CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
HANNAH
The Wildcats sat with Cassie, Lucas, Justin, Roxy, Bradley, Lia Selene, Rebecca, and Patti in Lee's dining room. Upon learning Dimitria was involved in things, Hannah had decided to invite her adopted father and sister to come help. After all, they were both brilliant, and they wanted Dimitria back as much as anyone. Hannah couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible was coming. Kaylen and Austin had left their kids home alone because they were still trying to keep them out of the battle.

"It's no good," Serena said with a frown. "This plan won't work at all."

"We've been trying to figure this out all night," Bradley said. "I think we need to take a break."

"There's no time for breaks," Lee replied. He paused as he realized who he'd snapped at. "Sorry, Sir..."

"You're an adult with kids now, Lee, and we have quite a history. You don't need to address me like I'm still your principal."

"Some habits are hard to break, Sir... Anyway, we have to find Ronnie and the kids soon, or who knows what will happen?"

"Don't worry, Lee," Austin said soothingly. "We'll keep going all night if we have to."

"We'll figure this out," Justin agreed. "Dimitria believes she gave us enough information, so the answer's here somewhere."

"Yeah, except sometimes, Dimitria has way too much faith in our ability to solve riddles," Cassie replied.

"How can I help?" Lia asked. She'd only learned that her mom and uncle were Power Rangers recently, but she had taken the news well, and now she wanted to contribute to the good fight in any way she could.

"We need to come up with a more practical strategy," Serena insisted. "Everything we've considered so far is likely to go wrong. There are too many variables. Someone must know how to proceed in a manner which doesn't lead to our imminent deaths."

The doorbell rang, making Lee tense. Hannah decided to open it. B'Danna stood on the other side beside a woman who radiated with power.

"Bea? What are you doing here?" Roxy asked in confusion. Although they were still friendly, they hadn't seen much of each other since their reunion as adults.

"There's no time to be gentle," B'Danna replied.

"When are you ever gentle?" Lee asked.

"That's a valid point," Serena chimed in.

B'Danna ignored them and continued speaking. "Jezzeff is working with Divatox's spirit. He smuggled her soul out of the Underworld along with Flekt, Tiffani, and..." She took a deep breath. "And Draze."

"Oh my God," Hannah whispered as she covered her mouth in horror. "We'll help them, B'Danna. All of them."

"All?"

"Divatox is in over her head. Dimitria asked us to help her."

"You found Dimitria?"

"No, she found our Ouija board," Lee replied.

"You can't be sure it was her. Those things lie."

"It was her," B'Danna's companion replied. "I feel her residual energy lingering."

"And you are?" Kaylen asked.

"T'Dania Treygan," Lucas replied before she could. He seemed nervous as he watched her.

"Ah, you know of me. Wonderful," T'Dania replied. "Fear not, Power Rangers and Friends... I have only come to assist."

"Why exactly?" Cassie asked.

"My daughter is rather attached to three of the four souls Jezzeff has manifested on our plane. The least I can do is help her save them."

"Daughter?" Hannah repeated with wide eyes.

"Yeah, I was pretty damn shocked, too," B'Danna replied.

"I don't suppose you came here with a battle strategy prepared?" Serena asked.

"Actually, we did, to some extent," T'Dania replied.

"Well alright, Darlin', let's hear it," Austin said enthusiastically. He stood up and offered her his chair, holding it out in typical chivalrous Austin fashion.

Lucas looked like he was afraid T'Dania would smite Austin for calling her that so casually, but she simply smiled. "Aren't you a charming one?" She asked.

"Yes, Ma'am. My mama raised me right."

"I see that." She sat down and allowed Austin to move the chair beneath her before she added, "She's quite proud of the man you've become, you know."

Austin's smile faltered a bit. "She is?" He asked softly.

"Trust me. I can feel her energy all over you, and the love and pride she feels radiate."

Austin looked like he might cry. Instead, he simply said, "Thank you, Ma'am." He looked a bit shaky, and Lee subtly made him take his spot at the table and walked away to get him some water.

"Now, this plan will require a great deal of coordination, so listen closely, Children," T'Dania began.

"I beg your pardon, but not one of us is a child," Bradley protested. "Even Patti is eighteen."

"She's older than Eltar," Lucas explained. "To her, everyone is a child."

"Lucas! Don't ever reveal a lady's age. You should know better," Cassie said, whacking his arm playfully.

"It's quite alright, my darling," T'Dania replied. "I take pride in the wisdom of my years. Pay attention, my darlings. Once we begin, there will not be time for me to repeat myself."

TREVOR

His mind was racing. He hadn't seen his father in a while. Jezzeff had told him Alex had been captured by their enemies, but he wouldn't really elaborate. Trevor was starting to get really nervous being in the Guild without his father to protect him. Jezzeff wouldn't hurt him, of course, but Jonah might.

