AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry for the delay in updating. I spent most of the month working on another project. I'm happy to be back, and I hope you guys enjoy the twist coming at the end of this chapter. T'Dania and the Huntress kind of ran away and took the plot in another direction for a while, but one of the original plot points from the first chapter is finally starting to unfold properly now. Anyway, without further ado, let's dive back in!

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
TEDIUS
His body was in incredible pain. His mind wasn't doing much better. Tedius was powerless to free himself from the chains binding his hands above his head to a pipe. He had no strength left.

I'm dying, he realized. He had lost an enormous amount of blood. It was incredible he was even still alive, but he wouldn't last much longer.

Tedius was not afraid to die. In fact, he welcomed the idea on some level. In death, he would be reunited with Rupi... And with the parents who'd raised him... He could finally apologize to them for what had happened to them.

The unwelcome flashback overwhelmed him. He'd spoken out in public against Aphell and Freyst for their decision to execute two teenage boys Tedius believed were innocent of the crimes they'd been accused of. Vivianza had shown up, frozen everyone in place, and rescued Tedius from facing treason charges and his own execution. Vivi had brought him to the Rebellion, where Vitella and Destonyel had welcomed him with open arms. As punishment, Aphell had sent Azzian to assassinate Tedius's family. He'd found his beloved parents slaughtered. His grief over that loss had made him skip the protest that cost half of the Rebels their lives. It was the only reason he hadn't died that day.

I'm sorry, Mother... Father... He thought.

This brought him back to his current reality. For the first time in his life, Tedius had met his biological father. Klaggo had captured Tedius while he was out shopping for food to make dinner for Captain Smith and the others. In New York, they had a professional chef, but Tedius enjoyed cooking and often handled making food for his friends, giving the chef time off. In Angel Grove, Tedius did nearly all of the cooking. He didn't mind. It kept him busy and gave him a sense of purpose.

He hadn't known who the man was when he approached him, but he'd sensed the threat he posed. Tedius had been about to call for help when he was stabbed with a needle containing a tranquilizer. He'd woken up chained to the pipe with Klaggo standing over him smiling sadistically.

"You grew up muscular and strong," Klaggo said in Eltarian. "I was wrong about you being weak. Perhaps you are worthy of being my offspring after all. Let us see."

Tedius had understood immediately who the man must be. The torture his father quickly unleashed upon him caught him by surprise. He'd struggled, but he couldn't free himself. He'd been beaten, whipped, slashed, and stabbed repeatedly, but Tedius was somehow still alive. Using magic, Klaggo had even burned something into his flesh, on his right wrist. He recognized it as the mark of the Coalition.

He branded me, he thought in disgust.

Grayzee will find me... Or Captain Smith... Someone will release me from this hell, he told himself, but he wasn't sure he believed it. He could feel the magic cloaking his location. It would be difficult to get by, and no one knew Klaggo had been resurrected. They wouldn't know Tedius was in danger until they realized he was missing, and even then, they'd have no idea where to look for him.

I'm going to die here unless they find me very soon, Tedius thought. My birth father will finally have succeeded in his previously failed plan to kill me. I'm sorry, Grayzee... I'm not strong enough to survive this.

"Don't think like that," a voice said. He heard him so clearly, Tedius was certain he had finally bled out.

"You've come for me," Tedius said softly. The idea brought him peace. "We can finally be together, my beloved..."

"You aren't dead, Tedi," Rupi said firmly as he stood beside him. "Not yet."

"Then how do I see and hear you so clearly now?"

"You're close... Closer than I'd like. You have to keep fighting, Tedi. Help is coming."

"Help?"

"Yes. I promise help is on the way. Stay with me, my love... Just hold on a little while longer."

"I'm so tired, Rupi..."

"I know, Tedi... I'm sorry. I wish I could have warned you, but I didn't see this coming... The Witch turning on the Huntress was the last thing I expected to happen."

"What do you mean?"

"The Huntress angered her somehow... So the Witch had Jezzeff resurrect your biological father to punish her."

"How do you know?"

"Zydia figured it out. She's been keeping a close eye on Jezzeff... After all, he's our grandfather, even if we didn't know that when we were alive. Zydia doesn't like his obsession with Zizi. Anyway, she came and told me, but by the time she did, Klaggo had found you. I've been with you the entire time... I wish I could have helped you, but he was powerful, and it was impossible to get by the wards he put up."

"Then how are you here now?"

"Some of the wards cracked. He must be injured, or perhaps he's dead again. Either way, I'm here, Tedi... And I won't let him hurt you again."

"Rupi..." Tedius couldn't help but whimper as everything finally sank in. "I'm scared," he admitted.

"I know, my love... And I know how much pain you're in... But if you just hold on for a little bit longer, help will come. Can you do that for me, Tedi?"

"I'm so tired... I don't even know why I'm fighting anymore."

"Your brother needs you, and Captain Smith and Kizzie and even B'Danna, though she'd never admit it. Zizi needs you, too... You are all our precious niece has left. You aren't finished yet, Tedius. You still have work to do."

Tedius sighed. "I know... But it's so hard sometimes, Rupi. I miss you... I miss you even more than I thought possible."

