Chosen Legacy

by PinkAtHart

The final installation in the Chosen/Legacy Rangers trilogy, as well as an indirect sequel to Stone Warriors. The new generation of the Chosen must fight in a final battle against Zordon's evil father Zell. With the Legacy Rangers by their side, will the new Chosen be able to do what the previous generation could not?

1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE: PROLOGUE

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Welcome to the final installment of the Chosen/Legacy Rangers trilogy! If you did not read Legacy Rangers, please read that first, as this is a direct sequel to that fic and will contain a ton of spoilers. The prequel is The Chosen, and while it would be very helpful to read that fic before this one, it's not required. Also, the "side story" I wrote, Stone Warriors, ended up being directly and majorly connected to this fic. If you didn't read it, I'll do my best to explain things here, but if you do want to check it out, please read it before this fic but after Legacy Rangers to avoid spoilers. With that said, welcome back! I hope you enjoy the conclusion of this journey. We're starting things off dark, so be prepared!

ZELL

His strength was finally back where it needed to be. The coming task would be quite draining, but well worth sacrificing a bit of his energy once he achieved the end result.

"Master..." His pet Eltarian sorceress, Felina, said softly. "I have the last ingredient you requested."

"Excellent, my dear. Bring it here," Zell instructed her.

Felina dragged the ingredient into the room. The terrified girl staring back at him screamed at the sight of him. "Hush, my dear girl," Zell said softly. "You have nothing to fear." His voice soothed the girl as she fell under his spell. "What is your name?" He asked.

"Jodi," the girl replied in a trance. "Jodi Hammond McGill."

"Hammond..." Zell repeated. He looked to Felina. "Is she the daughter of...?"

"The Yellow Turbo Ranger? Indeed," Felina said with a wicked cackle. "With her amnesia, she was only living a half-life anyway. I disposed of her this morning and abducted the girl."

"Excellent work, Felina! This child shall do well for my purposes today." Zell smiled. "Leave us now, my dear. The most important part of the ritual must be done in solitude."

"Of course, Great Zell." Felina bowed to him before leaving him alone with the child.

"Come closer, my dear," Zell said to Jodi. She approached him, still under his control. "My apologies, Sweet Jodi, but I fear this is necessary to complete my work. Fear not... You will feel nothing, my child." He did that not out of kindness, but out of necessity. This girl was the daughter of a former Power Ranger. Surely, she would fight if he released her from his spell, and while he enjoyed that at times, today he needed everything to go precisely according to plan.

He pulled out the talisman he needed and put it on the ground, surrounded by the other ingredients. He summoned the evil fire and flames shot out of the floor. Zell cut his hand, pouring some of his blood into the fire. Then, without warning, he slashed Jodi's throat. He held her over the flames until he bled her dry, and then he tossed her body aside unceremoniously. He had no use for her now that she'd served her purpose, but perhaps the Alchemist would think of a use for the parts she left behind.

"Rise!" Zell said into the flames.

A red light burst from the talisman and began dancing in the flames. Slowly, the glowing red form became solid, taking on the shape of a body. The flames shot up higher, consuming the body, and for a moment, Zell saw nothing but fire. Then, she emerged.

"Daughter..." Zell said in admiration. The blue woman had long blonde hair and blood red eyes. She smiled at him.

"Father..." She said in her lovely Australian accent.

"Welcome back, my dear." Zell embraced her for the first time since the day he had sent her to Angel Grove.

"Is it time?" She asked eagerly.

"Soon, my dear girl... Very soon, the world shall meet the real Katherine Hillard."

CALEB

He'd been sitting in the park with his boyfriend Thorn, peacefully snuggled in his arms, when the vision hit. Caleb had seen a lot of scary things since he'd begun having visions, but this was by far the most terrifying.

Panic seized him. He suddenly flashed back on the day Katherine Hillard, Thorn's aunt, had injected him with venom that sent him into anaphylactic shock. Caleb had died in Thorn's arms and journeyed to the Underworld, where a God bent on torturing every descendant his biological father dared to have had immediately grabbed him. At the time, Caleb hadn't known his birth father, Caius. He also hadn't known Thorn was a Power Ranger. Thorn's twin sister Sage, a Shaman, had gone after him and sent him back to the world of the living. He'd woken up in the morgue, completely terrified and confused. Sage had spent two weeks in a coma while she tried to escape from the Underworld, and she'd ultimately made it back alive. Ever since, Caleb had possessed the abilities to have visions and to see the dead.

Caleb was clawing at his throat, desperately trying to get air. "Caleb! Caleb, it's okay!" Thorn said. He'd gotten sort of used to seeing Caleb flash back on dying. Caleb felt Thorn reach into his pocket and pull something out. It was one of his mother's talismans. Casey's talismans always helped Caleb ground. In life, she'd been a Shaman. When she'd died, she'd ultimately destroyed the evil Underworld God who'd been after Caleb and his father, and she'd taken over. Now, whenever Caleb ended up in the Underworld, Casey released him so he could journey back. That was the legacy Caleb had inherited from Caius, but before he knew that, Zell had used it to bring himself back.

"Caleb, ground. You're okay. You're safe," Thorn said, clinging to him tightly.

Caleb finally opened his eyes and started breathing again. "What happened?" Thorn asked patiently. "What did you see?"

"Kat..." Caleb whispered in shock.

"Cat? What cat? I don't see any-"

"No... Not cat... Kat. As in Katherine."

Thorn stared at him. "Wait, you saw my Aunt Kat?" He asked. "She can't haunt you. Liza trapped her soul in the necklace-"

"She's alive, Thorn..." Caleb said in horror. "Zell brought her back."

"Caleb, are you sure it already happened?"

"I'm positive... And she's different, Thorn. She looks Eltarian... She's got blue skin... And her eyes were blood red..." His chest began to tighten in fear again.

Thorn wrapped his arms around Caleb protectively. "It's okay, Caleb... I won't let her touch you ever again."

"Thorn... I have to tell the Chosen... This is it. This is the beginning."

Thorn nodded. "I'll call Sage... And... Well, I guess she should call my uncle."

"Tommy's not going to handle this."

Thorn sighed. "I know... But he's got no choice. We knew the other shoe would drop eventually. Start getting in touch with your team, and I'll handle mine."

"Thorn... I love you."

"I know. I love you, too." Thorn kissed him. "It'll be okay, Caleb. You're not going to face her alone."

Caleb nodded. He was terrified, but that didn't matter now. He had to warn his team. He headed across the park, knowing where he'd find the leader of the Chosen.

OLLIE

It seemed like any other day. Ollie's father had taken him and his brothers to the park. At nearly sixteen, Ollie was the oldest of his brothers. Luke followed behind him at twelve, while Vinny had just turned ten, and Robby, the monster of the bunch, was going to be six soon enough.

Vinny sat reading on a bench, hiding away in his own world. Vinny had always been the quiet one, but ever since Zell had murdered their mother in front of them, Vinny had been struggling much more. He had refused to speak for a terrifyingly long time until Aisha's daughter Imani had told him her mother died, too. Slowly, Imani had been drawing Vinny back out of his shell.

