UPDATED AUTHOR'S NOTE: Welcome to the Chosen Universe! This quick note will appear at the start of each of the fics in the series to help you make sense of things. These stories were originally published on fanfiction.net.

When I originally wrote Legacy Rangers, it was intended to be a stand-alone fic. By the time several of the Chosen's descendants came into it, I began to realize there was more to the story and wrote the prequel (The Chosen), intending to add a sequel (Chosen Legacy) that tied it all together. Two "side stories" that took place in the same universe (Stone Warriors and Blast to the Past) ended up becoming essential to the plot of Chosen Legacy and I also began writing one-shots (Tales From the Rebellion) about a group of Rebel Eltarians who tie back to Zell and Zordon's world and become extremely important in the later fics. For the full Chosen Universe experience, I suggest reading all of these fics, however, the only ones you really have to read together are Legacy Rangers, Chosen Legacy, and Chosen Destiny because they are direct sequels to each other. I tried my best to recap previous fics in later ones for anyone who didn't read all of them.

The best order to read the fics in is as follows:

1) The Chosen (prequel featuring Zordon, Zedd, and Rita as teenagers)

2) Legacy Rangers (begins very focused on the MMPR universe and ultimately includes appearances by every single team straight through Ninja Steel toward the end)

3) Stone Warriors (Sir Ivan from Dino Charge and Vida from Mystic Force become involved with a new team of Power Rangers. This is the first fic to introduce the Rebellion of Eltar. It also introduces new details from Zordon's family history. It contains major spoilers for Legacy Rangers.)

4) Blast to the Past (Previously titled Go, Go, Wildcats. Cassie from Turbo is sent back in time to stop Divatox with Lucas from Time Force. This story takes place in 1989 and introduces a brand new team of misfit teenagers who Cassie selects to be her team of Power Rangers. This fic contains a few big spoilers for Legacy Rangers.)

5) Chosen Legacy (My attempt at End Game, LOL. All of the previous teams come together to stop the greatest evil in the universe. Contains spoilers for all previously mentioned fics.)

6) Tales From the Rebellion (You can read this one anywhere after Blast to the Past, with or without having read Chosen Legacy, so I stuck it at the end of the first six books. This is the story of the Rebellion of Eltar, a group who initially came into the series during Stone Warriors as villains but grew into so much more. Here, you will find their personal histories and may come to understand them a lot better. This fic contains a lot of important backstories that tie into the rest of the series.)

7) Chosen Destiny (The final story in the Chosen Universe. This fic contains spoilers for all previous fics and wraps up the entire saga. It features most of the characters seen in the previous fics, and focuses heavily on the Eltarians, the Stone Warriors, and the Celestial Force Rangers.)

Thank you for your interest in taking this journey with me! I hope you enjoy the ride.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Welcome to the final story in the Chosen Universe! If you didn't read Chosen Legacy, you will not understand this fic. If you didn't read the other fics in the series, you might be a little lost, but I'll do my best to explain things as the story moves along. There will be appearances by many canon Rangers, some of whom will be very important to the plot. My original teams from the other fics will be included, especially the Celestial Force team, as this is their fight more than anyone else's. The former members of the Rebellion of Eltar will be heavily featured, as will your other favorite Eltarians (and the ones you love to hate). If you didn't read Tales from the Rebellion, you might want to check out some of the one-shots in there for clarification on the history of several of the Eltarians featured in this fic. As I said, I'll do my best to help you follow the story even if you haven't read the other fics. This first chapter is going to be pretty long because it's setting the stage for the rest of the fic.

As a reminder: Angel (also known by her legal name of Lillith), Casey Park, Daisy, Denni, Grazziella, Keilah, Poppy, Sakura, Sophie Rogers, V (wife of Andros & sister of Zhane, not to be confused with Vida from Mystic Force), and Zoey all belong to Aura Mackenzie, who has graciously allowed me to include them in the Chosen Universe. (I *think* that's everyone, but if anyone else pops up, I'll credit her later.) Also, Dr. Hope Crocker belongs to crockergirl84. These characters have all appeared in previous fics and may or may not pop up again, so I'm giving the two of them their due credit now before the story begins.

I'm so excited to bring you the final part of this journey! I look forward to taking it with you.

CHAPTER ONE: PROLOGUE
ELLIOT
The universe was in ruins. First, Earth had fallen. Then KO35. Then, finally, Eltar. The other planets hadn't even put up a fight after that.

Elliot had watched countless friends die at the hands of Jezzeff, the Witch, the Guild, and the Coalition. Together, they were an unstoppable force. It had only taken a couple of weeks for everything to completely fall apart, and it had all started with the death of Zell, who'd sacrificed his life to save his younger brother, Elgan.

The same day, Anise and Zordon had been killed within minutes of each other. Everyone else had rapidly begun to follow. Mayor Sabree had been turned by the flames and was working with the Guild. The Counsel of Elders had been wiped out except for Hanry, who Keilah had locked away in some unreachable pocket realm moments before the Coalition could reach him, and Stone, who was missing and presumed either dead or captured. Keilah had promptly gone missing after jumping into the timeline in a desperate attempt to reverse what had happened. No one knew if she was simply lost outside of time or if she'd perished.

Most of the Power Rangers had been hunted down and slaughtered. Some were tortured first, often in front of crowds of cheering Coalition members and horrified civilians. Tommy Oliver's head had been the first to be placed on a pike for all to see. He hadn't been the last to meet that fate. Kimberly and Billy had died clinging to each other's hands. Kira and Merrick had been slaughtered personally by Jezzeff and the Witch. The Witch had dropped Kira's corpse at Dustin's feet and laughed as he screamed in grief. Dustin had broken after that and taken his own life, unable to cope with the pain of losing Kira in addition to having already lost Tori and Shane. Some of the Power Rangers had been turned by the flames. Several were missing and assumed dead or captured. The rest had been forced into hiding.

Captain Smith, Raffitty, and Angel were leading a sanctuary base that only the lucky people had made it to. It was the only place they hadn't been able to infiltrate. After Kizzie, B'Danna, and Amara had been killed and Tedius had gone missing, Captain Smith hadn't really known what else to do with himself. Raffitty, as always, stood by his side.

Angel had gotten involved after Grayzee, consumed by guilt at everything the Coalition and his sister were doing, had gone after the Huntress. Everyone knew it had been a suicide mission, but no body had been found yet. Maegus was fairly certain the Huntress had abducted him and was holding him prisoner, probably to torture him, but they had no idea where he might be. Only a handful of members of the Circle were still accounted for. Hezzo and Ling were alive and helping Maegus with rescue efforts. Tinny spent every waking moment drunk and refusing to talk to anyone, no longer able to lose himself in parties with how deep his grief ran. Davi, Sezzon, Nee, Hill, Keet, and Amello were dead. Vrennius and Hudzon were missing. Danzel had been turned by the Flames. On the darkest day they'd seen so far, Branz had been decapitated and put on display. Everyone had lost hope after that.

Vitella had been executed in front of a very large crowd of onlookers, an example of what would happen to those who refused an invitation to join the Coalition. Jezzeff had put a powerful spell on Zizi and was keeping her prisoner, torturing the reincarnation of his dead wife whenever the mood struck him. Trerry had been forced to watch as Trinity, Calix, and Lia were killed. He'd gone mad and was no longer speaking, retreating into the sanctuary of his mind, where no one could reach him. Plurri had died to save his sister, Grace, but she'd been killed minutes later. Vagris was alive but grieving deeply. He'd flung himself into battle and was one of the best warriors they had left. The Alchemist and the Warlock had gone missing after the Coalition finally managed to execute Elgan, and no one knew if they were alive or dead.

Lido had gone insane with grief after Darcy, Greg, and finally, Andie, had been executed by the Guild. He'd turned back into the Executioner and wherever he went, slaughters followed. It didn't fix his pain, but it gave him a sense of purpose to try and kill the monsters who had taken over the universe.

Sir Ivan had died trying to keep Andie safe from Jezzeff. The two men had faced off with their swords, but in the end, Jezzeff had been able to get in one fatal blow. Koda was the only member of the Dino Charge team who was still alive, and his grief had destroyed him. He spent his time hiding, watching television and eating burgers in his own personal labyrinth that Laby had built for him, refusing to come out. Sage was missing, which probably didn't help matters.

Elliot had been devastated when his mother, Rhanna, was murdered. Still, he tried to force himself to keep fighting. Charleigh had been executed. Stephanie was alive only because her father and aunt, Blast and Boom, had died to protect her. That had left her traumatized, and she threw herself into books and research to try to find a solution to what was happening. Lachlan had been captured by the Coalition. He'd been tortured for weeks before they finally tossed his corpse at his mother's feet. Amareese had broken, and she'd been easy to kill after that despite her immortality. This had sent Laby over the edge, but Lex pulled him back and tried to give him a reason to keep fighting. Patti and Cooper were missing and presumed dead. Only Elliot, Lex, Stephanie, and Dora were accounted for.

Topaz, the son of Felina and Zell, came running into the sanctuary looking furious. He threw a spell at the wall, nearly bringing the building down. Captain Smith grabbed his arm. "Topaz! I can see you are upset, but killing us all won't help," he pointed out. "What happened?"

It was Garron who answered as he followed Topaz into the sanctuary. "We lost Felina," he said in a bit of a shocked tone. "They captured her, and by the time we found them, her immortality had been stripped. We arrived just in time to see them sever her head."

"My God..." Raffitty mumbled.

"We also found Jayden and Lauren Shiba. Lauren was slaughtered by Jezzeff... He really disliked that delightful girl. Jayden's alive, but barely. We weren't able to rescue him. I doubt he has long."

"We'll arrange a rescue mission," Captain Smith said.

"Bob, we can't risk it," Raffitty objected.

"It's Jayden, Raff. He is the last general leader standing from the Power Rangers."

"What about Andros?"

"Karone found his and Zhane's bodies this morning," Vida replied as she overhead this comment. She was bloody and was being patched up by Denni, who was one of the few people they were pretty sure no one would be able to kill. "She promptly declared herself Astronema, turned her hair blood red, and vanished. No one knows where she went, but I'm guessing she's going to go the Lido route."

"We have another problem," Garron said.

"What is it?" Elliot forced himself to ask.

"They've nearly completed their mission of recreating the Chosen within Jezzeff."

