CHAPTER THIRTY
JEZZEFF
He felt incredible as the Fairhaven magic flowed through him. The power was very dark and that suited him well. As Angie and Rita tried to comfort each other, Ninjor teleported them away.

"How are you feeling, Jezzeff?" Ninjor asked.

"Remarkably powerful," he replied.

Suddenly, the Witch slapped him across the face. "Bad Jezzy! You're an idiot!" She shouted.

"Is the power not as effective from Mallory? You said it would work," he said in confusion.

"You brought Zack Taylor back from the dead!" She slapped him twice this time, once on each cheek.

"You praised me for that," he pointed out.

"That was before I realized he could access the Taylor magic! This is your fault, Jezzeff!" She slapped him again. She was twitching and Jezzeff realized she looked weak.

"Was Didi's crystal not enough?" He asked.

He dodged her next slap easily as she stumbled. "It's too much... Their combined light was too strong... It touched my heart. I'm infected, Jezzeff. That light will continue to weaken me... Unless..." She paused and looked at Didi. "Come, Traezzunnee," she said sweetly. "Mommy has need of you elsewhere."

"Okay, Mommy," Didi replied cheerfully. As the Witch struggled to walk away, Didi helped her move to another part of the Guild's latest base.

"What do you suppose she's plotting?" Jezzeff asked Ninjor.

"Who knows? It's the Witch. It could be anything," Ninjor replied.

"Do you think my Lazarus Rangers will be less effective without Zack?"

"They came into their powers together. That was the most important part."

"Ninjor, can his light reverse what I did to the others?"

"Not on its own. You didn't just turn them in the Flames, you resurrected them. The Flames are part of them and the effects cannot be so easily reversed. It will take something personal to reverse the hold you have on them."

"So I must find what could reach each of them and keep them away from it. I fear I do not know them well enough to guess."

"I can help," Shelby replied. "My head's clear, and I know enough about most of them... For Tori, it would probably be reconnecting with her Ninja powers. Seeing Dustin could trigger it. Kelsey's apparently got a wife, so that's probably her trigger. Trent's would most likely be seeing Kira or Tommy. And Leo's is obvious... It's Karone or their kids. Especially seeing the baby, since he never got to meet the kid."

"You are quite clever, Shelby," Jezzeff replied with a smile. "Thank you for that list. It's very helpful."

"Of course. We're in this together, right?" Shelby replied. "You made me the Pink Ranger again, Jezz. I owe you."

He took her hand and raised it to his lips, kissing it. "Yes, we are in this together," he agreed. "Tell me, Shelby... What would make your loyalty change?"

"Nothing. I hate all of them. I want to hurt them like they hurt me."

"Excellent."

She paused. "Jezz... There is one thing I wanted to ask... Can I see my dad?"

Jezzeff considered this. "Were you close?"

"We had our ups and downs, but yeah... He was all I really had."

"Do you think he will handle seeing you alive again?"

"I'm not sure, but... I have to see him, Jezz. I have to know that he's okay. When I killed myself, I didn't think about what it would do to him... I really feel bad about leaving him like that."

"Unless your father knows about magic and such, seeing you may shock him enough to kill him, my darling Shelby. I wouldn't recommend it."

"Then may I at least check on him? From a distance?"

"It's risky... You'll need to ensure he doesn't see you."

"I'll do anything you ask, Jezz... Just let me do this. Please?"

"Very well, Shelby. I trust you. You may check on your father, but he must not see your face. Afterward, you will return to me."

"Of course! Thanks, Jezz!" She flung her arms around him. Jezzeff returned the hug, knowing it was best to indulge Shelby. Of all of his Rangers, only Shelby was choosing to be loyal to him. He knew he couldn't risk losing even a shred of that blind loyalty.

DIDI
She was very worried about her mother. Even as she surrounded her with darkness, her mother continued to grow weaker. Smoke rose from her chest like the light was burning her from the inside-out.

"Don't die, Mommy... Please?" Didi asked.

"Do not worry, Traezzunnee," she replied. "I cannot die. Intangibles can never be destroyed, for you cannot destroy what does not technically exist. My original vessel, however, can be damaged beyond repair."

"How can I help you?" Didi asked with tears in her eyes. Her shield had never failed to fix her mother before.

"To chase away this vile light within me and cure me, I need pure darkness to be brought into me."

"Can I send my darkness into you somehow?"

"You can, child! All you must do is allow me to take it into myself."

"Of course. How?"

"That, Traezzunnee, is simple." Her mother pulled out a ritual knife.

"Mommy... What are you going to do?" Didi asked nervously.