Luke's journey had been even harder. Not only had it recently come out that Luke was a twin, but everything had fallen into chaos immediately after Ollie brought their sister Lucy home. It had also come out that their mother had been the daughter of Zordon's twin sister Anise, making Luke and Lucy the next generation of twins in the line. That meant Zell had a price on their heads, and Luke was terrified. Luke had always been pretty fearless, but a kid could only take so much, especially since he'd been the one desperately trying to hold the family together while everything fell apart. Currently, Luke was chasing Robby around as usual, and that made Ollie feel better.

"Fight stance!" Robby demanded, jumping in front of Ollie.

Ollie assumed a fighting stance. "Come at me!" He told his youngest brother.

"Ay-ya!" Robby screamed before throwing a pretty impressive kick. Ollie absorbed the blow, putting on a good show like it had actually hurt.

"Ollie..." Caleb said from nearby.

"Fight stance!" Robby demanded of Thorn, who stood with Caleb.

Thorn had been doing Martial Arts since he started walking, so he humored Robby with a smile on his face. Caleb, however, wasn't smiling. Since that rarely happened, Ollie knew something was wrong.

"Jason... Can I borrow Ollie?" Caleb asked.

Ollie's father frowned. "Of course... Is everything okay?" He asked.

"No," Caleb said softly.

His father nodded. "Go on. I've got the kids."

Caleb led Ollie away from the others. "Ollie... We're in trouble," Caleb said.

"What's going on?" Ollie asked, immediately serious. He had gotten pretty good at flipping the switch and turning into the team leader.

"I had a vision, Ollie... Zell's nearly ready, and... And he brought Katherine back."

Ollie froze. Kat Hillard had been a pretty big part of his life for a while. His father was exceptionally close to her husband, Tommy Oliver. In fact, Ollie was legally named Oliver Zachary Scott, after Tommy and his father's other best friend, Zack Taylor. Tommy was even Ollie's Godfather. Zack had been Luke's. Tommy and Kat's daughter Katie had even been like a sister to the boys until she'd turned evil... But Ollie tried not to think about that. He also tried not to think about what Kat had done to him when she'd first turned evil but no one had realized it. Even though his father had insisted he get some therapy, Ollie still felt like Kat abusing him was his fault. He didn't want to dwell on it now, but her return terrified him.

You're the leader of the Chosen, he reminded himself. You can't give in to that fear. "Are you sure Kat's back?" He asked.

"Positive," Caleb said. "Other than Thorn, you're the first one I've told."

"Man, Tommy's going to flip... This is the last thing he needs."

"I don't know when he'll start coming after us, Ollie, but we don't have much time."

"I'll pass it along that we need to be on high alert..." Ollie could see the fear in Caleb's eyes. "Take Thorn and go to Caius. You'll be safe there."

"Thorn told Sage. She's probably plotting ninety-nine ways to destroy their aunt as we speak... But I don't think it will be that simple. Believe me, I know Sage can do anything, but if the Universe wants Kat here, she'll just come back again."

"We'll stop her, Caleb. We'll stop them both."

Caleb nodded. "Are you sure you don't need me to tell everyone else?"

"I'm the leader... It's my job. I've got this. Go on. You should be with Thorn and Caius." He almost called Caius Caleb's dad, but Caleb still hadn't crossed that bridge. Caleb's adopted parents had been brutally butchered by Zell and left for Caleb to find less than a year ago. Caleb had barely survived an attack from Zell right after he found them, and although he functioned pretty well, he wasn't quite the happy, carefree guy he'd always been before. There was a haunted look in his eyes now that never fully went away.

"Call me if anything happens."

"I will." With that, Ollie sent Caleb on his way. It was time to put everyone on high alert.

TAMMY

She sat at her father's grave having a picnic. Tammy loved her mother and brothers, but she'd always been daddy's little girl. She missed him fiercely and this was the only way she could spend time with him anymore. She almost envied Caleb for being able to see the dead, but then she remembered how hard that was for him, and everything he'd gone through. Caleb had seen his parents as ghosts before he'd discovered their bodies. Tammy wondered if having that slight warning had softened the blow at all. There'd been no warning with her dad. One second, she and Jason had been attacked. The next, her dad took a blow meant for Jason and begged Tammy to sing for him as he died.

She forced that image out of her head and remembered her father's last instructions to her... She had to stay strong and be brave. She had to keep fighting. She traced the words on his tombstone, Zachary Taylor, Lived, Loved, & Laughed, and did not cry as she took a deep breath.

"I miss you, Daddy..." She said softly. "I love you." She began singing to his headstone, something she did pretty often, and watched as her light filled the cemetery. Even with the sun up, it could be seen. It comforted Tammy, and she knew it would comfort any other mourners who happened to end up in its path.

After she'd eaten and left her father's part of the meal beside his grave, Tammy looked around. She was alone. She pulled out her sword. "Look what I can do now," she said to her father. She started practicing moves. She fought in a practiced but unpredictable manner, a trait she apparently shared with her Chosen ancestor, Raven. She worked especially well with Ollie, Jason's son, and her best friend in the world. He was also sort of, unofficially, maybe, kind of, probably her boyfriend... But they hadn't actually said that out loud.

"You're favoring the left... Are you hurting?" A voice asked.

Tammy let out an undignified squeak and spun around. "Ollie! Don't do that, you jerk!" She cried out. Then, she put her sword aside and hugged him. "I was literally just thinking about you and now you're here... Crazy timing. What are you doing here, anyway?"

"I'm sorry to interrupt... But we've got trouble," Ollie said.

Tammy turned serious immediately. "What's up?"

"Answer me first. Are you in pain?"

"My right side's a little tender," Tammy admitted reluctantly.

"I knew you got hurt yesterday! We should have had Taylor heal you. Kevin came at you way too hard in training!"

"Ollie, relax. I asked Kevin not to go easy on me, and he apologized when the hit connected."

"He's older, and he's had way more training-"

"Ollie, I'm fine-"

"The Samurai Rangers are supposed to be disciplined! What the hell was he thinking picking on the youngest person in the room?"

"Oliver! Stop!" Tammy yelled at him. He did because almost no one, especially Tammy, ever called him that. "Take a chill pill and bring it back down about eighty notches. I'm sore, Ollie. That's it. I'll be fine, and Kevin even had Jayden check me to make sure of that. I asked Kevin to train with me because I know he's intense and can help me get stronger. Monsters won't go easy on me, Ollie. Zell won't go easy on me. I have to learn how to deal with that, and you have to let me, because you can't shelter me in a real battle."

Ollie took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Tam," he said softly. "I just don't like seeing you hurt."

"I know. Now stop being a butthead and tell me why you're here."

"Zell brought his daughter back... And I don't mean Anise."

"Wait... He brought Tommy's wife back from the dead?" Tammy asked in shock.

"He did."

Tammy took a deep breath and nodded slowly. "How do we handle this?"

"We get ready for a fight. That's all we can do right now... Just be prepared."

She finally put her sword away and began packing up the picnic. "Who else do you need to contact?" She asked.

"Everyone but Caleb. He had a vision and came straight to me."

"Great. I'll go with you."

"Tammy, you can stay if you want to."

"It won't bring him back, Ollie. This can wait. The team needs me more than he does right now." She kissed her father's headstone. "I love you, Daddy. I'll see you soon," she promised him. She took Ollie's arm. "Let's get out of here."