Drakaina, Didi, and Dale had all looked after Trevor at first. Drakaina, especially, had tried to help him and take care of him when he needed it. Now, she was gone, abducted by a man who could turn into a dragon. Didi had run away, and the Witch had no idea where she was hiding. Dale had been captured by Zordon. Everything was falling apart, and Trevor was starting to break. 

I just want to go home, he thought. Sure, his mom had sacrificed him, but at least home was where his friends were. He missed Liza and Micky so much. He knew Claudine had escaped from the Guild and was missing. He hoped she was safe. 

He pulled his knees to his chest as he started to feel his anxiety rising. Soon, he was close to having a full-blown panic attack. He felt tears in his eyes and tried to fight them. He was part of the Guild. Members of the Guild were not supposed to cry. The thing was, although he felt an irrational sense of loyalty to Jezzeff, he didn't want to be part of the Guild. He didn't want to live a life of constant battles, especially since he was pretty sure the Guild were the bad guys. He was trapped, and his father was gone, and Trevor was all alone.

"Trevor, are you alright?" Bailey asked. 

Trevor tensed, not sure why the sorcerer was approaching him. "I'm fine," he replied quickly. "Just tired."

"Look... You can talk to me, Kid. Really. I'm not all bad. Mostly bad, sure, but not all. I can tell you've been through a lot. I won't hurt you. Just tell me what's on your mind... It'll stay between us." 

"My dad's still missing... And I'm just kind of lost. I don't know what I'm supposed to do with myself," Trevor replied. "I am loyal to Jezz, but that's all I know... Everything else is just... Confusing, I guess. And I'm kind of bored. There's nothing to do around here and I'm not allowed to leave unless we're in a battle."

Bailey smiled at him sympathetically. "I get it, Kid. You're young, and there's no one else around your age here anymore. What do you do for fun?" 

"Other than drawing? I don't know... I like comic books. I know it's kind of lame, but I really like the idea of super heroes saving the world." 

"You mean super villains destroying the world, right?" Bailey asked sharply. When Trevor hesitated, Bailey laughed. "I'm kidding, Kid. Really. It's okay to like comics. They're pretty entertaining." He looked around to make sure no one was watching them before he cast a spell. Suddenly, a stack of comics appeared in his hands. "Here. Enjoy."

"Wait... Really?" Trevor asked as Bailey handed the comics to him. 

"Really."

"How did you just manifest the comics? Did you, like, conjure them or something?"

"I'm not a conjurer. I used a summoning spell. I'm pretty good at those." 

"Did you steal these from a comic book store?"

Bailey laughed. "No. They belonged to one of my sons. He got over the whole comic book thing a while ago. They're old, but they're in great shape, and they're classics. He won't even notice I pulled them out of storage." 

"You have kids?"

"I do. They're not here on Earth right now, but we did spend some time here when he was younger, and that's when he collected these."

Trevor began looking through the collection. It had everything from Superman to Spiderman to Iron Fist, Iron Man, X-Men, and The Incredible Hulk. There were several Doctor Strange comics, implying Bailey's son had been especially drawn to the Sorcerer Supreme, and there was even one Star Wars comic. 

He smiled. "These are awesome, Bailey... Thank you," he said. 

"Of course. I hope they help with the boredom," Bailey replied. "Let me know when you get through all of them and I'll get you some more. I'll even convince Jezzeff to let me take you to the comic book shop." 

Trevor brightened at the idea of being allowed to leave the house for something other than a battle. "Really?" He asked. "You'd do that? Why?"

"Because, Trevor... You're still just a kid. You didn't ask to be part of this. And if you were my son, I'd want someone to take care of you." 

"Why aren't you with your kids?"

"There's a battle to be fought, and this is where I need to be. My kids are safer staying out of it."

"Don't you want to be with them?"

"More than anything, but this is where I'm meant to be. When this ends, and we win, I'll have plenty of time to be with my kids." Bailey paused. "Listen, don't mention my kids to Jezzeff, okay? He doesn't need to know about them."

"Okay," Trevor agreed. "Do you think he'll agree to let you take me to the comic book shop?"

"I can be very convincing when I need to be, and Jezzeff wants to stay on your good side. I'll let him know this will be good for you, and I'm sure he'll agree." 

Trevor smiled. "Thanks, Bailey. I really appreciate it." 

"No problem, Kid," Bailey replied. "It might be nice to get out of here for a little bit and just do something mundane." 

Bailey left him to his own devices after that, but Trevor didn't mind. He had something to entertain him now, and he finally didn't feel so alone anymore. He was eager for his father to return so they could actually get to know each other, but at least now, he had something to look forward to.

