POWER RANGERS MYTHIC KNIGHTS
EPISODE 38: Blackout
WRITTEN BY ZAK KAYES, JOEY TURNER, JIMMY MAEHER, AND KATHRINE HAWKINS

(A whole week had passed since Quintin and Cicuta joined the Knights. Some were happy to see Quintin [Vance anyway, the others still struggled to trust him], but having Gale come back was a different story. Vance, JT, and Alexis welcomed Gale back with open arms. For the four of them, it had seemed like nothing had changed. Training, meals, the only thing that wasn't the same was Gale having to stay behind because the risk of morphing was too high. None too pleased with not being able to join the others, she took it in stride. After having her life force taken away for so long, getting herself back into fit and fighting shape took top priority. But training for her was sadly not easy. Every time she felt herself trying to focus, flashes of what had happened in the past appeared. She could still feel Ziara watching her, her maniacal laughter alive in her ears no matter how hard she tried to get it out from her mind. And with this, sleep was nearly impossible. Upon returning back to her base, she fell asleep and found herself back in Arcana's lair, running from an invading shadowy figure: shaped exactly like Ziara and closing in on her. She stopped and turned around to face the figure this time, getting into a stance.)

GALE: I've had enough of your games, Ziara! You will NOT break me, no matter how hard you try! I WILL find you and I WILL destroy you!

(The figure mysteriously stopped. There was dead silence until the laughter began to emanate from all around her. The figure summoned the Serpent Soul Scythe in it's hands and twirled it effortlessly.)

ZIARA: Oh just wait, Freya, my dear apprentice! I will be the one to break you, and when I do, you'll come crawling on your knees to me begging for either forgiveness, (She raised the scythe high over her head.)...or death.

(Gale braced herself and before she could launch an attack, she felt the scythe pierce into her and the pain caused a scream, a sound that jolted her from her bed and right onto the floor. The thud jolted her out of her terror, and she saw with relief that she was back in her room As her breath slowed back to normal, she slowly crawled back onto her bed and reached for…no one. Her eyes scanned her bed, noticing that, once again, it was only her. Having been so used to having Curtis beside her, she sighed quietly, recalling why he was no longer there.)

GALE (She growled quietly): Ziara… this is all her fault! She and that stupid scythe made me push him away! (She peered over to her morpher, while weakened, it was still in one piece.) At least I've still got you…

(KNIGHT RANGER BASE, 2 DAYS EARLIER)

(Things had gotten quiet after dinner. The table that originally held four was fixed now to hold seven. Vance, JT, Alexis, and Curtis sat on one side while Sondre, Gale, and Quintin sat on the other. They had each talked about what happened recently and seemed happy and content for once that things were back to "normal" for them. Gale hadn't really said much but kept note of the conversations. With her Shadow Senses, she was getting mysterious vibes from the others. They were mostly from Quintin, who sat on one side of her, and Sondre on the other. And what she had noticed mostly was the way Curtis and Sondre were looking at and talking to one another. She had overheard the conversation between Curtis and Sondre and didn't think much of it but she was soon growing suspicious. After dinner, she had made her way back to her room and found Curtis waiting for her there. Initially confused, she shook it off.)

GALE: Took time to talk to me for once?

CURTIS: ...I've had a lot of things on my mind.

GALE: I can see that. (She went over towards the door and stopped to look at him.) So, I guess you have a reason for coming to talk to me seeing as how when I try to talk to you, you strangely avoid me.

CURTIS: It's not that. I've been preoccupied with trying to update all the security here so no one can just walk right in here unless they go through a scan. Though, to be fair, this place has some high tech security that Sondre and Alexis installed that I didn't think they had access to.

GALE: Hmm, funny you should mention Sondre. It could just be me, but you seemed a little too happy to see him. You two were at each other's throats for the longest time since things went south between us.

CURTIS: I didn't realize I was being interrogated. I came by to ask if you wanted different blankets.

GALE: Yeah, I'm sure. (She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes towards him.)

CURTIS: Gale, can we not do this? Please?

GALE: Do what? I don't know what "this" is supposed to be. I thought that maybe you'd be happy to see me or at least glad to know I'm alive, but you seem to care quite a lot about the guy who slept with me and broke our relationship.

CURTIS: Don't pin this all on Sondre! Sondre has...Sondre is not a part of this conversation.

GALE (She raised an eyebrow): So then why are you still acting this way towards me? You're mad at me, for whatever reason, when I let all the things that happened in the past slide. I don't see what the problem is anymore, so that it gives you the right to treat me like a stranger?

