Jason's knees trembled and he sat down on the nearest rock. "Why didn't Zordon ever tell us?"

Dulcea shrugged. "I am not sure. That is for him to answer. I have said enough."

Afraid she was going to leave Adam approached her. "But Billy's spirit is still here. It hasn't gone to the monolith yet?"

The Master Warrior's gaze softened and she nodded. "It hasn't called to him yet, no. Someday it will."

"But till then..." Adam continued.

She reached out a comforting hand to the young frog prince touching him gently on the cheek. "He will explore and guard Phaedos as I have done." Adam and the others gave a soft gasp of surprise. Dulcea laughed gently. "Did you never wonder why I couldn't go past the temple grounds? I am a....spirit as well."

Trini reached out tentatively and her fingers disappeared inside Dulcea's form. Frightened she drew back.

"But you just touched Adam." Tommy's mind flashed back to the past. "The Tenga's?" Tommy voiced. He was trying desperately to make sense of everything he had suddenly learned. "Your staff..." He touched his chest where Dulcea's staff had struck him so long ago. "It's solid."

Her eyes grew bright. "Yes, I am the Master Warrior of Phaedos. My energy is very strong. I can solidify for a time. It is usually enough." She smiled.

"But you said you'd age if you went beyond the temple? Ghosts don't age."

"In a way they do. I have been a ghost for a very long time. I am strongest here at the temple. The farther I go away from it the weaker I become. If I were to head towards the monolith now, I would not be able to escape its pull. And Phaedos would be left defenseless."

"But if you're a ghost," Katherine pointed out, "then why haven't you gone to the monolith?"

"A good question, Katherine. The answer is because I am needed to guard the Great Power. Only those worthy are permitted to try for it. If they are not worthy, it is my job to make sure they do not claim it. Someday soon, I will be called and I will gladly go and my duties will fall to someone else." She smiled strangely.

Suddenly, Rocky who had been oddly silent during Dulcea's speech spoke, his anger plain. "Zordon had no right to keep something like this from us. What was he afraid of? That we'd never agree to take the power if we knew where it came from?"

"For those answers you will have to ask Zordon himself," Dulcea answered. A part of her agreed with Rocky's pain. He felt betrayed. By hiding this fact from his charges, Zordon had made a critical mistake. She knew that Zordon would be angry with her for breaking his trust on this matter but she could stand quiet no longer. Zordon would never have sent them to her if he did not expect his Rangers to try and discover the truth. But it should have come from their mentor. Now matters were worse. She turned to leave but Adam called out to her.

"Dulcea!"

She stopped and looked back at the young man. "Yes, my prince, what is it?"

Adam started. Dulcea always unnerved him when she called him that. He tried to collect his thoughts. "I...I know the wolf is Billy, but what about his human form? Is he always a wolf or can we see him like we see you now? I mean you can turn into an owl, right? So that means Billy can be human again if he wants to, right?"

Soft emotive pain stabbed at her to see young Adam so tormented. She knew Billy was his best friend and that this transition had been the hardest on him. She came and stood before him. "The wolf and the owl are vessels where our energy becomes revitalized. In the beginning, warriors must take these animal forms only at night, drawing strength from their spirit animals. During the day they may take this form." She waved a hand along the length of her body. "Eventually, we are less restricted by these shifts in time." She smiled warmly at her princeling. "Wait for him Adam. He will come." She stared at each of them a moment and then without another word disappeared into the woods.

The temple was suddenly terribly quiet. The Rangers remained silent each lost in their own thoughts concerning the new information Dulcea had entrusted to them. In the beginning they were all so wrapped up in getting fantastic new powers to fight evil that no one had ever questioned where that power came from.

Tommy gazed at the monolith. Did it really matter where the power came from so long as it was used for good? If it was an honor to surrender your spirit to the monolith than it should be an honor to take it into yourself like they had done years ago. And it had been an honor. Then and now. Tommy was not horrified at all by what Dulcea had told him. It wasn't the truth that frightened him it was the fact that the truth had been withheld by someone they trusted most in the universe. He wanted to know why Zordon had kept it from them. Did he believe them to be so callous that they would refuse the power because of its source? He didn't know the answers but he wanted to and for that they had to return to the command center.

