CHAPTER TWO

BRIDGE
Funerals were hard. They were even harder when the person who'd died was your teammate. The SPD team had returned to the future to bury their fallen friend, but since time travel worked oddly, they returned to the past the day after it happened. Bridge had informed the others he needed to go somewhere and left without providing any other information. He'd promptly teleported to Japan.

Akemi Kimura opened the door to her home as soon as he knocked on it. "Bridge!" She said, wrapping her arms around him. "This is a surprise."

Bridge hugged her tightly. Only as he breathed in the familiar and very soothing scent of her jasmine shampoo did he begin to sob. He wept until his entire body shook with the tears.

She didn't question this, but he knew she was stunned. Akemi had never seen him cry before. She held him, rubbing his back gently to help him calm down. When he finally stopped crying, she guided him into the house and closed the door.

"I'm sorry," Bridge said softly as Akemi poured him a cup of tea.

"Tell me what happened, Bridge," she said gently.

"Kemi-chan..." Bridge whispered. He sighed. "I lost someone."

"Your life has been so full of loss these last few years... My heart aches for you, especially since this one seems harder for you."

"It was Sky... My team's Blue, then Red Ranger, until he got promoted and I took over that role... Kemi-Chan, he sacrificed himself... He knew it was the only way, and he didn't even hesitate... But now, Syd's broken, and everyone's picking sides because Syd swears it's Jen's fault, and it's all falling apart, but we have no time to break because they're back, and while Gia might he happy the monsters are returning to Angel Grove, I have this horrible feeling, like we're going up against a threat that's even bigger than Zell was, and what if we can't pull it off? What if everyone start dying again? What if-?" He paused, sniffing the air. "Is that... buttery toast?"

"Kenji was making a snack when you got here," Akemi said with a smile.

Right on cue, Kenji walked into the room with enough buttery toast for all of them. "Abba!" Kenji said with a smile that lit up his eyes. He paused, studying Bridge for a moment. "Your aura's as sad as I sensed... What happened?"

Bridge managed to smile at his son. He could hardly believe his little Kenji Carson Kimura was already sixteen, but he was. And for all this time, no one from SPD or Time Force has had any idea he existed, Bridge thought. He'd gone to great lengths to ensure that. After all, Kenji wasn't technically supposed to exist, but Bridge was pretty sure that wasn't really true. If it were, someone from Time Force would have changed the past back by now.

About eleven years earlier, Bridge had traveled to Osaka. He'd just decided to visit because he was bored and liked exploring the world when not on a mission. The last thing he'd expected was to end up nearly dying, but a speeding car had come straight for him.

Akemi had come from out of nowhere and pushed him out of the way of the car. She'd been hit. As she lay dying, Bridge reacted on instinct and saved her life.

Almost immediately, Commander Cruger had contacted him to tell him Akemi had been meant to die that day. The responsible thing would have been to go back in time and let her follow her destiny. Bridge made a different choice.

"I can help you," a strange girl told him while he stepped away to think. She was young, maybe thirteen at most. She had long blonde hair and skin that vibrated with magic. Her aura was pulsing with power.

"You're using a glamour," Bridge said suspiciously. "Show me your true form."

The girl shrugged. Her appearance remained the same except for one major detail... Her skin turned a bit blue.

"You're not from Earth..." Bridge registered.

"I was born here, actually," the girl replied. "Or I will be, anyway... In a couple of decades."

"Who are you? What planet do you descend from?"

"I'm Briar. I'm not sure what planet my mom was born on. She doesn't talk about it, but she's a powerful witch and she's lived on Earth for a while. My dad's from Eltar."

That explained the blue tint to her skin. Bridge nodded. Her aura told him she was being honest.

"You said you can help me?"

"I know what you're being told to do, Bridge... But Akemi doesn't have to die. There's another path you two can take together... And you need to, because they won't see it coming."

"Who won't?"

Briar hesitated. "I can't tell you outright... You aren't meant to know yet. I'll just tell you this much... His visions are based on specific timelines, and her knowledge of what's to come is, too... So I'm going to help you confuse them." She hesitated. "My dad's going to kill me... He hates time travel. I blame that on PTSD... But I'm kind of rebellious sometimes, and this needs to happen. Do you trust me?"

Looking into her eyes, he nodded. Her aura was pure. Whoever Briar was, she really was trustworthy.

She put a bracelet on his wrist. "Wear this until you get back to this time... No one will detect you went back because you'll still have done everything you did. I'm creating a slightly different timeline for you guys to hide in. I'll keep moving you through different ones until it's safe to stop. When time syncs up, you'll be back in this timeline."

"I'm confused."

"Don't worry. I'll take care of everything. My magic's really strong." She paused. "Tell Akemi to never take this off. It will keep anyone from detecting she still exists," Briar said, handing him a cherry blossom charm on a necklace. The necklace radiated with magic, its aura beautiful and mysterious. Then, she handed him a lotus necklace that also had a powerful aura.

"Who's the lotus for?" He asked.

"You'll know when you meet him," Briar replied mysteriously. "Listen to me... You won't understand this now, and that's okay. You aren't meant to... But when the sky falls, you need to tell Anise what I've done."

"Who's Anise?"

"You'll find out eventually."

Briar had sent Bridge and Akemi a few years into the past from where they'd been. They'd fallen in love and had a son. Bridge understood then who the lotus had been for, and Kenji had been told to never take it off.

"When the sky falls..." Bridge repeated aloud. "Oh, God... Sky... She knew... This really was meant to happen." He knew his aura was pulsing with too many emotions at once.

"Abba, calm down. Have some toast. I made it extra buttery," Kenji said. He always used the Jewish word for father when speaking to Bridge.

Bridge knew who Anise was now, of course, but he'd forgotten about Briar's cryptic message until that moment... He knew exposing the truth to Anise about his family was a risk, but he had to hope Briar hadn't done all of this just to get his wife and son killed.

Tomorrow, he decided. I'll tell Anise what I did tomorrow.

ZORDON
He was still heartbroken about Sky's death. He also knew it was only the beginning. The war had resumed.

Zordon paced around the Command Center nervously, trying to calm his mind, but his mind would not cooperate.

"Aye-yi-yi, Zordon!" Alpha Five said as he studied him. "Something certainly seems to be troubling you! Would you care to talk about it?"

"We are here for you, Friend," Alpha Prime added.

Of all the Alphas, Zordon was closest to Five and Prime. Five had been his companion for years, even while he'd been trapped in the energy tube. Prime had been his father's most trusted ally, and he'd had a big hand in raising Zordon after his mother's death. Although Zordon deeply trusted Twenty-Six, who was a lot like Five, and was amused by Six's unique way of speaking and Three's rather dramatic antics, he didn't know them nearly as well as he knew Five and Prime.

"Did you ask her yet?" Zedd asked as he stuck his head into the room.

Zordon smiled sadly at his old friend. Although his father had turned Zedd evil for millennia, he and Zordon had once been as close as brothers. When Sage had done the impossible and restored Zedd's light to him, that bond had grown strong once more. The young Shaman had also regrown Zedd's skin and saved Zordon's life after his father killed him. Thanks to Sage and the son she'd conceived while stuck in the past, Troy, Zordon had been revived, but he'd been a teenager again, physically and mentally. A horrific attack on Eltar's government about a year and a half ago had restored his memories, but physically, Zordon was only about sixteen years old. Eltarians aged slowly, but not that slowly, and it had taken some getting used to. Although he was still wise, sometimes, Zordon felt like the traumatized young man he'd been when he met the original Chosen millennia before.

