PIERCE

A week had passed since Vida and Ivan had returned. It had been a week of serious training with the Rangers, and Pierce had been working with Amos, too. He'd certainly been surprised when Amos had told him after an especially difficult Shaman training session that he'd be leaving town for a bit. Pierce had been working to recover his memories of the Shaman's journey he'd taken as a kid. So far, all he remembered was trying to follow his brother. He'd been knocked out of his body somehow, and he was searching for Frankie, but all he found was darkness in the depths of the ocean.

Everything shifted as Pierce fell back under. He had been afraid he would fall into the memories of the journey again, without Amos to anchor him, but he hadn't expected... This.

He was still dressed in his funeral clothes. The guests had barely left the house. The entire town had come out to mourn Frankie. Pierce's mother had taken a sleeping pill and gone to bed. His father dragged him upstairs to his room.

"Let's get you out of this suit," his father said. He carefully began removing Pierce's suit jacket and tie. When he went for his shirt, Pierce took over.

"I can unbutton my own shirt, Dad," he said.

"Go on, then," his father replied. It seemed odd that he stayed and continued watching, but Pierce figured his father was feeling overprotective of him after everything that had happened. "Keep going," his father said as Pierce tossed his shirt aside.

"Dad, I can-"

"Just finish getting undressed, Pierce."

Pierce was confused, but he did as he was told. When he reached for his pajamas, his father stopped him. "Underwear, too," he told him.

Pierce might only be ten, but he knew something wasn't right. "No," he said. "I'll finish changing when you leave."

"You didn't save your brother, Pierce. You have to be punished. Do what I said."

Pierce's heart sank. His father was right. He'd failed Frankie, and now, Frankie was gone. He assumed his father was going to hit him. He didn't do it often, but if he needed to discipline his sons, he had been known to spank them. They usually got to keep their shirts on, but maybe his dad hadn't wanted to risk damaging the fancy button-down shirt Pierce had been wearing. He did as he was told, bracing himself for the pain that would inevitably follow. What happened instead was so much worse...

Pierce snapped out of the memory and realized he was crying again. He fucking hated it when he cried. He wasn't some weak little bitch... But that memory was the second worst one he had. The worst had been the entire ordeal of the accident and losing his brother... What his father had started doing to him immediately following the funeral had broken the last of his heart. He wasn't innocent anymore, and as he grew more hopeless and lost himself in the darkness, he also got angrier. He pushed everyone away until his only "friends" were his asshole teammates who would probably stab him in the back without hesitating if it meant they could get ahead or get the girl or whatever.

He tried to wipe away his tears, but more fell. He quickly got dressed and rushed out of the house. He hurried into the locker room at school and changed before running to the swimming pool. The swimming coach had realized Pierce had been breaking in, so he'd told Pierce it was fine for him to swim before classes started each day. He also encouraged Pierce to join the swim team. Pierce had been seriously considering it. Swimming cleared his head and made him feel better. He needed it.

He swam harder than he had in his life, desperate to forget what he'd flashed back on. He never knew when the urge to punish him would hit his father, but if Pierce tried to fight when it did, things only got worse for him. The old bruises Darcy and Vida had unfortunately seen were proof of that. Clare had healed those, too, but Pierce still remembered how he'd gotten them.

Amos had said survivor's guilt had been part of what caused Pierce to repress his Shaman abilities. Pierce knew now that it was more than that. He'd lost everything when he lost Frankie, and coping with his grief, plus the accident, plus the new trauma his father kept inflicting on him had been too much, let alone throwing in magical powers. Something had needed to give, and apparently, his mind had decided this strange new magic had to go, because while he couldn't control the rest of it, he could stop that.

When Pierce got out of the water and walked into the locker room, his cell phone started to ring. "Hello, Little Fish," Amos said as he answered it.

"Are you stalking me? How'd you know I was back by my phone?" Pierce asked.

"How indeed, Little Fish!"

"That is not an answer, Amos."

"Hush. I will be returning soon. The girl is safe now."

"The girl?"

"The young Shaman they were debating killing from our Sister Reservation because her power is so strong. I made sure she is in no danger. You should talk to her, Pierce. She is very powerful and about your age. I think you would get along."

"I already have one annoying Shaman in my life, thanks."

"Yes you do! But she's a Power Ranger, too, Little Fish. She is more like you than you think. Anyway, I'll be back soon."

"Where are you, anyway?"

"Stone Canyon, near Angel Grove."

"Dude, that's, like, two hours away! You made it sound like you were going on some huge journey!"

"It was a huge journey... Of the spirit! Anyway, you should hurry. Darcy's nearly outside. Go say hi. I know you had a rough morning, Little Fish. I can feel it even two hours away. Bye bye!" He hung up.

