SIX MONTHS LATER.

ZEDD

The past six months had been like a dream for Zedd. He'd spent his days cooking and taking care of the stables. Any time the Chosen ran into battle, Galaxia would send a portal to transport him after the fact so he could help. He would always ride Winifred into battle, and even if he wasn't riding her, she fought to protect him as he battled on foot. Although he was not an official part of their team, Zedd fought proudly by their sides. He had no magical armor, but he'd made some metal armor to help protect him from injuries that might prove fatal.

His nights were spent with Galaxia. Neither bothered to pretend they were not together anymore. She filled him with a joy he had never thought he would be allowed to feel. Unfortunately, when he slept, he was still haunted by things he wished he could forget. Sometimes, just waking up beside Galaxia helped, but there were far too many other mornings when only Raven could soothe him. There had been one especially awful morning when Zedd's glamour had shattered, and he'd woken up clawing at his flesh, trying to tear his own face off because he could feel the acid burning his face as though it were happening all over again. When Galaxia had tried to wake him, he'd clawed at her arms trying to stop her from touching him. Only once Raven had calmed him did he realize he had hurt her. She had refused to let him apologize, pulling him into her arms and kissing him instead, but he knew he'd scared her. He tried to sleep less now, just to decrease the chance that he might hurt her again.

Most of the time, he was happy. When his mind got the better of him, he confessed his problems to Winifred, and the horse always made him feel better. He spent the little bit of free time he allowed himself sketching. He had always loved to draw, but his father hated the habit. One day, while they were at the marketplace, Zordon had noticed him eyeing a sketchbook bound in leather and pencils. He'd insisted on buying all of it for him, although Zedd had protested it was too expensive. Zordon told him he'd earned it, given all he did around the farm. He sketched the farm, his friends, Winifred, and especially Galaxia. It relaxed him and gave him a comfort he had not expected.

Zedd was grateful for his friends in a way none of them could understand. He tried to repay them for their friendship in small ways. He sparred with Dimitri. He was the only one Dimitri could risk practicing new moves on because Zedd could heal nearly any wound Dimitri might accidentally give him.

He found new meals to cook for Quintus, which was all the boy seemed to need to be happy. The more unique the meal, the happier Quintus became.

Zedd allowed Morgana to cry on his shoulder about things she dared not speak of even to Dimitri. The poor girl was so ashamed of the things Master Vile had made her do, but Zedd completely understood what she had been through. Once he had revealed his own traumatic upbringing to her, Morgana had begun to confide in him.

He helped Caius with research, which seemed to be the boy's favorite thing in the world. When nothing else comforted Caius in his grief, books did. Zedd tried to find new subjects for him to learn about, and that always put a smile on the sad boy's face.

Raven required nothing, and there was no way to truly repay him for the peace of mind he provided Zedd with nearly every morning. He simply spent time with him and found they both enjoyed this. Raven, like Quintus, had a deep appreciation for sarcasm, and Zedd had plenty of that to offer. When he spent time with Raven, Zedd felt ridiculously normal, and he loved that.

He could never hope to repay Galaxia for loving him, but he showered her with constant affection and devotion. She was his heart. He would have done anything for her, and he made sure she knew it.

Zordon had become his most unlikely friend. As Zordon forced himself to be strong for the Chosen, he allowed Zedd to see what was broken in him. Whenever Zell's temper got the better of him, Zordon would only turn to Zedd to help care for his wounds. Although Zordon had clearly sunken into a deep depression, he pushed himself to keep going and act like all was well. Only near Zedd would he occasionally allow himself the luxury of grieving a love he'd lost but refused to discuss. The two had become as close as brothers.

When Zell sent the Chosen into battle that day, Zedd waited for Galaxia to send a portal to him. As it appeared, he hopped into the saddle. "Come on, Winnie. Let's go," he said.

What he saw was the last thing he expected. Bodies littered the ground. There were flames everywhere. Quintus was staring at something in horror. Zedd realized it was a woman who'd suffered severe burns. Quintus struggled to help her. He had pulled her out of the flames, but she was too far gone. There was a tiny bundle of blankets in her arms.

"Hattie... Hattie, hold on..." Quintus begged, and Zedd realized he knew the woman. Zedd rushed to his side, hoping he could heal her, but she was too close to death.

"Take him..." Hattie whispered.

