VINNY

He still hadn't spoken. Vinny was afraid that if he tried, he'd start screaming and never stop. He went to therapy but never said a word. On occasion, he'd draw if the therapist insisted, but it didn't help. Nothing could help. His dad had tied him, his siblings, and his mother up. He'd held a gun on them before stabbing himself in the chest with a sword to kill the evil thing that was inside of him. Vinny had thought his dad was going to die, but he hadn't. Instead, the terrifying blue man had come in, shot his mom, and walked out like nothing had happened.

In under an hour, his entire world had shattered. His mom was dead. He'd been powerless to save her. Even though he knew his dad had been possessed, he was still afraid to be around him. It wasn't rational, but whenever he saw his dad, he remembered the way he'd steadily held the gun on his mom. He couldn't make it stop.

The nightmares were the hardest part. If Troy didn't stay with him at night, he just kept reliving the entire thing. The only comfort he found was in school. He liked school, and it was something he could focus on that didn't take him back to that night. His grades hadn't slipped and even though he no longer spoke in class, he was keeping up with all of his work.

That morning, Vinny noticed when Imani walked into class. She'd been out for a few days and he missed her. They'd become friends quickly. He might be a nerdy bookworm and a social outcast, but Imani was totally new to the country and didn't know anyone, so she'd immediately latched on to the one person she did know. Vinny didn't mind. Imani was a cheerful ball of light and she made him laugh and never made fun of him. When he'd stopped talking, Imani had continued talking to him like he wasn't becoming an even bigger freak. She went out of her way to make him smile. It helped, even if he couldn't bring himself to say that out loud.

Now, Imani looked different. She still smiled at him, but sadly. She sat beside him and took out her notebook, still looking much less cheerful than usual. Vinny reached his hand toward hers and gently touched it. He looked at her with concern.

"I know you lost your mom, Vinny," she said softly. She hadn't ever brought that up before. "I lost mine, too." She bit her lip, probably to keep from crying.

Vinny's heart broke for her. Imani was always so happy. She was the kind of person who made everyone around her happy, too. He hated seeing her so upset. "Sorry..." He said softly. It really hurt to talk. It felt foreign to him after so much time.

"You said something!" Imani cried in delight.

He hugged her and knew he'd done the right thing. One word had put a smile on her face. For the rest of the day, Vinny stayed close to Imani. He knew he was the only person there who understood what she was going through.

You said a word and didn't start screaming, he thought. Maybe it was time to start talking more, but he wasn't sure if he could handle that. For now, he was fine with just talking to Imani. She'd been there for him. He was determined to return the favor.

RITA

She had tried to let Sage help her. Unfortunately, she'd lost it and attacked the girl in under a day. Then she'd run off. Sage had been forced to banish her from the safe house and Rita had wandered the streets, incoherent and out of her mind. It happened sometimes. She still had flashbacks, some so vivid they turned into full-on hallucinations. Zedd had been used to that and had known how to bring her back, but Sage hadn't known what to do.

If Angeline hadn't found her wandering the streets, Zell probably would have. Thankfully, her daughter had taken care of her. She'd healed the injuries Rita couldn't explain and had stayed with her until she was calmer. Then, she'd walked her back to the place where all of the minions, Tanner, Merkhet, and her father were hiding out. Angeline hadn't gone in, but she'd made sure Rita was safe before leaving her.

Rita wasn't sure how many days ago that had been, but she was finally feeling like herself again. "Rita... You look better," Merkhet told her. "How do you feel?"

"Deliciously evil," Rita said with a smile.

"Good. Don't worry too much about Zedd. You're the one I need, and your father packs quite a punch himself. We can do this without that fool."

"What if he stands against us?"

"Then I'm counting on you to tell me what tricks are up his sleeve. If Zedd joins the Power Rangers, he dies, too."

Rita nodded. "Of course," she said, but inside, her mind was in turmoil. She should kill Zedd. The bastard had abandoned her! He'd turned good! He was disgusting and she needed to destroy him with everything she had... Yet she still cared about him... Could she really blame him for jumping at the chance to be free from his curse? Wouldn't she have done the exact same thing if given the chance?

"Rita? Did you hear what I just said?" Merkhet asked.

"No... Sorry... I have a headache," Rita replied.

"Then rest. You'll need your strength soon. The battle is coming... We've waited long enough."

"Right... Destroy the Power Rangers... Woo-hoo."

"You seem a bit distracted," Merkhet said with a frown.

"My husband left me for a toddler. An annoying toddler who stuck her nose in where it didn't belong. I am distracted... And furious. We will destroy them all." She meant that... Sort of. What did she care about the Power Rangers? They always got in her way and spoiled her fun, and one of them had stolen her husband away! She had to destroy them... She had to! There could be no losing this time! Rita was through playing games! She was so full of rage, she could feel nothing else! She'd kill them all! The Green Ranger... How dare she keep butting in? Her offer to help was clearly a trick! The White Ranger... Her kitty's little brat got in her way more than anyone! The Blue Ranger... He was too smart. He was a threat, just like his father! The Red Ranger... He was annoying and liked to mock her beautiful monsters! Wait, no... That had been the first Red Ranger... But the replacement needed to go on principle! The Black Ranger... He was still annoyingly cute and... Ugh... Happy. His boyfriend hadn't stayed dead, but maybe he would! The Yellow Ranger... She was too powerful now that she appeared to be learning magic. Rangers weren't supposed to do magic! That was Rita's thing. How dare she?! And the Goddamned Pink Ranger...

Rita paused. The Pink Ranger had saved her daughter from her brother after Zedd ordered him to attack her, and he hadn't even had any powers at the time. He'd replaced that strange musical device that made Angeline so happy... And when Rita's own childhood monster had taken her daughter and done unspeakable things to her, the Pink Ranger had put aside all of their issues and reached out to her in the hopes that she would be able to save Angeline. Time and time again, he'd saved Angeline, and it was difficult to think of a single reason to harm him.

He's a Power Ranger, her mind insisted. They all have to die. Every last one of them... And Zordon. You must destroy Zordon.

"No!" She shouted aloud, causing Merkhet to jump. "I won't!" She insisted. She knew now these thoughts were tainted... Because even when she'd sworn she wanted to destroy Zordon, she never meant it. She still loved him far too much for that.

"You won't what?" Merkhet asked.

"I won't do that... I won't... I won't..." She'd once used the same argument when Zell told her she was going to become evil, but she'd failed and that had come true. This couldn't. She couldn't kill Zordon... She'd never be able to live with that.

"Why is she screaming now?" Tanner demanded.

"She appears to be having an episode..." Merkhet said.

"Leave her. She'll stop eventually," her father said.

"Such wonderful parenting," Merkhet said dryly.

"No... No... I won't do it... Get out... Get out of my head!" Rita screamed. It was Zell. It had to be.

Tanner rolled his eyes and walked away. Her father left, too. Merkhet sighed. She walked away when nothing she did worked.

A while later, as Rita kept screaming, someone came in. "Rita... Oh, my dear Empress..." Finster said gently.

