AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry for the delay! I got caught up in another project, but I should have more time to work on this story now. Thanks for your continued support. I love and appreciate you all!

CHAPTER TWENTY
MALLORY
She was becoming very nervous. Mallory loved her parents, but sometimes, they didn't think things through. Sure, taking over another realm sounded great in theory, but they didn't belong there, and she couldn't help but worry what the consequences might be for this new realm and for their own.

"What troubles you, Puppet?" Her mother, the infamous Rita Repulsa, asked.

"I don't think we should be here, Mom," Mallory replied honestly.

"Of course we should. If Ivan Ooze and Goldar can play, so can we."

"I just can't shake this feeling we're making a mistake."

The slap came before she even realized her father, Lord Zedd, had entered the room. "How dare you question us, you insolent child!" he snapped.

"Zeddy, don't hurt her," her mother said quickly. "She's just a curious girl, like I was."

"Then I must beat the curiosity out of her!" He moved to strike her again. Her mother got between them and got hit instead.

"That gave me a headache!" She snapped.

"Stop! I'm sorry, my Lord," Mallory said quickly, not wishing to watch her parents battle again.

"Come with me," her father said. He grabbed her arm and dragged her away from her mother. "Your place is beneath us, following our commands. You do not get to question us. Do you understand?"

"Yes, my Lord," Mallory replied, too terrified to look him in the eye. He would view that as defiance or some sort of challenge. Besides, she feared what she'd see there. Often his rage was accompanied by lust, and Mallory knew it was only a matter of time before he acted on that. Her father was an incubus. He couldn't help himself. That didn't make it any easier for Mallory to handle the fact that he was just like her foster fathers had been. He hadn't forced himself on her yet, but she knew he wanted to. Only staying close to her mother had kept her safe. Now, they were alone.

As his hands started to wander, Mallory knew she'd run out of time. "Please don't..." She whispered.

He slapped her. "Do not speak unless spoken to!" He snapped.

He wasn't gentle with her. Mallory sobbed but didn't dare scream. That would only anger him further. He took what he wanted, not bothering to make it pleasant even though he could have easily forced her to enjoy it. Afterward, he beat her for good measure.

"Remember your place and never question us again," he said. He left her, bleeding and broken on the floor.

She'd been there before. Mallory had been in foster care her entire life, and somehow, the only ones who ever kept her were the monsters who liked to abuse kids. She was nothing if not a survivor.

When she was sure he was gone, Mallory crawled out of the building. She continued crawling until she reached the woods behind the property. When she finally found a spot that hid her well, Mallory burst into fresh tears and let herself break.

She barely noticed when someone approached her. "Are you alright?" He asked.

Mallory jumped, which hurt. He sounded like her father, only much gentler. When she looked up, she saw a handsome man with all his skin attached and a concerned expression on his face. "Stay back," she said. "Don't touch me!"

"I won't hurt you, sweetheart," he said soothingly. "I can help. Who did this to you?"

"My father," she admitted with a sob, surprised she couldn't lie to him.

He softened even more. "I had a monster for a father, too," he said. "It's alright. You're safe here. Let me heal you."

"Don't touch me..."

"What's your name?"

"Mallory," she admitted. It was odd to call herself that. Back home, ever since meeting her parents, she always introduced herself as the Sorceress. Right now, she didn't feel strong enough to use that title.

"Mallory... I am Zedd."

She flinched away from him. "No... No, please, don't hurt me!" She begged. She couldn't take anymore.

Zedd sighed. "So you've heard of me," he said. "Mallory, it's alright. I know my reputation is awful, and it's all true, but that's not who I am anymore. An evil spell took away my light millennia ago, but just like my skin, my light was returned to me. I'm not that monster anymore. Please let me help you."

She took a risk and looked into his eyes. They were filled with compassion and a desire to help. She suddenly believed him.

"You aren't like him anymore," she said softly.

"Him?" Zedd repeated.

"My father... Lord Zedd."

He cringed at the title. "Oh my... You're the Sorceress, aren't you?"

"Yes," she admitted, worried he'd attack her.

"You poor child... I'm so sorry. I know the things I am capable of when evil... I have no difficulty believing another part of me did this to you. I swear, if I find him, I'll destroy him."

"You can't... It would upset the balance. My world might implode... And so might yours."

He paused thoughtfully. "You are a very wise young woman, Mallory. Please, allow me to heal you. Part of me did this to you. This is the least I can do."

