CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

RONNIE
Things were bad, but they could have been worse. So far, Baizena hadn't done much harm to the kids. As long as Ronnie didn't fight her, the demon focused on draining her energy for her own use and left Ronnie's children alone. The only problem was that Ronnie was growing weaker. She couldn't keep this up much longer.

Baizena ran a knife up and down Ronnie's back before cutting her neck. It was shallow, but it still hurt, and as the demon licked the blood from her flesh, Ronnie struggled not to give into her fear. She began seeing images in her mind of everything that terrified her. Losing her family... Divatox... Jaybert... Every trauma in her past that she'd worked so hard to recover from replayed in her mind. It was overwhelming, and she suddenly felt like she was a terrified sixteen-year-old girl again.

Focus on your children, a voice whispered in her mind. Think of your twin sister, and your husband. Your family is your strength.

Who are you? Ronnie asked curiously.

I can't answer that, Ronnie... But I'm a friend. I promise you can trust me.

I bet that's what all the little voices would say.

You're probably right, but I am trying to help you. I think you know that.

I think I believe you.

Good. Help is on the way. You just need to hold on for a little bit longer. I promise you and your children will get out of this very soon.

Ronnie hoped that was the truth. That hope was enough to give her the strength to keep fighting. She was still terrified, but she didn't let the fear consume her.

We're going to survive this, she told herself. It's almost over. You and the kids are almost safe.

She help onto that belief for dear life.

ROXY
Her heart was racing with adrenaline and fear. The fear belonged to her twin. "Are you guys ready?" She asked.

"Rox, maybe you should stay here," Hannah replied nervously.

"Look, I may not be a Power Ranger, but I've got a lot of rage and the ability to kick ass in a fight. This is about my twin, Hannah. I'm not sitting this fight out."

"Do not worry, darling Hannah," T'Dania said soothingly. "Roxy has the heart of the fiercest warrior, and the bond between twins is the most sacred one there is."

Something about her words made Roxy realize T'Dania understood that bond. "You have a twin?" She guessed.

"Had, my darling. I had a twin." She offered her a sad smile. "I promise you, I will not allow you to know what it is to feel the pain I have felt every moment since I lost her."

Suddenly, Roxy understood T'Dania Treygan a little bit better. If she ever lost Ronnie, she'd probably want to watch the world burn, too.

Lucas suddenly teleported in. "Good! I didn't miss the mission," he said in relief.

"What happened? Is everyone okay?" Cassie asked.

"Alex is dead," Lucas replied.

"What? How? What did we miss?"

"Alex tried to kill Wes. A Soul Reaper interfered, and his spell hit him instead."

"Wait... A Soul Reaper? As in Sakura?"

"One of her friends. They're a team of Power Rangers now, too, apparently."

"Jeez, we missed one fight and everything changed!" Justin said in surprise.

"You have no idea," Lucas replied. "It was Wes's time, but Alex died instead, and it didn't unmake the future, but now Wes has no destiny, so he and Jen can be together and-"

"Awww, good for them!" Cassie declared.

"Anyway, Justin, listen... Jared needs you."

"What's this got to do with my son?" Justin demanded.

"The Guild kidnapped him to try to force him to free Alex, so Jen did it instead. He's safe, and he wasn't hurt that badly, but the kid's shaken up. I took him to Denni and Callie, but I figured you might want to go be with him."

Justin hesitated. "You guys need me."

"We'll always need you, Justin, but Jared's your son," Cassie replied.

"If there's one thing I learned from my dad, it's that your kids should come first. My dad never got that memo. I'm sorry, guys. I need to be with Jared right now."

"Go," Cassie replied with a smile. "We've got this. I'll call you if we really need to."

Justin nodded gratefully before leaving the rest of them. T'Dania didn't seem surprised he'd had to leave. "Lucas will handle Justin's part of the plan," she said calmly. "Cassie, darling, please fill him in. As for the rest of you... Once you step through this portal, there will be no turning back. If anyone wishes to remain behind, speak now."

"Lia, you should stay here," Hannah said.

"But Mom-" Lia Selene began to protest.

"You aren't trained to deal with any of this, sweetie."

"The girl must come with us," T'Dania said firmly.

"She's not involved in any of this," Roxy protested.

"Of course she is, Darling. She's Eltarian."

Everyone stared at her. "Did you not know?" T'Dania asked in confusion. "My apologies. Her B'Deston bloodline is quite powerful. I detected it immediately."

"My moms adopted me after becoming my foster parents for a while, but... Are you saying I'm an alien?" Lia asked in disbelief.

"I can say with quite a bit of certainty that you come from people born of Eltar."

Hannah hugged Lia protectively. "It's alright, honey. No matter what, you're our daughter, and we love you. We'll protect you," she said.

"Hey, I think it's cool that you're secretly an alien," Roxy added with a smirk. "You're still our baby girl, Eltarian or not."

"The girl must come," T'Dania said again. "Her powers must be unlocked for her own safety."

"I have powers?" Lia repeated.

"Oh yes, my darling. You're going to be an asset today. Now... Let's go."

They stepped through the portal. As soon as they did, they found themselves in the middle of an enormous room. The Witch looked up in surprise before glaring at T'Dania.

"What do you want?" She demanded.

"Several things, Evianna," T'Dania replied.

"That's! Not! My! Name!" The Witch screamed. She tried to lunge at T'Dania, but someone else came into view.

"Allow me," Baizena said.

At that moment, everything shifted, and Roxy found herself completely alone.

B'DANNA
B'Danna tensed as she prepared to fight. Before she could, everything shifted. She could no longer see anyone else. That was when her father walked into the room.

This isn't real, she told herself. You killed him, and his idiot friends. They can't hurt you or anyone else. The demon is messing with you.

That realization gave her strength. She took a swing at her father and he vanished as the illusion shattered. Soon, she found herself looking at Draze right before he got shot.

"Is this the best you've got?" B'Danna demanded as the bullet pierced Draze's forehead. "I already lived through this. You can't break me."

As the second illusion vanished, B'Danna found herself inside of an empty room. It's a labyrinth, she realized. Laby didn't build it, so it shouldn't be that difficult to navigate. I've had plenty of experience. I have to find the others.

With that, B'Danna set out to search for her allies and the hostages.

