"Guys! Wake up and smell the darkness! We've done our best. We failed. We're no match for that thing. Fine. Yes…I've given up."
It beaks her heart to hear him say those words. Those words she thought would never come out of his mouth. Xander looks down while Vida gazes at him in disbelief. Chip looks away then back to the others. After all they did to persuade him, after all they've been through, he's done for. They finally broke him.
No. he still has me, I can still help them. After all this time of being a wallflower, after all this time of never speaking my mind, I need to do it. Now. If I don't, we're all lost.
"Don't you say that. Don't you say that." I walk closer to him, passing between Vida and Xander. "Not you. You have held us together for all of this, you will not give up." He turns away. Probably because he knows I'm right. I hesitate, but the defeated look in his eyes spur me on.
"Listen to me!" I cry, pulling on his arm. He turns back to me. The way his shoulders sag, the crushed look on his face, it gives me all the confidence to keep going.
"Giving up is not an option for you." I even point my finger at him. If this doesn't help him, then there's nothing left. It's all over. "We are a team and you are this team's leader, we go on no matter what!"
Nick faces me, his eyes slowly raising to meet mine. The rest of the team is staring at me, surprised I would ever talk like that, especially to Nick who I was the quietest around. But I didn't care. If that made him want to go on, then it was worth it.
In his eyes I can see relief, sadness, anger and…hope? Was that it? Was that the little point of light that I could see, that I caused?
"It is time to finish this meal." Lightening came out of nowhere before Nick could say anything. I am thrust backwards against the stone wall and land hard on my back. An unbearable pain erupts in my stomach, making me curl up. The rest of the team is scattered next to me. We are all hurt, spread out, defenseless. I see the Master come forth and fear takes hold of me. There's nothing left. We lost.
That one thought causes despair to engulf me. Just moments earlier I was telling Nick not to give up and here I was inches from surrender. I hear the groans of my friends, my sister, Nick. And I know I can't give up. Not after what I told him. Everything was true. Except…
The one thing I want to say to him if we die today, I can't. I can't tell anyone. But if today's my last day…
I lean over on my side, facing Nick, the words on my lips.
I love you.
But I didn't say them. I couldn't. For at that moment the Master speaks.
"Welcome…to your end," He cackles. Thoughts run through my head, confused and scared. I need to get up, I need to save the world, I need…
Nick.
He is looking around at us, laying on the floor, filled with hurt and his beaten look is gone. Now there's just concern for us and determination to go on. His eyes linger a second on mine and I try to tell him what I need to say.
"Not here," He whispers, getting up. He struggles and I want to help him so badly, but I can't even get myself up. My heart rate speeds up as I see him walk steadily towards the Master.
"Not now," He says louder, stepping close to me. I try to reach out to him, but he stands in front of me as to protect me from the evil darkness.
"This is not our end," Nick exclaims. I feel so happy that he wasn't giving up, that I pushed him to keep going on until we died. That he has going to die fighting.
"You are only one," the Master rasps. He stands taller, but Nick doesn't back down. He's so brave.
"And unfortunately for you, the wrong one." Nick counters. He pulls out his Magi Staff and his Mystic Lion Staff.
"I call forth the powers of good magic still left in the world. Of all the good magic still left in my body. Come to me now!"
I stare in horror as the Master growls and starts forward. I want to call out to him, tell him everything, but I can't. My voice doesn't work. I'm too weak.
I love that he's standing up to the Master, that he'll die trying, but I can't let him die in front of me. I won't let that happen. Not while I'm still breathing.
Though my breathing is getting slower and shallower. I feel weary,
"Magical source, mystic force!" Nick cries out. And he's once more transformed back into the Red Ranger. He's done it somehow. I almost want to faint from relief. Then I realize it's not from relief. I really do want to faint, it just hurts so much. I really want to go to sleep, but if I do, I think there's a chance I won't wake up. I force myself to keep my head up, even as pain blossoms inside of me.