"The Crystal of Darkness is embedded into your heart, Traezzunnee... I am going to remove it and attach it to my own, where it belongs."

"Remove my heart? But... That would kill me!"

"Yes, child. That is how this will work... And I shall finally possess what is rightfully mine!"

"But you love me! You call me your treasure!"

"I told you, my child... My greatest treasure is inside of you."

Didi's eyes widened in horror. "You didn't mean me... You meant the crystal!" She shook her head. "No! I won't let you kill me!"

"Don't make this difficult, Child! You can't have really believed I was capable of love. Now, give me my crystal!" She raised the knife.

Didi kicked her mother in the chest. She howled in rage, stunned by the attack. She recovered quickly, slamming Didi against the wall with magic and pinning her there. She raised the knife again.

Didi snapped her mother's wrist in one swift motion, grabbing the knife as she lost her grip on it. She thought about plunging it into her mother's heart, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Instead, she sent the knife into a pocket realm where her mother couldn't reach it.

"I'll just tear it out then!" Her mother shouted as she slammed Didi's head against the wall. She began clawing at Didi's chest with her nails, drawing blood and leaving deep claw marks in Didi's flesh.

Didi struggled to free herself. She elbowed her mother in the face and was able to roll away as her mother took a moment to recover.

Didi was dizzy, but she knew she had to do something, so she quickly cast a spell that put a barrier of flames between them. She knew it wouldn't hold her mother back for long.

A voice spoke to her then. There is an object in your pocket, Didi, he said. She recognized the voice but somehow knew not to consciously identify it. Pull it out, put it on, and open it. It will give you time to escape. Do not return to the Guild. You are no longer safe here.

Didi reached into her pocket and pulled out a locket. She could feel the power pulsing through it. She quickly put the long chain over her head and opened the locket up.

As her mother got past the flames, an incredibly powerful light burst from within the locket. It was blinding, but it didn't hurt Didi. Her mother screamed in agony.

Run, Didi, the voice said. Run as fast and far as you can.

Didi listened, opening a portal and jumping through it as her mother screamed, "My treasure! Come back, Traezzunnee!"

She was bleeding from several places when she landed outside of the portal. The wound to her head was bad, but the ones to her chest hurt more. She didn't know where she was or how to find help. Terrified and in pain, Didi began to sob.

"Are you alright?" A voice asked gently.

Didi looked up and was stunned to see Ling and Hezzo looking at her in concern. She jumped away from them. "Stay back!" She yelled.

"Didi, we aren't here to hurt you," Ling insisted. "We just want to help."

"Holy fuck, kid... What the hell did Evi do to you?" Hezzo added as he got a good look at her injuries.

"How did you know it was my mommy?" Didi asked.

As a bit of blood trickled from Ling's nose, he sighed, cautiously wiping it away. "I know Evi's hurt... I can feel it. It's affecting me, too," he said. "And I connected to her. I know what she was plotting. I'm so sorry she hurt you."

"You weren't hurt when you burned her."

"That was different. My attack only hit her flesh. This infected her. It's making her sick, and it's hitting me because of how bad it is."

"She'll die, won't she? Unless I give her my crystal?"

"Evi may suffer irreparable damage unless she removes the light from within her."

"Good," Didi sniffled. "She deserves it. She never loved me. She was just using me for my crystal."

"Evi's not the maternal type," Hezzo replied. "Come on, Kid. Let's get you to Amello. He can help."

"Your strongest healer would help me? Why?"

"Because it's the right thing to do."

"And you're my family," Ling added.

"I don't have a family. My mommy's a bitch and my daddy's dead!" Didi started to cry again.

"Are you done with the Witch and the Guild?" Hezzo asked.

"I want to be, but if I leave for good, they'll kill me. And my mommy already wants to do that."

"You'll be safe with us, lass," Tinny said as he joined them with Maegus and Amello. "We can protect you."

"You'd really help me? Even though I'm evil?"

"We help Hezzo all the time, and he's as evil as they come," Tinny joked.

"You are at a crossroads, Didi," Maegus said as Amello silently began healing her. "If no one shows you kindness, you may make the choice to return to your old life. We're here to offer you another path."

"I've always been evil. I was raised on Onyx. The light isn't meant for me."

"I thought the same thing, Didi," Hezzo replied in an uncharacteristically gentle and patient tone, "but I changed my destiny. You can, too."

"I... I can choose?" She repeated.

"You can choose," Maegus confirmed. "And if you choose to become a force of Good, we will protect you."

"And if I don't, you'll leave me here to die," Didi guessed.

"No, lass," Amello said soothingly. "I will heal you regardless of what side you are on. You are a young girl who is terribly injured. My honor won't allow me to leave you suffering, nor will my heart."