"It doesn't seem like the right time," Zordon replied to Zedd. "We just lost Sky."

"If you wait until there is no more threat or trauma, I fear you shall wait a hundred more lifetimes, Zordon," Zedd pointed out. "You've already waited far longer than you should have had to."

"Zedd is right, Zordon," Prime said. "There is no time like the present."

"Go to her, Zordon," Five added. "Good luck!"

Zordon wasn't entirely surprised they'd ganged up on him. "Zedd, are you certain you're okay with this?" He asked.

Zedd laughed. "Quite. All I want is happiness for both of you. Now quit stalling and go, Zordon," he said. "Alphas, help our friend here out."

He found himself instantly teleported to the spot he'd picked out weeks earlier. Zordon had agonized about making everything perfect and this was the only location that made sense to him. He hadn't been there in millennia.

As Rita was teleported, she let out a squeak of surprise. She relaxed when she spotted Zordon and quickly ran into his arms. He wrapped them around her tightly, holding her close.

After a minute, Rita looked around. "Zordon... Is this...?" She asked in surprise.

"This is the meadow where we met," he confirmed.

"You mean where you met Misty," Rita joked. She'd lied about her identity when she was aged to thirteen because she knew her father wouldn't approve of her revealing the truth to anyone. "You and I technically first met when I was aged to seven and you and Xia saved me from drowning in that cave, my funny blue boy."

His heart felt a twinge of grief at the mention of Galaxia Campbell, the first love of Zedd's life. Even after all this time, he still missed the original members of the Chosen. Zedd was currently dating her descendant, Liza, who looked and acted exactly like her. It was uncanny at times, and if she had a British accent, they would have been identical. It had taken a while for Zedd to let Liza in, but they were deeply in love now.

"Rita... I brought you here because I wanted to ask you something," Zordon said nervously.

"Of course," she replied. "What is it?" She added curiously. Rita was always curious. Now that her light had been restored, her innocent enthusiasm for life had returned and it was still incredibly endearing to Zordon.

"I have loved you for a long time, Rita. We met as children, and I fell for you when romance was the last thing on my mind. To say we have been through a lot is a gross understatement, however, that love has never faded."

"I love you, too," she said with the sweet smile that always warmed his heart.

"I have never loved anyone as I love you... I never so much as kissed another girl, for the only one I desired was you. With that said, after all this time... Rita, would you...?" He hesitated nervously, not certain how to voice the question aloud. Zordon knelt in front of her, presenting the ring Zedd and Anise had helped him pick out after he'd agonized over the choice for weeks.

Rita's eyes went wide at the sight of the sparkling blue diamond. It was the traditional engagement stone on Eltar.

"Rita Repulsa, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" Zordon finally found the courage to ask.

Rita had tears in her eyes as she appeared to be at a loss for words. She nodded, presenting her hand to him. Zordon slid the ring onto her finger.

She pulled him to his feet and jumped into his arms, kissing him with her arms wrapped around his neck before studying the ring on her hand. "I'm going to be married again," she said in delight. She cracked a mischievous grin that lit up her eyes as she added, "And I didn't even have to drug the groom this time!"

Zordon laughed as happiness filled his heart. "I love you, Rita," he said. "With all that I possess."

"I love you, too," she replied. "And now, the whole universe shall know it."

BRIAR
She couldn't help but smile as she watched the proposal from the shadows. "They're so adorable," she said as she stepped out of the timeline. She navigated her way to a more secluded area before stepping back into time.

"Out for a stroll, my dear?" A voice she knew well asked.

Oh crap, Briar thought. She put an innocent smile on her face before turning around to face Eltar's infamous Great Wizard. "Lovely day, isn't it?" She asked.

"I know who you are, my dear," Zell replied. "I wasn't aware you existed, however, I would have to be blind not to recognize you. What are you doing here?"

"What year is it?" Briar asked nervously.

"The year is 2020, my dear. Nearly 2021."

Briar relaxed significantly. "So you're good, then," she said in relief. "In that case, hi, Grandfather!" She flashed him her brightest smile and hugged him.

Zell seemed surprised, but he hugged her back before looking into her eyes. A smile played at his lips. "Oh, my dear child... You're quite a handful, aren't you?" He laughed in amusement.

"Who, me? Never," she replied innocently.

"When are you from, Granddaughter?"

"2044," she admitted.

"And your age?"

"I'm thirteen... And a half," she added quickly.

"What is your name, Child?"

"Officially, Briar of Eltar, but since I was born here, my legal name is Briar Yizak, youngest daughter of Zordon of Eltar and Rita Repulsa."

"You have siblings?"

"Mom and Dad have twins in 2028, a couple of years before I come along." She was very careful about chosing her words when answering the sibling question. It was complicated, after all. "They might show up if they realize I'm here. Pax is really duty-bound and knows Dad hates it when I jump through time. Carissa usually goes along for the ride when he chases me."

He smiled peacefully. "I'm very happy for your parents," he said after a moment. "I feared I destroyed any chance of my son finding this happiness."

"I just watched Dad propose to Mom," Briar admitted. "Spoiler alert... She said yes."

"Is that why you traveled back here?"

"No... I wish it was."

Zell turned serious then. "Tell me, Briar. What brought you back in time?"

She hesitated, weighing the pros and cons of telling someone from the past the truth. Zell wasn't just anyone. He was her grandfather, who she was exceptionally close to. He would one day teach her how to control her ability to walk through time. If anyone would understand the risk of acting on knowledge of future events, it was him.

"I'm here to stop something very serious." She sighed. "Jezzeff and the Witch have a very powerful ally on their side... An ally who can rival Dad."

Zell frowned. "Who is this ally, my dear?" He asked.

"His name is Dale. He's Eltarian, but he was mostly raised between Earth and Onyx."

"What makes him so dangerous?"

"He's a Child of the Flame."

"I do not recall creating anyone called Dale," Zell said, obviously running down a mental list of his Children of the Flame.

"That's because you didn't, Grandfather," Briar replied. "Jezzeff did. He was his first, in fact. He tried to create others before Dale, but he always failed."

"Why was Dale's creation a success then?"

"The ability to create life isn't one Jezzeff possesses on his own. The Witch tried to help him, but that spell was your creation, not hers. She could teach Jezzeff to replicate the Flames, but not to create life with them. Dale can create more Children of the Flames for them, and he will. That's because Dale has the right energy for the spell."

Zell absorbed what she was saying and hesitated before asking, "He descends from my line?"

"Remember how I specified Mom and Dad had twins before I was born? Dale is my older half-brother."

"They stole my son's energy?" Zell was furious.

"It's nothing you didn't do to a bunch of other people first," Briar pointed out. "It doesn't hurt them. The pain comes later, when they find out they have a kid they didn't know about."

"Is he born purely of the Flames and Zordon?"

"No. Jezzeff can't create someone purely from the Flames and one parent. Not even Dale can do that. Only you have ever pulled that off."

"Who is his mother?"

"That's the Million Dollar Question. We don't know. I just know he isn't my mom's, even though she always treated him like he was."

"In your future, your parents know him?"

"They found him when he was five. They rescued him from the Guild."

"Then why is he an issue?"

"The Witch decided she didn't like that future. She sent him back in time and changed everything, and now, he's eighteen and deadly. He's not supposed to be evil, Grandfather, but I can't set him back on his previous path... She changed the timeline too thoroughly. The only thing I can do is try to help stop him and maybe get him to Grandma. If anyone can get through to him, it's her."