She nodded. Zedd gently began to heal her. She was surprised how soothing his energy was. "Thank you," she said softly when he was done.

"You haven't ever been shown kindness, have you?" Zedd asked sadly.

"My mother tries... I know she loves me, in her own way... She's just a bit unstable."

Zedd chuckled. "I suspect that's an understatement," he replied. "However, if she is anything like our Rita, then she does love you, very much. Rita sacrificed her life to protect our daughter, Angie, and her boyfriend, who happens to be the Pink Ranger."

"The Pink Ranger's a guy?"

"In this realm, Kimberly has a son. He inherited her legacy."

"So, Mom is dead here?"

"Not anymore. By giving her life for them, she restored the light which was stolen from her. She came back from the dead."

"I can't believe she gave her life for my counterpart and one of her mortal enemies."

"Rita's an incredible woman."

"Are you two happy together?"

He laughed again. "Rita is my dearest friend and I will protect her with my life, but she's with the one she was meant to be with now, and I'm quite happily dating someone else. Rita and Zordon belong together. I'm quite pleased he finally proposed to her."

"Wait... Mom and Zordon are in love? I don't understand..."

"They met as teenagers. Their bond was instant, but Zordon's very evil father turned Rita evil with the same spell he later used on me. They're finally back together, and as hard as it is for me to remember at times, Zell is no longer evil. That's far too complicated to get into right now. Anyway, the point is, Zordon and Rita make a wonderful couple, and I'm quite content to be Rita's big brother figure instead of her husband."

"I'm so confused."

"I know..." He paused. "Mallory, I want to help you."

"You healed me. You already helped me."

"I want to keep you safe. You can't go home to a monster."

"He's my father... And at least I have Mom. She's much better than my foster mothers were."

"You are so like my sweet Angeline... She grew up similarly, and I very nearly did to her what your father did to you. I am eternally grateful my son Taylor intervened and rescued her before I could. It's bad enough I hurt my other children."

"You mean it's more than me and Thrax?"

"Ugh, do not mention that abomination! He doesn't count. But yes. I had four children with Aisha Campbell... Tanner, Taylor, Tye, and Tessa." A slight amount of emotion crept into his voice at the name Tye.

"That's a lot of T names," Mallory mumbled.

"Taylor was named for my very dear friend, Raven Taylor. I lost him a long time ago, but he always gave me hope, and something about Taylor reminded me of that feeling. As for the others, I had no idea what to call them, so I made Aisha name them. The other children she named are Tia and Imani. Little Mani is unique in having a name that doesn't start with a T. Then again, Imani is unique in many ways."

"You like her," Mallory guessed.

"She's a feisty little thing, and she's a ball of light. Everyone likes Mani."

"What about your kids?"

"Taylor is exactly like I was as a boy. It's uncanny. We have grown close, although I put him through hell when I was still evil. Tanner was extremely evil. He is dead and that's better for everyone. Tessa's my baby... She is sweet, gentle, and kind. She has me wrapped around her little finger. I would die for that child without hesitating. And Tye..." He sighed.

"Never mind," Mallory said quickly. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"Tye was murdered by Jezzeff in a place where she should have been safe. I was especially cruel to her, and although I tried to fix it, she was terrified of me. I could never undo all the harm I did... And because she feared me, when we went into hiding, she refused to come with us. Taylor convinced her to at least hide on the Reservation, where we believed no harm could reach her. We didn't know Jezzeff had ties to the land. He slashed her throat and framed Zell for it." Zedd shook his head, his grief obvious.

"It's not your fault. I can tell you loved her," Mallory said.

"I did... Once I was able to love again. Unfortunately, by that point, it was too late. She wasn't able to forgive me or even give me a chance, and I don't blame her for that. I traumatized her so much she barely spoke... I shattered her because that's what my father did to me when I defied him. More than anything, I wish I could go back and stop myself from hurting her."

"My... My Lord, you can't blame yourself for what happened."

He cringed. "Please don't call me that," he said. "Zedd's fine, or even Dad or Father... Just not my Lord, okay?"

"You'd let me call you Dad?"

"I've gotten used to it with my other kids. You deserve a father who isn't a monster. I don't mind if you call me Dad."

She sighed. "I wish you were my dad... He scares me."

"He scares me, too," Zedd admitted. "Part of me worries I'll turn back into that monster one day. It's my biggest fear... And I don't usually admit it."

