CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
KIZZIE
As it turned out, fixing her life force after Jezzeff tried to steal it for himself was no easy task. She was weak and still fading. Zyxx hadn't left her side, which she didn't mind so much, and Captain Smith, Tedius, Amareese, and Raffitty also refused to leave her. It wasn't safe to move her from her healing bed in the Command Center, so Zordon had allowed all of them to visit her. Kizzie hadn't expected him to trust a bunch of former Rebellion members enough to allow them to stay in the Command Center, but apparently, Zordon had decided they'd proven themselves enough.

Felina walked into the room looking nervous. "How are you feeling, Kizzie?" She asked.

"I'll be right as rain any day now, Luv. Honestly, everyone needs to stop making such a fuss over me," Kizzie replied.

"Captain Smith... With your permission, I'd like to try something a bit drastic," Felina began.

"What might that be?" He asked.

"I believe that, working together, Zell and I can reverse what Jezzeff has done. Right now, he still holds some of Kizzie's magic. We can get it back, and then it should be easier to restore her life force."

Captain Smith considered this. "With Tylan unlocked within me, I know Zell's power and potential well, and I certainly know yours. I also know you would never risk any harm coming to Kizzie. If you say you and Zell can help, I believe you."

"There is one other thing... And it may complicate things a bit."

"What is it, Felina?" Amareese asked.

"We need a Campbell to call back the Campbell magic... And not just any Campbell. We need the Campbell."

"Galaxia?" Kizzie asked. "I suppose that makes sense."

"I'm a necromancer, but Galaxia's no ordinary spirit. She may refuse to cooperate if Zell is present."

"Do we really need Zell?" Raffitty asked.

"The spell Jezzeff is using to steal the powers of those he kills is one of Zell's old spells. He knows how to reverse it, and I can't do it alone because one of us has to counter the Witch's magic while the other counters Jezzeff's."

"Xia will help," a voice said a bit sadly from the door. The pain in Zordon's eyes told Kizzie he still grieved his lost friend deeply. Kizzie sensed Felina wanted to hug him and comfort him, but they weren't children anymore, and ever since her redemption, Felina seemed to avoid Zordon as much as she could. Kizzie suspected this was because she wasn't sure how to face him after everything she'd done.

"Are you certain, Zordon?" Amareese asked.

"Her family meant everything to her, and Kizzie is a descendant I suspect she is especially proud of," Zordon replied. "Even if that were not the case, it is the right thing to do. Xia can put aside her hatred of my father for a few minutes if it means getting the Campbell magic away from Jezzeff." He paused. "I will retrieve my father. Felina, go ahead and prepare to summon Galaxia."

He left without another word. Kizzie watched as Felina focused on preparing for the ritual.

"This will work, Luv," Zyxx said. "I'm sure of it." He kissed the top of her head, soothing some of Kizzie's nerves.

Zordon returned with Zell a short time later. He moved to Felina's side wordlessly and took her hands in his. Without stating their plans aloud, they immediately began the ritual. Soon, a woman who looked exactly like Liza appeared in the room.

"Well, if it isn't the last bloody bastard I ever wanted to see again," Galaxia quipped. "Let's get this over with."

Zordon couldn't hide the tears in his eyes. "Hello, Xia," he said softly.

"It's lovely to see you again, Zordon," she replied. "Congratulations on your engagement! I'm thrilled for you both. Morgana's positively ecstatic."

He nodded stoically, apparently at a loss for words. Kizzie knew it was time to focus as Felina and Zell began chanting louder, not releasing each other's hands.

Galaxia started chanting as well, speaking in an ancient African language that Kizzie had never heard before, yet she somehow understood the meaning of the words. This dialect resonated within her very soul as if it had always been a part of her.

She could feel the magic flowing through the room. It was nearly overwhelming. Kizzie wondered why it didn't short circuit the technology surrounding them until she realized that Amareese had cast a barrier spell to shield the machines from the magic.

As the magic Jezzeff had stolen from her returned to Galaxia, Kizzie could feel it had been tainted by his darkness. Galaxia seemed unphased as she continued chanting and the magic visibly grew lighter until it glowed pure white.

"This may feel a bit odd, Luv," Galaxia told her. She pushed the magic into Kizzie with one powerful shove.

Every nerve in Kizzie's body began to tingle. It was overwhelming, and she realized her magic was stronger than ever... And too strong for her weakened body.

"Restore her life force quickly or she won't survive this," Galaxia informed Felina and Zell.

"The spell is reversed," Felina replied. "We simply need to purify her life force before we give it back to her."

"Perhaps I can help with that," someone said.

"Zedd!" Galaxia cried in delight.

"I felt you calling, Xia," Zedd explained a bit sadly. "And of course I'll help save your descendant."

"I knew you would, Luv. Thank you. Kizzie's quite dear to me."

Kizzie smiled at that. "I'm honored," she said weakly.

Zedd began cleansing Kizzie's life force, taking it into himself. Soon, he approached her. "May I?" He asked.