"I miss you, too, Tedi... But one day, when the time is right, I'll find my way back to you. I promise you, we'll be together again, for in ten thousand lifetimes, you are the only one I'll ever love." He paused. "We are like the stars, Tedius... And our journeys shall always lead us back to each other."

"Rupi... I'm trying to hold on, but... Will you stay with me? Please? I cannot do this on my own. I am not strong enough."

"You are so much stronger than you think, Tedius... But of course I'll stay with you. Until help arrives, I shall not leave your side. I promise."

Tedius felt tears running down his cheeks. They stung as they hit the open wounds on his face. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too," Rupi replied. He began gently stroking Tedius's hair, and Tedius was startled to realize he could feel it.

"Rupi..." He whimpered.

"Shhh, my love... Just rest," Rupi replied soothingly. "I'm here. You're going to be alright." He continued to stroke his hair as he began singing to him softly.

"Well, here we are again... I guess it must be fate... We've tried it on our own, but deep inside we've known we'd be back to set things straight... I still remember when your kiss was so brand new... Every memory repeats, Every step I take retreats... Every journey always brings me back to you... After all the stops and starts, we keep  coming back to these two hearts, Two angels who've been rescued from the fall... After all that we've been through, it all comes down to me and you. I guess it's meant to be forever you and me, after all..."

Tedius cried harder as Rupi sang their song to him. The Cher and Peter Cetera song had summed their relationship's many ups and downs up perfectly.

"When love is truly right, it lives from year to year," Tedius tried to sing back to him. His voice cracked, but he didn't care. "It changes as it goes and on the way it grows, but it never disappears... After all the stops and starts, we keep coming back to these two hearts, two angels who've been rescued from the fall... After all that we've been through,  it all comes down to me and you... I guess it's meant to be forever you and me, after all... Always just beyond my touch, you know I needed you so much.... After all, what else is living for?" He started to cough severely. He couldn't keep singing anymore as blood trickled down his chin from his mouth.

Rupi looked devastated as he started to sing again. "After all the stops and starts, we keep coming back to these two hearts, two angels who've been rescued from the fall... After all that we've been through, it all comes down to me and you... I guess it's meant to be forever you and me... After all..."

Tedius started drifting into darkness as his heart stopped. That was when a voice said sharply, "Don't you fucking dare, Tedius of Eltar!" Suddenly, someone smacked him very hard directly in the chest. The burst of energy shot through him, forcing his heart to restart. "They're nearly here. You don't get to die right now. Suck it up," Zydia snapped. Like Rupi, she stood beside him, as clear as day.

"Thanks, Sis..." Rupi said softly.

"Well, someone had to do it, and you were busy singing him sappy love songs to try and inspire him to live instead of just forcing him to with magic. Clearly my method is more effective," Zydia replied. "I mean, for fuck's sake, Rupi, I taught you better than that! If all you're going to do is sit here singing, you could have at least sung him a battle song or something to make him want to fight!"

"I was comforting him," Rupi protested. 

"Comfort doesn't stop people from bleeding out. We're dead, but we're far from powerless. I guess I need to teach you how to be an effective spirit now, too. I swear, my work is never done!"

"I appreciate the help, Zydia," Tedius said weakly.

"Yeah, whatever. Just don't die, alright? I'll be pissed if I used all that energy for nothing."

"Did you buy him enough time?" Rupi asked nervously.

"I did as much as I can," Zydia replied. "As long as Tedius tries to keep fighting, it should be enough."

Tedius took as deep a breath as he could manage with his injuries. "I'll fight for as long as I can," he vowed. Even if he didn't want to keep fighting, he knew he must. Rupi was right. He still had work to do.

THE HUNTRESS
She knew how her father thought. She also knew how he tended to hide his victims. Eris led the search for Tedius, hurrying through every obstacle she and Grayzee encountered. When they reached the biggest one yet, she knew they were close.

"Grayzee, down!" She shouted.

Grayzee hit the ground as Eris fired an arrow into an attacking creature's heart. It was killed instantly.

"Left!" Grayzee cried out. Eris dove left as Grayzee sent a spell where she'd been standing.  A warlock collapsed, dead, right behind her.

"Nice," Eris commented, helping Grayzee back to his feet.

As an army of menacing monsters came toward them from all sides, Eris smirked. "You fry, I'll slay," she said.

"Works for me," Grayzee agreed. He began unleashing lightning, striking them down, while Eris alternated between throwing knives, loosing arrows, and using her sword to slaughter them. The two played well off each other, always knowing exactly where the other one was and covering each other as needed.

Grayzee hit one of the monsters with lightning. It instantly grew more powerful. It pinned him against a tree and was about to take his head off when Eris swiftly decapitated it with her sword instead, sending its head rolling down a hill.

"Watch your head," she quipped.

"Me or the monster?" Grayzee asked.

"Both."

A magic-wielding monster hit Eris in the back with a powerful spell, knocking her off of her feet. She was forced to take a moment to recover as the creature came closer, raising its claws and ready to shred her back apart. Grayzee hit it with a powerful spell, striking it dead instantly.

Eris returned the favor by loosing an arrow into a monster that came up behind Grayzee as he offered her his hand to help her to her feet. Grayzee didn't even blink as the arrow flew very close to his head and pierced the monster's chest. Eris accepted his hand and stood back up.