CURTIS (He suddenly became very serious): You found out that you were part demon and LET your dark urges take over so you could cheat on me because you thought I didn't care about who you really were. You thought I wanted to exterminate the darker side of you so things could go back to normal. And I broke up with you because you lied straight to my face over having an affair with Sondre.

GALE (A smug smirk crossed her lips): Yeah, thanks for the cliffsnotes version. So in those six months, did you just dump me aside for someone else? After all we've been through, you don't even want to try and fix things, at all? You've always told me there's a second chance. You PROMISED me in the past that if there was a problem, we would fix it. So what is this supposed to be then? Are you sleeping with someone else or am I just "imagining" the looks you're given to your new boytoy?

CURTIS: HE IS NOT MY BOYTOY. (Gale actually stepped back, having not seen an angry side of her ex in a long time.) We are THROUGH, Gale. Done, the book is closed. How much clearer do I have to be with you?! You know what? I was actually going to try and maybe see if we could be friends. I was trying to come up with the right words to say to you, but right now, I don't even know what to say. Who I'm with is no longer your business. Who I'm happy with is no longer your concern.

(Gale could only watch as Curtis walked right past her and out of sight. She just stood there, trying to figure out what just happened.)

(WEST MEADOWBOROUGH MEMORIAL PARK, 2:33 AM)

(Gale could have cared less at this point. She had grabbed some of her casual clothes and slipped them on with a sweatshirt and left the base to get some alone time in the park. No one was around and that was just how she liked it. She stopped momentarily at the fountain and exhaled quietly, looking down at the water and sitting on the edge. It only took a moments to start seeing images of her and Curtis flash by. The only voices that filled her head this time were the arguments she and him had. What she wasn't aware of, though, was someone approaching from behind. Her senses kicked in and she balled up her fists, ready to strike.)

GALE (She growled quietly): You've got ten seconds to stay the hell away from me or I'll burn you to a crisp.

?: Charming. You're the very picture of warmth, aren't you?

(Gale turned her head and was ready to attack until she saw someone that looked unfamiliar to her. A tan woman with shoulder-length black hair, silver eyes, and a curvy but fit physique stood before her. She wore a black tank top with gold beading down the front, hip-hugging dark blue jeans with a simple black belt, and a pair of gold-colored flats. Gale had never seen her before, but something about that glare on her face was very familiar.)

? (Her voice was very familiar): So, how long until you figure out who I am?

GALE (It took her a few seconds before she recognized the voice): ...Lucerna?

LUCERNA: And she gets a cookie for getting it on the first try. But ignoring that for now, what are you doing out here all alone?

GALE: None of your business. I need some fresh air.

LUCERNA: I don't know whether to believe that or not. You…you are a strange human. Well, Halfling, but who's really keeping up? You are the only one around here except Quintin that I haven't been able to figure out. Why is that? Why can't I get a good read on you or your personality? What in the world are you trying to hide?

GALE (She kept her anger in check for now, not wanting to start a fight): l...why do you even care? I don't even know half of you and the other dragons that just magically showed up. I don't WANT anyone to figure out who I am.

LUCERNA (She frowned slightly but maintained her composure for once): Yes, that was obvious.

GALE: Don't you have a partner or something to look after? Seems like everyone on that team gets a dragon except...well me.

LUCERNA (She went over and decided to sit next to Gale): I have no partner, nor do I wish for one. I suppose, in a way, we have that in common. Neither of us really care to let others too close, do we? Even still, just because you aren't my partner doesn't mean I can't look after you if need be. I look after all my teammates.

GALE (She slowly let her guard down and sighed): I can't help but feel...neglected. Everyone seems so awkward around me now and they have every right to be. I just want things to not be so tense but I can't...I can't seem to focus enough to convince myself things ARE normal. Well, normal-ish if you count JT and...Quintin of all people to be on our team.

LUCERNA: Well, I may not know anything about you, but I can tell you that awkwardness is a two-way street. You were in the Nether for a long time. Are you sure it's that they are awkward around you and not the other way around?

GALE: ...I hadn't thought of that. (She sighed and leaned over slightly, crossing her arms over her knees.) I should be happy I'm back and away from that psychotic vixen, but I'm not. I'm on edge half the time.

LUCERNA: Why is that? You are safe at home with your friends. What is it that has you constantly on edge?

GALE: It's because of Ziara. You haven't met her yet, but you will. She's Arcana's apprentice. About a year ago, she got her hands on this weapon called the Serpent Soul Scythe. It magnifies the anger and darkness within you and channels it into the Scythe and it has the ability to separate your soul from your body. When she was working for King Grieger, she attacked me and the others at a zoo and she managed to kill us. We barely got away and Sondre helped bring us back with the Soul Rebirth scroll. But even though I died, I almost immediately came back to life.