Kizzie nodded. "Please do," she replied.

He touched her arm. Soon, she felt her life force flowing back into her. She felt stronger as it settled in, and after several moments, Kizzie knew it had worked.

"Thank you, Zedd," she said.

"How do you feel, Kizzie?" Felina asked.

"Right as rain, just as I said I'd be," she replied confidently. "Thank you all. I can't deny I was a tad worried."

"Zedd... What is Dimitria's status?" Zordon asked.

"Taylor, Braydee, and I stabilized her for now," Zedd replied, "but she doesn't have long, Zordon."

"Can she survive this?"

"Without a miracle? I don't think so."

"Reyzzo could do it," Zell said. He seemed nervous to be speaking as Galaxia glared at him. "He is Bartello and Serafine's son. If anyone has the power, it is that boy."

"I don't see him helping us anytime soon," Zordon replied.

"He might... If Aiyana asked him to."

"No! Absolutely not, Father! After what that monster did to her, I am appalled you would even suggest such a thing!"

"I do not like it any more than you do, my boy, however Reyzzo seems to want to make amends to her... And Aiyana is certain there is something good inside of him."

"She's part of my mother. She believes there is something good inside of everyone."

"Not Jezzeff or the Witch," Kizzie pointed out. "I can't speak for Aiyana, but Andie's made her stance on that quite clear. Your mother's reincarnations seem to have good heads on their shoulders, Luv. Perhaps you should let Aiyana decide for herself."

"Bradley said T'Dania told them to call Andie if we failed," Zedd replied. "She seemed to think she could help. Do you think she mistook her for Aiyana?"

"T'Dania Treygan does not make mistakes," Zyxx replied firmly. "Andie must know something that will help. We must let things play out as they are meant to." He paused. "Even if it means certain people do not survive."

"Zyxx... What did you see?" Captain Smith asked seriously.

"You know I can't tell you that, Cap."

"What can you tell us?" Tedius asked.

"Jezzeff must be allowed to collect the Chosen powers."

"Are you bloody mad?" Galaxia demanded.

"Oh, most definitely, Luv... But I am also correct on this."

"We can't just let him slaughter people, Zyxx," Amareese protested.

"Where there is death, there shall always be death. If one person is saved, another will die." He sighed. "And I fear the next one is coming sooner than I had hoped. There is something that must be done to alter the course of events, however, I cannot tell you what it is."

Zell tensed, like he sensed something suddenly. "Galaxia... You rightfully despise me, but I need your help now. It is not for me, but for someone I am quite fond of who is also important to you. Please... Will you assist me?"

Galaxia glared at him. "Why the bloody hell would I ever trust you?" She demanded.

"You shouldn't... Not after all I put you through. However, you are the only one who can help me now. This is for the greater good."

"The greater good? What would you know about the greater good?"

"I deserve every ounce of your ire, Galaxia... Unfortunately, I must ask you to set it aside for just a little bit longer. We must act quickly if we hope to prevent Jezzeff from becoming truly unstoppable, and we must do it in private. No one can know what we've done."

She paused before looking at Zedd and Zordon. "What do you think, Boys?" She finally asked. "Should I make a deal with the Devil today?"

"He's telling the truth," Zordon replied softly. "Whatever my father has seen must be tended to immediately or we won't be able to stop Jezzeff."

"His energy is radiating with the urgency of the situation," Zedd added.

"Right then. I'll accompany you, Zell. Let's go save the world together for old time's sake."

DAWN
She wasn't entirely sure where she was. The last thing Dawn Morgan remembered was driving back home to California after finishing her final term at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. She'd graduated early with both her BA and MA degrees thanks to the college's forensic psychology Baccalaureate/Master's Degree program. Most students took five years to complete the program, but Dawn had done it in three and a half.

She'd parked at a rest stop and picked up a coffee before heading back toward her car. She had somehow lost consciousness before she reached it.

Oh great... I've been kidnapped by a serial killer, Dawn thought. She took a deep breath and adjusted her glasses on her nose before tucking a stray strand of her blonde hair behind her ear. Too much time spent studying serial killers had probably made her a little bit paranoid. Calm down, Dawn, she scolded herself. Don't assume the worst until you know for sure.

Then again, she had clearly been abducted, so maybe it wasn't paranoia after all.

She did a self-assessment to see if she had any injuries. Everything felt okay, although she was nervous as she realized she was on a bed. Still, she wasn't restrained and her clothes were still on, so things could definitely be worse.

There was a stuffed fox sitting beside her on the bed. It looked very old but was in perfect condition. Dawn was strangely drawn to it. She picked it up and was suddenly overwhelmed by what seemed to be someone else's memories.

A little girl sat on her bed beside an older boy. Dawn was seeing through the girl's eyes. She smiled as the boy presented her with the fox, delighted by the new toy. She hugged the boy and the fox tightly.

She spoke in a strange language, but somehow, Dawn understood her words. "Thank you, Ash," she said. "I shall treasure it always!"