"The Light will be most delectable," the Master exclaims. His tentacles reach out to strike Nick. I cry out, but they are in a world beyond hearing. They are locked in an epic battle for our world, oblivious to everything except winning.
Though I do notice Nick steps backwards, closer to me. This reassures me. He wants me safe, wants me protected. I try to steady myself on my forearm, but my eyes are getting heavy and the pain has become a dull throbbing. I need to stay awake, I need to stay awake, I tell myself repeatedly. But it's so hard, and I'm so tired…
"No, my armor!" The Master screams. Nick had broken his armor around his head, the head that held the time back to our world and the good magic he stole. Nick sticks his Magi staff deep into the Master, knowing somehow that it will get us home.
"Return us, now!" He yells. He turns to us, but everything is fuzzy. I feel like I'm falling down a dark tunnel. It would feel so god to hit the bottom, to lie down and rest for a long time. I just want to land, and sleep. I can barely make out the shape of red in front of me, the green, pink, and yellow shapes surrounding me. But all I can focus on is red, Nick. There's a light behind Nick, glowing so brightly it hurts my eyes to look at it.
"Take my hand!" He shouts, but it sounds like a mere whisper to me. Everything is coming together, the Earth beneath me is wobbling and I can't think straight. The ache becomes stronger now, immobilizing me. It hurts so much. Why can't I just die…
"Quickly!" Nick yells again, but as hard as I try, I can't get up. My body feels as heavy as stones. My legs won't hold me, my arms can barely keep me up. I can make out the green, yellow and pink shapes running towards him and joining hands, but I can't move. It would feel so good just to lie down here forever.
"Maddie! What are you doing?" Vida shouts but I don't respond.
"Get up Maddie! We have to go?" Chip joins in. My arm slips a little more as I get closer to the ground. The pain is eating me away and I am weary.
"Madison! Hurry! Please hurry!" cries Xander. They all want to help me, but they don't want to let go.
"Maddie, please! Please get up!" Nick yells along with the others. But I can't. I can't move. My eyes find Nick. They just want to close so badly. Why isn't this over?
Nick turns to Xander. "Hold my Magi Staff. I've got to get her." Xander looks shocked.
"Nick, if you try and get her, you'll-"
"I know." Nick cuts him off. "I know we might not make it. But I have to. I have to get Maddie." Before Xander can saw anything, he shoves his Magi Staff into his hands and makes his way towards me against the wind.
"Nick, no!" Chip screams. Vida doesn't say anything, but her eyes tell it all. She doesn't want to leave me behind, yet this could reduce the world back to the ashes like the way the Master wanted. My head falls on my arm. I can't hold myself up any longer.
"Maddie, Maddie can you hear me?" Nick's voice penetrates my mind so that I can barely make out him kneeling beside me.
"Maddie, please answer me. What's wrong? Please, I need you to get up. Right now, I need you to get up. If not for Xander or Chip or Vida or even the rest of the world, then for me."
"Nick," I whisper. It's all I can manage before I collapse. He catches my shoulders and pulls me close.
"Hang on Madison. I'll get you out of this. I promise."
"Nick, we have to go!" shouts Xander. The light is becoming brighter and brighter. Nick reaches out a hand to catch Chip's.
"Don't let go!" Chip tells him. The wind is whipping our hair back and stinging my eyelids. I turn my face into Nick's chest to shield me from it. All I can hear are the grunts of my friends as they strain to hold on and as the force pushes them backwards. My pain is less intensified, but I still couldn't hold myself up. Just having Nick here, this close to me, holding me, it calms me down enough so that I can comprehend what's going on.
"Maddie! Maddie listen! Whatever happens don't let go of me! Okay! Don't let me go!" Nick screams in my ear, his one arm tightening around me while the other clutches Chip's all the more tightly. I nod my head.
I'll never let you go Nick. Ever. You mean too much to me for me to let go. I love you Nick. I'll never stop.
The Master's shrieks loudly increase, as does the pressure on us. The wind is whipping us harder than ever and the light is all the more blinding. Slowly the Master's outcries fade away and I feel like I'm falling.