T'DANIA
The sudden shift of reality was only a slight shock. T'Dania knew exactly what Baizena was capable of. She hadn't told the others, because she knew they'd need to figure it out on their own to find their strength.

At first, T'Dania saw nothing. "I have already survived my worst fears coming true, Baizena," she informed the demon. "Your powers will not work on me."

That was when she saw the last thing she expected. Zekiah Yizak looked at her sadly. "I love you, T'Dania," he informed her.

"This is your best attempt, Baizena?" She demanded. "I do not fear Zekiah Yizak! I do not fear any man!"

"It's not me you fear, my T'Dania... It is your feelings for me," Zekiah insisted.

"Complete and utter hatred and disgust?" She quipped.

"You cannot fool me, T'Dania. You are in love with me."

"I believed I was once. They call it Stockholm Syndrome on this planet. You were the captor who was kindest to me, so I told myself I loved you in order to survive what was happening to me."

"You are many things, T'Dania Treygan, but I never believed a liar was one of them."

Baizena's power is based in trauma and fear. The other traumas didn't manifest because I have already faced them and processed them. I must face the truth, T'Dania realized.

She sighed before shaking her head and kissing Zekiah. For a brief moment, it was soothing. The familiarity of his arms, even after all of this time, was a comfort she never wanted to leave.

When she finally pulled away, she could no longer deny the truth. "I was in love with you, Zekiah... You showed me kindness even my own husband was incapable of... However, you murdered my sister. I cannot forgive such an act."

"T'Dania... You know the truth."

She did, but it hurt too much to say it aloud. "I will find you, Zekiah. One day, we will have the conversation we should have had long ago. Right now, however, you are only an illusion, and my daughter and her friends need me." She took a deep breath before saying, "Goodbye, Zekiah."

The illusion faded away. T'Dania began making her way through the labyrinth. Almost immediately, she found B'Danna.

She smiled with pride before embracing her daughter. "You broke through it before even I did," she said. "You are truly extraordinary, my darling."

"Come on," B'Danna replied. "Everyone else is still trapped."

KAYLEN
Her parents and younger sister stood in front of her. Claire looked at her with tears in her eyes as their father collapsed in a pool of blood. Their mother began to climb onto a ledge.

"This is all your fault, Kaylen!" Claire shouted. "We were safe! All of this ended! You brought it back into our lives!"

Kaylen spotted her children as they joined her mother on the ledge. Her mother smiled at Kaylen and cried, "I can fly, sweetie! Look! We can all fly!"

Her mother grabbed onto Connie and Cameron and jumped off of the ledge as they screamed for Kaylen to save them.

I've been here before, she suddenly thought. The sense of deja vu was enough to snap Kaylen out of the hallucination.

"A fear labyrinth?" She asked, rolling her eyes. "That's so 1989!" She grabbed her bat and started walking through the labyrinth with determination to save her friends.

AUSTIN
He'd been here before. Austin spent many nights having horrible nightmares about his father, especially centered around the night Austin couldn't save his mother from him.

I wasn't sleeping... Was I? Austin wondered. He swore he'd been in the middle of something important before this nightmare started.

His mother's corpse suddenly turned into Kaylen, and Austin stood over her, his fists bloody and bruised from beating her.

"Dad, stop! Don't hurt Mom!" Cameron screamed. He tried to pull Austin away from Kaylen, so Austin slammed his head against the floor several times, knocking him unconscious.

Connie came into the room and screamed, "What have you done, Dad?"

Austin rounded on her, beating her until she went limp, and still not stopping.

"I'm proud of you, Boy!" His father declared, slapping him on his back. That made Austin stop what he was doing.

"No..." Austin whispered in horror. "I'm not like you... I'm nothing like you!"

"What did you say?" His father demanded. He pulled off his belt and came toward Austin, ready to strike. Austin was suddenly a teenager again, and the corpse on the floor turned back into his mother as Kaylen and the kids vanished.

"It's just a dream," Austin told himself. "It isn't real. You're not real!"

His father moved to strike him with the belt, but Austin was ready for it. He caught the belt in midair and ripped it out of his father's hands. His father raised his fists and was about to hit Austin when something happened.

"Hey, Dickbag!" Kaylen shouted.

His father turned toward her just as she swung her bat at him. He doubled over in pain and said, "I'm going to kill you, you little bitch!"

Austin had had enough. "Don't you dare talk to her like that!" He shouted. He hit his father with the strongest punch he'd ever thrown. This caused his father to vanish, but Kaylen remained.

"You're real?" Austin asked.

Kaylen kissed him. "What do you think?" She replied.

"Kay, we've got to find the others," he said urgently.

"Two of them just found you," B'Danna replied as she and T'Dania came into view. "Are you guys alright?"

"We're fine," Kaylen replied. "Laby totally did it better, by the way."

"Yeah, he's really good at fear labyrinths," B'Danna agreed. "Garron used to have him create them to train some of the Rebels to make them stronger."

"Come on, Y'all," Austin said. "We need to keep moving."

"Austin, wait a moment, my darling," T'Dania replied. She took a deep breath, uttered a single word in Eltarian, and a woman suddenly appeared in front of them.

Austin stared at her in shock. "Mama?" He asked softly.

His mother opened her arms and hugged him. She was manifested just strongly enough that he could feel her, and he hugged her back in disbelief.

"I figured I could do you this kindness," T'Dania explained. "You need her after what you just experienced."

"She's really here? It's not another illusion?" Austin asked. If it was, he didn't want it to end.

"I'm here, my brave little man," his mother reassured him.

"Mama, I'm so sorry... I didn't save you..." Austin said with tears in his eyes.

"You weren't meant to, Austin. I'm the parent. It was my job to protect you, not the other way around." She held him, and Austin allowed himself to feel the weight of his grief fully as he cried in her arms.

"I love you, Mama," he said as he finally stopped crying.

"I know you do. I love you, too. I watch you and your family every day, Austin. I am so proud of you. You've grown up to be exactly the man I hoped you would."

Hearing T'Dania say it had been one thing, but to hear it directly from his mother was quite another. "Mama, I'm sorry... I have to go. My friends need me," he said softly.

"Yes they do. Go back to saving the world, sweetheart. I'll always be right here with you." She kissed the top of his head. He grounded himself to that familiar sensation and finally experienced a peace he hadn't felt in thirty-one years.

