AUTHOR'S NOTE: If you haven't read Legacy Rangers, you won't know who some of these characters are. I'll do my best to explain it as the chapter goes on, but they are all part of the Chosen, who have been mentioned before. Quick Cheat Sheet: Ollie is Jason's son. Tammy is Zack's daughter. Tia, as previously mentioned, is Aisha's daughter. Brian is Trini's son. Angie is Rita and Zedd's daughter. Taylor is Zedd and Aisha's son. Caleb is the son of Caius, who is the one Sage tied Lido to when she restored his light.

CALEB

It was an ordinary enough day. The sun was shining and the Chosen were hanging out at the park. In spite of the fact that he'd died there... The first time he died... Caleb still loved the park. He did avoid the spot where Kat had injected him with the venom that sent him into anaphylactic shock the day he'd died in his boyfriend Thorn's arms, but other than over there, he was usually okay.

Ollie was playing basketball with Tammy. Tia was filling out paperwork that Brian was trying to offer his help with. The two of them had just started college. Angie was testing out some new magic while the half-brother she shared with Tia, Taylor, was watching with interest. Caleb was reading when he noticed an energy that shouldn't have been there.

He walked a few feet away from the others and, sure enough, Nick from Mystic Force stood staring at him. Caleb quickly looked away. "I know you can see me, Kid," Nick said.

"What the hell are you doing here, Nick?" Caleb asked.

"I tried to go to the Mystic Mother, but she can't hear me...I come from dark magic now, so I'm outside of her domain," Nick said. "I need you to get a message to her for me."

"No. Absolutely not," Caleb said. "You're a traitor. No one wants to hear what you have to say."

"You okay over there, Caleb?" Ollie asked. He had immediately shifted into Team Leader Mode, a trait he'd inherited from both the original leader of the Chosen, Dimitri, and his father, Jason. He was a Scott. Leadership was very much in their blood, even if Ollie was the youngest member of the Chosen aside from Tammy.

"Just the usual," Caleb said, knowing it looked like he was talking to himself. Ollie and the rest of the team knew better.

"You sure, Buddy?" Brian asked.

"I'm sure, Brian. I've got this. Stay with Tia." Caleb didn't want the creep who'd hurt his friend anywhere near her.

Brian seemed to understand how important that was. He quickly distracted Tia. Tammy and Ollie kept a closer eye on Caleb. Even Angie and Taylor looked concerned.

"Just go, Nick," Caleb said.

"You have to listen to me! I know where he is, Caleb," Nick said.

"Where who is?"

"The Great Wizard."

"You were on Zell's side. Why would you come here?"

"Because I don't like being lied to or fucked with... And I want to see you guys destroy that son of a bitch once and for all. He crossed the wrong spirit."

"I don't trust you, Nick. This could easily be a trap. Why should I believe a word you say?"

"Because I'm going to show you the truth, Caleb. All of it. You seem like a nice kid, but I don't have a choice. Sorry."

"No." Caleb took a step back. He couldn't let someone who'd turned as evil as Nick had touch him. There was no telling what would happen.

"Vida's life depends on it!"

"I... What?" Caleb asked. "Vida killed you. Why would you care?"

"Because I helped him, and he turned her, Kid. Against her will... But I don't think she can be saved. She embraced the change really fast. The only way to free her is probably to kill her."

"No... No, Sage can help her-"

"Sage can't save someone who doesn't want to be saved. Vida can't live with the fact that she killed me. He freed her from that. She's not coming back... But I don't want to give him the satisfaction of winning... So I tried to go to the Mystic Mother, but she can't hear me. I'm hoping she can get through to Vida. You have to tell her, Caleb. You're the only one who can help me stop this."

"I... I'll talk to Rita," Caleb agreed.

"One other thing... He'd got three of Vida's Rangers... The three who were his family."

"His family?"

"Yes. You gotta warn Zordon, Kid. If Zordon feels them and runs in there blind to save them, he'll die again, and there won't be any resurrecting him this time. Do you understand?"

"I-"

"Do you fucking understand, Caleb?" Nick demanded. He grabbed Caleb by the shoulders out of nowhere.

Suddenly, Caleb saw everything, from the moment Vida killed Nick until the present. He felt cold, hollow, and dead inside, more than he ever had before. Nick's soul had rotted away into unspeakable darkness, and Caleb couldn't shake him off. He knew he'd collapsed, but he couldn't make his body function.

"Caleb!" He heard Tammy screaming.

"He's seizing!" Angie said. She stroked his hair, trying to soothe him.

He felt strong arms holding him down... Ollie and Brian, he was pretty sure.

"Spirit, be gone!" Tia shouted, and he could feel her presenting her amulet to face off against the evil spirit. Little did she know it was the monster who'd tried to break her in the worst way imaginable. The amulet, which had once belonged to Galaxia Campbell, packed a serious punch. Nick let out a scream of agony as it touched him. He released Caleb.