"Asshole..." Pierce mumbled.

He dried himself off the rest of the way and got dressed before leaving the locker room. Sure enough, Darcy was walking by. She looked haunted, and Pierce was concerned.

"Darcy? Are you okay?" He asked.

"Oh... Um... Yeah," Darcy said.

"You look about as okay as I feel. What's wrong?"

She sighed. "Honestly? My past life was in love with a sociopath before there was a term for it. Remembering that very twisted and complicated relationship a little more every time I sleep is starting to get to me. I just... I don't know what to do with all the feelings... I can't seem to ground myself to the present. And it's confusing... Because she loved him, Pierce... Even knowing he was a maniac... Even while she was determined to stop him... She was deeply in love with him. She couldn't turn that off, but she fought to stop him anyway... And he scares the shit out of me, because I feel that love, too, but I know what he's capable of... What he did to her..." Her voice caught, but she kept going. "I can feel it all... The love, the fear, the rage... The determination to put an end to his reign of power, to expose him... The way he held her and kissed her, the way he felt... The way he liked to stroke her neck and how it entranced her... Even the day she died, even as she fought against it... Until he started to choke her... He strangled her, and when he stopped, he started stabbing her, and she fought, but he-" She was becoming hysterical.

Pierce reacted on impulse, pulling her against him and kissing her. Darcy gasped against his mouth before she became noticeably calmer. She kissed him back for a bit before finally pulling away, trying to catch her breath.

It was Pierce's turn to wipe a tear from her eye. He looked at her. "Are you grounded now?" He asked.

She nodded, suddenly speechless. "Good. He's not going to hurt you, Darcy, and he's not going to hurt Andie either. We won't let him. You're going to be fine," he said.

Darcy nodded again. "Thanks," she said.

"No problem. Come on. We're late for class." He led her away and neither of them spoke of the kiss. It was probably better that way. Pierce wasn't sure why it had seemed like a good idea, but it had certainly distracted her... Truthfully, it had distracted them both. He had to admit, he'd enjoyed kissing her... But that didn't mean they'd ever kiss again, so he wasn't going to think about it anymore.

GREG

He hadn't planned to cut class. Greg would never do that on purpose... But while obsessing over the message from Eltar, he had accidentally teleported there again. He wasn't afraid this time. Greg followed his instinct until he ended up finding another abandoned area. The house that had once been there was long gone, but the foundation remained. Weeds and dirt covered it, but using his Earth magic, Greg was able to clear a lot of that away. He allowed his magic to open up entirely and stone steps formed, leading him down into the structure.

He heard voices nearby. He hid automatically, absolutely positive he was not supposed to be there. As they got closer, Greg got nervous. Suddenly, someone grabbed him from behind and covered his mouth. He started to fight, but her voice stopped him.

"I thought you might be the breach," Mena said softly. "Do not scream. Remain very still and they will not find you." She uncovered his mouth. Greg didn't turn around, as much as he wanted to see her again. After a minute or two, Mena said, "They have moved on. What are you doing here, Greg? Not that I'm unhappy to see you, but... Here, of all places?"

"I accidentally teleported again... What's so significant about this place?" Greg asked.

"This was once the home of the brother we talked about. It was demolished after his death, but any time anyone tried to build on the property, they met with tragedy or vanished all together. Many people died trying to do something with this land before the next Mayor of Eltar ruled it unfit for development when he took office about two and a half centuries after the terrible crimes were committed. Countless souls lost their lives here. The brother either became a murderous ghost or his magic was strong enough to survive even death and it killed anyone who tried to change the land. The curse is powerful."

"That's not right..." Greg said.

"Pardon?"

"He didn't curse the property... Maybe he did something to protect it? Something must be hidden here... Something important."

"Greg... How do you know that?"

"I just... Feel it, Mena. There's a reason I keep ending up in places that were important to him. Maybe trying to translate his message connected me to him somehow?"

"I suppose that is possible."

Greg began using his magic to open up holes in the foundation. When one didn't turn up a clue, he closed it and made another. He couldn't explain how, but the more he accepted that he had magic, the easier it was becoming to control. Well, except for the spontaneous teleportation, but he suspected there was a reason that kept happening, even if he didn't know what it was.

Mena's eyes began to glow white. She reached out until she suddenly walked toward one of the corners of the foundation. "What you seek is here, Greg," she told him.

Greg nodded. "Thanks." He opened up another hole. This time, a strange sort of notebook rose out of the ground. Greg opened it up and flipped through the pages. He saw several sketches drawn with painstaking detail. "These are beautiful..." He mumbled.