"I can't stay with you. I belong with them. You can only interfere so much."

"How do you understand so much?"

"I read comic books. I know how the whole multiverse thing works. The wrong change can have a devastating effect... It's a delicate balance."

"Mallory..." He sighed. "I truly wish I could do more."

"You showed me kindness. That's more than you know. I have to go back now." She hesitated before hugging him tightly. "Thank you..."

Before Zedd could respond, Mallory hurried out of the woods. She'd hide out in her temporary room until her father forgot he was angry with her and everything would be fine.

TADD
He was relatively certain his tracking abilities were working. It was time to try to find Tanzi.

He closed his eyes and cleared his mind, focusing on sensing his old friend. At first, he felt nothing. Then, he caught just a shred of her energy.

It's true, he realized. Tanzi's alive.

He headed toward the sense of her energy. It grew stronger as he continued walking. He knew he should turn back and get help, but he was afraid he'd lose track of her if he did. He couldn't risk it.

I've found her, Zo, he thought, knowing Zolan would hear him. Meet me with the other Boys at the abandoned mansion on Meadow Lane. That's where they have her.

We're coming, Zolan promised.

Tadd raced toward the mansion. He was surprised to hear loud music coming from inside. He hesitated for a moment before he headed inside.

Strobe lights were flashing everywhere. Tadd flinched in confusion before he adjusted to them. He could hear laughter coming from the main room as he headed toward it. He was quite startled to see a party in the room. He was even more startled to realize a young Eltarian man was dancing with Tanzi. She seemed to be enjoying herself, much to Tadd's confusion.

He froze, hiding in the shadows and watching the revelries. He remained there as the party continued, and was still there when Zolan, Ezzex, Braydee, and Vallen burst through the door ready to fight.

Ezzex had a ball of fire in his hands. He blinked in confusion as he spotted the festivities. "You neglected to mention this was a party, Tadd," he said.

"I'm underdressed," Braydee added with a pout.

"It's casual," the man dancing with Tanzi said, making them all jump. "Oh, I'm sorry! Was I supposed to pretend I didn't know you were here? My bad. As you were, Gentlemen!" He resumed dancing with Tanzi.

"Boys!" Tanzi cried as she spotted them. She looked at her dance partner apologetically. "Thanks for lifting my spirits a bit, but-"

"The rescue party's here. It's okay, Tanz. Go have your reunion."

"Wait... You're not going to try to stop us?" Tadd asked.

"Nah. T'Dania brought her back because she was unjustly killed by Jezzeff and the Witch. She deserves her happy ending. Go get your man, Girl!" He released her and Tanzi immediately ran into Zolan's arms.

"You're alive..." Zolan whispered. "You're really alive... My God, Tanzi..." He visibly struggled not to cry as he held her.

"Good to have you back, Tanz!" Braydee said as he hugged her from behind.

"Zo was unbearable without you," Ezzex joked.

Vallen sniffled before flinging his arms around her. He said nothing as he held her tightly.

"Did they hurt you?" Zolan demanded.

"No, my love," Tanzi replied. "Dexter has been taking care of me. He realized I was depressed, so he conjured a party and invited a bunch of random local citizens to it. He doesn't know any of them, but that didn't seem to matter."

"I just enjoy a good party," Dexter replied. "You're welcome to stay, Boys. I don't mind."

A new song started. Dexter started bopping along and dancing to it before he started singing. "You can't touch this... My, my, my, my music hits me so hard, makes me say 'oh my Lord...' Thank you for blessing me with a mind to rhyme and two hyped feet. It feels good when you know you're down, a super dope homeboy from the Oaktown, And I'm known as such..."

Suddenly, Vallen joined him in singing, "And this is a beat, uh, you can't touch... I told you, homeboy, You can't touch this... Yeah, that's how we livin', and ya know, You can't touch this... Look in my eyes, man, You can't touch this... Yo, let me bust the funky lyrics, You can't touch this..."

This continued until they hit the break it down lyric, at which point Braydee and Ezzex joined in on the dance. Tadd and Zolan stared at them like they had three heads each.

"What on all of Eltar was that?" Zolan demanded as the song ended.

"It's an Earth dance craze from the 90s," Ezzex replied.

"It's a classic," Braydee added.

As a new song came on, Dexter grinned and asked, "Do you boys know Safety Dance?"

This prompted Vallen, Ezzex, and Braydee to attempt to dance along, although they looked a bit ridiculous to Tadd. Vallen started singing.