He looked at the others, their thoughts plain to see on their faces. Katherine and Tanya looked small and frightened. Rocky looked angry enough to be spitting nails. Aisha was with him but she made no attempt to calm him. Jason and Trini just looked worn out and pensive. He scanned the temple grounds for Adam and found him once again by Billy's grave. Surprisingly enough, he looked better than he had all week. Tommy realized that Adam was more concerned about Billy than he was about finding out the truth of their power source. It was probably for the best that way too. They should all take stock of what was important. He was still leader and therefore it was up to him to make sure they realized it. Except that Billy beat him to it.

The surface of Billy's monument began to glow a deep azure while brilliant rays of light burst forth from the carved etchings. The Rangers shielded their eyes. Through splayed fingers they witnessed the emergence of a figure from within the light. When the radiance faded a blue Ninjetti warrior stood before them. The warrior raised his arms and slowly removed the hood and cowl. It was William James Cranston. Billy.

Trini cried out his name and rushed forward. He raised his hand to halt her approach. He was ethereal still and didn't want her to hit the stone behind him. He wasn't yet strong enough to become solid like Dulcea. She slowed and came to stand in front of him, her eyes finally filling with moisture. A trembling hand reached out towards him and passed gently through him. Billy's eyes closed as he felt the sensation of warmth and love that Trini emitted. His senses were far more acute than they had ever been. Trini's hand flew to her mouth to stifle a cry. She had felt it too.

"It's all right, Trini," Billy told her softly. He wanted so much to hold her, comfort her but that was not possible and he hated it.

Like emerging from a sea of waking dreams, Adam advanced towards the warrior. "Billy," he whispered. Billy turned to him a smile breaking across his features, his own eyes filling quickly with tears.

"It's good to see you again, Adam. I'm glad that you're okay." Billy sounded distant and odd as if he was speaking from inside a tunnel. He regarded all of them. "It's good to see all of you."

His friends surged forward. Katherine just stared at him a trembling wreck. "Oh God. It's really you. We thought Adam was...." She couldn't finish.

Tommy did it for her. He placed a hand on Adam's shoulder, trying to keep himself from faltering with shame. "I'm sorry, Adam. I should have believed you." Adam merely nodded his acceptance of the apology. Tommy turned to Billy. "Man, it is good to see you again." Tommy's resolve broke at last and tears cascaded town his long face. He turned away fighting the sobs. Katherine went to him and gently placed her arms about him.

Billy reached out and touched Tommy who stiffened abruptly as the ethereal limb sank slightly into his living form. "It's alright, Tommy," the Ninjetti told him softly.

The minute Billy's 'hand' passed through his skin, the sensations and thoughts that enveloped Tommy's senses were amazing. A small part of Tommy's heart flared briefly with the warmth reminiscent of when he had stood last at this ancient temple. He could hear the cry of his falcon as clearly as if it flew directly above him but the sky was empty. He turned to his friend, gratitude plastered on his face.

Billy smiled knowingly. "It's like being reborn," he whispered. "Don't be sad for me, Tommy. This is where I belong, where I feel at home." Billy's eyes saddened for a moment. "I only wish I could tell my father that."

"I'll tell him, Billy," Tanya promised. Billy nodded appreciatively.

"Why can't you tell him yourself," Adam asked apprehension creeping in once again. "I saw you on earth. Why can't you just go see him? He needs to know."

Strong emotions played across Billy's face that Adam noticed until Billy quickly shut them down. "It's against the rules." Billy's voice was quiet and cautious. "I wasn't supposed to be there. Dulcea doesn't know. I figured out how to do it on my own." He raised slightly humored eyes to his friend. "I just couldn't let you walk into a trap."

"Once a Ranger, always a Ranger," Rocky spoke. Billy laughed and the group was surprised that Rocky chuckled with him. It had been too long since the Blue Zeo Ranger, normally the joker, had even acknowledged that he could be happy.

"Always," Billy mirrored his amusement. "No matter what."

"Dulcea is going to have her hands full with you around," Katherine admitted with a weak grin.

Billy shrugged sheepishly. "Being a full Ninjetti has never come easier. It's almost like second nature." Billy glanced around the group and suddenly noticed Trini was absent. He found her after a second of searching sitting on a distant rock behind his monument. She didn't have to be in his line of sight anymore. His Ninjetti powers enabled him to 'see' far more than his limited eyes ever could have allowed. "Excuse me a moment. I'll be back." He faded from their view leaving the Rangers gaping in amazement.