"Hattie, you will be well," Quintus insisted. "You will survive this."

"Take him," she said again as she coughed. "He came this morning... He belongs with his father..." With that, Hattie was gone.

"No..." Quintus whispered. "No, Hattie... Please..."

"Quin..." Zedd said gently.

"Hattie, wake up... Please wake up..." Quintus begged.

Zedd put a gentle hand on Quintus's shoulder. "Quin... She is gone. I'm sorry."

Quintus suddenly seemed to understand. He gently closed Hattie's eyes and kissed her forehead. The blankets were burned, and he looked too frightened to look at what was very likely the corpse of his own newborn son. Zedd gently took the bundle of blankets and forced himself to unwrap the head area. What he saw stunned him.

"The boy is alive!" Zedd said. The infant looked at him with big, curious eyes as Zedd studied him.

"Alive?" Quintus asked.

"Alive, and unharmed... Quin, the fire did not touch him."

"But the blankets burned..."

"He is your son, Quin... Apparently in every way." Zedd paused. "Are you prepared to hold him?"

Quintus bit his bottom lip before nodding. He took the boy in his arms and stared at him. "Hello, my little one," he said softly. The infant was crying now. "Do not fear. You are safe now, and safe you shall remain." He rocked the infant gently in his arms and the boy stopped crying.

"You are a natural with children," Zedd told him.

"They have always liked me," Quintus admitted.

"Boys! A little help?" Galaxia called.

"Keep your boy safe," Zedd said. "I shall help them."

Zedd hurried to Galaxia and Morgana, who fought side-by-side with powerful spells meant to protect those who still survived and to attack the monsters in the village. "What brought on such an attack?" Zedd asked.

"They said it had to be destroyed... They had orders from someone," Morgana told him.

"Quin put out most of the fires. He saved everyone he could," Galaxia added. "Dimitri, Raven, and Caius have been slaying whatever evil they can while Morgana and I work our magic."

Zedd felt the energy of the village shift and knew they were truly in trouble. He took a deep breath before turning around and calmly saying, "Hello, Father. How are things?"

In all of this time, his father had not dared show up to an attack in person. "This is why you betrayed me?" His father demanded. "To play hero in costume armor?"

"My armor's pretty effective, actually," Zedd replied casually. It covered his scars, which was a bonus. With those hidden, Zedd could use the energy he generally put into his glamours in battle instead. It protected his face from harm and provided some protection for his chest as well. Zedd had pulled it together with scraps of metal, so he hadn't had much to work with, but it made him feel proud to wear it.

"Still a foolish boy playing games..." His father mumbled. He looked to Morgana. "Master Vile seeks you, my dear. He would pay a pretty price if I delivered you... But perhaps I would rather keep you for myself."

"If you even attempt to touch her, I shall sever your favorite piece of anatomy, and when you heal it, I shall repeat the process," Zedd vowed.

"You dare make such idle threats to me, Boy?" His father asked.

"Nothing idle about that," Galaxia said. "Eternal castration sounds like an excellent punishment, and one Zedd is more than capable of delivering... As am I."

"You... The harlot he ran off with."

"My dear Lord Xylon... I have been called far worse than that."

Zedd watched as the wheels began turning in his father's mind. Nothing good ever came of that. "Father... Why have you come?"

"This village offended me. It had to be destroyed," his father said. "Now... Come with me, Boy. Back where you belong."

"I am where I belong."

"Playing hero when we both know what you are?" His father laughed. "Do your new friends know the truth about you, Boy?" His father yanked his helmet off of his head. Morgana gasped, seeing his scars for the first time. His father grabbed Zedd's face, putting pressure on his scars. Zedd refused to scream even as his father inflicted as much pain as he could on the old wounds.

"Get away from him!" Galaxia cried.

"Be gone, Harlot!" He sent Galaxia flying with one powerful hit.

"Xia!" Zedd screamed. He immediately tried to attack his father. "Morgana, get the others," he cried out as he struggled to fight against the monster who'd raised him.

Zedd held his own at first, but soon, his father gained the upper hand. He pulled Zedd close to him and whispered, "I have months of punishment to make up for." He laughed and hit Zedd's head with his staff. It hurt. Zedd couldn't see straight for a minute.

"Zedd!" Galaxia cried frantically.

"Step away from him," Dimitri said harshly.