"Boys... This is not why we're here," Tadd reminded them.

"Lighten up, Tadd! It's a party!" Ezzex insisted.

"A party's better than a fight," Braydee added.

"He's not wrong," Zolan admitted.

When that song ended, a new one began. "Conga!" Ezzex and Braydee cried in unison. A strange line of dancers suddenly formed and began moving through the room as one. Zolan and Tanzi were swept into it quickly. Against his will, Tadd was also pulled into the middle of it as Vallen jumped out just to jump back in and pull Tadd along for the ride. Seeing no escape, Tadd was forced to dance along.

"I am so confused right now," he admitted to Vallen.

"It's easy, Friend," Vallen replied. "Just follow my movements."

"No, not about the dance, Val. I'm confused as to why we're dancing instead of escaping with Tanzi."

"Dexter's letting her go, so there's no rush, and we can't resist a good party."

Tadd sighed. It looked like, once again, he was the only one of his friends with the ability to focus and he'd just been outvoted in favor of partying. He shrugged, knowing he had no choice but to see this through. If Dexter and his friends suddenly decided to ambush them, Tadd would be ready to protect the others, just as he always did.

Finally, as the Conga ended, the other Boys focused. This only happened because the Huntress entered the house.

"Dex, this is not keeping a low profile!" She snapped.

Zolan immediately hid Tanzi behind him protectively. Ezzex did the same with Braydee. The Huntress rolled her eyes.

"I'm not here for you morons," she said. "Take your friend and go."

"Don't have to tell us twice!" Vallen declared.

"Boys... And Tanzi... Let's move!" Ezzex added.

Tadd stayed at the back in case the Huntress was lying and planned to attack them, but they made it out without an issue.

Zolan kept Tanzi wrapped in his arms as they stopped for a moment. "So... That just happened," Braydee said to break the silence.

"Yeah it did!" Ezzex agreed.

"I love you," Zolan said softly as he clung to Tanzi.

"I love you, too," she replied before kissing him.

"Now we're back! All we're missing is Sera," Vallen said. "We should go see Darcy."

"Darcy?" Tanzi asked.

"Serafine, Ash, and Daphne have reincarnated," Tadd explained. "Sera and Daphne have actually got multiple incarnations right now."

"We'll catch you up soon," Zolan promised. "For now, I just want to bring you home."

"Where is home?" Tanzi asked.

"Here on Earth," Braydee replied. "Ezz, Val, and I have lived here since that awful day on Eltar... Zo joined us about a year and a half or so ago, and we just rescued Tadd recently. You'll like it here. We'll help you learn English."

"Come on, my love," Zolan said. "Home is this way."

JEZZEFF
He was suspicious by nature. After all, he was the greatest liar the Universe had ever seen. Why should he trust that others were being truthful? Still, when two powerful sorcerers came to him as he was exploring the woods, curiosity got the better of him.

He could feel their power levels, and they were impressive. "Greetings, Jezzeff of Eltar," one of them said. "My name is Bailey, of Eltar. My companion is Reid. We have come with the hope of joining your Guild."

"How bold of you to approach me," Jezzeff replied. "This is not the sort of organization one joins easily."

"Oh, we know," Reid replied. "Which is why we brought a gift." He snapped his fingers and a bloody figure appeared. At first, Jezzeff did not recognize her beneath all of her injuries. He stared in shock as he realized who she was.

"Angel..." He mumbled. "How did you capture this one? She is no easy foe to defeat!"

"We lured her out with a threat against her grandfather," Bailey replied. "She's quite attached to Hezzo. She raced right into our trap and we ambushed her before she reached the location where we claimed to be waiting."

Jezzeff laughed as he examined her closer. "Oh, you poor dear," he said in a mock-sympathetic tone.

"Eat... Shit..." Angel replied weakly.

"She's immortal, or you'd be seeing her corpse," Reid explained.

"You did impressive work, Gentlemen. Tell me, what are your powers?"

"I am a very powerful sorcerer," Bailey replied, "and Reid is a necromancer."

Jezzeff smiled. He needed a necromancer in the Guild desperately, but he'd been unsuccessful in finding one that proved worthy. "A necromancer, you say? Show me."

Reid grinned before closing his eyes and summoning an army of spirits as easily as if he were simply breathing. They moved around Jezzeff protectively. He smiled.

"Well, Bailey, if you are half as impressive as your friend here, I think this is the start of a wonderful journey together," he said.