He reappeared next to Trini. She let out a small gasp and then collected herself. She had finally come undone at his appearance from the monument and had been crying hard since. He knelt down beside her, his crystal blue eyes searching out her dark, mystical ones. "I'm alright, Trini. Please don't be sad."

She shuddered giving a strangled laugh at the ludicrous request and covered her stricken face with her hands, She hunched forward, ashamed at the display of emotion that she no longer seemed able to contain.

He watched Trini's anguished form. He cared for her so much, the painful realization of it suddenly hitting him hard. Did he have the strength to spend forever here on Phaedos knowing that Trini was beyond his reach. He didn't know, maybe with time, but for right now the answer was no.

He had always stumbled through his life, so often afraid, always searching for a sliver of honesty in the people around him only to be disillusioned so many times. He used to think his life was so empty regardless of how he tried to fill the hollow space inside usually with his experiments, but it wasn't always enough. He had almost lost hope until he met Trini, a kindred in so many ways. She stood by him no matter what anyone said and he always appreciated her support. They clicked on so many levels. It came so naturally to both of them.

Billy closed his eyes against the grief. He wanted so much to be able to hold her, above all else he wanted to ease her suffering and wipe her tears for him aside. The guilt tormented him, knowing he was the cause of it all. He listened as the wind howled across the temple grounds, hundreds of voices trapped within, his own voice soon to be added. The temple was now is sole companion, the wolf his faithful guide. Suddenly he didn't want to be alone. He reached out to her, straining with every thread of energy swirling within him.

Trini's tears suddenly stopped as she felt a warm hand cup her cheek. She jerked upright and saw a determined Billy glowing a soft blue, the strain on his face evident of his struggle to perform such a miraculous maneuver. Her hand flew up to catch his solid one. The heat of it amazed her. It was alive with energy. She basked in it, her eyes closing as tears slipped again down her cheeks and across his hand.

Billy gathered her in his trembling arms. He didn't know how much longer he could sustain this form but his sheer will demanded it be for a few moments more. His glow enveloped the slight young woman and as she felt it course through her, her breathe drew in with a sharp gasp. Every emotion, every thought that either of them had ever experienced in each other's presence suddenly became plain.

"It's not fair," she cried out, shaking in his embrace as she realized that their affection for each other was mutual and had been for a long time.

"No, it's not," he agreed. "But I've always loved you, Trini and I'll never stop loving you," Billy confided to her.

She shook her head emphatically. "Don't say that Billy! Just don't say it! I don't think I can bear it!" He raised her face from his shoulder and locked her with a determined gaze. "It's too late."

"I know," she cried tearfully. "For both of us. But I can't stand seeing you like this!" The glow suddenly faded from both of them and Billy's form wavered in front of her. She felt his weight slip away from her, the sense of loss overwhelming. Her eyes grew larger in fear and pain as Billy willed himself to remain visible. He shimmered back into existence but his solidity was gone. The effort nearly drained him of all his energy. He was exhausted but he refused to let her see it.

"Trini." His voice was tired and low but it would do. He attempted to ease her mind. "Don't think of me as if I'm dead. Think of me as one step ahead of you in evolution," he implored her with a smile which she hesitatingly returned. "There's so much more out here for us," he continued. "Realms we never even dreamed of."

"But I'm not Ninjetti," she finally admitted. "I can never know what it is like for you."

"Maybe someday you will."

She stared at him and for a moment Billy saw a familiar wistful look cross her features. Then she shook her head. "I've left that part of my life behind. I'm not a warrior anymore. I'm doing what I want to do with my life, making a difference peacefully."

Billy marveled at her conviction. "I don't know how you stood it, Trini, giving up the power. To me it was as if I had cut out a piece of myself." He shrugged wearily. "Maybe I just needed it more than any of you. For years, it was what gave my life meaning outside of my lab and my experiments. It defined my character." He lifted a hand to stop Trini from commenting, as he knew she would. She had always been there with good advice and reason when Billy became too wrapped up in his own thoughts. "I know now it was just a crutch. It allowed me to fit into a group of friends I might never have been a part of otherwise."