The boy smiled at her kindly and said, "I cast a preservation spell on it so nothing can ever harm it. It is indestructible."

"Like Laby?" She asked.

He laughed softly, and the sound was extremely comforting to Dawn. "Yes, just like Laby," he replied.

Time moved forward, and suddenly, Dawn's mind was flooded with knowledge.

"Daphne..." She mumbled. She felt oddly unsafe as she said the name aloud, almost as if remembering had put her in extreme danger. Then again, judging from how Daphne had died, it was dangerous to remember.

Dawn had always believed in reincarnation. She had been a practicing Pagan since the age of thirteen, and reincarnation was part of that religion. She'd never experienced memories of a past life before, but somehow, she knew that was exactly what this was.

As the emotions that were attached to the overwhelming flashbacks began to calm down, Dawn forced herself to focus. She didn't fully understand what was going on, but that fox had belonged to Daphne, and that meant whoever had kidnapped her was connected to Eltar.

Dear Gods, please don't let it be Zell, she thought. After reliving Daphne's death, he was the last person Dawn wanted to meet.

The door to the room opened. She recognized the man who entered. Zutan looked a little sad as he saw her.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he said quickly.

Zutan never hurt Daphne, Dawn remembered. She was constantly trying to steer him away from the darkness, and part of him clung to her.

"I believe you," Dawn said cautiously. "Why am I here?"

"Let's start with something easier. I'm Zutan. Do you remember me?"

She hesitated. She knew she should lie, but she decided to go with the truth instead. "Yes," she admitted. "It all came back to me in a flash when I touched the fox."

"Jezz will be pleased to hear it. He doesn't want you to panic. You know you can trust us, right, Daphne?"

Jezz, she thought. She saw the boy who'd basically been like an older brother to her. She remembered the scar over his eye. She remembered him taking care of her after her parents changed. She felt Daphne's love for him.

"Jezz did this?" She asked. "Why would he abduct me?"

"To keep you safe," Jezzeff said from the doorway.

Her heart told her to run into his arms and seek the comfort he always provided, but her mind made her hesitate. "I don't understand," she said softly.

"Leave us, Zutan," Jezzeff said.

Zutan looked like he didn't want to leave them alone, and Dawn knew her instincts were right. Daphne might have trusted Jezzeff, but she had a feeling she should not.

"I'll be nearby if you need me," Zutan finally said. He left the room.

Jezzeff sat beside Dawn on the bed. "I know you must be confused and frightened, Daphne," he said.

Your name is Dawn, she told herself. Dawn Kathleen Morgan. Don't let go of that. Don't lose yourself in Daphne. You need to keep a clear head. Jezz is presenting himself as a concerned friend, but he abducted you. You can't trust him.

Dawn Kathleen Morgan... She silently repeated it several times until her mind was fully her own again. "Why am I here, Jezz?" She asked. "And where is here?"

"You are in California, my sweet Daphne. Angel Grove specifically," he replied.

Angel Grove? My sister's been working there, Dawn remembered. Whatever she was doing was so important she hadn't even flown to New York for Dawn's graduation. She understood, of course. Her sister was usually incredibly busy.

"I brought you here to keep you safe," Jezzeff continued. "Zell is here, Daphne, and he knows you've reincarnated."

She might have panicked, but as she clung to her identity as Dawn, she was able to remain calm. Still, she sensed the truth; Jezzeff was a threat. As she focused on Daphne's memories, she realized what she was actually dealing with. Jezzeff was an incredibly clever and extremely deadly sociopath.

"I'm scared, Jezz," she said. That much was true. He didn't need to know that her current fear was of him, not Zell. The latter might have killed her, but Dawn could tell Jezzeff was the type of threat no one saw coming until it was too late. He'd had everyone on Eltar fooled, including Daphne. Dawn wasn't going to make her mistakes, but she needed to play her cards right or Jezzeff would hurt her.

He saw Daphne as a fragile little girl he could manipulate. I have to play that part to keep him calm, she realized.

"It's alright, sweet Daphne," Jezzeff said soothingly as he fell for her act. "I'll protect you." He gently stroked her hair, and she allowed it.

"You always have," Dawn replied.

"I'm so pleased you remembered. I placed a charm on the fox to help you," he said.

And made sure I only remembered the good things, Dawn thought. I've learned a lot about sociopaths and narcissists in this incarnation. This guy is a textbook example of both.

"It did help, but I'm a little overwhelmed," Dawn replied. "How did I end up here?"

"Please forgive my friends," Jezzeff said. "It was urgent we retrieve you and bring you somewhere safe. Bailey cast a sleeping spell on you. Bourbon caught you before you could hit the ground."

"Who are Bailey and Bourbon?"

"Bailey is a gifted sorcerer, and you would remember Bourbon as Jozzuah."

"Jozz is here?" A bit of hope filled her heart. Just like Zutan, Jozzuah had never harmed Daphne. In fact, he tried to help her when he figured out Zell was abusing her. Maybe he would help her escape... But what was he doing working with Jezzeff?