THE NEXT DAY.

JEN

Every one of the more seasoned teams of Power Rangers was taking turns catching the Dino Fury team up to speed with what it meant to battle Eltarians like Jezzeff and the Witch. Considering most of the Guild had strong magical affinities, no matter which team they were working with, one or two Eltarians with powerful gifts would join each training session.

That night, it was Time Force's turn. Lucas had been called away on Wildcat business, but Wes, Jen, Katie, and Trip were working hard to keep the younger Rangers on their toes.

"Come on, Luv! I know you can give them more of a challenge than that!" Zyxx declared as Kizzie flung another magical attack at the Rangers.

"The goal is to train them, Zyxx, not kill them," Kizzie pointed out with a laugh.

Zyxx sent a fierce attack at the Time Force Rangers. Katie countered it by letting her weapon absorb it and sending it back, a trick Trip had recently added to their main weapons to help fight magical attacks. Zyxx barely dodged the spell as it rebounded.

He laughed. "Well done!" He declared. Jen took the opportunity to knock Zyxx onto his back as he subtly began casting another attack.

"I like you girls!" Zyxx declared.

Kizzie offered him her hand and helped him back to his feet. "Perhaps you should sit on the sidelines for a moment, Luv," she teased him.

Zyxx didn't respond. His eyes were clouded over as he stared blankly ahead.

"Um, Jen? Did you concuss him?" Javi asked in concern.

"Maybe we should get him some help," Zayto suggested.

"No, it's alright," Kizzie reassured them. "He's having a vision. It happens at inopportune moments occasionally."

"That is so cool!" Amelia declared excitedly. "Well, not the bad timing part, but the fact that he has visions is amazing!"

"So are we supposed to just stand around and wait or what?" Ollie asked.

"We will continue your training," Kizzie replied. "He'll come out of it on his own eventually."

"Kizzie's right," Jen said. "Time is of the essence. We need to get you guys up to par as soon as possible."

"You act like we're not trained," Izzy protested. "We've been battling our own bad guys for a little while now, and I think we're pretty good at it."

"You're doing a wonderful job in your home town," Jen replied, "but Jezzeff and the Witch are on a different level. They break rules they shouldn't be able to. They've changed people's destinies before. You aren't ready to face them."

"Which is too bad, because, incoming!" Zyxx suddenly shouted. He jumped in front of the Dino Fury Rangers just as a spell attacked.

Kizzie grabbed his hand. Together, they were able to counter the attack and shield the Rangers from harm. 

"My young friends, I think it's time for a costume change," Zyxx said.

"Time for Time Force!" Wes declared.

"Link to the Morphin' Grid!" Zayto cried out.

The two teams of Power Rangers morphed in unison as Jezzeff, the Witch, and some of their allies showed themselves.

"Stay behind us," Jen instructed the Dino Fury team as she assumed a fighting stance between Wes and Katie. Trip stood on Katie's other side. Kizzie and Zyxx remained in front of everyone.

"Hmmm... More Power Rangers?" Bourbon asked as he spotted the Dino Fury team.

"They keep popping up like weeds," Zutan added.

"Do you know them, Witch?" Jezzeff asked.

"We haven't been formally introduced," the Witch replied as she studied them. "I'm the Witch! The Witch, the Witch, the Witch..."

"Um... Is she alright?" Javi asked.

"I'm great! I just love meeting new enemies I didn't know about. Who are you?" The Witch asked.

"None of your business, Looney Tunes," Ollie replied.

"That's not very polite! I introduced myself. The proper response is to do the same."

"We are the Dino Fury Power Rangers," Zayto replied, keeping his tone even as he faced her bravely and moved protectively in front of the rest of his team.

He's a natural leader, Jen decided.

"Dino Fury. More dinosaurs. How original," the Witch replied dryly. "Stick to the plan, Jezzy. This changes nothing."

It was then that Jen realized the Guild wasn't there for the Dino Fury Rangers. "Time Force! They're here for us today. Stay close together," Jen said. "Alphas, we need Lucas immediately."

"Of course, Jen," Three replied. "I will alert him to the urgency of the situation with great haste and make it clear his presence there is vital. I sense the potential for a great catastrophe in the air, and-"

"Yo, we're on it, Jen," Six cut her off.

Just as the Guild made a move, Lucas was teleported in. "What did I miss?" He asked.

"I don't know what they're up to, but they came here looking for our team," Jen explained.

"Then they picked a fight they're going to lose," Lucas declared confidently.

"Let's do this," Wes agreed.

"You can walk out of here freely and protect your toddler Rangers," Jezzeff said.

"Who are you calling toddlers?" Izzy demanded.