"Finster..." She registered aloud. She sniffled and realized she'd been crying.

"It's alright, Rita. You are safe now... Hush... Everything is alright now." He wrapped a blanket around her. Rita began to calm down as he continued speaking to her soothingly.

"Thank you," she said softly.

"Of course, Empress." He handed her a potion. "For your nerves," he explained.

Rita downed it and began to relax. She took several deep breaths. "Better?" Finster asked.

"Much," Rita replied. "Come, Finster... We have plotting and scheming to get to."

JASON

The boys had agreed to let Troy bring them to visit. Ollie was the only one who still refused to have anything to do with him. He tried to respect that and give his oldest son the space he needed, but it was hard.

"Daddy, when can we come back?" Robby asked.

"Soon, I hope," Jason replied. He had hit rock bottom quickly. Zack and Tommy had taken turns beating his ass for being an idiot. Two days of binge drinking made him realize how badly he'd screwed up but he couldn't stop. Finally, Rocky had called him. He knew that after breaking his back in high school, Rocky had become dependent on pain killers. He'd been addicted for a few years before he'd finally gotten sober upon finding out Zeke's mother was pregnant and he'd stayed that way with the help of support groups. Rocky had insisted Jason go with him to a support group. It had helped, and Jason hadn't touched a drop of alcohol since, but he was still trying to repair the damage he'd done to everyone around him.

"I have a tournament this weekend," Luke said shyly. "Can you make it?"

Luke hadn't competed in a Martial Arts competition since Becky's death. "I'm there," Jason promised. "Just tell me when and where."

"Sunday at the Youth Center... Two o'clock."

"Great. I'm glad you're competing again, Luke. It's good for you."

"Troy signed me up... I know you aren't running your Dojo right now, but Adam let me enter under his."

"I needed some time... I'll open the school back up soon."

"It's cool, Dad. I get it." Luke smiled at him too brightly. He'd been keeping up a calm, cheerful exterior ever since Becky died, but Jason knew how deeply he must be hurting. Luke simply channeled his pain into taking care of everyone else around him.

"Vinny, are you hungry?" Jason asked. "You hardly ate anything."

"No," Vinny said.

Jason had expected a nod or a shake of his head at best. He stared at his son. "Holy... You talked! Finally!" Luke exclaimed.

"I thought he forgot how," Robby mumbled.

"It's good to hear your voice, Vin... Are you okay?" Jason asked gently, trying not to cry with relief that his son had finally spoken again.

"No," Vinny said softly, "but neither is Mani."

Jason understood then. Imani must have told him about Aisha. "Can I do anything to help?" He asked.

Vinny shrugged. He didn't speak again for the rest of the night, but Jason was thrilled he had spoken at all. It was progress.

When Troy came by to pick his sons up, Jason saw Ollie in his car. "How is he?" He asked.

"Still mad at you," Troy said. "You really hurt him, Jason. You broke something in him."

"I know... And I want to fix it, but I can't if he won't talk to me."

"It's got to be on his terms."

"Troy... I'm completely sober. I'm functional... And I miss the boys more than I can express. When are you going to let them come home?"

"When they're ready. Robby and Luke are pretty much there, but Vinny's still kind of afraid of you. Ollie probably won't be ready anytime soon."

Jason knew he had to accept that. Troy would keep the kids at David's until he was positive Jason had changed. Just keep working at it, he told himself. If he kept proving he was ready to be a good father again, Troy would see it eventually. He had to be patient. Troy had been right to take the boys. An out-of-control drunk who forgot his oldest son's birthday when he needed him the most did not deserve to have his kids. Jason had needed to get help. Now, he needed to prove it was working.

TIA

She was curled up in a ball on her bed when someone knocked on her door. Tia tried to hide the pain she was in as she called, "Come in."

Sage was the one who entered her room. "Hey, Tia... I just wanted to check on you," she said.

"I am fine," Tia lied. Another violent cramp hit and she struggled not to scream. You're losing too much blood, she told herself. You need a doctor. .. But then they'll know...

"Tia? What's wrong?" Sage asked in alarm.

"It is nothing... I... I will be... Fine..." Tia said while trying not to cry out in agony.

"Tia... You're bleeding. I know you healed from the battle with your mother, so what happened?"

Tia desperately wanted to lie, but she knew it was pointless as her sheets became soaked with more blood.

"I... I had a miscarriage this morning," Tia admitted.

"You were pregnant?" Sage asked in a horrified whisper.

"Yes," Tia replied. "Before we ever came here."

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Sage asked. She was already healing Tia, who was too weak to protest.

"It happened back home... When Mama went missing... I was alone in the house... Mani had gone to the village to visit the animals... And... And I do not know how he got inside of the house, but when I came out of the shower, he... He was waiting."

"Oh God, Tia... This wasn't a consensual thing, was it?"

"I am not that sort of girl, Sage. I had never... And I have not since."

"Who was he?"

"I don't know. He wasn't from the village or our town. I had never seen him before, but he was targeting me. I am certain it was not random... To get by the spells I had on the house took an incredible effort. A monster looking to do that with any random girl would have chosen another target." Tia shook as she remembered his face. "It was horrible... After he left, I was in terrible shape, but I healed myself and cleaned myself up... Mama was missing. Mani needed me. So I packed up what we needed and returned to the village, and I refused to let Mani return to that house. Then Tanya came, and we needed to find Mama... And we did, but she was different... I wanted to tell her what had happened... I needed her... But she was broken and so cold... And I knew she couldn't handle it. My siblings needed me... When Mani was born, we had just lost my father, and Mama was in a deep depression. It took her two years to come back from it, so for the first two years of Mani's life, I raised her. I did everything for her... My childhood ended when I was eight years old. I didn't mind. Taking care of Mama and Mani gave me a purpose... So when Mama broke again because of everything with Zedd, I just did it again... I took care of my siblings. I worked hard to hide the truth from them, which was difficult considering an incubus or succubus can read that sort of thing so easily on a person... Not even Taylor knows." She sighed. "I figured out I was pregnant a few weeks ago. I wanted to tell Mama, but there was never any chance... I realized she was gone... What we rescued was not my mother. So I hid the truth..."

"Tia, I am so sorry you dealt with all of that alone!" Sage said.

"I know it sounds crazy... But I wanted the baby... He or she was conceived for a reason, even if I couldn't understand it... What happened to me was horrible, but it wasn't the baby's fault..." She finally started to cry. "I'm sorry."

"You have no reason to apologize!"

"I do not cry... I do not fall apart. I have to be strong. Mani and the others need me."

"It's okay to break once in a while, Tia. You don't have to be strong around me... And I understand wanting your baby. I woke up in the past pregnant with no idea what happened to me. I still wanted Troy. When they took him away... It killed something in me."

Tia rested her head on Sage's shoulder. She knew she was physically healed. The emotional part would take longer. "I was shocked I didn't miscarry when she attacked me," Tia admitted. "Now that she is at rest, my adrenaline finally wore off, and that's when it happened..." She began crying again. Sage held her and it was extremely comforting.