"This matter does not concern you, Children," his father said. "My son is coming home. He is not one of you."

"No, he is not Chosen," Raven said. Then he ran his sword straight through Zedd's father as he added, "But he's a damn good stable boy, and we'd hate to lose him."

"Apologies, Lord Xylon, but I am married to your son's cooking, and I simply refuse to part with him," Quintus added. He burned Zedd's father, who cried out in shock as Raven pulled his sword back out.

It was Caius who surprised Zedd the most as he placed a very well-planned kick to his father's chest, sending him flying backward.

"Time to go," Morgana said. "Can you walk, Zedd?"

"Yes," he replied.

Suddenly, Zedd felt a sharp pain. He fell forward as excruciating pain surged through his entire body. He vaguely heard Galaxia scream his name, but he could not figure out where she was or why everything was suddenly tinged red.

GALAXIA

"Zedd!" She shrieked in horror as the arrow pierced his flesh. Galaxia ran to his side, forgetting all about opening a portal as her beloved fell to his knees.

"Oh Gods..." Morgana whispered in horror.

"Stay back!" Dimitri warned Lord Xylon as he tried to get to his son. Xylon swatted him away like he was an insect, sending him flying into a wall. Morgana ran to him. Raven and Quintus stood together, ready to fight, as Caius held the infant Quintus had inexplicably refused to leave with the villagers.

Galaxia stood before Zedd protectively. As Xylon tossed Raven and Quintus aside, he moved toward her. She began casting her strongest spell, but Xylon stopped her with a swift attack. He grabbed her by her throat, choking her. Galaxia struggled to free herself. Xylon tossed her into a rock. She cracked her head open and struggled not to black out as her armor failed her. Galaxia watched in horror as Xylon went for Zedd.

Suddenly, someone got between father and son. Winifred stood on her hind legs, kicking her front ones toward Xylon threateningly. She would not move from in front of Zedd.

"I shall destroy you, Beast!" Xylon declared.

Winifred did not budge. Instead, she let out the horse equivalent of a battle cry and stared Xylon down. He tried to attack her, but he could not. Her connection to Zedd gave her power and Xylon could not figure out how to harm her. Finally, Winifred attacked him, doing damage with her hooves until he fled. Only then did Winifred lower herself to the ground, nudging Zedd gently with her nose.

"Good girl, Winnie..." Zedd mumbled. He tried to pet her nose. It took him four tries to find it.

"Xia! Xia, are you alright? Can you open a portal?" Dimitri asked as he crawled toward her.

"My head..." Galaxia mumbled.

"If she opens a portal in this state, we will end up lost in an abyss," Caius said. "We must travel on foot."

"Carry my son, " Quintus said. "I'll carry Xia. If we can get Zedd onto Winnie, she can carry him back."

"Your son?" Galaxia asked.

"Later, Xia. Now, we must get you and Zedd help."

She might have protested, but her injuries won and she lost consciousness.

RAVEN

Their spirits were certainly down. Raven began playing his flute as they walked, hoping to lighten the mood. Dimitri led the way, holding Zedd's helmet, which he had insisted on retrieving for their friend. Morgana walked beside him, guiding Winifred. Zedd lay across her saddle, whimpering in pain as whatever the arrow had been dipped in spread through his veins.

"He is dying," Caius said softly so only Raven could hear him. "The poison is spreading too quickly. Were he not an incubus, he would have been dead already." He held the baby close to his chest. Raven looked at Quintus, who carried Galaxia in his arms carefully, walking steadily on their seemingly endless path.

"We shall save him, Caius," Raven insisted. "Have faith."

"That is difficult for me," Caius admitted. "My mind is very logic-bound. Studying with the Mystics opened me up to the impossible, but I fear losing Rose made my faith in good things coming to pass diminish."

"Listen to my music, Caius. Perhaps I can restore your faith." Raven began to play another song.

When they finally reached the farm, Zordon looked at them in horror. "What happened?" He demanded.

"Lord Xylon attacked," Dimitri explained.

"Why is Quin carrying Xia?"

"Her head is injured. She lost consciousness."

"Bring her to my father. He can heal her." Zordon looked at Zedd. "Does he live?" He nearly whispered.

"Barely," Caius said. "His father has poisoned him. I do not believe we have much time to save him."