"Yeah, Zayto's probably older than you are," Javi added.

"I highly doubt that, Children," Jezzeff insisted.

"Actually, I estimate his age at roughly sixty-five million years old, give or take a few centuries," Sezzon replied. "He's older than Eltar... He may even be older than B'Deston and Nozann."

"How can you tell?" Bourbon asked.

"There was a prophecy, of course," Sezzon replied as if this was obvious.

"A prophecy? He's not Eltarian," Jonah protested.

"Eltar was not the only planet which prophecies were made about, Jonah. And I have read every single prophecy in Eltar's rather vast collection."

"So share it with the rest of the class, Sezzon," Bourbon said. "What was the prophecy?"

"An ancient warrior shall return in the modern day to stop a great evil from rising."

"That's it? That's not a lot to go on."

"I'm paraphrasing, but trust me, it was about this man standing in front of us."

"Alright, add him to our Must Kill list, but remember our focus," the Witch decided.

"Yes, of course," Jezzeff replied. "Do forgive my disrespectful assumption, Zayto. You look remarkably young for your age."

With that, Jezzeff unleashed another attack. This one targeted Zayto directly. Zyxx deflected it and asked, "Why don't you face him like a man, Jezzeff?"

Jezzeff drew his sword. "If you insist," he replied. "Tell me, Zayto... Are you any good with a sword? Here, take this. I shall go easy on you until I can assess your skill level." He handed Zayto a sword.

"Don't do it, Zayto," Trip advised. "Jezzeff is nearly impossible to defeat with a-"

Zayto raised his sword to meet Jezzeff's as Jezzeff made the first move. They began battling against each other as if they'd done it a thousand times before. Every move was perfectly executed by both men, and it was obvious they were equally matched.

"Whoa..." Ollie mumbled as the two dueled against each other. No one else made a move as they watched the scene as if it were a grand performance.

"Did you know he could do that?" Wes asked the younger team.

"Nope," Amelia replied.

"Not a clue," Izzy added.

Jezzeff looked highly entertained as he visibly stopped holding back. Zayto was still able to keep up with him. Jen had never seen anyone adapt to battling Jezzeff so easily.

"Quit playing with your food, Jezzy!" The Witch shouted. "Destroy him!"

It seemed like Jezzeff was enjoying himself too much to listen to her. He continued to duel against Zayto, smiling as he said, "I do appreciate a worthy foe."

"Oh, screw this!" The Witch declared. She turned toward the Time Force Rangers. "Give us the containment card or the infants die."

"Infants? Look here, Bitch-" Izzy began.

"Down, Feisty Pants," Lucas said, gently grabbing her before she could lunge at the Witch and get herself killed.

"What are you talking about, Witch?" Wes asked.

"Your descendant," the Witch replied, making Jen and Wes tense identically. "We want him back. He was a pain, but he served his purpose well enough, and the boy misses his daddy. Return him to us, or we'll slaughter your new friends."

"You wouldn't be able to free him," Trip protested. "You don't know how to work the containment cards."

"That would be true, except now, we have a technopath on our side!" With that, the Witch clapped her hands twice, and Jared suddenly appeared.

Jen's heart sank. The boy was injured. They'd busted his lip open and given him a black eye. There was no telling what else might happen to him if they didn't cooperate.

"Don't do it!" Jared shouted. "Even if they get the card, I won't help them."

"Shut the brat up," the Witch said.

"Be a good boy, Jared," Jonah said, "or I'll just borrow your powers myself." He moved closer to him, and Jared began shaking as he tried to stare at him defiantly.

"Jonah, come on," Zutan protested. "He's just a kid."

"I don't judge the way you use your magic."

"My magic doesn't involve molesting kids. I'm serious. If you touch him, I'll make sure you never draw another breath."

"You work for Jezzeff but have a problem with me pursuing a minor for use in sex magic? Their energy is more pure, and therefore, it gives me a stronger power boost."

"Jezz knows better than to do that shit in front of me. I happen to like kids, and not in the creepy way you both do."

"There are plenty of ways to scare the boy into cooperating," Sezzon replied. "I would not advise you attempt to violate a Child of the Flame, Jonah. They're stronger than you think."

"You guys are no fun," Jonah said with a frown.

"Sure we are," Reid replied. He moved so quickly no one saw it coming. He held a dagger to Jared's throat. "How's this for fun? Give us the card or I'll slit the brat's throat. We can find another technopath. You, however, cannot find another Jared."

Bailey cast a circle around Reid and Jared so no attacks could reach them. "You best answer quickly," he said as Jared struggled against Reid's grasp unsuccessfully.

Jen looked at Wes. He hesitated before nodding. They were in agreement. There was no other choice. "Get the card, Trip," she said.