They knew this was their plan. They'd figured it out when Jezzeff and the Guild began slaughtering descendants of the Chosen lines who weren't Chosen. Most of them hadn't even actively had the powers, but their blood was enough to help Jezzeff access them. He'd murdered Lee Scott, Jason's uncle, first to get the shadow travel abilities. Then, he'd killed Trini to get the Kwan family's fire power. Liza's death had given him access to the Campbell Sorcery powers and had driven Zedd to go on a suicide mission he hadn't returned from. It was still unclear if he was alive or dead. Sweet little Tessa had been killed to give Jezzeff Zedd's powers. Rita had sacrificed herself for Angie, giving him her family's powers as well.

"How close are they?" Captain Smith asked.

"They just killed Zachary Taylor's oldest son. They only need to kill one more person to give Jezzeff access to all of the Chosen lines."

Elliot felt like his heart was going to explode as panic consumed him. "Where's Dora?" He asked as he realized the Grant line was the only one left.

"She went out with Bulk for supplies," Lex replied. "We need more medicine and food."

"I have to find her," Elliot said. It had been unexpected, but somehow during the course of everything that had happened in the last year, he and Dora had fallen in love. When he'd lost his mother, knowing Dora was still alive had helped him keep fighting despite his grief.

"I'll go with you," Lex said.

"Not without me," Laby said firmly.

"Dad... I didn't realize you were standing there," Lex replied.

"I didn't feel like being sociable. Come on. Let's stop this shit before it gets any worse."

Laby hadn't been the same after Amareese and Vitella died. Watching the reincarnations of Serafine, Ash, and Daphne die had only made it worse. He never smiled anymore. He was either a stuttering mess or a homicidal soldier bent on revenge depending on the day of the week. He had decided against going on another thirty year bender, but Elliot knew he was tempted to start drinking again. Instead, he moved through his unending life desperately wishing he could die like everyone else. Laby was the only person they knew would never meet his end. After everyone else was gone, he'd still be left behind, forced to mourn and wander the universe alone for eternity.

Elliot ran out the door to try and rescue the girl he loved. He found Dora and Bulk in the center of town. Bulk was still alive by some miracle. No one was sure how he'd lasted so long with no powers, but he was a stubborn bastard and it seemed Jezzeff didn't consider him important enough to assassinate. Now, he was critically injured. It was obvious he'd tried to protect Dora. The sword wound in his chest had left him bleeding out rapidly.

"Bulk..." Lex said softly.

"Put him in a labyrinth and send him to the sanctuary," Laby said. "We've still got a couple of healers... Maegus or Ling might be able to help him."

Lex did as his father instructed, but Elliot knew there was a good chance Bulk was finally going to meet his end. He couldn't focus on that as he ran to Dora's side. She was already dead, but that didn't matter.

"Wake up, Dora..." Elliot said softly as he pulled her into his arms.

"Elliot..." Laby began.

"She's a Grant. Grants wake up," Elliot insisted. "She's been dead before. She's going to be fine."

It was true that Dora's family line was known for journeying back from the Underworld and waking up, but he couldn't feel her this time.

"Kid... Listen to me..." Laby tried again.

"No! She's fine. She's... She'll wake up. Wake up, Dora... Please, honey... Please wake up!" Elliot sobbed as he held her in his arms.

"I'm sorry, Elliot," Laby said gently as he knelt beside him. "I know this pain. I wish I could spare you from it... But a comforting lie won't help you right now. Dora's gone."

"She can't be... She... She wakes up. She always wakes up..."

It was the unexpected arrival of Amos that got through to him. "Elliot..." Amos began softly. He put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Jezzeff absorbed all of her power and destroyed any remaining life force. There is nothing left of Dora. She cannot come back this time."

Elliot wanted to argue, but the Shaman knew a lot more about death than he did. He broke down, sobbing until he couldn't breathe. "I want to wake up..." He whispered.

Lex tensed. "Elliot, are you asleep?" He asked.

"I was... A year ago," Elliot replied weakly. It felt like a million lifetimes ago.

"You have to wake up, Elliot! You can save us! You can go back and warn us!"

"Don't you think I've tried?" Elliot demanded. "This future is the worst one I've ever lived in! I tried every day to wake myself up, but nothing is working. I can't send myself back, no matter what I do... Everyone's dead and I can't stop it..."

"Kid, this isn't real. Not yet. It's real for us, but it never has to become the final time line. Not if you warn us," Laby said.

"Elliot... You must return," Amos said. "Now that Jezzeff has the last of the Chosen powers, all will be lost. You are our only hope."

"I don't know how to wake myself up!" Elliot shouted.

Screams echoed through the air. Tia came toward them. Her baby sister, Imani, lay dead in her arms. Taylor stood beside them bleeding severely. Amos hurried to help them.

"Mani..." Elliot whispered in horror. She was still just a little girl. His heart broke all over again. "Wake up, El..." He scolded himself. "You can do this... Wake up. Wake up!"

It didn't work. As he clung to Dora's corpse, he sobbed, defeated.

Laby sighed. "I'm sorry, Kid," he said. He pulled out his sword as he added, "This is the only chance we've got."

Elliot felt the sword enter his body and tear his heart in half. He gasped in surprise before his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

He opened his eyes and screamed as he sat up suddenly. He was gasping for breath as he looked around and realized he was back in his bedroom, safely in his bed.

His door was flung open. Dora rushed inside. "Elliot? Elliot, what's wrong? What happened?" She asked in concern.

Sobbing, Elliot pulled her into his arms. He wept into her shoulder, refusing to let her go. "You're alive..." He whispered. "Oh, God, Dora..."

Dora held him tightly, trying to soothe him. "I'm fine, Elliot... Whatever just happened, it's over now. Everything's okay."

It took him a little while to catch his breath and slow his heartbeat down enough that he didn't think he'd drop dead. He forced himself to look at Dora, wiping away the tears in his eyes.

"Alright," she said. "Out with it, El. What the fuck did you just go through?"

"I was gone for a year, Dora," Elliot began. "And everything went to hell."

Slowly, he began to explain the future he'd seen. He left out the fact that he'd fallen in love with her during that time. It hadn't happened yet. It wasn't real... Even if it was in his heart. Dora was just his friend who he lived with because her uncle Caius had been good enough to take him in.

"Well, shit..." Dora said after he was done. "When does it happen, Elliot?"

"Tomorrow," Elliot replied.

"But we haven't heard anything from Jezzeff or the Witch in almost a year, Elliot. Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure... Tomorrow, Zell, Anise, and Zordon will fall, and there will be no turning back."

"Then let's start by making sure that doesn't happen."

"It's not that simple, Dora."

"Sure it is. If we stop that, we already stopped the rest of the future it sets off. How are they killed?"

"Zell died protecting Elgan. Anise and Zordon got killed because Mayor Sabree betrayed them. He's... Oh, shit! They have Sabree, Dora. They're going to turn him!"

"Elliot, breathe," Dora said.

"There's no time, Dora!"

"Look, we'll call Tazzan, okay? He can tell Keilah and Anise what's coming. They'll make sure Sabree's safe."

He nodded, trying to calm himself down. Dora smiled at him reassuringly, which helped. I love you, he thought, but he knew he couldn't say it aloud.

KEILAH
As usual, Keilah was dealing with a massive amount of chaos. She'd assumed her family's seat on the Counsel of Elders after executing her great-grandfather, Aphell Treygan, with lava for his numerous horrific crimes. After her infamous cousin, Zell, had been restored to the force of Good he hadn't been since the Witch got her claws into him at thirteen years old, and the Power Rangers, Chosen, and their allies had chased off Jezzeff and the Witch, there had been a lot of corruption to clean up.

First, she'd disbanded the Eltarian Guard entirely. Only after a series of incredibly intense investigations had some of the members been allowed to return to work. The Guard now functioned only as a Militant force to be deployed in emergencies. The Peacekeepers had been separated from the Guard and made their own organization, as they'd been when Eltar was founded. They had been retrained and had returned to their original goal of peaceful resolutions to conflicts. Violence was an absolute last resort for them, and they responded to most situations instead of the Guard. Finally, Keilah had hired new security for the prisons, the Counsel of Elders Building, and the main Counsel Building. The Guard was no longer in control.

People weren't taking this well. Many Eltarians had accused Keilah of conspiring with Anise to stage a hostile takeover of the government. Keilah didn't let it bother her because she knew she was doing what had to be done.

On top of that, despite the Guild, Jezzeff, and the Witch vanishing to places unknown, the Huntress had led the Coalition in an endless attack on Eltar. The people were terrified, especially those from the four Founding Families. Although many of the Treygans seemed to be following in Percival's footsteps and working with the Coalition, some had resisted, and their lives were in danger. Whether or not Keilah despised that side of her family, it was her duty to protect them. Every day, people were being assassinated. The Farmells had been hit the hardest, but they were also the family with the largest number of living descendants. Jinnifer, the Farmell line's Elder, had held herself together remarkably well despite this. She'd even handled the fact that her eldest brother, a high-ranking member of the Guard, had been charged with several treasonous crimes including abusing his power and had been executed a month ago. Jinnifer was nothing if not dignified and practical.

"You're a hard woman to track down," a voice said in annoyance, causing Keilah to focus on her surroundings.

She didn't have to look up from her paperwork to recognize the angry voice. "Something I can do for you, Tiny Tazzan?" She asked lightly.

"Damnit, don't call me that," her cousin snapped. Thanks to Zell's attempt to kill him in the womb, Tazzan had been born very premature. He was often sickly but was powerful magically, and his extremely small body somehow always seemed to contain an enormous amount of rage.

Keilah laughed. "What's up, Tazzan?" She asked.

"Elliot had a very disturbing year last night," Tazzan replied.

"How bad?"

"Almost everyone was dead or missing, the Coalition and the Guild were in charge of Eltar, Earth, and KO35, and the apocalypse was basically upon us."

"End of the world... Must be Tuesday," Keilah mumbled.

"Keilah... Zell dies tomorrow," Tazzan said bluntly.

She stared at him. "Is Elliot sure?" She asked.

"He's a mess. It was Pandora that called me, but she says he's positive of the timing. They get to Elgan... Zell sacrifices himself to save him. Anise and Zordon follow right behind their father. The Guild has Sabree. They're going to turn him... If they haven't already done it."