Zell frowned, obviously doing the math. "Morgana died long ago..." He began.

"She did. She's also not Dale's biological grandmother. Sorry, Grandfather. I can't tell you anything else about that."

He tensed. "I understand how important it is to preserve the timeline," he replied slowly. "I am confused, and I despise not knowing things, but I am trying not to push you for information."

"I know how hard that is for you," Briar replied. She kissed his cheek and he relaxed slightly.

"I must warn my son..."

"You can't, Grandfather. Not yet. Dad will find out about Dale when the time is right."

"Briar, if the boy is in the hands of evil, your father is in danger."

"I know... But I'm here. And I think Aunt Anise is going to help... I've seen it, but not the details. This timeline, with Ninjor joining the Guild and Dale being evil, is a giant hiccough in things. We need an even bigger hiccough to balance things back out."

"Are you going to see my daughter?"

"Soon... First, I need to let someone else do that."

Catching the mischievous glint in her eyes, Zell asked, "What else did you do, my dear?"

"I made sure someone got to be born despite the orders of a certain well-meaning but misguided rule-bound talking space dog. Everything else should start falling into place."

"You've got a rather elaborate plan going, don't you?" Zell asked after a moment.

"I've got contingency plans for my contingency plans' contingency plans," she replied firmly.

He shook his head as he smiled at her fondly. "You are my granddaughter."

"You taught me well. If I'm going to meddle in time, I better make damn sure I do it right."

THE NEXT DAY.
GREG
He was back there again. "Oh no..." He mumbled as he opened his eyes and realized he'd teleported in his sleep for the fourth time that week.

He knelt by the spot where his grandmother had perished in battle. "Sorry, Gram," he said softly. "I know you'd be disappointed that I can't get this under control."

He knew he needed to return to the Gordon house. Greg lived there now, but he didn't think of it as his house. He had inherited his grandparents' house, where he'd been raised, almost a year ago, but since he was still a minor, he needed a guardian. That was where Karen and Kyle Gordon came in.

Mrs. and Doctor Gordon were really good people. As soon as their daughter, Darcy, and their foster daughter, Andie, had explained that Greg had lost his only living relative, they had insisted on taking him in. The official story was that his grandmother had died in a monster attack. It was close enough to the truth. While battling Guild and Coalition members, Lady Eleanor, also known as Greg's grandmother, Helen Arnold, had been decapitated.

By Jezz, he thought. Jezzeff killed my Gram.

Jezzeff had once been the best friend of Ash, Greg's past life. Little had Ash known that his quiet, intelligent friend Jezz was actually the most evil person on Eltar. He'd betrayed Ash and his beloved older sister, Serafine, ratting them out to Zell when he knew damn well they'd be killed for it. Serafine's death had been brutal, and Ash had been forced to watch while paralyzed with a spell. Zell had proceeded to frame Ash for the murder. Too traumatized to speak, Ash had been executed a few days later. He hadn't reincarnated until he was born as Gregory Matthew Arnold, Junior.

Serafine reincarnated often, usually in more than one place at a time. Currently, she was incarnated as Darcy, as well as someone named Scarlet, and technically as Amara, but Amara was really from Kenna's part of the soul, and Kenna was Serafine's first incarnation on Eltar, born not long after the planet was founded.

Greg shook his head. Keeping track of his sisters' souls was headache-inducing at times. Even Ash's baby sister, Daphne, had come back many times. He knew about Andie, of course, but also Isobel, Sir Ivan's soulmate. As it turned out, Ivan had been Lygus of Eltar, who had been extremely close to Daphne. And before Andie had been Daphne, she'd been Oralee...

Past lives are so confusing, Greg thought. He was relieved to only have one that he knew of. Even that got complicated at times.

And coming back doomed my parents, Greg thought. Felina was trying to kill me that night, but I teleported out of the car and survived. Then my grandparents took me in and got forced out of retirement when I remembered Ash and now, they're dead, too. It's my fault. It's all my fault. It's-

A hand touched Greg's shoulder gently. He realized the ground was shaking violently and several holes had formed around him.

"Ash... It's alright," a girl said in a soothing tone. It took Greg a minute to realize she was speaking in Eltarian, since Ash spoke it fluently and it came naturally to him. He took a moment to stop the earthquake, forcing himself to calm down.

"Who are you?" Greg asked, also in Eltarian. Looking at her, however, he knew. "Sera... You're another part of Serafine."

"Shhh!" The girl replied, covering his mouth. "I should have known you'd recognize me. I cloak my energy, but Ash and Sera were practically twins." She shook her head, smiling sadly. "It's so good to see you... I found my own Daphne, but I never came across you. I didn't think you'd reincarnated."

"This is the first time. I'm Gregory Matthew Arnold, Junior, but... You know... Greg is fine."

She laughed. "You are every bit as adorably awkward as Ash was, Greg," she informed him. "My name is Drakaina."

"Drakaina like the female dragons in Greek mythology?"

She grinned. "You're one of the only people I've met who realized that. Most people just think it's some long, weird Greek name and call me Dee. I don't mind if you shorten it. I'll answer to either."

He smiled. "Drakaina suits you."

"Thanks."

"So, what's your story, Drakaina?"

"Fill in those holes and I'll bring you somewhere safer to talk."

Greg immediately began filling in the holes he'd made. He grew a few flowers from the ground before he turned toward Drakaina.

"Follow me," she said.

He did. It didn't take long for them to reach a door in the middle of nothing. Drakaina opened it and they entered a pocket realm.

"This is my sanctuary," Drakaina explained. "They can't sense me here. Anyway, you asked for my story. I was born on Eltar twenty-two years ago. My parents were part of the Guard. They were good people. When I was fifteen, they were given orders they didn't agree with. Jinnifer Farmell's brother wanted them to execute a suspected member of the Rebellion of Eltar. The girl was only seventeen, but she'd run away after killing two members of the Guard. The Rebels took her in immediately. My parents felt they should hear the girl's side of things before sentencing her to death. They suspected the men might have tried to hurt her and forced her to defend herself. Captain Farmell was furious they defied him. He had Mayor Freyst and Aphell Treygan frame them as accessories to the murders and had them charged with Treason. They were executed."

"I'm so sorry..." Greg said softly. He was horrified for her.

"The thing is, Aphell tried to have me killed, too. See, I wasn't interested in being one of his and Freyst's toys, so I hurt him. Badly. Aphell attacked me. In fact, he murdered me... But I woke back up."

"You resurrected?" Greg asked in shock.

"I did, and when that happened, I remembered everything about Sera's life. The strange old man who brought me back was a Mystic, or a Shaman as they call them here on Earth. He told me I was needed here, and to hide in a specific town, so I did. That's how I found Daphne's incarnation. I'm the RA at our dorm."

"She's in college?"

"Yes. She's a sophomore now. I'm a senior."

Suddenly, Greg heard a cackle in the air. He tensed, determined to protect Drakaina.

"Shit," she mumbled. "Greg, get out of here."

"But-"

"Go. If they catch us together, I'll have to blow my cover or hurt you."

"Your cover?" He repeated.

"I'll explain later. I promise I'll find you when it's safe. Go, Greg."

As Jezzeff came into view with the Witch right behind him, Drakaina shot a fireball at Greg. She missed, which he knew was intentional. That was when he understood.