They continued battling like that as the number of monsters began to dwindle. When all of the monsters were dead, Eris laughed. "Not bad, Little Brother," she said. "We still work well together."

"It's just like riding a bike," Grayzee replied.

Eris sensed a dark spell cloaking a door. She broke it easily. When it shattered, a final attack launched itself at them. Lightning began striking all around them.

"Eris, go! I'll handle this," Grayzee said. "Find Tedius. I'll join you shortly."

Eris decided that was the most practical plan. She headed inside the door the spell had concealed. She smelled the blood immediately.

I do hope he hasn't perished. Grayzee would be rather upset, and I would have wasted a lot of energy for nothing, she thought. She braced herself for what she might find.

Tedius remained chained as he had been in the vision their father showed her. He was far too pale and had clearly lost too much blood. She wasn't even certain he was alive at first until she heard a soft, pathetic whimper escape his lips at the sight of her.

"Please don't..." He whispered. She suspected he didn't have the strength to speak any louder at that point.

"I'm not here to cause you further harm, Tedius," Eris replied matter-of-factly. She began casting a powerful spell to stop him from losing any more blood and to begin to heal him.

He was clearly confused, but he was too weak to protest. As she conjured a cloth and a basin of water, Eris began to gently clean some of the blood from his face. She'd had to do things like that before, whenever Grayzee angered their father enough that he'd left him half-dead before demanding Eris clean up the mess.

"Why are you helping me?" Tedius asked weakly.

"Because you are my little brother, Tedius... And the torment and suffering our father put you through has officially made you part of the family," Eris replied. She spotted the brand of the Coalition and frowned. She had a matching one over her heart. Their father had given it to her when she was thirteen years old. The scar had never faded. She continued trying to heal Tedius, although she was mostly just keeping him stable. Despite how strong her magic was, Tedius needed more help than she could provide alone.

Grayzee came into the room then. His eyes fell on Tedius and he couldn't cover up his horror. "Oh, Tedi..." He said softly. "I am so sorry..."

"Grayzee..." Tedius replied, his voice cracking with emotion as he seemed to finally accept that he was safe. "They were right... Help came..."

"Who was right?" Grayzee asked in confusion as he took over trying to wipe away some of the blood so Eris could focus on healing Tedius.

"Rupi... And Zydia... They're with me, Grayzee..."

Grayzee looked worried then. "You can see them?" He asked. Tedius nodded slightly before whimpering in pain.

"He was nearly dead when I arrived," Eris said. "I'm guessing he was close enough to be able to see them. He's still in critical condition, Grayzee. I cannot save his life on my own."

Grayzee cast a quick spell. "I've summoned Amello. He'll portal here as soon as he sees it."

Sure enough, a portal opened and Amello appeared. "My God..." He mumbled as he saw Tedius. He immediately set to work, although he looked at Eris in confusion for a moment. "Um... Lad?" He asked as he turned toward Grayzee.

"For this moment only, my sister is on our side, Mel," Grayzee replied. "She was the one who alerted me to the situation. It seems Jezzeff resurrected our father on the Witch's order. Eris put him down this time... Then she told me he'd taken Tedius."

"Alright. As long as she's here to help... So, Lass... Do you prefer to be addressed as Huntress or Eris?" Amello asked politely.

"Eris will do for today," she replied. "I'm not hunting at the moment."

"Very well... Eris, is this your healing spell I feel beside what I recognize as Zydia's magic?"

"It is."

Amello looked surprised. "Your magic is quite powerful. Zydia's spell kept his heart beating, but you saved his life. If you hadn't arrived when you did, he wouldn't have survived long enough for me to heal him. You have extraordinary power. I never knew that about you."

"My father did not encourage my magical studies beyond a basic level, so I taught myself in secret. I learned many different systems of magic from other planets in addition to my natural sorcery."

"It served Tedius well today."

"Will he recover, Mel?" Grayzee asked softly.

"Tedius is strong," Amello replied. "He'll need some time to regain his strength, but he is stable and his wounds are no longer fatal. I'll need a couple of hours to get him a bit more functional, but yes, he's going to be alright. He will need to rest for a few days to fully recover, but he's already looking a bit better."

"Thank you, Lad... For saving my twin." Grayzee said, giving Amello a tight hug. He paused before turning to Eris. "And thank you, Eris. I would not have found him in time without your help."

"We should get him out of here as soon as possible," Eris replied, not knowing what else to say.

"Do you want to go back to Captain Smith?" Grayzee asked.

"Not yet," Tedius replied softly. "The Captain, Kizzie, and even B'Danna worry about me as it is... I don't want them to see me until I'm in better shape. It will only upset them."

"You can stay at my safe house on Eltar for a bit. It's locked down and I spend a lot of time there when I'm not hunting down Coalition members." He paused and offered Eris an awkward smile. "Sorry..."

"Don't be. If they are caught by you, they clearly aren't worthy," Eris replied dismissively.

"I don't wish to be a burden, Grayzee," Tedius said.

"Oh, nonsense! You're my brother, Tedi," Grayzee insisted. "You could never be a burden, and I certainly wouldn't mind the company."

