CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

AIYANA
Something was definitely wrong. Aiyana could feel someone watching her from the shadows. She quickly realized it was Reyzzo. She tensed, not sure if she should run or remain to see what he wanted. Daphne still wanted to save him, and it was hard to ignore her.

"Aiyana..." Reyzzo said softly. He looked broken, and that was enough to keep her there.

"You're upset," she replied.

"I need help... Help you can grant me."

"I'm not going to let you feed on me again, Reyzzo," she said with more courage than she felt.

"That's not why I'm here... I need to know the status of a spirit... A friend. I need to know he's alright."

She hesitated. "Who is this friend?"

"His name was L'Fellian of Eltar... Leffy. I can't stop thinking about him."

Aiyana had never heard of an Eltarian called Leffy, but she considered Reyzzo's request anyway. Good or bad, it was clear Leffy meant a lot to him.

"I will try to call forth his soul," she said. "Give me a sense of his energy."

Reyzzo touched her hands. Aiyana was still afraid of him, but she didn't resist. She felt Leffy's energy and could tell he was the key to helping Reyzzo. Leffy alone held Reyzzo's humanity.

She closed her eyes and summoned his spirit. Leffy was powerful, and he responded to her almost immediately. The odd thing was, his energy was familiar, almost as if...

Suddenly, a powerful spell hit Aiyana in her chest. She was stunned and lost her connection to Leffy. She stared at her attacker in confusion.

"Sezzon..." She said, trying to keep the hurt out of her voice. Daphne had trusted the Circle. They'd all adored Serafine and had tried to look after Daphne when they could. Aiyana had actually been saved by Maegus, Hezzo, Tinny, and Ling when she was very young, so she also had a soft spot for the members of the Circle, although she didn't know the others.

"Greetings, Aiyana SunFeather," Sezzon replied pleasantly. "Forgive my interruption, but it is quite necessary."

"Sezzon, don't hurt her," Reyzzo begged. "Please. I've hurt her enough."

"This must happen, Reyzzo. It is essential."

"I won't let you hurt her."

Sezzon grabbed Reyzzo and touched a scar on his flesh. Aiyana understood immediately what it meant. Reyzzo's expression turned blank. "You will allow me to do what I must, Reyzzo. Go home. Find Bailey and Reid. They will keep you where you need to be," Sezzon said firmly.

Without a word, Reyzzo walked away. Aiyana knew he couldn't stay even if he wanted to. Sezzon had complete control over him just as the Witch had controlled Zell.

"What do you want from me, Sezzon?" Aiyana asked.

"My sweet little Mystic, I beg your forgiveness for what I am about to do," Sezzon replied. "You are powerful, Aiyana, and I must return your soul to the Underworld or you will stand in the way of the Guild's success."

"I won't just stand back and let you kill me."

"I know, little lass. I simply wish there was an easier way. Fight if you must. You cannot stop me."

Aiyana braced herself. She deflected several magical attacks with spells of her own before Sezzon pulled out a sword and impaled her in the chest. She gasped as blood began to come out of her mouth.

"I truly regret it had to be this way, Aiyana," Sezzon said with a bow. He left the sword in her chest, prolonging the inevitable before he walked away.

She began losing consciousness. Aiyana felt herself falling into the Underworld quickly. She focused, trying to find her way back, but was immediately approached by a spirit.

He was consumed by darkness and looked insane, but Aiyana soon recognized him. "Windzor! What has become of you?" She asked in horror. She'd met Zell's grandfather before. She'd even helped him, because the corrupted family magic meant for Zell and Elgan had left his spirit broken and unstable. She didn't understand why he suddenly seemed so lost again.

A man came toward them. His dark energy was terrifying and familiar to Oralee and Daphne, but he'd died before Aiyana was born. She still recognized him.

"Rinton Treygan..." She whispered in horror.

"You have heard of me," he replied with a sadistic smile.

"Windzor, you cannot trust him," Aiyana warned him. "This man betrayed you at every turn."

"Destroy her, Windzor," Rinton said. "She is a threat to all you hold dear."

"He destroyed your family, Windzor."

"My... Family?" Windzor asked in confusion.

"Yes. Listen to me, Windzor. Rinton has done nothing but target your family for millennia."

"She is lying, Windzor," Rinton insisted. "I am your friend. We are allies. I would never cause you pain by harming your family."

As Windzor attacked her, Aiyana knew she needed to resort to something drastic. She closed her eyes and summoned the only ones Windzor might listen to.

Zekiah and Camdell Yizak appeared in their Military uniforms. Dovizan looked far more peaceful. His eyes filled with sorrow at the sight of Windzor.

"Oh, Brother... What have they done to you?" He asked.

"Dovi..." Windzor whispered.

"I am here, Win," he replied. "Listen to the young Mystic. She brought your family back to you."

"Cam... Father..." Windzor said, his voice trembling with grief. He sounded young and broken then.

"We are with you, Windzor," Zekiah said firmly. "Fight this wretched Treygan's influence."

"Where are Levi, Jotez, and Amoz?"

"They live, Little Brother," Camdell replied.

"That is not possible. I buried Jotez and Levi, and I watched Amoz burn to nothing with my own eyes."

"Rinton Treygan put Amoz into the coma and threw him in the river," Zekiah said. "The river, ironically, kept him alive long enough for him to be found. His body burned, but he reawakened on Earth amongst the Mystics. They would not allow him to return home."

"Amoz survived?" Windzor looked like he would cry. Then, he processed the rest. "You attacked him?" He demanded of Rinton.

"The Coalition attacked him... I merely delivered a final kick to end his suffering," Rinton replied.

"Amoz resurrected Jotez, but he never knew, because Rinton made a tulpa using his blood and hid his true form away," Camdell explained. "As for Levi, the magic which drove you mad caused you to kill him. It was an accident. Rinton discovered this, made your memories change, and had warlocks resurrect Levi after the funeral. He renamed him Azzian and made him an assassin for the Treygan family."

"Levi vowed to never engage in unnecessary battle again once we reached Eltar... He despised violence." Windzor glared at Rinton. "What have you done, Rinton?"

"Destroyed the Yizak family, as I should have!" Rinton replied. He looked at Aiyana and tried to grab her.

Windzor stepped between them. "You shall not harm this girl," Windzor said firmly. "She is beloved by my grandson."

"Your grandson murdered you, you fool," Rinton replied. "You owe him nothing."