Zordon pulled Zedd off of Winifred and into his arms. He carried him into the house. "We must reveal his activities to my father," he said sadly. "There is no other choice if we want to save his life." Zedd was motionless and barely breathing now.

"He is right," Raven said. "We are losing him."

As Zordon carried Zedd, Raven heard Zedd cry out in pain. He automatically began singing to his friend softly, taking his hand and praying the light he brought in would comfort him. Zedd was trembling violently from the poison, but he stopped whimpering.

"What has happened?" Zell demanded. "Bring him to me!"

Quintus had already placed Galaxia on the bed they used for healing, so Zordon carefully lay Zedd on a table. Zell turned to Raven. "Please retrieve Caius for me," he said.

Raven hurried off to do as he had been told. Caius sat upstairs, waiting for news. "Zell requires your assistance," Raven told him. "Where are Dimitri and Morgana?"

"Morgana took Winifred back to the stables," Caius replied. "Dimitri went with her."

Raven nodded. Dimitri rarely let Morgana go anywhere alone. It was clear he had fallen for her, but Dimitri dared not admit it. Raven assumed he feared scaring her off.

Caius was already heading downstairs, so Raven followed him. "Caius, Zedd has been poisoned with a powerful toxin. If we do not create an antidote quickly, he will die," Zell said. "The potion is complex. I trust you and you alone to help me prepare it."

Raven was stunned as Zell stepped out of the energy tube. It was the first time he had done that in front of them. He looked remarkably similar to Zordon, except his hair was much shorter and was perfectly neat, he had a tasteful beard that made him look extra distinguished, and he was clearly older. "You have emerged..." Raven mumbled.

"I fear Zedd has little time left. I must be fully present for this," Zell explained. "Raven. Quintus. Go upstairs. Keep the others away."

"What about Xia?" Quintus asked.

"Galaxia will heal. Her injury is quite serious, but it will not be fatal."

"I wish to stay, Zell," Raven said softly. "My light comforts Zedd in his pain."

"That is not acceptable. I question the judgement of every last one of you right now. What was Zedd doing there with you today? He is not Chosen. He is simply the stable boy, and you all nearly got him killed by bringing him with you into battle!" Zell turned to Zordon. "Did you know of this?" He demanded.

"I did, Father," Zordon admitted, facing his father and looking directly into his eyes. Raven admired his courage. Most others would have lied in the face of their father's obvious rage, especially when their father was as powerful as Zell.

"You are a fool! You should have told me they were doing this. How long has he been joining them?"

"A while."

"Allowing Zedd to play these games may well have killed him. I am beyond disappointed in you, Zordon."

"Great Zell..." Caius said gently. "Pardon me, but you stressed acting quickly, correct? We can assign blame later. At the moment, we must do all we can to save him."

Zell hesitated. "Of course. You are correct. Leave us, Children."

"Shall I leave as well?" Zordon asked.

"You and I must speak. Give me a moment to get Caius started and I shall find you. For now, yes, go with the others."

Raven did not argue. Quintus looked at Caius. "Where is my son?" He asked.

"Asleep in your bed. He is safe, Quin," Caius promised. "Go be with him."

"Come on. I wish to meet your son properly," Raven said. He led Quintus away, praying when Caius emerged, he would have good news.

DIMITRI

He stayed with Morgana by the stables. Neither of them wanted to return to the house for what might be bad news. Morgana had automatically begun cleaning the stables, both to spare Zedd the work later and to keep herself busy. Dimitri insisted on helping her, although he knew little about caring for horses.

As Morgana hummed softly to herself, Dimitri watched her. He hated how strongly he felt for her. Morgana was beautiful, and the more he got to know her, the deeper in love he fell.

You do not love her, he told himself. You cannot love her. You will destroy her if you do. He'd been haunted by that thought for months. His father had loved his mother, or so Dimitri believed, yet he had brutally murdered her and most of their children in a fit of alcohol-fueled insanity. His father had always been a powerful magician, as well as an expert swordsman. Not once had he shown any sign that this was coming. Dimitri feared that darkness could be hiding inside of his own mind, waiting to escape and claim the lives of anyone he dared to love.

"Dimitri?" Morgana called.

Dimitri shook off the flashes of the day he'd lost everything. He looked at Morgana. She cautiously extended a finger toward his cheek and wiped something away. Dimitri realized it was a tear. He cursed his own weakness.

