AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm back after a successful NaNoWriMo. Thanks for patiently waiting for this next chapter. If you're a fan of B'Danna and Draze, I started December by writing their origin story for Tales from the Rebellion. Their story is called Strong. It's definitely an emotional one, but I think it will help people understand especially B'Danna better. Anyway, without further delay, let's jump right back into this story!

CHAPTER EIGHT
ANDRU
There was something troubling in the air. Andru was about to chalk it up to paranoia when Aileen came running into the room.

"Andru... Something's coming," the sorceress said. When the Rebellion had still been the Rebellion, Aileen had been the only female in the Scottish Chapter, mostly because she was the only one who wouldn't hesitate to put Andru in his place. He adored that woman with his entire heart.

"What do you sense, Lass?" He asked.

"Something incredibly dark... And it's heading right for us."

"Gather the others. We'll assess the threat and handle it."

Like most of the Chapters, the Scottish Rebels had chosen to remain together after the Rebellion was disbanded. They were family, after all. They didn't need missions to give them a reason to continue living together in the haunted castle they used as their base of operations.

A minute or so later, most of them were gathered in what served as their living room. Lyzzano, his former Lieutenant, stood at attention as if the Rebellion was still active. Kenz, the tactical expert, stood beside Meittan, a sorcerer.

"Ay, where's Mick?" Andru asked.

The scream of pain that echoed through the castle answered his question. Lyzzano and Kenz automatically drew their weapons. Andru followed suit, drawing his sword. Aileen had a fire spell in one hand and her sword in the other. Meittan began to cast a protection spell. They headed toward the sound of Mick's screams.

Their healer had been brutally attacked. His chest was slashed open and he was rapidly losing blood.

Ah crap, the healer needs a healer, Andru thought.

"Mick, Lad, who did this to you?" Lyzzano demanded.

Mick tried to form words, but none came out. He slowly raised his hand and pointed behind them.

Andru spun around. "Who are ya and how did ya get in?" He demanded.

The wards on the castle were powerful. Only their Chapter, the British Chapter, and the Circle were allowed to enter without one of the Scottish Rebels allowing them inside.

The woman looking at him smiled in response before sending an attack at Meittan, who'd tried to get to Mick to work a healing spell on him. Meittan's head hit the wall with a sickening crack. Blood began gushing from the wound.

"State yer business, Lass, or this will get ugly," Andru said firmly.

"Your wards are impressive, but they cannot keep me out, Great-Great-Grandson," she replied.

His eyes widened. It was impossible. He tried to read her energy and couldn't deny this woman was a Treygan... And she was older than anyone else he'd met.

"T'Dania..." He said in horror. "Why have you come here?"

"You possess something I need, Andru Treygan. Do not stand in my way and perhaps I shall allow you to continue to draw breath," she replied.

"I don' negotiate with psychopaths, Lass," he replied firmly.

"Very well," she said with a shrug. She snapped her fingers. To Andru's horror, Lyzzano's neck snapped. He fell dead at Andru's feet.

Aileen moved in front of Andru protectively as he tried to process what he was seeing. She flung a spell at T'Dania.

"Impressive, Little Girl," T'Dania said as the spell did a little bit of damage. "Unfortunately, not impressive enough." She proceeded to attack Aileen with a spell unlike any Andru had ever seen.

"No!" Andru shouted. He pulled Aileen behind him and cast a powerful shield. It deflected most of the spell, but enough hit to knock Andru onto his back for a minute.

Meittan was slowly coming around. As Kenz launched an impressive attack of explosions that at least forced T'Dania to give them some distance, Meittan crawled toward Andru and Aileen. While Aileen used a healing charm to help Meittan, Andru looked to Kenz.

"The portal," he said.

Kenz nodded. "I'll cover ya. Get Mick out of here," he said.

Andru scooped the gravely wounded healer up in his arms. "Stay with us, Lad. You'll be alright," he said soothingly.

Aileen let out a scream that sent a chill through Andru. He turned around and realized she'd jumped between him and T'Dania. A sword was sticking out of her chest.

"Aileen!" He shouted. He passed Mick to Meittan. "Keep him stable," he said. He pulled Aileen into his arms carefully as Kenz set off more explosions, knocking T'Dania back.

"Andru..." Kenz took a deep breath. "Run. Get to Nigel. It's your only chance."

"That's the plan, Lad. Let's go," Andru said.

"No, Andru... You and Meittan go. Get Aileen and Mick to London."

"Kenz, I'm not leaving you here," Andru said stubbornly.

"There's no time to argue, Andru! I was a tactical expert for a reason. This is the only way. Either the four of you go and I hold her off, or we all die."

Andru knew he was right. He still didn't want to leave him behind. "Kenz..." He said softly.

"Vide piel virit! I am loyal!"

"The Rebellion's disbanded, Lad."

"I'm still loyal to you. Always." Kenz handed him his sword. "Bring this to my brother," he said. "Tell him I died with honor."

Andru's heart was breaking, but he forced himself to be strong for his people. "Godspeed, Kenz," he said stoically.

Knowing they were out of time as T'Dania got closer, Andru carried Aileen and led the way to the portal that connected their castle to Nigel's home in London.

He touched the portal and it sprang to life. He sent Meittan through with Mick. That was when he heard Kenz scream, "Bizzeh mada alebastes!"

The explosion which followed was enough to shake the entire castle. As Andru dove into the portal with Aileen, he knew Kenz hadn't survived.

He emerged right behind Meittan and Mick. Nigel looked up in alarm.

"Andru? What's happened?" He asked as he rushed toward them. "Rez! Rez, I need you!"

Nigel's younger brother, his Chapter's healer, rushed into the room. Marzurite was right behind him. The sorceress immediately tended to Aileen as Rez worked on healing Mick.