"My grandson was not in control of his actions any more than I was when the power drove me mad. I forgave him. I remember that now. My mind is clear, Rinton Treygan, and I will not help you return to life."

Aiyana's eyes widened in surprise. Had she really interrupted Rinton Treygan's resurrection?

"You were going to use Windzor to come back from the dead?" She asked.

"Windzor has the power to breathe life into someone just as his vile grandson Zell does. My brother and I share power over life and death, however, Rygano has the life part of that. He is still a bit cross with me for what I did to Levi, so I do not see him resurrecting me yet. Windzor was a good solution. I simply called on my Intangible friend to influence him."

"The Witch... You're still working with her."

"She remains attached to my soul, and she was hoping to bring me back, however my wretched great-great-granddaughter, Keilah, murdered me rather thoroughly. The Witch cannot reverse it."

Aiyana knew then what she had to do. Her body was dying rapidly, but this was too important to ignore. If Rinton and the Witch were still connected, they would be far too big of a threat. She used the last of her strength to grab onto Rinton's soul and rip him free from the Witch's energy.

The darkness fought to cling to him. Aiyana was struggling to separate them, but she refused to let go. This had to be done, even if the effort killed her.

Windzor, Camdell, and Zekiah seemed to realize she was in trouble. They lent their energy to her, keeping her soul from completely shattering as she continued to fight the Witch for control of Rinton. It helped, and with a final burst of energy, Aiyana ripped Rinton free.

Rinton collapsed into unconsciousness. He was weak, but he would eventually recover. For better or worse, he was completely free now from the Witch's influence. He would probably remain evil, but her darkness no longer fueled him.

The darkness screamed in rage and attacked Aiyana. She let go of the Yizaks who had protected her, unwilling to risk harm coming to them.

Aiyana... Aiya, cling to me! Do not let go! Zell cried in her mind.

She tried to hold on to his energy as she felt it coming toward her. She was weak. She could feel her body as her heart stopped beating. She was no longer breathing.

My breath is your breath! Zell cried. She felt him breathing into her mouth as he performed CPR. Don't do this. Please, Aiya. I cannot bear to lose you. Not yet. Not at all.

She tried to find her way to him. The damage to her soul was extensive. She knew she was too weak to survive without someone healing her soul, and not many knew how to do that.

Suddenly, she saw Lido standing in front of her. His eyes filled with concern at the damage to her soul.

"You're part of Daphne's soul," he said as he began trying to heal her.

"I am, Lido," she confirmed.

"I shared sight with you... I came as soon as I could. I will heal you..."

"Aiyana," she provided weakly.

"Aiyana. Will you trust me?"

"Of course, Lido. I have all of Daphne's memories of you. It's nice to finally meet you."

She was starting to feel stronger as her soul began to heal. She heard Zell's voice again. Aiya, come back to me... Please come back... She felt his panic and wished she could comfort him. He continued trying to revive her body as Lido focused on her soul.

Lido paused as he studied her. "You shouldn't trust him, Aiyana," he said softly.

"Lido, he's changed," Aiyana replied patiently.

"After everything he did to you... After he killed you..." He shook his head. "You still love him."

"He's not the monster he was when he killed Daphne. He's a good man, Lido."

"I can't do this again," Lido mumbled.

"What do you mean?" Aiyana asked.

"I cannot sit back and watch you fall in love with a man who is capable of hurting you. I watched Daphne make excuses for him. I watched her convince herself that she deserved what he put her through. I watched her cover up her bruises or explain everything away as being the result of her clumsiness. I watched her die inside as he continued to hurt her, and I died with her, Aiyana. Now you have gone and fallen in love with him, even knowing what he did... I can't watch it happen again! I refuse."

Lido looked away to try to cover up the fact that he had tears in his eyes, but Aiyana caught it. Her heart broke as she realized how much pain Lido was in. "I'm sorry," she whispered as she wiped away his tears.

He sighed. "Don't be," he replied. "You would not be Daphne if you were not endlessly forgiving... Her capacity to see the good in everyone, even those with very little inside of them, was one of her defining traits. I will send you back to your body, Aiyana. I will do that because it is the right thing to do, and because I love Daphne and would do anything for her... But if you insist on being with Zell, I can't stick around to watch what happens next."

It hurt to hear him say that, but it hurt more to realize how much he'd suffered watching Daphne remain in an abusive marriage. "I understand," she replied sadly. "She loved you, Lido... And I feel that love deeply."

"I know." He took a deep breath. "Focus, Aiyana. It is time to return."

Soon, Aiyana felt herself being guided back to her body. Despite being upset with her, Lido was being extremely gentle as he led her to her body. She felt the absence of him as she began breathing and woke up in Zell's arms.

"Aiya!" He cried in relief. She was startled to see tears streaming down his cheeks. He didn't appear to notice he'd begun to cry as he held her lifeless body.

"I'm alright, Zell," she said soothingly. She gently wiped away his tears just as she'd done for Lido.

Zell looked both stunned and embarrassed to realize he'd begun to cry. "Forgive me... I must compose myself," he said softly.

"It's okay," Aiya replied. She kissed his cheek. "I'm sorry I worried you."

"Who did this to you, Aiya?"

"It was Sezzon, but it was actually a good thing."

"A good thing?" He repeated in confusion.

"Your grandfather was in terrible danger... Rinton Treygan was trying to use him to resurrect himself. He took control of him. I helped Windzor by calling on your other ancestors. Then I ripped the Witch's energy out of Rinton. Finally, after countless millennia, they can no longer feed on each other's darkness."

He stared at her for a moment. "You were quite busy as I was trying to revive you. Your body was dying and you were more concerned with helping others than saving yourself." He seemed to be looking at her almost in awe. "Aiyana, you are truly extraordinary."

She shrugged. "It was the right thing to do."

He shook his head. "Do you truly not see it, Aiya?" He gently cupped her face in his hands. "I must apologize, my dear one... It seems I have failed completely in my mission."

"What do you mean?" Aiyana asked in confusion.

"I told myself I must keep you at a distance. I promised I would not act on my impulses where you were concerned and would only protect you as necessary. I feared I would only destroy you, and I refused to do that again. I tried so hard not to love you, Aiyana of Eltar... However, I fear it is impossible. I shall always love your soul, and you especially ignite emotions I thought were not meant for me."