Morgana leaned in closer, allowing him to hold her. That always comforted them both. This time, however, Dimitri lost his wits and kissed her. Morgana stiffened only slightly before she relaxed and began kissing him back. Other than in battle, Dimitri had not felt this alive since losing his family.

"Morgana..." He whispered as he reluctantly broke the kiss. He looked at her nervously. "I apologize if I have crossed a boundary. That was inappropriate. I know you have been through much, and I would never presume to-"

"Dimitri... All is well," Morgana said. She placed her hands around his face and kissed him again. He was stunned. Morgana had never been so forward. He ignored the fear in his heart and the nagging voice that insisted he would only hurt her in the end, and he simply enjoyed the kiss. Morgana kissed shyly, her lips soft and her touch gentle. He never wanted to stop.

When they finally parted, Dimitri looked at her and whispered, "My heart is yours, my sweet Morgana."

"I believed myself shattered, Dimitri. I did not believe I could ever feel for anyone as I do for you... Yet here I am, kissing you." She touched his face gently. "You have healed something in me, Dimitri. And against all odds, I love you."

"I love you, Morgana... With each breath I take, I love you a bit more."

They resumed cleaning the stables after that, but Dimitri knew everything had changed. He could deny his love no more, and she had declared her own. Please, Gods, do not let me harm her, he prayed.

ZORDON

When his father took him to his chambers, Zordon knew he should be concerned. If this were not trouble, he would not have demanded they be alone. Zordon sat on his bed, trying to relax as he waited to see what his father's anger would cause him to do.

"You knew of the danger they put the stable boy in," his father said harshly. "You allowed it to continue!"

"Zedd works well with them, Father. He has saved their lives on more than one occasion," Zordon said.

"This was not your call to make!" His father struck him harder than he ever had, not even pretending it was an accident this time. Zordon stared at him in shock. "You betrayed me! You allowed this to go on behind my back!" He struck him again, then pulled him off the bed by his arm so hard that Zordon feared he would rip the limb from his body.

"Father, please-"

"Shut your mouth! I do not want to hear excuses!" He swung his hand at Zordon's face, possibly intending to break his jaw to silence him. Zordon's reflexes kicked in and he dodged the blow, which only made his father angrier. He cried out as his father sent a blast of energy at him that knocked him clear across the room and into a wall. His father kept coming, furious and nothing like the man he always appeared to be around others. Even when he was violent toward Zordon, he had always made excuses, acting like a benevolent old man who had simply made an error in calculating his own strength. With all pretense of this gone, Zordon was certain his father meant to kill him.

"My own son, a traitor!" His father shouted. Zordon felt blood running down his head as he hit him again.

"Father... I did not betray you..." Zordon said softly, his voice shaking.

"Were I any other man, I would destroy you for such an act!"

"Then do it..." He whispered. Louder, he added, "Show the world who you truly are."

His father's eyes flashed the color of blood before he took a breath. "My son..." He said gently. "I did not mean to harm you... My anger over the tragedy of Zedd's current situation simply got the better of me." He manifested a towel out of thin air and began wiping away the blood on Zordon's face. "Allow me to heal you."

"Leave it," Zordon said, snatching the towel. "I can do this myself."

"Zordon... My son... You know I meant no harm. I expect you shall keep this unfortunate incident between us."

The threat in his tone was clear. Zordon nodded. "Of course, Father."

His father finally left him and Zordon sank to the floor. He pulled his knees to his chest and sat trembling, unable to breathe and too terrified to move. He could no longer deny his father was a monster, but he had the entire universe fooled. The Great Wizard Zell was the greatest force of good in the universe. No one would ever believe that he physically abused his son. He was a hero, not a monster.

He has Xia and Zedd, he thought. Zordon was suddenly terrified. His father would not harm Galaxia. She was one of his Chosen. Zedd, however, had dared to defy him. The person he deemed nothing more than a stable boy he'd had the goodness in his heart to rescue from his evil father had gone behind his back and done the very thing he told him not to. Zedd was nothing to his father. He might harm him.

You have to protect him, Zordon thought. Zedd had become his closest friend. When his father hurt him, Zedd took care of him. He had healed him on several occasions, and even though he knew what was happening, he never pushed Zordon to talk about it. Zedd was the one person he'd dared tell about Rita, although he hadn't told him she was Morgana's lost daughter.