ANGIE

Sometimes, when she was really happy, magic happened. Angie noticed that the couch seemed to be levitating slightly off the ground as she curled up on her boyfriend Kenny watching cheesy movies while he held her. There was no safer place in the world than Kenny's arms.

"Oops..." She said with embarrassment as the couch continued to rise.

Kenny finally noticed. "Whoa!" He said with a laugh as they hovered over a foot off of the floor.

"Sorry! Okay... Easy, Couch... Back where you go..." Angie instructed it. The couch obeyed and gently returned them to the floor. "I guess I stopped paying attention and magic slipped out... I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize! That was kind of fun," Kenny said with a grin. He gave her a quick kiss to reassure her that everything was fine.

"Do you think if the others were home they would have freaked out?"

"Everyone's used to your powers, Angie. We love you exactly as you are."

Angie still struggled to understand that at times. Not too long ago, the daughter of Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd had been known purely as the Sorceress, and her mission in life had been to destroy the Power Rangers. Now, she was in love with one of the Power Rangers, her parents were no longer evil, and she was part of a team that was destined to destroy the son of a bitch who'd made her parents evil to begin with. It was strange how much had changed in so short an amount of time, but Angie treasured her new life.

The doorbell rang. "Were you expecting company?" Angie asked.

"Nope... Mom and Billy are out with K and Ziggy, and Josh is with Taylor. It's only supposed to be us," Kenny said. He headed to the door and opened it in confusion. "Ollie? Tammy? Is everything okay?" He asked.

"We were hoping to find Angie, Taylor, or both of them here," Ollie said.

"I'm here," Angie said, joining them at the door. "Taylor's out with Josh. What's going on?"

"Zell made a move," Tammy explained.

Angie immediately tensed. Kenny automatically took her hand in his and squeezed it. Kenny knew exactly what Zell had done to Angie when he first came back from the dead, and even though Angie was okay most of the time, she was still traumatized. She just held on to rage at what Zell had done to her parents way before she ever existed to get her through the fear.

"What did he do?" Angie asked.

"He brought Katherine Hillard back from the dead," Tammy said quickly.

"Wait, Kat's back?!" Kenny asked in horror. "But Liza trapped her in the necklace after Ka-" He cut himself off. "After she was killed," he finished.

It was Angie's turn to squeeze Kenny's hand in support. He never talked about Katie, Tommy and Kat's daughter, who had been his best friend in the world until the day she betrayed her team. Katie had murdered Mike from the Samurai team because he protected Liza, and then she'd tried to kill her boyfriend Jayden. Mentor Ji had died to protect Jayden, and Katie had run off. When Kenny tried to get through to her and stop her, she'd tried to kill him. Thorn had been forced to kill his cousin to stop her. No one liked to talk about it, but Kenny couldn't even bring himself to say her name most of the time anymore.

"We knew Zell had the necklace. I guess he figured out how to free her," Ollie said.

"Maybe my mom can help," Angie suggested. "She kept Kat as a pet for a while. I'm sure she knows her weaknesses."

"I need to warn my mom... And Tommy," Kenny said.

"Caleb's the one who realized it. He was with Thorn, who called Sage, and I'm sure she went straight to Tommy," Ollie said.

"Kat had it in for my mom... She became convinced Mom was trying to steal Tommy from her. She might hurt her."

"Kim's, like, extremely pregnant with Billy's kid," Ollie said. "That should squash any rumors of Kim and Tommy getting back together."

"She's irrational," Angie said. "My mom said she was really unhinged by the end. Kenny's right, he should warn Kimberly... And I need to tell my parents."

Ollie nodded. "Do what you need to. Tammy and I will get in touch with the others. I'll text you and let you know where to meet us if we're getting together," he promised.

"Be careful, Ollie," Angie said, giving him and Tammy each a quick hug.

"We'll see you soon," Tammy said as she and Ollie left.

"So much for our date," Kenny said with a laugh.

"Duty calls," Angie said with a smile she used to hide how nervous she was. She had a feeling the battle they'd known was coming had just begun.

BRIAN

He couldn't focus, so he'd gone for a walk. Brian loved exploring Angel Grove. Although he'd been born and raised in Korea, Brian had been obsessed with America and its culture for as long as he could remember. It drove his mother, Trini, a bit crazy that he had insisted from the age of twelve that his name was Brian. She still stubbornly called him by his birth name, Bu. She was back in Korea with his dad and his little sisters. Brian lived with Elena Taylor and her three kids, Tammy, John, and Tate, in the guest house on Tommy Oliver's property. Elena had been Brian's "sponsor" until he'd become a legal adult, and now, he was in college. He was well on his way to becoming a citizen of the United States, which was his dream, but for now he had a student Visa. That was good, because Brian was part of the Chosen, and he was destined to be in Angel Grove with his team.

Brian created a flame in his hands and let it dance as he let his mind wander. The flame only went out when he heard someone singing nearby. He was drawn to the music and wandered closer, watching in awe as she began the song again.

"Kiss me too fiercely, hold me too tight. I need help believing you're with me tonight," Liza Campbell sang. Liza was Tia's younger and Taylor's older sister, one of Aisha's many children. She wasn't chosen, but she was dating Zedd, so she was close enough. It wasn't a secret that Liza was Galaxia Campbell's doppelganger, both physically and in personality. She didn't have Galaxia's British accent, but she acted very much like her Chosen ancestor. She was, however, the Yellow Ranger on the Mighty Morphin Legacy team.

"My wildest dreaming could not foresee lying beside you with you wanting me..." Liza sang on. She was dancing, too, and Brian was a bit enchanted as he watched her bring Elphaba to life. "And just for this moment, as long as you're mine... I've lost all resistance and crossed some borderline. And if it turns out it's over too fast, I'll make every last moment last... As long as you're mine..."

Brian easily swooped into her path, picking up the dance, and sang grandly, "Maybe I'm brainless, maybe I'm wise, but you've got me seeing through different eyes. Somehow I've fallen under your spell, and somehow I'm feeling it's up that I fell!"

Liza was grinning at him in surprise, but she didn't miss a beat. Together, they sang, "Every moment, as long as you're mine, I'll wake up my body and make up for lost time."

"Say there's no future for us as a pair," Brian sang.

In unison, they sang, "And though I may know, I don't care. Just for this moment, as long as you're mine, come be how you want to and see how bright we shine. Borrow the moonlight until it is through and know I'll be here holding you, as long as you're mine..."

"Fiyero?" Liza asked, still in character.

"What is it?" Brian followed her lead.

"It's just, for the first time, I feel... Wicked," Liza finished . As the song ended, she looked at Brian and said excitedly, "I didn't know you could sing! "

"I am all about American culture, Liza, " Brian said with a grin, "And nothing screams American Culture more than Broadway."

"You're really good... You should audition with me!"

"Audition for what, exactly?"

"The community theater's production of Grease. I mean, it's not a masterpiece, but it's still a classic. I miss acting. This is my best chance to get involved again."

"Grease?" Brian repeated. "You know what I think of that? Why, it's... Automatic... It's systematic... It's... Hyyyyyydromatic..."

Liza laughed and flashed him her winning grin. "I never knew you and I had so much in common, Brian," she said.

"I am a man of many mysteries," Brian said with a smirk. "And I've never auditioned for anything before, but it sounds like fun. I'm a total ham anyway. Performing is in my soul."

"But can you hand jive?"