"You aren't alone, Tia. I'm here for you," Sage promised.

"How did you know I needed help?" Tia asked.

"I didn't. I wanted to see if you were up to a team building exercise. It's for Taylor. I'm not telling anyone else this, but he's terrified of heights. To help him get over it, I want our teams to do a ropes course together. "

"I do not think I should."

"It might help... Being part of something. We're doing it tomorrow. Think about it?"

"I will consider it... I know I am healed... But I'm not sure I can handle being around everyone right now."

"I get it... But if you do come, I know it will mean a lot to Taylor. I won't force you, though. I guilt-tripped him into going to your mother's funeral for you and I broke him in the process... I'm not doing that to you."

"Thank you for that... May I decide tomorrow?"

"Yes. I already paid for everyone, so there's no need to worry about that. Just come if you're up to it... And I'm going to ask Uncle David to help you while you're asleep. A Shaman can help you process emotional trauma... But mine is too close to yours. David would be better."

Tia was a bit nervous to let a strange man into her dreams, but she trusted Sage. "Okay... Thank you."

"Anytime." Sage squeezed her hand before leaving. Tia prayed she would find a way to cope with everything sooner rather than later. There was a battle to be fought. She did not have the luxury of breaking.

THE NEXT DAY.

MADDIE

She was thrilled when Zeke showed up to the ropes course. "Does this mean you're back on the team?" She asked.

"No," Zeke said. "It means I want to hang out with my friends in a place that gives my hyperactive brain somewhere to release all that extra energy." He kissed her. "It sounded like fun."

Sage had gotten everyone to show up, although she hadn't shown up herself because she was exhausted from doing too much for Zedd and everyone else. Katie had dragged Jayden along, so he'd brought Dustin and Kira, too. All three were acting as mentors and trainers to everyone, so it made sense. All of the Mimic Force Rangers were there, too. Maddie stood between her two teams, not sure who she was supposed to be representing. Tia looked like she'd rather be anywhere else, but she stood with the Chosen dutifully. Taylor was visibly trembling as he watched everyone start to use the ropes. In spite of this, he allowed himself to be hooked up and he followed the others.

Maddie watched Troy's team with mild interest. She hadn't really gotten to know them overly well, and she was curious how they'd handle the course. Noah looked petrified, but he still did fairly well. Jake cursed at every obstacle he encountered, but he managed to keep going. Orion moved through the course quickly with a smile on his face. Emma surprised Maddie with how well she handled herself. She seemed to really be enjoying herself and she showed enough skill to make Maddie wonder if she'd written her off as useless and annoying too quickly. Troy had clearly done this before. He took the course like a master and guided some of the others through it when he noticed them struggling. Gia, however, was the best of the bunch. She raced through the course smoothly, not struggling in the slightest. Maddie was impressed.

Her team adjusted quickly. Zeke raced around like a madman and Maddie kept up with him. Thorn moved well, but kept looking back to check on Caleb who was new to this sort of thing. Thorn stopped a few times to wait for him and help him through it. Josh stood before each challenge and analyzed everything before completing the section. Kenny had no difficulty whatsoever. He might never have done a ropes course before, but he was used to being in the air because of gymnastics. He adapted easily. Katie had done ropes courses before and she took the opportunity to show off. Jayden watched her with mild amusement before throwing himself into the challenge. Kira and Dustin stayed close together and helped each other through the course.

Tia moved through each challenge on autopilot, like she was simply completing a To Do list. Angie was clearly nervous, but she got the hang of things fairly quickly. Ollie embraced the course fully and Maddie was proud of him for how well he was doing. Brian was a little spastic, but he managed to keep going even when he nearly fell. Tamira had a field day. This was the first time Zack had agreed to let her out of his sight and she was loving her freedom. She figured out how to navigate the ropes fairly quickly.

Taylor panicked a little more at every challenge. He kept forcing himself to continue. They were halfway through the course when he nearly fell. Taylor visibly panicked so everyone else noticed, too.

"Taylor, it's okay," Maddie said. "You're hooked up to a harness. You just have to shift."

Taylor started to hyperventilate. He stared at the ground with panicked eyes that clearly weren't seeing what everyone else was.

"Shit..." Kenny mumbled. "That's not just a panic attack... It's PTSD." Kenny was closer to Josh than anyone, so he was fantastic at spotting PTSD episodes.

"Taylor, you're safe," Josh promised from the next platform. "Everything's okay."

"No... I'm going to fall! I... I can't..." Taylor said. He was crying.

"Taylor, listen to me," Angie said urgently. "No one will let you fall. You need to shift, and then we can get you down from the platform."

"No... No, please... I... I can't!"

"You are perfectly safe," Tia insisted, speaking for the first time all day. "But we cannot get you down from the middle of the ropes."

Taylor stopped responding, but he was frantically struggling in the air. "We should get one of the guides... They can get him down safely," Jayden said practically. Maddie could tell he'd flipped the switch and morphed into Responsible Adult Jayden like he did anytime there was trouble.

"We can't leave him up there that long. He's going to faint if he keeps hyperventilating," Kenny said. He looked at where Taylor had gotten stuck and seemed to consider it for a moment. Then, he unhooked himself from his harness.

"Kenny, no! It's too dangerous," Katie said.

"I can do this, Katie," Kenny insisted. He carefully maneuvered himself onto the ropes and began moving in a way his harness would have prevented. "Taylor... I need you to hear me, okay? It's Kenny. Whatever you're seeing, it's in the past. You're completely safe, and I'm coming over to get you down, okay? Just breathe, Taylor... That's all you need to do... Breathe."

Maddie nearly had heart failure watching Kenny move along the ropes. He was definitely not on the safest track, but there was no other way to get to Taylor since he wouldn't shift himself back where he needed to be.

Kenny finally reached Taylor. He shifted and Maddie was positive he was going to fall, but he kept himself balanced. Finally, he grabbed Taylor and guided him back onto the course. He spoke to Taylor softly and although Maddie couldn't hear him, she could tell he was trying to calm him down. Slowly, with Kenny right behind him, Taylor began moving again. As soon as he got close to the platform, Josh grabbed him and pulled him to safety.

Kenny swung himself onto the platform and perfectly stuck the landing. Josh looked at him gratefully before looking at Taylor. "Are you okay?" Josh asked.

"Just get me the fuck down from here please..." Taylor mumbled. His embarrassment was clear.

"I've got him," Jayden said. He gently helped Taylor work his way down until both of his feet were on the ground.

"Sorry..." Taylor mumbled. "I didn't mean to freak out."

"You're obviously afraid of heights, Taylor. Everyone has something they're afraid of," Jayden said kindly. "You made it through half the course. You should be proud of yourself."

"Sage really wanted me to do this and I fucked it up."

"You did amazing, Taylor," Maddie called down to him. "Don't feel bad. Want to try again?"

"Um... I think I'm good for now..." Taylor said nervously.

Tia climbed down. "I can take you home," she said. "I think that was enough for today."