He hesitated before continuing, "I am terribly sorry, my darling, but I love you. I love you with every ounce of my being, and when I believed I lost you, the unbearable grief that caused forced me to finally admit it to myself. I cannot stay away. I cannot ignore what I feel. You are the one thing in this universe which makes me feel alive."

With that impressive proclamation, Zell kissed her. Aiyana could tell he wasn't hesitating or holding back this time. She lost herself in the kiss, feeling safer in his arms than she felt anywhere else. She deepened it, needing to connect to him just as badly as he needed to connect to her.

This was our destiny, Oralee's voice whispered in her mind. This was the path he should have been on all along.

Aiyana could feel the truth in her past self's words. She gave Zell a shy smile as she finally broke the kiss. Zell looked at her with the complete devotion he'd had for Oralee and smiled back almost as shyly.

"I love you, too, Zell," she finally replied softly. "Everyone keeps telling me I'm crazy or even stupid because I do, but I don't care. You are good. I can see the sweet, gentle, kind soul Oralee loved so completely, and I know that is the real you. My soul is often far too forgiving, but this time, I know you deserve it. I believe that I was reborn on Eltar so we might finally have a chance to get things right."

He took a deep breath. "I do not believe that I deserve you, my dear one, but I will spend every moment of the rest of my life proving that I do."

She kissed him again, briefly, before finally remembering she was covered in her own blood and probably needed to rest to fully recover from her rather eventful trip to the Underworld.

"Let's go home," she said softly.

He smiled at her words before nodding and repeating, "Home."

JEZZEFF
He was expecting some sort of reaction from Rita and Lord Zedd to his decision to harvest their daughter's powers, but Jezzeff wasn't overly concerned about it. Surely he could handle anything they attempted to do.

Still, when they marched toward him with backup, Jezzeff paused for a moment. He wasn't entirely surprised to see Goldar with them. After all, Goldar's true loyalty was to power, so he flipped back and forth between masters more often than Merkhet had, allying himself with whoever appeared to be more likely to win at any given moment. What stunned him was the impressively large army of Tengu Warriors coming toward the Guild.

"Ooze? What is the meaning of this?" Jezzeff asked.

"Sorry, Jezzeff, but you're making some pretty questionable decisions and it's looking like being your ally is a one-way ticket to losing. I did not come to this awful realm to lose," Ivan Ooze replied.

"Seriously, Jezzy, you need to work on your people skills!" The Witch said with a cackle. "Your allies keep betraying you!"

"Must we do this, Ooze?" Jezzeff asked in a bored tone.

"You killed someone from my realm. That can potentially destroy my realm by throwing off the balance too much, so... Yes. We must," Ooze replied with a grin.

"If you insist." Jezzeff drew his sword.

The Tengus raced toward him. He easily stopped them from doing any real harm to him. As the battle began, the Witch clapped her hands and Zutan, Jonah, Reyzzo, Bourbon, Trevor, Ninjor, Bailey, Reid, and Sezzon appeared. The Beast Morphers, Shelby, Kelsey, and Trent also joined them. With the entire Guild standing together, Jezzeff felt confident their new enemies stood no chance.

It was rather unexpected when the entire town began to shake violently as he impaled Lord Zedd through his chest. "Zeddy!" Rita cried in horror.

"Earthquake!" Shelby shouted in alarm. She had to grab onto Jezzeff to steady herself.

"This isn't a normal earthquake," Trent replied. "It's like even the air is vibrating."

"When the realm's a rockin', don't come a knockin'!" Ooze declared. "I think we'd better fix Zedd before this idiot unmakes both of our realms!"

"What?!" Goldar demanded. "Is that possible?"

"Mallory's death upset a delicate balance... If any more of you die in this realm, or if Rita Repulsa or Lord Zedd kill their counterparts from this realm, the realms will both implode," Sezzon informed them calmly. "This is not a good plan, and the damage done to Lord Zedd will be fatal. He requires a healer, Jezzeff."

"I do not heal my enemies," Jezzeff replied.

"If you don't, you will doom us all, but it's your choice, Lad."

Jezzeff frowned. "Are you certain?"

"Ask my former Circle friends. I am never wrong."

"Witch?" Jezzeff demanded.

"He's right, Jezzy-Wezzy. You're about to kill everyone," the Witch replied with a cheerful cackle like the situation amused her greatly.

Jezzeff mumbled an Eltarian curse word before trying to heal Lord Zedd. Rita glared at him and hit him with a spell.

"Not you!" She said firmly as Jezzeff groaned a bit in pain.

"I am trying to save your husband's life," Jezzeff replied in annoyance.

"After you took my daughter's life? I don't trust you!"

He sighed. "Rita, I will reverse the damage to Lord Zedd with or without your permission."

"Over my dead body!"

"That would defeat the purpose of healing Zedd."

"Jezzeff... The wound is too severe. If you cannot heal it, only Amello can," Sezzon said.

"Amello would never help us," Jezzeff protested.

"He would to preserve the balance. The Circle are fools, but they understand the importance of things like this."

Jezzeff considered this. "Jezz... I think we're out of options here," Zutan said softly.

Jezzeff sighed. "Fine. Call upon Amello. See if he comes," he agreed.

Sezzon cast a sigil into the air. About a minute later, Amello appeared. He was not alone. Maegus stood beside him.

"I summoned Amello," Sezzon said.

"Did you think we'd let Amello come alone?" Maegus replied. "Given our last encounter with you, this could easily have been a trap."

"If you called me, it must be dire, Sezzon," Amello said softly. "What has happened?"

"Jezzeff made a bit of a miscalculation strategically," Sezzon replied calmly. "If Lord Zedd dies, I fear both our dimension and his will completely collapse."

"Oh my..." Maegus mumbled. "That is important."

"Will you heal him, Mel? For everyone's sake?"

"Of course I will," Amello replied.

That was when they encountered a problem other than the realm shaking. "Rita, Lass, you're going to need to lower that protective shield around him," Maegus said gently.

"No! I do not know or trust any of you! Leave my husband alone!" Rita shrieked in response.

"Can you work around it, Amello?" Bourbon asked.

"I fear not. Lord Zedd is very close to death. I need to touch him or I won't be able to save him," Amello replied.

"You need Angeline," An unexpected voice said after a moment. "No one else will be able to calm Rita."

"Caius Grant... What a surprise," the Witch said as she raised an eyebrow. "Why have you come?"

"To stop the Guild from needlessly destroying two perfectly good realms," Caius replied calmly. "In this realm, only a mother's love was able to save Rita. Not the love of her own mother, for her reunion with my dear friend Morgana was not to be, but the love Rita possessed for her own child."