"Yes, he joined me in my efforts to put a stop to Zell."

"What is this place exactly?"

"This is one of my many properties on Earth. It is a sanctuary of sorts. No one will find you here. You are safe."

"Who lives here?"

"This is not our current main base. Only a select few are allowed here. Zutan and Bourbon may come and go freely. I have made this my current home, so I will be here with you the most often. I have asked my dear friend Shelby to look in on you as well. This is where she resides."

"Is she your girlfriend?"

He smiled a bit at that. "Shelby and I are partners of sorts, but no romance has blossomed yet. Perhaps one day. She's really quite wonderful."

There was a knock on the door. "Ah, speaking of Shelby... Come in, my dear," Jezzeff said.

Shelby opened the door. She looked at Jezzeff with absolute adoration and Dawn could tell she'd been completely charmed by him. "You asked for me, Jezz?" Shelby asked.

"Yes. This is our new guest, Shelby. Please make her feel at home. For her safety, she is not to leave the house, but she is free to roam the first and second floors as she pleases," Jezzeff explained. "Do be careful on the stairs, Daphne," Jezzeff added in an affectionate tone.

"Oh, so this is the Daphne you said you sensed," Shelby replied. "Don't worry, Jezz. I'll take excellent care of her. It'll be nice to have another girl around."

"Help her get settled, Shelby. I have something I must attend to. I'll check on you later, Daphne." Jezzeff left the room.

Shelby looked at Dawn and smiled. "I assume your name isn't actually Daphne," she said with a laugh. "What do you want me to call you?"

Although Dawn was pretty sure Shelby wasn't completely trustworthy, the girl seemed a little lonely, and it was probably better to have her as an ally than an enemy. "I'm Dawn," she replied. "Dawn Morgan." She kept the Kathleen part to herself. Names had power. Kathleen had been her grandmother's name, and Dawn suspected holding onto that part of her name would keep them from being able to gain full control of her.

"Morgan..." Shelby repeated. Her eyes widened in surprise. "So, where are you from, Dawn?"

"Well, I spent the last three and a half years in New York City, but I'm originally from Amber Beach."

"Really? So am I... You know, I know a Kendall Morgan. I used to work at the museum with her. Any relation?"

Dawn hesitated. There was probably no point in lying. "She's my older sister," she replied.

"Really? I had no idea she had a sister!"

Dawn didn't want to give too much information away. Kendall valued her privacy and never talked about the fact that her parents were divorced and she had a half-sister through their father, but she was always there if Dawn ever really needed her. Her sister never let people in, but she tried to drop the walls slightly for Dawn.

"Kendall's not much for talking about her personal life," Dawn replied casually. "Are you two close?"

If she said yes, Dawn would know she was lying. Kendall wasn't really close to anyone. To her surprise, Shelby was honest.

"Not exactly," she admitted. "Miss Morgan kind of looked down on me because I worked in the cafe and she thought I was an idiot, but I'm actually really knowledgeable about dinosaurs. It took her a long time to warm up to me, but I think I almost won her over for a bit. Unfortunately, we had a falling out."

"What happened?" Dawn asked.

"We sort of lost a mutual acquaintance... He was my ex-boyfriend's dad, and your sister blamed me for it."

Dawn frowned. "Why would she blame you?" She asked.

"It's a long story... Something I built misfired, and he was killed. It was an accident." Shelby suddenly looked defensive.

"I'm sure you didn't mean for anyone to get hurt," Dawn replied patiently. "It must have been so hard for you to carry the weight of that accident, especially since he was your boyfriend's father."

Shelby seemed surprised by Dawn's empathy. "It was," she replied. "I felt horrible, but no one believed me. My boyfriend broke up with me, and everything just sort of fell apart." She sniffled, but no tears fell, which seemed odd. It was obvious Shelby needed to cry.

"I'm really sorry that happened to you," Dawn said, putting her hand on top of Shelby's to comfort her. "Your boyfriend's grief probably made it impossible for him to stay with you after that. As for my sister, well... I love Kendall with everything I have, but she's notoriously stubborn and extremely analytical. Once she decided the facts meant you were guilty, there was no changing her mind."

"Do you think it's my fault?" Shelby asked vulnerably.

"I wasn't there and I don't have all the facts. What I think doesn't really matter... The only thing I know for sure is that you need to figure out if you believe you're to blame."

"It was an accident. It's not my fault!"

"Okay, then that's what matters. But Shelby, I kind of get the impression that beneath your denial, you do feel guilty."

"I hate that the accident killed James, especially because it hurt Tyler so much," Shelby replied slowly.

"...And?" Dawn coaxed gently.

"And nothing. I can't feel guilty even if I want to."

"What do you mean?"

"The Flames-" Shelby suddenly covered her mouth with her hands. "Never mind! Forget I said that."