"I love you," he said again. "I promise I'll keep making you proud."

Austin released his mother. She faded away, but he could still feel her. He looked at T'Dania gratefully. "Thank you for that, Ma'am," he said softly.

She smiled in response. "Of course," she replied. "Now, my darlings, it's time to find the rest of your friends."

LEE
Everything had tilted sideways. When Lee regained his balance, he saw LJ, Tiffani, Nik, and Dimi.

"Dad!" Tiffani cried as she flung her arms around him.

"Are you guys hurt?" Lee asked. "Where's your mom?"

"We're okay," LJ replied. "The demon keeps Mom away from us for the most part."

"Let's get out of here," Lee said. He scooped the twins up in his arms, but Tiffani started screaming, and when Lee looked down, his youngest sons were dead.

"Nik! Dimi!" Lee cried in horror.

"You were too late, Lee!" Ronnie screamed as she looked at him with blood red eyes and a knife in her hands. "This is all your fault!"

She ran toward him, and Lee knew he had to fight back, but he couldn't bring himself to hurt her. "Ronnie, this isn't you! Stop!" He shouted.

Ronnie slashed LJ's throat in response. She moved toward Tiffani. "Daddy! Help me!" Tiffani screamed.

"Ronnie, no! Don't do this!" Lee shouted.

"Stop me, Lee! Put me down and save our daughter!" Ronnie taunted him.

He suddenly had a sword in his hands. He ran toward his wife and daughter, but he hesitated before striking.

Lee... Someone called. Lee, listen to me very carefully. You must use the sword on her.

Are you nuts, Random Voice? He demanded. I am not stabbing my wife with a sword!

That's not your wife, but that is your daughter, and she's going to die unless you attack the demon!

Lee suddenly wasn't sure what to believe. Who are you? He asked.

I can't reveal that yet, the voice replied. You summoned a sword for a reason, Lee. Part of you knows the truth. Attack the demon and save your family.

Lee's heart told him to trust the voice. He raised the sword and forced himself not to see Ronnie, the woman he loved, as he attacked. He impaled her and grew slightly concerned as she screamed in pain that he might have made a mistake.

Tiffani sent a wave of water at the figure of her mother. The illusion washed away. In Ronnie's place, the demon lay bleeding. She glared at Lee before vanishing.

"Dad!" Tiffani cried, hugging him tightly. "You did it!"

"Where are your brothers?" Lee asked, trying not to panic.

"They're okay. She left them in the room she's been keeping us in."

"She's not dead. She'll be back."

"You hurt her pretty badly, though."

"Do you know where your mom is?"

"No. The demon keeps her away from us as much as she can. Mom's been letting her hurt her to keep us safe." Her voice cracked with emotion.

"It's okay, Tiff. You're safe, and I'm going to rescue your brothers and your mom, too." He paused. "Do you smell smoke?"

"She tried to bind our magic. It worked on me and LJ, but my binding spell broke when you injured her. It didn't work on the twins the right way, and they keep misfiring," Tiffani replied. Her eyes lit up as she realized something else. "If we follow the smell, we'll find them and LJ!"

Lee and his daughter headed toward the scent of fire. An inferno had broken out in the room. Tiffani quickly used water to extinguish it.

"Dad!" LJ shouted as he spotted him.

"Oooh, a sword!" The twins cried in excited unison.

They were restrained, so Lee freed LJ first before freeing his younger sons. "I need to find your mom," Lee said. "LJ, stay with the twins and Tiffani." He pushed the button on his communicator. "Three, send the kids to my nephew."

"Of course, Lee. I'll bring them straight to Jason!" Alpha Three replied seriously. "Have you had any luck with Ronnie?"

"Not yet, but I'll find her," Lee replied with determination.

"Good luck to you, Lee Scott," Three replied. "I believe in you! Children, prepare for teleportation in three... Two..."

"Yay!" Nik and Dimi cried in excitement. They were bouncing up and down and looked like they might run off at any moment.

Tiffani held onto Nik while LJ grabbed Dimi as Three cried, "One!" The kids vanished in a brilliant flash of light.

"They are safe now, Lee," Three promised. "Jason has them and the house is guarded from outside interference. Be safe on your journey, and I look forward to hearing all about this epic quest once you return!"

With that, things fell silent, and Lee braced himself for the journey ahead.

PATTI
She was sobbing as she stared at her friends and family, dead on the ground around her. Her shield was out, but it was only protecting her. Patti had failed everyone she loved.

Cooper was still moving, but he was gravely injured. As Patti's shield failed completely, Jezzeff sent an attack at her. Cooper used the last of his strength to dive in front of her. The attack hit him right in the chest, and as Patti screamed and pulled him into her arms, his eyes stared at her lifelessly.

"I'm sorry!" Patti sobbed. "I wasn't strong enough... I couldn't do anything! I'm no Power Ranger..."

"Yes you are," a voice said gently.

Patti was startled to see Hannah coming toward her, especially since her older sister's lifeless corpse still lay on the ground.

"Hannah?" Patti asked in confusion. "What's happening?"

"This isn't real, honey," Hannah explained soothingly. "You have to break through it. You're going to be okay, Patti."

"I don't understand... No one's dead?"

"No one's dead," Hannah confirmed. "Patti, I know how you feel. I used to think I was the useless one on my team, too. I wasn't much of a fighter, and I thought I was weak... But I found my strength, and I realized my team needed me just as much as I needed them. You have come so far, Patti. You've gotten stronger, and you've learned to use your powers in battle to protect your team. You are so strong, sweetie."

"I'm just so scared that I don't deserve to be a Power Ranger, Hannah..."

"You are worthy, Patti. You have the heart of a true Pink Ranger, and I am so proud to share a color with you. Now, I know you can beat this. Just believe in yourself as much as I believe in you."

Patti took a deep breath. She closed her eyes and summoned her shield. When she opened her eyes, the room was full of light, but Jezzeff and all of the dead bodies of her loved ones were gone.

"You did it!" Hannah said as she hugged her. "You broke the illusion!"

Patti relaxed slightly. "Thanks, Sis." She smiled as she released Hannah. "Where's everyone else?"

"You were the first one I found after I broke free."

"What did you see?"