Taylor looked grateful. "Thanks," he said.

Josh climbed down just to say goodbye and check on him again. When Tia opened a portal and left with Taylor, everyone else resumed the course.

"You're amazing," Angie told Kenny. "Thank you for helping him... I was about to start casting spells, but your way probably resulted in a lot less questions."

"No problem," Kenny said.

"Dude, how did you do that without falling? You're like a fucking monkey!" Zeke said.

"Elite gymnastics," Kenny replied. "It actually does occasionally have real world applications."

"Sorry I doubted you," Katie said. "That was great."

They finished the course a little while later. Maddie had to admit the teams had bonded and morale seemed to be up.

We can do anything together, she thought. She just hoped that included taking on Rita, Merkhet, and especially Tanner.

Jayden's words to Taylor echoed in her mind. Everyone has something they're afraid of. She was still terrified of Tanner and she hated it. If Taylor can face his biggest fear, you can suck it up and face yours, too, she told herself. You've got this. She hoped that was the case, and she knew what she needed to do next. Zedd had offered to tell her Tanner's weaknesses. It was time she took him up on that.

TWO DAYS LATER.

MASTER VILE

It was time. They were ready, and he was looking forward to helping his daughter destroy the Power Rangers. Sure, he was just supposed to protect her, but surely that extended to destroying the pests who wanted to kill her. He was fairly certain the Green Ranger had been bluffing anyway. There was no way the child could destroy him. He was far more powerful, even if he wasn't at his full strength yet.

"Finster has assembled an army of his finest monsters," Merkhet informed him. "The Rangers will not know what to do with so many of them attacking at once. Rita is in high spirits and ready for battle... Will you be joining us?"

"Yes. It seems that with Xylon's useless boy switching sides, my path changed and I am destined to take part in this battle. I can step outside. I am no longer bound to this place," Vile informed her. He couldn't decide whether he liked or despised Merkhet. She was incredibly nice to look at and possessed a sadistic side he genuinely admired, but she also had an heir of superiority about her that irked him. If she wanted to view herself as better than the likes of Goldar and even Zedd, fine, but he was the biggest bad there was, aside from perhaps Dark Specter, and Rita and Rito were his children. She should respect them. How dare she think she was better than him or his bloodline?

"Come, Master Vile. It's time," Merkhet said. She called Virges before summoning the others.

Vile had to admit, Finster had gathered an impressive army. "You have done well, Finster!" He told him.

"Oh, Finster!" Rita cried in delight. "They're beautiful!"

"Only the best for you, my Empress," Finster said affectionately. Vile knew Finster had filled the role of nurturer that he himself had never embraced when it came to Rita. He didn't mind. He had more important things to do, like making her strong. Disciplining Rita harshly had been necessary on occasion, if only to help her grow. Seeing her now, ruling over an evil empire and heading into battle, he stood by his choices.

Scorpina looked anxious. "What troubles you, my dear?" Vile asked.

"Nothing, Master Vile," she replied quickly. She bowed to him respectfully before retreating to stand beside her husband.

"Let's go," Vile said. He was eager for battle.

"Just a moment," Rita said. "Tanner's gone on ahead to attack the Yellow Ranger and take her out of the game. As soon as we confirm he's found her, we'll move out."

Vile didn't want to wait, but he knew taking one of the Rangers out ahead of time would help them win this battle. He had to try to be patient... The bloodshed would come soon enough.

SCORPINA

She took Goldar aside while the others were busy. "My love... What's wrong?" Goldar asked.

"I don't think we should do this, Goldar," Scorpina replied softly, so no one could hear her.

"But Scorpina, this is what we have been waiting for!"

"I think it's a trap, my love... I do not trust Merkhet. I believe she is using us."

"Merkhet is our ally. She worked tirelessly to help free Rita and Lord Zedd."

"Did you ever ask yourself why? She had no reason to help them. She's quite powerful on her own."

"She told them she needs their help."

"With what?"

"With... Well, come to think of it, she never gave specifics..."

"Exactly! We can't trust her, Goldar. Her own mother doesn't trust her."

"Her mother?"

"Serqet, Goddess of Scorpions. She disowned her. Ask yourself what could be so horrible that a Demigoddess would get disowned for it and then ask yourself who, exactly, we are working with."

Goldar frowned. "She has Rita convinced she's on our side."

"I am loyal to our Empress. She is my friend and my family... But I think she has been deceived."

"Scorpina, we are about to head into battle with her. It's too late to pull out."

"We could run... Disappear together, never to be seen again."

"We can't just run. What about Rita? What about your brothers?"

Scorpina sighed. "I just found you, Goldar... We're finally reunited, and I fear if we follow Merkhet into battle, we shall perish. I am not prepared to lose you yet... And this world is not ideal, but if you are by my side, it won't be so bad... Perhaps we can convince Rita to join us? Surely if we all walk out on Merkhet she will not be able to stand against us."

Rita came toward them then. "What are you two doing?" She asked.

"Empress Rita, I think you should consider delaying your plans," Scorpina said. "We cannot trust our ally."

"Of course we can't. Merkhet is evil. She will betray us because that's what evil does, but first, she will help us," Rita said.

"We cannot count on that-"

"Enough, Scorpina! You're giving me a headache. I know what I'm doing. Our plan will work. Our army will not fail. I need her help."

"Rita, you can do this alone-"

"I lost Zedd! I need Merkhet! When facing the Power Rangers, we need as much help as we can get. That's the last I want to hear of it!" Rita stormed off.

"We'll run," Goldar said when she was gone. "I can do that for you, my love."

"No..." Scorpina said sadly. "Someone has to protect Rita. We have to stay."

He nodded. "I love you," he said.

"I love you, too," Scorpina replied. She kissed him and mentally prepared for battle.

MADDIE

She was walking through the park when she saw Tamira. She wasn't with Brian, but she also wasn't alone.

"Hello again," Tanner said to Tamira.

Tamira froze in place. "Leave me alone," she said sharply.

"My father's not here to protect you this time," Tanner said before grabbing the younger girl.

Maddie reacted without stopping to think. She grabbed Tanner and pulled him off of Tamira. "Don't you dare fucking touch her!" She shouted.

"Maddie!" Tamira cried in warning as Tanner tried to attack.

Maddie dodged the blow and screamed, "Tamira, run! Get help!"

"I won't leave you!"

"Go! I've got this!"

Tamira reluctantly ran. "Alone at last," Tanner said with an arrogant smirk. Maddie knew immediately that she'd walked right into a trap. She also knew her one advantage was that Tanner had no idea his father had given her inside information on how to fight him. As she avoided another attack, Maddie forced her mind to focus.

Years of Martial Arts training kicked in. Knowing now how Tanner's mind worked, she was able to anticipate his moves. She fought back, no longer afraid. Sure, Tanner had tried to hurt her, but she'd gotten away, and while yes, he'd gotten her power coin, she had it back. She had never let fear stop her before, and she was ready to be that person again.