Keilah cursed spectacularly in Eltarian. Tazzan raised an eyebrow at that. "I haven't heard someone swear quite so elegantly and excessively since Talon was still alive," he said. He actually smirked slightly in amusement.

"Sabree is a good man, Tazzan. We can't let them turn him," Keilah replied.

"We need to warn Anise of what's to come... And when I go back to Earth, I'll let Zordon know."

"And Zell?"

He sighed. "If I must."

"Tazzan, he's your cousin... And he's changed."

"He tried to kill me in utero and he murdered my older brother and countless others, Keilah. I'm allowed to prefer to avoid him."

"You know he's trying."

"He can try all he wants... As long as he does it far away from me."

Keilah wanted to throttle the stubborn Eltarian, but she resisted the urge because it might send him into a fit and then she'd just have to fix him. "You're stubborn."

"Have we met?"

She rolled her eyes. "I'd go myself, but I have to handle the Sabree situation. I'll send Grandfather."

"Nonsense. Hanry shouldn't risk being out in the open. They're after his head."

"They're after all of our heads."

"It's worse with Hanry and you know it. They'd love to mock the Yizaks by putting his head on a pike, and personally, I'd rather not see that happen."

Keilah tensed at the unwelcome visual that had haunted her nightmares more than once. She had only met her father's side of the family recently, but she'd grown extremely close to Hanry quickly. Her gentle grandfather wouldn't harm a soul, and Tazzan was right... The Coalition were dying to get their hands on him. There had been a few too many close calls recently.

"Go, Tazzan. Warn Zordon. I'll handle the rest," she said.

Tazzan didn't argue, a sure sign that things were serious.

Keilah contacted the one person she hadn't wanted to bother with this task, knowing she'd be the only one who would do it without question.

ANDIE
She had a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach. "Something's wrong," Andie said. She had been exhausted for days, but she wasn't really sure why. Usually, her exhaustion was due to the fact that she was prone to nightmares, but she couldn't remember her dreams lately.

Her boyfriend, Sir Ivan of Zandar, watched her with concern. "What do you sense, M'Lady?" He asked. She noticed his hand automatically went for his sword.

"I'm not sure," Andie admitted. "I just feel like someone's been watching me... Someone dangerous."

"I shall slay any fiend that dares to harm thee, M'Lady," Ivan declared grandly.

She laughed. "Ever my brave Knight," she said, kissing him quickly. "Maybe I'm just being paranoid. Nothing's happened in nearly a year, Ivan. I guess waiting for the other shoe to drop is getting to me."

Suddenly, her communicator went off. Ivan tensed at the same time as she did. Their communicators hadn't gone off since Jezzeff and the Witch had fled the planet.

"Go for Andie," she answered it. "And you've got Ivan, too."

"Hey guys, it's Keilah... Sorry if I scared you, but this was the fastest way for me to contact you, Andie," Keilah said. If she was calling her on the communicator, Keilah was with either Zordon or Anise.

"What's going on?" Andie replied nervously.

"Mom, we have trouble," Anise chimed in. Of the twin children her past life, Daphne, had given birth to long ago, it was Anise who called her Mom. Zordon usually tried to call her Andie, although Mother had slipped out a few times when he'd been especially vulnerable or worried about her. Despite only being seventeen, Andie had started getting used to the fact that Zell's twins were her children. She didn't mind Anise calling her mom so much... It was sort of soothing, probably because Daphne had been told Anise was stillborn and had never been allowed to so much as hold her in her arms.

"What's wrong?" Andie asked.

"Dad's in danger... And he's still basically hiding himself away, refusing to see most people. Can you go see him and warn him?"

"Of course. What's the threat?"

"Tazzan told me Elliot experienced a whole year last night," Keilah explained. "It was beyond horrible, and the first thing that happens is Zell dies to save Elgan. Tomorrow. I'm sorry, but there's no time to put that gently."

Andie was horrified. "I'll head to Angel Grove now," she said. "Can you two have Zordon teleport me, or should I ask Greg to take me?"

"Mom... About Zordon..." Anise hesitated.

"Just tell me," Andie said, bracing herself.

"My brother and I sort of die tomorrow, too... But don't worry. Keilah and I are on it."

"Is it the Coalition?" Ivan asked what Andie had been too afraid to.

"No... It's Sabree. Elliot said the Guild turns him with Jezzeff's flames," Keilah explained.

"So they're back..." Andie said softly.

"Unfortunately, it seems that way."

Andie took a deep breath. "Alright. I'll check in with Zell and I'll spread word that the vacation's over."

"Be careful, Andie."

"You, too... I love you guys." A year ago, she had rarely said those words, but as she got to know Daphne's family, she'd started telling some of them. It was strange, but she had to admit, having the Yizaks back in her life had made her feel much less alone.

"Love you, too, Mom," Anise said. "I'll have Zordon bring you and Ivan both to Angel Grove, so you're not on your own." She ended the communication.

"M'Lady..." Ivan said softly.

"The other shoe dropped," Andie replied.

Shortly after, they were both teleported to the edge of Angel Grove. After the last battle, Zell had decided against remaining at the Alliance's base, which had previously been the base of operations for the Stone Hollow Chapter of the Rebellion of Eltar. He couldn't return to Eltar after all he'd done, so Keilah had set up housing for him away from everyone else. He insisted on living alone, but Elgan lived in a house on the same property, along with Eva Leigh and Maizon, formerly known as the Alchemist and the Warlock. In another house, Felina lived with Topaz, which gave him a chance to get to know both of his parents. Topaz wasn't thrilled about it, but he seemed to stay for Felina's sake.

Andie knocked on the door cautiously. After a moment, Zell opened it. He appeared a bit nervous until he spotted her. "Andie, my dear one... How lovely and unexpected to see you," he said. "Come in, please."

Ivan remained outside as Andie entered the house. Zell paused before saying, "You're welcome to accompany her, Sir Ivan. I assume you didn't come just to stand guard outside of my home."

"I appreciate the invitation, Zell," Ivan said a bit awkwardly. The two men didn't interact often, and that was probably for the best. Ivan followed Andie inside as Zell closed the door.

Elgan was sitting on the couch. He smiled brightly at the sight of Andie. "Andie! How are you?" He asked.

"I'm alright," she replied. Elgan always put her at ease. He was a gentle, kind soul, and now that she had her memories as not only Daphne, but as Oralee, she remembered him from when he'd been a little boy. The child had only been seven when Oralee was killed, but she'd adored him as much as Zell had.

"What brings you by, my dear one?" Zell asked. Although Zell called nearly everyone my dear or my dear boy/girl/fill-in-a-name-here, he reserved my dear one and my darling exclusively for Andie. He'd called his wife Daphne by both terms, and before that, he'd used them for Oralee, his childhood best friend and first love. When he was still evil, it had creeped Andie out, but now she found it comforting.

"Trouble," Andie admitted. "Elliot lived in a horrible future last night... Zell, you're going to die if we don't change it."

"You came here because you're concerned for me?" He asked in surprise.

"Of course I am. You know I care about what happens to you... Which is why I wish you'd leave this house once in a while."

"I leave whenever I am needed and help where I can."

"Zell... You only leave when someone requests it. You aren't living your life. You're hiding out."

"Fancy some tea, Sir Ivan?" Elgan asked pleasantly.

"That's quite generous, thank you," Ivan replied, taking the cue and following him from the room so Andie could speak to Zell alone.

"I'm not hiding, my dear one... I'm simply staying away from people who would very much prefer not to see me," Zell said softly. "After all I have done, they shouldn't be forced to be reminded of the pain I caused them. This is my way of sparing them further suffering."

"You can't keep sulking and being emo, Zell. It's beneath you."

"Emo?" He repeated, seeming surprised she'd called him out on it.

"I said what I said. I know you've heard the term during your time on Earth and know exactly what it means. Look... Yes, you did a lot of horrible things, and people get upset when they see you, but you're not that person anymore. None of it was your fault. The Witch caused you to do pretty much all of it in one way or another, and most people have come to understand that. How will they ever learn to accept you're not that monster anymore if you don't show yourself?"

Zell fell silent as he watched her for a moment. He sighed. "You're right," he admitted. "I know you are... However, it is not easy to face people I know would rather I vanish for eternity."

She softened a bit. "Zell... You have to stop punishing yourself. Please don't lock yourself away forever just to appease people who don't want to give you a second chance."

He looked at her with such sorrow in his eyes that Andie wanted to hug him and take away his pain. She couldn't be sure if it was Daphne, or Oralee, or even herself who wanted to help him, but it didn't matter. She couldn't shake it. At least she was fairly certain it wasn't Isobel, her lowest-maintenance past life and Ivan's original true love. Isobel was far more practical and less emotional when it came to dealing with Zell. Andie valued that about her.

After a moment, she touched Zell's arm gently. "I know this is hard for you," she said. "I'm just asking you to try."

He nodded. "I'll do  my best," he agreed. "Now, tell me... What did Elliot see as the cause of my demise?"

She hesitated. "Something happened that put Elgan's life in danger. You sacrificed yourself for him."

Zell paled. "I will not allow any harm to come to my brother. What I put him through was far too much, and I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to him... If that means giving my life for his, it's only fitting."

"I know you love Elgan, Zell, but you can't just let them kill you. Everything falls apart if you die."

"Andie-"

"Anise and Zordon will die, Zell... The same day."

He froze. Andie knew she'd hit a nerve. Zell no longer valued his own life, but he'd always had a strong attachment to Zordon despite the way the Witch had made him twist their relationship, and Anise was actually spending time with him lately. She visited him at least once a week and they spoke often. They'd been trying to work things out, and now that he was no longer evil, Anise actually got along fairly well with her father. Zordon was still a bit awkward around him, but he was trying.

"What else happens?" Zell asked softly.

"Tazzan has the details, but... I'm pretty sure it was really bad," Andie replied. "The Guild is coming back, Zell. They're going to turn Mayor Sabree."

"I was afraid of that."

"You were?"

"It's logical. Freyst was in my back pocket. Jezzeff would want the current Mayor in his, but Sabree's a good man. He'd never willingly work with them."

"How do we stop it?"

"I wish I knew. I haven't had any visions about this, my dear one. I am as in the dark as you are currently."