"Spirit of Galaxia, Head of the Line, I summon thee to remove this spirit from this world!" Tia cried out.

Caleb could feel Galaxia. She looked at him and said, "Hold on, sweet Caleb. Do not let go of this world." Then she saw who the spirit was. "You! Oh, yes, this is going to be glorious. Pardon me, Caleb, dear." She grabbed onto Nick and made him scream before touching Tia. Tia might not be able to see the dead, but she clearly felt her ancestor. "You do it, sweetheart. This one needs to be you." She let Nick go.

Caleb thought he would flee, but Nick seemed to be trapped. He stared at Tia. "You..." Tia said, somehow knowing who she was facing. "I am not afraid of you any longer, Nick," she said firmly. "I take your power, as you tried to take mine, and I banish you to the Underworld!" She burned Nick with the amulet. He screamed and began to smoke.

Caleb was on fire... Yet still so cold... He couldn't breathe. "Tia! Release him to her now!" Galaxia cried.

"Casey, take him away!" Tia said firmly. With that, Nick was gone like he'd never existed to begin with.

"Caleb... Come on, Caleb, stay with me..." He heard someone saying. It was Taylor, Zedd's son.

Caleb couldn't breathe... His hold on his body was fading... "Don't you dare die on me, Caleb... Thorn will never forgive me," Taylor said urgently. Caleb could feel Taylor pouring energy into him.

Caleb's lungs finally opened back up. He started coughing. He was shivering. "C-cold..." He managed to say.

"On it!" Brian said, creating a fire right beside him.

Taylor wrapped Caleb in his jacket. "It's okay, Caleb," he said gently. "You're safe now."

Caleb nodded, trying to warm up between the fire and Taylor continuing to send light and energy into him.

"It was him... Wasn't it?" Tia asked softly.

"Yes, Tia... It was Nick," Caleb confirmed, his voice still shaking.

"Why the fuck would he show up here?" Taylor demanded.

"He had a warning... He showed me where Zell is... Told me he wanted us to destroy him because Zell lied to him..."

"Well, we share a common goal at least," Ollie said. "What else did he say?"

"We've got trouble, guys... Zell burned away Vida's light. She's been turned."

"Oh my God..." Tammy whispered. Much like Kira, Tammy had bonded with Vida over their shared love of music.

Angie paled. "He turned Vida? Oh boy... Mom's going to be pissed," she said. "I guess I get to tell her one of her Mystic Rangers just met the same fate she did."

"I think she handed three of her Rangers over to Zell... The three who connect to his family, apparently."

"His family? Like, he has more than just Zordon?" Brian asked.

"Apparently, yes... I saw it all... These kids... They're the reincarnations of Zordon's mother, aunt, and uncle, and unless we make him stop and think straight, Zordon's going to run in blind and get killed... Forever, this time. We have to protect him... We have to protect all of them."

"And we have to save Vida," Tammy said. "Where's Sage? Caleb, call Thorn and Sage. We have to-"

"Tammy... I don't think Sage can save her," Caleb said. "I doubted Nick at first, but he's right. Vida wanted her grief and guilt to end... Zell just gave her that. It's going to take more than Sage to bring Vida back from that."

"Who then? I mean... She has to be saved... Right?" Caleb was silent. "Right?!" Tammy asked again.

"Right," Ollie said firmly. "It just might take a while, Tam. We'll figure it out. But first, we have to save her team."

"Which means I call my dad to run interference while I tell Mom what happened," Angie said. "We need her help."

"Is this it?" Brian asked. "The big fight?"

"No," Taylor said. "Whatever happens, I doubt it'll be the last we see of that fucker... But I might be able to weaken him again-"

"No, Taylor. You almost died the last time," Ollie said firmly.

"But I didn't," Taylor replied. "And even if I had, it would have been worth it to save you guys- Ow! Tia, what the hell?" He rubbed his arm where Tia had whacked it pretty hard.

"Stop saying that. Your life means just as much as any of ours, Little Brother," Tia said firmly.

"She's right. We're a team. We do this together," Ollie said.

"Together," Taylor agreed quietly.

"Are you okay now, Caleb?" Angie asked.

"Not fully, but okay enough. Let's go," Caleb said. Together, they headed to find Rita, Zordon, Zedd, and his father, the only people who understood what they were about to face.

ZORDON

He was sitting with Rita and her immortal kitten, Morgana, when he became overwhelmed. Zordon tensed, unsure where the feeling was coming from. "Zordon? Are you okay?" Rita asked.

"I feel her..." Zordon whispered.

"Who?" Rita asked.

"My mother... I... I have not felt her since the day I killed my father."

Rita seemed to be on alert now, too. "Something is... Off-balance," she said.

"She's terrified, Rita... Whatever is going on, my mother is completely terrified."