"Andru, let me take her, Luv," Marzurite said gently.

"No... No, I have ta keep her stable..." Andru said numbly.

"I've got her now. She's safe, but I need to get that sword out of her so my spell can heal her properly."

Andru reluctantly released Aileen. He clung to Kenz's sword.

"Andru, where are Kenz and Lyzzano?" Nigel asked softly.

Andru shook his head. Nigel looked as devastated as he felt. "I see... Can you tell me who did this?" Nigel asked.

"T'Dania," Andru replied softly. "It was T'Dania."

"We'll make that evil cunt pay," Aileen said with determination. The sound of her voice filled Andru with relief.

"Aileen! Don' e'er scare me like that again, Lass!" Andru cried out as he examined her. She was fully healed.

"How's Mick?" Aileen asked.

Nigel checked on him. "He's healing up well enough. He'll be alright," he said.

Andru was relieved about that much. "Nigel... I need to see Kezan," he said sadly.

"Of course. We'll tell him together. Follow me," Nigel replied.

Kezan saw Andru carrying his younger brother's sword and took a deep breath. "Tell me," he said simply.

"We were ambushed," Andru began. "My long-lost relative, the oldest surviving Treygan, attacked the castle. She killed Lyzzano with a literal snap of her fingers. Mick and Aileen were dying..." He forced himself to keep going. He owed Kezan that much. "He sacrificed himself so we could escape with our lives. Kenz died with honor, Lad... And I am forever grateful to him." He presented the sword to Kezan.

"Thank you, Andru," Kezan replied stoically as he took the sword in his hands. He walked away and Andru knew he was probably going to go blow a few things up. Like Kenz, Kezan was a tactical expert. The two often had bad ideas and got into trouble when left together, so Garron had assigned them to two different Chapters to make sure neither got out of hand. Kezan had the worse temper of the two. Violence would most likely be his chosen method of grieving.

"Andru... How can I help?" Nigel asked softly. The two were old friends. If Andru could break down in front of anyone without fear of being judged or appearing weak, it was Nigel.

"Your best liquor will do, Nigel," Andru replied seriously. "Tonight, we drink to our fallen friends. Tomorrow, we avenge them."

GARRON
It had been a while since Garron had been hit with such an intense vision, but one took over his mind now.

A powerful sorceress stood over a fire. The courtyard was part of the Scottish Chapter's castle grounds. As a dark spell swirled around her, Garron realized in surprise that it was warlock magic. She held a canister Garron recognized as the kind the Rebellion used to store the ashes of the dead. To his great confusion, she opened it and poured the ashes over the flames.

Where is Andru? Garron wondered with concern.

She spoke in a language Garron didn't understand, but he recognized enough of the sounds to identify it as the ancient language of B'Deston. As she danced around the fire, she pulled someone out of a pocket realm.

Garron recognized the man. "Neese..." He whispered in horror. The healer who'd once been part of the Paris Chapter of the Rebellion had been severely beaten. His eyes told Garron this woman had broken him emotionally as well as physically.

"I was going to use my great-great-grandson's healer for this, however you'll do," she said to Neese.

Neese didn't react. His eyes were full of pain and Garron knew he wanted this woman to end his suffering.

"Join your friends now, Neese of Eltar," she said before she slashed his throat.

"L'Teia... Mes amies... Je suis tres desole," Neese replied.

Garron spoke French fluently. He understood Neese's words and considered them in horror.

"L'Teia... My friends... I am very sorry," he translated aloud as he was forced to continue watching the vision. "Dear God, what has this woman done?" He hoped the rest of the Eltarians in France were safe, but he sincerely doubted it.

The sorceress used a ritual knife and slashed Neese's throat over the fire. Moments later, a body began to form in the flames. Garron could do nothing more than watch as the body became solid. He realized he recognized the man in the flames when he opened his eyes.

"T'Dania! You kept your word! How long has it been?" Howard Mills asked.

T'Dania, Garron thought in horror. No... This cannot be happening...

"Hello, Howard! The year is 2020," the sorceress replied.

Howard was already a pale man, but he paled even more. "It was 1912!" He protested. "You were meant to save me!"

"I was busy, Howard. Better late than never. Now, come along. We have work to do."

Howard took T'Dania's hand. They vanished from sight.

Garron snapped out of the vision with a gasp. Knowing he didn't have the luxury of time, he grabbed his communication stone and tapped it twice. "Andru!" He said firmly.

The person who answered it wasn't Andru. "Garron... You saw it?" Nigel guessed.

"I saw something... Nigel, where is Andru? Are all of them alright?" Garron asked.

"Andru, Aileen, Mick, and Meittan are with us... Aileen and Mick were in rough shape, but they're stable now..." He paused.

"Lyzzano and Kenz?" Garron asked.

"Lyzzano died in an instant. Kenz stayed behind to protect the others."

Garron cursed internally. "Take care of them, Nigel. Let me know if they need anything. Disbanded or not, the Rebellion is a family and we protect our own. We're here for them."

"I'll tell Andru when he's a tad more sober."

"Fair enough. Nigel... T'Dania appears to have resurrected Howard Mills."

Nigel muttered something softly under his breath. "I'll alert the others," he said louder.

"Is Laby with you?"

"No. He left a couple of days ago."

"Damnit... I need to warn him. I'll find him. Stay safe, Nigel."

"You, too, Garron."

They ended the communication. Garron took a deep breath before tapping his stone again and saying, "L'Teia!"

At first, nothing happened. Garron feared the worst. Finally, someone answered weakly.

"Aidez nous... S'il vous plait... Aidez nous..." The Captain of the Paris Chapter repeated in French. Help us... Please help us, Garron translated.