She infiltrated the Guild! He realized in shock.

Before she was forced to try again, Greg teleported out of there. He returned to his room in the Gordon house and took a minute to catch his breath.

"That part of Sera's insane," he mumbled, but he was pretty impressed. Every other aspect of Serafine had been identified by Zell, and Jezzeff and the Witch wouldn't have trusted any of them. Drakaina had somehow earned their trust and was hiding in plain sight amongst them. He made a mental note to ask Amos if he'd been the one to resurrect her. It seemed pretty likely.

A scream came from downstairs, causing him to run toward the source. Greg realized with shock that there was a corpse on the front porch.

Karen stood staring at the corpse in horror. Kyle knelt beside the body and checked for a pulse even though it was clearly pointless. Darcy came running down the stairs.

"Mom? What happ-?" She began before she spotted the corpse.

"She's gone," Kyle said sadly. "Honey, call the police."

"Wait!" Darcy said. She moved closer to the body.

"Darcy, sweetheart, don't look," Karen said.

Darcy ignored this. Her face turned unreadable as she looked at the girl's face. "Greg... Call Stone," Darcy said softly. "Tell him they got Wynter."

"Jeirmi's sister?" Greg asked in horror.

"You two knew this girl?" Kyle asked.

"Mom, Dad, I need you guys to look at me," Darcy said. She began casting a spell.

"Don't bother," a voice said. "They won't live long enough for their memories to need modifying."

Greg couldn't help but panic as he recognized Percival Treygan. "They're not part of this, Percival," Darcy said firmly.

"Of course they are, Serafine. They raised you."

"Mom, Dad, go upstairs," Darcy said.

"Darcy, what's going on?" Karen demanded.

"Please... I'll explain later."

"I don't think so," Percival said. He snapped his fingers. Karen and Kyle froze in place.

"What do you want?" Darcy demanded.

"The heads of you, your brother, and your sweet baby sister on pikes. Surrender now and these pathetic Earthly beings can live another day."

"Not a chance. Get the hell off this property or I'll kill your immortal ass. Don't think I can't figure out a way to pull it off."

"Where's the youngest? Is poor Daphne still unconscious?"

"She's not here. That's all you need to know."

He shrugged. "The two of you will do for now. Reyzzo can track Daphne down for us."

"Why did you kill Wynter?" Greg asked bravely, determined not to give in to his fear and hoping to distract Percival from having Andie tracked.

"She was coming here to warn you we intended to kill dear, innocent Karen and Kyle. I assume her time traveling pest of a brother told her. Wynter's blood is on Jeirmi's hands, and we made sure he can't travel back to stop this without causing an even worse future. And if his little girlfriend impulsively does it anyway, as she tends to do, then we'll enjoy even more carnage."

Greg wished he could save Wynter, but he felt the truth in Percival's words. Her death was preventing something even worse.

I'm sorry, he thought. He didn't know Wynter well, but she'd been part of Stone's Chapter of the Rebellion before they disbanded. She seemed like a genuinely nice person. She hadn't deserved this fate.

Suddenly, Percival clutched his head in pain. He fell to the ground and seemed to go into a trance.

"Walk away, you son of a bitch," someone said sharply.

Percival stood back up and calmly walked away like nothing had happened. Greg wasn't entirely surprised to see the four women who walked up to the front door.

"The Sisterhood..." Darcy said softly.

"Oh, Wynter..." Leela, the eldest, said with tears in her eyes.

"I was too late..." Jessa said sadly. Greg realized she must have had a vision.

"Get him back here!" The normally happy and hyperactive youngest member of the Sisterhood, Annabrooke said to Aylane, the exceptionally powerful telepath who'd made Percival leave. "I'm going to torch that motherfucker!"

"He's immortal, Annie," Aylane pointed out.

"So? It'll still hurt!"

"We need to tell Jeirmi and Eloise what happened," Leela said with a sigh.

"Maybe... Maybe they can save her?" Annabrooke asked hopefully. She seemed so much like the little girl Ash had known in that moment, Greg desperately wished he could comfort her.

"If they try..." Jessa sighed and shook her head.

"What did you see, Jessa?" Darcy asked.

"The baby will die instead. They manipulated things so either Wynter dies or her niece does." Jessa looked like she was going to cry.

Eloise had given birth to a daughter a few months earlier. The little girl had big, curious eyes just like her mother, as well as a patch of red hair that also matched Eloise's, but she had her father's nose. She brought a smile to the normally stoic Jeirmi's face every time he looked at her.

"She's so little..." Annabrooke whispered in horror. "Would they really kill a baby?"

"This is the Coalition and the Guild, Annie. We're not dealing with Zell anymore," Leela replied.

"Zell wasn't above killing babies if the Witch convinced him they would become a threat," Aylane reminded them.

"With a baby who has the kind of powers their child is likely to have, Zell would have kidnapped her and raised her so he could control her. The Coalition will just kill her to punish Jeirmi and Eloise," Greg pointed out. "I'm pretty sure the Guild will do the same."

"Damnit..." Darcy mumbled. "This isn't okay."

"We can't risk the baby, Sera... I mean, Darcy," Jessa replied. Most of the Eltarians were used to calling her by her reincarnation's name, but Serafine had rescued and helped raise the Sisterhood. The four of them still saw the honorary big sister they'd lost when they saw her. Sometimes, they slipped and called her Sera, but Darcy didn't seem to mind. Just like Greg and Andie, she'd gotten used to answering to both names.

Karen and Kyle suddenly snapped out of their paralyzed states. "Darcy... Explain this to us," Kyle said.

"I'm sorry, guys... I really can't," Darcy said sadly. "Aylane, can you-?"

"No," Aylane cut her off. Everyone looked a bit stunned. None of the Sisters ever really told Darcy no.

"But the secret-" Darcy protested.

"Darcy, your parents aren't safe anymore. They need to know the truth. Besides, if you keep modifying their memories, they're going to forget their own names one day." Aylane paused. "It's time, Darcy."

With a sigh, Darcy nodded. "You're right," she said. "Tell Jeirmi and Ellie I'm sorry... Be safe, Girls."

It might seem odd that Darcy, a seventeen-year-old, was calling the several-millennia-old Eltarians girls, but it was normal for them. After all, they would always be kids to her. Greg felt the same way.

The Sisterhood surrounded Wynter. Together, they cast a spell to send her body somewhere safe. Then, they left via portal.

"What the hell just happened?" Kyle demanded.

"Mom, Dad... We need to talk," Darcy said. She led them toward the couch after closing the front door. Greg followed them.

"What's going on, Darcy? All of this seems... Impossible," Karen said.

"It's kind of a long story, but it all started about a year and a half ago," Darcy began. "The first thing you need to know is that Greg, Andie, and I are Power Rangers. So are Pierce, Scott, and Chelsea. We're a team. A lot of our other friends are also Power Rangers. Nessa, Van, Logan, Mena, Allie, and Freddy are another team. Vida and Chip are our mentors, and they come from one team. Ivan's also our mentor, and he's from Prince Phillip's team."

Kyle was speechless. Karen nodded thoughtfully. "This makes a lot of things make sense," she said. "Now tell us the rest."

"You're being very calm, Mrs. Gordon," Greg said.

"Karen, sweetheart," she reminded him gently. He tried to call her that, but sometimes, his formal upbringing kicked in and he defaulted back to being more polite to the Gordons. "And this isn't the craziest thing I've ever heard."

"It's not?"