Trip nervously entered a code into the device they'd stored the containment card in. Moments later, it opened. Trip pulled out the card and handed it to Jen.

"Give Jared back and we'll release Alex," Jen said. "You won't need him anymore."

"I don't like that plan," the Witch replied. "Free your ex. Then we'll give you the kid."

"Don't do it!" Jared cried. A scratch appeared on his throat as he moved the wrong way. Reid shifted slightly so the wound wouldn't deepen, apparently realizing if he accidentally killed Jared he'd lose their leverage.

"Jared, it's going to be okay," Katie said. "Stop struggling against him. You're only going to get hurt worse."

"You guys can't give them what they want!" Jared insisted.

"We have no choice," Lucas replied. "We're not going to let them hurt you, Kiddo." Jen knew he was especially horrified. Jared was extremely close to Cassie, and Lucas had gotten to know the boy very well. He liked him.

Jen sighed before freeing Alex from the card. He adjusted to being free as Jonah moved protectively in front of him. "Welcome back, my friend," Jonah said. "You have missed much."

Reid released Jared and shoved him toward the Power Rangers. Lucas pulled him into his arms. "Are you okay?" He asked as he checked his injuries.

Finally safe, Jared seemed to realize how close to possibly dying he'd come. He was trembling a bit as Lucas took care of him.

"You're going to be okay, Buddy, I promise. Stay with Dino Fury," Lucas said. He turned toward that team. "If things go South, you guys need to take him and have the Alphas teleport you to safety, alright?"

"We'll keep him safe," Amelia promised.

At the sight of the Time Force team, Alex's eyes turned cold and furious. "It looks like I got here just in time to put these disloyal traitors down," he replied.

"We're disloyal?" Katie demanded. "You're the one who betrayed everything we stand for, Alex!"

"Did I? Well, it seems like it's time for Time Force... to die!" Alex declared. He unleashed an attack they were not expecting.

"He has magic!" Jen shouted in disbelief.

Kizzie deflected the spell, but it visibly took a lot of effort. "Kizz!" Zyxx cried in alarm as she nearly collapsed.

Somehow, Kizzie remained on her feet. "You know, it's quite rude to fling death spells at people who have no magic," she scolded Alex.

Jezzeff was still dueling against Zayto, but he watched Kizzie with obvious interest as he did. Zayto took the opportunity to knock Jezzeff off his feet. This seemed to infuriate him as he barely dodged a second strike from Zayto. Jezzeff slipped in and out of time, reappearing behind Zayto and trying to impale him.

Amelia kicked Jezzeff's legs out from under him. She grabbed his sword and tossed it to Izzy, who swung it at Jonah as he tried to attack Javi. She managed to cut his arm just enough to draw blood.

To Jen's horror, Jezzeff zeroed in on Kizzie. He used a strange knife to cut her. Kizzie cursed in pain and couldn't seem to move. Jen tried to make sense of what was happening as Jezzeff seemed to begin growing stronger.

Jen was distracted as she realized that the necklace Katie was wearing beneath her shirt began to glow. Katie pulled it out in confusion. She clutched the stone in her hand. It was a yellow jade, and as she held onto it, Katie seemed to realized something.

"He's after the Campbell magic!" Katie shouted. "Zyxx, you have to get Kizzie out of here or he'll absorb her life force and destroy her like he did to Eric McKnight and Mallory!"

"She's right," Jen said as she considered Katie's words. It was the only thing that made sense, although she wasn't sure how the stone had made Katie realize Kizzie was in genuine danger. "Go."

Zyxx hesitated for a moment as he realized Kizzie's life was actually at risk. "You have no magic. You'll be unprotected," he said.

"We'll manage. Get Kizzie the help she needs."

He nodded and raced to Kizzie's side. Jen was mildly surprised to see Bourbon mumbling under his breath, and a moment later, the circle of magic protecting Jezzeff shattered.

"You made a big mistake," Zyxx informed Jezzeff before he cast a spell. Jezzeff suddenly began bursting into flames.

"Did he just make him spontaneously combust?" Amelia asked in surprise.

"It will only buy you a few minutes. Don't let your guard down," Zyxx replied. He scooped Kizzie up in his arms. "Stay with me, my brave and beautiful Kizzie," he said. He flung an emergency portal at the ground and vanished into it. Jen prayed he would be able to get Kizzie to help in time, but she couldn't focus on that. Jezzeff was down for a few minutes, but the other minions were still in play. This wasn't over yet.

SAKURA
Mentor Ji looked at her and sighed. "Your team is incomplete, but you are out of time," he said.

"Did something happen?" Sakura asked.

