah, cause he's so melodramatic," said Rocky bitterly.

Adam glared at him. "So what do we do, Zordon?"

YOU MUST TRY TO DETAIN THE MONSTER WITHOUT HURTING IT. BUT BE CAREFUL, RANGERS. STING HAS NO CONTROL OVER HIS ACTIONS, AND HE IS VERY DANGEROUS.

"We'll be careful, Zordon," said Tommy. "It's Morphin' Time!"

"The Ape!"

"The Frog!"

"The Bear!"

"The Wolf!"

"The Crane!"

"The Falcon!"

The Rangers morphed into Angel Grove park, directly in front of the Melo-Stinger. "Hello, Power Rangers," it sneered in a British accent. "Prepare to meet your doom!"

"Even when he's a monster he's melodramatic," declared Rocky.

"You're really beginning to annoy me, Rocky!" said Adam, shaking his fist.

"There's no time for that, guys," Billy shouted. He leapt back as the Melo-Stinger fired a blast of toxic lasers at him. The lasers exploded in clouds of smoke and fire, blowing the Rangers back.

"Ha!" Melo-Stinger shouted. "What do you think of that?"

"Careful," reminded Tommy. "We don't want to hurt him!"

"But I have no qualms about hurting you," reminded Melo-Stinger, whacking the White Ranger square in the chest with his massive scorpion's tail. Tommy landed on Billy; smacking them both into a tree. As the two of them struggled to get up, Melo-Stinger fired another volley of toxic lasers.

"This guy's tough!" Tommy said, panting with exertion.

"We need to regroup," advised Billy, rolling away as Melo-Stinger fired another shot.

Kimberly, Aisha and Rocky rushed the Melo-Stinger, flipping over him, running around him, and diving under him, trying to confuse him. It worked, but only for a little while. Melo-Stinger grabbed Rocky in mid-air and flung him into Kimberly, who landed on Aisha as she tried to roll away.

Adam was the only Ranger left uninjured. "Um... okay, listen Sting," he tried. "You're not yourself. Let us help you...."

~*~

~*~

"Noooo!" Rocky screamed as he watched the sword come through Adam's back, dripping blood.

"I have done my job," said Melo-Stinger mockingly, kicking Adam's motionless body. "I think now you must do yours." It laughed and disappeared in a flash of red light.

~*~

Someone placed a hand on his shoulder. "Are you all right?" said a concerned British-sounding voice.

Adam opened his eyes. "Oh my God, it's you!"

Sting smiled down at him. "I suppose. The last time I checked I was me."

"Last time I checked you were a monster."

Sting humphed as he helped Adam up. "That's not me out there."

"It's not? Out where?"

"No, it's not. And... you know, out there. Outside the sword."

"We're not dead?"

"No. We're inside the sword. Well, part of us are inside the sword."

"You're not making any sense." Adam suddenly wanted to cry. He finally had gotten to meet his very favorite person in the whole world and he was talking like a nutcase.

"I am making sense." explained Sting patiently. "Lord Zedd told me what he was going to do to me before he did it. I don't know why. Probably would have scared me worse if I just thought he was going to kill me."

"Lord Zedd? What did he say?"

"This sword," Sting explained, "Is a thief of souls. That's what part of us is in here. The rest of us is out there."

Adam sighed. "You're out there, all right," he muttered.

"Fine," said Sting, starting to walk away. "Forget it. I'm not going to hang around here and be insulted."

"Wait!" Adam called. "I'm sorry. Wait!"

Sting stopped but didn't turn around. "He's using me," he said quietly. "He wants to kill all of you.. Power Rangers or whatever nonsense it was. It's completely insane, the whole thing. Space Aliens and Thieves of Souls... rubbish."

"So where are we if we're not in the sword?"

Sting shrugged. "I dunno. I figure it's just a gas leak in my hotel room. What are you in for?"

~*~

PLACE ADAM ON THE COT WE HAVE PREPARED, ROCKY, Zordon ordered. ALPHA, SCAN ADAM'S LIFE ENERGIES.

The rangers watched in silence. Adam's face was twisted into an expression of pain, and though his eyes were closed tightly, the rest of his body was limp.

"I don't understand, Zordon," said Alpha. "His injuries are healing rapidly!"

"What?" Billy stepped forward and took the scanner from Alpha. "Let me see that." His eyes widened. "Wow." He pushed a button on the side of the scanner, and Adam unmorphed.