"I teach in a public school. You'd be surprised the things I've heard and seen. Now, tell us the rest."

Darcy and Greg took turns explaining things. They admitted that Eltarian Rebels had tried to kill Karen and Kyle before, and that Andie and Darcy had traded themselves to save them. When they'd returned home, Andie had been so traumatized by nearly losing them she'd finally slipped and started calling them Mom and Dad. It had been a major step for Andie, who struggled to let people in.

Greg and Darcy discussed their past lives and explained about the battle they were stuck in the middle of. Karen and Kyle listened patiently. Finally, when they'd nearly caught up, Greg admitted how his grandparents had really died, and who they really were.

"Oh, Greg..." Kyle said, shaking his head. "You will always have a home with us. After all, you're apparently our daughters' brother."

"I appreciate your kindness, Doctor Gordon," Greg replied. "I mean... Kyle."

"So... How does one invite Eltarians over for dinner?" Karen asked.

"What do you mean?" Darcy asked.

"You said Serafine, Ash, and Daphne's parents are alive. I'd like to meet them. Do they eat the food from this planet?"

"They do if they need to," Greg replied. "Tiktah and Aliese stayed here for a bit, but they're back on Eltar now. I usually bring Darcy to see them, but I could ask them to come here."

"What about Andie?" Kyle asked.

"Andie's still keeping her distance from them. She gives them a chance, but only in small intervals. I think Daphne overwhelms her too much when she's around them for extended periods of time."

"Where is Andie?" Karen asked.

"She was hurt, but Amos took her to get help."

The Gordons knew Amos because he spent a lot of time around Pierce, Darcy's boyfriend. They spoke to him often and respected his Shaman ways. They didn't know he was half-Eltarian, but Greg figured it wasn't their place to tell them that. It was still a fairly well-guarded secret.

As they began planning to have Tiktah and Aliese over for dinner, Greg tried not to obsess about how awkward that might be. He really liked them and even called them Mother and Father because he couldn't remember his own parents, but he kept them at a slight distance after losing his grandmother. On some level, Greg was afraid he'd just lose them next. After all, Greg lost everyone. He was determined that if it came down to Darcy and Andie being in danger, he'd die to protect them. He couldn't bear the thought of losing them, too.

BOURBON
The door to the bar opened. Bourbon felt the change in the air instantly. He tensed, forcing himself not to grab the sword he kept tucked under the counter.

"So it's true," a voice he hadn't heard in a long time said in Eltarian. "You're on Earth. It's been a long time, Jozzuah."

"It's Bourbon now," he replied in English with the Southern drawl he'd adopted about a century ago. "And it certainly has been a while, Jezz." He put a friendly grin on his face before embracing his old acquaintance and patting him on the shoulder. "How have you been, Friend?"

"I'm well... Do you truly go by Bourbon? What an odd name."

"It's a nickname. Most recently here on Earth, I've been going by Joshua McKian. Bourbon suits me, though. I usually just stick with that name. I spent a lot of time in N'awlins running a place on Bourbon Street, so the nickname sort of stuck when I moved here to Sin City."

"N'awlins?" Jezzeff repeated in confusion.

"The Big Easy? NOLA?" Bourbon smirked in amusement as Jezzeff continued to look confused. "New Orleans," he said slowly and deliberately.

"Ah, yes. Laby spent a few years there," Jezzeff recalled.

"Yeah, and the kid damn near drank the city dry! I barely recognized him. It's a good place to go when you want to disappear."

"So why did you leave?"

"When I realized Laby might recognize me in a moment of sobriety, I thought it might be a good idea to move on. The Rebellion had a Chapter here, but they didn't pay much attention to me. So, what brings you to Las Vegas, Jezz? Gambling, showgirls, legalized prostitution, or something else?"

"We're here with a proposition for you, Old Friend," Jezzeff replied.

"We?" Bourbon repeated. Shit, he added silently. Apparently, it wasn't just one asshole who'd found him.

"Drakaina..." Jezzeff called over his shoulder.

A stunningly beautiful girl walked into the bar and Bourbon felt like all of the air was sucked from his lungs.

Sera, he thought. His chest ached as he realized who she was. She'd cloaked her energy impressively well, but reading energy was one of Bourbon's skills.

"I know how you enjoy the company of a beautiful woman," Jezzeff said with a smile.

"Are you pimping me out, Jezz?" Drakaina asked with a frown.

"Of course not, Drakaina. I just figured my friend here would be a bit more interested in hearing me out with you present."

She rolled her eyes before smiling at Bourbon. "Pour me a shot?" She asked.

"What's your poison?" Bourbon replied.

"Surprise me." She winked at him.

Bourbon poured her a shot from his secret stash of Eltarian liquor. She tossed it back, grinned, and put the shot glass down. "Hit me again," she said.

He indulged her. What the hell is Sera doing with Jezz? That lying son of a bitch sold her out... Does she know? He wondered.

"I recall your skills, Bourbon," Jezzeff said. "I could use a man of your many talents in my Guild. We were friends once."

"I got out of the game, Jezz. I haven't messed around with all of that since Zell fell," Bourbon replied.

"I have surpassed our former leader, Bourbon. I can provide you with a life that is far better than hiding as a bartender on Earth."

"I like my job, for the record," Bourbon replied. Looking at Drakaina, he knew he had to make a choice.

"Join us, Bourbon," Jezzeff pushed.

"It's a hell of a party," Drakaina added charmingly.

"Sure," Bourbon replied. "Sounds like a fun time, Jezz. Another shot, Darlin'?" He asked Drakaina.

She grinned. "Please," she replied.

He poured her another shot. What the fuck am I doing? He thought. He knew he had no choice, however. Jezzeff had to be stopped. He'd had a feeling this might happen one day, and if Serafine was by Jezzeff's side, Bourbon couldn't sit back and do nothing. Not again. Besides, this was Vegas. It wasn't the place to do things halfway.

Fuck it, he thought. I guess I'm all in.

AIYANA
Something had been trying to get into her dreams for several days. The entity was clearly hostile, but Aiyana had managed to keep her shields high enough that it didn't reach her. That was starting to take a lot of energy, and she was growing concerned.

Aiyana sat in the woods behind campus meditating beneath the sun. She did this daily, but that day, she was hoping to find answers.

Grandfather, she thought.

He wasn't her biological grandfather, of course, but everyone in the Stone Canyon Tribe had called the wise old Shaman Grandfather. He was one of the Tribe's leaders, and was by far their most respected Elder.

"Feather of the Sun..." Grandfather called softly. He sounded very far away.

"Grandfather? Where are you?" Aiyana asked.

"You are in danger, my little SunFeather."

He'd given her that nickname when she first moved to the Reservation with her mother at the age of seven. In addition to Air and Spirit magic, Aiyana had an affinity for powerful light magic and could call forth the sun. It had ultimately become her legal surname.

"What do I need to do?" She asked.

"They've found you, SunFeather. They're coming for you. Whatever they do, you must remain strong. Find Amos. He can help you."

Amos FlyingBear was the most respected Elder in Stone Canyon's sister Tribe, the Stone Hollow Tribe. He visited the Stone Canyon Reservation often. Aiyana hadn't seen him since she was thirteen. That was when she'd had to run. They'd killed her mother, and Grandfather had taken her in. He'd done his best to protect her, but three weeks later, they'd come for her. Grandfather had sacrificed himself so she could escape. It had devastated her, but she knew she had to survive or his death would be meaningless.