Mena stared at the notebook. "Why are these here?" She asked.

"What's wrong?" Greg asked.

"They are signed Elgan... Elgan of Eltar was a famous artist as well as a powerful force of Good on Eltar... His full story has been lost over time, but he was my grandfather. My father never knew him. He died when my father was still a baby, in some sort of accident... Why would this be buried under a murderer's house?"

Greg frowned. "I'm not sure why the book is here... But the brother thought it was important enough to protect it with every ounce of magic he had." He paused. "Mena... I think the brother was innocent. And I'm positive that this book is important."

"It's just a bunch of old sketches, Greg. Art. It should be in a museum, not buried... Or perhaps it belongs in my father's hands."

"I don't think this book is safe here now that we've unearthed it."

"I may agree with that... But Greg... The foundation is solid. How did the brother bury the book and leave no mark... Unless he could make holes in the ground and seal them back up like you were doing?"

"That must be why I connected to him! He must have had the same affinity!" He sighed. "I have to go back home... If I miss too many classes, they'll call my grandparents."

Mena smiled. "I am your girl! There is an unregulated portal about a mile from here. Come with me and I shall have you home quickly."

"Thanks, Mena. I don't know what I'd do without you!"

"Wander around Eltar endlessly lost until you sneezed and ended up back in your bed, I imagine," she teased him.

Greg blushed. "You may be right."

"You will learn to control it, Greg. Until then, I am happy to keep helping you." She grinned. "Follow me. Bring the notebook. I think that, for now, it will be safer in your hands..."

They arrived at the portal a little while later. Greg thanked Mena again before carefully tucking the sketchbook into his backpack. She gave him a hug before sending him on his way.

This time, Greg managed not to fall as he landed. He was back in his school, and luckily, no one had seen him arrive as he landed in a bathroom stall. He pulled out the sketchbook again and noticed a note inside of it. He began translating the words. 

Two brothers... One light, one dark... Neither what they appear. One shall bring about the other's demise. Divided, one shall fail and seal the fate of the other. When the cosmos are right, the cycle shall repeat.

Two brothers... One light, one dark... Neither what is expected. United, they shall be undefeatable. Divided, neither shall survive.

A chill ran through Greg as he read it again. What did the note mean? It seemed like some old prophecy or something... He put it back in the notebook and looked at the sketches more carefully. Several featured two boys... Maybe they were one of the sets of brothers? Greg could feel that he was holding an important clue, but he'd have to figure it out later.

He put everything away and opened the door to the bathroom stall. That was when he saw two girls staring at him. Greg blushed and mumbled, "Oops... Sorry!" Then he ran out of the girls' bathroom as quickly as he could, trying not to obsess about how humiliating that had been.

CHIP

He was really starting to like Stone Hollow. It was beautiful, and Vida was there, and the new Rangers were pretty awesome kids. Chip could nerd out with Scott for hours on end and never run out of things to discuss. Darcy found him charming and funny and laughed at his bad jokes. Greg was a lonely kid just looking for friends, and Chip knew how it felt to be socially awkward so he was happy to be there for him. Pierce had a lot of rage, but the kid could fight like Chip had never seen before and it was fun to watch him train. Andie kept her distance but was slowly opening up and Chip wanted to pull up a chair, eat some popcorn, and watch as the Knight of Zandar tried to woo the girl with eighty foot walls around her. Then, there was Yellow... Chip was obviously partial to the color, and he loved a good mystery! Yellow was by far the most mysterious Power Ranger he'd ever encountered and he was dying to know if they were a he or a she... Or neither. Heck, it was a brave new world! Who was he to assume the Ranger identified as any one gender over the other? All he knew was Yellow was a badass, and he was proud to share a color with them.

His cell phone rang. Chip answered it immediately. "Hey, Sage! What's up?" He asked.

"Ugh. Don't ask," Sage Park, the current Mighty Morphin Green Ranger on the Legacy team, replied. "It's been a rough week personally... But I wanted to check on you guys. I met someone from Stone Hollow and it got me thinking about all of you."

"Oh, we're great," Chip said. "Vida's Rangers are awesome, and V insisted I start actively using my magic again, so I'm having a blast sharpening my skills... I think she's scared I'll get killed again if I don't have my magic... But everything's cool here..."

"How's Ivan? Koda's been worried about him. He said he took the bitch getting kicked off his team pretty hard."

"Koda said bitch?"

"Okay, so maybe I'm paraphrasing," Sage said with a laugh. "She got someone killed because she was too stubborn to listen when we all warned her that Venjix would find a way into her weapon unless she fixed it. Tyler's broken because she's a bitch, and she made it all about her feelings. That's why I had Liza fling the bitch back home before the memorials."