Billy carefully opened Adam's shirt to look at the wound, and gasped as he watched it close up in front of his eyes. Then Adam's face relaxed and he stirred slightly. "But... but that's impossible!" Billy stammered. "The sword went right through his heart!"

The Rangers gathered around their friend. "Adam?" said Kimberly softly.

Adam's eyes opened slowly and he looked around at his friends. "Hello," he said.

~*~

Skull looked. "What? It's a guy, so what?"

"Don't you know who that is?" Bulk insisted. "That's Sting!"

"Who?"

"Sting, you idiot! The singer! He disappeared from his tour in Georgia yesterday. I saw it on the news!"

"Why was he touring Georgia?"

"Forget it, Skull. Come on, let's follow him!"

They hadn't gotten very far when Sting turned around very suddenly. "What do you want?" he asked, his voice dull.

"Umm... hi," said Bulk.

"Yeah, hi," said Skull.

"Hello." said Sting. "What do you want?"

"Where are you going?" Bulk asked, trying to make conversation.

"Back to the moon base," Sting answered matter-of-factly. "I must report back to my master."

Bulk's mouth dropped open. "Wh- what?"

Sting turned around and kept walking.

As the two teens stood there balking at his retreating back, Skull turned to Bulk. "He's weird."

~*~

"Why?" Adam asked. His voice lacked any inflection whatsoever. It was flat and cold but somehow not angry either.

Billy felt himself withering under that intense stare. "I... you know, yesterday."

"I'm fine," Adam told him. "See?" He lifted his shirt, drawing curious stares from the other students.

"Yes, yes," said Billy quickly, pulling the shirt down. "I can see that but—"

"I have homework due," said Adam. "We'll be late." He turned and walked away. Billy stared after him, wondering.

~*~

Adam sighed. "Maybe we could do some more yoga?"

"We've been doing yoga forever. It's great, ya know, but not all day."

"Has it been all day?"

"We're going to die of boredom in here," sulked Sting. "This is the longest hallucination I've ever had."

"It's not a hallucination!"

"It is," Sting said stubbornly. "You're just a figment of my imagination."

"How do you know you're not a figment of my imagination," Adam countered.

"Think about it. A big space alien with no skin stabbed me with a huge sword which I am now inside but not all of me with a kid who's supposed to be a superhero or something who's also in here but not really and you say its not a hallucination? Whoever heard of a space alien with no skin?"

Adam sighed again. "I guess I don't blame you. I wouldn't believe it either if I was you."

"But you believe it because...?"

"Because it's true! We've been fighting Lord Zedd and Rita for ages now!"

"Lord Zedd and Rita?"

"Rita's his wife."

"Skinless has a wife?"

"Yes. She's a witch. She was imprisoned in a dumpster of ten thousand years but then she escaped."

"A dumpster?"

"Yes. With Goldar and the others. And then Lord Zedd came back and at first he put her back in the dumpster but she escaped again and tricked him into marrying her."

"She tricked him?"

"Yes. And now they work together. They're a real pain in my butt, believe me."

"I'm sure."

"You still don't believe me, do you?"

Sting was staring off into space. "Where did I come up with this one? Honestly, my dreams are getting stranger and stranger."

Adam rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

~*~

"Yes," he said.

She waited. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"I asked you to tell me the answer to number eight."

"No you didn't. You asked me if I could tell you the answer to number eight, which I can."

Ms. Appleby stared at him. "Adam, I do not appreciate your attitude today. Now answer the question."

"The Hawley-Smoot Tariff."

"Fine. And I don't expect any more trouble from you, do you understand?"

"No."

"Excuse me?"

"I said, no."

"And what did you mean by that?"

"You asked me if I understood, and I don't."

"What exactly don't you understand?" she asked icily.

"What trouble did I give you?"

Ms. Appleby took a deep breath. "Adam?"

"Yes?"

"Get out of my classroom."

~*~

Billy seemed deep in thought. "He was acting rather strange this morning. There's something not quite right about him."

"Maybe we should ask Zordon about it," suggested Tommy.

"I concur," said Billy, prompting a confused look from his companions. "I mean, I agree."

~*~

Adam stopped, turning around slowly. "What is it?"

Rocky faltered, thrown off by the strange, vacant look in Adam's eyes. "Uh... we... nothing."

"We wondered if you would come to the Command Center with us," said Billy, coming up behind Rocky.