"Mom! Mom, open up!" Angie called from outside Rita's home.

Rita opened the door. "Angie, sweetheart, what's wrong?" She asked. She looked surprised as she added, "Hello, Everyone... Why don't you all come inside?"

The current generation of the Chosen entered the room. Rita's brother Rito stuck his head out of his room and asked, "Uh... Should I order some pizza, Sis?"

"We can't stay long, Uncle Rito," Angie said quickly. "Mom... Zordon... Something's happened... And I need you guys to stay calm."

"Which is why I'm here," Zedd said as he arrived with Caius.

"Zedd? Caius? What is going on?" Zordon asked, very alarmed.

"Mom... Don't freak out, okay?" Angie asked again. "Promise."

"Angie, I am perfectly calm," Rita said. "Just tell me."

"Um... Well... Nick sort of came to Caleb a little while ago," Angie began.

"And damn near killed him," Ollie mumbled.

"Ugh! What did he want?" Rita asked.

"To tell us where Zell's been hiding," Caleb said.

Zordon tensed again. "Why would he betray my father?" He asked.

"Because your dad screwed him, like he screws all of his minions," Taylor said. "So Nick wanted to screw him back... But he really hurt Caleb, and Tia here banished him straight to Casey." Taylor sounded proud as he wrapped an arm around his sister. Tia generally disliked being touched, but not when it was one of her siblings hugging her.

"Well, that's that, then," Rita said cheerfully. "So where is he hiding?"

"We'll get to that, but, Mom... There's more," Angie said.

"I was afraid of that... Go on, Angie. Tell me."

"He sort of..." Angie sighed. "He forcibly turned Vida evil, Mom."

"He did what?!" Rita demanded. The Earth began to shake. "I swear on everything good, when I get my hands on him I'm going to-"

"Uh, Sis?" Rito interrupted her.

Lightning started flying around the house. Angie and Tia quickly threw up shields to protect the other Chosen. "Destroy him over and-"

"Sis!"

The electronics began sparking and smoking. "Over again until he begs me to stop, and then-"

"Sis!" Rito shouted.

"What?" She snapped.

"Your hair's on fire."

"What? Oh... Darn." Rita took a deep breath. Zordon grabbed her hand to try to ground her, even though he was pretty freaked out himself. His father had forcibly turned a Power Ranger evil... One who was important not only to him, but to Rita. It was his worst nightmare, all over again.

"I'll make him pay for this," Rita said softly, releasing the last of her rage. Everything went back to normal.

"We both will," Zordon promised just as softly.

"Zordon..." Zedd said gently. "There's still more."

Suddenly, Zordon understood. "Ash is not the only one who returned, is he?" He asked.

"No... As you already know, the boy is your uncle... But two of the girls on the team are also involved... The team leader is apparently your aunt Serafine's reincarnation... And... The Pink Ranger is-"

"No." He said the word softly, a pathetic attempt to deny what he already knew.

"Your mother. I'm sorry, Zordon... But Vida... Being evil..."

"No. Do not say this to me, Brother. Please." He couldn't do this. Three Power Rangers being in his father's clutches was bad enough, but those three...

"She handed them off to him, Zordon. He has your family."

Zordon clenched his hands into tight fists. A lightbulb exploded. Too much of Zordon's energy built up too quickly, and it wrapped around him in a dangerous spiral of electricity.

"Zordon..." Rita began.

"Stay back," Caius advised her gently, physically guiding her to safety.

"Caius?" Tammy asked, the fear clear in her voice. Caius was the Chosen's mentor.

"Zordon's only been back at his full power for a little while... Without an energy tube to control it, if his emotions overwhelm him, he will misfire. Stay back, everyone," Caius said firmly.

It was Zedd who dared to get closer. He didn't stop even as the electricity shocked him, but Zordon saw him flinch a couple of times.

"Dad!" Taylor called in alarm.

"I'll be fine, Taylor," Zedd said. "Stay exactly where you are." Zedd shook violently for a minute as more electricity hit him, but he continued to move closer.

"Get back!" Zordon shouted.

"Not this time, Brother," Zedd said stubbornly.

"Zedd, be careful!" Tammy shouted as Zedd got hit so hard, he bit his lip, probably to keep from screaming. "Enough... I can't just watch this!" Tammy moved slightly closer.

"Tammy, no!" Ollie shouted.

"Goodnight my angel, time to close your eyes, and save these questions for another day," Tammy sang. "I think I know what you've been asking me, I think you know what I've been trying to say. I promised I would never leave you, then you should always know... Wherever you may go, no matter where you are, I never will be far away..." An incredible light began filling the room. Everyone became visibly calmer. Zordon slowly began to feel his emotions slowing down. Tammy continued singing. Zordon was significantly calmer, although his energy was still searching for a safe release.