Hannah smiled sadly. "What I needed to see," she replied. That was cryptic, but Patti didn't push her.

They started walking until they found Roxy, who was cursing her head off as she fought against an invisible foe. "Rox, it's me, honey," Hannah called.

Roxy continued to struggle. Her terror was clear, but so was her rage. Apparently, fear didn't shut Roxy down, it just infuriated her.

Patti suddenly had an idea. She focused until her shield began to manifest. She slowly wrapped it around Roxy, who looked confused for a moment before she began to calm down.

"Well that sucked," Roxy mumbled as she shook off whatever illusion she'd seen. "Thanks, Kiddo."

"No problem," Patti replied. Between Hannah's encouragement and her success at breaking Roxy's illusion, Patti was feeling much more confident. "Let's find everyone else. Maybe I can free them, too."

LIA SELENE
The world was shaking. She screamed as debris fell all around her. The earthquake was powerful, and she was alone. Lia hid under a desk and covered her eyes.

She wasn't an adult. In fact, she was a little girl, and she realized she was witnessing something she'd seen before.

Two men stood a few feet away, battling beside her father and a woman who kept pulling objects out of thin air. Her mother, to Lia's great surprise, was casting spells against the people who were attacking them.

What is this? Lia wondered. What's happening?

"Why are you doing this, Calizahn?" Her father demanded.

"I have come for the child," Calizahn replied. He was a tall man with a long nose and a blue tint to his skin.

"You would betray us and try to take our daughter?" Her mother demanded.

"Garron will have your head for this!" Her father added.

"Give me the girl," Calizahn replied.

"Never! You'll have to go through all of us!" One of the men said.

Rico, Lia's mind told her. His name was Rico, and the other two were Mark and Delilah. They lived with us.

The battle continued. Her mother cast a spell that wrapped around her and kept her hidden and safe. Lia watched in silent horror as everyone she loved was killed in the battle. Calizahn was trapped beneath debris and didn't survive, but Lia remained too terrified to move.

She got the sense that much time passed before someone moved through the debris and came toward her. "The girl! She's over here!" A voice cried.

Lia was terrified as a woman scooped her up in her arms protectively. "You're safe now, sweet Selene," she said soothingly.

Selene, Lia suddenly remembered. My name wasn't Lia. It was just Selene.

"We need to bring her to Garron," a man with long blonde hair said. He gently checked her for injuries. "She wasn't harmed."

"There are no other survivors," a very large, intimidating man with dark hair said as he joined them. "It looks like Calizahn betrayed them."

Lia began to cry in the woman's arms. "It's alright, little one," the woman insisted as she gently rocked her. "We will hide you where no one will find you."

"We could take her in," the blonde man said thoughtfully. "We'd be able to protect her."

"No, Raff," the woman said suddenly. "Selene is a special girl with a unique gift. She will only be safe hidden away from all of this. Even we must not know what becomes of her."

"People will find her as soon as she uses her powers, Felina."

"I will bind her magic... We will bring her to a safe place, then I will mix a potion to make us forget. The world will believe she died today along with her family in this tragic earthquake."

"How will she protect herself if she is bound?" The taller man asked.

"When the time is right, the spell will break, Lido, and she will find her way back to the Rebellion. Until then, not even Garron must know she lives."

Suddenly, Felina, Raff, and Lido vanished. In their place stood the Witch.

"What rare gift do you possess?" The Witch demanded.

"I... I have no idea what they were talking about!" Lia insisted.

"Felina wouldn't have gone to such great lengths to hide you if you weren't special. Tell me. Tell me, tell me, tell me!"

"I swear I don't know!"

The Witch shrugged. "Maybe Jezzy can get it out of you. You're coming with me, brat!"

As the Witch went to grab her, Lia panicked. She screamed and put her hands up defensively. That was when a door appeared out of thin air. As it swung open, an army of living stone raced out of the door and attacked the Witch.

As the Witch cried out in surprise, Lia stared in shock at the creatures before her. "Gargoyles?" She asked in disbelief.

She'd been obsessed with gargoyles since she was little. Roxy collected them, and once she had realized Lia was fascinated by them, she'd helped her start her own collection.

"Get it off!" The Witch screamed as one of the gargoyles took a bite out of her arm. She howled in agony as light burst from the wound. "Trevor! Help me!"

A boy came into view. He looked terrified as he saw the gargoyles, but he obediently tried to help the Witch. The gargoyles immediately backed off, surrounding them but not risking causing harm to Trevor.

Gargoyles protect the innocent from evil. The Witch is pure evil. This boy is not, Lia realized.

"You have done well, Child," T'Dania said as she arrived with B'Danna, Austin, and Kaylen. "Come with us. We'll find your mothers."

"Wait... I did this? I summoned the gargoyles?" Lia asked.

"Yes. We must hurry, Lia Selene. Your help is needed elsewhere."

"What about the boy?"

"We must leave him for now. He has his own path to walk."

"I don't want to leave him here."

"Lia, come on," Kaylen said. "Let's go before the bitch gets back on her feet."

"It's alright, Darlin'," Austin added soothingly. "He's safe for now."

As a gargoyle came toward her and rubbed its head against her hand, Lia realized they were right. Her Aunt Ronnie was still missing, and so were her cousins. They needed to help them. She pet the gargoyle affectionately before allowing Austin to take her hand and guide her away.

The other gargoyles remained between Lia and the Witch, ensuring the latter couldn't try anything while Lia and the others left. The one who'd rubbed his face on her hand remained at her side, and it was clear to her that he wasn't going to let her leave unprotected.

"So... Gargoyles, huh?" Kaylen asked. "That's a new one."

B'Danna looked uncomfortable. "A Gargoyle Keeper is only born once every millennia," she explained. "The last one was supposedly killed a couple of decades ago when she was a toddler." She frowned. "I think Roxy and I need to have a talk with Felina when we get out of here."

"First we need to find Roxy," Austin pointed out. "And everyone else, too. There's no telling what Baizena's making them experience."

With that in mind, the search for their allies resumed.

SERENA

The need to protect her friends had overpowered her fear pretty quickly. After all, Serena knew what to do this time. She'd been put through this once before at Laby's hands and hadn't been able to escape on her own, but this time, she put her noise cancelling headphones and ear plugs on and faced the overstimulation head on.