It became clear pretty quickly that Tanner had no idea how to handle the sudden return of her courage. Maddie assaulted him at every turn, not allowing him to get a hit on her, meeting every attack with one of her own, and leaving no room for him to escape.

Tanner finally pulled out a very long, very pointy sword. "Nice sword," Maddie said cheerfully. "Is someone overcompensating?"

"Bitch!" Tanner screamed. Apparently, the evil incubus didn't like what she was insinuating. Zedd had stressed Tanner's arrogance and pride were his downfall. She could see just how true that was as Tanner grew sloppy.

Using every bit of her training, Maddie avoided the blade until she was able to grab Tanner's wrist. She snapped it back hard enough that he released the sword. Without hesitating, Maddie grabbed it and raised it up as she moved back. Tanner ran at her in a fit of blind rage and Maddie plunged the sword into his chest.

"Who's the bitch now?" She asked. His eyes rolled up and his body burst into flames. Only when she knew he was dead did Maddie stop to breathe. She'd done it. She'd slain her own monster, and she hadn't even morphed. Finally, Maddie was free.

RITA

She should have panicked that Tanner had failed so severely, but Rita was honestly relieved to be rid of him. "Fool..." Merkhet mumbled.

"I couldn't agree with you more," Rita said.

"We don't need him anyway," Merkhet said. "His arrogance would have gotten us all killed. Let us proceed with the plan."

The promise of this battle made Rita focus. She knew that, one way or another, this was the last time she'd be facing the Power Rangers. One side would not walk away, and she was determined to make sure it was her side that did.

KENNY

He was excited. Kenny was going to resume training with a new coach. This one wasn't abusive but did have an amazing reputation. Since it was his last day of complete freedom, he'd decided he wanted to hang out with Angie. They were walking by what should have been an abandoned building when they heard screams coming from inside.

Kenny immediately tensed, ready for battle. Angie's hands started sparking. "Let's check it out," he said. Angie nodded, and they headed toward the building. Inside were several terrified teenagers being attacked by a huge army of Putties. Kenny ducked behind a pillar and used his communicator. "Zordon, there are a bunch of teenagers under attack by Putties," he said. "It's just me and Angie here. I need backup."

"I will send the others immediately," Zordon promised.

"Putties? I've got this," Angie said. She set to work fighting off the minions. Kenny was impressed with how easily she took them down with both magic and physical combat.

"You're really getting good at fighting," he said.

"Caius is an excellent teacher," Angie replied as she took out another Putty. She looked at the teenagers. "I'll cover you! Go! Run!"

"I... I called you a freak..." One of the girls said.

"I am a freak," Angie replied as she cast a protective shield around the teenagers. "Go. The shield will protect you until you get out of here."

The teenagers fled as other monsters showed up. "Holy crap, that's a lot of monsters," Kenny mumbled.

"Um... Kenny?" Angie called.

"Yeah?"

"Don't you think that maybe it might be, you know... Morphin' Time?"

"Right. Good point." He focused. "It's Morphin' Time! Pterodactyl!" He morphed immediately as the team began teleporting in. They were already morphed. Katie went straight into battle while Sage began giving everyone instructions. Thorn took a moment to take in just how overwhelmingly outnumbered they were and cursed softly.

"Troy, call your team," Sage said. "We need the numbers."

Troy went for the Mighty Morphin communicator before realizing his mistake. "I can't access that communicator while morphed this way," he said. "I'll have to come out of it-"

"Forget that," Josh said. He used his communicator to say, "Zordon, we need Troy's team. We're severely outnumbered."

"What we are is screwed," Katie said. "Tell him to send Jayden, Kira, and Dustin while he's at it." She kicked a particularly terrifying monster in the head and knocked it down before destroying it.

Kenny knew she was right. Whatever this was, it was too big for them to handle alone.

ZEKE

He was surprised when he opened his front door to find a very frantic-looking Caleb standing outside. "Zeke, they're in trouble," he said.

"Who is?" Zeke asked.

"Your team... They're under attack."

Zeke frowned. "I don't have any powers, Caleb. Troy replaced me. He can handle this-"

"Zeke, listen to me... They're outnumbered. They've never faced this many monsters at once. They need you."

"Caleb, I'm not a Power Ranger anymore."

"Yes you are, and you're supposed to be there... Zeke, if we don't do something, Sage and Troy are going to get killed!"

Zeke paled. "That's impossible... Sage is... She's Sage."

"And if her son goes down, she'll do anything to protect him, including give her life... Zeke, please! I saw it."

Zeke knew now that there was no way he could take the chance that Caleb's vision might come true. "Where, Caleb? Where are they?" He asked.

"I don't know... But I can find it. Follow me."

"I can't bring you into a battlefield, Caleb. You could get hurt."

"Thorn's in there. That's his sister and nephew I saw die and his sister is literally the only reason I'm alive. I'm going, and there's no time to argue. Come on!" He led the way. Zeke raced after him, barely able to keep up. He knew this was one vision they had to prevent from coming true.

TROY

He had never seen so many monsters in his life. Even his team's ultimate battle had been easier than this, and they'd had a lot more help. The Rangers Zordon had sent hadn't arrived and Troy had a feeling the building was sealed against them.

He hadn't slept in days. He was exhausted, weak, and burned out from helping Vinny, trying to hold down the magic fort so his mom had less on her plate, and doing double duty as the Red Megaforce Ranger and the Red Mighty Morphin Ranger. Troy realized he had finally given too much when he began to see five of one monster who he was fairly certain hadn't cloned itself. He swung at one and hit only air, confirming his suspicion. That was when his vision fully blurred and everything went black. The last thing he heard was his mother screaming his name as he collapsed.

ZEKE

He saw the other Rangers outside of the warehouse. "We can't get in... Something's blocking us," Jayden said.

"It's blocking Power Rangers," Kira said. "What if it doesn't block Caleb?"

"We can't send Caleb in there alone," Jayden protested.

"I'll go," Zeke said.

"But-" Gia began to protest.

"I don't have a Power Coin. I'm not a Power Ranger."

"It's worth a try," Dustin said.

The others moved aside. Zeke and Caleb were both able to enter. They raced toward the sounds of battle. "Troy!" Sage screamed as they arrived. Zeke saw Troy hit the floor. He came out of his morph and Zeke realized he was unconscious.

"Get to Thorn," he told Caleb before running toward Troy. Zeke saw Baboo coming a second before he would have killed Troy. His instincts kicked in and he fought Baboo off. Baboo nearly got one fatal hit in on Troy, but Zeke kicked him in the chest so hard, he stumbled backward and impaled himself on a broken shelf that was attached to the wall. Baboo clutched his chest as blood poured out before falling forward, dead. Zeke stared at the monster in shock. He'd just killed one of Rita's top minions without any of his Ranger powers.

Sage finally reached him. "You saved my son's life," she said gratefully.

"I did, didn't I?" Zeke replied. He paused before saying, "Sage... If it's alright with you, I think I'd like my morpher and Power Coin back." He knew now that he was ready.

"It's about time," Sage said with a smile. She carefully took the morpher from Troy and gave it to Zeke.