"Goodnight my angel, now it's time to dream, and dream how wonderful your life will be. Someday your child may cry, and if you sing this lullaby, then in your heart there will always be a part of me... Someday we'll all be gone, but lullabies go on and on. They never die, that's how you and I will be..." Tammy finished. She fell to her knees in tears.

Ollie pulled her into his arms. "Are you okay?" He asked.

"My dad used to sing that to me... Zordon misses his mom... Whenever I miss my dad, I... I sing that song," Tammy said.

"I am so sorry, Zordon. I know how difficult this is for you... But we will get them back. Do you understand me? I will not rest until those children... Until your family is safe. You have my word," Zedd said. Finally, Zedd touched his arm. Just like that, Zordon's emotions stopped attacking entirely. "It's alright," Zedd said soothingly. "We'll bring them home safe."

"Thank you, Zedd," Zordon said softly. "And thank you, Tammy... Zack would be very proud of you."

Tammy nodded, pulling herself together as Ollie helped her stand back up.

"Okay," Caius said. "Now, we need a plan."

CHIP

He spotted Vida as she walked in the front door. "V? You're back!" Chip cried with delight.

"Yep," Vida replied.

"It's over already? Where are the kids? Are they okay?"

"They're still in Angel Grove."

"Wait... You left them? Vida-"

"They'll be fine, Chip. Relax."

Chip knew something was very wrong. "Vida, where are they?"

"I told you-"

"No. You would never leave them there, where Zell was, without either the rest of the team or at least one of us. What is going on?"

"Are you questioning Zordon, Chip?"

"No. I'm questioning you, Vida. I'm starting to think that none of this came from Zordon... You're not acting like yourself."

"A girl's allowed to have mood swings. Let it go, Chip!"

"Something is wrong with you, V. I know you."

"Just stop, Chip! For shit's sake, I killed Nick for you! Was that not enough to earn your trust?" She said this entirely too casually.

"Vida... What happened to you while you were in Angel Grove?" Chip asked, knowing Vida would never fling Nick's death around so casually.

"You wanna know what happened? Fine! I woke up, Chip! And now, I'm free. No more pain, no more grief, no more guilt, no more bullshit! I tried to resist it, but that was stupid. I feel amazing now!"

"V... Oh my God, Vida..."

"And I am done answering your questions! Time to shut you up!" She called Wind power and flung him toward the ceiling, pinning him there. She grabbed duct tape and floated up toward him. She covered his mouth before taping his entire body in place, using magic to make it hold his weight despite gravity. She laughed as she floated back down to the ground.

"Look at me, defying gravity!" Vida cackled. "So long, Chip." She walked out the front door, slamming it behind her and leaving Chip defenseless on the ceiling.

IVAN

He arrived home and opened the front door. He knew he wasn't alone and something felt wrong, so Ivan drew his sword. He saw no one, but heard a frantic, muffled cry coming from above him. Ivan looked up.

"Sir Chip!" Ivan cried in surprise. "Fear not, my friend! I shall set thee free!" Ivan quickly took his sword to the duct tape, careful not to impale Chip. Finally, after a few minutes of work, Chip fell to the floor.

Chip pulled off the duct tape that was over his mouth and mumbled, "Ouch..."

"My Good Sir, what exactly happened here?" Ivan asked.

"It's Vida, Ivan... She's evil! I think Zell must have gotten to her... V's not home right now," Chip said frantically.

"You think he turned her evil? The fiend!"

"We have to find her... I've got to call the rest of the team."

"The team... My God... If Vida is here, then... What did she do with Andie, Darcy, and Greg?" His chest ached as he realized what must have happened.

"Ivan... I think she gave them to him."

"I have to go after them!"

Ivan expected Chip to argue. Instead, he said, "I know. You're the only one who can help them right now. We can't risk him getting his hands on Chelsea, Pierce, and Scott, too. You save the kids. We'll save Vida."

Ivan nodded. "Good luck on thy noble quest, Sir Chip."

"Ivan... Be careful."

"Do not fear for me, my friend. Three members of my team are already residing in Angel Grove, and if need be, I can call in the rest. I shall be fine." Of course, there was no time to wait for the Dino Charge team to come together, but he hoped they'd make an excellent cavalry after the fact if he needed help. "I shall see thee at the end, Good Sir!" With that, Ivan took off toward Angel Grove, praying he would not arrive too late.

GREG

He woke up and immediately realized he was not alone. Zell stood over him smiling. "Hello again, Ash," he said.

"My name is Greg," Greg said firmly, trying to hold on to that fact. He wasn't Ash. He needed to remember who he was now, or he'd lose himself to Ash's panic.

"I had hoped to convince you to reconsider your stance and join my side, Ash," Zell said, ignoring him.

"Never!"

"I see... How can I change your mind?"

"You can't. I'm not evil, Zell. I never will be." He held Zell's gaze steadily, even though he was terrified.