"You guys would help me even though I'm the Witch's daughter? Even though I've been standing against you?"

"The Circle isn't your typical group, Didi," Maegus replied. "We don't condemn people who need our help just because they have made some bad choices in the past. We've all got skeletons in our closets."

"I've got entire cemeteries in mine," Hezzo added with a laugh.

Amello pulled away. "You're healed now, Didi," he said. "The choice is yours what you do next... Come with us or don't. Return to the Guild if you truly desire to. Otherwise, let us bring you somewhere safe."

"Cooper," Didi decided. "Bring me to Cooper. He'll know what to do."

"Of course. Hezz?" Ling asked.

Hezzo created a portal. "Go on," he said. "It should lead straight to Cooper."

Didi shrugged and skipped through the portal. It sealed behind her. When she passed through, she found herself in a cemetery. She didn't mind. Cemeteries were actually soothing to her, especially late at night when no one was around. Still, she wasn't sure why she'd been brought there.

She began skipping through the cemetery and singing to herself, "La, la... La, la, la, la, la..."

Suddenly, someone moved in front of her. "What the hell are you doing here, Didi?" Cooper demanded.

"Mommy got hurt and I refused to let her cut out my heart to save herself and the Circle saved me and I'm maybe thinking about quitting the Guild but then they're gonna kill me, Coopie!" Didi replied rapidly.

"Okay, slow down," Cooper said with a sigh. "What exactly happened?"

"Zack was never evil. Him and Tammy hit Mommy with their light and-"

"You lost me. Zack? As in Tammy's father? He's supposed to be dead."

"Jezzy brought him back. He was supposed to be evil like the rest of the Lazarus Rangers, but he's defective, and now he has the same light magic as Tammy."

"Jezzeff resurrected dead Power Rangers and turned them evil?"

"Yep. It was a good idea, but like most of Jezzy's ideas, it's already starting to fall apart. He still has five evil Rangers though. Anyway, Zack and Tammy really hurt Mommy. Their combined light pierced her heart. She's really weak and sick. And she said my crystal could save her but only if she cut it out of me and took it into herself... Which means cutting out my heart. She wants to kill me, Cooper... She doesn't even care!"

"What a bitch..." Cooper mumbled. "Didi, I can protect you, but only if you really walk away. No more working with the Witch or Jezzeff or the Guild. Can you do that?"

"Maybe... I'm scared, Cooper," she admitted. "Why don't my real parents ever love me? Master Vile left me for dead! If Daddy hadn't adopted me, I would have been killed or enslaved or tortured or-"

"I know," Cooper replied softly.

"And now, my Mommy tried to cut out my heart! She was just using me! I thought she cared about me, as much as evil can anyway... But she doesn't. I'm just keeping the crystal warm for her... I think she wanted to take it for herself all along!"

"Didi, I'm sorry she did this to you, but-"

"You care about me, Coopie... Don't you?" She interrupted him with fresh tears in her eyes.

Cooper sighed again. "Yeah, Didi," he replied. "I do, no matter how much I try not to."

"Can I be good? Is it possible? Do I want to?"

"I can't tell you what you want, Didi... But if you're asking if people can change? Yes, they can. I did."

"You never wanted to be bad, Coopie... I excelled at it and enjoyed it."

"You never knew anything else. Maybe if you try to be good you'd find you like it."

She considered it. "Can I still get into mischief and mayhem?"

"To an extent. Being good doesn't mean you can't cause chaos... It just means you're causing it for the bad guys."

She smiled. "That might not be so bad. They deserve it!" After a moment, she added, "I don't really have anywhere to go."

"You can crash with me tonight. Beyond that..." He paused thoughtfully. "There are two options. The former members of the Rebellion might be willing to take you in... They tend not to judge a person by their past actions. I'd rather convince Kira to put you up in a safe house though... Maybe with Finster and Squatt... Or..." He paused. "Or Rita and Rito."

"Why?"

"They're your half-siblings, Didi. Maybe it's time they knew."

"No! I don't want anything to do with my biological father's family. They won't want me around!"

"They might, Didi. Rita and Rito aren't so bad. You should give them a chance to prove it. And Angie's your age."

"She definitely won't want me around. I was at the sacrifice tonight... Jezzy took Angie as bait for Rita, but Mallory sacrificed herself to save them both. Jezzy has the Fairhaven powers now, and Mallory's never coming back."

"Mallory?"

"The Sorceress from Dulcea's realm. The other Rita and Lord Zedd are gonna be really mad when they find out Jezzy killed her for her powers."