Dawn considered Shelby's sudden panic. "Shelby, you can talk to me. I have a Master's in psychology." She left out the forensic part. Jezzeff didn't need to know she had that level of insight into minds like his. "I'm a good listener, and I promise anything you say will stay between us."

"You're a shrink?"

"A new one who hasn't started working yet, but yes. I have the training and even some field experience. I don't have my Doctorate yet, but I plan on working toward that as I go. My point is, our conversations are completely confidential, okay? I can tell you're upset. Talking helps."

Shelby sighed. "Alright, here's the truth," she said. "I'm a Power Ranger, and so is your sister."

That was the absolute last thing Dawn had expected her to say, but she kept her expression calm and patient to encourage Shelby to keep talking.

"We were on a rescue mission," Shelby explained. "It was this huge battle with all the teams of Rangers. We were fighting Zell and his allies. I made a weapon... I'm good at stuff like that. I even know how to make Zords! Anyway, a few people told me the weapon was vulnerable to this evil sentient virus called Venjix, but I didn't listen. I was positive it was flawless. You have to believe me, Dawn... I would never have risked James. I loved Tyler. I could never hurt him like that... I really believed my weapon was fine."

"I do believe you, Shelby," Dawn replied. "You obviously cared about Tyler very much. I can tell you're smart, but everyone makes mistakes. Your confidence in your abilities is great, but even the greatest creators have to be open to constructive criticism."

"You think it's my fault, too!" Shelby cried in frustration.

"I never said that, Shelby," Dawn said calmly. "I just see that there were a lot of factors that contributed to what happened to James. And remember, my opinion isn't what matters. Yours is."

Shelby sighed. "I'm sorry... I'm a little sensitive."

"You've obviously been through a lot. It's not easy to talk about things that affect us strongly. The thing is, I'm trying to earn your trust, so I'll tell you something that's hard for me..." She hesitated. It was a risk exposing her own vulnerabilities to Shelby, but she needed to keep the girl talking. "My mom died in childbirth," she admitted.

Shelby looked startled. "Whoa... That's awful."

"For a long time, I thought it was my fault. And in a physical sense, it was, but my mom knew the risks and chose to have me anyway. I grew up with this hole in my universe because I killed my mom, but no one ever let me process it or own the guilt I felt. They all kept telling me it wasn't my fault."

"You were just a baby. It wasn't your fault."

"I know that now, but sometimes I still struggle with it. Kendall's mom was really great to me because she felt bad I didn't have one of my own, but it wasn't quite the same. Part of me will always blame myself for what happened to my mom."

"You didn't ask to be born, Dawn. Your mother chose to have you because she loved you."

"That's right, but I couldn't heal from the grief until I accepted that I felt guilty. I had to embrace my real feelings to start working through them."

Shelby seemed to consider this. "Oh God..." She mumbled.

"What is it, Shelby?"

"Looking at the facts... If I take a second and admit I should have listened to everyone... It is my fault James died. It could have been avoided... But I didn't just feel guilty. I was angry. Everyone turned on me. They were my team, and they all turned their backs on me... Except for Ivan. I killed Tyler's dad. I was carrying that guilt and it broke me, but I didn't let myself feel it because I was so pissed off they turned on me." She sighed. "And now I can't feel it. I can't care."

"You said that before. Why not?"

"After everything happened, I killed myself. And to be honest, while I did do it because I was depressed, I mostly did it as one last screw you to my team. I wanted them to hurt the way I was hurting. But Tyler... I just broke him worse. I shouldn't have done that. I loved him, but I didn't care because I was so mad and hurt."

"You... Killed yourself?" Dawn repeated. "I'm a little confused, Shelby." Shelby was very much alive. That made no sense.

"Jezz brought me back. He offered me another chance to be a Power Ranger. He used the Flames and promised me revenge on my team. The Flames stole my light. If there was any good left in me, they took it away."

I knew he wasn't the good guy he's claiming to be, but... Wow, Dawn thought. This was a whole other level of evil.

"Shelby, do you want to hurt your team?" Dawn asked.

"Yes!" She replied eagerly. Then, she paused. "No... Maybe? I don't know anymore, Dawn."

"It's okay not to know," Dawn replied, "but you shouldn't act until you're sure."

Shelby seemed to consider this. "I told you I want to hurt my team, including your sister. Does that make you hate me?"

"I'm not here to judge you, Shelby... And no, I don't hate you. I can see you're in over your head and are struggling. I'm concerned for you." She paused. "When did you start to doubt your plan to hurt them?"

"When I saw my dad. He's really hurting, and I can't even comfort him because I'm the reason he's in pain. He thinks I'm dead, and if I tell him the truth, he'll probably think he's gone insane because he doesn't know about any of this. Besides, I killed myself. He'll never forgive me."

"He might surprise you. If your dad loves you like I think he does, he isn't mad at you. He understands you were in pain and thought that this was what you had to do to make it stop. The question, Shelby, is can you forgive yourself?"

Shelby's face showed incredible pain. "I wish I could cry," she whispered. "What should be sadness just translates to physical pain and anger."