Rita, he thought. He was still certain she had not been evil when they met, no matter what his father claimed. What had happened to her? Had his father played a role in it?

Suddenly positive his friend was in danger, Zordon stood up. Unfortunately, his head was still severely injured, and he immediately felt dizzy. He blacked out before he could do anything else.

ZEDD

He woke feeling better. Zedd sat up, then nearly fell over. "Easy, Zedd," Caius said gently. "You are still adjusting."

"What happened?" Zedd asked.

"Your father shot you with poison. Zell helped me brew an antidote."

"Thank you, Caius." He took his hand. "You have saved my life."

"No thanks are necessary."

"Xia... Where's Xia?" He remembered her getting hurt.

"Right here," she said, walking over to them.

Zedd touched the place where her head had been cut. "You were hurt..." He said.

"I am well now," Galaxia promised, kissing him.

"Xia... My father nearly killed you..." His heart ached.

"It is nothing, Zedd. I'm well."

"I am sorry, my beloved... I never wanted you to meet him."

She kissed him again. "My love, do not despair. I love you, Zedd."

"I love you, Xia."

As Zell came downstairs, Zedd was stunned to see he had emerged from his tube. "You are awake. Excellent! Are you well, dear boy?" Zell asked.

"I am, thanks to you and Caius. I am grateful for your help."

"It should not have been necessary. Zedd, you must understand, you are not Chosen. Your role here is to care for the others. You are a good soul, but you nearly got yourself killed today."

"He would have been protected, had he the proper armor..." Galaxia said.

"Xia-" Zedd began.

"Zell, you must understand, Zedd has been working with us for months. He has saved us all more times than I can count. He fights with us so naturally... It is meant to be. Please... Will you consider making Zedd one of the Chosen?"

Zedd stared at her. "Xia, no... I am not worthy of such an honor."

"That is rubbish! You are a far greater warrior than any of us. Your passion for doing what is right is unmatched, and you keep a clear head in battle and protect us all. We need you."

"Galaxia..." Zell said. He paused thoughtfully. "Alright. You make a valid argument, and I suspect the boy will only continue to help you anyway. You are correct. The armor of the Chosen would have protected him from that arrow, where his current armor leaves far too much exposed. Your heart is strong, Zedd. If you are willing, I shall make you the final member of the team, Chosen White. Do you wish to be one of my Chosen?"

Zedd was stunned. He wanted this more than anything. Was it possible? "Yes," he said. "Yes, Great Zell. I wish to join the Chosen."

"Very well. Galaxia, Caius, leave us. I must perform this transformation alone, as it is not like when the rest of you transformed. Zedd was not meant to be on this team, thus he requires more work."

Galaxia kissed Zedd passionately as Caius quickly left. She looked into his eyes. "I love you, Zedd. You will always be one of us now. I shall see you soon."

"I love you, Xia... More than you shall ever understand." He kissed her again before releasing her.

Once he was alone with Zell, Zedd said, "I am ready."

"One last thing, my boy. Before you make your decision, you must know something. There are two paths you may take here, Zedd. The outcome of one is quite different from the other. Look into the fire now."

Suddenly, a fire burst from the floor. In it, Zedd saw a vision. He watched the images as Zell explained them. "If you become one of the Chosen and remain with Galaxia, you will have little time together. Very soon, you both shall be captured. Both of you shall be tortured repeatedly until, finally, the monster decides to kill you. He will kill you quickly, Zedd, but Galaxia's demise shall not come so easily. She shall be violated in every way possible. He shall break her body over and over again until he breaks her mind, and only then shall he grant her the mercy of death. He shall destroy all that she is."

Zedd stared at him in horror. "Who is he? Who does this to her?" He demanded. He didn't care about his own death, but he could not allow anything to happen to Galaxia.

"I do not know," Zell replied. "As you see, he remains cloaked."

"Why? Why does he do this?"

"Because you are with her, Zedd. You bring this destiny to her... However, you can prevent it if you choose the other path."

Zedd's chest hurt. "What is the other path?" He asked.

"If you do not become Chosen... Galaxia's path shall be quite different." The images changed, and Zedd watched as Galaxia slowly aged, becoming even more beautiful. She met a man and her eyes lit up as he made her laugh, and soon they held a baby, and then more children, and grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren, until she passed away in her bed with a peaceful smile on her face. "She will be happy, Zedd... She will live to an age most never see, and she will live a good life."