"It is about to." He motioned behind him and revealed Ichigo, Uryu, Orihime, Chad, and Rukia.

"Justice Rangers reporting for duty!" Orihime declared cheerfully.

Sakura nodded. "Alright, let's do this... It's Morphin' Time! White Ranger, Go!" She instantly morphed into a white suit. The Scale of Justice was centered over her chest, with the Feather of Truth on one side and a heart on the other. That seemed very fitting given the theme of the team.

"Red Ranger... Go!" Ichigo shouted in the same almost angry tone he'd use to call for his Bankai in battles. 

"Blue Ranger, Go!" Uryu said firmly.

"Pink Ranger, Go!" Orihime declared enthusiastically.

"Black Ranger... Go," Chad said in his usual calm, monotone voice.

"Yellow Ranger, Go!" Rukia finished stoically.

Sakura took a moment to study her newly morphed team. The rest of the suits were identical to her's except for the colors. It felt right, but she worried they were not going to be as strong without their final member. It was time to cave and ask Renji.

Just as she was about to ask Ji to find Renji for her, she felt someone else join them. He sighed in frustration before saying, "Alright, fine. I'll help."

"Toshiro!" Ichigo said in surprise.

"Give me the stupid morpher," Toshiro said, ignoring him.

Sakura smiled. "I knew you'd show up," she said. She passed him the Silver morpher. A dragon surrounded by snowflakes appeared on the blade.

"Silver Ranger, Go," Toshiro said in an annoyed and resigned tone that made Sakura grin because it was just so Toshiro. As he morphed, Sakura finally knew the team was complete.

"Alright, now what?" Ichigo asked.

Sakura tested out the communicator on her morpher. "Alphas, do you read me?" She asked.

"Ay-yi-yi! Who is this?" One replied. Judging from the word choice, Sakura figured it was either Five or Twenty-Six.

"This is Sakura, of the Justice Rangers," she said.

"Justice Rangers? There are Justice Rangers? Who are the Justice Rangers? Is this a prank call? This line is for emergencies only! Listen here, you hooligan-" The female voice that must belong to Three began to rant.

"Alphas, it's alright," a new voice said. "Justice Fury, this is Zordon. I am aware of your new team and will do my best to assist you."

"Justice Fury?" Uryu repeated.

"I knew they'd tack Force or Fury on there," Sakura said with a laugh.

"Who cares? It sounds cooler anyway," Ichigo replied.

"How can I assist, Justice Fury?" Zordon asked, causing them to focus again.

"Mentor Ji says it's time for us to join the fight. I assume there is trouble," Sakura replied.

"Yes, actually. The Guild has targeted the Time Force team. They have the Dino Fury Rangers with them, and while they are skilled, that team is still learning how to help in this battle. I feel something troubling in the air. I do believe they're going to need your help."

"Teleport us to the scene. We'll do whatever we can to help."

"Thank you, Sakura. I look forward to working with you all soon."

Moments later, the Justice Fury Rangers were teleported from the Soul Society to Angel Grove. The battle was in full swing.

"Who do we attack?" Toshiro asked.

"Anyone not wearing spandex!" Ichigo replied.

"It's not spandex!" Katie and Trip shouted in unison.

"Who the hell are you guys?" Jen demanded.

"Jen, I'm Sakura," she said quickly. "The Green Morphin' Master created a new team. We're here to help."

"Then welcome," Wes replied.

"Look out!" Chad suddenly shouted. "Del Directo!"

Even in his morphed form, Chad was able to summon the power which turned his arm into a weapon. He used it to shield Amelia from harm as the Witch flung an attack at her. His arm took the attack, but he didn't even appear to feel it.

"Whoa! Are you guys mutants?" Trip asked.

"That's just Chad. He's a little bit different," Ichigo explained. "Now... Give me someone's ass to kick!"

"Jonah threatened to do unmentionable things to my friend Jared here," Lucas said as he motioned toward Jonah. "Start there."

"Sounds good," Ichigo replied. He immediately headed for the Eltarian, attacking him fiercely.

"How many teams of Goddamned Power Rangers are there?" Zutan demanded.

"At this point, let's just assume that everyone has a morpher," Bourbon replied.

"Jezzy! We need to end this," the Witch said. "There's something off about this team. We have Alex. Let's go."

"No, Witch," Jezzeff replied. "I'd like to see what it is these new Rangers have to offer."

Uryu looked at Sakura. "That's him?" He asked.

"That's him," she confirmed.

Uryu nodded. He formed a bow and arrow out of Reishi, also known as spiritual particles, and loosed the arrow. It hit Jezzeff dead center in his chest, and for one glorious moment, Jezzeff was blasted apart. He reformed almost immediately, however.