"In my sleep. I also do a mean jazz square!"

Liza looked thrilled. "You just became my new best friend!"

Brian was about to reply when he spotted Ollie and Tammy. He flashed them his grandest smile in greeting. "My friends!" He said. Then, he saw the slightest hint of concern in Tammy's eyes. In his time in Angel Grove, Brian had always lived with Tammy, first with his mom and Zack, then with just Elena as a guardian. He'd come to view her as his adopted little sister. After Zack died, he'd become even more protective of her.

"What's going on?" Brian asked knowingly.

"Zell brought Kat back," Ollie said.

"What? The bitch is back?!" Liza asked furiously. Liza had kept Katherine's soul in a necklace she wore around her neck for a while. During that time, she could hear the evil woman complaining and threatening her constantly. During the big battle to save Tommy, Katherine and Tommy's daughter Katie had slashed Liza's throat to steal the necklace and get it to Zell. Although Mike, the Green Samurai Ranger, had tried to stop her from escaping, Katie had killed him, leaving Liza for dead. Zedd had saved Liza's life, but the necklace hadn't been on Katie when Thorn had to kill her.

Our lives are like some crazy American soap opera, Brian thought with a grin. Then he forced himself to turn serious as he asked, "What do we do now?"

"Kill that bitch dead again and destroy her soul this time?" Liza suggested. "I volunteer!"

"As great as that sounds, we're still in the planning stages," Tammy said with a laugh.

"I'll text you later when I know what's what, Brian," Ollie promised. "We still need to warn Tia and Taylor."

"I could go find Tia for you," Brian said, perking up. Brian was head over heels in crush with Tia, but she wasn't really looking to date anyone, so he settled for basking in her glorious presence as often as she'd allow it. Although Tia frequently tried to push everyone away, Brian never took the hint and stayed loyally by her side. She'd slowly come to accept that he wasn't going away and now, they were friends. They were the oldest of the Chosen, and they went to college together.

"Stalker," Tammy teased him.

Ollie covered up his laughter with a fake cough. "It's okay, Brian. I'm the leader. I should be the one to tell everyone," he said kindly.

Brian smiled casually. "Okay," he said. "Be safe, guys. I'll see you later." He watched them walk away, then turned to Liza. "Do you think we're in trouble?"

"What I think is that Kat never reached her true evil potential," Liza said. "And everything you guys think you know about her is wrong. But no, we're not in trouble... Yet. We can totally take this bitch, but only if we treat her as a brand new threat, and not like Tommy's dead wife."

"I never knew her, so no problem," Brian promised. He hoped the others would be able to do it, too, but he knew some of them might have a harder time.

We've got this, he told himself stubbornly. We're Chosen. We can do anything, as long as we do it together. After all, the original Chosen had only failed because Zell turned Zedd evil before he could become an official part of the team. Brian's generation was determined to learn from the mistakes of the original team.

TIA

She could hear her little sisters talking nearby. Tia was trying to study, but the tone Imani used concerned her. "Just a short break," she said aloud. After all, she was babysitting while Tanya was at work. Tanya had become the legal guardian to a large number of children less than a year earlier. Most were Tia's siblings. Tia was the oldest, followed by her half-siblings, Taylor, Tye, and Tessa, and the only sibling she'd had until the other three had been born and aged, Imani. Tia and Imani shared a father and mother, but Taylor, Tye, and Tessa were Zedd's children with their mother Aisha. That was complicated and horrible, but in spite of the details, Tia loved the three of them just as fiercely as she loved Imani. That had been proven when Tia killed their mother to stop her from murdering Taylor. Although it was the hardest thing Tia had ever had to do, anytime she took one look at Taylor, she knew she'd do it again.

Also in Tanya's custody was Angie, who shared Tia's half-siblings because she was Zedd's daughter. Then, there was Liza, who was Aisha's daughter with a different evil man whose conception had involved force and time travel. Liza was outrageous, but very much a Campbell sorceress. Finally, there was Maddie, Tanya's daughter, who'd once been both Chosen and Power Ranger but was now neither. Despite sacrificing her powers to save them from falling into Zell's hands, Maddie was still a force to be reckoned with, and was easily the bravest person Tia had ever met.

"Shhhh! One at a time, please," Imani said, reminding Tia that she'd decided to check on the little ones before getting distracted.

Tia headed into the backyard. Tessa immediately ran into her arms, terrified. Tia looked toward Imani and understood why. There were several animals in their large backyard. Winifred the horse had come out of her stables. The dog, cat, and rabbit Imani had talked Tanya into letting her rescue were there, too. What alarmed Tia was that several other animals were there as well. The birds, stray cats, and neighborhood dogs were alarming enough as they all made noise at once, but when you added in the deer, foxes, coyotes, wolves, and even a few bears, it was no wonder Tessa had panicked.

"Mani... What is going on?" Tia demanded.

"They just showed up, I swear," her ten-year-old sister replied quickly. "I didn't call them here."

"Well, tell them to go home," Tia said practically. "Tanya will be angry if she returns to find the zoo has come to our backyard. And the neighbors may call the police."

"Tia, something's wrong," Imani insisted. "It's just, with everyone talking at once, I can't make sense of what they're saying." Imani had inherited their ancestor Galaxia's gift for communicating with animals, while Tia had gotten her ability to open portals and her strong magic. Their sister Liza had inherited all of Galaxia's powers, which made Tia wonder why she was a Power Ranger instead of being Chosen, but Tia was older. She supposed that was the reason she'd inherited the destiny.

"Just focus, Mani. Ask Winnie to explain," Tia suggested.

Imani nodded, looking at the horse. "What the heck is going on, Winnie? Why is everyone so worked up?" She asked. She listened to Winnie patiently before saying in a tone that sent a chill through Tia's entire soul, "He's preparing to come for us."

"Who is, Mani?" Tia asked, fearing she already knew the answer.

"The bad man... The one who rides on storms."

Imani never called Zell by his name, but Tia knew that was who she meant. So did Tessa, who clung to Tia more tightly.

"It is alright, Tessa," Tia said soothingly. "He cannot harm us here."

"But we aren't always here," Tessa pointed out with fear in her voice.

"I will protect you from him. So will Taylor and Angie."

"His daughter has risen... Time is up," Imani said, repeating what Winifred must have been telling her.

"Tia... I'm scared," Tessa whispered.

"Thank your friends for the warning and tell them to return to their homes," Tia told Imani. "Everything will be fine, Girls."

The doorbell rang. Tia walked inside to answer the door. Tessa hid behind her shyly as she opened it. "Ollie... Tammy... I already know," Tia said.

"How?" Ollie asked.

"An army of animals is currently in the backyard talking to Imani."

Tammy perked up. "Can I...?" She asked.

"Go ahead. They will not attack with my sister there."

Tammy cheerfully ran toward the backyard, presumably to see all the animals. Ollie shook his head. "It's been a rough day," he said.

Tia shrugged. "If seeing animals makes Tammy happy, it is a good thing. Keeping Tammy happy is important."

"That's true," Ollie agreed. "Hey, Tessie... Are you okay?" Ollie asked. Although her sister's given name was Tessa, several people used the nickname Tessie when she seemed to need comforting.

Tessa squeaked and stared at her feet. "Hi, Ollie," she said shyly. "I'm fine." She raced upstairs to escape the conversation.