"I have coping skills I lacked as a teenager," Serena informed Baizena, who she suspected was listening. "Fear no longer shuts me down, and I know what to do when my senses are forced into overdrive. Your tactics are ineffective against me."

She began making her way through the labyrinth confidently but still cautiously, keeping an eye out for potential threats. What she found terrified her, but not because of an illusion.

The casket was made of glass. Inside was Dimitria, but she looked completely different from the last time Serena had seen her. Even through the glass, it was obvious Dimitria had aged significantly and was close to death.

The electrical impulses radiating from the casket suggested a potential catastrophe was looming very close by. If Serena tried to touch it, she knew she'd be electrocuted and possibly killed immediately. If she shattered the glass, it might cause an explosion, and it would almost definitely kill Dimitria. She needed a better plan, and fast.

"I have to ground the electrical currant," she mumbled aloud. "That's the only way to safely open the casket."

She began searching for anything that might make that possible. She spotted a large metal table nearby and quickly flipped it over. There was rubber stripping along the edge of it, so she began to rip it off. Wrapping the rubber securely around her hand, she adjusted the legs of the table so they faced as far out as possible. Still keeping her hand wrapped, Serena touched two of the legs to the casket.

The electricity shot through the table. The other legs sparked as they released it, and it produced some smoke, but it was working. As the electricity was redirected, Serena kept her hand wrapped and tried to pry the casket open.

The lid was too heavy. Serena groaned in frustration. She continued trying, but it was no use. She couldn't do this on her own.

"Serena!" Lee cried as he raced toward her.

"Lee, I require your brute jock strength," Serena replied.

Lee laughed. "Alright, what do you need me to do?"

"Dimitria's in the casket. I believe she's still alive, but barely. I can't lift the lid."

Lee nodded. He was about to touch it when Serena stopped him. "You can't just touch it, Lee. Don't you see the electricity? Do you have rubber gloves by any chance?"

"Not on me."

"I don't have enough rubber here to wrap your hands... We're going to have to improvise. Take off your shoes."

"My shoes?" He repeated.

"Sneakers have rubber soles. If you put them on your hands, it should protect you. It's not ideal, but it's all we've got to work with."

Lee shrugged and took off his sneakers. He slipped his hands into them before using his entire body to push the lid of the casket up.

The electricity stopped flowing as the casket popped open. Lee looked at Dimitria with obvious concern before he checked her pulse. "She's alive," he said, "but her pulse is weak. I don't know if we can wake her up."

"Good," a voice Serena hadn't heard in thirty-one years said. "She's less annoying when she's unconscious."

"Divatox..." Lee said as he turned around to face her.

"In the flesh!" She paused. "Well, not quite in the flesh, but I will be soon enough!"

Serena knew the table still had a lot of electricity in it. She used her wrapped hand to lift it up and throw it at Divatox's head. The electricity made her scream and vanish.

"Did you just kill a ghost?" Lee asked.

"That seems unlikely," Serena replied. "Energy can never fully be destroyed, but we can only perceive energy that exists on certain levels of-"

"Serena... I'm not as good at physics as you are," Lee reminded her gently.

"Right. Divatox is currently on a plane of existence we can't interact with due to the electrical shock the table sent through her. She'll be back, but I bought us a little while to try and help Dimitria."

"Great. Let's see if we can move her."

"Perhaps I can help," someone said as he approached them.

Bradley looked heartbroken as he saw the shape Dimitria was in. "What did they do to you?" He asked softly. He stroked her hair gently before sadly adding, "She's still so beautiful."

To Serena's surprise, Dimitria's eyes fluttered open. She looked at them weakly before saying, "Bradley... You came for me."

Her voice was raw and hoarse. It was obvious she hadn't spoken in decades. Bradley continued to gently stroke her hair as he replied, "Of course I did."

"Dimitria, we have to get you out of here," Serena said. "Divatox could be back any minute."

"My poor, misguided sister..." Dimitria replied. "She has no idea what she's gotten herself into."

"So let's go get her out of it," Lucas said from the doorway. He looked horrible. His eyes were haunted and bloodshot.

"Lucas... Are you okay?" Lee asked.

"Baizena went for a cheap shot," Lucas replied. "She made me relive what happened to my wife and daughter, but I do that every night anyway. That didn't break me."

"You were crying," Serena pointed out. "Something broke you."

"What broke me was seeing the same thing happen to Cassie. At first, I panicked, but then I heard her... I heard my Ari... And she told me, 'Daddy, it's not real. Cassie still needs you. Go find her.'" He shook his head. "The shock of hearing my little girl's voice was enough to snap me out of the hallucination."

Lee hugged Lucas tightly. "I know how hard that must have been for you," he said. "I'm glad you broke through. Come on... We need to find Cassie and the others."

CASSIE
She really hated fear-based magic. Cassie had plenty of trauma to draw from, and that made her a perfect target. She knew what she was looking at wasn't real, but that didn't make it any easier.

Ashley, Carlos, and TJ were dead. Andros and Zhane lay beside them in identical pools of blood. Justin was screaming for help as something tore him apart.

"Look, Baizena, I'm so over this crap," Cassie said firmly. "You're recycling Laby's old tricks. I've been there, done that, and bought the t-shirt."

Karone died next. Slowly, one by one, every single person she cared about started to die. Lucas raced toward her.

"Cassie, I'm sorry," he said. "I can't stay with you. I have to go back home to my time." He teleported away.

"Really? That's what you do to Lucas? Watching him die would be way worse," Cassie said.

"You're alone, Cassie," Baizena said as she faced her directly. "That is what you fear... Being left behind, all alone, the last one standing."

Cassie's chest tightened. She knew it was an illusion, but the weight of being truly alone in the world was too much for her heart. She looked around and realized that she was suddenly in a cemetery. The dead were no longer visible, but their tombstones were. She sank to her knees in tears.

"I'm alone..." Cassie whimpered, suddenly unable to remember the truth. "I'm all alone..."

"Yo, Cassie!" Alpha Six suddenly shouted.

"Alpha?" Cassie asked in confusion. She couldn't see him, but she'd heard him clearly.

"Cassie, answer me!" Six called again.

Cassie realized her communicator was the source of the sound. She pressed it. "Alpha Six? Is that you?" She asked.