"That's not true, Billy. We would have bonded together regardless. It was karma."

Billy gave a low laugh deep in his chest. "There was a time, I would have never believed that. No one befriended me until I met all of you. I was the school geek, a target by my own design, and I had no intention of changing until Zordon brought us together."

"That's your insecurity talking," she stated firmly. Suddenly, it was like old times to Trini. The two of them sharing their fears and thoughts and dreams. In all the years she had known Billy he had always been so sad of eye that her nurturing instincts always kicked in when she saw him. She had always worked so hard on keeping Billy's spirit up during high school that it was a comforting rote practice even now. It did more to calm her than she even realized. Her tears unconsciously dried. "Jason had already taken you under his wing to teach you how to protect yourself. That was before Zordon even teleported us to the command center."

"I know that....now." Billy drew in a deep breath. "All that's happened has made me realize the truth. My eyes have been opened for the first time in a long while. I only wish I had seen it sooner. It's what kept us apart. I was so afraid to admit my feelings because I doubted your feelings for me. I didn't believe your sincerity all those years. God, what a fool I was. And now...." He couldn't bring himself to say it.

Trini almost reached out to him and then remembered the futility of it. Instead she closed her eyes against the anguish that threatened to wash over her again. Suddenly, all she wanted to do was feel his touch once more.

"Trini," he called softly. She opened her eyes to fall into his sea of blue; his eyes fairly glowed. "I love you so much more than life itself. I'd be a fool to deny it even now. But even if you never become Ninjetti, you're a Ranger and that alone decries that someday our souls will be together, working side by side against evil. No matter the time or the distance, my soul will find yours."

Tears burned within her eyes and her lips pressed thin with emotion. "Billy," she whispered. "I love you too. I always have. No matter the time or the distance, my soul will find yours," she repeated like a small prayer.

His brushed his transparent lips across hers. The sensations that burst inside of Trini brought forth an exclamation of sheer joy. It was like sinking into Billy's very soul and in fact it was. She relished it wishing it was something she could experience every day.

He leaned back, pleased by her reactions. He had been afraid she would turn him away for fear of loving him now. "In the meantime, Phaedos isn't such a far place," he assured her. "Dulcea tells me that it could be years before I go to the monolith. There's a whole new life ahead of me here. Think of all the wonders I could tell you." Billy brushed a ethereal hand across her cheek. Again there was a flash of insight to Billy's love that it caused a dull ache in her chest but there was also such a sense of curiosity and adventure in Billy's expression that it brought joy to Trini's heart. She smiled, suddenly at ease.

"Anytime," she told him softly.

He rose to his feet. "We should get back. The others will be worried." Trini stood beside him and together they moved off so that only the barest sliver of space separated them. Billy's comforting aura still touched her. It made Trini feel secure and soothed all at the same time. She was determined to make the experience last as long as possible.

The Rangers all looked up as the two wayward members returned to the temple grounds. They were gathered around the remaining embers of the fire from last night. Aisha approached Trini concerned about her, but she quickly saw that the young Korean woman was better than she had expected. In fact there was something different about both of them. It didn't take Aisha long to guess what it was. Her heart leaped with happiness for both of them. She remembered how special their relationship was and had always secretly hoped for them to get together. Her mouth went dry with the realization that now it was too late. But as she watched Billy and Trini approach she saw that somehow the two of them had worked something out. She prayed it was possible.

Tommy stood as they entered the circle. "Is everything okay?"

Both Billy and Trini answered in the affirmative and smiled quietly at each other. The Ninjetti warrior sat beside Adam and Trini took the other side. It wasn't really like he was sitting on anything solid. It was more a mental exercise to visually seem less bizarre to his reality bound friends.

Adam couldn't help but grin at Billy's presence. It felt so good to see him again. The part of him that had died a week ago was suddenly reborn. He felt whole again.

Billy studied the Rangers' faces. He could still see the questions and concerns that had plagued them since Dulcea's speech. He had overheard it from within his... tomb. It still brought a shudder to him sometimes when he thought about it but quickly suppressed it and moved on to more important matters. "I know you guys still have some questions. I'll be happy to tell you what I know."

Jason lifted weary eyes to his friend. He asked the one question that burned in them all. "Why do you think Zordon never told us, Billy? You know, about this soul thing?"