Sezzon paused. "Caius is correct," he said. "That was a prophecy. I feel it may in fact hold up between our realm and Rita's. We must try it. We are out of options."

Maegus nodded. "Very well," he said. He snapped his fingers and Angie instantly appeared along with the other Chosen.

ANGIE

One moment, they were training with Jayden and the Dino Fury Rangers, and the next, they were in the middle of the woods. Angie nearly fell from the shock of it, but Taylor steadied her.

"Holy crap! Did you open a portal, Tia?" Brian asked.

"I did not," Tia replied in confusion.

"Um... Guys, we've got company," Ollie said, pointing toward the Guild.

"Do not worry, my friends," Maegus said soothingly. "You are here only to protect Angie."

"Protect me?" Angie asked. "What's going o-" She paused as she spotted the evil versions of her parents.

"Ah. That explains the world shaking," Caleb said after a moment. "With Lord Zedd critically injured in a realm that's not his, the balance between them is shattering, right?"

"That's correct, Caleb," Caius replied.

"Please talk to Rita, Angie. If she does not lower the shield around Zedd, Amello won't be able to heal him," Maegus explained.

Angie took a deep breath and approached the evil aspect of Rita. "Mom?" She asked gently.

Rita looked at her in confusion. "Did you just call me Mom?" She asked.

"I'm the Sorceress here, Mom," Angie explained. "My name is Angie... Angeline, really. Please listen to me... You need to let Amello help Father now. He can save him." Angie was careful not to call him Dad, remembering the way her father had been when he was still evil. Being so close to an evil aspect of him terrified her, but she knew she needed to face her fear. The fate of the universe depended on it.

"You are my daughter here?" Rita asked with sorrow in her eyes.

"I am," Angie replied.

"I lost my Mallory... Because of him!" She pointed at Jezzeff.

"I know... I was there, Mom." Angie felt tears in her eyes as she explained, "Mallory sacrificed herself to save me and my mom... I would have done anything to save her, but I couldn't. I would have let Jezzeff kill me before I let him hurt Mallory or my mother if I could have. I'm so sorry, Mom." Her tears started to fall.

"Oh, my sweet Angeline..." Rita replied sadly. "Do not cry. I lost one daughter. I cannot bear to watch the other cry and blame herself. It was not your fault, my sweet daughter; it was Jezzeff's."

Angie put her arms around Rita, hugging her. "I know how much pain you're in, Mom. I felt the same way when I lost you in this realm. My mom sacrificed herself for me and my boyfriend. She died to protect us, and I thought I lost her forever, but she came back to me in the end."

"You are very close, aren't you?"

"We are. All I ever wanted was parents who loved me. My mom is amazing."

Rita hugged her tighter. "Thank you, my sweet Angeline," she said. "If you trust these men, then I trust them, too." She lowered the protective shield. "Go on. Save my Zeddy! Please."

"Of course," Amello replied. He knelt beside Lord Zedd and began to heal him. Angie was nervous as he began to recover. The realm was no longer shaking, but it was still vibrating.

"This only bought us some time," Tia said. "I can feel the barrier between the realms. It is still collapsing. Too much harm has been done to it."

"What do we do?" Tammy asked.

"We call in the Ninjetti," Caleb replied after a moment. Angie could tell he was terrified of whatever was coming. He'd obviously had a vision.

"They're ready," Ollie said confidently.

"Josh and Johnny are still having issues," Taylor replied nervously.

"They'll be okay," Brian said confidently. "They've got this."

"Let's hope so," Maegus said.

"Alphas, send the Ninjetti here," Ollie said. "This is it."

Moments later, the Legacy Rangers and their counterparts were teleported to the woods along with Kira, Dustin, Jayden, and Adam. To Angie's surprise, her parents, her uncle Rito, the Tengas, Aisha, and Dulcea appeared right behind them.

"I didn't ask for them," Ollie mumbled in confusion.

"Dad, what are you doing here?" Taylor asked. He hesitated as he spotted Aisha. She looked just as confused as everyone else.

"The realms are collapsing," Dulcea replied as she seemed to realize what was happening. "We were pulled here by the barrier between our worlds."

"And since the Alphas told us the realms were collapsing, I figured Team Leadership needed to make an appearance," Kira added.

"Don't start the party without us," Lex said as the Celestial Force Rangers teleported in.

"Anise thought you guys might need backup," Charleigh explained.

"Enough of this!" Jezzeff declared. "Ninjor, let Ooze and his lackeys handle this fight. Get us out!"

Ninjor hesitated when nothing happened. "I'm afraid my power to help us make a quick escape seems to be temporarily out of order, Jezzeff," he replied.

"Very well... Then we shall fight our way out!" Jezzeff drew his sword. The members of the Guild visibly braced for battle.

"Rangers," Tommy said, "I do believe it's Morphin' Time!"

ZEKE
He'd never been so pumped for a battle before. As everyone began to morph, Zeke exchanged a glance with Fred, who nodded. The Legacy Rangers used their Mighty Morphin' forms, while the Rangers from Fred's realm called upon their Ninjetti powers.

"Legacy team, ready!" Zeke declared.

"Ninjetti ready!" Fred added.

"Celestial Force, ready!" Charleigh chimed in.

"Chosen, Ready!" Ollie declared.

"Team Leadership, Ready!" Kira finished. Adam hadn't morphed because it wasn't safe for him to use the Mighty Morphin' Black Ranger powers while Thorn did, but he looked ready to fight regardless.

"Should we make a declaration?" Zutan asked in confusion. "Is this normal in battles these days?"

"It's a Power Ranger thing," Bourban explained with a laugh.

"Why did we just stand around and let them call upon their powers? Wouldn't it have been more practical to attack them while they were vulnerable between their Ranger forms and their mundane ones?" Zutan continued.

"Huh... He kind of has a point," Zeke replied. "Why don't the bad guys ever attack us while we're busy morphing?"

"I believe the process of morphing temporarily creates a physical force which suspends their ability to attack," Johnny and Josh answered in perfect unison. They looked at each other for a moment in surprise before they started to laugh.

"It's about freaking time!" Sabrina declared.

"I couldn't agree with you more, Sabs," Zeke added.

"Alright, Rangers, Chosen, and friends... Let's do this!" Kira said.