"And me," Three chimed in. "We sensed you had flown into an extreme state of distress. Six thought reaching out might break through whatever had disturbed you so severely."

"I'm alone," Cassie sobbed. "Everyone's dead... I'm all alone..."

"Yo, Cassie, you know that's not true," Six replied. "You're a Power Ranger. You'll never be alone. Once a Ranger, Always a Ranger. You're a badass Pink Ranger, but everyone breaks sometimes, so when you feel like you're too weak to fight, we'll be strong for you. We've got your back!"

She took a deep breath. "I'm never alone," she whispered. As the truth filled her heart, Cassie found her strength. The illusion shattered.

"Thanks, Alphas," Cassie said. "I'm ready to fight now."

"That's my girl!" Six declared.

"I detect Lucas and two of the Wildcats a few rooms away from you," Three added. "Join them now. The battle is not over."

ROXY
She could sense Ronnie, but she couldn't quite reach her. To know her twin was close but she couldn't find her was the worst feeling in the world for Roxy. She had ended up running ahead of the others as her instincts demanded she run toward her sister while they battled a few Guild members they encountered along the way.

Focus, Roxy. Ignore the fear you're feeling and just focus. She's your twin. You can find her, she told herself.

Suddenly, Roxy knew exactly where to look. The path to Ronnie seemed to light up, and she followed it quickly. Nothing else was able to distract her.

Ronnie looked like she'd been through hell, but she was alive, and that was the only thing Roxy focused on as she wrapped her arms around her.

"Rox..." Ronnie whimpered.

Roxy freed her sister from her restraints and helped her stand until her legs stopped shaking. "Are you okay, Ron?" She asked.

"I think so," Ronnie replied.

Baizena suddenly entered the room. She was not alone. Jezzeff, Sezzon, Bailey, Reid, and Jonah were with her, although Jonah didn't look very stable. He'd obviously survived something serious.

"What happened to you?" Roxy asked. "Did you get hit by a truck or something?"

Jonah glared at her as Jezzeff replied, "The Soul Reaper he faced was quite the formidable opponent... Ichigo, I believe his name was. Jonah, go to the other base. You need to recover. You aren't strong enough for this battle."

Jonah stepped through a portal and vanished. Jezzeff turned his full attention on the twins. Roxy was surprised when Ronnie stepped in front of her protectively.

"Ronnie, I'm the fighter, remember?" Roxy pointed out.

"And I'm the one the Eltarian Rebellion trained for war," Ronnie replied. "I've got this, Rox."

"Together," Roxy decided. Ronnie nodded in agreement.

They began fighting against the Guild and Baizena. Roxy was impressed at how fiercely Ronnie fought their enemies. With a move straight out of cheerleading, Ronnie jumped into the air, rotated her body three times, and kicked Sezzon in the head.

Sezzon stumbled backward in shock. He touched his nose as blood came out.

"The cheerleader just kicked your ass!" Reid said as he howled with laughter.

Bailey looked like he was trying not to laugh as he handed Sezzon a handkerchief to stop the bleeding. "Are you okay?" He asked.

Sezzon surprised Roxy by cracking a smile. "I admit I did not see that coming," he replied as he applied pressure to his nose.

"Try to cross us again and you'll see what happens when you piss me off," Roxy informed them.

Reyzzo, Bourbon, Zutan, Shelby, and the Beast Morphers entered the room. As everyone looked at Sezzon, they briefly hesitated in confusion. "What happened?" Reyzzo asked.

"The cheerleader beat him up!" Reid informed them with more laughter.

Zutan covered his own laugh with a cough. Bourbon smirked and said, "Hey, it happens to the best of us, Sezzon. I'll pour you a drink later."

"Enough," Jezzeff said sharply. "It is time to finish this."

Suddenly, just as the Guild and Baizena zeroed in on the twins, they were no longer alone. Cassie, Lucas, the Wildcats, T'Dania, B'Danna, Patti, Bradley, and Lia joined them. Roxy was surprised to realize that Dimitria was also with them.

Jezzeff looked furious as he spotted Dimitria. "How did you free her?" He demanded.

"Easy," Lee replied. "Serena's a genius."

Jezzeff went straight for Dimitria. Patti reacted immediately, wrapping her shield of light around her.

Dimitria smiled peacefully as she said, "My beautiful Krista Marie... You grew up so strong."

Patti's eyes turned very shy as she said, "Hi, Mom..."

Dimitria opened up her arms. Patti ran into them and hugged her. "I have missed you terribly, my beloved daughter. I am quite proud to see the young woman you have become. Now is the time to fight. Stay strong, Krista."

Lee ran to Ronnie and wrapped her in his arms. "Are you alright?" He asked.

"I'm fine," she replied. "Lee, the kids-"

"Are safe. I had the Alphas send them to Jason."

"Thank God," Ronnie said with a sigh of relief.

Roxy squeezed Hannah's hand before moving closer to Lia. "Are you okay, Kiddo?" She asked. Then she noticed the gargoyle standing at her side. "Whoa... I guess you found those powers T'Dania mentioned?"

"Yeah," Lia replied. "There's a lot I need to tell you, Mama Roxy."

"I look forward to it."

"What a sweet series of family reunions," Jezzeff said dryly. "And now, you shall all perish together."

The Guild and Baizena began moving closer, and Roxy knew the battle was about to resume. She braced herself for the coming fight, knowing it would take everything they had this time.

HANNAH
"Rangers... It's that time," Cassie said. "Shift into Turbo!"

"Ugh. Not this again," Zutan whined as the Guild and Baizena were left unable to attack during the series of morphs.

"Time for Time Force!" Lucas shouted.

"Wild access! Soaring Eagle!" B'Danna declared.

"Scutum, the Shield!" Patti added.

"Go, Go, Wildcat! Lynx!" Austin chimed in.

"Go, Go, Wildcat! Leopard!" Kaylen followed.

"Go, Go, Wildcat! Jaguar!" Serena shouted.

"Go, Go, Wildcat! Cheetah!" Hannah cried.

"Go, Go, Wildcat! Lion!" Lee finished.

They stood together, morphed and ready to fight. Patti extended her shield to cover Bradley, who stood protectively in front of Dimitria. Hannah saw the love in his eyes as he held onto Dimitria's hand. After all this time, it was nice to see he'd found some sort of peace.