"Oh fuck..."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure they're going to declare war on Jezzy. It's gonna be a bloodbath. He should have just killed Rita like he was planning to. She was willing to die for Angie."

"I need to get you back to my place. It's not safe to be out in the open like this."

"Why were you here, Coopie?" Didi asked curiously.

As Cooper placed a stone on a grave, he said, "It doesn't matter. Let's go, Didi."

She caught a glimpse of the headstone. Connie Cates, it read. Beside it was a second grave. Cynthia Cates.

"Your family..." Didi said softly. "I'm sorry, Cooper. I didn't mean to interrupt you here."

He seemed surprised by her serious tone. "It's okay," he replied. "Coming here is stupid anyway. They've both been dead since I was six."

"You never talked about them... On Onyx."

"I couldn't remember much... But it's been coming back more lately, and I remembered their names and found out where they were buried."

"Did Daddy kill them?"

He sighed. "Dark Specter killed my mom... She tried to stop him and his minions from kidnapping me. But Connie died a few weeks before that."

"What happened to her?"

"Didi... I can't, okay?"

"Okay," Didi agreed.

He took her arm and guided her out of the cemetery. Soon enough, they reached his apartment. Didi made herself at home on the couch as Cooper made a phone call. Finally, she knew she was safe, at least for that moment.

ZACK
They found Angie and Rita safe but inconsolable. The two of them froze as they spotted him.

"Zack Taylor?" Rita asked in shock.

"Rita Repulsa," Zack replied.

"Soon to be Rita Repulsa-Yizak," she corrected him.

"Yizak?" He repeated.

"That's Zordon's last name," Tammy explained. "They're engaged."

"Well damn! That was not something I ever expected to hear! Zordon and Rita are getting married... Yeah, I'm gonna need a minute to process that." Apparently, he wasn't as up-to-date on what was happening as he thought he was.

"You're the Black Lazarus Ranger," Angie realized. "That's why you and Tammy worked so well sparring against each other!"

"It's a long story. By the way, what happened here? We came to save you, but..."

"There was a loophole," Angie replied sadly. "Mallory... Basically my balance from the other realm... She exchanged herself for my mom. She let Jezzeff sacrifice her." She wiped away fresh tears.

"Oh shit... That won't end well," Taylor said. "Evil Rita and my evil father are going to flip out."

"Taylor is right," Tia added. "This will only bring further war."

"Maybe the Guild will just implode from in-fighting and we'll be free of them," Brian suggested cheerfully.

"No such luck, Bri," Caleb replied.

"I know that tone... You had a vision?" Tammy guessed.

"Yes... And I hope the Legacy Rangers are prepared to embrace their inner Ninjetti, because they're about to run out of time."

"On that note, let's head somewhere safe," Zack said.

"We'll go to the Command Center," Ollie decided. "It's the safest place for now."

"Alphas... Bring us to you... Including everyone who's with us," Taylor said.

Moments later, they were teleported to the Command Center. Immediately, Alpha Five gasped and cried, "Ay-yi-yi! Zack? How? I...? This does not compute! Ay-yi-yi! I am having a meltdown!"

"Hey, Alpha," Zack greeted him with a grin. "I missed you, too."

Zordon paled. "Zack... Clearly, I have missed something," he said as he recovered.

"So have I! Congrats on the engagement, Zordon!"

"Thank you... This is a wonderful surprise, Zack, but I must ask-"

"Jezzeff messed up. That's all you need to know right this second. I'll explain later. Right now, comfort your fiancée. She's having a rough night."

Zordon looked at Rita. "What is it, my love?" He asked in concern. Zack was still trying to get used to their new dynamic, but it was nice to see the love in Zordon's eyes.

"They killed her, Zordon," Rita said softly. Her eyes were so lost it was hard to see her as the evil villainess she'd been before. "They killed my Mallory... I wanted to save her from her evil parents, but that monster Jezzeff killed her..."

"Oh, Rita..." Zordon sighed before wrapping his arms around her. "I am so sorry, my love."

"It was supposed to be me... She gave herself to them to save me."

"Go to my room. You and Angie can rest there. I will check on you as soon as I speak to Zack." He kissed her gently before sending them on their way.

"Okay, before you ask, Jezzeff resurrected a bunch of dead Power Rangers in the Flames. They're evil, but the Flames couldn't touch me because the light in my family line saved me. And I apparently have a new super power now besides the one Jezzeff gave me." He started dancing. Light burst from within him.

"Raven..." Zordon whispered sadly. "You reminded me of him so much when we first met. It is fitting you should share his gift."

"That's a great compliment. Thanks, Zordon. So, when can I see my team? All of them, both generations... And Tanya, too. Nobody tell them! I want to see their faces!"