"Very well... My dear boy... I had hoped it wouldn't come to this, but you leave me little choice. I broke Ash's mind. I can break yours as well." With that, Zell began to attack. Greg hadn't expected the switch to flip so quickly, and he could do little to defend himself.

Greg screamed in agony as the beating continued. Eventually, his mind stopped being able to process the new injuries, and they blurred together with the rest. He didn't know what was wrong with him now, just that everything was. He forced himself not to cry... He couldn't give Zell that satisfaction... But his body ached in ways he hadn't known that it could. He was bleeding from several different places, and Zell was methodical... He could do this for days and not kill Greg.

The human mind can only take so much, Greg thought. He knew that, if Zell continued this torture, he was right... Eventually, Greg's mind would break. He'd end up catatonic like Ash had.

No! You can't give in to that, Greg told himself. No matter what else happens, you have to keep fighting. Darcy and Andie need you!

He was determined to try, even as Zell slashed open his chest. The gash was deep, but not deep enough to kill him. Greg cried out in pain but did not give in to the urge to retreat deep into his mind where it was safe.

He isn't trying to kill you, he told himself. You can and will survive this. Hold it together... Hold on to Darcy and Andie...

Greg struggled to breathe through the pain. He could do this... And he would. Somehow, he would survive, escape, and get the girls out of there, too. No matter what, they would all survive this time...

PIERCE

He hadn't expected all hell to break loose just yet, but here they were. Darcy, Greg, and Andie were missing and probably with Zell, and their mentor had been turned evil. Pierce stood with Chelsea, Scott, Van, Logan, Amos, and Chip. They had tracked Vida's energy to the cave where the team had come into their powers, and now, they had it surrounded.

"We have to keep her from escaping at all costs," Chip said.

"If she runs, I can catch her without a problem," Chelsea said confidently.

"She will attack you, Speeding Cheetah. You must be prepared for that," Amos said gravely.

"She's got wind power, right? She's basically Scott. I can totally take Scott."

"I'd object but... Well, it's true. Chelsea's tougher than me," Scott said with a laugh.

"Don't feel bad," Logan said. "She's tougher than all of us."

"Duh. I'm from New York," Chelsea said as though this explained everything.

"Vida is much more dangerous than you realize," Chip said. "She's had a lot more practice with her powers than you guys have, and she can turn into a tornado. Also, the last time she turned evil she-"

"Hold up!" Chelsea interrupted him.

"The last time?" Scott finished her thought for her.

"Oh yeah. V almost got turned into a vampire by Nikki back when she was still evil. Didn't we ever tell you that story?" Chip replied casually. "Anyway, it was pretty bad. She could have killed us if she hadn't been saved. And that was years ago. Her power has only grown. She might have been out of practice until recently, but that just means her power sat there growing and growing while it was dormant."

"Chip is correct," Amos said. "And being turned in the fire strips away any inhibitions she previously had. She won't hold back. Also, Zell often gives his people increased power. There is no telling what she can do now."

"Amos... How do we save her?" Pierce asked.

"The same way she was saved the last time... Love," Amos replied. "It is the strongest tool against evil."

"I'm bait, aren't I?" Chip realized. He nodded, determined. "If it saves Vida, I don't care what happens to me."

"Nothing is going to happen to you," Chelsea said. "Right, Amos? We're going to keep Chip safe."

"We are certainly going to try, my Cheetah," Amos said. He didn't sound too sure.

"Amos, we can't just offer Chip up on a silver platter," Pierce argued. "If he gets killed, we lose Vida forever."

"I fear you are correct, Little Fish... However, Chip fully understands what he is agreeing to," Amos replied gravely.

"I do," Chip said. "Look... I've already died once, and it sucked, but even before the Mystic Mother brought me back, I didn't regret saving Vida's life and losing my own. Saving V was worth it then, and it's worth it now. I'm not afraid to die... But I am afraid of losing V."

"We'll protect you, Chip," Van said, finally speaking. He'd been quiet and on autopilot since losing his father, but he sounded determined now. "With everything we have."

"We've got your back," Scott added.

"Damn right we do," Chelsea chimed in.

"So, Chip lures Vida out, and then what? We trap her and get her to Sage?" Pierce asked.

"Sage will not be saving Vida from this darkness, Little Fish," Amos replied. "There is no time for that."

"Then what? You?"

Amos shook his head. "It is time to act like a Big Fish, Little Fish... You are going to save Vida."

"What? Me? Are you on drugs?"

"You have the power, Pierce. And you have the connection to your brother. The two of you together are unstoppable... And you are the only ones who can match Zell's powers, because they are destined to be yours as well."

"Match Zell? Dude, I have no idea what I'm doing, in case you haven't noticed! Neither does Logan! We're fucking improvising and hoping for the best!"