"Won't your little girlfriend?" Eris taunted him.

"I don't have a girlfriend."

"You could have fooled me, the way she's always by your side... Angel, was it?"

"That's... Complicated."

Eris smirked. "Isn't it always?" She asked.

"We don't label our relationship. I care for her very deeply."

Eris paused. "You love her," she said after a moment. "She's not like the others... You've always been a ladies man, moving from dalliance to dalliance, but you actually fell for Angel. She must be impressive."

"Eris... Please leave her out of this." The fear for his beloved was clear in his voice.

"You don't give her enough credit, Grayzee. Angel is extraordinary. She's not a damsel in distress you must protect. However, don't worry. I have no intention of trying to kill her."

"Not even knowing it would hurt me?"

Eris laughed. "Do you know me at all, Little Brother? I do not target powerful women simply to punish men. Angel has my respect. I won't lower her to being nothing more than a weapon against you. She is better than that."

Grayzee nodded. "You're right. I do know you better than that. If you target Angel, it will be because she gets in your way directly."

"Now, if you were interested in men, it would be another story, as I need very little reason to kill a man." She paused, noticing the look in the eyes of her other brother. "Allow me to clarify, Tedius. I'm not homophobic; I simply kill men far more frequently than I kill women. Men are the ones I hunt. I don't especially care what they do in the privacy of their bedrooms as long as it is between consenting adults. I assume from your expression that the rumors about you and Rupi were true. Personally, I preferred Zydia to her brother, but I won't judge you for your relationship."

Tedius looked horrified. "She's trying to reassure you, Tedi," Grayzee explained.

"I'm not used to being called out on my love life," Tedius replied softly. "Especially now."

"Right... Perhaps we should move on. Where will you go now, Eris?" Grayzee asked.

"Back to the Coalition," she replied. "I have work to do."

"I had hoped you wouldn't say that."

"I'm in charge, Grayzee... And it's better for everyone if it remains that way." She paused. "Tedius, I give you my word we will not target you. I know you're a good man. You are a very rare breed. Stay out of everyone's way and you may just survive this."

"You mean I don't get that promise?" Grayzee asked, pretending rather over-dramatically to be offended.

"You're executing Coalition members on sight," Eris replied. "While I appreciate you weeding out the weak ones for me, I cannot ask them not to defend themselves if they happen to see you first. Good luck, Little Brother." She winked at him. With that, Eris left them, knowing Grayzee and Amello would keep Tedius safe.

ANISE
She had entirely too much paperwork waiting for her. "It's no wonder Rey chose to retire upon returning to us," Anise mumbled. She began going through the endless forms that needed to be signed, trying not to lose her mind as the words began blurring together.

"Anise... May we speak?" A voice asked from the door.

Anise looked up to see Truth standing in the doorway. "Sure. Come on in," she told her young cousin.

"I would like to return to work," Truth began.

"Truth, we haven't even been able to hold Kora's funeral service yet," Anise protested.

"I'll do my duty until we can hold the funeral."

"Look, I respect you for wanting to help, but-"

"Anise... I need to work. My little sister was murdered... Sacrificed to feed a horribly evil entity... I cannot allow myself to think about that every waking moment of the day. I am part of the Guard. I need my life to have a purpose right now. Please... I can do this. I'm devastated, yes, but I am still fully functional, and being productive is a much better use of my time than standing around waiting to bury my baby sister."

Anise sighed. Truth was in the Guard, and ever since they'd been restructured, they generally spent their days training and staying in shape unless an emergency was too big for the Peacekeepers to handle alone. The routine of training might not be a bad idea for her at the moment. "Okay... You may return to duty, but on a limited basis, and with supervision in case you get overwhelmed and need a break. You are not to respond to any emergencies unless you clear it with me or Keilah. Call me the minute you need time off."

"Thank you, Anise. I appreciate this." Truth bowed her head respectfully before leaving. Anise went back to the paperwork.

An alarming amount of the paperwork was about murders the Coalition had committed. As she was forced to look at all that death, Anise started trembling. She couldn't help but think about her son.

You didn't save him, a little voice taunted her. You gave him away and never told him who he was and now he's dead! It's your fault!

Anise shoved the papers aside before standing up. "I'm taking a break," she said to the first clerk she saw. "If there's an emergency, send word to Keilah. Tell her she can contact my brother if she needs help."

"Yes, Prime Minister Anise," the clerk said nervously.

She slipped out of time, taking several deep breaths before opening a portal to the only place she could think of to go.

"Ay-yi-yi!" Alpha Twenty-Six cried.

"Anise!" Five added.

"Hey, Alphas," Anise replied. "Is my brother around?"

"Yo, yo, yo, he's on a hot date with Rita," Six replied.

Three whacked the back of his head. "Don't be so dramatic, Six," she said.

Oh, the bitter irony of that statement, Anise thought. Talk about Pot and Kettle!

"Zordon is visiting Rita and Rito and Zedd," Three clarified. "It is not a date. Do you need him?"

Anise knew it was rare that her brother let himself relax and socialize. "No, that's alright. Don't bother him. I'll just hang out in his room for a bit until he comes back," she replied.