Bailey smirked before casting a quick spell. Suddenly, Angel stood up and grabbed a knife from him. Jezzeff was mildly concerned until she plunged it into her own chest. It was clear she was struggling against the mind control, but she couldn't resist her orders. Bailey calmly retrieved the knife and cleaned it off as Angel bled horribly on the ground.

"Gentlemen... Welcome to the Guild," Jezzeff said.

Suddenly, Grayzee appeared. He fired off multiple attacks at once. Bailey knocked Jezzeff to safety while Reid sent spirits to attack their enemy.

Grayzee pulled Angel into his arms. "Are you insane?" He demanded as he examined her wounds. "Why didn't you call me sooner?"

"I had it handled," Angel replied weakly as Grayzee healed her.

"Let us flee while we still can, my friends," Jezzeff said. "Grayzee won't take kindly to his wounded lover."

He opened a portal straight to the Guild's base. "Dale, kindly set up two new rooms," he said as he spotted the boy. "Bailey and Reid shall be joining us."

"Of course, Jezzeff," Dale replied, hurrying away to do as he was told.

"House boy?" Reid quipped.

Jezzeff smiled. "Dale is far more valuable than that," he replied. "Join me in the parlor. I'll introduce you to the others."

GRAYZEE
"Damnit, Angel, what were you thinking?" He demanded as he brought her back to his place on Eltar. "You should have called me in as soon as Jezzeff got involved."

"You know why I couldn't... I did what I had to do, Grayzee," Angel replied stubbornly.

"That injury's deep."

"Yeah, well, it's not like I can die from it. I'm immortal, remember? It takes more than that to kill me."

"You're impossible."

"That's why you love me." She kissed him.

"That's cheating," Grayzee said after the kiss ended.

"I love you. Thanks for showing up. I'm okay, Grayzee."

"What happened?"

"The Guild has two new members. Jezzeff nearly wet himself at the prospect of a necromancer joining him."

"He's wanted one forever. That's one power he doesn't seem to possess on his own yet."

"Yeah, and the fact that they offered me up on a platter impressed him, too."

"Well, it is impressive. You're not easy to take down."

"How's Hezzo?"

"Neurotic with worry, but otherwise alright. He's ready to fight."

"Good. He's going to need to be."

"I'm sending Tedius back to Captain Smith. He's doing slightly better and he's not going to be safe here. I can't drag Tedi into the middle of this."

"That's the right call. Are you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Grayzee... You can talk to me."

"I know, my Angel... I'm alright. A little nervous, but I have faith things will turn out alright."

"Of course they will. The Circle excels at what they do. You guys have totally got this."

"We're really in for it this time."

"Well, this time, you have me. And I'm not letting anything happen to you guys."

He kissed her. "Come on, my Angel," he said. "Let's go see Hezzo before his head explodes."

ANTONIO
The girl trapped in the device made for interesting company. Antonio was spending nearly all of his time trying to help her escape from it. He'd discovered she was clever and also pretty sassy the more they talked. She gave him ideas on how to fix some of the issues he ran into as he worked on the device. Her knowledge of technology impressed him. So did her understanding of him.

"You can talk to me, Antonio," she said. "I can tell you're upset about something."

"It's Jayden," Antonio blurted out. "Ninjor severed him from the Morphing Grid and he was really hurt. He still hasn't woken up... Zordon says he just needs time, but what if Jay wakes up and can't be a Power Ranger anymore? He won't know what to do with himself. This is his entire identity."

"That's why he needs you, Antonio," she replied. "You help him remember there is a world beyond training and being a Samurai. You can help him find a new purpose in life... But don't count Jayden out yet. He's tough. If anyone can come back from this, it's him."

"You know Jayden, right? You know all of us."

"Antonio-"

"Just tell me, Chica. I need to understand."

She sighed. "I know you all," she admitted. "Extremely well... And all I want is what's best for you." She paused. "Antonio, where's Katie?"

He tensed. "We don't talk about her," he said after a moment.

"What happened? Please... I need to know."

"Katie betrayed us. It turns out her grandfather is this really powerful Eltarian who used to be very evil. He convinced Katie that if she did what he wanted, he'd save her father..." Antonio sighed. "She killed Mike because he tried to stop her from killing another Power Ranger, Liza. And then, she tried to kill Jay, but... But Mentor saved him. Mentor died for him."