"Oh, thank God..." Garron mumbled as he realized she was still alive. "L'Teia, where are you?"

"Rome... Nous sommes alles a Tutty," she replied.

"You went to Tutty? Good. Who's with you? Are you injured?"

L'Teia began mumbling in French rapidly. She was clearly hysterical. Garron understood her words, but she wasn't making much sense.

After a moment, someone else took the communication stone. "Garron! We were ambushed by a warlock or sorceress or... I am not sure," Jean Paul said. He had been the tactical expert of Paris. "L'Teia was nearly killed. She was half-dead when I got her through the portal. Zoanna was mostly able to heal her, but she's in shock and still has a bit of a concussion."

"Where are the others?" Garron asked.

"She killed Mitell and Vinnia. It happened too quickly... I couldn't stop her. Neese was fighting, but after those two went down, he froze and went into shock... She abducted him."

Garron sighed. "Neese is dead. I'm sorry, Jean Paul. She sacrificed him."

"Who is this bitch?"

"T'Dania Treygan... A sorceress who predates Eltar."

"A Treygan? It figures."

"Stay with Tutty, Zoanna, and Nuuz. I'll be in touch soon. Tell Tutty to be vigilant. Locking yourselves down might be for the best." He sighed. "I'm sorry for your losses, Jean Paul. Please keep L'Teia safe."

"Always. Vide piel virit. I am loyal."

"Be safe, my friend." Garron ended the call. He tried to contact Laby, but no one answered.

Garron sighed. He picked up the phone and dialed a number. "Hello?" Lex answered.

"Hello, Lex... This is Garron. Is your father home?"

"No, he's still not back. What's wrong?"

"If you hear from him, please have him contact me. It's urgent."

"I heard he told you to fuck off. I don't think he'll care."

"He's in danger, Lex. Please."

"I'll try, but he's stubborn."

"Believe me, I'm well aware of how stubborn Laby is."

After hanging up, Garron contacted Vitella to tell her their family was in danger. Then, he summoned the one person he hoped could help even the odds.

Sakura looked at Garron in concern. "What happened?" She asked.

"A very evil woman just resurrected a man who is a serious threat. He's human, but he has studied the occult extensively and is connected to a powerful Eltarian demon named Baizamo," Garron replied.

"And you brought me here to do what, exactly?"

"I was hoping to tip the scales back a bit. His name is Howard Mills. He was balanced by his twin children, Benjamin and Jean Marie. Can you resurrect them?"

Sakura sighed. "I can read the history on you, Garron. I am not resurrecting two dead teenagers just to absolve you of your guilt."

"This isn't about me, Sakura. Do I regret what happened to them? Yes. Do I want Laby to forgive me? Of course. But this is about balance... And about giving two lovely kids a second chance they truly deserve."

"Their fate is connected to their father," Sakura admitted. "If he has returned, they should as well... However, it's complicated, Garron. And with their fates being connected, when Howard Mills is inevitably killed again, his children will die, too."

Garron paused. "That would destroy Laby all over again..."

"It would. So unless their destiny changes while they're alive, Laby will be forced to watch them die again... And even if they do live a normal human lifespan, in a few more decades, he will still lose them. I can't damn Laby to that kind of pain."

"Neither can I," Garron admitted with a sigh. "I'm sorry to have bothered you, Sakura. I'm just trying to make up for my past mistakes."

"I know. It's alright. Go to your friends, Garron. They need you."

Garron nodded. Once Sakura left, he went straight to Trerry.

"I need you to get a message to Laby for me," he said.

"That's not going to happen, Garron," Trerry replied firmly. "Laby wants absolutely nothing to do with you, and quite honestly, I can't blame him."

"Please, Trerry... He's in danger."

"From what, exactly?"

"Howard Mills is back."

Trerry paled, his face turning unreadable. "How?" He asked.

"T'Dania Treygan."

"Great... Another Treygan for Keilah to melt. I'll tell Pasha to make some more popcorn so we can all enjoy the show."

"I'm not sure it will be that easy to take T'Dania down." His chest ached as he thought about everything T'Dania had done in mere hours.

Trerry paused. "Garron... Tell me everything before I just pull it out of your head. You're grieving. Who did we lose?"

Garron sighed. "Lyzzano, Kenz, Mitell, Vinnia, and Neese... She attacked the French first. Jean Paul barely got L'Teia to Tutty's people in time. She went to the castle after that. Somehow, she knew that Andru had Howard's ashes. Kenz sacrificed himself to save the others. They're with Nigel."

"Son of a bitch..." Trerry mumbled. "Laby's in a labyrinth taking care of a friend. I'll make sure he knows what's going on... He won't take this well. It's better it come from me."

"Thank you, Trerry. I'll be in touch." With that, Garron walked away, finally taking a moment to process everything that had just happened. Feeling lost, he went to one of the safe houses. As soon as the door opened, he said, "B'Bodian... We need to talk."

Captain Smith stepped aside. "Come on in, Garron," he said. Garron gratefully followed him, knowing everything had changed and they needed to prepare for whatever was coming next.

ZELL
It had been a long time since he'd sat beside a part of Daphne as she slept. He watched over her, easing her mind any time she seemed to be slipping into a nightmare. He had to admit, it was comforting to be with her.

As she began to stir, she seemed panicked. "All is well, my dear one," he said quickly.

Aiyana looked at him for a moment before seeming to remember where she was. "It wasn't a dream," she said softly, her relief clear.

"You are safe, my sweet Aiyana," Zell confirmed.

"Thank you for looking after me last night."

"Of course."

Aiyana soon began getting ready to face the day. Zell took the opportunity to head down to the kitchen and prepare breakfast. Years of raising Elgan alone had made Zell an excellent cook, although he'd generally left that duty to Daphne once they were together.