Liza was Aisha's long-lost daughter. She packed a punch magically, having inherited all of the powers of the Campbell Sorcery line, including the ability to open portals. Sage had taken advantage of that when Shelby refused to leave town on her own. In addition to being Aisha's kid due to some complicated backstory Chip wasn't overly familiar with, Liza also bore an uncanny resemblance to her ancestor Galaxia, Lord Zedd's one and only true love, the girl he'd apparently been tricked into turning evil to protect. Sage had saved Zedd from his curse and he was one of the good guys now, and he was apparently dating Liza. She also happened to be the current Mighty Morphin Yellow Ranger on the Legacy team, a role she'd taken up after Tanya's daughter Maddie, the original Legacy Yellow, had sacrificed her powers and nearly her life to save the powers from falling into Zell's hands. Liza had saved her life and somehow ended up on the team.

"Yeah, that was a good call," Chip said. "Everyone was stressed enough without the drama she might have brought... Anyway, Ivan's okay. He's playing co-mentor and trying to focus on the kids... Especially Andie. I mean, oh my God, Sage, you should see the way he looks at her... With undying love and devotion, even if it's totally unrequited..."

"Like you always looked at Vida?" Sage teased him.

"Exactly! I ship them, Sage. I ship them hard."

"You know you're not supposed to ship real people like you ship fictional characters, right Fanboy?"

"Why not? Everyone needs someone to root for them... Madison always told me not to give up on Vida, and look how that turned out! I mean, sure, I had to die before she admitted her feelings, but everything worked out alright in the end!"

Sage laughed. "That's good to know. I might be coming by you guys for a quick visit. It's my understanding that you guys have a bit of a tulpa problem."

"Oh yeah. Their tulpa maker's really good at what she does. There have been a few really close calls. Hell, Andie had to shoot her with an arrow to stop them once."

"I'm going to put a spell on their stones so they can see tulpas for what they really are. It will help in case any of them encounter a tulpa who doesn't look like a monster."

"That's awesome! When are you coming?"

"In a day or two... I just need to get my energy back on track. It's a little screwed up."

"From resurrecting Zordon?"

"No... From something more recent... I don't really want to talk about it, but let's just say it's Shaman issues."

"Are you okay, Sage?" He asked seriously. Chip genuinely cared about Sage's well-being.

"I'll be fine," she said reassuringly. "Don't worry about me, Chip. But the visit will be short. I'm not up for socializing. I'll tell Vida when I'm coming. How's she holding up?"

"You mean other than telling the kids she's a murderer? She's okay... She's having a hard time coping."

"Do I need to smack her while I'm in town?"

"She's overwhelmed and doubting herself as a mentor... I think she needs help. We have no idea what we're dealing with. These bad guys are evil Eltarians... Eltarians aren't supposed to be evil."

"Put Vida on the phone."

Chip walked out to the living room and handed Vida the phone. "It's Sage," he said.

Vida took the phone and walked away to talk to Sage. She came back five minutes later looking defeated. "We're going to have company," she said.

"Company?" Chip asked.

"Sage said I need to learn it's okay to ask for help. She's sending Udonna to us, which probably means Clare... Maybe Leanbow and Daggeron... Hell, maybe even Jenji, I don't know. And that's not all."

"Who else?"

"Since we're dealing with rebels from Eltar, she's sending some people with more experience with Eltarians... Andros, Zhane, and probably Karone and V."

"You're V."

"No, Dummy, V. The one who's married to Andros. Team Genius League?"

"Oh, right! The scary one!"

Vida laughed. "You're not wrong. She's also sending the Mystic Mother, because apparently, I'm that screwed up."

"Mystic Mother is different here, V. She was Rita Repulsa, the evil space witch who literally spent most of her existence battling against an Eltarian... An Eltarian she happened to be in love with, and is finally back with... Rita and Zordon are so cute... I ship them..."

"You ship everyone, you dork."

"Not true! I have never shipped Perachel! It is sinful! Percabeth forever!"

"Oh for God's sake, Chip, would you focus?"

"Right. Sorry. My point is, Mystic Mother might be the almighty ruler of magic in our realm, but here, Rita Repulsa is probably one of the biggest experts on Eltarians around. She might have some insight we can use."

"You're right... And it'll be cool to see Karone again. We spent a lot of time together on Team Magic... I feel awful about Leo..."