"Very well. We'll let him know you're here when he returns."

Anise made her way to Zordon's room. She sat down on his bed and everything began to hit her at once. She felt tears in her eyes and struggled to hold them back. She lost the fight. As she began to cry, Anise wasn't entirely sure she'd be able to stop.

There was a hesitant knock on the door. Anise quickly wiped her eyes and tried to put on a brave face. "Come in," she called.

The door opened. Caius entered the room. "I apologize for disturbing you, Anise," he said politely. "Zordon left something for me right... Ah, yes, right here, actually." He picked up a file. He hesitated as he looked at her. "Pardon me, but is everything alright?"

Anise forced herself to smile. "Of course," she lied.

"Anise... I know you and I do not know each other very well, but as your brother can tell you, I am an excellent listener."

"Thank you, Caius, but I'm fine... I just needed to get away from my office for a bit." She paused as she saw the concern in his eyes. "I'm the Prime Minister of Eltar. I have to lead by example, and that means I need to present a strong front... It won't do for me to have a nervous breakdown."

"Well, lucky for you, I'm not Eltarian. You don't have to be strong for me, Anise. I won't judge you... And talking may help a bit."

She wasn't planning on it, but Anise began to explain what was going on in her head. Between her responsibilities as the Prime Minister, people getting killed left and right, and the loss of the son she'd never known, she felt like her head was going to explode. Caius listened patiently, letting her get it all out. When she finally stopped speaking, he put a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Anise... Of course you're overwhelmed. You are dealing with far more than any one person should have to handle," Caius said sympathetically.

"I almost pulled one of my father's moves... I wanted to go back in time and save my son. Ironically, my father's the one who talked me out of it," she replied.

"That is unexpected," Caius said with a sad smile.

"I know he's right and I can't change the timeline like that, but it's so tempting... I never even met him, Caius. I couldn't give him the stability he deserved with the lifestyle I had to live. I gave birth to him, held him long enough to find him a good home, and gave him up so he'd be safe and happy and loved..." She shook her head. "And he still ended up murdered because he was my son."

Caius sat beside her and took her hands in his. It seemed to surprise him almost as much as it surprised her.

"You're a parent, Anise," he said. "A good parent does anything to protect their child, no matter how much it hurts. I knew Caleb would never be safe with me, but giving him up was still the most difficult thing I have ever done. I was lucky enough to be reunited with him, but for sixteen years, I was in your situation. If I'd lost him and I had your ability to walk the timeline, I also would have been tempted to change the past despite knowing the potential consequences. I loved him, even without being able to know him."

She paused thoughtfully, studying his eyes. "I think you're one of the only people in the world who actually gets it," she said after a moment.

"You are entitled to your grief, Anise. And if you don't embrace it, it will slowly suffocate you until you can't escape it and you break. Trust me, if there is one thing I am exceptionally familiar with, it's grief... Especially complicated grief." He hesitated before adding, "Your brother is one of my oldest and dearest friends. If you need someone to lean on, I am more than happy to fill that role for you." He squeezed her hands gently before releasing them.

"Thanks, Caius," Anise replied softly. She smiled at him, and this time, she didn't have to force it. "That actually helped a bit."

"I'm glad." He returned the smile. His eyes were still incredibly sad, but he seemed almost peaceful as he added, "Call on me anytime you need to talk."

Zordon entered the room then. "Caius, I didn't expect you to still be here," he said in surprise.

"Anise and I were getting to know each other a bit better," Caius replied.

"The Alphas told me you were here, Anise. Is everything alright?"

"Well, we're facing the apocalypse as usual, so not really," Anise replied lightly, "but I'm feeling a bit better now."

"I'll leave you two to catch up," Caius said. "Thank you for the file, Zordon. And thank you for the company, Anise." He quickly left the room.

"Let's go out for dessert, Zordon," Anise said suddenly.

"Dessert?" He repeated.

"Yeah, you know... That thing families enjoy together after dinner? I know you just ate, so... Dessert! We'll teleport to Stone Hollow and pick up Mom. Maybe we can even get our father to leave the house for a bit. I can cloak you and Dad to look human since you rarely bother to do it yourselves. I'll even treat everyone."

Zordon looked confused, but it was clear he could tell how badly Anise needed him. "Do you want to talk about it?" He asked gently.

"About dessert? Sure. About everything else? I already covered it with your buddy Caius. I'm good. I just... I need to spend a little time with my immediate family, Zordon. Can you put up with our father for a little while?"

"I'm trying to work things out with him, Anise, so if this is truly what you need, I can certainly manage to spend a few hours with him."

"Thanks." She took his hand. "Come on, let's go drag our father out of his house before we grab Andie." She led him out of the Command Center before he could ask any more questions.

ANTONIO
He got distracted by something shiny. That wasn't entirely abnormal for Antonio, but this time, it felt important to find the source of the strange glowing light. He followed it until he unexpectedly found himself in the middle of the woods.

"Oh crap," he mumbled. "I should have paid a little more attention to my surroundings... What the heck is going on?"

He found the source of the light a few moments later. Antonio knelt down and began to unbury the glowing object. As he removed it from the ground, he studied it.

"This is definitely some sort of alien tech," he realized. "What's it doing buried in the woods in Angel Grove?"