He'd recently mastered cooking some of Earth's more popular foods, so he felt fairly confident when Aiyana came downstairs that she'd accept the offering. She offered him a warm smile. He noticed she'd changed into the sweater and jeans he'd conjured for her.

"You didn't have to cook," she said softly.

"Nonsense. I doubt you've had a proper meal in a long time," he replied. "Eat, my dear one. You need to regain your strength."

"Thank you, Zell..." She sat down and began eating.

"I will set a room up for you in a bit... Unless, of course, you would rather stay elsewhere."

"I don't have anywhere else to go," she admitted. "I normally stay on campus even when classes aren't in session, but it's not safe anymore. They know I live there." She paused. "I'll find my own place soon. I don't want to be a burden."

"Nonsense! You could never be a burden. If you are comfortable here, you are welcome to stay." He didn't add that he wanted her to stay. Zell was terribly lonely in his self-isolation, but he deserved to live alone after all he'd done.

He was startled when he felt her hand gently touch his. "Are you alright?" She asked.

He offered her a reassuring smile. "I should be asking you that, my dear one."

"You seemed distant suddenly."

"I suppose I got a bit lost in thought. You needn't worry about me."

"I can't help it. Oralee and Daphne both worried about you. How can I help?"

"The pleasure of your company is more than enough, Aiyana."

They talked for a bit as they ate breakfast. Aiyana began visibly relaxing the more they did, and soon, she was smiling.

She is positively lovely, Zell thought. He immediately scolded himself. Do not even consider it, Zell. You'll only hurt her like you hurt Daphne. You do not deserve her, and you cannot destroy that poor girl again.

His chest ached. Once again, Aiyana seemed to sense that something was wrong. She stunned him by standing up and wrapping him in a tight hug. Her arms were unbelievably comforting, and he couldn't stop himself from getting lost in her embrace.

His mind flashed back on his childhood. He saw Oralee wearing the ring of flowers he'd enchanted to live forever when he proposed to her. He'd been seven, and Oralee had been six, and from that day on, he'd proudly proclaimed to anyone who'd listen that they were engaged.

Time moved forward. He saw himself holding Aiyana and kissing her gently, almost like he feared breaking her. She looked at him with affection and adoration that reminded him of the way Oralee had looked at him, without any of the traces of fear that had ended up in Daphne's eyes so often. The shock of that sight snapped him out of the vision.

Zell jerked away from her. Aiyana looked at him in confusion. "What's wrong?" She asked.

"I... Nothing, my dear one," Zell replied awkwardly. One thing he'd always been was a good talker, but this vision had left him too startled to even think straight.

"You can talk to me, Zell," she said a bit shyly.

"I was simply surprised by a vision. It's nothing to worry about."

I kissed her... He thought. I kissed her, and she wanted me to. It was different than when I kissed Andie...

He couldn't stop thinking about that for a moment. In the vision, he'd felt happy. It had been an eternity since he'd truly been happy, although getting Elgan back had helped significantly.

Is it possible? Could she come to love me after all I have done? He wondered.

Stop it, Zell. You don't deserve her. You destroy everything you touch, he scolded himself harshly. You mustn't destroy her, too.

He made a decision then and there that he would not allow himself to pursue Aiyana, no matter what he might feel for her. He would protect her with every ounce of power he had, and he would be her friend if she wanted him to be, but he could not allow it to go any further than that.

The front door opened, making Aiyana tense. "It's alright, my dear one," Zell said soothingly. "It is only my brother."

Elgan stuck his head into the kitchen. He looked at Zell in surprise. "You have a guest? About time, Brother!" He teased him gently.

"Aiyana, this is my brother, Elgan of Eltar. Elgan, this is Aiyana," Zell explained.

"Aiyana? The one you rescued from...?"

"Yes. She's all grown up now. Unfortunately, the Guild had her, but she is safe now."

Elgan's eyes widened as Aiyana politely smiled at him and bowed her head respectfully. "It is an honor, Elgan of Eltar," she said.

He smiled back. "There's no need to be so formal, Aiyana," he said. "You're family."

"Family?"

"You were Daphne, and before that, Oralee. I never had the pleasure of getting to know my brother's wife, but I adored his fiancé."

She laughed, much to Zell's surprise. "Oralee adored you, too," she replied.

"Technically, a proposal at seven is not official..." Zell said softly.

"Then why'd you tell everyone you met that you were going to marry her?" Elgan asked in amusement.

"It was official in Oralee's heart," Aiyana said with a kind smile. "And it was sweet. Grown men don't propose that well."

"Oh, my big brother was quite smooth, even back then!" Elgan joked.

Zell realized he was starting to blush. He couldn't recall the last time that had happened. He took a deep breath to calm himself before he said, "Elgan... I promised to assist Anise with something today, but Aiyana has been through quite a trauma, and I would prefer not to leave her alone. Would you mind staying with her today?"

"Of course not, Zell," Elgan replied. "It would be my honor."

"I don't want to be a bother. I'll be alright on my own," Aiyana protested.

"Don't even think about staying here alone," Elgan said firmly. "My brother is right. You should have company right now. Besides, I don't mind. I can think of no better way to spend my day than in your fine company."

Aiyana couldn't argue with that. Zell left her soon after, although it was not easy to make himself walk away. The Witch, Jezzeff, Reyzzo, and the others had tortured her. All he wanted was to remain at her side and protect her. Instead, he did as he'd promised and met Anise outside of the timeline.

"Guys... I want you to meet your mentor," Anise said as he arrived.

"Wait... Zell is our mentor?" A girl he recognized as Karone's daughter, Ella, demanded.

"It makes sense," a boy he did not know said. "Who knows this place better than Zell, right?"