They immediately flew into action. In fact, the Tengas literally flew, which made Zeke laugh. He watched as they began fighting the Tengus. It was one big, feathery mess of confusion and they soon couldn't seem to tell which of them were which, causing them to attack their own allies instead of their counterparts.

"That went well," Rito said pleasantly.

"You fool! They can't even tell each other apart!" Goldar snapped.

Rito looked nervous as Goldar approached him. "Dibbs on the Golden Monkey!" Kira cried, running to Rito's aid.

"Seconded!" Dustin said as he followed her.

"And thirded!" Tommy chimed in as he joined them.

Everyone was soon engaged in battle. They each had a role to play. Kira, Dustin, and Tommy focused on Goldar. Rita and Zedd kept Rito safe and tried to avoid their counterparts, working with the Chosen, Maegus, and Amello against Sezzon, Bailey, Reid, Jonah, Reyzzo, and Trevor. It seemed like Liza hadn't noticed Trevor, who mostly hid behind the other Guild members, and Zeke figured that was for the best. He didn't want her getting distracted when there were so many threats coming their way. The Celestial Force Rangers focused on the Beast Morphers, Shelby, Kelsey, and Trent, which was good, because Zeke wasn't sure Kira or Tommy could handle facing off against Trent yet.

The Ninjetti went for their realm's villains, although they left Goldar alone. Adam and Jayden bounced back and forth between everyone else, heading to wherever their assistance was needed the most.

Bourbon, Zutan, and Jezzeff surrounded the Legacy Rangers. Zeke noticed the three of them worked extremely well together. It was obvious they'd fallen back into the routine they'd had in Zell's Alliance. Jezzeff seemed happier fighting beside them.

The Witch and Ninjor stayed on the sidelines, watching the battle and waiting for the right moment to strike. Zeke forced himself to focus on his fight, although his ADHD allowed him to keep track of what everyone else was doing as well.

Bourbon was fierce but seemed to be playing with them, not attacking in any way that would do lasting damage. Zeke remembered that he was supposed to be one of their spies inside of the Guild. Jezzeff was pulling out all the stops as usual, switching between his sword and spells. It was Zutan, however, that was the wild card. They simply didn't know enough about him to know what to expect.

As Liza tried to hit Zutan with a spinning roundhouse kick to the head, he flung a tornado at her and sent her flying into a tree. She somehow landed safely.

"Holy shit!" Zeke cried. "That dude comes with his own personal tornadoes!"

"Are you okay, Liza?" Micky called.

"Thank God for helmets or my hair would be trashed," Liza replied.

"She's fine," Sage said with a laugh.

Jezzeff used his sword to try to impale Thorn, but Kenny got between them. His suit absorbed the hit, but his morph failed.

"Jessie!" Zeke shouted.

"Pterodactyl!" Jessie shouted, instantly morphing into her Legacy Ranger form.

"Ninjetti, the Crane!" Kenny cried. He took on his Ninjetti form.

"What is the meaning of this?" Jezzeff demanded.

"Now, my young warriors!" Dulcea shouted.

"Ninjetti, the Jaguar!" Sage began.

Then, in perfect sync with their counterparts, the others switched up their forms.

"White Tigerzord!" Junie cried as Micky shouted, "Ninjetti, the Falcon!"

Since Fred had no Ninjetti counterpart and Tommy was no longer a Ninjetti, they remained in their current forms.

"Mastodon!" Christian shouted as Thorn declared, "Ninjetti, the Frog!"

"Triceratops!" Johnny added as Josh cried, "Ninjetti, the Wolf!" They both seemed visibly pleased they had finally managed to do it at the same exact time, something they'd previously failed at no matter how much they practiced.

"Saber-toothed Tiger!" Carrie proclaimed as Liza screamed, "Ninjetti, the Bear!"

"Tyrannosaurus!" Sabrina shouted as Zeke finished, "Ninjetti, the Ape!"

Now in their Ninjetti form, Zeke's team was ready to show off what they'd learned.

Kenny began dancing in a way which entranced several of the bad guys who were closest to them. Zeke knew he'd sent them into a suspended state that could induce visions for some of them and just leave the others confused. His movements were deliberate, and as much as the old Zeke would have mocked him for a power which required him to dance, he wasn't tempted to now. The movement also gave Kenny visions, giving him the wisdom to know what they needed to do next. To keep the team on the same page, Kenny threw his hands into the air, and the knowledge of their new strategy filled each of their minds.

Bourbon looked like he was thinking very hard before he nodded slightly and Zeke realized he'd read their minds and knew what the plan was. He cast a glance at Zutan, who clutched his head for a moment like it hurt.

Did our undercover guy just give our plan away to Tornado Man? Zeke wondered. He didn't have time to worry about it as Jezzeff snapped out of his own vision and attacked him. Zeke dodged his sword skillfully with his naturally quick reflexes, but he knew he couldn't keep that up forever.

Micky climbed into the tree Liza had previously landed in. It gave him the perfect vantage point for his Falcon Vision. At that height, not only could Micky see everything, he could also think more clearly.

After a few minutes, Micky jumped down and tackled Jezzeff. He began using his natural super strength to keep Jezzeff from escaping.

"Zutan!" Jezzeff shouted.

"I've got you, Jezz," Zutan replied. He used a tornado to fling Micky off of Jezzeff. Micky might have been fine, but the Witch interfered, using a wave of darkness to grab him and pull him into the creek that divided their battleground as she cackled in delight. Micky hit his head on a rock and didn't move. His Ninjetti form didn't fail, but with the lack of helmet, he was still knocked unconscious. The creek was rapidly dragging him away.

"Thorn!" Sage cried.

Thorn dove into the creek to rescue their cousin. He swam after Micky as fast as he could until he finally reached him.

"Bailey! Drown them!" Jezzeff commanded.

Bailey cast a spell. This caused the water in the creek to become much rougher. Thorn and Micky soon vanished beneath rapids of water. Zeke couldn't focus on how terrified he was for his teammates, so he looked around to see how everyone else as doing instead.

Junie and Christian seemed to take personal offense to their counterparts being in danger. They shifted their focus away from Mordant the pig and turned it toward Bailey, but Fred suddenly hesitated and stopped them. "I'll handle those two," he said, motioning toward Bailey and Reid. "With a little help from our new friends... Maegus! Amello! Can I get an assist?"