"Pierce... We have to try," Logan said. "Amos is right. There's no time to waste. Your friends and your girlfriend are in the hands of literally the most dangerous, sociopathic entity in the entire universe. Vida needs to be saved, or when we try to rescue them, she'll stop us. Besides... Vida took you in without question when you left home. She's family, more so than our own blood relatives are. We can't give up on her, so we need to believe in ourselves."

Pierce sighed. "That was a hell of a pep talk," he said. "Fine... But I've only seen this done once."

"I hope you paid attention."

"I did... But I didn't exactly expect to have to do it myself."

"I will guide you, Little Fish. I have complete faith in your ability to do this," Amos said.

"That makes one of us... But thanks," Pierce replied.

"You've got this, Pierce," Chelsea said. "And we've got you."

Pierce nodded. "Alright. Let's do this."

Chip took a deep breath. "Guys... No matter what happens... Vida and I both love you and we're proud of you. I'm not saying goodbye, but I wanted you all to know." He took another breath, nodded, and said, "Let's go save my girl."

They headed into the cave. Logan stayed beside Pierce, their power automatically flowing together as it always did when they were that close now.

Amos kept everyone shielded, so Vida didn't sense them until they reached the part of the cave where they'd found their stones. That day seemed like an eternity ago now.

"Hey guys!" Vida said in an eerily cheerful tone. "It's so nice to see you." She called Wind and sent everyone flying into the walls of the cave. Vida laughed at the results. "So, what is this? An intervention?"

"That's exactly what this is," Chelsea said.

"Just call me Doctor Phil," Scott added.

"I don't need help. I'm perfectly happy just like this," Vida said. She lunged at Amos. He easily deflected her attack by putting up a shield. She hit it instead of him and it blasted her several feet back. Scott quickly called Air and sent that to catch her before she could get hurt.

"Scott... You saved me!" She said, sounding like her usual self.

"I did," Scott confirmed.

"That was... A big mistake!" Vida ran at him.

Scott fought back with a wind attack and proceeded to levitate as he channeled more power than Pierce had ever seen him channel before.

"You're not as strong as me, Scotty-Boy!" Vida cackled.

"But I'm not evil, Vida... Which means I'm not alone," Scott replied.

Vida laughed at him and tried to run. Chelsea got in her path, blocking her escape. "Nice try, Vida," she said.

Vida pulled out a knife and raised it, ready to plunge it into Chelsea's chest. Chelsea laughed in her face. "You think a knife scares me? Bitch, I'm from New York!" She shouted. She moved quickly and kicked the knife right out of Vida's hands, then grabbed it and tossed it to Van, who easily caught it.

Infuriated, Vida used Wind to fling Chelsea away from her. Scott caught her with Air and Van steadied her before she could stumble too badly.

Vida tried to run with Chelsea temporarily out of the way. That was when Chip moved into place. "V," he said softly.

"No! Get out of my way, Chip!" Vida protested.

"You won't hurt me, V. If you wanted to, you could have killed me, but you just duct taped me so I'd be out of your way... And safe. I get it now. Some small part of you is still in there, V."

"You're delusional! And you clearly can't take a hint! Now, move!"

"I can't do that, V... Because I'm in this for the long haul. I'm not going anywhere. I'm not leaving you... I will never leave you."

"Liar!" She screamed. "You did leave me, Chip! You got yourself killed because you're an idiot and you left me!"

"Vida... I love you. I always have, and I always will, and I'm not leaving you now. I didn't give up on you when you were turning into a Vampire and I won't now either. I'm here, V... I'm staying."

"You idiot!" Vida said.

Pierce saw an opportunity. He looked at Logan, who nodded. He understood. Both brothers charged at Vida from opposite sides. Vida saw Logan coming and focused on him, which gave Pierce the opportunity to grab her from behind and restrain her.

"Let me go!" Vida screamed.

"Never, Vida. You're our mentor. Without you, we never would have made it this far. You'd never give up on us, so we're not going to give up on you," Pierce said.

"Van... Please take over for Pierce," Amos said softly. "You hold her while the brothers do what they must. You are strong, and while I do not wish to see you harmed, if Vida harms a member of her team-"

"We'll lose her," Van said with a nod. "I understand, Amos." He took the struggling Vida from Pierce's arms and restrained her easily. He was clearly being careful to hold her so she couldn't escape without actually hurting her.

"He's done that before," Chelsea realized aloud.

"I never killed anyone," Van said, "but that doesn't mean I never had to do things like this to people." He sounded haunted.

Logan put a comforting hand on Van's shoulder. "It's alright, Van," he said gently. "This time, you're doing it for the right reasons."

Van nodded. "I know," he said.

"Now, Boys... Hurry," Amos said. "The circle is cast. Speeding Cheetah, run the perimeter. Keep going in circles. It will increase the energy and strengthen the magic."

"I'm on it," Chelsea said. She began running. Pierce soon felt the increase in power.