"Yeah, what he said," muttered Rocky, slowly backing away. "I'll just stand back here."

Adam looked around at all of them. "Why?"

"Um... Just to check up on things, you know," tried Aisha. "It's been quiet since yesterday."

"I suppose," allowed Adam. "Shall we go?"

Billy quickly grabbed his wrist before he could activate his communicator. "Not here," he hissed. "We have to take cover first."

"Why?"

Billy didn't bother to answer and Tommy bodily dragged Adam into the cover of the trees. "Teleporting now," he ordered, and six multicolored streaks lit up the evening sky.

~*~

Sting glared at him, still sitting cross-legged on the floor. "Could you please sing something else?"

Adam stopped, turning to face him. "Like what?"

"Anything but that," answered Sting.

"All right." Adam thought about it for a moment. "How about Island of Souls?"

"No."

"Can't Stand Losing You?"

"No."

"Moon Over Bourbon Street?"

"No."

"Murder By Numbers?"

"Don't you know any cheery songs?"

Adam just gaped at him. "You like cheery songs?"

"Haven't you heard All This Time?" Sting burst out. "And what about Canary in a Coalmine? Besides, there are other songs in this world besides mine."

Adam sighed. "All right." He thought for a moment. "How about I Am A Rock?"

Sting clenched his teeth. "Nnyyyeerggh..."

~*~

"What's wrong with Adam, Zordon?" Tommy stepped forward, motioning toward Adam, who was staring off into space.

I AM AFRAID THAT THE SPECTRE YOU SEE BEFORE YOU IS NOT REALLY ADAM, answered Zordon.

"What?" gasped Kimberly. "What do you mean?"

OBSERVE THE VIEWING GLOBE.

The rangers turned around and their mouths fell open when they saw Adam and a man who looked a hell of a lot like Sting in a small cavern with bloody walls.

"Don't tell me you don't like I Am A Rock," Adam was saying frustratedly. "It's one of my favorite songs!"

"I don't need to be depressed any more than I am," yelled Sting. "Either sing something cheery or don't sing at all!"

"But... all right. How about... Tea in the Sahara?"

Sting flinched. "Don't make me kill you, kid."

"But..." Rocky was dumbfounded. "If that's Adam, and Sting, than who's that?" He pointed at Adam. "And who was that monster we just fought?"

ADAM AND STING ARE BOTH TRAPPED INSIDE THE SWORD OF DARKNESS.

"The Sword Of Darkness?" Aisha looked concerned.

YES. WHEN MELO-STINGER IMPALED ADAM WITH HIS SWORD, ADAM'S SOUL WAS DRAWN INTO AN ALTERNATE DIMENSION INSIDE THE SWORD. THE MONSTER WHO ATTACKED YOU IS ALSO NOT THE REAL STING, AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE VIEWING GLOBE.

The rangers glanced back at the globe again. Sting and Adam were both whistling the theme from The Andy Griffith Show. Rocky sighed. "So what do we do?" He glanced at Adam, who was watching the viewing globe expressionlessly.

IN ORDER TO SAVE ADAM AND STING, YOU MUST DESTROY THE SWORD OF DARKNESS. BUT YOU MUST TAKE CARE NOT TO HURT MELO-STINGER. HE IS MAD FROM A HUMAN BODY, AND IS VULNERABLE TO ATTACK.

"Great. So what do we do?"

Adam spoke up. "It seems that the most logical plan would be to trick the monster into relinquishing its hold on the sword."

Everyone stared at him. "Zordon," began Kimberly. "I hate to say this, but should we trust Adam? I mean, he's souless and all...."

THAT IS TRUE, KIMBERLY. HOWEVER, WITHOUT A SOUL, ADAM POSSESSES NO EMOTIONS WHATSOEVER. HIS PLAN IS BASED PURELY ON LOGIC. I BELIEVE IT WILL BE WORTH A TRY, BUT YOU MUST NOT ALLOW ADAM TO GO INTO BATTLE WITH YOU.

"Why not?" Rocky stepped forward. "If he can come up with plans—"

"He would have no concept of right or wrong," answered Billy grimly. "If we looked like we were losing, he'd probably switch sides."

Zordon nodded. THAT IS CORRECT, BILLY.

"Ai-yi-yi, Zordon, the Melo-Stinger is back in the park!" Alpha was bouncing around the command center excitedly.