"Oh God... Oh, Jayden! He must be so heartbroken."

"That's an understatement. Katie's dead. Her cousin Thorn put her down."

"I'm sorry... I tried so hard to prevent this..."

"What do you mean?"

"I thought if I stopped her from getting to Katie, I could prevent all of this, but I guess I only bought you guys a little time."

"Okay, Chica, it's time you told me everything. Who are you really?"

She hesitated before saying, "Ren. I'm Sakamoto Ren."

"You're Japanese."

"Obviously," she replied with a laugh.

"And you knew all of us... And you were involved enough to know Katie..." A thought occurred to him, but it was impossible. "Sakamoto... That's one of the lines, isn't it?"

"Antonio..."

"But their line died out. The last Sakamoto Samurai warrior died the day Jayden's dad did and she had no descendants... Unless..." He froze. "Oh my God... You were one of us! We had a Silver Samurai!"

"Yes," Ren admitted. "I am the Silver Samurai Ranger. Jayden and I were close because I understood his loss... And I might be able to help him, if you get me out of here."

"No pressure... Holy crap, Ren, why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I thought Katie was still a threat. I was worried it would happen again."

"What happened? Tell me how you ended up like this."

"This evil creature who appeared in shadows started stalking Katie when Jayden first introduced us to her. It was before things really got crazy. They were barely dating... But he loved her, and that made me care about her. Anyway, Katie was freaked out but she didn't want to worry Jayden, so she didn't tell anyone until I coaxed it out of her. This cackling shadow kept trying to convince Katie to unlock the darkness within herself. Katie fought it, but she was starting to struggle."

"Cackling... Oh crap, the Witch! She got to Katie before Zell ever did?"

"I guess. I never asked her name. Anyway, she wanted Katie to turn evil and kill us. She really wanted our team out of the way. I knew Katie was in serious trouble, so I tried to find a way to save her... And this girl came. She had this weird futuristic box made from alien technology, and it glowed..."

"You mean this thing?"

"Yeah. She said it could stop the Witch from turning Katie and that it would be our only chance to save ourselves. I didn't understand what was going on, but I knew we had to try... So I brought it to you. The two of us have never met tech we couldn't figure out. We started working on it and learning how it functioned... We were ready to fight. Then, the Witch showed herself, and she grabbed onto Katie, and this incredible darkness burst from inside of her... It was like Katie radiated with shadows and evil. She was terrified. You tried to help her by activating the box. The Witch screamed like the light hurt her... Then she sent a spell at you. I tried to block the attack, but when I couldn't, I took it instead. It drained almost all of my life force. Then I heard the girl who'd given us the box screaming at me to activate it again. I used the last of my strength to do it. The box attacked the Witch, and she fled, and it blasted the darkness right out of Katie. Then all of a sudden, it pulled me inside of it. My whole body got sucked in by magic. I shouldn't have survived. I was too severely injured... But the box kept me alive and healed me."

"Why did we forget you?"

"I used a Kanji to make you guys forget everything... Somehow, I knew if Katie remembered the Witch, the darkness would come back to her. To save Katie and keep our team safe from her, I had to erase the memory of what the Witch unlocked in her. Unfortunately, my Kanji needed to be extremely strong to do this. It would need me to willingly sacrifice something... And I sacrificed myself. To erase the darkness and the Witch, I had to erase myself entirely from everyone's memories. I figured I could reverse it later, but then I got stuck in the box."

"Well now I'm definitely getting you out, Chica."

"You believe me? Without proof?"

"It sounds like something the Witch would do... Besides, it feels true. I can't remember you, but your words are familiar, like I should know all of this already."

"You do remember on some level... You used to call me Chica before. We met as kids and I was the only girl around you and Jayden. By the way, did we win our big battle?"

"We kicked butt," Antonio confirmed. "And now Deker's on our side."

"Wow... I missed a lot. How's everyone else?"

"As good as they can be. Lauren's back, and she and Jayden both share the role of Red Ranger, but Lauren kind of took over for Mentor after we lost him. Mike had a cousin... Spike, if you can believe it! He's our Green Ranger now."

"Spike? You're kidding."

"He's not bad at it, actually. Mia's crazy about him. They're dating. Emily's still Emily... Just a little sadder. Losing Mike was hard on her."

"Poor girl. They were good together." She paused. "You didn't mention Kevin."

Antonio almost started to cry. "Kevin sacrificed himself to save one of the Mystic Force Rangers. It's a long story, but he died a hero."