"It's really not fair," Chip agreed. Survivor's guilt threatened to rear its ugly head. Karone's husband Leo, also of the Lost Galaxy team, had been saved by Wildforce's Cole along with Andros, Karone's brother and the leader of the Space Rangers. Very shortly after Cole so bravely sacrificed himself for them, Leo was killed instantly in an explosion. One second he was there, the next he was gone and nothing was left. Karone had snapped so severely, she'd briefly turned back into the evil Astronema, but Andros had somehow talked her down and saved her from the darkness. The most tragic part was that right after the battle, Karone found out she was pregnant. Yet Leo hadn't been magically resurrected, but Chip had...

"Chip? Earth to Chip..." Vida called.

"Huh?" Chip asked.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just... Thinking."

"Don't hurt yourself. Listen, Sage had an idea about Yellow... Since Yellow's affinity is for lightning, and you have that affinity, too, can you sense her or him?"

Chip paused. "I hadn't thought of that... Maybe. I can try."

"Cool. It's a start. Tracking Yellow down is important, so Sage can put her spell on that stone, too."

"I'm on it!" Chip promised. It was good to have a job to focus on. He needed to feel like he was worthy of having been resurrected. Maybe if he could genuinely help the Stone Warrior Rangers, he'd stop feeling so guilty for breathing.

DARCY

Bella, her mind whispered. You are the most exquisite being I have ever encountered... I adore you, my Bella... Say you shall be mine forever. Belong to me always and make me the happiest I could ever be...

Darcy shook her head. "My past life was an idiot," she decided. Serafine hadn't gone as far as to say she belonged to Zell, but she had agreed to be his lover. It creeped Darcy out to realize this knowing how Serafine had met her end.

She'd recovered enough details to try to focus on something other than Zell. She closed her eyes and thought of Serafine's siblings. They meant everything to her. Serafine was sixteen when she went out on her own and ultimately met Zell. Ash was fifteen, but his extremely high intelligence meant the villagers treated him as an adult, so when he'd decided to follow his sister, no one had tried to stop him. No one really could. Ash was far too loyal to Serafine, and everyone knew that. Their parents were good people of good standing and the entire family was well-respected.

Serafine had been using her magic to help the community from a very early age. By the time she moved to the city, she was one of the most respected sorceresses on all of Eltar. She was certainly the most powerful. She could control Fire. Her spells were exceptionally strong. She acted very confident, but a small, vulnerable part of her was just a teenaged girl who wanted to do everything in her power to help others. Zell had preyed on that part of her and she hadn't realized until it was far too late that he was manipulating her and pretty much everyone else in the universe.

Ash was brilliant. He was constantly reading, researching, or thinking a thousand steps ahead of everyone else. There was no puzzle Ash could not solve, and he was constantly figuring out the mysteries of Eltar and other planets. He was quiet and a bit shy, but once he opened up, he was extremely loyal and lovable. He had a gift for Earth magic that was unmatched by most. Although their parents had been average magicians at best, it seemed their combined family lines had created extremely powerful children.

Even Daphne, at eight years old, had begun to show an affinity for magic. The child was a gifted healer and was filled with an extraordinary amount of compassion. She radiated light and her magic was growing daily, as it had in her older siblings. She was a polite, sweet child who trusted too openly and loved people and animals unconditionally. That was why, even when no one else would go near the Beast Boy from the woods, Daphne had befriended him. Lido hadn't spoken to a single human being in years, but Daphne had helped him open up and begin to trust people.

I wonder what the hell happened to him, Darcy thought. Lido was an Eltarian Rebel now and he was proud to be their executioner, but in Serafine's memories, he'd been a literal gentle giant. As Daphne refused to stop playing with the boy, Serafine and Ash had befriended him, too. He had become their unofficial little brother (if the enormous Lido could ever be called little), and he was fiercely loyal to them. How had he turned so evil?

The siblings had been inseparable. Even with seven years between Ash and Daphne, they were all extremely close. Daphne had followed them where she could, but when the older siblings moved to the city, she saw them less frequently. They both made sure to return home often to visit, but even when their relationship became public, Serafine had not brought Zell around her family. She told them stories about her time with him, but she still kept him away from them. Darcy wondered if, on some level, Serafine had always known how dangerous her lover was.

Darcy wasn't completely sure how long Zell and "his Bella" had been lovers, but she knew Serafine was eighteen when she was murdered, making Ash seventeen when he was put to death for it and Daphne just ten years old when she first met Zell.

Her talisman was radiating heat. Darcy took a deep breath and focused. You're not Serafine. You're Darcy... So calm your ass down and do something productive! She scolded herself. Darcy realized she was late for training. She hurried toward Vida's house and stopped when she saw the raging battle a few blocks away.

"Perfect timing, Darce!" Scott told her as she morphed and rushed to help. Even Yellow had beaten her to the fight.