Elgan cautiously returned to the room with Ivan. "It's alright," Andie said with a laugh. "I'm done lecturing him for now."

Elgan smiled and handed her a cup of coffee. He'd learned a while ago that she disliked tea. She nodded at him gratefully  before consuming the caffeine. It helped, but not enough. Suddenly, she felt the world begin to spin.

"M'Lady!" Ivan cried in alarm as she collapsed.

ZELL

His reflexes instantly kicked in. Zell caught Andie before she could hit the ground. He cautiously carried her to the couch and gently placed her on it. "Oh my..." Elgan said in alarm. "Has she been expending too much energy again? Did she recently heal someone?"

"No," Ivan said. "She did seem rather tired today, however." He paused, kneeling in front of her and stroking her hair gently. He looked up at Zell awkwardly before saying, "She complained she felt like someone was watching her... Do you think someone caused her to collapse?"

"Allow me to read her energy," Zell replied. He knew Ivan wasn't a big fan of his. It was no wonder, really. Not only had Zell killed Ivan's past life, Lygus, millennia ago, but he'd gone out of his way to try to break Ivan after that. He had every reason to despise him.

Zell focused on Andie's energy. He became alarmed almost immediately. "She's terribly weak," he said. "It's as if someone has been draining her at a rapid rate..."

"Who would be capable of that?" Ivan asked in alarm.

As Zell read the energy, a thought occurred to him. "No..." He mumbled. "That's not possible."

"What is not possible?"

"This energy feels familiar to me, Sir Ivan... I knew it well once."

"So you know who did this?"

"No... You see, the entity whose energy I'm sensing cannot be responsible. He's been dead for millennia."

"Are you certain of that?"

"Oh, yes... Quite certain. I killed him."

"You?"

"He was one of the original Children of the Flame. The Witch forced me to hunt them down after I created them, killing them off one by one. The only one who survived was Elliot. I couldn't find him because he existed in too many different realities throughout time. His gift saved him from me."

"Whose child was he?"

Zell hesitated. He didn't want to admit this. It was horrible, and Ivan would certainly be furious with him for it. Still, he'd promised to tell the truth and own up to his past evil deeds. He took a deep breath. "His father was Bartello," he replied.

"And his mother?"

"Serafine."

"Good Lord... You created a child from the energy of your girlfriend and one of her dearest friends? Why ever would you do such a thing?"

"He may not have flaunted it, but Bartello was one of the most powerful beings to ever walk Eltar, or any planet for that matter. Serafine was extraordinary, as you know. The combination of their energies was meant to create a child unlike any other... However, there was an issue with him."

"What was it?"

"Reyzzo was incredibly powerful, as I had hoped. Unfortunately, he was out of control. The moment he drew his first breath, I had a vision that he would be a serious threat if left at full power, so I partially bound him. He wasn't stronger than Bartello, but he came close... And unlike his father, he never held back. His attacks were deadly because of this complete lack of inhibitions."

"He was evil?"

"Not precisely... At least, not at first. Reyzzo had the potential to go either way, but he had questionable morals... Possibly even more questionable than Hezzo's at times."

"Oh my..." Ivan mumbled. He'd met Hezzo, and Zell knew he understood exactly what that meant. The warlock had been destined to be evil and only his decision to alter his choices and form the Circle to destroy Zell had changed his path. At times, Hezzo still struggled with doing the right thing.

"I left the boy in the care of tulpas. They were meant to be good to him and care for him until he was older. Unfortunately, someone destroyed them and abducted the boy when he was still an infant. He was horribly abused. That child never knew kindness. The people who raised him convinced him his parents had willingly abandoned him because they viewed him as an abomination and wanted nothing to do with him. Remember, incubi are extremely rare on Eltar. This wasn't a stretch. Bartello was really the only incubus people trusted. While those monsters tortured the boy, they drilled it into his head that his parents never wanted him and didn't care about him. He grew to hate them, and that hatred ultimately began turning him very dark."

"Did you know?"

"I realized the boy had been abducted, but I couldn't locate him for a long time. When I finally found Reyzzo, I sensed what was happening to him and I rescued him. It soon became clear he'd grown out of control and was extremely dangerous... He was a bit of a rabid incubus, feeding freely whenever the mood struck him and not caring if he harmed or even killed others. I killed his captors and took him away... I tried to help him get his impulses under control. Unfortunately, Reyzzo was too far gone. I had to put the boy down, not only for my own sake, but for the sake of the entire planet. He was a monster..." He sighed.

"And now, he has returned and is targeting Andie?" Ivan asked.

"I don't understand how... I was very thorough when I killed him."

"Brother... As an incubus, his energy was quite different from others you killed," Elgan pointed out. "Perhaps that made it possible for Jezzeff and the Witch to bring the boy back."

Zell sighed. "I suppose anything is possible. This energy could not belong to anyone else. Reyzzo was quite distinct."

"Why is he feeding on Andie?" Ivan asked.

"As I said, he despised his parents. Daphne was his mother's baby sister, and she was also quite close to Bartello. On top of that, she is very important to me. I suspect all of these things made her a target for his wrath."

"Can we reverse the damage? If he's feeding on her life force, it can kill her..."

"Only a powerful incubus can reverse the damage done by Reyzzo... Bartello would have been ideal, but unfortunately, Jezzeff did what I could not and killed him."

"Could Zedd or Taylor help her?"

"Perhaps... They are remarkably powerful, but not as powerful as Reyzzo and his father. That said, if they work together, it's possible they'll be able to undo the harm Reyzzo has done." Zell's chest ached. Andie was in terrible danger and he hadn't even realized it. He kicked himself for not sensing something was wrong with her sooner.

Ivan couldn't keep his concern from showing on his face as he looked at Andie. "We'll find a way to fix this, M'Lady," he vowed softly.

There was a knock on his door. Zell didn't want to leave Andie's side. Sensing this, Elgan answered the door instead. He returned with the last person Zell had expected to see.

"Give the girl to me," Amos said firmly.

It had only come out recently that Amos was actually Amoz Yizak, the youngest of the original Yizak brothers. That made him Zell's great-uncle, a fact Zell was still trying to process. The quirky Shaman was a very unusual man, but he possessed great power and was exceptionally wise.

"Amoz... What are you doing here?" Zell asked.

"I just told you, Grand-nephew... Listen better this time. I have come for Andie. Give her to me. I can get her the help she requires," Amos replied.

"Are you sure it will work?" Ivan asked.

"I would not risk this girl's life on anything less than certainty, Sir Ivan. Don't worry. Andie will be safe with me."

Ivan nodded. He scooped Andie up in his arms and carefully passed her to Amos. The Shaman left the house without another word, leaving Ivan behind. He looked broken and lost without her. Zell knew exactly how he felt.

"Is there someone I can call for you?" Elgan asked gently.

"No," Ivan replied. "Thank you, Kind Sir Elgan... I must return to Stone Hollow and inform Lady Darcy and Sir Greg of what has happened." He pushed a button on his communicator. "Alphas... Kindly send me home." He teleported away moments later.

"Zell... Are you well, Brother?" Elgan asked after some time had passed.

"This is my fault," Zell said softly. "I created that boy."

"Don't think like that. You cannot change it now."

"Actually-"

"Zell... You know you can't go back in time and erase a person without causing serious consequences to the timeline," Elgan reminded him.

Zell sighed. "I know..."

"The important thing is that Amoz will help her. She'll be alright." He paused. "I know you love her... Seeing her is the one thing that always brings a smile to your face."

"Of course I love her, Elgan. Just as I love you. The two of you were the only ones I ever fully loved."

"You love Hanry."

"I do... But it's different with the two of you. You're my balances. You keep me grounded and I connect to you on a deeper level than anyone else."

"I see how you look at her, Brother."

"Elgan... Don't. Please." Zell shook his head. "She is no longer Daphne, nor is she Oralee. She is Andie, and she is quite happy with Sir Ivan, as she should be. I cannot interfere in that."

"That's quite honorable... I just hate to see you so lonely."

"I have you, Little Brother. How could I ever be lonely again?"

"Brotherly love is different from romantic love."

"Your return to life was a miracle I never dreamed I'd see, Elgan. That's more than enough for me. Knowing you are alive brings me more joy than anything else ever will."

Elgan let the matter drop, much to Zell's relief. "So, tell me... How do we keep you alive?" He asked instead.

"Apparently, they are going to target you... So, I suppose keeping me alive means keeping you from ending up in harm's way."

"How do you suggest we do that?"

"I'm going to have to speak with Elliot. The boy knows the details."

"He's probably traumatized. Will he tell you?"

"It's him or Tazzan, and... Well, our cousin isn't exactly fond of me, Elgan."

"Honestly, you two!" Elgan shook his head. "Tazzan hates everyone, Zell. Pretending to hate the entire universe is his security blanket, but deep down, he cares very much."

"It's different with me. He has a reason to hate me... A great number of them, actually."

"It's high time he got over that. I'm going to get the two of you in a room together and sort this out one day soon."

"I admire your ambition, Elgan, but I don't think that would be a good idea. For now, let me focus on protecting you. As long as you stay safe, so do I."

Elgan stopped protesting as Zell began casting protection spells on him. Focusing on that allowed Zell to stop worrying so much about Andie. He had to trust that Amos knew what he was doing.

KEILAH

She was in the middle of trying to find Sabree when Amos opened a portal in front of her. "What's going on, Big Fish?" She asked him. Since Amos liked to refer to Pierce as Little Fish, Keilah had started jokingly calling him Big Fish. He didn't seem to mind.

Amos turned toward her and she realized he had an unconscious Andie in his arms. "Oh, crap... What happened?" She demanded.

"I need to get onto your property, Keilah," Amos explained. "A very strong incubus who should be dead has been feeding on this poor girl. Only Bartello can save her."

Amos was one of the only people who knew the secret Keilah had been keeping for nearly a year. Bartello wasn't dead. Neither was his younger brother, Zee. Although Jezzeff had briefly killed them both, Amos had resurrected them. This was after he'd done something far more impressive, resurrecting their four other brother who had been dead for several millennia. Other than the people who lived on Keilah's property, including her children with Bartello's younger brother Tante, only a handful of people were aware of the truth. Hanry knew, of course, because he visited often. So did her father and brother, for the same reason. They'd also ultimately told Laby, purely because the immortal had been so devastated by the loss of Bartello and Zee he had basically stopped functioning.