"I know this is a shock," Anise said, "but Kenji's right. My father has a better grasp of working outside of the timeline than anyone, and he's actually a really good mentor."

Ella looked skeptical. Zell couldn't blame her. "I understand your concern, my dear," he said. "I expressed the same thoughts to Anise myself."

"Actually, this is perfect!" A girl said excitedly. One look at her told Zell she was Rita's daughter.

Oh my, he thought. "And who might you be, my dear?" He asked.

The look in her eyes told him she knew she was busted. "I'm Carissa," she said. "This is my twin brother, Pax."

Zell would have known that boy anywhere. He bore a striking resemblance to Zordon.

"They're from the future!" Kenji said helpfully. "But we're not allowed to know more than that."

"Well, at least I know that the two of you understand the importance of preserving the timeline," Zell replied pleasantly. "So, we have Ella, Kenji, Carissa, Pax, and Sir Edmund, of course..."

"Zell," Edmund greeted him respectfully with a bow of his head. My, how things change, Zell thought in mild amusement. When he'd met Edmund, the boy had despised him, and that was before he learned he was one of his Children of the Flame. Edmund had come around slowly, warming up to Zell more as he proved he was no longer evil, but he still didn't seem to fully trust him. Zell understood. He'd put Edmund's father through a special breed of Hell in his misguided efforts to destroy him.

"And that leaves you, my dear," he said to the only young Ranger remaining whose name he did not know.

"I am Liberty, of Eltar, Daughter of Sena-" She began before taking a deep breath and shaking her head. "Daughter of Ling," she said firmly. She smiled warmly as she added, "I prefer to be called Libby."

Zell stared at her for a moment. He could certainly see Ling in her features, especially her cheerful grin, but the news was still unexpected. "Libby," he said with a nod. "I have always been quite fond of your father." He could tell something had happened involving her mother, but he chose not to push the subject and risk upsetting her further.

"So, are we going to begin our training now?" Edmund asked.

"Yes," Zell replied, grateful for the opportunity to focus everyone on the task at hand. "The first thing you must learn is how to enter and exit the timeline deliberately. We will do this in a safe place where no one will detect us and where none of you can accidentally change anything. We will practice until you can do this as easily as you breathe."

"Most of us aren't time travelers," Ella protested.

"You weren't time travelers, my dear... These morphers and the powers connected to them have given each of you that gift. Now, you must master that gift. Do not worry. Due to the fact that we must train you outside of the timeline, you can spend decades training and no time shall pass. That was how Felina and I trained Katherine in magic, and as some of you unfortunately saw, she picked it up quite thoroughly."

He forced himself not to focus on the horrible monster he'd turned his daughter into. He hadn't loved Katherine... He couldn't... But he wished he had, because perhaps things could have turned out differently for her if he had.

"Imagine what a force of Good can do with that kind of training," Anise chimed in. "I'll be here for the first couple of lessons, but once you get used to working with my father, I have to focus on running things on Eltar."

Ella sighed. It was obvious she didn't want to trust Zell, but she nodded. "Then let's do this... That's why we're here, right?" She asked.

"Right!" Libby replied cheerfully. She squeezed Ella's hand, which visibly put Ella at ease.

She's a ball of light just like Ling, Zell realized. He forced himself to focus as the first official training session for the Tempus Force Power Rangers began.

LIBBY
Adjusting to life without her mother wasn't easy, but Libby was trying to focus on the fact that Anise had selected her to be a Power Ranger. Even that was sort of surreal.  Their first training session had certainly proven interesting. She hadn't expected Eltar's infamous Great Wizard to end up as their mentor, but he was as good at it as Anise claimed, and he helped put Libby's nerves at ease.

Shortly after arriving back on Eltar, Libby felt the arrival of two people before she saw them. She immediately ran out of the front door of the house and into their arms.

"Father! Uncle Hezz!" She cried as they both held her.

"It's alright, sweet girl..." Her father said soothingly. "I'm so sorry it took us so long to get here. Are you okay?"

"Karone and Bridge have taken excellent care of me," Libby replied.

"What an odd combination," Hezzo said with a laugh. "Blind rage and buttery toast."

"You're going to come stay with us, Libby," her father said. "On Earth, in Angel Grove."

"Are you sure you don't mind?" Libby asked.

"You're my little girl, Libby. You know how much I love you. Of course I want you with me. I wanted you with me before, but it wasn't safe, and your mother..." He hesitated.

"Your mother refused to let him take you when he asked," Hezzo said.

"Hezz, don't."

"She deserves to know the truth, Ling," Hezzo insisted. "Your mother told Ling if he didn't leave us and marry her, he couldn't take you. Initially, she told him he couldn't even see you, but I intervened. I'd have just kidnapped you, but Ling insisted a girl needs her mother. Instead, I made it clear I'd make her regret it if she tried to cut him out of your life completely."

"Don't speak ill of her mother, Hezz. That's not fair to Libby."

"Mother joined the Coalition and conspired to assassinate Karlton, Pasha, and who knows who else?" Libby replied softly. "I already know she is not the person I believed she was."

"I'm so sorry, Libby," her father said soothingly. "I had no idea she held such darkness in her heart."

No one spoke for a moment until the door opened. "Hezzo, Ling, come on inside," Karone called. "It's safer."

They didn't protest, instead moving toward the house. Ella smiled up at them from the couch. "Do you guys want some food? We have way too much here," she said, motioning toward the kitchen.

"That sounds delightful," Libby's father replied with a cheerful smile.

Libby had a feeling Ella had deliberately used food as a distraction from the intense vibe her father and Hezzo were giving off. Regardless, it worked, and soon, they were all much calmer.

COOPER
Despite his protests, Didi had left early that day to return to the Guild. She'd insisted she would be fine and Reyzzo and the Witch would both probably be over their anger by then. Cooper hated that he was worried about her.