Felina's voice shouted in a foreign language and although it was still early, the entire area fell into complete darkness. As a very ugly monster sped toward Scott, Greg touched the ground and opened up a giant hole. The monster fell right in. Greg immediately began sealing the hole up before it could escape.

"Nice!" Vida cried with obvious surprise. "You've been holding out on us, Greg!"

"I've just been practicing," Greg shouted back.

The unmistakable monster that was Neptune showed up and Darcy nearly ran straight for him. She wanted to kill him for what he'd done to Andie, and she was upset at how badly he'd hurt Pierce, too. Yellow beat her to it and ran toward him. To Darcy's surprise, Neptune shrank back and simply ducked out of Yellow's way, not attacking. Yellow stood protectively in front of Andie, something that instantly earned him or her major points in Darcy's book. Ivan joined them. Neptune, however, seemed to have little interest in attacking Andie. Instead, he focused on Pierce, and like someone flipped a switch, he flew into his usual homicidal rage.

Darcy ran toward Pierce, knowing he was in more danger than any of them. The Eltarians were all dangerous in their own ways, but Neptune was particularly brutal when he attacked. He didn't stop unless he was called off by Raffitty.

"Darcy, go," Pierce said. "I can handle this prick."

"I'm not leaving you alone with him," Darcy said firmly. "Besides, he tried to kill my sister. I owe this bastard the beating of a lifetime."

Pierce couldn't argue with that, and he didn't try. Together, they fought Neptune. They were doing well until Neptune pulled out some sort of sword and, in one swift motion, tried to kill Pierce. Without stopping to think, Darcy jumped in front of him and Neptune ran the sword through Darcy's chest. Her morph barely even slowed the blade down before it completely failed.

"Darcy!" Pierce screamed.

"No!" Andie screamed.

Darcy struggled to focus. She was stunned to realized it was Greg who reached her first. "Don't move," he said. Then he opened up a hole in the ground behind Neptune. "Pierce, fill it!" He shouted.

Pierce was still trying to get by Neptune, but he seemed to understand. He immediately shifted his focus to filling the hole with water while still trying to fight. One swift kick to Neptune's chest knocked him into a deep hole full of water.

Neptune's frantic screams might have been comical if Darcy wasn't bleeding so much. Raffitty ran toward his screaming minion and struggled to pull him out of the water. Several of the minions were barely standing. The monsters had all faded away.

"We've lost, Raff," Felina said. "We must leave if we wish to fight another day." The darkness vanished along with the Eltarians.

"Darcy... Oh fuck..." Pierce said as he knelt beside her. He pulled her into his arms carefully. "Why the fuck did you do that?"

"Team leader," Darcy mumbled. "It's my job to make sure your dumbass doesn't die.."

Andie tried to get to her. "M'Lady, no... Her wound is too severe," Ivan said, trying to restrain her. "You may hurt yourself."

"She's my sister," Andie said. "Either help me or back the hell off!"

"'Tis for your own good-"

Andie kicked him in the leg. In his surprise, Ivan released her. She knelt beside Darcy. "Don't you dare die," she told her.

"Darcy... Please tell me it's not as bad as it looks..." Scott begged, terror and tears in his voice.

Greg had gone eerily silent. Now that the immediate threat was gone, he stared at Darcy in shock.

Vida and Chip examined her. "It's bad," Vida said.

"That sword cut straight through her morph!" Chip said. "What is it? Normal swords can't do that!"

"The sword is of Eltar," a voice said. Pierce's Shaman friend had shown up. "I would say with some confidence it is a Teridian."

"Teridian?" Vida asked.

"The best swordsmith in all of Eltar," Greg said, his voice still filled with shock. The answer was cold, like an automatic response.

Everyone stared at him. "You really do know everything..." Scott mumbled.

"Greg is correct," Amos said. "Teridian made swords for several millennia before he vanished. Some say he was murdered. Others say he went into hiding. The last rumor is that, for reasons unknown, he joined the Rebellion."

"It seems that last one may be true," Ivan said.

"Not necessarily. They could have come by this sword in any number of ways... Now... We need to pull it out very carefully."

"Pull it out? Are you nuts? She'll bleed out!" Pierce objected.

"Have faith, Little Fish. The wound is clean. It went straight through. Most importantly, it missed her heart. With three healers here, we can save her."

"Three?"

"Andie, me, and you, Little Fish."

"I don't know how to do that!"

"How do you think you learn? Practice, Little Fish. Just continue to hold her." He looked at Ivan. "I need you to pull the sword out... Carefully, please."

"What if it shifts and hits her heart?" Chip asked.

"I assure you, Sir Ivan is the right man for this job." Amos looked at him again. "I trust you."

Ivan nodded. "I have done this before," he promised. "I have extraordinarily steady hands. More than one knight was saved with my help."