Tia shook her head. "She talks about Luke often," she said with a slight smile. "I believe she has a crush on your brother."

"I think he's crushing on her, too," Ollie admitted. "And I'm pretty sure Mani is the only girl Vinny's ever noticed."

Now, Tia really smiled. "Mani adores Vinny. She is quite attached to him." She turned serious again. "Do we have a plan of action yet?"

"Not exactly," Ollie said. "I'm planning to get everyone together in a bit... We still need to tell Taylor. Any idea where he is?"

"Josh wanted to see him. I assume they are still together. Would you like me to text him?"

"No... I can kind of track the team... I found Brian easily enough out in the open... I should see if I can track Taylor, too. It might come in handy later."

"If that is what you wish."

Tammy came back inside with Imani, grinning from ear to ear. "I pet a wolf!" She said excitedly.

Ollie laughed. "Come on, Tam. Let's go find Taylor," he said, guiding her away.

Tia frowned. She silently prayed the Chosen were ready to face Zell for real. If their first attempt had merely been a preview, who knew what would happen when he wasn't holding back?

TAYLOR

This week was already sucking. Taylor found himself more on edge than usual. Normally, being around Josh helped, but he'd been really distracted for the last few days. Taylor was pretty patient with him. He knew Josh got tunnel vision about certain things, and he didn't mind. It was sort of cute the way Josh could obsess about things, and Taylor was happy to listen to him ramble about science or other Smart People Stuff, even if he didn't understand half of it. Watching Josh get excited about things made him happy, and if Taylor told Josh he had no idea what he was talking about, Josh usually tried to take the time to break it down for him. This time, however, Josh wasn't rambling about whatever was on his mind. In fact, he was barely talking to Taylor at all.

"Are you okay, Josh?" Taylor finally asked.

"Huh? Oh... Oh, yeah. I'm fine," Josh replied, still clearly distracted .

"Josh... Talk to me. What the hell are you so focused on?"

"What? Nothing... Just... Science stuff. I don't want to bore you."

"You never bore me. What's going on, Josh? You've basically been ignoring me all day. I mean, why'd you even ask me to come hang out today?" Taylor tried to keep the hurt out of his voice.

Josh sighed. "I'm sorry, Taylor. I guess I'm just distracted." He shyly kissed Taylor quickly, and all was forgiven. Taylor loved it when Josh kissed him. Even after all this time, Josh was so timid about things, especially in public. He'd decided not to hide his love for Taylor from the rest of the world anymore after Zell almost killed Taylor, but that didn't mean he was suddenly going to be huge on public displays of affection. That just wasn't who Josh was. Until he'd fallen for Taylor, Josh had pretty much identified as asexual. Now, he mostly identified as confused. That was okay, because he'd finally told Taylor he loved him. That was all Taylor needed.

"So, what's on your mind?" Taylor asked him.

"It's... Complicated. Don't worry about it."

"Josh... Come on. You always talk to me."

"I found something a while back, right after we saved Tommy... It was really strange, so I asked K to help me figure it out. I didn't tell anyone because we had no proof... But..." Josh sighed.

Taylor could tell how hard this was for him. He touched Josh's arm gently, sending soothing energy into him. "It's okay, Josh. Whatever it is, it will be alright."

"No... It won't." Josh sighed again before saying, "I found my mom's medical records... From when she died."

Taylor was shocked. He hadn't expected that. "Okay... What did they say?" He asked.

"Her bloodwork was strange, Taylor. It started off somewhat normal, but over the course of the two weeks she was sick, it changed. Her cells shifted and became unrecognizable as human."

"Wait... What do you mean? Your mom was human, right?"

"She was... But the illness that killed her... The one no one could identify, the one my dad swore wasn't natural... It was Eltarian."

"Eltarian?" Taylor frowned. "How would your mom catch an Eltarian disease?"

"Exactly." Josh took a deep breath. "We analyzed every single test result... K was positive that whatever this was, it couldn't have gotten into my mom naturally. My dad was so sure my mom was murdered, but no one believed him. Only Kimberly didn't think he was crazy. That's why Dad retreated and shut everyone out. He didn't really stop obsessing about it until him and Kim got together, and he finally made peace with it. I didn't want to upset him without having answers, so K and I didn't tell him... But we have some answers now, and I don't know what to do."

"What did you guys find out?"

"K talked to Lady Eleanor before she left town. As Eltar's fiercest warrior in history, K figured she might know what we were dealing with... And she did. The disease is called Fezlexor and it shuts down a person's entire body, one system at a time. It's slow and painful and is the result of extreme exposure to a toxin called Fexitez that is found exclusively on Eltar. There's a cure for it..." Josh took a minute to compose himself. "If it's caught early, it can be treated with an antidote that reverses most of the effects. If it's advanced, it's terminal. The normal duration of the illness is seven months. My mother lasted two weeks... She was human. Her body reacted differently to the disease and it progressed very rapidly. Since no one here knew the disease existed, they couldn't figure out what was wrong with her, or how to treat it... So my dad just had to watch as she rapidly wasted away until her whole body shut down and she was just... Gone."

"Josh... That's awful! But you didn't have to deal with this all alone. I'm here anytime you need me," Taylor said.

"I know... But this was about my mom, Taylor... I'd have done it all on my own, but I needed K to help me work out the technical stuff... I'd never seen anything like that before, but K had some knowledge of Eltarian DNA because she'd worked with Zordon's."

"I know I'm dumb, but-"

"You are not dumb."

"Compared to you and K, I am... But anyway, even if I can't understand complicated test results, I could have helped with moral support. .. Just... Don't shut me out again?"

"I'm sorry, Taylor. I didn't mean to hurt you... I just get tunnel vision."

"I know." Taylor squeezed his hand. "It's okay." He always forgave Josh quickly. If Josh could forgive Taylor for everything he'd done, he owed him that much. Nothing Josh did would ever be as bad as the things Taylor had done to try to protect his mom and his sisters from his father's wrath. His dad might be kind of awesome now, but when Taylor and his siblings were born, he'd still been extremely evil.

He tortured your mom. That's why she couldn't love you, a voice in the back of his mind taunted him.

Yeah, I know, Taylor told the evil voice that never fully went away. Fuck off.

"Taylor?" Josh called. "Now you're the distracted one."

"Sorry... I was just... Thinking," Taylor replied.

"You know, that talking thing goes both ways... I'm here for you if you need me, too."

"Tanya's planning a big Thanksgiving feast at the house."

"Are you going to help her cook? You like cooking."

"I like cooking... But I hate Thanksgiving."

"Why?" Josh paused as he suddenly put it together. "I'm sorry, Taylor. I'm an idiot."

"You're the smartest person I know. It's no big deal. I'm being dumb. I just... I don't want to be in the house right now. I don't feel safe there. I know that's stupid-"

"It is not stupid," Josh said firmly. "It's PTSD... Like I have." Josh had watched his father supposedly explode in front of his eyes when he was thirteen. Josh had nearly been killed in the blast. Three years later, they'd found out Billy was alive, but that didn't take away the trauma. Then there was everything Josh had been through while in the foster care system.

"I don't have that," Taylor said. "I'm fine."

"Do you remember when you had the panic attack because of that history lesson on funeral pyres?" Josh asked gently.

"You mean when that racist teacher gave me detention for breathing? Yeah, I remember."