Maegus and Amello were already battling the other Guild members, so they quickly joined Fred. He nodded at them as he looked at Baily and Reid, and Zeke got the feeling Fred saw something everyone else couldn't, but that wasn't strange. One of Fred's Ninjetti powers was seeing through illusions. It made Zeke wonder what Bailey and Reid were hiding, and why Fred had decided it was necessary to call on the two exceptionally powerful Circle members to fight them.

Maegus and Amello backed Fred up well, and knowing they were okay, Zeke focused on the rest of the battle. Rita, Zedd, and Rito were holding their own excellently, working with Caius and the Chosen like they'd been training together forever. The Tengus and Tengas cancelled each other out, keeping each other busy and away from everyone else.

Kira, Dustin, and Tommy were doing an impressive job of keeping Goldar occupied and seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves. Dustin kicked Goldar in his back so hard it made him stumble. Kira followed this up with a kick to his head. Tommy swept Goldar's legs out from beneath him before hitting him with a powerful kick to his chest. Goldar was down, but still struggling to get back up. Kira brought her foot down on his face, knocking him unconscious. Zeke could tell he wouldn't wake up for a while.

"Golden Monkey down!" Kira proclaimed proudly.

"We just did that!" Dustin cried in excitement.

"Yeah we did!" Kira hugged him for a moment before bring Tommy in on the hug. "Now that was fun!" She declared.

"I couldn't agree with you more," Tommy replied.

"Let's find a new target while our adrenaline's still pumping. Doc O, join your team. Dus, get to Dulcea's kids. I've got Celestial Force."

As Tommy joined Zeke, he frowned. "Where's Micky? And Thorn?" He asked.

"In the creek," Zeke replied nervously.

"What?" Tommy asked in a panic. He headed straight for the water.

"Tommy, stand down," Zeke said firmly. It was probably the authority in his tone that made Tommy pause.

"My son and my nephew are trapped in raging rapids, Zeke," Tommy replied, trying and failing to keep the panic out of his voice.

"Thorn's got this, Tommy. We've got to trust that."

Micky's body suddenly appeared on top of the water. All they could see of Thorn were his arms wrapped around Micky as he swam beneath him and dragged him toward the side of the creek.

"The boys were under too long," Jezzeff said practically. "They will surely perish."

Thorn pushed Micky onto land before he lifted his head out of the water. He was perfectly fine. "You're forgetting something, Jezzeff," he said as he got out of the water. "I'm a frog."

"I guess it pays to train in our new powers after all," Zeke said with a grin. "Did we forget to tell you guys that Thorn breathes underwater now? Our bad!" He used the distraction to kick Jezzeff's sword out of his hands. Tammy immediately ran closer and grabbed it. She grinned before slashing Jezzeff's chest and running back toward the Chosen with her new toy. Thorn kicked Jezzeff backward, catching the wound Tammy had inflicted and temporarily knocking him out of the fight.

"Micky's not breathing!" Thorn said in horror.

Liza and Sage ran toward him. "He's ice cold," Sage said. "Liza, help him."

Liza pulled Micky into her arms, using a Bear Hug to increase Micky's body heat rapidly.

Tommy stared in horror for a moment before he firmly said, "No." He took off his helmet before gently taking Micky from Liza's arms to set him down on the ground. He immediately began CPR. "I'm not losing you, too, Micky," he said.

Zutan looked torn, like he wanted to help, and Zeke recalled that he was supposed to be able to force air into the lungs of someone who wasn't breathing. He's not evil, he realized. That's why Bourbon told him our plan! He's undercover, too... Which means he can't help us save Micky.

He knew what he had to do. Zeke knelt beside Micky and began pounding his fists against his chest rhythmically, over and over. "Beat, damnit! Heart beat strong and true!" He shouted.

It took several moments, but soon, Zeke felt Micky's heart responding. Tommy continued breathing into Micky's mouth until he finally coughed up an enormous amount of water.

"Micky! Oh God, don't you ever scare me like that again!" Liza shouted before resuming her attempts to bring his body temperature up.

"Thank God..." Tommy whispered. Zeke saw tears in his eyes. Adam had made his way over to them by then, and now that he'd released Thorn, he put a supportive hand on Tommy's shoulder.

"His head needs to be healed," Adam pointed out.

"I've got him," Josh said. Using his Wolf Alpha power, he could heal members of his team just by standing over them. His presence sped up the healing process just as wolves recovered quicker in the presence of their pack, especially when an Alpha wolf was near. He was also able to read a person's vitals just by touching them. "He's going to be fine," he said as he gently touched Micky's back. "He's already getting stronger."

"That sucked..." Micky mumbled. "You can let go, Liza. I'm warm."

"Not yet," Liza replied. "I need another minute."

Micky stopped protesting. While Jezzeff was still recovering, Zeke took a moment to breathe and appreciate the fact that Thorn and Micky were both alright. The battle wasn't over, but they'd done well so far, and he sensed the end was in sight.

ELLIOT
The realms were still collapsing. "We have to get the people who shouldn't be here back to their realm," Lex said. "We're running out of time."

"He's right," Elliot replied. "The damage that's been done to both realms already is pretty severe. If something isn't done right now..." He hesitated, not finishing the sentence.

"Elliot... What's going to happen?" Charleigh asked, although he suspected she knew the answer and just wanted it confirmed.

"The realms will collapse unless..." He hesitated.

"El... What is it?" Dora asked.

"I can stop this. My powers allow me to exist in many realms at the same time. If I split myself between this realm and Dulcea's, I can fix the barrier."

"That sounds like a plan then!" Patti said cheerfully.

"No, it doesn't, because what Elliot neglected to tell us is that it would end up splitting him in half," Stephanie replied firmly. "Right?"

He sighed. "That's the most likely outcome," he admitted.

"No way," Dora said firmly. "You are not doing this."

"Dora, it's the only way."

"There's got to be another option," Charleigh said. "We'll figure out a solution that doesn't involve you dying to save everyone."

As the realm started to shake severely again, everyone was knocked off-balance. "I'm sorry," Elliot said. "I can do this. I think this is why I have my powers."

"You're being an idiot!" Dora snapped. "You weren't created just to die as a teenager!"

"Dora, I've lived a thousand lifetimes because of my powers," he replied sadly. "I always wake back up where I left, so I'm still just a teenager, but I've existed for a long time... And if this is the only way to save everyone, I have to do it." He grabbed onto the energy of the barrier. He felt himself existing simultaneously on both sides. He worked with his other self to hold the barrier together, putting everything he had into stabilizing it. The shaking stopped.