T'Dania began to cast a spell. Everyone wisely tried to avoid getting in the way of it. There was no telling what the incredibly powerful Treygan would do with the magic she was gathering.

Shelby focused on Ronnie and Roxy. "You know, I hate cheerleaders," she said.

"That's probably the only thing you and I share in common," Roxy replied.

"I left my pompoms in 1989," Ronnie added. "But even back then, I could have kicked your ass easily."

"We'll see about that!" Shelby said furiously.

Hannah moved closer to defend them. Patti immediately joined her, and so did Cassie.

"You have the nerve to call yourself a Pink Ranger?" Cassie demanded. "You're nothing but a poser, Shelby! A real Pink Ranger would never betray their team."

As the battle of the Pink Rangers began, the twins stood and watched, apparently not quite sure what to do next. "We've got this, Rox," Hannah said. "Go keep our daughter safe."

"Right. Kick this bitch's ass, Hannah," Roxy replied. She led Ronnie toward Lia, who looked terrified as Bailey and Reid surrounded her.

Shelby pulled out her boomerang. She immediately sent it at Patti, who used a tentacle of light to swat it away. The boomerang returned to Shelby. "It missed?" Shelby demanded. "It can't miss!"

"Apparently it can," Cassie replied with a laugh.

"Whatever. I don't need it," Shelby declared. She assumed a fighting stance that seemed to dare the other three Pink Rangers to attack her.

Hannah accepted the challenge first, leaping through the air and hitting Shelby with a kick to her chest that knocked the wind out of her. Patti followed this up by sweeping Shelby's legs out from beneath her. Cassie grabbed her and pulled her into a position she couldn't easily escape from.

"Shelby!" Jezzeff called in concern. "Use the amulet!"

A pink stone suddenly appeared in Shelby's hand. She squeezed it as she declared, "Mizzorr delah rogazza! Ahnah tone rozah, zeet!"

"Pinks, get down!" B'Danna shouted in alarm.

The tone of her voice made it clear they should listen. Cassie, Patti, and Hannah dove for cover just as a burst of electricity came from within Shelby. Pink flames rose up around her, and it was obvious they made her stronger. Had the others still been near her, they would have burned up instantly.

"Thanks, B'Danna!" Cassie called.

"She was speaking Eltarian," B'Danna explained. "She just summoned the powers of two past evil Pink Rangers."

"I guess the odds are a little more fair now," Patti replied nervously.

"She must have summoned the powers of Katherine and Psycho Pink," Cassie mumbled. "We're in trouble."

Shelby glowed with power as she faced the other Pink Rangers. "Time to prove who the best Pink Ranger is," she said firmly.

"It's sure as hell not you," Cassie replied.

Shelby immediately lunged toward Cassie. Hannah and Patti rushed to help her. Kicks, punches, and everything in-between were soon flying wildly as Shelby moved impossibly fast and the others tried to defend themselves.

"We need to use their weaknesses against her," Patti said practically. "What made Katherine and Psycho Pink vulnerable?"

Cassie signed her response. Hannah had worked with deaf children as a social worker, and she knew sign language. Patti studied languages as a hobby, and that included ASL.

Their arrogance was always their downfall, Cassie signed. Kat and Psycho Pink both believed they were invincible and loved to brag about their evil plans. Shelby seems to be just as arrogant. One of us needs to draw all of her attention while the others wait for a chance to strike.

I'll do it, Hannah signed back. I'm the oldest.

It was weird to admit that, since Cassie was her mentor and had briefly been her legal guardian along with Lucas, but time travel always complicated things like that.

No, Hannah, Cassie replied. You and Patti work together. I know exactly how to distract Shelby.

It was the only plan they had and there wasn't time to argue. Hannah and Patti nodded in agreement.

"Hey, Shelby, what's the matter? You're looking a little tired," Cassie taunted her.

"I'm fine," Shelby replied. "You're the one who's about to go down!"

"Really? Come on, Shel. We all know the Pink Energem rejected you. When that happens, it means you're not good enough to be a Power Ranger anymore. You're nothing but Jezzeff's minion. It's pathetic, really. You're not a Power Ranger, Shelby; you're just a lackey with a costume."

"Shut up!" Shelby snapped. She lunged at Cassie, and the two began to battle.

Hannah took a moment to check on everyone else. T'Dania was mostly focused on Jezzeff. The other Wildcats were battling against the Beast Morphers. Ronnie, Roxy, and Lia were fighting against Bailey and Reid. Lia's gargoyle was helping to protect them as Ronnie and Roxy kept them busy physically and Lia tried to do the same. Lucas and B'Danna were facing off against Zutan, Bourbon, Reyzzo, and Sezzon. They seemed to be handling them pretty well.

They're alright, Hannah told herself. It's time to finish this.

Hannah and Patti attacked Shelby together, with Hannah using a tumbling pass to reach Shelby while Patti jumped through the air and did a roundhouse kick against her back.

"Wow! Those Martial Arts lessons with Cooper are really paying off!" Hannah said to her little sister with pride.

As Shelby tried to recover from their initial attack, Hannah kicked her in her face. Cassie grabbed the pink stone and tossed it to Patti as Hannah took Shelby's boomerang from her. Hannah slammed one of the boomerang's points against the stone, causing it to stop glowing as it started to crack in half. The crack spread quickly until the stone shattered into hundreds of pieces.

Shelby screamed as the extra powers she'd been wielding were ripped away from her. She was left unable to defend herself as her body tried to adjust to the shock of that.

"Just finish me off already!" Shelby shouted in defeat. "Kill me and be done with it!"

"I would love to," Cassie replied, "but that's not what real Power Rangers do." She paused before adding, "Alphas, teleport Shelby into a cell at the Command Center."

Jezzeff cast a spell, and before the Alphas could respond, Shelby screamed as she fell through a portal.

"She got away..." Patti said in concern.

"Cassie did the right thing," Hannah replied. "She's right. We're Power Rangers. We save people. We don't kill someone who is completely defenseless and is not forcing us to do it."

"Miss Cassie!" Austin shouted just as the Red Beast Morpher came toward them at an impossible speed.

Cassie barely dove out of the way in time. Patti wrapped a rope of light around Devon's torso, slowing his momentum until he could no longer run. The rope held him in place as he struggled against it furiously.