"That was from PTSD, Taylor. You had a flashback in class. You might not have a diagnosis, but you definitely have the symptoms... And that's only natural, after everything."

"You mean after Mom pulled a knife on me the night before Thanksgiving when I tried to help? Or after I spent the first truly safe night of my life with Caius and he treated me more like a son than either of my parents ever had? Or maybe you mean after I finally went home after Thanksgiving and Mom tried to kill me... After she stabbed me so many times I still don't know how I'm alive... Did you mean after that? Because I'm fine, Josh. It's over. Tia killed her to save my life. It's done. It's been a year. Whatever."

Josh looked hurt and Taylor immediately regretted his outburst. "Shit, Josh, I'm sorry... In my defense, I may be sixteen, but I'm only a year and a few months old?" He flashed him sad, apologetic eyes.

"Sudden and irrational bursts of rage are common with PTSD," Josh said practically. "I have them, too. I know you aren't actually mad at me."

"You still didn't deserve that. Do you forgive me?"

"Always, Taylor." Josh kissed Taylor's cheek.

"I don't deserve you." Taylor pulled Josh closer and held him.

"Yes you do." Josh smiled at him reassuringly.

"Sweet, it worked..." A voice said. Ollie appeared in the shadow of a tree. Tammy stood by his side holding his hand. Walking the Shadow Realms was one of Ollie's powers.

"Traveling by shadow is even cooler than using portals! I feel like a ninja, sneaking up on people," Tammy said with a laugh.

"Um... Hi, guys," Taylor said, releasing Josh. "What's going on?"

"We need to talk," Ollie said.

"Is it Zell?" Taylor asked.

"Sort of. He got Kat out of the necklace. She's alive again."

Josh tensed beside him. Taylor automatically touched his arm, sending soothing energy into him. "I won't let that bitch hurt you, Josh. I swear," he said firmly. The last time Kat had made an appearance, she'd possessed Katie, tried to kill Adam and Tommy, nearly succeeded in killing Jayden, and groped Josh to make him run so she could try to escape. Josh's PTSD had kicked in and he'd shut down, locking himself in his room. After healing Jayden as much as he could, Taylor had spent hours calming Josh down. Taylor knew exactly how much Josh was afraid of facing Kat again.

"We're gonna get the Chosen together later," Ollie said. "I'll text everyone after I talk to Caius."

"Sure. I'll be there," Taylor promised. His team needed him, and this had the added bonus of keeping him out of the house for a while. They might not be living in the same house his mom had died in, but it was nearly Thanksgiving... What if something horrible happened again? Taylor shook his head, pushing the thought away. He needed to focus.

"See you in a little while, Taylor," Tammy said. She kissed his cheek, sending a burst of her light into him like she knew how much he needed to feel it. She led Ollie away.

Josh was still silent. "Josh... It's okay," Taylor said patiently. "You're with me. The bitch can't hurt you. I'll slaughter her if she tries."

"She didn't want to hurt me," Josh said. "That's why she did what she did. Kat tried to kill everyone else in the house, but she made me run. I think that was her way of sparing me."

"Why would she spare you?"

Josh shrugged. "Kat always liked me. Her and Tommy were having major issues before he kicked her out, but she put that aside to fight to get me out of the system and into their house. I know she's evil. I know she can't be saved... But I hate that this is happening again. I don't know if she'll be different now, but before... Before, she at least tried not to kill me."

Taylor didn't trust that Kat had been trying to spare Josh. It was more likely that she'd found him attractive and got a kick out of being able to scare him while she got to cop a feel. Still, he didn't want to upset Josh. "Whatever she was, I'm betting she's different now. We can't trust her," he said gently.

"I know that... I just wish things had been different..."

Taylor could feel how lost Josh felt. He kissed him deeply, knowing his energy helped him, and finally pulled away. "Better?" Taylor asked.

"A bit..." Josh admitted, staring at Taylor with dreamy eyes.

"Come on. Let me take you home before I need to meet up with everyone." Taylor led the way and hoped Josh would be alright. The next big battle seemed to be coming.

Protect him, Taylor's mind begged him. Protect them all... With everything you have.

RITA

She was sitting with her brother Rito and the immortal kitten Zordon had given her, Morgana, when she sensed something in the air.

"My kitty cat..." Rita whispered softly.

"Did you say something, Sis?" Rito asked.

"Oh... No, no everything's fine," Rita said quickly. She flashed him a bright smile. There was no need to panic her brother...

She's back... Which means he is at full power, Rita realized. Zell was surely getting ready to attack, and even if Rita wasn't a scared little girl anymore, she still knew she couldn't take him on her own.

She kept a calm exterior for Rito, but she pulled out her cell phone and pulled up a text message with the emoticons menu she adored so much. She immediately sent Zedd a text message with a panicking cat face.

"Want pizza? I'm starving," Rito said.

"Sure, Rito... Get two pies," Rita replied.

"One for each of us?"

"Just in case we have company." She hoped Zedd would understand and come. She'd been too frightened to say anything in the text.

ZEDD

He was sketching when a text message came through on the cell phone. He hated the thing, but it was the quickest way for his children to get in touch with him, and Liza had insisted he needed one.

Zedd frowned as he saw what Rita had sent him. "Perhaps I should check on her..." He mumbled. Zedd knew how Rita thought. The screaming cat meant she was afraid of something. With a sigh, Zedd put away his art supplies and headed out. He arrived at Rita's place shortly after.

Rito opened the door and frowned. "You're not the pizza delivery guy," he said. Then, he shrugged. "Sis must be psychic! She said we might have company. Come on in, Zedd."

After Rita had temporarily died, her idiot little brother had stopped calling Zedd "Ed." He'd also revealed he'd known Zedd's name the entire time.

"Zedd, what a nice surprise!" Rita said. Her energy vibrated complete panic.

Zedd frowned. "Rito, would you give us a few minutes?" He asked.

"Sure, Buddy! Call me for food!" Rito said, running off to his room.

"Rita, what's wrong?" Zedd asked when they were alone.

"She's back, Zeddy..." Rita said in a terrified whisper.

"Who is?"

"My kitty cat... She's come back, but she's something else now... Something far worse."

Zedd knew she didn't mean Morgana, the cat she'd named for the mother she never got to know, who'd been a dear friend of Zedd's. "Katherine?" He asked. "Liza's magic is quite strong, Rita. To release her would have taken great power, and to resurrect her would have taken even more."

"I can still feel her, Zedd... She's back... Which means he's stronger than any of us realized." Rita shook her head. "Don't let him get me, Zeddy."

"Never again, Rita," Zedd promised. He held his ex-wife to comfort her. Now that neither of them was evil anymore, they'd found love with other people, and they'd actually become good friends. Zedd was with Liza, while Rita and Zordon had rekindled the love of their childhoods and begun dating. Their lives had changed so much in the last year, but Zedd was certain this was the path they'd been meant for all along.

The doorbell rang and Rito stuck his head out. "Pizza's he-" He frowned at Zedd. "Don't you and my sister get back together, Zedd. We're all much better off as friends, and I'd hate to have to start calling you Ed again," he said.

"It's just a friendly embrace," Zedd promised. Even if he didn't have Liza, Zedd would never go back to Rita. It would hurt Zordon, and he'd sworn to himself he would never hurt him again.