"Alphas, please teleport Jason, Billy, Kimberly, Trini, Tommy, Rocky, Adam, and Tanya here," Zordon said. "And Kira, too. We must spread word that Jezzeff has resurrected our fallen friends. I will allow her to handle that. I must tend to Rita and Angie."

"Of course, Zordon," Prime replied.

"Zack, your return brings great joy to my heart. Welcome back," Zordon said. He hugged him before leaving.

Zack hid as his friends were teleported in. "Whoa! What's with the spontaneous teleportation?" Rocky asked.

"Ollie? What's going on?" Jason added.

"Where's Angie? Is she alright?" Kimberly asked as she spotted the rest of the Chosen.

"She's with Rita and Zordon," Ollie replied.

"Honey, what happened?" Trini asked Brian.

"You kids look pretty battle-worn," Tanya said in concern. "Is everyone alright?"

"We're not the reason you're here," Taylor replied.

"That's right," Zack said as he emerged from the shadows. "I am!"

Kimberly promptly fainted. Billy automatically caught her and scooped her up in his arms. Rocky let out a startled scream of surprise. Jason stared at Zack in absolute shock.

"Holy crap..." Kira said when no one else spoke.

"I'm dreaming..." Tommy mumbled.

"Zack?" Adam managed to ask. "How is this possible? Did Casey do this?"

"Nope, it wasn't Casey," Zack replied. "Hey guys... Miss me?"

Trini ran into Zack's arms and hugged him tightly. "Thank God..." She whispered as she held onto him and sobbed.

This led to Tanya, Rocky, Adam, and Tommy joining the hug. For a moment, no one spoke.

"Zack... I'd hug you, but my arms are presently occupied," Billy said. "I must inquire, however... How is this possible?"

"Jezzeff resurrected a bunch of us. His Flames didn't work on me because the pure light magic that runs in my family kicked in and saved me. I played along until the Witch tried to kill my baby girl," Zack explained.

"Yeah, then he went full Molly Weasley on her!" Brian added with a laugh.

"This is amazing! Finally, some good news! Welcome back, Buddy," Tommy said as he patted Zack on the back.

Jason continued to stare at Zack in shock. He stood frozen in place, barely even blinking. Zack walked closer to him. "Jase... I'm really here," he said gently. He poked Jason's arm to prove he wasn't a ghost.

Jason still didn't speak, but he hugged Zack tighter than he ever had before. "Thanks for re-aligning my spine," Zack joked as he hugged him back. "And for taking care of my family while I was gone."

"You died..." Jason said.

"For a while, yeah."

"You died in front of me."

"Sorry about that, but I wasn't about to let Merkhet kill you and my daughter just because she pulled information out of my head. It was my fault she knew where you guys were. When she kidnapped Tammy, I played along and agreed to be Merkhet's informant to keep my daughter safe, but she didn't ask me to tell her anything. I had no idea she was in my head. When she finally told me, all I knew was I had to save you guys, no matter what."

"You're an asshole, Zack! You should have come to me for help!"

"I knew she'd figure it out the second I went to anyone and she'd kill my daughter. I had to make a call."

"Zack... Don't you ever fucking die on me again. If you do, I'll never forgive you."

"I'm not planning on it. Besides, I'm kind of immortal now. Jezzeff made sure the Lazarus Rangers are nearly impossible to kill."

"Your immortality shouldn't be tied to Jezzeff," Billy said practically. "We should look into stripping it and switching it to someone else, like they did for Denni after finding out Zell made her immortal."

"I'll work on that after I warn everyone what's going on," Kira said. "Resurrected Rangers are going to be hard for us to fight, given they're our fallen friends. Who else is back, Zack?"

"Red is Leo," Zack began.

"I guess we can expect Astronema's dramatic return soon then," Rocky joked.

"Blue is Tori."

"Oh fuck... I have to warn Dustin!" Kira said.

"Yellow is Kelsey."

"Kelsey?" Tammy asked in horror. "I have to save her! My light can fix her."

"She's really dangerous, Tammy. I don't want you anywhere near her."

"She died to save my life, Dad. I couldn't save her then, but I'll be damned if I fail her now."

"Tammy, it's not safe."

"Dad, I'm thrilled you're back. It's all I've wanted since you literally died in my arms! But I'm not the scared little girl you left behind. You told me to be strong and be brave and I have been. I'm Chosen, and I'm good at my job, so back off and let me do it."

Zack stared at her in surprise for a moment. "You're really not my little thirteen-year-old baby girl anymore... I'm sorry, Tammy. That's going to take some getting used to."