"Reid!" Jezzeff cried. "Now!"

An army of spirits suddenly appeared. Reid and Jezzeff seemed to be controlling them together. This forced T'Dania to shift her focus away from Jezzeff to try to keep the spirits from attacking everyone else.

B'Danna ran to T'Dania's side, taking her hand and helping her attempt to take control of the spirits away from Jezzeff and Reid. The magic took on a physical form, and everyone watched to see who would end up victorious.

With a final furious burst of magic, T'Dania and B'Danna sent the spirits back to the Underworld where they belonged. For a moment, it seemed like the battle was over. Then, Jezzeff turned his attention to the only person who was standing by himself.

"Lucas!" Cassie screamed as Jezzeff slipped out of time and reappeared instantly behind Lucas. He shoved his sword through his chest and removed it, leaving Lucas bleeding out rapidly on the floor.

"No!" Lee cried in horror.

The Wildcats and Cassie ran toward Lucas as the others tried to cover them from anyone who dared to attack.

Blood was coming out of Lucas's mouth as Cassie pulled him into her arms and began to sob. "I... Love you... Cassie..." He said weakly before he began to cough.

"Move!" T'Dania said firmly. "B'Danna, apply pressure to his wound."

B'Danna did as she was told while T'Dania started healing Lucas. Hannah almost sobbed in relief as his wound began to vanish and he started to look stronger. That was when she noticed Jezzeff preparing to strike again.

No one else saw him move. Hannah knew there was no time to waste. She dove in between Jezzeff and Lucas, taking the blow that was meant for him. The blast of magic sent her flying into the nearest wall with far too much force.

For a moment, the pain was all she could focus on. As her mind recovered from the shock of it, she realized her body was broken. She couldn't move her legs. Her spine felt like it was fractured in several places, and she sensed she had massive internal injuries.

"Mom!" Lia shrieked. Suddenly, hundreds of gargoyles flooded into the room.

"The Keeper of the Gargoyles has returned!" Sezzon said in surprise.

"Go," Jezzeff said to the Guild. "Get out now before we're completely trapped."

The Guild members began to flee through individual portals. The Beast Morphers were sucked through one as well. Patti's rope of light finally failed and Devon followed the rest of his team.

"Hannah! Oh my God..." Lee said in horror.

"She's really hurt," Patti whispered as tears began falling from her eyes. With no more threats remaining, she dropped her shield, and Bradley and Dimitria made their way over to Hannah and the others.

"I'll get you to a hospital," Bradley began.

"Bradley..." Dimitria sighed and shook her head sadly.

"Don't even start, Dimitria!" Kaylen snapped. "She's going to be fine."

"It's okay, Hannah," Patti insisted. "We have people with magic here. You'll be okay."

"Dad..." Hannah said weakly as Bradley looked conflicted.

"I'm right here, Hannah," he promised.

"Take care of Patti," she told him. "I love you."

"I love you, too," he replied, and she knew he understood exactly the same thing she did. He pulled Patti into his arms, which seemed to make it sink in for her, too. She started sobbing into his shoulder.

"Don't you do this, Hannah," Austin said through tears of his own. "Don't you say goodbye."

"I love you guys so much," Hannah replied. "I'm so grateful to all of you."

"Shut up!" Kaylen snapped again. "You're not dying, Hannah! You don't even look that injured."

"Serena..." Hannah said with pleading eyes.

"The force of the spell and the resulting impact against the wall most likely shattered much of Hannah's body," Serena explained tonelessly. "The only reason she's still aware is that she didn't hit her head and her heart is still beating. She probably suffered massive internal injuries that we can't see."

Lucas knelt beside Hannah with tears in his eyes. "Hannah..." He began.

"You saved me all those years ago, Lucas," she replied.

"This isn't the reason I saved you! This isn't what I wanted!"

"Lucas... You gave me thirty-one extra years I was never supposed to have."

"It's not enough!"

"It's everything. Because of you, I got to fall in love, get married, find a real home, and become a mom. I got to live the life I wanted. And today, I'm paying that back. It's your turn to live the life you want, Lucas. Be happy. Marry Cassie. Live."

He started crying harder. "Hannah... I'm so sorry..."

"Don't be." She managed to offer him a sad smile. "I'm at peace with my choice because I know it's the right one. This was my new destiny."

"No," Roxy said. "Please... Someone needs to do something!" She gently pulled Hannah into her arms as she tried and failed to hold back tears.

"Mom..." B'Danna began. "Can't you heal her?"

"I'm sorry, my darling, but not this time," T'Dania replied sadly. "Hannah sealed her fate by choosing to change Lucas's destiny. I cannot change the path she is now on."

"Mom..." Lia whimpered as she held her hand while Roxy kept Hannah in her arms.

Lucas stroked Hannah's hair soothingly as Cassie took her free hand. She was crying, too.

"I love you, Lia... And I need you to be strong now," Hannah said.

"I'll try," Lia promised as she sniffled.

Lee's lips were quivering as he said, "We love you, Hannah."

"We always will," Austin added.

"You were very brave today," Serena said softly. Even she looked like she might cry.

"Damnit, Hannah..." Kaylen mumbled. "Damnit! I fucking love you, alright? You know that, right?"

"I love you, too, Kay," Hannah replied with a sad smile.

"Hannah... I hate this," Cassie said softly. "I hate it so much... But thank you for saving Lucas."

"Thank you both for everything you did for me when I was a teenager," Hannah replied. "I love you both so much."

"We love you, too, Kiddo." Cassie's voice cracked.

Ronnie looked heartbroken as she said, "You're my sister, Hannah. And you always will be."

"Thanks, Ronnie," she replied. "I'm so grateful to be part of your family. Please hug the kids for me."

"I will," Ronnie promised.

"Rox..." Hannah began.

Roxy looked at her with determination in her eyes. "When we both reincarnate, I'm going to find you, and we'll be together again," she vowed. "I will always find you, because you're my heart. Do you hear me?"

"Thank you for loving me, Roxy," Hannah replied. "I love you with everything I have. I promise we'll meet again."

"I love you, Hannah Ramos," Roxy said firmly.

Surrounded by her family, Hannah closed her eyes and smiled peacefully as she exhaled her final breath.