"Shelby, you made some really bad choices in the past. No one is perfect. You can't change what you did, but you can choose differently this time."

"I can't... The Flames took away my humanity."

"It's still in there, Shelby. It's just buried. I can tell you love your father, even if you can't feel it anymore. If Jezz used evil magic to do this to you, then good magic should be able to reverse it, right? The Universe is all about balance. Is that something you might want?"

"I don't know... I hurt all the time before. Now, nothing hurts me, at least not emotionally. I'm free."

"You're not free, Shelby. You're bound to him now. You're more trapped than ever."

"I deserve it!" Shelby blurted out. "I got James killed, and then I made it about me, and I made everyone hate me! Then I hurt them in the worst way possible just because I was throwing a temper tantrum! I did that! I'm a bad person!"

"Actually, I don't think you are," Dawn replied patiently. "You're flawed, Shelby... Deeply flawed... And you did some very bad things, but that doesn't mean you're a bad person. You can still choose to change, if that's what you want, but it has to be your choice. I can't tell you what to do. It won't work unless it's what you really want to do."

Shelby took several deep breaths. "Dawn?" She finally asked.

"Yes?"

"You're going to make a really good shrink."

Dawn laughed. "Thanks. Are you okay?"

"I think. It's hard to say with the Flames in me, but I'm calmer, at least. I think I needed to get all of that out of my head."

"Well, you can talk to me any time, Shelby. Really." Dawn paused before adding, "Could you show me around the house? I'd like to get more familiar with it if I'm going to be staying here."

"Sure," Shelby said, perking up. "Come on. It's pretty great, actually! Jezz has very classic taste, and he let me add a few of my own touches to it."

They walked down the hall first. "This is my room," Shelby said, "in case you need anything." She opened the door long enough to offer Dawn a glimpse. The room was decked out in a decent amount of pink, but not enough to overwhelm people as soon as they walked inside. One thing Dawn noticed immediately was a stuffed animal that was partially hidden under a pillow.

"You like stuffies, too?" She asked.

Shelby blushed slightly. "It's a triceratops. I'm sort of obsessed with them. They've always been my favorite dinosaur."

Dawn smiled at her reassuringly. "It's okay. I have a whole collection of stuffed animals at home... And that fox Jezz recovered for me is probably the only reason I might be able to sleep tonight."

"I had a lot of triceratops-themed items before I died... But the only one I risked retrieving from my dad's place was that one."

"Why is it special?"

She hesitated. "Don't tell Jezz?"

"I promise."

"Tyler made it for me at Build-A-Bear. I made him a T-Rex, because that was his dinosaur. This place just didn't feel like home without it." She sighed. "Come on, let me show you where everything else is." She led Dawn on a tour, showing her the bathroom, Jezz's bedroom door, and a couple of empty rooms before she led her downstairs.

Dawn was being careful, but she still nearly slipped. Shelby caught her arm and steadied her just in time. "Now I see why Jezz made a point to tell you to be careful," Shelby said with a laugh. "He must have had a vision. He gets them all the time."

"Thanks for keeping me from going headfirst down the stairs, Shelby," Dawn said as she caught her breath and tried to calm her breathing. "That was close."

"I take it you're just as clumsy as the rest of the Daphnes."

"Wait... The rest? What do you mean?"

"You and Serafine don't reincarnate in one place at a time. You're in several. There's Andie... She's dating Sir Ivan and is apparently the reincarnation of his beloved Isobel... Then there's Aiyana... She's a newer discovery. She's a Shaman, so she kind of gave Jezz and the Witch more trouble than they expected."

"The Witch is here?" Dawn asked as images of the terrifying entity flashed through her mind.

"Yeah, she is, but don't worry... Jezz moved into this house to have one place where he can get away from her for a bit. She won't come here and bother you."

Dawn calmed herself and asked, "Are there any others?"

"As far as I know, you're the only other living aspect of Daphne. The reincarnations are complicated. Jezz says Andie comes from the part of Daphne that became Isobel, and she unlocked Oralee, but she's mainly Isobel and Daphne. Aiyana seems to come from Oralee and Daphne, but she's more Oralee."

"I don't know who Oralee or Isobel were."

"Hmmm... I wonder if you're one-hundred percent from Daphne? That would be interesting. Zell would definitely want to get his hands on you then."

That didn't sound especially comforting. Dawn decided to focus on exploring her new prison. She sensed the magic on the property and somehow understood she wouldn't be able to leave it on her own. She would have to come up with a plan, but for now, all she could do was survive and try to understand the minds of her captors so she could escape.

KENDALL

The ringing of her cell phone snapped her out of her research. Annoyed, Kendall picked it up, but she forced herself to sound calm as she answered it. "Dad? I didn't expect a call from you today," she said.

"Honey, is your sister with you?" Her father asked.

"Dawn? No, why would she be?" Kendall replied in confusion.

"She was driving back to Amber Beach from school with all of her belongings from the dorm. I was hoping she'd gone to see you first."