"Work on it, because I can't go back to that. Your death was my Chosen trauma. It made me stronger. I can't forget what it taught me just because you're back."

"I hate to interrupt, but I need the rest of the list," Kira said.

"Right," Zack replied. "Pink is Shelby. She's the only one who seems to want to be part of this without Jezzeff forcing it."

"That bitch!" Taylor said. "She didn't cause enough trouble the last time she was around?"

"She's got a vendetta, especially against her team, Liza, and Sage, so watch your kid's back, Adam. And Tanya, try to keep an eye on Liza."

"My dad will keep Liza safe," Taylor replied. "He can totally take Shelby."

"Finally, there's a White Ranger..." Zack hesitated. "Tommy, Kira, maybe you guys should sit down."

Tommy looked confused. Kira paled. "No... Don't say it," she said softly.

"I'm sorry... It's Trent," Zack confirmed what she obviously already knew.

"Trent..." Tommy repeated. "Oh God..." As his legs started to shake, Adam steadied him. Tommy grabbed onto a table to keep himself standing.

"It doesn't matter," Kira said firmly. "We'll fucking save him. We'll save all of them."

"Hell yes we will!" Tanya agreed. "We know the effects of the Flames can be reversed. We're armed with Shamans, people with Spirit affinities, and people who can literally create light from within themselves. We'll figure out how to reverse this."

"In the meantime, I'm warning everyone," Kira said as she began to send a text.

"You're texting this?" Adam asked.

"There's no time to waste. We don't know when or where they'll strike next," Kira pointed out. "I've got to tell Dustin in person. He's still pretty traumatized about losing Tori and Shane. I can't just text him this without risking him shutting down. Whoever tells Karone is risking getting blown up, so for safety reasons, she gets a text, too. Her phone can be replaced. Our friends can't. Someone needs to tell Tyler in person. Shelby's death messed him up pretty badly. Everyone else will have to deal with a text."

"I'll call Conner, Ethan, and Hayley. They should hear it in person from me or you, and I know Dustin's going to need you," Tommy decided.

"Thanks, Doc O," Kira replied.

"Since he's almost always with my daughter, I'll tell Koda. He can get word to Kendall and she can tell her team," Adam said.

"Thanks, Adam. That will really help." Kira sent the text, presumably to everyone else.

Suddenly, Kimberly groaned softly. "Zack..." She mumbled.

Zack moved to her side as Billy set her down gently on her feet. "Hey, look who's up," Zack said.

"You're... You're here..."

"We've got a lot to catch up on," he replied.

Kimberly suddenly flung her arms around his neck and began sobbing hysterically. "You're alive... You're, like, actually alive! Oh my God! This is a miracle!" She continued to sob into his shoulder as he held her. Her tears soaked through the material of his shirt, but he didn't care.

"I missed you, too, Kim," he said gently. "But I'm back now, and I'm not going anywhere." He was determined to keep that promise.

CALLIE
She had gathered with her siblings in the woods late at night to sit around a fire and bond. The six of them had taken to doing that in the last few months, and as much as she acted like it was completely lame and beneath her, Callie actually looked forward to it. It was the only time she really felt like she was part of something.

As Sharon, Marco, Edmund, and Jared remained blissfully unaware, something made Denni and Callie tense identically.

Something's coming, Callie thought.

I know, Denni replied. Very recently, the Children of the Flames had realized they could communicate with each other telepathically. They hadn't tested it out with Elliot yet, who was from the previous generation, but it was possible they could connect to him, too.

I've got Sharon and Jared. You get Marco and Edmund, Callie decided.

Denni nodded. As the threat got closer, Callie looked at Jared and said, "Get behind me, Kid."  She didn't have to tell Sharon, who automatically moved behind her.

"What's going on, Cal?" Sharon asked nervously.

"Nothing good," Callie replied.

Several people stepped out of the shadows. The first thing Callie noticed was their uniforms. "Are they Power Rangers?" Edmund wondered aloud.

"Great!" Marco replied cheerfully. "Hello, Friends! The name's Marco. And you are?"

"Lazarus Rangers, attack!" The Red Ranger declared.

"Oh, for fuck's sake," Callie mumbled. Denni pulled Marco out of the line of fire. Edmund bravely jumped in front of her, ready to fight. Considering he gained power from being attacked, no one stopped him.

"I don't understand... Power Rangers are supposed to be good," Sharon said.

"Looks like these guys didn't get the memo," Jared replied. He pulled out one of the weapons he'd recently built. Callie noticed it looked like a water gun but had a dial on the side. Jared initially pulled the trigger and unleashed a water attack on Blue. She countered it with water magic.