Billy swallowed slowly, wanting to choose his words carefully. He himself bore no ill will towards Zordon. To him, this was a much better way to exist than anything else he could have imagined. His first conscious memory after his death was Dulcea and the Wolf Lord guarding his body in the tomb. She was there to quell his momentary panic, which didn't take long. Billy's own curiosity had made the transition easier and the Wolf Lord's presence had brought back wonderful memories and feelings. It was like he had never left Phaedos.

He returned his thoughts to the group gathered patiently around him. "The real truth can only come from Zordon himself." The group collectively groaned and Billy quickly continued. "But if I had to take a guess, it would be because we haven't really had a moment's peace since the start. Rita, Zedd, Vile, Mondo. When have we ever had time enough for Zordon to train us in anything? I can tell you for a fact that there was always something to do, something to repair since I gave up the crystal. I never seemed to get ahead of the game. Zordon had his own things to do that I just couldn't of course. Monitoring other planets, alternate dimensions and the like. That was beyond me which I was glad since I had more than enough to handle."

Tommy felt a pang of regret remembering the day in the park only a week ago, before all the trouble started, the pact they had all made to help Billy out in the power chamber. It all seemed like a moot point now, something that had happened in a far away dream. Everything had changed suddenly. Their entire future was now in question. He lifted dark, haunted eyes to Billy. "But how can we ever trust Zordon again?"

Billy regarded Tommy sadly, knowing how hard this was for him as leader. He tried to explain. "Zordon made a quick decision in a moment of great duress. I doubt he had much choice in the matter, Tommy. Things were moving pretty quickly as I remember, we barely had time for personal lives much less a lesson in Your Future as a Ranger 101. Zordon himself was so occupied that he probably meant to instruct us but simply never got around to it. Eventually we all adjusted and he just forgot about it." He gazed at the faces around him praying he was alleviating their fears. He felt he had reached most of them but there was one who was still uncertain.

"He should have told us up front," Rocky commented irately.

"I agree. But think about it truthfully, would any of us have taken him up on his offer? We weren't going to do it in the very beginning as it was. It wasn't until after the battle with the putties outside the command center that we finally accepted. If he had told us the truth, that our souls would be forfeit for eternity, no one would have been a Ranger and the earth would now be in the hands of Rita Repulsa or worse. Ten thousand years of darkness and all because we were too scared." Billy shook his head at the thought. "I don't know about you guys, but I feel like I've done some good. I think it's an honor not a curse. And it's a small price to pay."

"But your father... your friends," Rocky burst out. "Your ....body's on some distant planet for pete's sake! Doesn't that bother you?"

Billy struggled to hold in his pain. His father's anguish was Billy's own. It was the one thing that ate away at him. Tanya had mentioned she would tell his father the truth but somehow he knew it wasn't going to be enough. He knew his father and his emotional state. They were very similar in nature. His father would always grieve, just like he continued to grieve for Billy's mother. Billy knew he would have to somehow help his father heal regardless of Dulcea's rules.

He returned his thoughts to Rocky. He wanted him to understand but he had trouble finding the right thing to say. His voice as always remained low and quiet. "Don't be too hard on him. I can't tell you what's on the other side, but this," he gestured to his present form, "isn't all bad. There's a great satisfaction in knowing I'll be assisting future Rangers in their fight against evil someday. Believe me when I tell you Zordon wasn't trying to cause us pain by hiding the truth. I think he was trying to spare us the uncertainty since we're so young."

"Uncertainty?" Rocky exclaimed. "The certainty is that you're dead!"

"Rocky, if it weren't for the Ninjetti powers, I might never have had a chance to see any of you again. To say goodbye properly, to let you know I was content. I saw what you were all going through and it hurt me as much as it hurt you. I look at this as if it was an extension to my life and one for which I'm grateful." Billy could see Rocky starting to listen to reason.

Tommy drew in a deep breath, relief spreading within him. He trusted Billy, always had, now was no different. He also trusted Zordon. He had cared for them all as a surrogate parent but they had all felt he was above mistakes. Now that belief was shattered. Still, this was his first one in four years. Tommy could forgive him. Granted, something had changed for each of them. They would no longer be so accepting, so trusting.