"Protect your son," Zeke said. "I've got this." He took a deep breath before saying, "It's Morphin' Time! Tyrannosaurus!"

It felt damn good to be back. Zeke knew immediately he'd made the right decision. He saw Maddie surrounded by monsters and set to work to help her. Maddie nodded at him. "Thanks, Tr-" She paused. "Zeke? Is that you?"

"I've decided now is an excellent time to come out of retirement," he confirmed.

Maddie let out a cheer before saying casually, "So, I killed Tanner today."

Zeke hugged her quickly. "I'm proud of you," he said.

"I'm proud of both of us," Maddie replied before they stopped talking to face yet more monsters.

It really was good to be back... Zeke just hoped they'd make it out of this alive.

KATIE

She handled the monsters easily enough until she saw one who was especially challenging. "White Ranger, meet Scorpina!" Rita said with a wicked cackle. "Destroy her, Scorpina!"

"Good luck with that," Katie said. The two began to battle. She had to admit, Scorpina was a lot tougher than the other minions. Katie hit her with everything she had and it still wasn't enough. The bitch kept coming.

They matched each other blow-for-blow until Scorpina hit Katie with her weapon unexpectedly hard in the chest. Even morphed, it hurt like hell. Katie was stunned for a moment and Scorpina took advantage, attacking her from every angle she could. All Katie could do was try to dodge the blows. She was severely injured, and she knew it was worse than she'd even guessed when her morph failed.

"Shit..." Katie mumbled. What would Dad do? She began looking for any possible weakness in Scorpina. She didn't see one, so she tried to go for invisible vulnerabilities instead.

"Please..." Katie begged, faking fear. She was in trouble, but she knew she could do this. She was Tommy Oliver's daughter. She didn't know how to fail!

"Had enough yet? Let me end you," Scorpina said.

"Don't kill me... Please... I... I have to go buy my dress!"

"A dress?" Scorpina laughed as she came closer. "You humans and your stupid proms!"

"It's not for prom," Katie said, still whimpering.

"No? A dress for what, then, you foolish girl?" Scorpina mocked her.

"Your funeral," Katie said. In one swift motion, she grabbed Scorpina's weapon out of her hands and shoved it into her chest.

Scorpina screamed before looking at Katie almost pathetically. She looked toward Goldar and groaned out his name as she fell to the floor.

"Scorpina!" Goldar screamed as he raced toward her.

Katie stumbled back, still losing blood, and thought, If I die, at least I took that bitch with me. Then, she blacked out.

ANGIE

She spotted Squatt as he walked toward Baboo. "Baboo?" He called. "Baboo... Brother... Wake up... Why aren't you waking up?" The monster seemed genuinely confused and Angie realized he honestly didn't understand what had happened to Baboo.

Angie cautiously walked toward him. "Hi, Squatt," she said gently.

"Sorceress! How good to see you! Baboo, wake up! The Princess is here."

"Squatt... Baboo can't wake up."

"Why not? Is it a spell? Can you break it?"

"No, Squatt, it's not a spell... Baboo's gone."

"No he's not. He's right here."

Angie sighed. This was going to be harder than she'd hoped, but she had to do something. On his own, Squatt was harmless. He followed orders, but he was as innocent as a small child. She felt like she had to protect him, because with Baboo and Scorpina dead, he no longer had a family to watch out for him.

"Squatt, I want you to stay in this corner here, okay? Keep your back to the wall and don't move unless you're in physical danger. Do not attack any of the Power Rangers. Just stay safe and stay out of trouble until this is over. Play with your fidget spinner."

"But Empress Rita said-"

"I am your Princess, Squatt. When I give you an order, you listen, remember?"

"Yes, Sorceress." He bowed to her. Angie went back into battle and hoped Squatt would remain safe as things continued.

THORN

He knew Sage was in trouble. She was doing her best to defend her still-unconscious son, but she needed backup. Thorn ran to his twin's side, instantly going into Warrior Mode. Thorn might not be overly violent, but he'd trained in Martial Arts since before he could remember. One thing he could do in his sleep was battle.

An especially ugly monster attacked and Thorn was distracted until he heard Caleb cry out, "Get away from my boyfriend, you creep!" Thorn looked up as a sword cut through the air and a different monster lost his head.

He stared at Caleb in shock. "Nice!" Sage said with approval as she took the ugly monster down.

Caleb looked pretty shocked himself. "Are you guys okay?" He asked.

"Thanks to you!" Thorn said. He pulled Caleb into his arms and kissed him.

"I can't believe I just did that... But I guess, when you have something to fight for, anything's possible..."

"You saved our lives, Caleb," Sage said.

"You saved mine first," Caleb pointed out.

"Heads up," Thorn said. "We're not done yet." The battle continued.

MASTER VILE

He watched as the Power Rangers continued to fight. The spell he'd cast to keep the others out had worked until a boy who greatly resembled one of Zell's Chosen and the former Red Ranger got around his too-specific barrier. He hadn't expected the Red Ranger to resume his role. That had complicated things.

Vile saw his opportunity to finally take someone out when his granddaughter joined the Pink Ranger in an isolated corner. If it was just the two of them, he was certain he could destroy them. Even if Angeline survived, without the Pink Ranger corrupting her to be good, he could easily influence her to join them. She belonged with her family, after all. The child clearly had great power. She might be of use to him.

He began to raise his weapon, ready to attack them with a spell.

RITA

She saw Angeline and Kenny in a corner and realized they were in trouble. They were blissfully unaware of the true threat they faced as they fought off Putties. Kenny said something Rita couldn't hear that made Angeline laugh. Seeing the light in Angeline's eyes, something hit Rita hard.

"She's happy," she realized. Somehow, being good and being with the Pink Ranger had given Angeline the one thing Rita could never have... And her father was about to destroy all of that.

Rita jumped in front of Angeline and Kenny. "Mom? What are you doing?" Angeline asked.

Rita was already casting a protective spell as she deflected the attack her father sent. "My sweet daughter... Be good," Rita said, looking deeply into her eyes.

"What?" Angeline asked in confusion.

"Be good, Angeline. Be happy. Be with your Ranger... Just... Just do what your heart tells you to do. You are not evil, my girl... You are good, and I'm so proud of you... So go. Be happy. I love you." With that, Rita sealed Angeline and Kenny inside of a protective bubble. It would hold them safely trapped inside until Rita released them or was no longer able to maintain the spell.

"Mom! Mom, wait!" Angeline shouted, but Rita knew what she had to do. She marched over to her father.

"Rita, what do you think you're doing?" He demanded.

"Something I should have done a long time ago," Rita said. She attacked her father with her strongest spell. She knew it wouldn't destroy him, but it was only meant to provoke him.

If he goes against the contract, the Green Ranger's spell will stop him, she remembered. As her father attempted to send a deadly spell straight at her, Sage's contract broke and Rita felt the magic attack him. Her father screamed in agony.