"Dad, what are you saying?"

"She never made it home, Kendall. I've been trying to call her, but her phone's going straight to voicemail."

"When was she supposed to arrive?"

"This morning."

"Did you report her missing? The police can order that her phone be tracked. I know some people who would be willing to help even before the forty-eight hour mark. She may have been in an accident. If we track her phone, we can get help to her. What have you done so far?"

"I... Called you," her father replied.

"That's it? Dad, she's barely twenty-two and she's traveling by car all alone from New York. She could have gotten tired and blacked out behind the wheel, or someone could have carjacked her, or-"

"Kendall... Slow down. It's only been a few hours. I'm sure she's fine."

"Call the police. Report her missing, and don't take no for an answer. I'll call one of my contacts and find her phone." She hung up, not waiting for an answer. Kendall had a terrible feeling.

She called her team. Within ten minutes, everyone had shown up. "What's going on, Kendall?" Chase asked.

"Yeah, you seem upset," Tyler added.

"My little sister is missing," Kendall explained without preamble.

"Sister?" Koda repeated in surprise.

"I didn't know you had a little sister! Why didn't you tell us?" Chase asked.

"You didn't ask."

"I wasn't aware I had to. I talk about my little sister all the time."

"I prefer to keep my personal life personal. Unfortunately, that appears to no longer be an option."

"How old is your sister?" Ivan asked in a serious tone.

"Twenty-two. She was driving home from college, but she never made it."

"We shall do everything in our power to ensure her safe return," he vowed.

"What's her name?" Jeanie asked curiously.

"Dawn Kathleen Morgan," Kendall replied. "She's my half-sister, technically. I tried to keep her out of all of this, so we haven't talked as much as we should have in the last few years, but I will die before I let anything happen to her."

"We'll find her, Luv," Ben promised.

"Of course we will," Prince Phillip agreed. "I offer up the help of the Kingdom of Zandar, in whatever way you need."

"If you let me connect into your mind, I might be able to find hers and hear what she's thinking," Trerry offered.

"I'm not entirely sure I'm comfortable with that," Kendall replied.

"I'll only look for what I need to, Kendall. I promise."

"You can trust him, M'Lady," Ivan insisted.

"I certainly hope you're right," Kendall said with a sigh. "If it means a better chance of finding my sister, then I suppose I can't turn you down. Go ahead."

Trerry took her hands in his and began to do whatever it was that he did. She didn't really feel anything, but suddenly, all she could think about were her memories of her little sister. She smiled at some of them before her concern overwhelmed her.

Trerry let go of her and frowned. "I hear her, but it's vague," he said. "There are definitely barriers around her location, and she's on high alert, so her mind is guarded. If she was closer, I'd hear her more clearly."

"Where do you think she is?" AJ asked.

"One of Jezzeff's many bases, probably. She's not injured... I can tell that much. She's nervous, though, and I feel like she's trying to figure everyone around her out."

"She just earned her degree in forensic psychology," Kendall explained. "Figuring people out is what she does. It's also how she copes with situations that might be dangerous." She shook her head. "How did this happen? Jezzeff shouldn't have known about her."

"Maybe he had a vision?" AJ suggested.

"I don't know why he would. My sister has nothing to do with this war." She sighed. "If he hurts her, I swear I'll..." She let the sentence trail off, taking a deep breath to try and calm herself down.

"We find her," Koda said. "Bring her home. Family important."

Kendall knew Koda well enough to know he was thinking about the little brother he'd left behind in his rightful time. "Yes, Koda," she agreed. "Family is important. Thank you all for helping me."

"We're a team, Kendall," Tyler said. "This is what we do."

Looking at her team, she tried to find some peace. Knowing they were by her side always made her feel like they could accomplish the impossible, but she'd worked so hard to keep this world away from her little sister, and now it looked like she was stuck right in the middle of everything. For once in her life, Kendall wasn't entirely sure what to do.

ZAYTO
The safe house they were living in was nice enough. It was still a little odd for Zayto, but the others had made themselves at home pretty quickly.

Amelia was convinced the house was haunted, which actually seemed to make her like it even more. Ollie didn't seem thrilled with the fact that they were all suddenly roommates, but he was trying to make the most of it. Izzy was excited by the training course Jayden had helped her set up in the backyard. Javi was in Heaven as he spent whatever time he wasn't training working on his music in a soundproof studio Kira had made just for him.

At least they were together. That was comforting to Zayto.

He couldn't help but be concerned by recent events. Sezzon had seemed convinced he was the subject of a prophecy, but Zayto knew nothing about it. He desperately wanted to learn more, but he wasn't sure who to ask. It was weighing heavily on his mind.

"Are you okay, Zayto?" Amelia asked as she spotted him in the living room gazing out the window at the stars.

"I'm fine," he replied bravely.

"You seem a little upset."

"I'm just concerned about what Sezzon said. Do you really think I'm the subject of a prophecy?"