He continued to examine it. There were strange markings on the sides of the object that appeared to be some sort of writing. As Antonio traced the symbols, the object stopped glowing. It hummed in his hands before it seemed to turn off completely. It shrank down to a more portable size.

"It's like you want to come home with me," he mumbled. "Well, why not? I can examine you better and figure out what's going on if I bring you home."

It was decided. He slipped it into his pocket and headed home.

Antonio... You must not tell anyone what you've discovered yet, a voice said firmly in his mind. Not even Jayden.

Antonio jumped at the sound and cried out in surprise. After a moment, he recovered enough to ask, "Mentor?"

Do as I say, Antonio. It's important.

"Yep... It's you alright, Mentor... Still bossing me around from the Great Beyond." He laughed. "Alright, I'll keep it to myself for now... At least until I figure out what the thing is."

He didn't hear a response, but somehow, he knew this was the right decision. He continued to head home, more curious than ever about the mysterious object in his pocket.

THE WITCH
Jezzeff still hadn't fully recovered from the attack Sakura and her friends had unleashed. Eris had slaughtered her father and, presumably, moved on with her life. T'Dania was no longer trustworthy. The Witch was losing allies left and right.

"I'm so bored," she mumbled. There had to be something she could do to keep things interesting while she waited for Jezzeff to recover.

"Ooze!" She shouted.

Ivan Ooze appeared a few moments later. "You bellowed?" He asked dryly.

"I'm bored. Go wreak some havoc," she replied. "Entertain me!"

"You had me at havoc," he replied with a grin. "I've got the perfect idea. Tengus! Follow me!" With that, he headed off. The Witch followed him, hiding in the shadows so she could watch the show live.

She was mildly surprised when Ooze set his sights on Liza. That's a bit ambitious, but let's see where this goes, she decided. If nothing else, a fight involving Liza Campbell was never dull.

LIZA
She sensed something lurking and had a feeling it was after her. Every nerve began to stand on end.

Hey, Campbells, I could really use an assist right now, she thought. She didn't focus on anyone in particular as she used magic and called on her bloodline. Whoever this threat was would probably expect certain people, like Taylor, Tia, or Kizzie, to come running. Liza decided to put the energy out and see who answered the call.

"Well, well, well, lookie here! We've got a lost Power Ranger!" Ivan Ooze cried dramatically.

"I'm not the one who's lost," Liza pointed out. "This isn't even your realm, Ooze."

"Ah, realm schmelm!"

"What are you, six? Realm schmelm's really the best you've got?" Liza rolled her eyes.

"That's all I need, Sweetheart! Tengus, attack!"

Liza didn't even bother morphing, choosing to use magic on the Tengu Warriors instead of physical violence. They shrieked as she attacked, panicking.

Something else attacked Liza as she focused on the Tengus. At first, she didn't see what it was. Then, she couldn't believe her eyes. She stared in shock, unable to process the impossible sight before her.

"Holy Golden Monkey..." Kira said with wide eyes as she happened to walk by with Dustin, Jayden, Rocky, and Adam.

"Goldar? I thought he was dead," Rocky said in confusion.

"He was. I helped Zedd bring him to one of the temples in Egypt to lay him to rest beside Scorpina," Liza replied as Adam offered her his hand and helped her get back on her feet.

"Looks like he got better," Dustin said casually.

"This doesn't make sense," Liza insisted. "He was devastated by the end of his life... He regretted his choices. He wouldn't have come back."

"Back? He never left, Honey!" Ooze said with a laugh. "This isn't that pathetic excuse for a minion you knew. This is my Goldar!"

Kira smirked. "Bring it on, Golden Monkey! Round two!" She cried with a delighted expression that reminded Liza of the way Gia had reacted to monsters before Jezzeff got his hands on her.

"Should we morph?" Dustin asked.

"It's Goldar, and possibly a more dangerous aspect of him than we're used to. I'd say so," Jayden replied.

"It's Morphin' Time!" Adam agreed. Since Thorn wasn't there, he could safely morph, so he added, "Mastodon!"

"Sabertooth Tiger!" Liza chimed in.

"Zeo Ranger Three, Blue!" Rocky cried.

"Ninja Storm, Ranger Form!" Dustin shouted. "Yellow Wind Ranger!"

"Go, Go, Samurai! Red Ranger, ready!" Jayden finished.

With everyone morphed, the battle resumed. Goldar zeroed in on Kira, who eagerly battled against him with Dustin by her side. Jayden and Liza focused on Ivan Ooze while Rocky and Adam battled Tengus.

Just as it looked like Ooze was gaining the advantage, a portal opened up. Someone dressed in a Yellow version of the Ninjetti suit jumped out and landed gracefully on her feet.

"You again?" She asked Ooze. "I thought Fred put you on a time-out!"

Rocky had frozen in place. He appeared to be staring at her in confusion, although it was hard to tell through his helmet. "Aisha?" He asked softly.

She laughed. "No, I'm Carrie," she replied. "Carrie Campbell."

"Campbell? I guess my spell worked after all," Liza mumbled.

"Aisha was the Bear," Rocky insisted.