"Jezzeff, we don't know this enemy," Sezzon said as he helped steady him. "I think the Witch is correct. We should leave."

"We have not finished what we started, Sezzon," Jezzeff replied firmly. Just as he moved to attack Jen, Zayto jumped between them. Sakura was stunned to realize Zayto had no trouble whatsoever keeping up with Jezzeff as he summoned a sword and they began to duel.

Jen turned her attention toward Zutan as he tried to stop Zayto from getting air in his lungs. She hit him hard, knocking him backward into a tree.

Zutan cursed as his head hit the tree. "Damn, that one hits as hard as Rhanna!" He complained to Bourbon.

"Katie hits even harder," Trip replied cheerfully.

Suddenly, an explosive was flung toward Jen. Sakura was about to intervene when Wes dove in front of it and knocked Jen to the ground. They were both knocked out of their morphs. He took the bulk of the impact, and several deep gashes appeared on his flesh.

"Wes!" Jen screamed. She pulled him into her arms, staring at his injuries in horror. "Don't you dare do this to me, Wes... Not like this... Not like this, damnit!"

"Sakura..." Toshiro said softly.

"I know," she replied. "I feel it, too." This wasn't good.

As everyone else battled against each other, Jen tried to protect Wes. Sakura could tell she was about to break.

"He's not so impressive now, is he, Jen?" Alex taunted her.

"Go to Hell, Alex! Wes is a thousand times the man you will ever be!" Jen snapped at him. She struggled to fight off Alex's attacks while still protecting Wes. It was clear she couldn't keep that up forever.

As Alex raised a spell Sakura knew was meant to kill, something completely unexpected happened.

"Bakudo Number Eight! Seki!" Rukia shouted. An orb of light blue energy appeared in front of Wes and Jen. The death spell hit the orb and bounced off of it, sending the energy straight back toward Alex. It struck him dead instantly.

"Orihime!" Rukia called, motioning toward the gravely injured Wes.

"Soten Kisshun! I reject!" Orihime cried as she knelt over Wes. As her energy formed a physical shield over him, the damage to Wes began to reverse.

"Jezzeff, these are not normal Power Rangers we're dealing with! We're leaving, right now!" The Witch commanded. She filled the area with darkness. It took a moment to vanish, and when it did, everyone from the Guild had disappeared, leaving Alex's corpse behind.

Everyone stared at his body for a moment. "Rukia Kuchiki, what did you just do?!" Toshiro demanded.

"Forgive me, Captain Hitsugaya, but I took a page out of Sakura's book and changed something," Rukia replied, bowing her head respectfully. She seemed a bit shocked by her own actions.

Sakura laughed at that. "I approve," she said.

"Wes Collins was meant to die today. Any soul reaper would have felt the mark on his soul. You interfered in his destined path, Rukia. That's a crime," Toshiro insisted.

"Wes is the better member of that family tree anyway," Sakura replied. "Personally, I'm totally here for this."

"You're not helping, Sakura."

"Look, the Power Rangers don't fall under our domain," Sakura pointed out. Except Mike, she added silently. "They belong to my mother's Underworld, and if she has a problem with what Rukia did, she can take it up with me. I've got Rukia's back on this one."

"If Wes was supposed to die today, and Alex wasn't, what does this mean?" Jen asked nervously.

"Wes no longer has a destiny... Which means he's free to do whatever he wants with whomever he wants... Including returning to the future with you when this all finally ends."

"Wait... I can go with them?" Wes repeated.

"Time Force needs a leader to oversee everything," Katie said. "It was technically still Alex. The job's vacant."

"I have a better idea... I'll take Jen's job, and she can lead the entire organization."

Jen stared at him. "Wes..." She began.

"Come on, Jen. I may be the Red Ranger, but literally everyone knows you're the real leader of this team. You should take over for Alex. You'll be a millions time better at it than he ever was or than I could ever be." He kissed her.

"We can discuss it later, when it's relevant," Jen decided. "The only thing that matters right now is that you're still here... And we don't have to say goodbye this time."

"We don't have to say goodbye ever, at least not until we're old and grey in our bed."

"He said our bed," Katie said with a grin. "I guess we can finally label them a couple."

Trip looked overwhelmed. He flung his arms around both of them and sobbed as he held on tight. Katie gently stroked his back to comfort him as his empathic gift became too much for him.

"Guys... What do we do about Alex?" Amelia asked softly.

"Burn the bastard or throw him in a ditch for all we care," Lucas replied.

"No," Jen said. "We'll bury him. It's the right thing to do." She looked conflicted as she studied him. "He turned into a monster, but he was our leader once... Our friend... My fiance. I know he's not that man anymore, but he still deserves a proper burial."

"Jezzeff will probably just try to resurrect him," Zayto pointed out.