"It's working," Cooper said. "How can we help, Elliot?"

"Get everyone back in the correct realm," Elliot replied. "I can't hold this forever, but I've bought us some time. Once they're back where they belong, I'll use my energy to seal both realms off from each other."

"We're on it," Lachlan promised. "We just need a portal to pass them through."

Tia came closer at that comment. "Allow me to assist," she volunteered. She opened up a portal beside the barrier.

"Get Goldar," Charleigh said to Lex and Cooper. They quickly set to work on moving the somewhat heavy minion closer to the portal.

"Screw this," Lex said after a minute. He shoved Goldar into a labyrinth, moved the weightless labyrinth closer to the portal, and opened it straight into the portal.

"That was pretty effective," Cooper said with a smirk.

"Look out!" Patti cried as Shelby flung her boomerang at Cooper. It connected with his spine and Cooper let out a cry of pain as he collapsed onto his hands and knees.

Patti wrapped tendrils of light around Shelby as Cooper tried to recover. Shelby screamed like she was in severe pain. "Jezz! Jezz, help!" She cried.

Jezzeff was otherwise occupied, so he couldn't assist his Lazarus Rangers. Trent and Kelsey stood protectively around the Beast Morphers.

"Patti, try wrapping your light around all of them," Stephanie suggested. "It might chase away the Flames."

"I don't think so," Kelsey said. She moved to attack Patti with her battle axe. Taylor ran toward them and shoved Patti to safety. He dodged the battle axe, but the Beast Morphers soon focused on him. He was holding up against them okay until Kelsey ran up behind him and swung her battle axe.

Aisha jumped between Kelsey and Taylor and took the full force of the battle axe. Horrible burns covered her chest and she was rapidly losing blood.

"Mom!" Taylor screamed.

Carrie looked like she wanted to run to help, but she stayed with her team, fighting to get the villains from her realm rounded up so they could send them back home.

Tia tensed in horror. "Mama..." She whispered.

The realms began to shake worse again. Elliot knew he'd lose control of the barrier soon. "We have to heal her," Elliot said.

Taylor was sobbing as he shouted, "I'm trying! She's too injured. It's not working fast enough."

Tia seemed to snap out of her shock. "Liza!" She called.

Liza ran toward her. She froze when she saw how severely Aisha was injured. "Oh shit..." She mumbled.

"I must help stabilize her," Tia said. "Can you hold the portal open?"

"I've got this. Go save her before Taylor gets any more traumatized," Liza replied.

With Liza taking control of the portal, Tia ran to help Taylor with Aisha. Together, they were able to stabilize her, but it wasn't enough. "We need to fully heal her," Tia realized. "Otherwise, the barrier will fail completely."

"Amello, we need you!" Charleigh called as she attempted to stitch up Aisha's chest wound in an effort to stop the bleeding.

Amello quickly joined them. He immediately set to work. Taylor continued holding Aisha. "Don't die," he whispered. "Please don't die. I'm sorry!"

"Shhh, Taylor," Aisha replied weakly. "This isn't your fault. This is what parents are supposed to do for their children."

"Mama..." Tia said softly. "You... You remind me of who she was before."

"I'm sorry, Tia... I am so proud of you for protecting your little brother. Deep down, I'm sure she is, too."

Tia didn't reply. She squeezed Taylor's shoulder supportively instead. After a few minutes that felt like an eternity to Elliot, the realm stopped shaking again. "I'm alright," Aisha said. "Taylor, sweetheart, I'm okay now. It's alright." She held him in her arms as he sobbed.

"I love you," Taylor whispered. "I loved her, too..."

"I know, honey," Aisha said soothingly. "I love you, too."

Elliot felt his strength giving out. "You guys have to go," he said.

Working together, both teams of Ninjetti/Legacy Rangers forced Rita Repulsa, Lord Zedd, Mordant, and the Tengus through the portal. Tia joined hands with Liza to help her keep the portal steady as it started to fail.

"Ooze, Dulcea, Aisha, and that realm's Rangers have to cross through the portal right now," Elliot said. His nose was starting to bleed.

"Elliot, you can't keep this up," Lachlan said as he tried to heal him to buy him more time. It worked, but only slightly.

"I know. Hurry!"

"You can't stop me, Power Rangers!" Ooze declared.

"Wanna bet?" Sabrina replied.

"Challenge accepted!" Zeke said at the same time.

The Ninjetti and Legacy Rangers worked together, switching back and forth between their two forms in perfect unison, united in mind by Kenny and Jessie. With each switch, they launched new attacks, making it impossible for Ooze or anyone else to predict what they might do next.

Finally, with a blast of power from each of them at once, Ivan Ooze was flung backward through the portal. As he vanished into it, he shouted, "I guess the party's over!"

"You ooze, you lose!" The Rangers called after him in unison.

"Time to go home," Sabrina said with a sigh. She hugged Kenny tightly.

"I'll miss you," Kenny replied. He released her and she ran through the portal.

"Thanks for everything," Sage said as she hugged Fred.

"Any time," Fred replied before stepping through.

"Bye, Thorn... Bye, Dad," Christian said shyly.

"I'll have Liza send your frog plush back to you," Thorn promised as he hugged him.

"I'm glad we got a chance to meet, Christian," Adam added as he gently guided him into the portal.

Junie hugged Micky and Tommy at once. "I'm really glad you're okay, Micky," he said.

"Me, too," Micky replied. "Stay strong and keep Dad's ego in check, okay?"

Junie laughed. "I'll do my best."

"Take care of yourself, Junie," Tommy said as he released him from the hug. Junie ran through the portal immediately.

"Josh... I was wrong about you," Johnny said.

"Same here," Josh admitted. "Good luck."

"Thanks. You, too."

They shook hands, which wasn't a hug, but it was a pretty big step for them. Johnny raced into the portal.

Carrie flung her arms around Liza. "Thanks for summoning me here," she said. "I'm really happy we got to meet."

"I'm really happy you showed up to save my ass," Liza replied.

"Mom..." Carrie began.

"Taylor, it's time," Aisha said softly.

"It's okay," Taylor replied quickly. "We can still talk through the mirror... And now I know I have one mom who really loves me." He hugged her tightly. "Thank you for coming to this realm."

"We'll talk soon." She began to walk away.

"Mama..." Tia said softly.