"Chip, you stand for everything Vida loves. You are her light. As long as you live, she can never fully lose it. Stay where she can see you, but at a safe distance. Scott, you are the member of the team Vida bonded with first, and that bond is the strongest because you two are similar. You stand for all of the good things Vida stands for as well. You must also remain visible, at a safe distance, to remind her of who she truly is," Amos instructed.

Chip and Scott stood where Amos pointed. "Boys... Join energy," Amos instructed Pierce and Logan.

Pierce took his brother's hand. The magic instantly came together. "How does this work? What do we do?" Logan asked.

"Follow my lead... And hope I picked up enough from Sage to pull this off," Pierce said.

Together, the brothers focused. Pierce recalled the energy he'd felt when Sage saved Lido from the darkness. He called that energy forward and used that and Water to cleanse away the darkness and give Vida back clarity. He could feel Logan pulling Fire out of Vida, trying to fix the damage it had done to her.

"Let me go! Let me go!" Vida shrieked. "I don't need to be saved! I like being like this!"

"We love you, Vida... And we're not losing you," Scott said firmly.

"Love is weakness!" Vida screamed.

"I love you, V... More than anything," Chip said. "Am I weak?"

"Shut up!"

"She continues to resist," Amos said softly. "If we do not get through to her, the ritual will fail. The process can only be reversed if she wants it to be."

Pierce touched Vida's soul. It was dark and full of evil now, but beneath that, he sensed something... Pain. Vida had been holding back so much pain and grief before Zell turned her. Now, she couldn't feel it at all, even the hint of it. He'd locked off her access to it, and that was why Vida was clinging to this new evil existence so hard.

"Vida... I used to hold everything in, too," Pierce said. "I pushed people away. I acted like a dick, just so I didn't have to care... If I didn't care, I couldn't get hurt... But then, I was chosen by whatever universal power chooses superheroes and I became a Power Ranger... I suddenly had a team that wouldn't go away, no matter how hard I pushed... I had Darcy, who saw through everything I put out there and tried to help me let people in for the first time since I thought I lost my brother. And it hurt. It hurt like fucking hell, but in the end, it saved me, Vida. Darcy, Amos, the Rangers... You. All of you saved me. And I'm grateful... Which is why I know it's my turn to save you, Vida. You don't want this. Chip says you told him you fought... And he's right, you're still in there, or we'd all be dead. I know you want your light back, Vida... Because that's who you are."

"No! That girl was weak, and I am never going back to that!" Vida shouted.

"You were never weak, Vida. If you were, you wouldn't still be here. You have to feel the pain, Vida. All of it."

"I don't want to!"

"I know that. Neither did I... But I wasn't alone, Vida... And neither are you. I'm here, and I'm a Shaman. I can help you process it, or so they tell me... I've lived through memories with some of the others... But I'm going to do more than that. I'm going to help you grieve, and process the guilt, and let it go... And then, you'll find your light."

He dove into her memories, amazed he'd figured out how to control it finally, and for the first time he understood everything that had happened. Vida was dealing with more pain than any sane person could take.

"It hurts!" Vida screamed.

"I know it does, V..."

"It fucking hurts!" She sounded panicked. Vida was still evil, so her grief was coming out as physical pain and making her rage worse. She released an impressive burst of Air. It flew toward the outside of the circle.

Scott reacted quickly, protecting Chip from harm. "Thanks, Man!" Chip said.

"If we lose you, we lose Vida," Scott said simply. Then, he added, "Oh God..."

Pierce realized something was really wrong when he felt his brother panic. "Chelsea..." Logan whispered.

"Focus on Vida and your brother, Logan," Amos said. "Van... Release Vida to Pierce. She is in no shape to flee. Tend to Chelsea."

Lightning started flying around the circle. "Chip! Control the lightning. Chelsea is misfiring," Amos explained.

"I'm on it!" Chip said. He quickly set to work on calming the lightning and keeping it from hitting anyone.

Van also did as he was told. Pierce pulled Vida into his arms. "Chelsea..." Vida said softly. "I... I could have killed her..." Her voice was shaking.

"Vida, listen to me... You're starting to get there. You're starting to feel," Pierce said. "You need to keep this up, Vida. Feel it... Let it in... I'm here." He held her tighter, feeling her pain with her, trying to connect her back to it. The grief over losing Chip, which she couldn't process before he was given back to her... The guilt over killing Nick... The pain she'd felt every day since because she couldn't stop seeing Chip die or reliving finding out that her team leader was an evil maniac...

Vida had tears in her eyes. "You're crying, V... Your light is back," Pierce said softly. "You feel it all. I know you do."

"I don't want to..." Vida whispered. She began sobbing harder, burying her face in Pierce's shoulder. "It hurts so much... It's too much..." It was hitting Vida like she was experiencing it all for the first time, and it was so overwhelming, Pierce understood why she'd embraced being evil when the pain was suddenly gone. He helped her through it. He refused to let go of her until she finally stopped shaking.