Rita was busy wiping away a few tears, so Zedd answered the door and paid for the pizza. "I would have paid," Rita protested as she recovered.

"I don't mind," Zedd said. He knew he should go to Zordon, but right now, Rita needed him more. Besides, Zedd knew that if Rita was right, chances were good that Caius had already seen the truth. He'd warn Zordon about what was going on. Right now, Zordon would want Zedd to stay with Rita. "Come. Let's eat."

CAIUS

One girl, pure evil despite her innocent appearance, stared at him. Her eyes turned blood red. "I am the girl you saw so long ago, Caius Grant," she said coldly. "And just as death was a temporary condition for you, I have returned as well." She aged before his eyes and laughed before waving a syringe at him. "This time, I'll kill him slowly, and he won't return."

The vision shattered as a glass broke in the kitchen. Caius struggled to calm his breathing as panic seized him. He headed toward the kitchen, where he found his niece, Dora. She stared at the shattered glass as she tried to pick the pieces up with trembling hands.

"Allow me," Caius said, taking over cleaning up the mess.

"Did you see her, too?" Dora asked. "The evil blue woman?"

All four members of the Grant family were prone to visions. "I did see her, yes," Caius said softly. "Are you alright, Dora?"

"I'm fine... Just creeped out."

"Creeped out by what?" Ares asked, coming into the room. Ares was Dora's father. He was also Caius' older brother by eleven months. Until recently, the brothers could have easily passed for twins, but now Ares had a scar on his cheek. Zordon had slashed it so Zell couldn't force Ares to pretend to be his brother anymore. After dying on a battlefield, Ares had been resurrected by Zell, who turned him immortal and used lies to convince him Caius had betrayed his family. When Ares started to resist working for Dark Specter, who Zell had given him to, Zell had threatened to kill Pandora, who'd been abducted with her mother from the past. Dora's mother was struck by a car and killed when she was four, and she'd never known her family until right before the battle to save Tommy had begun. With help from Deker, she and Ares had escaped from Zell, and now, they lived with Caius and Caleb.

"You didn't have a vision?" Dora asked. "Lucky."

Caius could see how pale Ares looked. Something had terrified him, but he obviously didn't want to share it yet. "No," Ares said. "Are you okay?"

"Like I said, I'm creeped out, but I'll be alright." Dora began explaining the vision of Katherine that she'd had. Caius knew that was who this girl was... Zordon's half-sister, Tommy's wife, Katie's mother... And he knew she'd just threatened to kill his son a second time.

"Excuse me," Caius said softly. "I need to call Caleb."

The door opened and Caleb walked in with Thorn. Both of them looked shaken up. Caius let out a sigh of relief at the sight of his son. "Caleb..." He said, walking toward him.

Caleb looked at them and seemed to realize the truth. "You guys all saw it, too?" He asked.

"I saw a freaky blue psychopath coming after us all," Dora said. "Dad didn't see anything, but Caius-"

Caius looked at Caleb as he said, "Katherine is back... And she threatened you directly."

Thorn automatically pulled Caleb closer to him. "I won't let her hurt him," he said.

"I know," Caius replied. "None of us will." He put a comforting hand on Caleb's shoulder.

"Ollie's going to call you. He wants to get the team together," Caleb said, clearly pushing his emotions back.

"Of course. And I must contact Zordon... You boys should eat something. There's lasagna in the refrigerator. Excuse me." Caius headed to his study, where he had a device he could use to contact his oldest friend.

Zordon replied right away. "Caius... I sense this is not a social call," he said.

"No, my friend," Caius replied. "I am afraid it is not."

ZORDON

He sensed something in the air. Zordon knew his father was up to something, but that didn't fully explain the sense of trouble and loss. He was not at all surprised when Caius admitted his call was not a casual one.

"Does this have to do with my father?" Zordon asked cautiously. He braced himself for the worst. When his father had initially returned, he'd murdered Zordon, destroying most of his power. Sage and Troy had nearly killed themselves to resurrect him, but his father had knocked him back to the fifteen-year-old boy he'd been when he'd killed him so many millennia before. Through a lot of effort, Zordon had gotten his power back, but he'd still had no memories of killing his father or anything that came after except for a few small flashes. Only after a horrific attack on the Eltarian Government had Zordon remembered everything else. Physically, he was still a teenager, but on the inside, he was himself once more. Now, his twin sister Anise was the Prime Minister of Eltar, and Zordon was taking care of Mena, their cousin Rey's teenaged daughter. Rey had been the Prime Minister for a very long time before he was killed in the attack. No one on Eltar had remembered that Rey and Zordon were cousins after all this time. They'd decided it was for the best given the family history. The truth had come out that day. In spite of this, Mena was adjusting well enough, and she'd recently become part of a new team of Power Rangers.

"Zell has found a way to bring Katherine back," Caius said, causing Zordon to focus on the present.

"Katherine?" Zordon sighed. "I feared this time might come. We must be cautious, Caius. I suspect Katherine is capable of far more than we realize." He tried not to think about Katherine too often. She'd been one of his Rangers once. He'd been attached to her. Finding out she was evil was bad enough, but learning she was his younger sister had been too much to process.

"Ollie is gathering the Chosen. I will send you the details shortly. Zordon... I believe it is time."

Zordon knew he was right. "I shall bring the talismans."

"See you soon, my friend." Caius severed the connection.

Zordon sent out a quick message to Anise. Katherine is alive. Be prepared.

Anise quickly replied with, I always am.

Fifteen minutes later, Caius sent Zordon the details of the meeting. Zordon gathered up what he needed and headed to the location.

Everyone basically arrived at the same time. Looking at the children, Zordon was reminded of the first generation of the Chosen. Ollie stood stoically holding his family sword, the same one Dimitri Scott had once used proudly. Tammy was excitedly standing beside him, her light radiating a bit as Raven Taylor's always had. Angie looked nervous but strong, just as Morgana Fairhaven had been in the end. Tia radiated magic and power in the same way Galaxia Campbell had perfected. Brian smiled at him impishly, his grin as infectious as Quintus Kwan's had been. Caleb seemed to be trying to make himself invisible, preferring to watch the others quietly rather than demand attention, which was the epitome of Caius Grant. Finally, Taylor watched the others protectively, seemingly waiting for an unseen threat to emerge. Zedd had always been like that, too. He had been happy to just spend time with his friends, but even when in a relaxed setting, he never stopped looking out for them.

"Hi, Zordon," Brian said cheerfully, since no one else had acknowledged him. He waved at him with a huge smile on his face, making Zordon smile back.

"Hello, everyone," Zordon said.

"Zordon is here tonight because he has something each of you needs," Caius said. "As do I."

"Presents? You shouldn't have!" Brian joked.

Zordon presented the talismans. "As you all know, Maddie had to have the powers of the Chosen removed from her to save them from falling into my father's hands," he began. "Liza turned the powers into talismans to be given to each of you in your hour of need. We believe that time has come." He paused. "These powers are full duplicates of the original Chosen's. They shall boost your levels significantly. You must learn to adapt to the increase." He began passing out the talismans. The red one went to Ollie. As he put it around his neck, it began to glow brighter.

He gave the yellow one to Tia, who held it in her hand as it hung around her neck. She looked like a sense of peace had been granted to her suddenly.