Aiyana had been on her own after that. She used her magic to help people, and in return, they offered her money, food, or even temporary shelter. She used magic to enroll in school despite not having documentation and was able to complete her core education and earn a scholarship to college. Moving into the dorms had finally allowed her to have a sense of community again, but she was reluctant to let anyone in.

"Do I need to run again?" Aiyana asked sadly.

"No, SunFeather... The time for running has ended. Now is the time to face your new destiny and fight."

She knew she'd been destined to die. The Witch had set her house on fire and killed her parents. Somehow, Zell had traveled through time and saved Aiyana. He'd revived her mother and they'd hidden on the Reservation her mother had once called home. Grandfather had insisted Aiyana had an important new destiny, but she had no idea what it might be.

She snapped out of her meditation as she realized someone had joined her. Aiyana looked up and saw two Eltarians standing in front of her.

"Aiyana SunFeather," the boy with long blonde hair said.

"O'siyo," she greeted them in Cherokee.

"We know you are of Eltar," the other one said. She recognized his energy. He was the one who'd been trying to invade her dreams.

"I'm from Stone Canyon," she replied.

"It's pointless to lie to us, Aiyana. We know who you are."

He moved to stroke her arm. Aiyana pulled away quickly. "That won't work on me, Incubus," she replied sharply.

"How are you immune to my powers? I cannot penetrate your dreams either."

She wasn't immune, but she knew better than to tell him that. As a Shaman, Aiyana had powerful shields especially when asleep, and she had excellent control of her energy when awake. It would take a lot for the incubus to effect her, but she sensed something in his energy that told her he'd have an easier time than most.

He's Barty's, she realized. And Sera's, which is almost like having a blood tie to me. This is going to be a problem sooner rather than later.

Aiyana had unlocked all of her memories as both Daphne and Oralee over the last twelve years. Zell saving her life had triggered everything, and her Shaman training had only strengthened that connection.

"You must come with us, Aiyana of Eltar," the blonde said.

"I don't even know who you are," she pointed out.

"I'm Reyzzo, of Eltar," the incubus replied. "This is Dale."

There was something undeniably familiar about Dale, but the dark magic inside of him made it impossible for Aiyana to identify what it was. The only thing she knew was he was more trustworthy than Reyzzo. Whatever his role was in all of this, Dale didn't necessarily want to harm her. Reyzzo did.

"Come with us peacefully or we will be forced to do this the difficult way," Dale said.

"I'm not going anywhere with you," Aiyana said firmly.

"Aiya? Are these guys bothering you?" Brian Kwan asked as he approached her. Tia Campbell was with him. They were both in a couple of Aiyana's classes.

I'll slit them open from end to end before you can so much as scream, Reyzzo projected into her mind. She believed him.

"No, everything's fine," Aiyana forced herself to lie.

Tia frowned. "Are you certain, Aiyana?" She asked skeptically.

"Yes. Thank you for your concern. They're friends from back home."

Reyzzo flashed them a charming smile. Brian visibly relaxed, but Tia remained stoic and suspicious. "Come on, Aiya," he said, linking his arm through hers casually and using her nickname. "We have to go see some friends."

If you fight us or try to signal them, I'll burn this entire campus to ash. Brian will be the only survivor, unless Tia opens a portal and flees, he thought.

Aiyana had sensed powerful magic in them both, but she hadn't realized they could do that. It made sense with Tia. Aiyana knew all about the Campbell Sorcery line. She didn't know anything about Brian's family, however, except that they lived in South Korea.

She couldn't risk everyone's lives on the chance that Brian and Tia could stop Reyzzo on their own. If he was truly Serafine's, his fire magic would be exceptionally powerful. Combining that with power that descended from the strongest incubus in existence would make him a threat they were not likely to be prepared to handle.

"Good luck with the rest of your finals, guys," Aiyana said sweetly. She'd finished her last final the day before. She allowed Reyzzo to lead her away. Dale followed behind them.

When they were away from the eyes of witnesses, Dale opened up a portal. Reyzzo dragged Aiyana through it roughly. He twisted her arm hard enough to cause her to cry out in pain.

"Reyzzo, there's no need to be so harsh," Dale protested. "She's not fighting you."

Reyzzo flung Aiyana into a wall. She hit her head but managed to stay conscious as blood trickled down her cheek. "What's it to you? She irritated me," he said.

"So you couldn't use your party tricks on her. What does that matter? Stop being petty." Dale moved in front of Aiyana and checked her head. "Jezzeff won't like that you hurt her."

"They said to bring her here by any means necessary."

"This wasn't necessary. Go get them. I'll clean her up."

Reyzzo glared at him before walking away. Dale shook his head. "Is your vision blurry?" He asked.

"A little," Aiyana admitted.

"We have you here for thirty seconds and he's already concussed you." He sighed. "My apologies. We were only meant to retrieve you." He started using magic to heal her head.

"You aren't evil," she said bluntly.

"I'm loyal to Jezzeff and the Witch. They are my family. It's not about good and evil, Aiyana. It's about power."

"Please, Dale... You can still let me go."

"We'll only track you down again... And we'll kill anyone who's with you."

Reyzzo returned with Jezzeff. He hadn't changed much and Aiyana recognized him from Daphne's memories. He smiled at her pleasantly. That was when the Witch joined them.

Aiyana forced herself to remain calm. This was the woman who'd killed her father and ultimately her mother. She'd killed Grandfather. And, more than anything, she wanted Aiyana dead. Her cackling haunted Aiyana's nightmares.

"Don't worry, Little Pest," the Witch said with an amused cackle. "We're not going to kill you yet. First, we're going to play a little game. You're going to call out for Zell."

"No," Aiyana said firmly. "No matter what you do, I won't do that."

"Challenge accepted! Jezzy... Have fun!"

Jezzeff grinned before moving toward her. "Oh, Daphne," he said sadistically. "I've been waiting for this for so long."

She sensed Zell's magic on him then. "And you shall wait an eternity," she replied. "You don't have the ability to fulfill your twisted desires."

Jezzeff looked furious that she'd called his bluff. "I can still touch you however I please, and I'll let Reyzzo do the rest."

"I do not fear having my body violated," she replied bravely. It had terrified her once, but she'd survived a horrific assault when she was eleven that had led to her Shaman test. She might not want to go through something like that again, but she knew she was strong enough to survive it.

"We shall see," Jezzeff replied. "Reyzzo, Dale, join me." He moved closer to her.

Dale hesitated. "I'm not a rapist, Jezzeff," he said softly.

"Then hold her down for us," Jezzeff replied.

"I..." He shook his head. "I'm not into this sort of thing."

"Do as you're told, Dale," the Witch said.

He reluctantly pinned Aiyana's arms above her head. She could see in his eyes how much he hated doing it.

As Jezzeff tried to touch her, Aiyana spit in his face. Then, she called Air and flung him away from her. He hit the same wall she had.

The Witch cackled. "Oh, this one's going to be fun," she said. "I didn't expect the brat to put up a fight!"

Reyzzo grabbed her legs and held them apart as he tried to undress her. She freed one leg and kneed him in the groin.

"Bitch!" He shouted as he doubled over in pain. As she struggled against Dale, he let her wrists go.

Immediately, Aiyana began to cast a powerful spell. She'd nearly succeeded when Jezzeff grabbed her and stuck something in her arm.

Aiyana quickly lost consciousness. She smiled as she left her body. She manifested in the room and began sending attacks at Jezzeff, the Witch, and Reyzzo. Dale took cover and she left him alone.