"Plan B!" Jared decided. He turned the dial and pulled the trigger again. This time, fire came out. Blue jumped away from him in surprise.

Yellow stared at Callie for a minute. Even in the suit, something about her energy was oddly familiar, but Callie was sure they'd never met. As she tried to attack Callie with her battle ax, Callie singed her boots with fire.

"Make one move and I'll aim for something that'll do a lot more damage next time, Bitch," Callie said sharply.

Yellow seemed to become enraged then. She let out a battle cry and ran straight for Callie, Sharon, and Jared. Sharon panicked and hit Yellow with a telekinetic attack that sent her flying backward.

Red had zeroed in on Edmund, who held his own well despite the evil Ranger's scythe. Marco was battling Pink, who seemed to enjoy engaging in witty commentary with him. Marco loved a good conversation even during a battle, and it seemed like Pink didn't like to shut up anymore than he did.

White focused on Denni. He attacked her fiercely, but Denni easily adapted. Suddenly, Callie heard all of their phones going off. She frowned in confusion.

Denni dodged another attack and kicked White away from her before she checked her phone. "Oh shit..." She said.

Callie was about to burn Yellow alive when Denni shouted, "Cal, don't! Everyone stop!"

The siblings hesitated, dodging attacks but not countering them with attacks of their own.

"What the fuck, Denni?" Callie demanded.

"They're fallen Rangers who were resurrected and turned! This isn't their fault!" Denni explained.

"Whoa..." Marco mumbled.

"Then we must capture them while causing the least amount of harm possible," Edmund decided.

"He's right," Sharon agreed. "If it's not their fault, we can't hurt them."

Yellow tried to attack again. "I don't care who this bitch it!" Callie declared. "Let me roast her!"

"She's your mom, Callie," Denni said.

"I don't have a mom," Callie replied, but she had to admit that news had startled her. Her mother had been dead for a year, and Callie had only learned who she'd been after the fact.

"Cal, it's not her fault," Jared said. "Don't you want the chance to get to know her?"

"Not really. I'm good." Did she want to know her? She wasn't sure. Gwod had raised her. He was her family. After his death, Sharon and ultimately the others had become her family, too. But she had no idea what she was supposed to do with a mother.

"Do not hold back on them, Lazarus Rangers!" Red instructed.

White attacked Denni again. "Stop!" Denni said. "Trent, you know this is pointless! I heal immediately and I'm immortal! You can't hurt me!" She dodged a blow by slipping in and out of the shadows.

"Trent? Fuck," Callie mumbled. She knew Trent had died for Denni's father. This couldn't be easy for her.

"I do know that, Denni," Trent replied. "That's why I'm so focused on you. I like a challenge!"

"Who else is here?" Jared asked.

"Tori, Leo, and Shelby," Denni replied.

"Shelby?" Edmund repeated.

The Pink Ranger turned toward him. "So you've heard of me?" She asked.

"Lady Shelby... My father would not approve of me engaging you in battle," he replied.

Shelby paused as she studied him. Suddenly, she asked, "Are you Ivan's son?"

"I am."

She hesitated. "I'm not going to fight a toddler. Give me one of the big kids."

"I assure you, I am no toddler."

"You can't be more than fourteen or fifteen."

"I am young in years but don't let that make you underestimate my skills. I am a Knight of Zandar."

"Get out of here, Kid. War is for grownups."

Edmund stood his ground. "I will not leave my siblings."

Shelby flung a boomerang at Sharon. It hit her in her left arm. Callie knew Sharon had injured it the day before during a training session, and Sharon's cry of pain was enough to make her act. She held a ball of fire in her hands, ready to burn Shelby to death.

"Cal... Don't," Marco said softly.

"The bitch went for Sharon! And she's not even a real Power Ranger! I heard the story. I know her Energem abandoned the stupid cunt, and I know she killed herself just to hurt her former team! Who cares if I kill her?" Callie demanded.

"There is no honor in killing someone who is being controlled by another," Edmund said.

"Sorry, Edmund, but I'm not as honorable as you." Callie unleashed her fire attack.

Shelby let out a cry of pain as the fire scorched her bad enough that her morph failed. Callie prepared to finish her off.

The scythe which sliced open Callie's back was a shock. She suddenly couldn't breathe. She tried to summon a fire attack but couldn't focus without air in her lungs.

"Callie!" Marco cried in horror. He wrapped vines around the scythe and yanked on it, nearly pulling it free from Leo's hands. When that failed, Marco trapped him against a tree with fresh vines that quickly wrapped around him too tight for Leo to move.