Rita felt the explosion coming seconds before it happened. She'd known this was coming and she was at peace with her choice. Looking at her daughter and the boy she loved, safe because of her magic, she knew she'd made the right choice.

She was killed instantly.

Together with her father, Rita fell into darkness. It seemed to be endless. She watched as her father fell into what was surely the deepest part of the Underworld. She was quickly following right behind him until, suddenly, an arm grabbed her and stopped her descent. She stared in shock at her rescuer.

"Casey?" She asked.

"A long time ago, it was predicted that you could only be saved by a mother's love, Rita... And it was your love for your daughter that finally saved you from the darkness Zell forced upon you and restored your light. You're good, Rita. Your love for Angie purified your heart," Casey said.

"I... I'm not evil?"

"Not anymore."

"After all this time... I'm free?" She asked in wonder. She felt like a child again. She knew Casey spoke the truth. Her light had returned. She was pure again.

"What happens to me now?" Rita asked curiously. Truthfully, anything would be fine with her. She was free from evil! Nothing else mattered.

"Now, I'm going to help you heal, Rita, and become what you were always meant to be."

"Which is what, exactly?"

"You'll find out soon. For now, just rest, Rita. Rest and heal."

With that, Rita fell into a blissful sleep.

MERKHET

"Mom!" Angeline screamed frantically. The spell protecting her and the Pink Ranger shattered as Rita died.

Merkhet saw the signs of trouble coming. Purple spirals exploded from the Sorceress as she began losing control.

Rita and Vile were dead. Most of their monsters were, too. Baboo had perished. Scorpina had fallen as well. They were going to lose.

"We must flee," Merkhet said. She hurried to the few remaining minions. "Virges, follow me," she ordered. He didn't question her. She reached Finster next.

"Come with me," she said. "The Sorceress is going to bring down this building."

"I do not serve you!" Finster snapped. He looked at the spot where Rita had fallen sadly. "Understand one thing, Merkhet. I was here for Rita. I was loyal to Rita. You mean nothing to me and I shall not follow you."

Merkhet scowled at him. "Fine! Then perish, you old fool!" She walked away. Finster wasn't that important. Sure, he made monsters, but she could find ones who already existed to help her.

Goldar still knelt in a corner, clinging to Scorpina. It's a shame, Merkhet thought. Of all of them, she had the most potential. She'd genuinely believed Scorpina could make a wonderful minion and it bothered her to see her bloody and broken in her grieving husband's arms as he wept.

"Goldar... We must go," Merkhet said urgently. "There is no time. The Sorceress is going to bring this entire place down."

"I won't leave her!" Goldar cried defiantly.

"We can bring her with us," Merkhet blurted out. The logistics of carrying a dead body around while on the run were complicated, but she could see that her words pierced through his grief, so she continued. "We can give her a proper burial... She deserves that much. Then, together, we shall avenge her death."

Goldar hesitated for a moment as he looked at Scorpina's body. "Yes..." He said in the numb, cold way only someone with nothing left to lose could. "Yes, we will avenge you, my beloved... We will destroy them all." He stood, scooping Scorpina's body up in his arms and carrying her carefully.

Merkhet searched for any other survivors. Squatt sat in a corner, playing with his ridiculous fidget spinner, and she knew he would be of little use to her now. She decided not to bother trying to recruit him. Instead, she searched for any other signs of life from the team she'd entered with.

RITO

He had seen the explosion. At first, for a moment, Rito had been frozen in horror. Then, he'd rushed toward his father and sister, desperately hoping he could help. His father's body was practically destroyed, but Rita's remained somewhat intact. He knelt beside her and began to weep.

"Sis..." He whispered. "Don't do this to me, Sis... Please..."

Merkhet and Goldar joined him. He could see Scorpina's body in Goldar's arms. "Oh, no... Oh, wow, Goldar... I'm sorry," Rito managed to say.

"I will avenge her," Goldar said coldly. All emotion had been removed from his voice and Rito knew his sort-of friend was barely hanging on to his will to live by a thread.

"Rito, we must leave," Merkhet said. "The Sorceress is going to bring the building down. She's unstable in her grief. Come with us, and we shall avenge your father and sister."

"Avenge her? You want me to join you?" Rito asked in shock.

"Yes. We are all on the same side."

"My sister is dead! Running around fighting a war won't bring her back!"

"Rito-"

"No! You didn't give a damn about her! None of you did! But you know what? I do! She's my sister, and I'm loyal to her, but I'm not falling for your lies, Merkhet! You don't care that she's dead. You were using her. And I'm sure as hell not going to work for you. Ever. Now leave me alone and let me be with her."

"You imbecile! She's dead! What good will staying with her do? You'll die when Angeline brings this place down!"

"Then let me die. I'm not going with you."

"You can have your revenge-"

"I don't want revenge! I want my sister, and revenge won't bring her back, so fuck off and leave me alone!"

Merkhet looked highly offended, but she didn't attack him. Instead, she said, "Fine! Goldar's the only one of you worth a damn anyway!" She looked at Goldar and Virges and said, "Let's go." They fled before anyone could stop them.

Rito held Rita tighter. "I love you, Sis," he whispered. "I always will."

ANGIE

So many emotions flowed through her at once, she couldn't make sense of them. Grief, rage, and complete agony consumed her. Angie could feel her hands sparking as her magic got out of control. She could hear Kenny calling to her, but he sounded so far away...

She stared at the place where her mother had been. Seeing Rito weeping and holding her, she knew the worst was true... Her mother was dead. She'd sacrificed herself to save her and Kenny.

Magic continued pouring out of her. "Angie!" Kenny cried. "Angie, please, look at me!"

"Kenny, get back. She's lost control," Sage said urgently.

"She needs help!" Kenny argued.

"Angie, I know how you feel," Josh said. "Can you hear me? I've been exactly where you are... Please, please respond to us..."

She knew the building was starting to shake. She could see the ceiling beginning to collapse, but she couldn't stop it. She couldn't get control over herself as her grief continued to grow. Her mother was dead... She was gone... Angie had barely found her and now, she'd lost her forever...

"Kenny, Josh, get back..." Another voice said urgently.

"Zordon, she needs me," Kenny replied.

"She'll hurt you in this state, Kenny. I believe that I can help her," Zordon said. "Rangers, get outside if you can. Jayden, Katie needs medical attention. Get her to Alpha. Dustin, please do the same for Troy. The rest of you should get checked out as well. Leave me with Angie. I know how to deal with this."

She didn't know when Jayden and Dustin had come in, or if anyone else had joined them, but she assumed the spell keeping them out had broken when her grandfather died. She could feel Kenny, Josh, and everyone else getting further away. Her magic grew even more out of control. The walls were starting to crumble.

"Angie..." Zordon called in a gentle but urgent tone. "I know your grief, Angie. I know that is why you have lost control. You are in pain. You need help. Please, let me in."

She wanted to, but she couldn't do it. Her magic simply grew more intense. Zordon stepped through the whirlwind she'd created as objects that had been left behind in the warehouse began flying around. He finally reached her and grabbed her firmly.