Keilah didn't waste any time before she opened a portal onto her property. They both rushed into the house. "Whoa... What's going on?" Zee asked as he spotted Andie.

"I need your brother," Amos said.

"Could you be more specific?" Zee asked lightly.

"Get Barty, Zee," Keilah said. Normally, she didn't mind the hyperactive youngest Brother of Legend's antics, but they had no time to waste.

Zee didn't argue. He returned almost immediately with Bartello. "My God..." Bartello said as he looked at Andie. "Who did this to her?"

"It was an incubus," Amos replied.

"Was it a member of Xylon's line? They're very powerful," Bartello asked as he examined her. Lord Xylon had been Zedd's father. He was no longer around, which was a very good thing.

"No, Bartello... He's a member of yours."

"Mine? Is he my father's?"

"I'm afraid not."

Bartello hesitated. "The children Zell created from my energy were dead long before I knew they'd existed. I only have my daughters. I know what you're implying, but how is it possible?" He'd known about those children for a while. Zell had admitted they existed to Keilah, and she'd told him.

"It seems Jezzeff and the Witch may have found a way to revive this boy, Bartello... And he's very dangerous."

"Clearly..." Bartello shook his head. "It's going to be alright, Andie... Just stay with me, sweetheart."

"Is that Daphne?" The twins asked in startled unison. Mydo looked concerned as he watched Andie. Zydo looked furious. This was normal for them. Mydo, being empathic, tended to worry before hitting homicidal mode. Zydo's personality was as fiery as his powers and he tended to act first and ask questions later.

"No, it's Andie," D'Dodi, the eldest of the Brothers of Legend, replied with a smirk. Then, he turned serious. "How can we help, Amos?"

"Only Bartello can save her now... The damage is extensive. I suspect the boy has been feeding on Andie for several days... Possibly even a few weeks."

"Barty... Let me help," Zee said. He touched Bartello's arm and began sending energy into him. Zee had an endless supply of energy, especially when the sun was up. He was essentially a walking, talking battery pack.

"Zydo, help them," Keilah said. He wasn't just pyrokinetic. He also manipulated energy very well.

Zydo still looked like he wanted to kill someone, but he softened a bit as he looked at Andie, helpless and unconscious in his brother's arms. "What do you need, Barty?" He asked.

"Just help me harness the energy and control it," Bartello replied. "I can fix someone's life force, but... He took a lot. If Amos hadn't brought her to me, Andie might not have lasted more than a couple of months."

"I know Earth's people have far shorter lifespans than we do, but the girl is only seventeen," D'Dodi said, shaking his head. "She's still a baby."

"So was Daphne," Tante said sadly. Keilah took his hand in hers and squeezed it as she realized how upset he was.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"I haven't seen Daphne since I died," he replied softly. "I know this girl is her reincarnation, but I'm a necromancer. I can feel her soul... It's just odd to be in the same room as her again."

Andie let out a soft groan. Her eyes fluttered open and she took a moment to get her bearings before she gasped in surprise. "Bartello?" She asked. "But... But they said..."

"The rumors of our deaths were greatly exaggerated," Zee replied cheerfully.

Andie looked like she might collapse again, this time from shock. D'Dodi automatically smacked Zee on the back of his head. "The poor girl's freaked out enough, Zee!" He scolded him.

Bartello held Andie tightly. "It's alright, Andie," he said soothingly. "I can explain."

"You're... You're alive?" She asked softly.

"We are," Bartello confirmed.

"All of you?"

"All of us," the twins replied in unison.

She shook her head before turning to Keilah. "How?" She asked.

"Ask the Big Fish," Keilah replied. "It was his idea. He didn't fill me in until after the fact."

Andie began to sob in Bartello's arms. Keilah quickly realized it wasn't Andie who was crying. "Barty... Oh, God, Barty... I thought I'd lost you all," she whispered in Eltarian.

"Daphne..." Bartello said softly. "We're alright now, Daphne. I promise. And so is your current incarnation. I restored her life force. I'm so sorry for what happened to her."

"Will you guys be alright?" Keilah asked.

"We've got her," D'Dodi promised. "Go stop that horrible future my son saw."

"You know?"

"I always know. I wish I could go to him, but I know I can't leave your property... Especially not if they're back."

Elliot had been told the truth about D'Dodi and his brothers, as had his mother, Rhanna. This was mainly because Elliot needed support and Keilah had decided D'Dodi had a right to know his son no matter how the boy had been conceived.

"I'll see you guys soon," Keilah promised. She kissed Tante quickly before opening a portal and heading to find Sabree.

As soon as she spotted him, she knew she was too late. Sabree radiated with evil. The magic was still settling, but he'd been turned at least a day or two before. He stood facing Anise.

"Oh, Sabree... I am so sorry," Anise said sadly.

"I'm not," Eltar's Mayor replied with an evil smirk. "This is going to be fun, Anise. For me, that is."

"Sabree, please, try to fight. I know you're still in there. We can reverse this. Let me help you."

"I don't need your help, Anise. I'm perfectly fine. All I need from you is for you to call for help."

"I'm not going to do that, Sabree."

"I blocked your powers with that poison, Anise. You cannot stop me. I will kill you unless you summon help. Call your father."

"Not a chance."

"Your brother will come. You're twins after all. He will sense your distress. And Zell will come when he learns his precious firstborns are in peril."

Keilah was waiting for the right moment to strike. She read Anise's energy. Sure enough, her powers had been blocked. She was stunned, because it would take an incredibly powerful bit of magic to block someone as strong as Anise.

A hand touched her shoulder. Keilah almost swung at the person before she realized who it was. Topaz put his index finger over his lips as he looked toward Anise.

What are you doing here? Keilah asked telepathically. She'd learned she could connect to most of the Yizaks like that.

Anise called me, Topaz replied.

Keilah smiled suddenly. Knowing the future Elliot had experienced and the fact that she was in immediate danger along with her brother and father, Anise had apparently set a backup plan in motion. Topaz was her brother, but they never really hung out together in public. No one would expect her to call on him instead of Zordon.

"Magic's not my only defense," Anise reminded Sabree. "I'm a warrior, Sabree. I've fought in countless wars and I've won them all."

"I'm well aware of what you're capable of, Anise," Sabree replied coldly. "I also know you won't hurt me. You still think I can be saved. That makes you weak." He moved to attack her, but Anise's reflexes were strong, and she ducked out of the way. Sabree grew annoyed. He manifested a sword out of thin air.

Topaz nodded at Keilah before making his move. He cast a powerful spell that knocked Sabree onto his back. "Bad idea, Mayor," he said in a mocking tone.

"You..." Sabree said in surprise. "No... Jezzeff said it would be Zordon... Even with me striking a day early, he swore it would be him. His vision promised that much... No one mentioned you. I don't understand."

"That's the thing about seeing the future, Asshole. The smallest thing can alter it and put you on a completely different path. So fuck Jezzeff's vision. I like this version better."

"You won't hurt me. You're one of the good guys."

Topaz laughed. "Oh, Sabree... You're so wrong it's kind of hilarious. I've never been one of the good guys. I'm not on anyone's side but my own... And I have no issue hurting you whatsoever, especially if you target my family. I may have just met them, but Anise is snarky and puts our father in his place frequently. I happen to like her."

Sabree called his bluff, trying to attack him with his sword. Topaz easily got the sword away from him and impaled him with it. Sabree's eyes went wide with shock, but he began to heal as soon as he pulled the sword out. He moved with surprising speed as he slashed Anise's throat.

"Anise!" Keilah cried in alarm. Now, she was pissed off. "Enough," she said firmly. She grabbed Sabree by the throat, channeled an enormous amount of energy, and put him into a deep sleep with one massive attack.

"You made him take a nap? How anticlimactic," Topaz commented dryly. "I was hoping for a bloodbath." As he examined Anise's injury, he realized what Keilah already had. Anise was losing blood too quickly, which forced Topaz to focus on healing her.

"Sabree doesn't deserve to die just because those assholes turned him," Keilah pointed out. "This was the best solution. I'll get him to Laby and have him lock him in a labyrinth until we can fix him." She moved beside them. "Hold on, Anise. You're going to be fine," she said soothingly. She helped Topaz, speeding up the healing process.

Anise looked up at them both gratefully. "Thanks," she said softly.

"No problem," Topaz said with a shrug. "If you're good, I'm gonna go fuck someone up. I'm itching for a fight."

Anise hugged him. Topaz softened very slightly, but Keilah caught it. He returned the hug a little awkwardly. "Be careful," Anise said.

"I'll be fine," he replied dismissively. "They can't handle me."

"Still... You're my little brother, Topaz."

"Lachlan's the baby. Worry about him." He smirked at her before he walked away.

"Are you alright?" Keilah asked when they were alone.

"Yeah... And thanks to you, so is Sabree. He's alive, so there's still hope we can fix him," Anise replied.

"Let me bring you somewhere safe until the potion wears off. You can stay with Hanry at the safe house." Keilah had insisted her grandfather stay with her aunt and father in a safe house ever since the Coalition had begun hunting Yizaks. Hanry was only allowed to leave to report to work at the Counsel of Elders, with Keilah by his side, or to visit other family members, and never alone. After her niece, H'Nah, had faced a brutal assault at the Coalition's hands, Keilah had slaughtered those responsible and vowed no one in her immediate family would be hurt like that again. At least H'Nah had survived. Not everyone they targeted had been so lucky.

Anise would normally have protested being hidden away, but it was clear she understood why it was necessary now. "It might be nice to see Hanry for a bit," she replied.

Keilah opened a portal and sent Anise straight to Hanry before she animated Sabree's unconscious body and made him follow her through a portal to Earth. Laby looked up in surprise as she arrived.

"Busy day?" He asked casually.

"You could say that," Keilah replied. "He was turned, Laby. I need you to-"

"Lock him in a labyrinth?" Laby guessed with a smirk.

"Exactly."

"No problem. Anything else I can do for you?"

"Not at the moment."

"Want a soda? I've got plenty of Coca Cola."

Keilah actually cracked a smile. "Caffeine might be nice. I've got a lot more to do. They're back, Laby... They may not have shown themselves, but if they're turning people evil, they're ready to fight."

"Good," Laby replied, opening a can of soda for her before passing it her way. "So am I."