"Without me..." Zedd whispered.

"Yes, Zedd. I am sorry. The one thing you must give up to grant Galaxia this future is Galaxia herself."

Zedd's heart felt like it had been yanked from his chest. "I love her," he whispered.

"Yes, you do. The question is, do you love her enough to spare her the first path?"

Tears fell down his cheeks as he slowly nodded. "Her happiness is worth any price."

"Then there is one other thing you must do."

"Anything."

"You must become evil, Zedd. That is the path you were destined for."

Zedd paled. "What?" He asked. "But you are good! How can you want me to turn evil?"

"Each soul must walk his own path, Zedd. I know this is yours, and if you choose to deviate, you shall change Galaxia's path as well... You shall lead her to her death, after what shall feel like an eternity of suffering... Or you can save her, Zedd. You alone can save Galaxia or damn her."

"So what? I return to my father?"

"You may... It shall be your choice. Choosing to become evil will make you stronger. You will be able to stand against him."

That was tempting, but not enough to make him do it. "She will be safe?"

"Yes. She will live a long, full life."

"And she will be happy?"

"Very much so."

Zedd knew what he had to do. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. She is worth the price, he reminded himself.

"I will do it," he said. "To save Xia."

Zell nodded. "Step into the fire, Zedd. It will transform you."

Zedd was terrified, but he had to save Galaxia. He was still crying as he whispered, "I love you, Xia..." Then he stepped into the fire.

Zedd had never felt such agony in his life. As the flames burned away his humanity, his heart, and everything that had ever made him who he was, Zedd's mind was screaming for him to jump back out, but he could not. He had to save Galaxia.

Only when he saw Zell's face did he realize he had been manipulated. "You..." He whispered.

"Yes, my boy. Me. I am the one who would destroy her slowly, leaving her in terrible agony... I am the one who would kill you both. But by the bindings of my spell, you may never speak of that or of what I truly am."

"I won't let you harm them!" He struggled, but most of the good had left him. He could not connect to the desire to save the others the way he needed to.

"You cannot stop me. You no longer have the pure heart of the Chosen, and you can no longer hold that light. I am capturing it, and I shall destroy it forever."

Zedd could feel the truth in his words. He felt dead inside. "You tricked me," he whispered, defeated. The last tear he would ever be able to shed fell, and then there were no more.

"No, my boy. I only showed you the path you were meant for... And I am bound by this spell. I can do no true harm to Galaxia. She shall live the life you saw... And you shall remain trapped by your evil until you finally die. Only death shall free you, and I shall not grant it to you! You shall be made immortal, forced to remain a monster for eternity." With that, Zell sent one last flame through Zedd's body.

Zedd suddenly felt nothing. His pain was gone. His fear had vanished. He still had every memory he'd ever made, but he could no longer connect to them emotionally. As the fire went out, Zedd looked at Zell and felt only his hatred for the monster who had taken everything from him. He attacked him with all he possessed, clearly even surprising Zell.

As Zell fought back, Zedd let out a cry of both pain and rage. He attacked Zell even harder. Zell tried to retreat to his energy tube, but Zedd grabbed him by his throat and flung him across the room with impossible strength. His new power levels were impressive. He would never fear his father or anyone else ever again.

"Zedd! What are you doing?" Galaxia cried as she appeared.

He wanted to tell her what had happened, but he could not. Instead, he said, "What I must."

"Zedd... Look at me. Please," she begged as he continued to attack Zell. Reluctantly, Zedd did. "Tell me what happened, my beloved... Please. I can help you..."

As Zedd looked at her, he remembered loving her. It caused an unbearable pain inside of him as he realized he no longer felt love for Galaxia or for anyone else. He felt nothing but raw hatred for Zell and a general indifference for everyone else. "I do not require your help. I require nothing now."

"What did you do to him?" Galaxia demanded of Zell.

"Galaxia... I fear the poison his father injected into Zedd did irreversible damage. His good has rotted away... When I tried to make him one of you, he turned evil instead," Zell said.

"He's not evil!" Galaxia cried.

"Yes, I am," Zedd said sharply.

"Zedd..." Galaxia whispered in horror.