Sharon tried to help Callie, but she couldn't reverse the effects of the blade. As everyone struggled against the Lazarus Rangers and Callie became certain she was about to die, Sharon grabbed the scythe and swung it at Edmund.

"What the hell, Sharon?" Denni demanded as she continued to battle against Trent.

Edmund had the wind knocked out of him for a moment before he recovered. He ran to Callie and began performing CPR on her. As he exhaled, air filled her lungs and Callie struggled to recover.

"Edmund temporarily takes on the power of whatever he gets attacked by," Sharon said practically. "I was hoping that meant he could take on the scythe's powers and reverse the damage it did."

"Have I ever told you you're fucking brilliant?" Callie asked as she finally found her voice. "By the way, that sucked. I don't recommend getting cut by that thing."

Edmund offered her his hand and helped her back to her feet. "Thanks, Edmund," she said.

"Of course, Callie," he replied politely.

"Let's get out of here," Shelby said suddenly.

"We haven't completed our mission," Kelsey replied.

Great, Callie thought. My mom's a brainwashed minion. Should I care?

"I think we've made our point," Shelby insisted as she tried to free Leo.

Trent cut the vines. They immediately began to rot. "The sword's poisonous," Marco said in horror.

Tori had pulled the hood off of her trident. It was glowing red as she shoved it through Marco.

"No!" Denni screamed.

Marco began choking. He coughed violently and started twitching as he fell onto the ground. Soon, water poured out of his mouth as his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

"He's drowning!" Sharon said in horror.

"On land?" Edmund asked in confusion.

"That's the power of my weapon," Tori said cruelly. "And I won't be impaling you with it."

"You bitch," Callie said. She ran at her and knocked her onto her back. Callie began beating Tori with her fists, hoping if she knocked her out they could stop the attack and save Marco.

"Ninjor! Get us out!" Shelby screamed as Trent finally fully freed Leo.

Shelby, Trent, Leo, and Kelsey were teleported away, but Callie kept her grip on Tori, trapping herself and Tori in a circle of flames no magic could penetrate.

"Cal, stop! You can't kill her!" Denni said.

"Who said anything about killing her?" Callie replied as she stopped beating Tori. "I'm capturing her. She's unconscious. Let's bring this bitch to the Command Center so they can figure out how to fucking fix her."

Denni took Tori's trident and covered it with the hood. Marco stopped choking on water but remained unconscious. Denni immediately began CPR, and soon enough, Marco coughed up a significant amount of water.

He sat up slowly. "Did we win?" He finally asked.

"Sort of," Jared replied. "We captured Tori. That's something at least."

"I'll shadow travel and get her to the Command Center. They can keep her locked up until we figure out how to fix her," Denni decided. "Callie, can you get everyone else home?"

"Not a problem," Callie replied. "Follow me, guys. Are you stable, Marco?"

"Fairly stable... Enough to walk home," Marco replied.

"Good. Let's get the hell out of here." With that, Callie led them away.

THE WITCH
She was in incredible pain. As the light continued to infect her, the Witch knew she was in trouble. Without Didi, she would need to think of another plan.

Seeking an evil infection which could possibly counteract the light, she followed her instincts and took a portal to the darkness that was calling to her. It was incredibly faint, but remnants of it still existed. She moved back in time to when it was stronger and found the source of it.

The Witch easily absorbed some of the dark energy of the virus. Technology-based or not, she could manipulate the energy and turn it into pure darkness. As she did, the virus infected her heart.

"Whoo! What a rush!" She declared as the power-hungry monster filled her heart and began to fight against the light. She felt better immediately and knew it was working. As the light combined with the darkness, she was able to expel them both, sending the energy into a piece of Rebellion technology she'd held onto over the years. The weapon pulsed with power.

"You're a determined bastard, aren't you?" The Witch asked with a cackle. "Don't worry. You helped me, now I'll help you... How would you like to feed on Dilly-Willy?" It pulsed stronger in response. "Soon, my new friend. I'll find him and wrap him up all pretty for you! I need to tie up Jezzy's loose ends, after all, and you are the perfect way to do it! Now... Where am I?"

She wandered until she found a news stand. To her surprise, the front page of one of the papers featured a team of Power Rangers.

"Another team of Rangers? How did we not know about this?" She wondered. "If we don't know about them, neither do the other Power Rangers! Oh, goody! I just had the best idea! Jezzy's plan is already falling apart, but I have a new one, and it's perfect!" She cackled to herself.

A man stared at her. "You! What town is this?" She demanded.

"Um... Coral Harbor," he replied nervously. He hurried away from her.

"Coral Harbor..." She cackled again before adding, "I'll see you again really soon."