We're on opposite sides, he reminded himself. Didi's not your problem anymore, Cooper.

The sound of screams got his attention. Cooper ran outside of his apartment and headed toward the source. He was quite surprised to see a dozen or so tengus terrorizing a small crowd of people.

Deciding it was for the best, Cooper morphed. He was easily able to take down the tengu warriors, but then he heard a voice say, "Well, well, well, what do we have here? One lonely Power Ranger? Was that the best they could do?" He laughed.

Cooper looked the hideous monster in the eye, steadily holding his gaze. "I know, it's hardly fair," he said evenly. "You should have brought more backup." He kicked the man in the chest.

"Oh, you think you're so tough, Little Ranger? Allow me to introduce myself. I am the galactically feared, globally reviled, and universally despised Ivan Ooze!"

"Is that supposed to impress me?" Cooper asked dryly.

"How dare you? It's time you meet my ooze!" He flung a disgusting substance at Cooper.

Suddenly, someone jumped in front of Cooper. The girl was young and had long blonde hair. She deflected the ooze attack with some sort of magical shield, sending it back at Ivan Ooze.

"Yuck!" The girl mumbled. She looked at Ooze, who'd cried out in surprise, and said, "You ooze, you lose!"

He looked furious as he tried to attack them again. It didn't make it past her shield. "He doesn't learn, does he?" She asked with a laugh.

Cooper reacted to something before he even realized he was moving. He caught a sword in midair as the blade came toward the girl's neck. Her eyes widened in shock.

Jezzeff pulled his sword free as he studied Cooper curiously. "Very impressive reflexes," he said softly.

"Better than you know," Cooper replied.

"Jezzeff... The book," a boy said. He pointed to a book that a young woman was desperately trying to protect.

"Retrieve it for me, Dale," Jezzeff replied. He stared at the girl with Cooper. "Who are you?" He asked.

"I'm me," the girl replied with a cheerful grin.

Dale approached the other young woman. He tried to take the book. "Please don't," she sobbed. She clung to the book even tighter.

Dale hesitated. "I don't want to hurt you," he said. "Just give me the book."

"I can't... I must protect it."

Cooper was torn. The girl beside him was younger, but she seemed to know how to defend herself. This other young woman was in serious danger and seemed helpless. He turned toward the girl beside him. "Look, um..." He began.

Briar, he heard her reply in his mind. But you never met me, okay?

He nodded. That girl needs help, he replied since he knew she could hear him.

I'm good. Go to her. I can handle this. Don't let Dale hurt her. He won't forgive himself. She immediately sent a spell at Jezzeff that tossed him backwards through the air. He landed hard and Cooper knew the wind had been knocked out of him.

He wasn't sure why Dale's conscience mattered to Briar, but he didn't ask. Instead, he went to the other girl.

"Back off," Cooper said as Dale tried to pry the book from her hands. He summoned his kendo stick.

Dale looked reluctant to fight. Still, he pulled out a sword. Normally, a kendo stick wouldn't stand up against a sword, but like Cooper, it was enhanced by magic. No matter what damage an opponent dealt, the kendo stick would not break.

They went strike for strike, their weapons meeting at every swing, until Cooper got the upper hand and managed to crack the kendo stick over Dale's back. It knocked him down for a moment.

As Dale tried to recover, Cooper hit his communicator. "Alphas, I need backup. I've got tengus, Jezzeff, and Ivan Ooze downtown," he said.

The panicked response told him help would be arriving shortly. Sure enough, the rest of his team appeared a minute later. Charleigh led them in morphing.

Cooper continued to focus on Dale. Patti and Stephanie teamed up against the tengus. Dora and Elliot focused on Ivan Ooze. Lachlan watched Briar for a moment like she confused him before he and Lex began to help her fight off Jezzeff. After visibly taking in the situation, Charleigh joined them, apparently deciding Jezzeff was the biggest threat.

The tides of battle began to turn as they evened the odds. Stephanie and Patti defeated the tengu warriors. Charleigh, Lex, Lachlan, and Briar had Jezzeff very well occupied. He was having trouble keeping up with them, especially as Briar kept vanishing and reappearing in other places impossibly fast.

She's slipping in and out of time, Cooper realized.

Briar suddenly popped up behind the girl with the book. Dale froze as she appeared.

"Who are you?" He asked.

"Someone who's here to help you by stopping you from killing Elzah and stealing her book of prophecies," Briar replied. She grabbed the girl and vanished with her before Dale could react and try to stop her.

Dale tensed, suddenly looking at Jezzeff nervously. Cooper understood his body language. "They're forcing you to do this," he said as he put his kendo stick down at his side. "You're terrified of Jezzeff."

"I'm loyal to the Guild," Dale insisted.

"Look... I was wrapped up in this kind of shit against my will for most of my life. I know the signs. We can help you."

Jezzeff flung a sword at Cooper. It just barely missed, and Cooper had to dive out of the way to avoid it. Jezzeff grabbed Dale. "You lost the girl and the book?" He demanded.

"I'm sorry, Jezzeff," Dale replied nervously. "The outsider slipped out of time after she grabbed her."

Jezzeff frowned. "I see... Come, Dale. We are needed elsewhere." He dragged him through a portal just as Cooper got back on his feet.

The entire team shifted their focus to Ivan Ooze. He frowned. "Oh, shoot... Looks like the party's over," he said.

Cooper thought they'd won until he heard cackling. "The party's never over, Ooze," the Witch said cheerfully.

A magical attack shot perilously close to Dora. "Look out!" Charleigh screamed as it hit, but it was too late.

Before their eyes, Elliot dove in front of Dora, grabbing her arms with both hands and knocking her to the ground. He was clearly trying to use his body to shield her as smoke surrounded them. When it cleared, they were nowhere in sight.