Aisha turned around and opened her arms. Tia stepped away from the portal as soon as Liza nodded at her. She ran into Aisha's arms, for once not acting stoic and mature. She hugged her tightly. "Thank you for reminding me that my mother was a good person once," Tia said.

"You can use the mirror, too, sweetheart," Aisha replied. "Any time you need to remember."

Tia nodded. She released Aisha. "Go... We do not have much time left."

Aisha smiled at them before joining Carrie and going through the portal. Tia resumed helping Liza keep it open.

"I'm really gonna miss you, Sis," Zeke said as he hugged Sabrina. "Don't be a stranger. Aisha's got a magic mirror now. Let's chat every once in a while."

"You know it, Bro," Sabrina promised. "Take care of Lilly and our dad." With that, she dramatically declared, "So long, Peeps! It's been real!" She did a somersault through the portal and vanished.

Dulcea was still battling Ninjor. Elliot began to struggle again, even with Lachlan's help. "Dulcea needs to go before she can't," Elliot said weakly.

"I've got this," Cooper said. He suddenly cried, "Black Phoenix, Rise!"

His Zord responded instantly. Cooper jumped into it and began shooting fire at Ninjor. The attack wouldn't kill him, but it certainly seemed to annoy him and distract him. As Ninjor focused on the Zord, Dulcea hit him so hard he collapsed onto his hands and knees gasping for breath. Dulcea ran toward the Celestial Force and Legacy Rangers.

She didn't quite reach the portal before Ninjor screamed, "Ninjor is furious!" He immediately launched a more powerful attack than he'd ever launched before. Dulcea dove through the portal, getting to safety just in time.

Elliot screamed as he felt his body beginning to tear in half. He realized he probably had only moments left.

"I love you," he told Dora. "I'm sorry."

"Don't you fucking dare, Elliot!" Dora replied. She kissed him, and he felt her energy anchoring him and giving him the strength to hold on a little bit longer. She refused to let go of him as he continued holding up the barrier despite the agonizing pain.

Ninjor looked at the Celestial Force Rangers and seemed to decide they were the main enemy. He began gathering energy Elliot recognized.

"He's going to use the severing spell!" Lachlan cried as he apparently realized the same thing Elliot had.

"No," someone said firmly. "He is not."

Elliot was confused as six figures dressed in various colors appeared. "Oh no..." Ninjor mumbled. He cowered behind Jezzeff. It was the first time Elliot had ever seen Ninjor show genuine fear.

"Ninjor? Who are these people?" Jezzeff demanded.

"The Morphin Masters," Ninjor replied in terror. "Hide me! Hide me!"

Jezzeff frowned and remained protectively in front of Ninjor. "Ninjor is my ally, Power Rangers," he said firmly.

"We are not mere Power Rangers," the Blue one said, sounding deeply offended.

"Zordon mentioned you to me once," Tommy said in confusion. "He said you don't get involved."

"This is a special case," Red replied.

"For once, we have unanimously agreed that our interference is necessary," Green added.

"And it is going to take all of us," Pink said with determination. Gold and Black didn't speak, but they nodded in agreement.

"You have perverted the great power we entrusted you with long ago in unforgivable ways, Ninjor," Red said firmly. "We cannot allow this to continue."

"You can't kill me," Ninjor argued.

"We never said we would kill you," Green replied.

"No, we have a far more interesting fate in mind," Blue added.

Suddenly, crystals began to form around Ninjor. Jezzeff tried to break through them, first with his sword and then with magic, but nothing worked.

"It's useless, Jezzy," the Witch said. "Stop wasting your time. Ninjor's done for. It's time for us to go. Sezzon?"

Sezzon nodded and opened a portal. The Guild vanished, but two people stayed behind. One immediately put the other into a sleeper hold. Everyone watched in confusion as Kelsey fell unconscious in Trent's arms.

"Trent?" Kira asked.

"Hey, Kira," he replied with a grin as he set Kelsey down on the ground gently. "Doc O... I missed you guys."

Tommy started sobbing and flung his arms around Trent while Kira continued to stare at him. "You're still you!" Tommy cried.

"I did the evil Ranger thing already. Apparently, I'm immune to the mind control," Trent explained. "I'd have rescued Shelby, too, but she chose this. Kelsey didn't."

Elliot's legs gave out. His body began gushing blood down the center as he started physically splitting while the barrier nearly collapsed completely.

"Tell my mom I had to," he said weakly.

"Elliot... Elliot, no!" Dora shouted as he began coughing up blood.

"There is another way," the Green Morphin Master said softly. "My friends, Elliot is not meant to perish today. Please... We must set this right."

"We cannot interfere. Stopping Ninjor was our mission," Blue reminded her.

"This boy has the noblest heart I have ever seen. He is a true Power Ranger, and he was willing to sacrifice himself to save not one, but two worlds. Surely he has earned our assistance."

Red sighed. "She is correct," he said. "To allow Elliot to die today would be dishonorable. We will set things back on the correct path, however, this is the only time we may interfere in this fight."

The Morphin Masters joined Elliot at the barrier. They each touched it, strengthening it and restoring it until Elliot felt it solidify.

"All is as it should be in both realms now," Pink said.

"Elliot... Take my hand," Green began.

Elliot was weak. His body was broken, and his mind was very close to following suit. The pain was excruciating.

The six Morphin Masters surrounded him. They focused all of their energy on healing him, and slowly, Elliot felt the damage reversing. After several tense moments, he took a deep breath and realized he was fully recovered.

Dora held him tightly and whispered, "Don't you ever try that again... Ever."

He kissed her. "I love you," he said.

"I love you, too, you jerk."

"Lex... We require your skills now," Red said.

"What can I do?" Lex replied.

"Create a labyrinth around Ninjor... One so strong that even in the unlikely event of your demise, it shall never break."

Lex focused and Elliot could tell he was giving it everything he had. Ninjor vanished into the labyrinth. Lex shrank it down as it took on a physical form and handed it to Red.

"One arrogant asshole, travel-sized for your convenience," he said with a smirk.

"Thank you, Lex," Green replied. "Ninjor shall remain forever bound by our crystals inside of your labyrinth, never to harm another again."

"Good luck, Friends," Red said. "We must depart."

In a flash, the Morphin Masters vanished. For a moment, no one spoke.

"Well," Trent said, finally breaking the awkward silence. "Who wants pizza? I'm starving."

Kira finally flung her arms around him. She refused to let go. She said nothing, but her actions said more than enough.

"Come on, guys," Tommy replied. "Pizza's on me."