COOPER

He had just left the Dojo when he heard the last voice he wanted to hear.

"Coopie!" She screeched.

Oh, for fuck's sake, please no... Cooper thought.

"Hi, Coopie! Did you miss me? I missed you!" She cried as she skipped toward him.

Cooper sighed as he looked at her. She wore a punk rock t-shirt and a short plaid skirt with chains on it, along with the combat boots she was so fond of. Her long, black hair was styled in pigtails as usual. She looked deceptively innocent, but he knew better. "Didi, what the hell are you doing here?" He asked.

"I'm here to avenge Daddy, of course! Do you want to help?"

"He wasn't my father, Didi. He wasn't even your father," Cooper reminded her.

"Oh, hush! Dark Specter raised both of us."

"He kidnapped me when I was six, held me prisoner, and forced me to become his evil minion. That's not raising me."

"He was still the only daddy you had! And my father never wanted me... Daddy was so much better to me. I miss him, Coopie."

"Quit calling me that. You know I hate it."

"Do you? Sorry, Coopie, I forgot. It's been so long since I saw you!"

He rolled his eyes. "Just go back to Onyx, Didi. You don't belong here," he said firmly. Where Didi went, trouble always followed. Cooper knew nothing good would come of her arrival.

"I met my mom, Coopie. She's pretty interesting. You should get to know her. I think you'd like working for her."

"No thanks. I don't work for the dark side anymore."

"It's true then? You're a Power Ranger? Like, a good one instead of an evil one? What a shame." She shook her head. "That's okay. You'll come to your senses sooner or later."

"Didi... Your mom's dead," he said gently as he remembered that fact. Didi's mother had died not long after she'd given birth. No one knew why, but her heart had suddenly stopped. She'd been a slave on Onyx, and Didi's real father had used her and forgotten about her. When Master Vile learned he had an infant daughter, he'd refused to take her and had left her for the monsters on Onyx to do whatever they pleased with. Dark Specter had rescued the girl before anyone could harm her and had decided to raise her himself.

"Not exactly," Didi replied cryptically.

Cooper couldn't help but be concerned. Didi might annoy him to no end, but she was like the little sister he'd never wanted. They'd been raised together. He felt a certain sense of responsibility for her. "Come on, Didi... You need to remember... She died when you were just a baby." Didi was prone to psychotic episodes. He'd had to talk her down several times over the years.

"I might be crazy, Coopie, but not about this," Didi insisted. "You'll see soon enough. Well, gotta go! See you later!" With that, she skipped away before Cooper could stop her.

"Shit," he mumbled. "This can't be good."

THE WITCH
She frowned. "Oh, boo!" The Witch said. "It seems like Keilah went and spoiled our fun! I suspect Elliot alerted them to the future."

"What happened, Witch?" Jezzeff asked anxiously.

"Well, for starters, Anise asked Zell and Felina's brat to help her instead of turning to Zordon. Have I mentioned how much I hate that kid? Anyway, it's fine. We'll just set a different future in motion. I like this one, too!"

"As long as Zell still dies, I'm all for it."

"Patience, Jezzy-Wezzy... He'll meet his end soon enough."

"What is your plan?"

"I'm going to call in our secret weapon."

"No... It's too soon. I'm still not certain we can even trust him. He's not under our control. We didn't turn him."

"We don't have to turn him. He's been evil all along, but no one ever figured that out. Stop worrying so much, Jezzy. Trust me, this will throw those poor little Power Rangers into chaos." She snapped her fingers.

Her ally emerged from the shadows. "Lovely to see you again, Witch," he said.

"Why does he wear a helmet? Is he trying to conceal his identity from us?" Jezzeff demanded.

"On the contrary, Jezzeff of Eltar," he replied. "I always wear this outfit."

"Are you some sort of Power Ranger?"

"Silly Jezzeff... I am far older and wiser than that."

"I'll have the Huntress send some of her friends to stir up trouble," the Witch said. "That should draw a crowd, and then we can make our move." She cackled, delighted by the anticipation of what was to about to happen. The Power Rangers would never see this coming.

LACHLAN

He was curled up in Micky's arms, which was his favorite location in all the universe. Lachlan could stay like that with his boyfriend forever and be perfectly content. Unfortunately, it seemed that fate had other plans.

The woman who came toward them wore a dark cloak. "Coalition," Micky said in alarm. "Lach, we need to get out of here."

The Coalition had no real reason to target Micky. Sure, he was Tommy Oliver's long-lost son and the current White Ranger on the Mighty Morphin Power Ranger Legacy team, but the Coalition tended to focus more on Eltarians... Especially ones from the bloodline Lachlan had learned he descended from a year earlier.

"I'm only here to spill Yizak blood today. Step aside, Boy, and you may continue to draw breath," the woman said.

"No way in Hell, Bitch," Micky retorted.

She laughed. "Have it your way. Your death is of no consequence to me." She raised a dagger into the air.

"Lach, run," Micky said. "White Tigerzord!" He declared before he morphed.

Instead of running, Lachlan squeezed the crystal he wore around his neck. "Volans, the Flying Fish!" He cried. He morphed into his Yellow Ranger suit instantly. "You're not the only Power Ranger here, Micky," he reminded him gently.

As several other Coalition members began to step out of the trees, Lachlan knew they were in trouble. Micky seemed to realize it, too. "Alphas, Lach and I are in over our heads... It's the Coalition. We need backup!" He said into his communicator.

A chorus of panicked Alphas responded at once. "Never fear, Young Warriors!" Alpha Three, the only female in the bunch, replied dramatically. "Help is on the way!"

Soon enough, the Legacy team appeared, followed by the Celestial Force Rangers. That was Lachlan's team, the only team of Power Rangers Anise had created.

Charleigh immediately ran to Lachlan's side. "What happened?" His team's Red Ranger asked.

"They're after Lach," Micky answered before Lachlan could.

"They'll have to go through all of us," Dora declared defiantly.

"Dora... Be careful," Elliot said nervously. Lachlan wondered why he seemed so worried about her.

"It's Morphin' Time!" Zeke declared.

"Dragonzord!" Sage responded.

"Allosaurus!" Tommy, the only non-legacy on the Legacy team, followed.

"Mastodon!" Thorn cried.

"Pterodactyl!" Kenny added.

"Triceratops!" Josh chimed in.

"Saber-toothed Tiger!" Liza shouted.

"Tyrannosaurus!" Zeke finished enthusiastically.

"Alright, let's do this thing!" Stephanie said eagerly.

"Celestial Force, Power Up!" Charleigh cried. "Sagitta, the Arrow!" She morphed into her Red suit.

"Vulpecula, the Fox!" Stephanie followed, morphing into the Blue Ranger. Since Lachlan had already morphed, his part of the call was skipped.

"Scutum, the Shield!" Patti chimed in, morphing into Pink.

"Phoenix, the Fire Bird!" Cooper cried as he morphed into Black. This wasn't much of a difference, as Cooper never wore any other color. Ever. Only his blue hair brightened up his appearance.

"Draco, the Dragon!" Elliot shouted. He morphed into a suit as Green as his hair, something Dora liked to tease him about sometimes.

"Leo, the Lion!" Dora declared, morphing into her Purple suit.

"Chamaeleon, the Chameleon!" Lex finished the sequence, morphing into Silver.

That was when the cackling began. "The Witch is here!" Tommy warned the others of this fairly obvious fact.

"You don't say!" Zeke replied dryly.

More backup began to arrive. Lachlan spotted the SPD and Time Force teams spreading out to help the others. The look on Jen's face told Lachlan she knew something and wasn't happy about it. She looked at Sky, who nodded back at her subtly.

Something big is coming, Lachlan realized. He wondered why Jen would tell Sky something instead of Wes, but he didn't have time to overthink it as someone new came toward them.

"Tommy Oliver!" The man said. At least, Lachlan assumed it was a man. He had a strange, high-pitched, nasal voice, and as he continued speaking, Lachlan realized how overdramatic everything he said sounded.

Tommy looked toward him and froze in confusion. "Ninjor?" He asked. "Where have you been? Kira said she tried to find you when the Alliance kidnapped me, but you never answered her."

"I'm here now, my old friend," Ninjor replied. Then, before anyone could react, he sent some sort of spell at Tommy. It knocked him down and left him bleeding severely.

"Dad!" Micky cried. He moved in front of his father protectively. Kenny followed his lead.

"Holy shit! They turned Ninjor evil?" Zeke asked in shock.

"No..." Sage said softly. "I don't sense the Flames in him."

"Then why did he just attack Uncle Tommy?" Her twin brother, Thorn, asked.

"Because, my young warriors... I have been waiting to do that for a very long time," Ninjor replied with a laugh.

Without warning, everyone on the Legacy team lost their morphs. Lachlan watched nervously as they stood unprotected and facing this strange new enemy they seemed to previously think they could trust.

"What the hell just happened?" Liza demanded in confusion.

"Ninjor created our Power Coins," Josh said in horror as he seemed to realize something the others hadn't. "He can block us from the Morphin' Grid."

"Oh shit..." Zeke said. "Everyone, pair up with a morphed Ranger, quick!"

Since Micky wouldn't leave his injured father, Lachlan moved closer to him. The other Legacy Rangers followed Zeke's command and moved closer to those who still had their powers.

Suddenly, Ninjor snapped his fingers. Kimberly and Billy appeared out of thin air.

"What the...?" Billy began to ask before he spotted his old mentor. "Ninjor? What's going on?"

"Billy! Kimberly! So wonderful to see you again," Ninjor replied. Then, he moved to attack them.

"Mom!" Kenny shouted. It didn't seem to matter to him that he couldn't morph. He ran in front of his mother with impressive speed, blocking her from the attack. Ninjor laughed. "Nice try, Little Boy," he said. With magic, he flung Kenny away from Kimberly.

Patti reacted immediately, throwing a shield of light around Kenny. It began spreading around all of the other Power Rangers. With everyone being spread out across such a large area, however, there was no way to keep everyone safe at once.

Ninjor seemed to consider her carefully. "That's positively blinding," he mumbled. "You are rather impressive, Pink Ranger," he informed her. "Unfortunately, it's not enough." With that, he turned toward the sky. "Are you watching, Zordon?" He demanded. Without any further warning, he moved to impale the still-unprotected Kimberly with his sword.