"What just happened?" Stephanie demanded.

"Nothing good," Cooper replied.

"See ya later, Rangers! Well, some of you, anyway!" Ooze shouted in delight before he vanished.

"Is it over?" Patti asked.

"The Witch is gone," Lachlan replied. "I can't feel her."

"Oh, crap..." Briar said as she reappeared. "Well, that didn't exactly go as planned..."

"Who are you?" Lachlan asked. "Have we met before? You seem familiar."

"No one," Briar replied. "And nope! I never met you until today. Okay, bye!"

"Wait! Where are Elliot and Dora?" Cooper forced himself to ask.

"Are they okay?" Patti asked. "They're not... They're not dead, right?"

"They're alive, as far as I can tell," Briar replied. "Oh, man, I really messed up this time... Don't worry! I'll find them."

"Find them? What happened to them?" Charleigh demanded.

"My best guess is the attack made Elliot misfire and they're in another realm. Maybe Rhanna can track them... Go find her, but in the meantime, I'll look, too. I'm sure they'll be okay... I mean, as soon as we locate them and bring them back..."

"Are you saying they're lost in an alternate realm?" Lex asked.

"Sort of?" She smiled apologetically. "This didn't originally happen, but don't worry... I'll fix it!" With that, she slipped out of time before they could ask her anything else.

"Well, fuck," Stephanie voiced what Cooper was thinking.

"Come on, guys," Charleigh said. "We'd better contact Rhanna."

ELLIOT
They landed with a hard thud. At first, it was completely dark, but as a weight seemed to lift from Elliot, the light returned. He shifted off of Dora and got to his feet before helping her up.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"I think so... What just happened, Elliot?" Dora replied.

"I'm not sure," he admitted.

As horrifying creatures made of concrete ran toward them, they didn't have time to question what was happening. Dora pulled out her sword and started attacking them. Elliot followed her lead.

"What are these things?" Dora asked.

"Putties!" A girl shouted from nearby. She wore a pink suit that Elliot was pretty sure marked her as a Power Ranger, although he'd never seen these suits before.

"Stay back! We've got this!" The Yellow Ranger added.

"Putties made of concrete?" Dora asked. She looked at Elliot. "Well, Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."

"Hey, Random Teenagers, look out!" The Black Ranger cried in warning.

An explosion went off too close for comfort and a putty blew up in front of them. A few stray pieces hit Elliot in his side, but he was able to shield Dora from harm. The Blue Ranger came running toward them. "Sorry," he said. "That might have been my fault..."

"Get them out of here," the Red Ranger said. "We'll take care of the putties."

"Follow me," the Blue Ranger said.

"Who are you?" Elliot asked as they reached safer ground.

"I'm a Power Ranger," he replied.

"So are we. We're part of the Celestial Force Power Rangers." To prove his claim, Elliot morphed briefly. He let the Blue Ranger process this before dropping his morph.

"Another team of Power Rangers? No way!" He replied in surprise. "This is so cool!"

"I'm Elliot, and this is Dora. What's your name?"

"I'm Billy," he replied after a moment of apparently debating if he should be honest. He removed his helmet, revealing his dark skin and awkward smile. "Billy Cranston. Kids used to call me Billy Crams Tons of-"

"Wait a minute," Dora cut him off. "You're Billy Cranston?"

"That's what I said, isn't it? Anyway, I've never met another team of Power Rangers before. Where did you two come from?"

"Elliot... I'm confused," Dora admitted. "Is he for real, or is this a trick?"

"I'm sure he's who he says he is. It happens sometimes... Some realms are really different from ours," Elliot said.

The rest of the team came toward them. Seeing that Billy had removed his helmet, Red asked, "What's going on?"

"They're Power Rangers, too, Jason," Billy replied. "Just like us! Elliot even morphed to prove it."

"Jason Lee Scott?" Dora asked.

"Do you know me?" Jason asked.

"I don't think I know you, exactly..."

Jason removed his helmet. The others followed his lead. "I'm Zack," an Asian boy said. "That's Kimberly, and that's-"

"Trini," Dora guessed.

"It's Trini," the Latina replied in annoyance, pronouncing it like Trinn-ee.

"No, I'm pretty sure it's Tree-nee."

"Whatever. I guess that's better than Didi," Trini said with an exasperated sigh.

"Okay, so if those concrete things were putties, who sent them?" Elliot asked.

"Lord Zedd, of course," Jason replied.

"Lord Zedd?" Dora repeated. "Oh, crap..."

"Unless it was Rita," a new voice chimed in. A girl with her long brown hair in a ponytail joined them. She went straight to Trini, who wrapped her arms around her in a way that made it clear they were an item.

"Who are you supposed to be?" Dora asked the girl.

"Tommi Oliver," the girl replied.

Dora failed to cover up her snort of laughter. "Okay, that's priceless," she said.

"Why is my name funny?" Tommi asked.

"Okay, so, long story short, we're not from this realm," Elliot admitted. "Can you tell me what year it is?"

"It's 2017," Billy replied. "Tommi just joined us last month. She's the Green Ranger."

"2017... So we traveled through time, too," Elliot said with a sigh. "Please tell me you guys know Zordon..."

"Of course we do. He's our mentor," Kimberly replied.

"Good. Can you bring us to him? He might be able to help."

Jason shrugged. "Alright... Follow us."

It was a bit of a walk, but they finally reached their base. It wasn't the Command Center, but Elliot was still hopeful that Zordon could help them.

The first entity they saw wasn't Zordon, but he was familiar.

"Prime!" Dora cried in relief.

"I'm sorry?" The robot replied in confusion.

"Not Alpha Prime?" Dora guessed.

"I don't think so," Elliot replied.