"Of course he did. He's Kevin." Ren sighed. "I wish I could hug you, Antonio."

"Soon," he promised. He was determined to find a way to set her free. He wondered how he'd explain her existence to the rest of the team. Antonio decided not to worry about that until he found a way to free her.

THE NEXT DAY.

STEPHANIE
She knew something was wrong as soon as the Celestial Force Rangers entered the woods. There was an enormous amount of smoke coming from a clearing nearby. They raced toward it and spotted the Guild. Most of them, she recognized. They Rangers had been working hard to compile an accurate list of Guild members, and the former Rebel Eltarians had been very helpful in providing photos and information about them.

"Stay back," Charleigh advised. They watched the Guild from behind a thick section of trees.

Jezzeff was leading the ritual. The Witch and Didi stood together lending him power. Reyzzo, Leigan, and Jonah were restraining a struggling African-American man who seemed completely terrified. Alex stood with a boy Stephanie assumed was his son, Trevor, watching things a little nervously. Bourbon was focusing on the ritual. Drakaina stood beside him looking bored, but Stephanie sensed she was actually paying very close attention to things. Ivan Ooze and Ninjor stood together, seemingly enjoying the show. Dale seemed to be horrified, but he watched in silence, not interfering.

Two people Stephanie didn't know were also there. "New recruits?" She asked in a whisper.

"Must be," Charleigh replied.

Lachlan hesitated. "What is it?" Stephanie asked.

"Guys, something's off about those two," he said. "They're-"

"They're Bailey and Reid of Eltar," Elliot cut him off quickly. "Jezzeff's newest lackeys."

"You've met them?" Dora asked.

"I've lived in another reality where they existed. Don't focus on them, Lach. Trust me, just let it go. They're powerful, but they aren't the biggest threat to us."

"I've never heard of them," Lex said suspiciously.

"You don't know every Eltarian in existence, Lex," Cooper pointed out. "It's a big planet."

"We'll see if the Rebels can help us find out more about them later," Charleigh said. "For now, we need to stop this ritual."

"I could unleash my shield," Patti offered. "The Witch would probably run."

"Good plan," Dora said.

"Terrible plan," Lex argued. "That only eliminates the Witch, and it puts a huge target on Patti's head."

"I'll cover Patti," Cooper said. "I won't let them hurt her."

"Okay, Patti, unleash your shield on the Witch, and then the rest of us can handle the others," Charleigh decided. "On my mark... Three... Two... Move out!"

Patti took a deep breath and released her shield. It quickly blinded the Guild members.

The Witch screamed in pain. "Didi!" She shouted.

"I'm coming, Mommy!" Didi replied. "Two can play this game... Time to turn out the lights!" She suddenly unleashed her shield of darkness.

As the two shields connected, they locked onto each other. Patti and Didi both sank to their knees in a power struggle it was clear neither could win.

"We have to help Patti," Stephanie said, but everyone else was busy attacking Guild members. Cooper stood the closest to Patti as he battled against Jonah, who'd tried to attack her. Stephanie sighed and began looking around for inspiration.

Soon enough, she found a few things she was pretty sure could help. She snapped apart the compact mirror she kept in her purse, then put the two pieces back-to-back and tied them together with vines. She proceeded to attach them to a fallen tree branch with more vines. Struggling against the energies of the Shield of Light and the Shield of Darkness, Stephanie shoved the branch between Patti and Didi. As the shields hit the mirrors, they each bounced off of them and retreated back inside of their respective wielders. Both girls flew backward and landed on the ground.

Stephanie ran toward Patti. "Are you okay?" She asked.

"Ouch..." Patti mumbled.

"Sorry. It was the only way to break the connection," Stephanie replied.

"Is Didi okay?"

"I don't know. Should I care?"

"Steph, she's kind of like me."

"If you were evil and psychotic, sure."

"Please, just check on her."

Stephanie sighed. "Get to Cooper," she said. She made sure Patti made it before she headed toward Didi. No one in the Guild had bothered to check on her.

Didi was mumbling incoherently to herself when Stephanie reached her. "Hey, Lunatic, are you alright?" Stephanie asked.

Didi suddenly pulled out a dagger and tried to stab Stephanie with it. Stephanie barely dodged the blow as Didi began laughing. "I guess that's a yes," Stephanie mumbled. Didi lunged at her and knocked her onto her back. They began struggling, both of them fighting fiercely against the other.