Zordon teleported in front of Kimberly from out of nowhere. The sword pierced his chest and Lachlan began to panic as Kimberly screamed, "Zordon!" She sank to her knees beside him, sobbing as she tried to examine his injury.

Lachlan ran to his older brother's side. "I'll heal ya, Zordon... I'll find a way," he vowed. His generally British, sometimes Scottish accent was intensifying as his emotions overwhelmed him.

As Ninjor moved in for another attack on Zordon, Lachlan tried to protect him with a wall of fire. Ninjor laughed in his face. "Good effort, Little Boy, but you cannot fight the likes of me." He attacked Lachlan, knocking the wind out of him and leaving him gushing blood from his head.

"Lach!" Micky cried, leaving his father and running to his side instead. Sage was trying to heal Tommy, but Lachlan wasn't sure how much luck she was having. He sensed the dark magic on the sword. It was meant to kill. It was also meant to drain someone's power, which was probably why Zordon couldn't seem to get back up.

"Now... Where were we, Zordon?" Ninjor asked. "I hate to cut our time short, but I have other business to attend to."

Zordon was too injured to do anything but watch as Ninjor raised the sword again. That was when Lachlan noticed Jen and Sky exchange another glance. She sighed, closing her eyes as she nodded at him.

"SPD, Emergency!" Sky shouted, pulling out one of his team's containment devices.

Ninjor laughed. "You think your pathetic little future technology can contain me? You are foolish!" He said.

"No," Sky replied. "But it distracted you."

Jen had moved in front of Zordon. She injected him with something that seemed to help him gain some of his strength back.

Ninjor let out a cry of rage before turning back toward Sky. "You'll pay for that, Boy!" He declared.

"It was worth it," Sky replied defiantly. He stared Ninjor in the eye fearlessly as the sword swung toward his head. Before anyone could react, Sky's head was severed from his body.

The sound of Syd's horrified screams echoed through the air. At first, no one else dared to move or speak.

After a minute, Kimberly helped Zordon back to his feet. Sage raced to Lachlan's side and began to heal him. Lachlan immediately began to feel better. He noticed Tommy had recovered as well.

"Lach... Lach, are you okay?" Micky asked in desperation.

"I think so..." Lachlan replied a bit numbly. He couldn't believe he'd just watched one of the SPD Rangers sacrifice himself to save him and Zordon.

Ninjor wasn't finished yet, but Patti was focusing entirely on him now. Her shock at the sight of a murdered Power Ranger had made her light stronger, and he cowered from it slightly. Then, he shifted his focus to Billy.

"Ah, Billy... I see you and Kimberly have embraced your Ninjetti powers again in the last couple of years. I didn't give you permission for that!" Ninjor proclaimed.

Lachlan was certain Ninjor was going to kill Billy when someone suddenly teleported between them. "How dare you pervert this ancient and great power?" She demanded. She was dressed incredibly oddly, but Lachlan was pretty sure she was on their side. She radiated a power unlike any he'd ever sensed before and carried a strange staff of some sort.

"You!" Ninjor cried. "How are you here? You shouldn't have been able to leave your realm, or your planet!"

She smiled mysteriously. "I think the better question is, do you believe that you are ready to face me, Ninjor?"

He hesitated for a moment before saying, "We shall finish this later!" With that, Ninjor vanished.

"Dulcea..." Elliot said with a smile on his face.

"Dude, you know the sexy cavewoman?" Zeke asked in surprise.

Without warning, Dulcea moved in front of him at an impressive speed. "Watch what you say, Child," she said sharply. "I am not a cavewoman. I am Dulcea, Master Warrior of the Planet Phaedos."

Everyone seemed confused except for Zordon and Elliot. Zordon simply nodded. "Thank you for coming, Dulcea... I do not understand how you are here, however. From what I gathered, if you ever left Phaedos, you would rapidly age and die."

"That is true, Zordon, Great Sage of Eltar," she replied. "However, Elliot gave me a gift three years ago." She gestured toward the unusual necklace she wore. It contained a crystal of some sort. "It enables me to leave without suffering any ill effects. I locked the planet down so no one may enter or leave without my assistance."

"Elliot, how did you come by such an artifact?" Zordon asked in surprise.

"I had it from the time I was an infant. I was found with it. Apparently, Zell gave it to me, according to the note he left with it. Only I was able to read the thing... All it said was I needed to hold onto it until I found the one I was meant to pass it to. He seemed positive I'd know who that was. When I woke up on Phaedos and saw Dulcea, I had the overwhelming urge to pass it to her, especially since it had somehow made the journey with me. I assume Zell bewitched it. I don't think he knew why he had to do it."

"I didn't," Zell said softly.

Lachlan was startled as he realized his Da had joined them. "Da... What are you doing here?" He asked.

His Da looked at him sadly. "My sons needed me," he replied.

"Father..." Zordon greeted him awkwardly.

"Are you alright, my dear boy?" He asked. The concern in his eyes was clear.

"I'm fine," Zordon said quickly.

"And you, Lachlan?"

"I'm alright," Lachlan replied. "A lil' shaken up an' a tad confused, but no longer injured."

His Da nodded before he looked at Dulcea. "You are from Ooze's world," he said.

"Ivan Ooze comes from my realm, yes," she confirmed.

Lachlan noticed his Da pale a bit. "Oh, dear... That's not good," he said.

"Father? What do you sense?" Zordon asked.

"I fear we may be seeing Ivan Ooze in this realm again very soon."

"Ugh," Kimberly mumbled.

"The only time we ever saw him was at Billy and Kim's wedding," Liza explained. "He crashed it with a bunch of tengus or tengas... There was some debate on what they were actually called."

"In my world, they are Tengu Warriors," Dulcea replied.

"Here, Rito brought them, and he called them Tengas," Zordon added. "I never figured out how he ended up involved with them."

As his Da noticed Syd sobbing as she clung to Sky's body, Lachlan saw his face grow sad. He moved toward her cautiously. "Sydney, my dear..." He said softly.

She looked up at him with a hard expression on her face. "I still hate you," she informed him. Lachlan supposed that was fair, seeing as how his Da had turned her evil in the Flames for a while. "But... But can you save him? Can you bring him back to us?" She added in a small, almost childlike voice.

His Da looked genuinely broken as he examined Sky's body. "I'm sorry, my dear girl... I wish I could spare you this pain, however, I fear it is too late for that," he replied.

"Then go back in time! You love doing that!"

"Syd, you know we can't let him do that," Jen said.

"Shut up, Jen! This is your fault! I saw the way you two kept sneaking off to talk today. You knew this was going to happen, didn't you? You knew and you didn't stop it!"

"I did know," Jen admitted.

"Jen... What did you do?" Wes asked softly, his shock clear in his tone.

"I offered Sky a choice. I told him the situation and what our files showed was supposed to happen today. I also told him that another file revealed the future that had been set off instead of the original one."

"Why did it have to be Sky, Jen?" Syd demanded. "It can't have been his time! We're not even from this time!"

"Syd..." Jen sighed. "In the original timeline, Sky died today while in the past. It's not something that happens often, but sometimes, that is how someone is destined to die. Somehow, Jezzeff and the Witch changed Sky's fate and set off a bunch of other things instead, including Zordon dying. I knew we had to stop that, so I told Sky the truth. Then, I gave him a choice to see things through the way they were meant to happen or to find a new destiny that would come at a horrible cost."

"You bitch! You knew he'd never let that happen!"

"Syd, that's enough," Z said softly.

"Sky is dead because of her!"

"Sky was always big on honor, right? He did the right thing. Everyone has to die eventually, Syd."

Except Laby, Lachlan thought. He kept that to himself.

"This isn't fair," Syd insisted.

It was Jack who knelt beside her. He wrapped his arms around her. "It isn't fair," he agreed, "but it's what happened."

She stopped protesting as her emotions overwhelmed her again. She buried her face in Jack's shoulder and wept.

Lachlan noticed that Bridge hadn't spoken. He looked more serious than Lachlan had ever seen him before as he watched Jack comfort Syd, who still hadn't let go of Sky's body.

"Bridge... Are ya alright?" Lachlan asked gently.

Bridge didn't reply. "Come on," Z said. "Let's get you some buttery toast."

"I'm not hungry," Bridge said softly.

"Oh, Bridge..." Z looked like she might cry as she hugged him tightly. Lachlan was fairly certain the world was going to end.

ZORDON

His grief was almost unbearable. Another Power Ranger had fallen. Sky had given his life to save Zordon's, and he wasn't sure how to process that. He was supposed to be the one who protected them, not the other way around.

Just like the original Chosen... And you could not protect them either... Zordon thought. That wasn't entirely true. Although Zedd had been turned evil and Raven and Quintus had been killed by his father, Zordon had saved Dimitri, Morgana, Galaxia, and Caius. Dimitri and Morgana had been killed a year later. Rita had killed Dimitri in a fit that went back to what Zordon's father had put her through. Morgana had been killed by Master Vile, a fate Zordon firmly believed she could have avoided if Dimitri hadn't perished. He'd never admitted to anyone that he felt responsible for both of their deaths because of his father, although he suspected Caius knew. Galaxia, at least, had lived a full life, but now, only Caius and Zedd remained. At least Sage had been able to save Zedd and turn him back into the person Zordon would always consider his brother.

"You have to let him go now, Syd," Jack said gently, snapping Zordon out of his thoughts. "We'll call Commander Cruger. He'll bring Sky back home."

"No... No, I'm not ready," Syd sobbed. "I can't do this."

"You can, Sydney," Zordon said soothingly. He moved to stand beside her. "I am so sorry for your loss... And I am grateful for Sky's courage, but with all my heart, I wish I could have prevented this from happening." He offered her his hand. "It's time for Sky to return home."

She looked at him with tears still streaming down her cheeks. After a moment, she released Sky's body into Jack's arms and took Zordon's hand, allowing him to help her to her feet. The Alphas teleported Jack and Sky away.

Zordon was pretty sure he was the only one who heard Jen whisper, "I'm sorry," before she walked away. Wes followed behind her. The other Time Force Rangers seemed too stunned to dare to speak or move.