"He can't. Alex unintentionally killed himself with a very powerful spell made from his own energy. His soul basically destroyed itself. There's no way to just resurrect him," Sakura replied. "It would take nearly the same amount of effort to resurrect him as it did to fix Elgan. Jezzeff can't pull it off alone, Super Shaman or not."

"Can we guarantee that?" Ollie asked.

"There is a way," Toshiro replied. "What is left of his soul is unable to leave his body on its own because he did so much damage to himself. We can release his soul into the Soul Society instead of your underworld. Eventually, his soul will reform and forget his existence here. He'll have a chance to make different choices when his soul is eventually reincarnated, without the burden of his choices as Alex weighing him down."

"You mean he'd get a second chance? His soul could be good again?" Jen asked.

"It depends on his choices, but yes. And regardless, he would reincarnate into our realm. None of you would have to deal with him, and he might eventually find peace."

"Yes," Jen decided. "That's for the best."

"Very well." Toshiro took his Zanpakuto and began speaking softly beside Alex. He touched the tip of the hilt to Alex's forehead. 

"What did you just do?" Wes asked. 

"I performed a Konso," Toshiro explained. "The Konso will cross what remains of Alex's soul over into the Soul Society."

"So it's over?" Katie asked. "We won't see him again?"

"As I said, he will never return to your realm," Toshiro confirmed. "His soul will exist in our world from now on."

"But he's from the future... If his soul's in the Soul Society, how will Alex even be born?" Zayto asked.

"Alex traveled back in time. What died here today is Alex from the year 3000-something. The part of him that will be born does not exist yet in this time, and will still be born and take the journey which led him here. He will not be affected."

"Does anyone else have a headache trying to think about how all of that works?" Ollie asked.

"Time travel math and logic will do that to a person," Wes replied sympathetically. "Don't worry. If the soul reapers say this won't change the future up until the point Alex left from, then I believe them." 

"All will happen as it originally did," Toshiro promised. 

Katie clutched a necklace between her fingers. Sakura could feel the magic flowing through the yellow jade stone and couldn't help but wonder what she was feeling. "Time Force... You guys don't have magic, right? Except for Trip, who comes from a planet where people have psychic powers?" She asked. 

"That's right," Jen replied. "Why do you ask?" 

"Katie, I hope you don't mind me asking, but where did you get that necklace?" 

"It's a family heirloom," Katie replied in confusion. "It's been passed down for generations." 

"May I see it?"

"Of course." Katie allowed Sakura to take the stone in her hands, but she didn't take the necklace off. "Sorry, but family law dictates that whoever gets this necklace can't take it off... It's meant to protect the person who wears it from harm. It's a silly superstition, but..." She hesitated. 

"Something happened, didn't it?" Sakura asked. 

"Yes. When Jezzeff was trying to kill Kizzie, it was like the necklace started to pulse... It went crazy until I pulled it out, and when I wrapped my hand around it, I suddenly knew exactly what he was trying to do to her. He wanted to harness her life force to gain access to the powers of the Campbell Chosen line." 

Sakura studied the energy for a moment before she nodded. "The necklace went crazy because Kizzie is the one who made it. She charged it with protection magic."

"Really? You mean Kizzie knew one of my ancestors?" 

"I think so. You'll have to ask her, but Kizzie has a really distinct energy signature, and this is definitely full of her magic." 

"I hope she's alright... She didn't look too good," Amelia said. 

"Kizzie's strong. She'll survive this," Sakura said. "Someone will probably need to fix her life force, however, especially depending on how much Jezzeff took. It was ambitious, stealing the life force of an Eltarian. They're powerful and their lives can be extremely long. It would have been a lot easier for him to kill literally any other Campbell. I figured he'd go for Liza, or one of the kids." 

"He'll have to find someone else from the line now, won't he?" Izzy asked. "We should warn them. He's going to be mad he wasn't able to succeed with Kizzie." 

"I'll warn them as soon as we get back to the safe house," Jen promised. She looked at Wes, and it was obvious the truth was sinking in. 

"You guys go on. We'll bring Alex's body somewhere safe until you're ready to bury it. It's just a shell now, so it's not a threat to anyone, but I want to make sure no one gets their hands on it anyway," Sakura said. 

"Thank you... Really. Especially you, Rukia," Jen said.

"There is no need to thank me," Rukia replied. "I only did what felt right in the moment. I'm glad it worked." 

"Just say you're welcome, Rukia," Ichigo said with a laugh. 

Rukia looked humble as she offered Jen a slight smile. "You're welcome," she said. "I hope the two of you finally find the happiness you deserve."

Wes clutched Jen's hand as Jen nodded and said, "Alphas... Bring us home."