"Ivan... If you kill her, I'll kill you," Andie said firmly.

He smiled at her. "I would expect no less. Rest assured, Dear Andie... Your sister shall be safe in my hands."

Darcy squeezed Andie's hand. "I trust him," she managed to say to her very concerned sister.

Andie nodded. She gave Ivan a little bit of room to get closer to Darcy, not letting go of her hand.

"Ivan... Be careful. The Sorceress bewitched the sword," Amos said. "The Teridian swords are exceptionally powerful in battle on their own, but this one has an extra boost. Only extremely powerful magic would have made it so strong even Darcy's armor could not stop it. The magic may strike you dead if you touch it."

Ivan nodded. "That is a risk I shall gladly take," he said.

"This is nuts..." Vida mumbled. "Isn't there another way that doesn't risk Ivan's life?"

"Not one we have time for," Amos replied.

"All is well, Lady Vida. I do not fear death! I am a Knight of Zandar!" With that, Ivan took a deep breath and pulled the sword out in one swift, clean motion.

Darcy let out a startled cry as the shock hit her body. Her blood began flowing freely. Andie immediately started healing her. Amos touched Andie's shoulders with his hands. She let him, apparently too concerned for Darcy to protest, and Darcy could feel his magic flowing through Andie and into her.

"Ground her, Pierce. That is your only job... Keep Darcy focused," Amos said.

Pierce still had Darcy wrapped in his arms. "Just... Stay, Darcy," he said softly. "Okay?"

She nodded. "I'll do my best," she managed to reply.

Pierce seemed to connect to her then. It was a strange sensation. She began seeing the people she cared the most about... Her memories played through her mind and she knew Pierce was seeing them, too.

Scott and Darcy were playing in his backyard. They were about four years old. Her parents came over, and they ate dinner with Scott's dad. They were really happy. Things shifted. Scott moved away. Darcy made other friends, but none were ever as great as he had been. She got older. She was thirteen. She was in a grocery store...

No, Darcy thought. Not this. Not right now. Stop!

Her mind refused to listen. The robbers came in and immediately shot the old lady buying a turkey and her middle-aged son, who tried to protect her. One of them aimed the gun at the store's seventy-two-year-old owner. His grandson jumped in front of him and took the bullet meant for him. Mrs. Mattson, Darcy's gym teacher, tried to talk the robbers down. All three of them were former students of hers who'd gotten involved with a local gang. One of them shot at her, causing Darcy to react. She tried using her Martial Arts training to attack them and get the guns away from them. She got two of them off their feet, but the third shot her in her back. Somehow, Darcy was still alive. As they shot everyone else in the store, including the owner after he'd emptied the register for them, they began going around checking to see if anyone was still alive. If they were, they shot them again.

When they got to Darcy, she played dead. As soon as they moved on, she jumped up, ignoring the pain, and attacked them. She got the gun away from the one who'd shot her. As the other two tried to shoot at her, she shot them all. She didn't aim to kill, but she made damn sure they wouldn't be able to do any more harm. With the help of a mother with an infant who'd taken a bullet to the shoulder and played dead while shielding her baby, Darcy tied them up and waited for the police to come. By some miracle, thanks to Darcy's actions, seven of the other sixteen people who'd been shot and the infant, who hadn't been hurt, all survived. It wasn't good enough for Darcy, who was still bothered by the fact that she hadn't saved everyone. Still, it was a miracle anyone had survived, and that moment had left Darcy determined to save anyone she could...

"Darcy... Holy shit..." Pierce said in her mind.

Things moved forward again. Darcy met Andie for the first time, and the connection they discovered was intense. Darcy loved her sister fiercely and was determined to protect her... Then, they became Rangers, finding the stones and meeting Vida and Ivan, and slowly becoming a real team...

Suddenly, Darcy didn't feel like she was dying anymore. She shifted and it didn't hurt. Andie looked extremely pale. Amos steadied her as she stood up before allowing her to lean on Ivan. It seemed that, now that Darcy was healed, Andie was no longer ready to kill Ivan.

"Up you go, Darcy," Amos said, taking her hand and helping her to her feet. Pierce was staring at her as he stood up, too.

"Did that really happen?" He asked her.

"Yeah," Darcy replied.

"I thought you lived some perfect, sheltered life without anything even remotely traumatic... But you took out three gunmen after you'd been shot! I... It's just..."

"My parents are awesome, Pierce, but that doesn't mean nothing bad has ever happened to me."

He nodded. "I'm sorry."

"I'm not. It made me stronger... It really shaped who I am as a person, and it made me determined to never fail to save people ever again."

"You saved a lot of lives."