That was when a portal opened and several people arrived. "Alright, ya bastards! We've got a score to settle!" Tinny proclaimed.

"I don't think you're allowed to have sharp things, lass," Branz said to Didi. He snapped his fingers and her dagger turned into a stuffed rabbit.

"Bunny!" Didi cried in delight. She got off of Stephanie and snuggled her new toy, forgetting all about the fight.

"Thanks," Stephanie said with a laugh as Branz helped her back to her feet.

With the arrival of the Circle, things got more interesting quickly. They functioned remarkably well as a unit. It was nothing short of impressive to watch them in action, and Stephanie was definitely enjoying fighting beside them.

The battle was starting to shift strongly in their favor. Stephanie was positive the Guild was about to flee when a severed head suddenly rolled by her feet. She looked at his face, not comprehending what she was seeing at first until his body fell beside him. Danzel's eyes stared blankly back at her. Moments later, Hudzon's lifeless body collapsed a few feet away. He had a sword in his back.

"No!" Maegus cried in horror.

Stephanie looked up in confusion as a pair of hands pulled the sword out of Hudzon's back. She gasped as she realized who was holding it.

Sezzon plunged the sword into the ground, cleaning the blood off of it with dirt as he pulled it back out before smiling.

"Traitor! You're fucking dead!" Hezzo shouted.

"Sezzon... How could you?" Branz asked with tears in his eyes.

"You traitorous mother fucker!" Hezzo began to raise a death spell.

"Hezzo, no!" Ling cried. "He's still our brother!"

"He just killed Hudzon and Danzel! He was never our brother!" Hezzo screamed.

"I'm sorry, Lads," Sezzon began, "but I am bound by logic... It has become clear to me which side will win this fight."

"Sezzon, no! Did they turn you in the Flames? Why are you doing this?" Vrennius asked.

"They didn't use the Flames on me, Vrennius. This is simply the path that benefits me the most," Sezzon replied calmly.

"I'll skin ya alive, ya son of a bitch!" Tinny declared.

"Have you no honor, Sezzon?" Nee demanded as he and Davi drew their swords.

"He stabbed Hudzon in the back! Honor went out the window," Hill declared.

"We will handle him accordingly," Davi said firmly.

"Sezz, this isn't you," Amello said sadly.

"Oh, but it is, my friend. I assure you," Sezzon replied. He smiled at Jezzeff. "I would very much like to join your organization, Jezzeff."

Jezzeff smirked at Hudzon and Danzel's bodies. "You are most welcome, my friend," he replied.

"You're dead to us, Sezzon!" Hezzo shouted. He cast an even stronger death spell.

"Hezz, stop!" Ling cried. "Please... This isn't the way!" He held Hezzo's arm until the death spell shattered. "Go, Sezzon. This one time, leave with your life. I make no promises for the future."

"It was fun while it lasted, Lads, but all good things come to an end," Sezzon said. Jezzeff opened a portal. The Guild escaped through it, taking Sezzon with them.

"Oh fuck..." Stephanie mumbled.

"Did that really just happen?" Lex asked in horror.

"Damnit, Ling! Why did you let him get away?" Hezzo demanded.

"Because maybe there's still good in him! Maybe he'll come back to us!" Ling insisted.

"Bullshit!" Hezzo flung a wall of ice up before shattering it in frustration.

"Hezz..." Maegus said softly.

"Not now," Hezzo said. "Take care of them, Maegus... All of them. And for shit's sake, make sure Hudzon's wife and kids are safe. They should... They should hear it from one of us." He vanished through a portal.

"I'll tell them," Grayzee said. "I'm good at delivering bad news."

"I'll protect our fallen friends," Ling said softly. He waved his hands and the bodies vanished.

"Rangers, allow me to escort you home," Davi said. "Maegus... I'll meet you all at the pub. We should toast to our fallen brothers' memories."

"We're definitely drinking tonight," Tinny agreed.

"On the plus side... I have the man they tried to sacrifice," Lachlan said softly. "He's unconscious but alive."

"I'll heal him, then get him somewhere safe," Amello offered. "I'll catch up to you lads later."

As the Circle left and Amello took the man from Lachlan, Davi looked at the Rangers sadly. "Follow me, my young friends," he said. "We shall fight another day, but for now, let us recover."

Realizing the Circle had just imploded, Stephanie wasn't sure anyone would "recover." One thing was for sure... All bets were off.