Glancing at Rocky, he realized that he was the most affected by what happened. Could the young Ranger ever forgive his mentor for hiding the truth from them? He doubted it. Rocky had always treated the Power Rangers as a grand adventure, never really seeing the big epic picture for what it was. He was just excited to have special powers and wield them like a pro. Now suddenly the price was too high. He should have known that with the Great Power came great responsibility. Never was such a statement more true than in their case. They were all forced to grow up so quickly in the last five years. It hadn't taken them long for the realization to hit them that their everyday concerns and responsibilities had multiplied.

Rocky would eventually have to weigh his outrage of Zordon against his own personal exploits with the Rangers. Which one meant more to him? Tommy prayed that Rocky would be strong enough to withstand the barrage of uncertainty that would linger long past this day. Zordon had a lot to live down suddenly. He didn't think any of them would outright leave since the damage was already done but he sincerely doubted that they would blindly believe their mentor as they had in the past. Things were bound to change. Obviously there was much more to being a Ranger or a Ninjetti than any of them had ever realized. Perhaps it was time to implement some official training/enlightening sessions. Things had to be more upfront from now on, all truths laid out openly on the table. They didn't mind defending the world so long as they knew the consequences.

After a while the conversation began to stray to other matters, some important and others not so important. They continued to talk long into the day. Eventually as the long veil of night descended a change came over them. It was almost time for the Rangers to leave Phaedos and a great weight of depression assailed all present.

Billy could feel the pull of his coming transformation. It was like a steady pressure building within his spirit. He dreaded it for the first time. Exhaustion dragged on him, the rigors of this day, both emotionally and physically were taking their toll. He needed to rest. His wolf vessel would be coming soon and his friends would leave. The sadness inside him reached his face. He glanced towards the setting sun and then back towards his friends.

"It's almost time, isn't it?" Adam asked quietly.

Billy nodded. His visage was growing fainter with each passing minute. It was growing harder for them all to speak. No one wanted to say goodbye.

"I'm coming back," Adam announced abruptly. It brought a smile finally to Billy's face.

"I hope so," the older boy told him. He watched his friend's intense but empathic expression. "You don't realize it yet but you're as much a part of Phaedos as I am."

Adam's eyes were shining in the dying light. His chest was tight with the strain of holding in his emotions. "I know. I can feel it sometimes," he whispered. His totem spirit's presence had not gone unnoticed. "Thanks to you."

Billy clenched his jaw against the waves of regret flaring again. He brought the last vestiges of his energy to bear and centered them in his hand. He then reached out and placed it on Adam's shoulder. "A truer friend I could never find," he told him. A single tear slipped from Adam's eye. Then Billy's form shimmered in front of Adam. The edges around his friend started dissipating like wisps of vapor caught by the wind.

They drifted past Trini who straightened at his soft touch. Trini brought her hands to her face as the last of Billy's ethereal form enveloped her. She could just barely see Billy's face in front of her, soft and muted as watercolor paints. His lips brushed once more against hers and spoke again of his love for her, burning a path within her own heart and soul. She finally found the peace she sought there inside her where his love took residence.

They all watched the couple's last embrace. Blue light clung to Trini as if refusing to let go and then it reluctantly released her gliding towards the stone monument at last. It hit the coin in the stone's center and glowed radiantly for a second. Billy's voice came back to them drifting across the ruins. "Goodbye my friends. I'll be with you always."

Tommy placed his arm around Kat as she struggled for control. "Goodbye Billy," he called out softly. A low howl was picked up suddenly by the wind and echoed about the temple and then it faded into silence.

Adam reached over and gently helped Trini to her feet. He gave her a strong hug which she returned gratefully. They both stood taller than they had in the past week perhaps drawing on Billy's lingering strength. Together they moved off while the others slowly rose and followed. Moments later they vanished into a ribbon of colored light and swept across the darkness of Phaedos and began their long journey home to earth.

The sudden silence within the temple remained for only a moment until a flutter of wings marked an owl's approach. It landed on a stone pedestal near the cliff's edge and stared with large luminous eyes as a white wolf emerged slowly from the monument. They regarded each other silently and then the wolf looked skyward where rainbows streamed and teenagers flew. It lifted its muzzle upwards and once again the mournful howl of a wolf reigned proudly in the temple of the Ninjetti.