"A lot isn't enough, Pierce. It never will be."

That was when Chip tensed up. "Nice of you to stick around," he said. That was when Darcy noticed Yellow.

CHELSEA

She'd been stunned to see Darcy impaled with a sword. When the fight was over, she couldn't bring herself to run off without knowing that the girl would be okay.

"Nice of you to stick around," the one they called Chip said as she was about to run.

Chelsea tried to run. A barrier of lightning surrounded her. She stared at Chip in shock.

"Nice!" Vida cried out.

"Just like riding a bike!" Chip replied.

Chelsea tried to get through, but she hadn't figured out how to build magical walls of lightning yet, so she certainly hadn't discovered how to break them down either.

"Drop your morph," Vida said. "We need to talk."

Chelsea sighed. She shrugged and let the morph go. Scott's jaw dropped rather comically. "Chelsea?!" He asked in shock. "You're the Yellow Ranger?"

"Hey, Scott," she replied casually. " 'Sup?"

"Sup? Are you seriously just going to leave it at that? I mean... All this time, you've been the Yellow Ranger, but you haven't said anything?! Is this real life right now? Someone, pinch me!"

Chelsea pinched his arm hard. "Ouch!" He cried in protest.

"You told me to," she pointed out.

"I like her," Darcy said with amusement.

"Okay, um..." Vida began.

"Chelsea!" Scott cried out. "My drummer and backup singer, Chelsea!"

"Chelsea. Right. I'm Vida. Wanna tell me why you kept running off on us?"

Chelsea shrugged. "I liked having a secret identity," she said. "I have superpowers... But I never signed up for group activities."

"You're in my band!" Scott said.

"You let me drum. That's different. It releases my rage, like I told you."

"Speaking of telling people things... I told you guys I saw boobs!" Vida declared with a grin. "I knew you were a girl!"

"So, the secret's out... What happens now?" Chelsea asked.

"You train with us. It'll be fun," Chip promised.

"Introductions!" Vida declared. "So, Chelsea, you obviously know Scott. That's Darcy, Pierce, Greg, Andie, Sir Ivan, Amos, and Chip."

"So... Sir Ivan... Why do they call you that?" Chelsea asked, giving in to her curiosity.

"I am a Knight of Zandar, from several centuries ago," Ivan said. " 'Tis a pleasure to properly meet you, M'Lady." He bowed to her grandly.

"Seriously?"

"Ivan comes to us from another team, the Dino Charge Rangers. They're a unique bunch," Vida said. "He's helping me mentor you all. So's Chip, who happens to be my boyfriend and fellow Mystic Force Ranger."

"Okay... So Sir Ivan morphs, but you guys don't. Why?"

"We use our magic, but we're not meant to morph anymore. We're retired Rangers, technically."

"And the mysterious Native American guy who randomly shows up every so often?"

"I am Amos, my Speedy friend. I'm a Shaman, and I'm here to help because my Little Fish is a part of this," he replied.

"Stop calling me that!" Pierce protested.

"Shhh, Little Fish. I am talking to the Speeding Cheetah."

"Hmmm... I kinda like that," Chelsea said with approval.

Darcy looked at her and said, "Thanks for caring enough to stick around to see if I lived or died."

"Well... We're a team, I guess," Chelsea replied with a shrug. "It would sort of suck if you died... Plus, then I'd have to listen to Scott turning all emo and writing depressing songs about your death."

"A cruel fate indeed!" Darcy laughed.

"I'm glad you're okay, Darcy."

"Thanks. So am I."

Suddenly, Greg started to cry. He flung his arms around Darcy and sobbed in a way Chelsea had never seen before. "What's wrong with our nerd?" She asked.

"Greg? What's the matter?" Darcy asked.

"You could have died!" He sobbed.

"Greg, I'm okay," Darcy promised him.

"But you almost died, Darcy!"

"But I didn't... And you're a huge part of that, Greg. You thought on your toes and kept a clear enough head to think up a way to defeat Neptune so you guys could help me." Darcy held Greg tightly, trying to soothe him. He clung to her in a way that seemed to surprise them both. When he finally pulled away a couple of minutes later, Chelsea felt bad for him.

"Okay... Ice cream for everyone. I'm buying," she said. She looped her arm through Greg's. "Come on, Greggy. You did good. You've earned some sugar."

Greg looked at her with surprise. "I... Okay," he agreed. Chelsea nodded and led the way to her favorite ice cream spot. They'd all had a hell of a day. She'd just been outed. Darcy had almost died. Everyone had fought hard as hell. If they didn't deserve ice cream after all of that, there was simply no justice in the world. Besides, now that they knew who Chelsea was, she figured she might as well get to know her team.