"Sure... I mean, you kept up with Jezzeff in a sword fight and even knocked him off his feet. From what everyone says, that's nearly impossible. Besides, you're noble and brave. Why wouldn't there be prophecies about someone like you?"

"Do you really think I am worthy?"

"I can't think of anyone who's more worthy than you are."

He blushed slightly. "Thank you, Amelia. You somehow always know what to say."

She smiled and replied, "It's a gift."

The sound of crying outside of the house got their attention. "Please don't hurt me!" A girl sobbed.

Zayto immediately ran toward the front door. "Zayto, wait!" Amelia called as she ran after him.

"A girl needs help," he protested.

"It might be a trap. Jayden says the Guild aren't above this sort of trick."

"I can't take that risk. If someone is in danger, I can't just leave her defenseless."

She sighed. "You're right, but I'm not letting you do it alone. We'll check it out together."

They headed out of the house. The girl they'd heard was lying in the street and bleeding from her head. She couldn't have been more than ten years old. "It's alright now," Zayto said as he helped her to her feet and led her to the sidewalk.

She looked up at him with eyes so trusting he knew she couldn't be evil. "I'm sorry," she said. "He told me if I didn't call out for help he'd hurt my sister." She pointed to a nearby girl who looked about five years old.

"What are your names?" Zayto asked as he guided both girls to a safer spot.

"I'm Lyssa, and that's Penny. The man took us away from Mommy. He said if we were good girls he wouldn't hurt us or our moms."

"Moms?" Zayto repeated, confused by the use of the plural.

"We had two, but one died. I don't know how he can hurt her, but he said he can." Lyssa sniffled.

"Amelia... Get the girls inside," Zayto said firmly.

"Come with us," Amelia replied.

"No. I must fight this battle myself. That's what he wants."

"Exactly. Why would you do what Jezzeff wants?"

"Because, unlike him, I have honor. This is my fight. Keep the children safe."

Amelia sighed, but she scooped Penny up with one arm. As soon as Penny wrapped her arms around Amelia's neck, Amelia took Lyssa's hand and guided her into the house.

Jezzeff stepped out of the shadows then. "Hello, Zayto," he said pleasantly. "I thought we might finish what we started without anyone around to interfere."

"Who are those children? What have you done with their mothers?" Zayto demanded.

"One of their mothers belongs to me. The other is perfectly safe, for now. I originally intended to find her, but then I discovered the children. I do so love children, especially sweet little girls like Lyssa and Penny."

"Why involve them at all?"

"I had to lure you out of the safe house somehow. Besides, I suspect their mother will do whatever I ask in order to protect them."

Jezzeff drew his sword, which left no more time for talking. A sword manifested in Zayto's hands and they began to duel.

Just as before, Zayto kept up with Jezzeff easily. He was able to anticipate most of Jezzeff's moves before he made them, and he even managed to cut Jezzeff a few times, although he healed instantly.

Suddenly, Zayto's body began rapidly heating up. He was confused and a little bit concerned. He watched his hands in shock as they began to burst into flames. At first, he thought Jezzeff had set him on fire, but he soon realized this was something else. As spirals of fire wrapped around his arms until they reached his shoulders, he felt stronger. The spirals continued to grow until they reached his heart, but it didn't kill him. Instead, he felt like his entire being was glowing with fire that did not burn him. The spirals seemed to create a shield of fire that continued to make him stronger.

He was ready to continue the fight, but Jezzeff hesitated. "What is this magic?" He demanded.

"Mine," Zayto replied simply. He didn't know what it was or where it was coming from or even what it was meant to do, but as it flowed through his entire upper body, he was certain that it was a magic which purely belonged to him.

Jezzeff backed away from him. "You are indeed unique, Zayto. I'm afraid we must finish this later," he said.

"You started this fight and now you want to run away?" Zayto asked. "Stand and fight, Jezzeff of Eltar!"

"Soon, my young friend. Very soon." With that, Jezzeff vanished, but that didn't mean the threat was gone. Zayto remained on high alert, waiting for whatever might come next.

He was surprised by the man who came out of the shadows slowly. He was tall and had dark features, and his blue skin marked him as an Eltarian.

"Finally," the man said. Without another word, he attacked Zayto fiercely. He moved quickly, and he was as fluid as Zayto and Jezzeff combined when he moved. Zayto struggled a bit to keep up with him but still managed to hold his own.

The faster they moved, the more the man began to glow, and Zayto realized he had spirals of water flowing over his flesh that matched his own fire spirals.

The man knocked Zayto onto his back, and Zayto prepared himself to be attacked, but nothing happened. Instead, the man chuckled lightly and offered him his hand.

Confused, Zayto cautiously took it. The man helped him to his feet. "You're good, but you're going to need a lot of work," the man informed him.

"Who are you?" Zayto asked.

"I'm the guy who's been waiting for you to show up for about eleven millennia. Don't worry; you'll see me again soon." He clapped his hands together three times and vanished into a portal made of water.

Zayto found himself alone, staring at where the strange man had been, and feeling more confused than ever.