"The boy you loved is dead. Let go of him. Move on with your life."

"No! I shall fix you, Zedd. I-"

"There is no fixing me! I am not broken! Finally, I am the powerful ruler I was meant to be!" He felt that much was true. More power than he had ever known ran through his veins now. He would never be anyone's pet to use and abuse ever again. It was his turn to rule.

"I love you, Zedd... Please do not go. I shall find a way-"

"Enough! You can do nothing! I made my choice, Xia! There is nothing good inside of me!"

"There is your love for me!"

"I do not love you now. I cannot." He hated to see the pain in her eyes at his words, but they were true. He touched her face gently. "I can love no one now, Xia... But if I could, it would surely be you. It would always be you." He released her.

"Zedd..." She was crying now.

He knew he had to do something drastic to make her let him leave. If Galaxia was ever to have the life Zell had promised, she had to be willing to move on. Zedd figured he could send her a message she would understand. He took a sword and stabbed Zell in his back.

Zell let out a shocked cry. "Remember this, Galaxia," Zedd said. He hoped she would see he was trying to warn her that Zell had stabbed them all in the back. "The boy you knew is dead. Only I remain. The light within is in other hands now, destroyed, Galaxia. And it shall remain gone until the day I die." He knew he would never feel peace until he drew his last breath, and if he had truly been cursed with immortality, that day would never come. Perhaps Galaxia would understand, especially with him not calling her Xia as he always did, that he was telling her more than his words implied.

Before she could stop him, Zedd fled upstairs. He was careful to be quiet as he rushed to his room. He grabbed only two things, his sketchbook and his helmet. The helmet completed the armor he still wore. That was practical. The sketchbook was the only trinket of who he had once been that he would allow himself to keep. He took it and ran, unseen, into the darkness.

GALAXIA

She nearly gave in to her hysteria, but then she remembered that she was Galaxia Campbell, and that was not her style. Zedd's message had been obvious. Whatever had happened, it was Zell's doing. He was not the great savior they believed him to be, but a traitor. She also understood that she was currently in great danger.

Play the part, she told herself. Be his loyal Chosen. Her heart was breaking. Zedd was gone. He was gone, and she knew in her heart it was irreversible. She saw the charm on the floor beside Zell. It had fallen from his hand, and it glowed warmly as she touched it. She slipped it into her pocket, knowing it was Zedd's light. She knew she could never return it to him. He could no longer hold it.

I shall purify this light, she vowed, crushing the partially shattered charm and drawing Zedd's light straight into her own heart. I shall bind his light to me, and one day, when our lines come together again, his descendant shall be able to hold his light... He shall be as pure of heart and spirit as my beloved was... His light shall never die, and the child shall be unable to be tainted. This is my vow, my love... I shall save all that was good in you from the destruction it was meant to meet... I shall love you for eternity, my Zedd...

She allowed her tears to fall, but forced herself to move closer to Zell. Until this was over, she had to act as he would want.

"Zell... Stay with me!" She cried. She screamed upstairs. "Help! I need help! Zell is wounded!" She began to heal him, but only because she knew she must.

The others rushed downstairs. Zordon looked too pale, his blue skin nearly white. "What has happened?" He asked shakily.

It killed her to feed them Zell's lie, but in his presence, she needed to keep up appearances. "It was Zedd," she whispered. "The poison in his veins tainted him. When Zell tried to make him one of us, he turned evil instead." She was crying harder now.

Caius raised an eyebrow at that and this act was the last piece of confirmation she required. His expression clearly told her the antidote had fully cured Zedd and that this tale Zell had spun was an impossible one. She nodded at him subtly and knew he understood what was happening then.

"No..." Morgana whispered in horror. "Zedd cannot be evil..."

"We have lost him..." Galaxia whispered, and then her grief truly did become too much for her. She fell to her knees weeping, her heart shattered. Raven immediately rushed to her side to comfort her. Quintus held Morgana as Dimitri helped Zordon move Zell to the energy tube so he could heal. Caius ensured the energy tube was functioning properly.

I am so sorry, my love, Galaxia thought. I cannot save you... But I shall damn sure make the bloody bastard pay for this.

As Galaxia wept in Raven's arms, she knew that the Chosen had a long road ahead of them. No matter what, they must stop Zell. She prayed they would be strong enough.