A/N: Sorry for the late update! Lots of errands and rehearsal! I'm liking where I'm going with this story, so let's get going!

I might introduce the first monster in the next chapter or two, it depends on how things turn out.


Chapter 4: Thor's Knot

Back at the university, Maria had made a movie night for the newly-brought-together Crystal Rangers so that they had an opportunity to bond. Maria had a bunch of different movies across multiple genres, and hoped that they would find something that everyone would love. She also provided the popcorn and snacks for the movie, making sure she accommodated for if anyone had allergies. Everyone put on their pajamas and started making their way to Maria's room.

"Hey, Thor, we're going to be late!" Dan said as he pulled a shirt on and Ruby perched on his shoulder.

"I'll catch up with you, Dan," Thor replied, writing something. "I just have something I need to do."

"All right, I'll tell them," Dan assured him before going out the door, making sure his room key was in his pajama pants pocket before leaving. He only looked back once before shutting the door.

Once the door was shut, Thor took out one more thing from his suitcase that he planned to put on his dresser: a small mirror that served as a communication module to Remonse. He placed his Power Gem on the mirror, and Remonse's face appeared.

"What's your report, Thor?" the Dark Lord inquired.

"I have met the other Gem Rangers, my lord. They are all going to the same university as I, as you have foretold," Thor replied, bowing in his seat. He straightened up, saying, "The Red Ranger is my current roommate, and the rest of the Rangers live in the same hall and floor as I do."

"Excellent; this will make our job easier, knowing that they will all be in one place. The sooner the Rangers are destroyed, the sooner you will reach your full potential." Remonse's smile was one of ferality, although Thor knew that it was to the Power Rangers and not to him, especially since Thor had pledged his loyalty to Remonse when he first met him.

"Indeed, my lord."

"Right now, your first mission is to gain their trust. That way, when it is time to destroy them, they will be destroyed from the inside and outside."

"Of course, my lord. As you wish."

"Excellent, Thor. I look forward to your next report."

The mirror rippled back to normal, and Thor put his room key into his pocket before Emerald perched on Thor's shoulder and the two left the room. Thor couldn't help but feel something fighting inside of him, as if he was –

He didn't get time to figure that out, as he arrived at Maria's room. Her door was open, and everyone else had already arrived. They were all sitting either on a set of chairs under a lofted bed or on the floor in front of them, and they were all facing a television under the other lofted bed.

Maria saw him and said, "Oh, Thor, finally! We were starting to wonder if you were going to arrive in time!"

"Yeah, what was taking you so long?" Pandora asked.

"Something I needed to get done. Didn't Dan tell you guys?" Thor asked, confused.

"He said you needed to do something, but you took longer than we thought you would. We're just worried," Maria said.

Thor sighed. "All right, you guys win this one. Anyway, what're we watching?"

"We're still divided on Nightmare Before Christmas and Coraline," Dan explained. "You are our deciding vote."

"I'm all for Nightmare, but I've never seen Coraline," Thor said.

"That's it!" Maria said, dragging Thor into the room and seating him down in front of Dan's chair, which was in the middle of the group. "We're watching Coraline so you can see it for the first time!"

So everyone watched Coraline. Maria couldn't help but sing along to the mumbo-jumbo lyrics in the background, but no one minded. Thor watched as the movie told the story, and he had to admit – it really was a good movie. All throughout the movie, Maria provided popcorn and other snacks, and everyone agreed that if they were to have any more movie nights, they would be at Maria's and Pandora's room.

After the movie, Blake came up to Thor, Diamond perched on her shoulder. "Hey, Thor, can we talk? Alone?"

Thor and Emerald followed Blake to a living area in the floor, and asked, "What is it, Blake?"

"I know your secret," Blake said outright. "I know you've already pledged yourself to Remonse."

Thor and Emerald tried to protest, but Blake held a hand out, stopping them.

"Don't try lying to me. I'm able to see past people's lies. They tell them not with their lips, but with their eyes and bodies. Yours tell me that you met Remonse when you found Emerald – or something to that nature. You promised him your loyalty, and now you're his spy. I ought to tell everyone here your secret." She took a step closer to Thor. "But I'm not. You're going to have to make a choice eventually, Thor, and you will have to live with the consequences of that choice. I just hope you make the right one."

Blake turned around to walk away, but Thor reached out a hand and said, "Wait. How can you read people like that? Is it one of your abilities?"

Blake turned her head, saying, "I've been studying how to do it since I was six. I've been able to do it since three years ago. Don't underestimate my abilities, Thor."

"I'm not. I'm just asking how you knew how to do that."

"Fair enough. Good night, Thor."

"Good night, Blake."

Thor and Blake walked back to their dorm rooms, and Thor found that Dan was already in his loft bed.

"Hey, Thor. Cool mirror," Dan greeted, gesturing to the mirror on Thor's desk.

Thor looked at the mirror, then back at Dan, smiled, and said, "Oh, thanks. I… I got it from a relative of mine," he lied, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well, that's cool," Dan replied, buying the lie. "Well, we got class in the morning, so I'm going to sleep. G'night."

"Good night."

Emerald and Ruby both went on the desks and curled up, going to sleep almost immediately. Dan turned over and went to sleep, as well.

It took Thor almost half an hour to finally go to sleep.

When Thor dreamed, it wasn't like a normal dream that one would simply waltz on through – it was like it was actually happening, and they always came true. Oddly enough, it didn't start being that way until he bonded with the green Power Gem.

This time, he was in the middle of a battle alongside the Crystal Rangers, and he heard Remonse's voice saying, "Now is the time, Thor. Strike them, and destroy them!"

Thor raised his dagger, ready to do so, but he heard two voices scream out, "Thor! No!"

He looked harder, and realized that it was Dan and – was that a professor? The professor held out something that looked like a belt buckle and yelled out, "Dragonzord!" and transformed into a Ranger similar to Thor, but his helmet looked like the head of a dragon, and his suit didn't have a crystalline design all along it.

"DESTROY THEM!" Remonse screamed at Thor, and his head exploded with pain. All he could do was hold his head and scream out from the pain, falling down and falling into an almost-fetal position.

When he woke up, he jerked up, covered head-to-toe with sweat. He held his head and found that there was still a leftover bit of the pain from the dream. He took some deep breaths, then went to take a shower. Once he came back, Emerald was awake, and Dan and Ruby were gone.

"Another vision?" Emerald asked.

"Yeah. They're getting more terrifying," Thor replied, sitting down as he pulled on some socks and shoes. "In this one, there was another Green Ranger, but he wasn't a Crystal Ranger. Remonse was telling me to destroy the Crystal Rangers, and Dan and this other Green Ranger were telling me not to. Then I got this awful headache… then I woke up."

"I just wish I knew how to help you, but no Green Ranger before you ever had a vision – ever."

"You've said that. I wonder if it has something to do with Remonse being released."

"I think so, too, but let's see what we can do. After all, you know what he'll do to your family if you don't do his will."

"I know very well…"

Thor sighed and picked up his books that he needed that day, then put them in his bag, leaving it open for Emerald to come with him. He also grabbed his gym bag, since he had to meet up with a professor after class in the gym locker room.