The black talisman was given to Tammy. As she put it around her neck, a blinding light burst from it. She took a deep breath and pulled some of the light back so everyone could see again.

He took the green talisman and gave it to Angie. As she put it around her neck, her usual purple spirals of magic poured out of her. To everyone's surprise, green spirals appeared and danced with the purple ones. Angie gasped. Zordon smiled sadly, reminded of Morgana's magic.

Caleb's talisman was next. It was the blue one. He took it, silently nodding at Zordon before putting it around his neck.

Brian smiled at Zordon as he took the gold talisman. "Gold bling!" He said cheerfully. A flame burst out from his back for a moment as he put on the talisman. He laughed and said, "Oops! Party foul."

Finally, Zordon stood in front of Taylor. He handed him the white talisman. Taylor shrugged and put it on. It hummed with energy and Zordon was nearly overcome with emotion. Zedd had never officially made it into the Chosen, but now Taylor held the powers of his line. Taylor didn't understand this, but his existence was truly a miracle. Zordon was grateful every day that Galaxia had found a way to save Zedd's light from being fully destroyed by his father.

"The talismans will serve as training wheels, so to speak," Caius explained to the new generation. "They are a tool through which you may channel the powers until you have full control over them, or until we run out of time. When the power is fully absorbed by you, the talismans will shatter. In an effort to help some of you connect to your ancestors on a deeper level, I am here to ensure each of you has something which once belonged to them. Some of you already do... Ollie, the Scott family sword has been passed down for generations. You already have a powerful connection to it and I know it shall serve you well in battle." Ollie gripped the sword slightly tighter, nodding in the same stoic manner Dimitri would have.

"Tia, you already possess Xia's amulet," Caius explained.

Tia looked stunned. "Of course..." She whispered as realization dawned on her. She pulled the amulet out from beneath her blouse. Zordon was filled with a sense of missing Galaxia as he saw her amulet. He'd seen it since she'd died, of course. Aisha had worn it for years after her grandmother gave it to her. The amulet had helped stop one of the many monsters the Rangers had faced, Hate Master. The magic in the amulet had protected Aisha from the monster's spell, and she'd ultimately saved the rest of her team. Zordon tried not to focus on what had become of Aisha. She'd been pure of heart once, but his father had corrupted her.

"Mama told me this was a powerful talisman against evil, passed down for generations," Tia explained. "She never told me it belonged to Galaxia. I assume she did not know." She clutched the talisman in her hands, looking both sad and determined.

Caius moved on. "Taylor... You already have your father's horse," he said.

"And his sarcasm, snark, personality, and hobbies," Taylor added sarcastically. "I'm about as connected to him as possible."

"Most of all, you have his light," Caius said. Taylor didn't add any sarcastic replies after that, so Caius went to the next person. "Tammy... You have one of Raven's most beloved possessions in your home... His guitar."

"I do?" Tammy asked in surprise. "The only guitar in my house is in perfect condition and can't possibly be that old. It was my..." She paused. "My dad's."

"Xia's preservation spells were quite powerful. She cast one on both the guitar and the flute, to keep part of Raven alive forever. His beloved was laid to rest with the flute, which we believed he would have wanted. He asked that it be given to her so that..." Caius closed his eyes and took a breath to compose himself. "So that her lips could touch his once more. When she passed, Xia removed the spell so it could burn with her."

Taylor stiffened at the mention of burning. Tammy automatically reached her light toward him, soothing him.

"The guitar was given to Raven's son, and passed down through the generations. It belongs to you, now, Tammy... As does this," Caius began. He pulled a stone out of his pocket.

"Caius... Where did you find that?" Zordon asked in surprise.

"In his room, about three decades after we lost him. I don't understand how. I know it was with him when he perished... But I believe he wanted me to give it to his descendant... Tammy, Raven used this stone from his village to ground himself, to pray for guidance, and to call forth protection. I believe it shall protect you as well."

Tammy took the stone. "I'll make it into a necklace," she decided aloud. "It'll look cool, and it's easier to explain wearing jewelry than carrying around a stone."

"I believe he would approve of that," Caius said with a smile. Zordon knew he was right. Raven had been all for creativity. Caius turned to Angie. "Angie... For you, I have something very special." He pulled out a wand. "This wand belonged to Morgana. I know you have a wand of your own, but this one is much smaller and can be kept on your person without needing to summon it."

Angie took the wand. It immediately began shooting off sparks, coming to life for the first time since Morgana had died. Caius and Galaxia had recovered it from her body that day. Zordon tried not to flash back on that horrible day, when Rita had accidentally killed Dimitri and Master Vile had killed Morgana to keep her from telling her daughter the truth.

"Caleb... I believe it is time to pass this along," Caius continued. He pulled out a reflective black stone that had been fashioned into a bracelet. "This is my scrying stone. When I really need to summon a vision, I can use this to call one forward. It comes from the Mystics... It possesses powerful magic, but I must warn you, it will not always show you what you are trying to see. It will, however, show you what you need to see, even if it does not seem that way at the time."

Caleb studied the stone before putting the bracelet on his wrist. It had a cover that could be flipped over to hide the stone so it didn't just induce spontaneous visions constantly. Caleb quickly looked at the stone before covering it. "Thanks, Caius... I'll take good care of it," Caleb promised.

Caius nodded. "I know you will." He turned to Brian. "Brian-"

"My turn? Goody!" Brian said eagerly.

Caius smiled at him sadly before pulling out a leather bracelet etched with flames. "Quintus found this at the marketplace and fell in love with it. He wore it everywhere." He handed Brian the bracelet.

"I can see why... It's cool!" Brian declared. "I feel like a badass."

"Brian, there is one other thing... I asked Alpha to teleport it here for you from your house. Your mother had no idea what she possessed, but..." Caius revealed a sword Zordon knew all too well. The sight of it caused Zordon's skin to pale.

"This was Quin's sword. In the right hands, it can actually burst into flames in battle. When he died, I passed it on to Quang Bu, his son. It was passed down just like the Scott sword... This sword is very important, Brian... Because after Quin died, this was the sword that Zordon used to kill his father."

Brian stared at the sword. "This thing killed Zell?" He asked.

"Yes," Zordon said, trying to recover. "And it may be the strongest weapon we have against him. Guard that sword with everything you have, Brian."

Brian turned serious, an extremely rare state for him. "I promise," he said.

"Now that you have all connected to these powers and items... I believe it is a good time for some training," Caius said.

As the new Chosen began training, Zordon looked at Caius. "They have come a long way," he said.

"They still have far to go," Caius replied. "I believe in them... I only wish I could make the journey easier for them."

"As do I," Zordon agreed. He knew he couldn't be the one to destroy his father this time, or the cycle would simply begin again, but if it came down to it, could he really sit back and watch the new Chosen meet the same fate the original team had?

It won't come to that, Zordon told himself. This time, they will not fail.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I hope you liked the first chapter! There's plenty more to come! Reviews are always appreciated. Expect to see all of the surviving characters you've seen in the previous fics return to play their parts in this fight! (Except for Cassie and Lucas, who are currently still stuck in the past fighting the last bit of Divatox.) The Legacy team and their parents will be featured more in the coming chapters, but this chapter was meant to set up this fic, re-introduce the Chosen team, and recap the other fics a bit. Stay tuned for more!