"Yeah, but Mom retired ages ago... Just like you did, Rocky. What are you doing morphed?" Carrie asked.

"Mom?" Liza repeated in surprise. "Please don't tell me I have another long-lost sibling!"

"Not exactly," Dulcea said as she joined them.

"Dulcea! You really did leave!" Carrie cried. "Are you alright?"

"Worry not, Young Warrior. I have a talisman which enables me to be here," Dulcea replied.

"So Carrie's from your realm?" Adam asked.

"She is indeed, and she is as fine a warrior as her mother." She smiled as she added, "It appears Liza's spell reached across realms to summon precisely the Campbell needed in this situation. I was in talks with Fred to bring this team here soon to assist, however since Carrie has already arrived, I suppose it is time to call upon the others."

Dulcea focused as she cast a spell. A new portal opened and several people stepped through at once.

"Dulcea, I thought we were going to wait," one said.

Liza recognized his voice. "Fred..." She said. "You were the Gold Ranger that showed up to stop Ooze at Kimberly and Billy's wedding!"

"Wait... At whose wedding?" A boy with glasses asked in shock.

"Kim and your dad are married here, Johnny," Fred explained as he kicked a Tengu in the chest. "It looked like a great ceremony."

"Mom and Billy?" A girl in Pink asked. She started laughing. "That's hilarious! Dad would flip!"

"Chat later, fight now," a boy in White said.

"It's Morphin' Time!" Fred announced.

"Stick to your Ninjetti forms, Children... And Fred," Dulcea advised. "If the Legacy team shows up, they do not possess those powers yet, and Kimberly and Billy remain disconnected from them."

That was true. Zordon had reconnected the Legacy team to the Morphin' Grid fairly easily, but the Ninjetti powers Kimberly and Billy had used were proving to be more difficult to reactivate since Ninjor had severed them.

The rest of the unexpected team of Rangers morphed into their Ninjetti forms before joining Carrie in battle. Dulcea also began to fight, focusing on Ivan Ooze with Liza and Jayden.

That was when Ninjor arrived. "I see the fun started without me," he said. "Oh well! I'm fashionably late!" He immediately turned toward Liza and tried to sever her tie to the Morphin' Grid again. Jayden wrapped his entire body around her protectively. The magic hit him instead. Liza felt his morph drop and saw how much the attack weakened him. He collapsed at her feet.

"Jayden!" She cried in alarm.

"Ninjor has added a dark attack to his severing spell," Dulcea said in disgust. "Be cautious, Warriors. This will do more damage than his previous attack did."

Jayden was trembling and looked entirely too pale. "We need to get him out of here," Liza said as she felt how rapidly his pulse was beating. He started to cough and couldn't seem to stop. Blood began coming out of his mouth.

Liza stared at him in shock. "That was meant for me..." She whispered as she realized Jayden had probably just saved her life. "Guys, it can't wait! He's coughing up blood!"

"Open a portal to the Command Center and I'll take him," Adam replied.

Liza opened the portal. Adam picked Jayden up and fireman carried him through. That act would have been sexy as hell if Liza wasn't panicking at the shape Jayden was in. She focused and sealed the portal behind them immediately, unwilling to risk any of the bad guys trying to hitch a ride.

"He'll survive, Liza," Dulcea said soothingly. "Jayden is incredibly strong. He knew what he was doing and braced himself for the attack."

Ninjor turned toward the Ninjetti Rangers. "Ninjetti, hmmm? I don't think so!" He taunted them. He snapped his fingers, but nothing happened. Frustrated, he tried again. "What the...?" He wondered aloud.

Dulcea smirked at him. "Their powers come from my realm, Ninjor. You do not exist there. The Great Power does not come from you, and you cannot sever their ties to it," she explained calmly.

Ninjor was clearly angry, but he seemed to realize he wasn't prepared to face the Ninjetti team. "Let's live to fight another day, Ooze," he said.

"Brilliant idea," Ooze replied. "Tengus! Retreat for now!"

The surviving Tengu Warriors flew away quickly. "Goldar, enough!" Ooze said urgently. "Witch... Let's go!"

"The Witch is here?" Rocky asked in surprise.

She cackled and came out of the shadows. "That was highly entertaining," she said. "And informative! Now I know the Chosen aren't the only ones who are immune to Ninjor. Thanks for that! Anyway, it's been fun, but it's time to go now."

Kira and Dustin were still battling Goldar. "Come on, Goldie! Time to go," the Witch called.

"I'm busy destroying these two! The female is especially irritating!" Goldar replied.

"Thanks for noticing," Kira replied, attacking him while he was slightly distracted. He stumbled backward and barely caught himself before he fell.

"I agree with you, Goldie, but you can kill her later," the Witch said firmly. She sent a blast of darkness toward Kira and cackled as she added, "If she survives." In the chaos that followed, she vanished with Ooze, Goldar, and Ninjor.

Dustin knocked Kira out of the way of the attack. It would have hit him, but Rocky moved in front of them both, taking the full blast. His morph instantly broke. He hit the ground hard and was too still for a moment.

No... Please no... Liza thought.

"Dad!" The Red Ninjetti screamed. She knelt beside Rocky before placing her hands over his chest. "By the Power of the Ape, beat strong and true!" She shouted.