"Now let it go, Vida... Let all of this go. You've felt it... You've processed it... Now let go of it."

It was a true sign of how serious things were that this didn't make Chip immediately burst into the song from Frozen.

Vida took several deep breaths. "Oh God..." She said, suddenly remembering. "The kids... I... I gave them to him!"

"Where are they, Vida? What happened?" Pierce asked.

"Zell has them... He told me to bring them to him, and I did... I handed them over to that monster... Oh my God..."

"Breathe, Vida... You can't change it, but you can help them now. Tell us where they are."

Vida gave him a location. The lightning stopped being an issue and Chip took a deep breath as he could finally relax. Vida whispered, "Oh God... Is Chelsea dead?"

A soft groan of, "Fuuuuuck...." answered her question.

"She'll be okay, I think," Van said. "She's definitely concussed, but I was able to heal most of the rest..."

"Did anyone get the license plate for that truck that hit me?" Chelsea mumbled.

"Chelsea... I'm so sorry..." Vida whispered.

"Knock that off," Chelsea said. "You can make it up to me by not being evil anymore."

"I... I think I'm me again... Because everything hurts, and I feel horrible... I mean, I nearly killed you, and I handed three of my Rangers over to the greatest evil the universe has ever known... I've got to be the worst mentor in the history of ever!"

"You can't focus on the past, Vida. You're not evil. You're meant to be a force of Good, and you will be again," Pierce said. "Just hold on to your light."

Vida started to cry again. "Thank you, Pierce... And Logan... And all of you," she said. Then, she flung her arms around Chip. "I'm so sorry, Chip... I didn't mean to attack you."

"You protected me, V. I get it," Chip said. "You knew I'd be safe if you left me like that."

"I had to protect you... You were the only light I had left... I love you, you stupid idiot." She kissed him.

Logan knelt beside Chelsea. "You okay, Jesse Quick?" He asked.

"I'm golden, Wolverine," Chelsea replied. She let him hold her.

"You did very well today, Little Fish," Amos said. "I am extremely proud of you."

Pierce didn't object to the nickname. He was still overwhelmed by Vida's emotions. He leaned on Amos and said, "Thank you... And not just for saying that. For everything."

"Everything?"

"For saving me, first from the water, then from myself... And for being more of a father to me in the last few months than my biological one ever was in my entire life."

Amos put a hand on Pierce's shoulder. "I will always be here for you, Little Fish. You have my word on that."

Suddenly, a portal opened. "Did someone call a taxi to Angel Grove?" Liza asked with a smirk.

"Liza? What are you doing here?" Pierce asked.

"I heard you guys would need a ride. The Chosen's resident Seer, Caleb, had a vision of you coming to town to rescue your friends. Tia's busy helping the other Chosen figure out what to do, so I figured I'd come get you guys myself," Liza explained.

"Yes... We have to help them. I have to fix what I did," Vida said.

"No, Vida," Amos said. "You are too weak. You need time to recover from having your light restored."

"Zedd can help her," Liza said. "Bring her with you. I'll bring her to Zedd. Energy's sort of his specialty, and he understands better than anyone what it's like to be turned back."

"Yes... That is a wonderful idea, Liza," Amos said fondly. "Chip, help Vida get through the portal... Speeding Cheetah, can you walk on your own?"

"Walk, yes... Run... Maybe?" Chelsea shrugged as Chip and Vida headed through.

"If you were in worse shape, I'd just carry you," Logan said.

"Oh, no, Wolverine! My legs feel all wobbly," Chelsea said dramatically before swooning into his arms.

Logan picked her up and carried her through the portal. "She's fine," Van said with a laugh. "Back to her usual self."

"We must hurry," Amos said.

Scott and Van headed through the portal together. Amos walked through next. Pierce had almost made it to the portal when Allie came running. "Guys, wait!" She called.

"Allie, what are you doing here?" Pierce asked.

"I've been playing with creating Tulpas, to get the hang of it. One of my new ones can bend time a bit to see the future and give us advanced warning, and he told me what was happening. We're here to help."

"We?"

Freddy stepped into view. "Hey," he said.

"Hey? Dude... You can't just come with us. We're about to go into the Den of Evil. I mean, seriously... You could get killed, Freddy. No offense, but you don't have any powers," Pierce said.

"Freddy's got heart," Allie said. "That's all he needs."

"Allie, this is dangerous."

"I'm aware. We both are. But our friends are in danger, Pierce. That is something neither one of us is willing to stand back and watch. We're going to help."

"Right," Freddy added. The tone of his voice said more than enough.

"Alright. Come with us," Pierce said. He looked at Liza before telling them, "Step on through."

As Allie and Freddy crossed into Angel Grove, Pierce stood before the portal. "Ready?" Liza asked.

"Definitely," he said. Darcy and the others needed him. That was all that mattered.