GO, RANGERS, AND MAY THE POWER PROTECT YOU.

~*~

"Oh really?" scoffed the monster. "You and what army?" It began to advance on them, brandishing the sword of darkness.

"How are we going to do this," whispered Kimberly to Billy. "We've got to get that sword."

"Agreed. I believe I have an idea. Pardon me." With that, Billy rushed forward.

"Ha!" yelled the monster, "I've got you now!"

"No, Billy, what are you doing?!" Kimberly screamed.

Billy circled the monster, dodging blow after blow. "What's the matter," he taunted. "You're a bit slow, aren't you?"

The monster roared and thrust the sword toward him. Just as he did, Billy kicked upward, sending the sword flying toward his friends. He realized too late that in the process, he'd nicked his thigh with the blade. He turned sluggishly to see Tommy catch the blade, and then we was sucked inward. He was falling... _It's that cavern we saw Adam in,_ he thought. Then he landed on something soft.

"Ow!" yelled a British voice. "Get off me!"

Billy scrambled to his feet. "Sorry," he said, holding out a hand to help Sting up.

Sting sighed. "This is getting ridiculous. First this guy," he motioned toward Adam, who was still whistling, "And now some weirdo in Blue. I'm being punished for something."

Billy looked up at the walls. "Actually, we should be out of here soon. They're—" He was interrupted as the walls of the cavern began to shimmer.

"What the—" Sting was interrupted as the cavern walls exploded outward, sending them flying out into Angel Grove Park. He watched in amazement as he was flung directly toward a very large, very ugly monster. The next thing he knew, he was looking out at a bunch of kids in multicolored costumes. Red, Yellow, Pink, and White. And then there was the Blue boy, who appeared just a trifle off balance.

White approached him carefully. "Are you okay?"

Sting was about to answer when another one in black appeared out of nowhere, startling him.

"Hi," said the one in black, waving at him. "It's good to be out of there, uh?"

Sting recognized the voice and growled at him, surprised at how deep and menacing his voice sounded. _I must still be a monster,_ he thought. _Wonderful._

"We don't want to hurt you," said the blue one, seemingly recovered.

"Whatever," he managed. "I just want to go home. I need a nap. No, I need to go to a hospital. This is obviously the product of a very sick mind."

"He's himself again," said Black. "Sort of."

"So how do we turn him back?" Kimberly stared at Melo-Stinger critically. "He was much cuter before."

Lord Zedd appeared behind his newest monster and roared. Sting flinched. "Not you again," he said.

"Yes, it's me again," Zedd yelled. "And you have failed me. No one fails me and lives!"

"Okay," Sting shrugged. "Whatever."

"Be careful," yelled Adam. "You are not hallucinating! He could really kill you!"

"Uh-huh. Okay, no prob." He absentmindedly thwacked Lord Zedd in the midsection with his tail, causing the skinless one to go flying backwards into a tree, screaming. The Z-shaped wand bent on contact with the tree, and Sting was suddenly several feet shorter. He looked down at his hands. "Great. I'm back to normal. Now if I could just find a way back to my-" There was that feeling again. His brain being sucked out of his ears.

"Ow!" He ended up back in his hotel room, lying on his back on the floor, surrounded by curious policemen and reporters. "Is it over yet?" he asked carefully.

"What?" said one of them, still shocked from seeing the singer appear out of nowhere and fall from the ceiling.

"Am I back?" He sat up and looked around. "Hmmm. Well at least that kid in black is gone—" The Power Rangers teleported into the room, Black in the lead. "Nnyyyeerggh..."

"Are you all right, Mr. Sting?" asked Black, leaning over him.

"What?" said the cop again, totally confused.

"We're the Power Rangers," explained White. "Sting was captured by Lord Zedd and turned into a monster, but he's okay now."

"I will not be okay until you leave. All of you!"

Black stepped forward. "Please don't be mad at me," he said sadly. "You're my idol. Half of my CDs are yours. I couldn't live with myself knowing you hated me."

Sting stared at the kid. Then he sighed. "All right, I don't hate you. But you must promise me that if we ever meet again, you will not mention this. None of it. And you must never, ever, refer to The Soul Cages in front of me. Got it?"

Black nodded, seemingly relieved. "Okay. Can I have your autograph?"

"What?" said the cop again.

~*~

Rocky sighed. "Uh-huh." He made a mental note to get Adam some decent CDs as soon as possible.

End