"I'm Alpha Five," the robot said.

"So this realm's Five looks exactly like Prime... Weird," Dora decided aloud.

"Rangers, who are these teenagers?" Alpha asked.

"Elliot and Dora," Billy replied. "They're Power Rangers from another realm. They need Zordon's help."

"Zordon!" Alpha called.

A face suddenly appeared in the wall. "Whoa! Creepy..." Dora mumbled. "Whatever happened to the energy tube?"

"Rangers, why have you brought outsiders here?" The man who must be Zordon demanded harshly.

"They need help," Kimberly replied quickly.

"They're Power Rangers, too," Zack added.

"From another realm," Tommi finished.

Zordon looked like he was going to pull a Rita and declare they were giving him a headache. Instead, he took a deep breath as he stared at Dora and Elliot intensely.

"Zordon, is your father alive in this realm?" Elliot asked. "I was hoping Zell could help us get back to our time."

"Unless he's still evil," Dora added quickly.

Zordon looked confused and mildly annoyed. "My father died long ago and his name wasn't Zell. I have no idea who you're speaking about," he finally replied.

"Well, shit. So much for that," Dora mumbled.

"Can you walk the time line?" Elliot asked.

"That is not a power I possess," Zordon replied.

"Elliot... How do you usually get back home?" Dora asked. "Can't we just do that?"

"If I'm sleeping, getting wounded or even dying will trigger me back and I wake up perfectly fine, but awake... It's harder, Dora," Elliot admitted. "For one, if we die, I'm pretty sure we die for real... And for another, I've never brought along a passenger before."

"Maybe you'd stay dead, but coming back's kind of my thing, remember?" Dora joked.

Elliot tensed as he remembered what had happened in the worst future he'd ever lived through. Dora seemed to realize why. She squeezed his hand. Her touch was soothing. "I'm okay, Elliot," she reminded him. "You can't get rid of me that easily."

Suddenly, everything was plunged into darkness. "What's happening?" Kimberly asked.

"Who turned out the lights?" Zack added.

Elliot froze as cackling filled the ship. "Oh no..." He mumbled.

"That crazy bitch must have followed us!" Dora said.

"No," Elliot realized. "She took the trip with us. There was a weight attached to me when we got here, and when it vanished, so did the darkness."

"You know, I had no access to this realm before, but just like Rhanna, no realm is off-limits to you, Elliot," the Witch's voice echoed through the darkness. "Thanks, Kid! This sort of thing is exactly why I decided I wanted you alive for a little bit longer. Now... To find a vessel..."

The light returned. "Explain," Zordon said harshly.

"Well, see... That was the Witch. She's an Intangible from our realm," Dora replied. "Unfortunately, she's a real pain in the ass. It's not good that she's here."

"Then we'll stop her," Jason said.

"It's not going to be that easy," Elliot replied.

"You guys can't handle her," Dora added.

"We're Power Rangers," Trini protested.

"Yeah, but you're not our Power Rangers... Your Zordon is about as much our Zordon as Michael Gambon is Richard Harris's Dumbledore. They're completely different and share only a name. No offense, Zordon, but you aren't meant to face the Witch, and you're not prepared to do it. None of you are."

"You are correct that this was not our issue, but it appears to be now, thanks to your unexpected arrival," Zordon replied in a harsh tone. "We will prepare and handle her accordingly."

"You can't prepare for the Witch," Elliot replied. "She's completely unpredictable, unhinged, and unkillable. Intangibles can't truly die because they don't exactly exist in a traditional sense."

"Can't Jason just slap her with the Megazord like he slapped Rita?" Zack asked.

"Yeah, that was a weird choice, but it worked," Billy said with a grin.

"She'd laugh it off before she killed you for it," Elliot replied.

"You guys deal with Rita and Zedd... You're still on remedial villains. The Witch is in a whole different category," Dora said.

"Then we'll handle her together," Kimberly said practically. "You guys know how she works and what she can do. We'll follow your lead."

"I agree," Jason said. "We're not the helpless kids you seem to think we are. We can help, and since this is our realm, it's our fight, too."

Elliot and Dora looked at each other before they both nodded. "Okay... You can help," Dora decided aloud. "Now, we need a place to lay low while we figure out where the Witch is hiding."

"You can stay with me," Tommi offered. "My parents go out of town on business a lot, so I'm home alone right now."

"Thank you," Elliot replied.

"We'll start listing everything we can think of about the Witch and get it to you guys as soon as we can," Dora added.

They left together. Trini walked with them all the way to Tommi's house. "Be careful," she said. "I know they're Power Rangers, but... Stranger danger and all that." She kissed Tommi's lips quickly before walking away.

Tommi smiled peacefully, blushing slightly. "Trini and Tommy... Who'd have thought, right?" Dora asked with a laugh.

"They're kind of cute together," Elliot admitted.

Tommi blushed a bit more before opening the door. "There's a guest room upstairs. The bed's huge if you want to share. If not, the couch is free, but it's not quite as comfortable," she said.

Elliot wanted to share the bed. Toward the end of the future, he'd slept in the same bed as Dora every night. It was the most comforting feeling in the world, and he missed it. He couldn't tell her that, of course, so he remained silent.

"Whatever," Dora replied casually. "I trust you, Elliot... If you don't mind sharing a bed with me, I don't mind either."

He smiled. "It's better we stay together anyway," he replied. They followed Tommi upstairs. She left them alone to get settled.

"Elliot..." Dora said a little awkwardly. "Do you promise if you fall asleep you won't disappear and leave me stranded here?"

"I won't leave you, Dora," he promised. If I accidentally travel, I'll just get myself killed, he decided. I wake up wherever I fell asleep, so I'll end up back here. One way or another, he'd keep his word to her.