"Oh fuck... Is Rocky dead?" Kira asked in horror.

"Not on my watch," the girl replied stubbornly. "Beat! Beat, damnit!" She pounded her fists against Rocky's chest. Suddenly, he gasped and opened his eyes.

"Well done, Sabrina," Dulcea said with pride.

"Rocky... Are you okay?" Dustin asked softly, his voice trembling slightly.

"Yeah... Yeah, I think so," Rocky replied.

"Don't scare me like that!" Kira scolded him.

"His heart stopped..." Liza said. "How did you restart it, Sabrina?"

Sabrina shrugged. "He's my dad. Different realm or not, I wasn't about to let him die," she replied.

"These young warriors have trained extensively beneath me," Dulcea explained. "Their grasp of the Great Power is quite impressive. Each of them has proven time and again that they can do the impossible if they are determined enough and worthy of their gifts. I intended to bring them here to train with your team, Liza. I felt it would help all of you come into your powers."

"What do you mean?" Liza asked.

"I do not believe Kimberly and Billy are meant to reactivate their Ninjetti powers... It is time for the next generation of Ninjetti Rangers to be born."

"You mean we're going to become Ninjetti Warriors?"

"So long as you prove worthy, yes, Liza. This is your team's destined path. I shall explain more soon. We must gather everyone at the training center. Fred, you and your team should follow the others to the facility they use for training and important meetings. I will ask the Alphas to teleport the rest of the Rangers to the training center while I check on Jayden's status. I will meet you there."

"Alright," Fred agreed. Dulcea teleported away.

"So, hi... I'm Kira," Kira began. "Can I get an advanced introduction while we walk?"

"Sure," Fred replied. "I'm Fred Kelman. I'm the Gold Ninjetti and Mighty Morphin' Power Ranger. I'm the only non-Legacy on my team, because I never retired."

"So you're basically Tommy," Liza joked.

"No, Junie is basically Tommy," Fred replied with a grin. He pointed to the White Ninjetti. "Meet Thomas Oliver Junior."

"Two Tommy Olivers? I don't think the world's ready for that," Rocky joked.

The world basically had that with Katie, Liza thought, but she kept that to herself.

"I'm not as impressive as my dad," Junie said shyly. He didn't seem nearly as overconfident as Tommy, which made Liza relax slightly. The last thing they needed was another Katie situation on their hands.

"Pink is Jessica Scott," Fred continued. "We all call her Jessie."

"Pink's Kim's color," Rocky said in confusion.

"Kimberly's my mom," Jessie replied.

"But if your last name is Scott..." Rocky paused before gasping. "You're Jason's?"

"Yeah, he's my dad," Jessie confirmed.

"Jason and Kim?" Rocky shook his head.

"What's so shocking? They've been together since the team shifted into Turbo," Jessie replied with a laugh.

"Jason Lee Scott... And Kimberly Hart?"

"Is he okay? Sabrina, maybe you better pound his chest one more time. I think he's still broken."

"My head hurts..." Rocky mumbled.

"Dealing with parallel realms will do that to a person," Liza replied sympathetically. "Maybe Elliot can make it make sense to you."

"Moving on... Black is Christian Park," Fred continued cheerfully.

"Hi," Christian said calmly. "I'm a Frog."

Most of his team smiled. It was clear they were very fond of the boy who seemed as gentle as Thorn had supposedly been before Katherine had temporarily killed Caleb and introduced Thorn to rage.

"Blue is Jonathan Cranston, our resident genius," Fred continued. "Johnny's basically Billy two-point-oh." Johnny waved but said nothing. "Yellow is Carrie Campbell, who seems to be the reason we're here early. Finally, Red is Sabrina DeSantos."

"Great. Now that that's sorted out, welcome to Angel Grove!" Kira replied. "It seems we have a lot we need to discuss with Dulcea, but while you're here, what you need to know is that we're juggling an enormous group of allies against an endless supply of bad guys. So, to summarize... Rangers good. Chosen good. Former Rebel Eltarians good... Well, mostly good. General Eltarian allies good. Random human allies like Bulk, Lieutenant Stone, and the Nutty Professor good. The Guild and the Coalition bad. Ninjor unexpectedly very bad. Ivan Ooze and the Tengus bad. Zedd, Rito, Rita, and the Tengas good."

"Wait... Huh? Rita and Zedd are good? And what's a Tenga?" Johnny asked.

"Like I said, we need to talk. That was just a general summary. Also, Goldar's dead, Finster and Squatt are allies, and I'm probably forgetting a lot." Kira shrugged. "You'll figure out how things work here pretty quickly."

"What about Mordant?" Carrie asked.

"Who?" Kira replied.

"The pig minion?"

"I'm not sure about that one... Maybe he doesn't exist here? Let's just assume bad guy until we know for sure."

They arrived at the training center. Several teams were already waiting for them.

Dulcea arrived right behind them. "How's Jayden?" Emily asked. She looked frantic. The normally stoic Lauren didn't look much better.

"Jayden will be fine," Dulcea promised them. "He is on a healing bed and is recovering well. We can fill him and anyone else who is not here currently in later. Now... We have much to discuss, my friends. Let us begin."