The Witch let out a scream of frustration. She slapped Jezzeff hard across his face. "Bad Jezzy!" She shouted.

"What is the meaning of your behavior, Witch?" Jezzeff demanded.

"You are a Goddamned imbecile!" The Witch shouted. "You didn't tell me she'd taken her Shaman's journey!"

"I didn't realize it. What does it matter?" He asked.

"She has Daphne's Spirit affinity, you moron! If you knock a Shaman unconscious, you free them from their body and make them stronger... And a Shaman with a fucking Spirit affinity is basically unstoppable!" She slapped him again, harder this time. "Bad! Jezzy!" She said again, slapping him two more times, once on each cheek.

"Will you stop that?" He demanded.

"I'm trying to knock the stupidity out of you!" The Witch replied, moving to slap him again.

Reyzzo caught her hand gently before she could reach Jezzeff's cheek again. "Amusing as this is, we need to resolve the issue," he pointed out as more magic attacked them.

"Right. Get out of my sight, Jezzeff. Go research your heritage. You descend from the Mystics, so why is it I know more about them than you do? Stupid Jezzy!" She raised her hand again.

Dale moved between them. Aiyana pulled her energy back to avoid hurting him. The Witch suddenly seemed to realize he was there. "Stay here," she said. "She'll stop attacking if it's just you. We'll try again when she's conscious."

She took Reyzzo and Jezzeff out of the room, leaving Dale alone with Aiyana. He began cleaning up the mess her attacks had made. Aiyana knew that, for the time being, she was safe.

She conserved her energy. When she was a little bit stronger, she'd find a way to tell Amos what had happened. Hopefully, that would be enough to save her. She couldn't fight them forever on her own and she knew it.

DORA
She felt the familiar chill of death lurking behind her. Dora turned around and was surprised to see Wynter, one of the Eltarians from Las Vegas, standing there.

"Wynter... Crap. What happened?" She asked.

"The Coalition," Wynter replied. She was remarkably calm for a recently deceased person. "Dora, could you go to my brother? Please. He needs to hear from me."

She could hardly refuse when Wynter had asked so politely. "What should I tell him?"

"Just go to him. I'll tell you how to talk him down when we get there."

Jeirmi and Eloise were currently living in a safe house with Eloise's mother, M'Telda the so-called Mad Sorceress, Lola Freyst, Imogen, Tazzan and his grandson, Leopold, and sometimes Grace. Most of the time, Grace stayed with her twin brother, Plurri, and their friend Vagris, but Eloise was her granddaughter, so she split her time between both homes. Dora knew how to find it, so she headed that way.

She didn't expect to see Jeirmi throwing every object he could get his hands on, but that's what was happening. He flung a book at Tazzan's head, causing him to zap Jeirmi with a bit of magic in response. Jeirmi didn't appear to notice.

"He's gone off the track!" Eloise exclaimed.

Dora had learned to brush up on her 1920's slang since meeting Eloise, so she was used to such expressions from her. "I know what happened," she replied. "Wynter's with me."

Jeirmi stopped for a moment before flinging a frying pan at her head. "Hey, Asshole, I'm trying to help," she snapped as she ducked out of the way.

"Go away! She's not gone! I can fix this!" Jeirmi insisted.

"The Sisters said-" Eloise began.

"Screw what they said! We time travel! We can figure out a way to do this, Goddamnit!" Jeirmi snapped.

"But the baby," Eloise said.

To emphasize this point, little Clara Jane giggled and slipped out of the timeline. Eloise reached her hand through time and pulled her back automatically without even looking at the spot where she'd been.

"How the hell did you do that?" Dora asked.

"I'm getting loads of practice. This little miss slips in and out of time as easily as most people breathe. I think it's because I spent all that time stuck in that place, eternally dying with that little bun in my oven," Eloise replied.

"It's karma for how often you ran off," M'Telda said from the next room.

"At least I was a little older when I started skipping through the timeline," Eloise said with a laugh. "CJ can't even walk yet and she's moving through time."

Jeirmi was still shouting and throwing things as Ace showed up. Ace had been Stone's Lieutenant in the Rebellion. More importantly, he was Jeirmi's childhood best friend and Wynter's on-again-off-again lover. He looked completely broken now.

"Jeir..." He said softly.

Jeirmi turned his rage toward his old friend. "How could you let this happen?" He demanded. He shoved his hands into Ace's chest, pushing him back several feet.

"Jeirmi!" Eloise cried in surprise.

"How could you let them kill her? How could you?" Jeirmi continued yelling. Finally, he fell to his knees sobbing as he broke down. "How could I send her there? Why didn't I just go myself?" He whispered between sobs.

Ace knelt beside him, rubbing his back for a moment before he pulled him into his arms. "I'm sorry, Jeir... I'm so sorry. I loved her, too," he said.

"If I go back... If I go instead of Wynter..."

"Clara Jane will die," Ace reminded him. "Which will set off a chain of events where you try to fix it and end up creating worse and worse realities until you and Ellie get killed and we get stuck in the worst one yet. I know, because Jessa told me after she had a pretty horrible vision when she hugged me. And Wynter loved CJ with everything she had. She wouldn't ever want you to save her life at the cost of that sweet, precious baby girl's, let alone everyone else's."

Jeirmi was completely defeated now. He continued to sob in silence, his entire body shaking with grief. Eloise had tears in her eyes as she watched this.

"I don't know how to comfort him this time," she admitted. "That's his baby sister. He just got her back after spending millennia stuck outside of the timeline."

"Help me talk to him, Dora, please," Wynter said. She looked so lost watching her lover and brother break.

Dora moved closer to them. "Jeirmi..." She said gently.

He looked at her with the eyes of a broken man. "Is she really here?" He asked.

"Yes," Dora replied. "She asked me to come here to speak to you for her."

"Tell him I love him, and this isn't his fault," Wynter began. "Tell him that blaming himself is unacceptable and I'm going to haunt him if he doesn't stop."

"She loves you," Dora began. "She says it's not your fault, so quit blaming yourself or she'll haunt you."

Jeirmi shook his head. "I sent her there... Darcy needed to know, but I didn't think I was endangering Wynter. I thought she had enough time..." His voice cracked with emotion.

Wynter began talking again. Dora continued to play Ghost Whisperer, telling Jeirmi everything she wanted to say. "You couldn't have known, Jeirmi. They don't play fair. They did this to try and provoke you into messing up the timeline, but Wynter was meant to die."

"She couldn't have been..."

"Everyone dies sometime, Jeirmi, with the notable exception of Laby. This was set in motion a long time ago, even if you only asked her to warn them today. Her path always led here."

"Why? Why, Goddamnit? What possible reason was there that she had to die?"

"There's not always a good reason," Dora replied without Wynter telling her what to say. "Sometimes, the Universe just sucks ass, Jeirmi. My mom got killed when I was four right in front of me and I ended up in the foster care system for a long time until Zell had Deker abduct me. My dad and I finally got to meet and be together and he ended up sacrificing himself for Uncle Caius. I'm pretty sure that was his destined path, but it's shit and I hate it. I still have to deal with it, though." She never spoke about her father. It left her feeling confused and vulnerable, and Dora wasn't one for emotions. She preferred to bury them and hide behind snark and sarcasm. Still, she knew Jeirmi needed to hear that she understood how much this sort of thing sucked.