"Angie, stop this," he said urgently. "You can do it. Just breathe. Listen to my voice and focus."

She tried. Some of the chaos subsided, but things were still bad and she knew the building could collapse any second.

"Angie... I know you loved her," he said. "I loved her, too."

It was only when something wet landed on her arm that Angie realized Zordon was crying. She looked up into his eyes in shock and suddenly, all of the emotion came flooding out of her in the form of tears instead of magic. She sobbed hysterically as Zordon held her. He gently stroked her hair and whispered soothing words to her until she calmed down slightly. Although she was still crying softly, she could breathe again.

"I am so sorry, Angie... I wish I could have saved her. You have no idea how hard I tried..." Zordon said. He was still crying slightly.

Angie saw the ceiling as it nearly collapsed on Rito. She stopped it and walked over to him. Most of the Rangers hadn't left yet, and Kenny raced toward her now. Those who were still in decent physical shape followed him.

"Are you going to kill me now?" Rito asked.

"No," Angie replied softly. "You refused to go with Merkhet... If you swear you're not going to work for evil anymore, maybe we can work something out."

"I don't want anything to do with any battle anymore," Rito said. She believed him. His grief was clear.

"Go. She would have wanted me to spare your life."

Rito hugged her mother's body a final time before kissing her forehead and walking away. Angie knew he wouldn't be a problem anymore.

Someone moved in the rubble. The Rangers spun toward the sound. Thorn, Zeke, and Maddie looked ready to destroy whoever it was. "Stop!" Angie cried. She rushed to the injured monster's side. "Finster... Oh, Finster, I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Shhhh, my dear," Finster said soothingly. "I will be fine. I have been hurt far worse than this."

"We need to stop him," Maddie said.

"No! Please... Finster won't hurt anyone," Angie said. "He's always been kind to me. Please don't hurt him."

Squatt called to her from the corner she'd stuck him in. "Can I come out yet, Princess Angeline?" He asked.

"Yes," she said. "Come here." Squatt joined them. Everyone looked nervous. "Squatt's harmless on his own," Angie insisted. "Please... Finster and Squatt don't have to die. They're not evil."

"Angie-" Josh began.

"It's alright, Josh. Allow me to handle this," Zordon said. He turned toward the two remaining monsters. "Finster... Squatt... I believe in Angie's judgement. If you vow to serve the side of Good, I shall allow you to leave this place unharmed."

"I lost everyone today," Finster said, "but Angeline remains. I am loyal to her, as I was to her family. If she serves good, so shall I."

"Squatt?" Zordon asked.

"Empress Rita told us we must serve the Princess, so that's what I'm doing," Squatt said simply.

"Very well. You two may leave now. Know that I am watching you, and if you break your word, there shall be consequences."

Squatt laughed awkwardly. Finster nodded at Zordon solemnly before saying, "Come along, Squatt. Let us find a new home."

When they walked away and were finally safe, Angie felt her exhaustion fully consume her. She leaned on Zordon. "Zordon... I can't go home yet," she said.

"You may stay with me, Angie. I would be happy to have you as long as you need," Zordon promised.

She nodded. "Kenny... Will you tell Tanya where I am?"

"Of course... I'm so sorry, Angie... If you need anything..." Kenny began.

"I know you're there." She kissed his cheek before walking away with Zordon. Only when they reached the Command Center did she speak again. "Thank you," she said.

"Of course," Zordon replied. "You are more than welcome here."

"Not for that," she said softly. "For loving her... I think you're the only other person who did." She sighed.

"Rita was the only girl I ever loved. She will always have my heart." He helped Angie settle into a room before tucking her in. After he left, Angie couldn't sleep in spite of her exhaustion. She lay there for a long time. After a while, she could just barely hear Zordon quietly sobbing down the hall.

TROY

He woke up confused. It took him a while to realize he was in his mother's room. She sat beside him, stroking his hair. "Hey..." She said softly. "Welcome back."

"Mom..." He registered. Then, he remembered. "Oh, God... I'm so sorry! Is everyone okay? Where are they?"

"Shhhh, honey... Relax," she said. "Everyone's okay, more or less... Katie's pretty banged up and she collapsed, but she's on the mend and should be fine. She took down Scorpina. Zeke took out Baboo because... Well, he tried to kill you. I gave him back his Power Coin, so you have nothing to worry about, alright? You're back to just being on one team."

"I'm sorry, Mom... I didn't mean to screw up... I can't believe I blacked out."

"It's not your fault, Troy. I was asking way too much of you, between helping with the magic side of things and being the Red Ranger on not one but two teams... You did incredibly. It's amazing you lasted as long as you did. And from now on, no more excessive magic. I'm back. Zedd healed me. I can handle it."

"Mom-"

"No. Your health is more important, alright? I'm not letting you end up like I almost did." She hugged him. "You've done so much already."

"Vinny needs me."

"I know... So you can keep helping him, but let me do the rest, okay? I love you, and I'd be the world's worst mother if I let you keep going like this."

He sighed. He wanted to protest, but he knew she didn't believe in herself as a mother yet. He didn't want to make that worse. "Okay, Mom," he said.

"I love you. Get some rest." She kissed his forehead and walked away.

TOMMY

He sat by Katie's side. "Hey, Punk," he said as she woke up.

"Dad... Did we win?" She asked.

He smiled. "Yeah... You did."

Katie grinned. "I knew we would."

"Baboo's dead, and you already know Scorpina is, of course... I'm impressed, by the way, Katie... I just wish you hadn't gotten so hurt."

"I'll be fine," Katie said with a shrug that visibly hurt her. "Who else is dead? Did the others get away?"

"Rita and Master Vile were destroyed... Rita used Sage's contract to take her father out."

"Wait, what? Why would she betray her father?"

"To protect Angie and Kenny... She saved them."

Katie blinked at him. "That's unexpected," she said.

"Seriously... Anyway, Squatt and Finster pledged their loyalty to Angie, and Zordon let them go. Angie spared Rito because, apparently, seeing Rita die destroyed any desire he had to hurt anyone. Merkhet, Virges, and Goldar escaped, but everyone else either switched sides or was killed."

"I missed a lot while unconscious... How's Angie holding up?"

"Not well. She nearly killed everyone because she lost control of her magic, but Zordon talked her down. She's staying with him tonight."

Katie paused before saying, "But everyone's okay? We all made it out?"

"Yeah. Troy needed to be healed, but he's fine. Everyone else only had minor injuries."

"Thank God... So we won... Where do you think Merkhet, Virges, and Goldar ran off to?"

"I have no idea, but I have a feeling this isn't the last we'll see of them." He shook his head. "Don't worry about tomorrow, Punk. Just be glad you survived today. Process that for a bit before you start stressing. I'm going to go get us some dinner."

Tommy walked away and tried not to focus on the extreme sense of dread he was feeling. Something was coming. This battle was far from over, and he had a feeling they'd be facing the next one very soon. The only thing he could do was make sure the Power Rangers were prepared for it.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Tommy's not wrong. I know this reads like an ending, but there's still more to the fic.