"Brave Warriors..." Dulcea began. "I am terribly sorry for what you lost today, however, you must not drop your guard. Ninjor and those he is working with shall return, and I fear they will not stop at one dead Power Ranger. We must prepare. And if Ivan Ooze is truly coming here as well, I must remain to help you learn to fight an entity of his nature. I shall summon help from my realm. None of you are truly prepared to face Ooze when he is at full strength."

"Dulcea is correct," Zordon heard his father say. "I recruited Ivan Ooze for my Alliance when he was at a fraction of his full power... I know he is capable of terrible acts of evil if he is not weakened."

"We will prepare them," Zordon vowed. No matter what, he knew he could not fail them again.

His father surprised him by taking him aside. "My son... I can tell your mind is in terrible pain," he said gently.

Zordon considered denying it. The last thing he wanted at the moment was to have a heartfelt conversation with the father he had such a complicated relationship with. He sighed. "I grieve Sky deeply, Father," He replied.

"As you should. He was a very brave man."

"I have grown incredibly tired of losing Power Rangers," Zordon admitted.

"I'm sorry for my part in those losses..." His father looked away in shame.

"It... It wasn't your fault, Father," Zordon said, although he still struggled to remember that sometimes.

"That does not change the fact that I despise myself for it."

Zordon was surprised. "Do you mean that?"

"Why do you think I don't come out of the safe house unless my presence is requested? I cannot stand to look at myself most days, so why should everyone else be forced to do it?"

His father had never been so open about his emotions before. "What's changed in you?" Zordon asked.

"I had an interesting conversation with your mother, my dear boy... She called me emo." He smiled fondly, like this fact amused him.

Zordon actually laughed. "Well... I'm sorry, Father, but she's not exactly wrong about that..."

"I know... But the time to hide in shame has ended. I must face the world... I must face those I have wronged and help them understand that I am no longer a threat to them." He paused. "Zordon, I fear I unknowing put your mother in terrible danger."

"How?" Zordon asked.

"There was one Child of the Flame I never should have created... And he is coming for her."

"What? I thought you killed all of them except for Elliot."

"I did... It seems Jezzeff and the Witch chose to bring this one back."

"Why would they choose him specifically?"

"Because he's undeniably powerful... And he despises me, as well as his parents... Serafine and Bartello."

"Father! You didn't..."

"I did."

"Darcy's going to kill you when she realizes this."

"I know that. I also know I have to warn her anyway. I would have asked Sir Ivan to do it, but he was very distraught after your mother collapsed. Amoz came and took her away somewhere... I dislike not knowing where, but I sense she is recovering well. Whatever he did, it worked. Now... There is something else I must tell you, my son."

Zordon braced himself. "What is it?" He asked after a moment.

"There is an artifact... I do not know its current location. The last I saw it, Rinton Treygon possessed it."

"An artifact? What sort of artifact?"

"It's a dark crystal... Darker than anything else in the universe. It is the balance to the crystal Patti holds within herself."

"Are you saying someone can cast shields of darkness like she casts shields of light?" Zordon asked in alarm.

"Yes. And just like with Patti's crystal, the power can only be passed down through someone meant to hold it until they bear a child."

"The power lies with a Treygan?"

"It may... However, I fear it may be worse than that."

"Worse? What could possibly be worse than a Treygan having that sort of dark power?"

"I fear the Witch herself may have taken control of the person who was meant to hold the power."

"What do you mean?"

"As you know, she enjoys taking vessels. She inhabits a body, consuming the soul meant to live that life, and assumes their identity until she chooses to let them die or they are unexpectedly killed. I know Angel destroyed one of her vessels a while back, so it can be done. With that said, I believe she may have chosen a vessel who absorbed the crystal."

"But... If it can only be passed down through a child..." Zordon's eyes went wide with surprise.

"Yes, my son... I believe that the Witch may have given birth to a child."

"Is it possible for an intangible to reproduce?"

"It's not easy, but yes. I'm certain Ling has several offspring he's unaware of, as do most of the Circle members. He's an intangible of Light, but the same rules apply. And with the aid of a vessel, it would be very easy for them to reproduce. If that vessel is meant to have a child, it will happen naturally, but because the Witch was inside of the vessel at the time, the child will be partially hers. His or her energy will come from the vessel and the child's father, but also from the Witch."

"Father... What does this mean for us?"

"Nothing good, my boy... Nothing good at all."

DIDI

She skipped merrily toward her new companions. "Jezzy!" She cried in delight as she saw him.

"Didi, I have asked you repeatedly not to call me that," Jezzeff reminded her.

"And I have repeatedly ignored your request," she replied sweetly.

"Was there something you required?"

"Is Mommy around?"

"Your mother is occupied at the moment. She'll be back in a bit. Run along for now, Didi."

Didi shrugged and skipped away. She wasn't really in the mood for Jezzeff anyway. Her pigtails bounced behind her as she continued skipping around the Guild's new base of operations. It was very different from Onyx, where she'd lived until her mother found her a year earlier. The flashback hit her hard.

The woman who approached her was infamous. Most didn't know what she looked like, but Didi had watched her on occasion as she stalked the men of Eltar. The Huntress was beautiful but scary, and Didi liked that about her.

"Are you Master Vile's girl?" She asked.

"No," Didi replied cheerfully. "I'm Didi Vile, Dark Specter's girl. Is there something I can do for you?"

"Not for me, Didi... For your mother."

"My mother is dead."

"Only her vessel died, purely because she tired of the life she'd been living here as a tortured slave and decided to move on. Your mother is much stronger than you know, Didi. They call her the Witch."

Didi's eyes widened in surprise. "The Witch is my mother?" She repeated.

"Yes... And currently, she is gravely injured. The Power Rangers tried to destroy her, and an intangible of Light burned her severely."

Didi pouted at the mention of the Power Rangers. "Those jerks took my daddy from me... They can't have my mommy, too," she decided aloud.

The Huntress studied her. "How old are you, Child?"

"I'm eighteen."

"You seem... Younger."

Didi grinned. "I embrace my youth!" She declared with a giggle. In truth, Didi liked childish things. She enjoyed doodling, skipping, and snuggling stuffed animals. They were impossible to find in one piece on Onyx, but Dark Specter had ensured his minions brought them to her from other planets when they could. She'd often been mistaken for a twelve or thirteen-year-old, even as she'd aged to an adult. Her eyes always held mischief in them, which added to that image, and she almost always kept her hair in ridiculous pigtails no one else on Onyx would dare to wear. Pigtails could be grabbed easily and she could end up taken hostage, but Didi didn't worry about that. As Dark Specter's adopted daughter, she was protected. No one ever crossed her. If they did, they regretted it immediately.

Her smile faded a bit as Jezzeff and the one they only called "T" carried her mother to her. The Witch was obviously in severe pain. "Darkness..." She groaned. "I require complete darkness..."

Didi had immediately activated her shield. She didn't know why she had it or how it really worked, but Dark Specter had taught her how to control it as she got older. As she wrapped her mother in it protectively, her pain seemed to lessen a bit.

It had taken months for her mother to recover from what Ling had done to her. Even being kept in complete darkness wasn't enough to restore her to her former glory or heal her physical form. Didi had expended a ridiculous amount of energy until her mother was nearly fully recovered. That was when her mother had told Jezzeff she needed him to resurrect someone for her. That person had been the one to finally complete her healing.

Didi didn't mind having Reyzzo around. The Eltarian was gorgeous and powerful, and he wasn't as annoyed by Didi as the rest of her mother's friends seemed to be. As Didi got to know her mother, she also got to know Reyzzo. It was nice having a friend who was closer to her age again. She missed Cooper desperately sometimes. With Cooper gone and Dark Specter destroyed, Didi had grown pretty lonely.

She finally snapped out of her memories as she spotted the handsome incubus standing nearby. "Hey, Rey-Rey," she said.

Unlike most people, Reyzzo didn't ever react to her nickname with anger. Instead, he smiled at her. "Hello, Didi. How are you?" He asked.

"I'm fine. What are you up to? Chaos and destruction?"

"Something like that... I'm tracking someone."

"Oh? Who?" Didi asked with interest.

"Daphne."

"I thought you already found her."

"I did... But that was just for fun, and I think they caught on to me. She's not the one I'm after now. Your mother wants me to find another aspect... One who's been hiding from her... One Zell was meant to kill, but apparently saved instead."

"What's her name?"

"Aiyana of Eltar... But I assume she has an actual surname she uses. I believe she is hiding somewhere on Earth."

"What will you do when you find her?"

"Everything," Reyzzo said with an evil laugh. "And capturing that girl should bring Zell right where we want him to be."

"Sounds like fun! Let me know if you need any help." She skipped away, deciding to go look for her mother in case Jezzeff had lied to her. After all, nearly every time that man's lips moved, he told a lie.

Sure enough, she found her mother looking over a spell book. "Mommy!" She cried in delight, running to her.

"Hello, Traezzunee," her mother replied. She always put emphasis on the strange word, making it sound even more important to Didi whenever she used it.

"You still haven't told me what that means," Didi replied with a laugh.

"It's Eltarian for Treasure."

That was kind of sweet. It made Didi smile. She would never admit it, but she was a bit starved for affection. "Why do you call me that?" She asked.

"Because, Daughter... Inside of you is my greatest treasure."

Didi relaxed and snuggled against her. Her mother allowed it, petting her head indulgently like Didi was a cat. She didn't mind. It was kind of comforting. Her mother never claimed to love her, but that was okay. Evil didn't love, and Didi understood that. At least she viewed her as her greatest treasure. That was practically the same thing, right?

"Mommy needs a boost, Traezzunee... Give me your hand," her mother said.

"Of course," Didi replied, eager to please her. She offered her mother her hand and closed her eyes, willing her crystal to send darkness into her mother. She might be fully recovered, but sometimes, she still became drained. Apparently, that had never happened to her before Ling's attack, but Didi was happy to help her through the bad days.

Her mother cackled with pleasure. "Excellent. Thank you, Didi. Run along now. Mommy has important work to do." She waved her hand dismissively.

Didi shrugged. Dark Specter had often spoken to her the same way. She stood and skipped out of the room, looking for chaos to entertain herself with until Jezzeff and the Witch were ready to launch their next attack.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks for reading the first chapter! I hope you enjoyed it, especially the surprise villain reveal. I'm really excited to see what a world that includes Dulcea facing off against Ninjor will look like, and I hope you are, too. There's plenty more to come. Comments and votes are always deeply appreciated.