Jeirmi paused, studying her. "You have been through a lot in your young life," he said after a moment.

"I have, but I'm stronger for it," Dora replied. "And I'm still here, so I need to make damn sure that I do something that matters with my life. Otherwise, what the hell was the point?"

He sighed. "I'm sorry, Ace... You had nothing to do with this," he said.

"Don't apologize. I knew you were really yelling at yourself, not me," Ace replied. "Try not to be so hard on yourself. She loved you so much Jeirmi. This last year has been a blessing for us both."

"Tazzan, I apologize for my unjustified assault."

Tazzan grumbled something incoherent in response.

"Ellie..." Jeirmi looked ashamed. "Forgive my outburst."

"Oh, applesauce, Jeirmi!" Eloise replied.

"Applesauce?" Dora asked, shaking her head.

"Yeah, applesauce. You know... Bunk, horsefeathers, nonsense. Your sister was murdered, Jeirmi. You're entitled to have a breakdown. Everything is copacetic now." She hugged him before passing Clara Jane to him. "Hug our little one. It'll help."

Jeirmi clung to the baby like his life and sanity depended on it. Clara Jane didn't protest. Instead, she watched her father with eyes that seemed far too wise for an infant before she snuggled against him. He sobbed softly into her hair for a couple of minutes before calming down.

"Thank you, Dora," Wynter said with obvious relief. She turned toward Ace. "Tell him I love him, too."

"Ace..." Dora began.

"I already know," he promised.

Wynter looked at peace then. "Stay strong, Dora," she said before fading away. Dora knew Wynter had moved on.

"You did well today, Pandora," Tazzan said, surprising her.

"Was that a compliment, Tazzan?" She asked.

"Of course not. I simply stated a fact. Go on home now." He offered her the slightest hint of a smile.

The world's going to end, Dora decided. She headed home hoping Tazzan's almost kind behavior wasn't actually the final sign of the apocalypse.

STONE
He'd known before he heard from anyone that something was wrong. The darkness inside of him was screaming to be unleashed. A horrible storm was brewing on Eltar.

You are not your darkness, Avona whispered in his mind. That wasn't enough. He couldn't process the grief he was feeling, nor could he cope with the guilt of not having been on Earth when Wynter had needed him.

Lightning rapidly struck around him in a circle. His power surged out of control. I failed her, he thought. I failed her like I fail everyone else.

"Stone! Stop!" A voice cried in alarm.

"Don't get too close," another cautioned.

Stone felt more lightning rising, but it froze in midair. "It's okay, Stone," Plurri said urgently. He was the owner of the first voice. Stone realized Vagris was most likely the person with him. "Just breathe, my friend... Breathe through this..."

Plurri banished the lightning. That didn't stop the rain from pouring down or the hurricane winds from blowing fiercely around them.

Vagris wrapped his Earth magic around Stone. It grounded him almost immediately. Taking several deep breaths, Stone calmed the raging storm he'd started.

Talon... He thought. He desperately needed his little brother. He hadn't felt so out of balance in a long time.

A baby dragon landed at his feet. Stone scooped her up in his arms, fully aware his brother had sent her. She allowed him to snuggle her for a minute until he felt a bit more like himself.

"Thank you," Stone said softly before releasing her.

"Are you okay, Stone?" Vagris asked gently.

"The Coalition killed Wynter today," he replied softly.

Plurri covered his mouth in horror. Vagris bowed his head and whispered a quick prayer for the dead.

"We'll stop them, Stone," Vagris vowed after a moment. "One way or another. Grayzee and Keilah have already made terrific progress in lessening their ranks."

"I know... But for every member they lose, they seem to gain two more," Stone replied. "We must find a way to put a stop to that or we'll never fully defeat them."

"How is Jeirmi holding up?" Plurri asked.

"Not well, I'd imagine... I lost my wits before I could check on him," Stone admitted.

"Plurri, go check in with Grace. I'm sure she can get an answer for us," Vagris suggested.

Plurri rushed off, clearly relieved to have a mission. Vagris turned back toward Stone. "It's getting harder for you, isn't it?" He asked.

He knew what Vagris meant. "I try to focus on mentoring the children," he replied. He'd agreed to mentor the Mythical Guild Power Rangers after Lady Eleanor had been killed. Nessa, Van, Mena, Allie, Freddy, and most of all, Logan, needed help and they knew that as well as he did. Besides, Stone was the only one other than Zell who could understand the unique challenges Logan faced, as he shared the same cursed powers the two of them did.

"However...?" Vagris pushed.

"For the most part, working with the young Rangers gives me a sense of purpose, but lately, I'm struggling with my darkness, Vagris," he admitted. "Zell has Elgan back, and Andie fills the role of Daphne in emergencies. Logan has Pierce, the brother he shares this cursed power with, and Chelsea, his beloved who is so like my Avona was... They balance him out. Only I remain unbalanced, and it is beginning to take a serious toll on me. I'm not sure how much longer I'll be able to control myself without either of my balances physically beside me."

"I know how hard this must be for you," Vagris replied. "Dawna gave her life to save mine and I mourn her every day all over again. I cannot imagine how much harder it is for you to have lost those who were meant to anchor you and pull you back from the edge."

"I fear I'm going to lose myself completely one day," Stone said softly.

"We won't let that happen, my friend," Vagris vowed. "It's good you are admitting your feelings aloud. You wouldn't have before."

"My daughter has made it clear to me she will not put up with me unless I start making an effort to face my issues," Stone replied. "I broke something between Lillith and I which I can never fully repair, but I have hope she may one day be willing to try to work on starting over."

"Perhaps you should reach out to her. It may help remind you what you're fighting for."

"She prefers to spend her time with the Circle. I believe she is with Grayzee right now, and she's happy that way. I'll contact her when my mind is a little less chaotic."

"Sooner rather than later, Stone," Vagris said knowingly. "I believe you need her."

"I do, Vagris, but that poor girl does not need me when I'm like this."

"She'd yell at you if she heard you using that excuse."

"I know... I'll reach out soon, I promise. Right now, I just want to rest. I expended a lot of energy."

"Go on. I'll check on you soon."

Stone nodded, retreating to his home. Once inside, he jumped as he spotted a familiar shape in the shadows.

"The Witch..." He whispered.

"Relax, Stoney-bologna," she replied. "I'm not really here. Your wards still work. I'm just projecting."

"What do you want from me?" He demanded.

"Do you want to know a secret, Stone?" She asked in a sing-song voice.

"No. I want you to get out."

"You had parents once, Stone, and not the abusive bastards you remember. I know your history. I can tell you everything. I can make all of this make sense to you."

"I'm not interested," he lied. He remembered his and Talon's parents. They'd been horrible, and when Stone was four and Talon was three, Stone had killed them. No one knew that. They were afraid of him as it was. He couldn't very well tell them he'd had that kind of power when he was practically still a toddler. Instead, he'd raised Talon on his own, somehow taking care of both of them until they were old enough that Talon could take care of himself.

"That's balogna, Stoney! But it's okay. I know you're not ready to admit it yet," the Witch replied. She cackled mysteriously then. "When you're ready to know the truth, let your thoughts call to me. I'll find you." With a final cackle, she vanished.

Stone wanted to say he'd never ask her for help, but if the Witch truly knew something he didn't about his past, he would go insane if he didn't find out what it was.

Look into it on your own, he told himself. He couldn't give in to asking the Witch for help. He wouldn't play her games... No matter how much the darkness inside of him wanted him to.