LUCERNA: I see. That's a lot to go through. But still, dying and coming back to life? Did we step into an episode of Dragon Ball Z when I wasn't looking? (Gale looked at her, Lucerna looked awkward,) Uh, JT taught me that.

GALE (She shook her head): I scanned myself to see what was wrong and somehow my DNA had changed. I was a Halfing. The scanner said I had been born one.

LUCERNA: Born? But I thought Halflings were made?

GALE: Not like this. My Halfing cells were dormant, or rather recessive, at birth. Halflings have two lives, just like the simplest demons do. Some have three, but that's extremely rare. I lost my first life when Ziara killed me but as Curtis has pointed out, I became very different. I stole the Scythe from Ziara, but the Scythe began to change me. It made me aggressive and unstable and it made me lose the one man I love more then anything. I wanted to go and find out who I was, but Curtis didn't want to associate himself with me anymore. So he left. And when I went off to try and find answers, Ziara and Arcana kidnapped me and...

LUCERNA: You were trapped with them until Sondre rescued you, am I right? I see you have been through a Hell and a half, but you're still standing here. I'm impressed.

GALE: There are days where I question why I'm still here. And what good am I now? My morpher's too badly damaged by the Nether and that energy wave Nebulai emitted. They tried EVERYTHING to destroy it, but it can still work. But it's too risky to use.

LUCERNA: You and your morpher are fighters. You continue to strive and struggle forward in spite of everything that's been thrown at you. (She paused, frowning at herself.) I admit, when they first brought you here, I wondered why they had rescued you. You didn't seem to be worth the trouble initially. Now I understand why. You are a true warrior.

GALE: You haven't seen me fight.

LUCERNA: I don't need to. I can see it in your eyes right now. As much darkness and despair you have in those eyes, I still see a spark that is fighting to stay alive. You are a Power Ranger down to your very soul, Gale. Above everything else, you are a Knight. I apologize for not understanding that sooner. (She gave Gale a small smile.) You belong here.

GALE (She nodded): Thank you.

LUCERNA: One last thing. I'm no expert on relationships or anything, but I don't need to be one to see the tension between you, Curtis, and Sondre. I think the three of you need to sort things out before you can really feel comfortable here. Thats the best advice I can give.

(Gale nodded and watched Lucerna leave. She sat there for a moment and thought everything over before nodding. She needed answers and there was only one real way to get them.)

(OPENING CREDITS)

(NEXT MORNING, KNIGHT RANGER BASE: DRAGON STABLES)

(Glaciem woke early the next morning, though she hadn't slept much in the first place. There was a lot going through her mind all the time now, and she hadn't really gotten much rest as a result. She sat quietly, looking out a window as she waited for her siblings to wake up. As per usual, Calisto was up right around the same time as Glaciem, not wanting to miss out on his daily training routine. He started with his daily stretches and when he got to his wings, he noticed Glaciem was already up and getting food from the small kitchenette next to their stables. Moving over, he noticed Prismio was slightly bouncy and already awake, Arbusto was barely awake at all, Lucerna was sound asleep and so was Cicuta. He paused by Cicuta and smiled. She looked like she had actually gotten some rest. Trotting over to get some food, he nudged Glaciem with his head.)

GLACIEM: Oh, good morning, Calisto.

CALISTO: Morning, sis! (He smiled.) What are you doing up this early? You're not usually up till 10:30 or so.

GLACIEM: I didn't sleep very well, I suppose. I have so much on my mind these days.

ARBUSTO (He mumbled in his sleep): N-n-no Jackson, I said not to peanut butter the marsupials. (He suddenly jolted awake in fear, and groaned.) Ugh, all this "JT-bonding" is starting to twist my dreams!

LUCERNA (She found herself awoken by Arbusto's yelp): Well damn. I was having a good dream too.

PRISMIO (He seemed uncomfortable about something): Uh… my dreams were… nothing special.

(The three dragons got up and went into the kitchenette.)

GLACIEM: It seems we're all having an early morning. Shall I make breakfast for everyone then?

CALISTO (He shook his head): Nah, I'll do it. I can do it easily!

ARBUSTO (He gagged a bit): Oh yes, nothing stimulates the taste buds like one of your… experiments!

LUCERNA: Calisto, it's too early for your ego-tripping culinary nonsense. Let Glaciem make breakfast.

CALISTO (He snapped his fingers): Touche, big sis. It was ONE time! ONE TIME!

PRISMIO: Well, no offense of course, it was also the one time we all needed to get our stomachs pumped- (Calisto glared at him.) ...um, not that you aren't an AMAZING cook or anything.

(While all this debating was going on, no one noticed that Glaciem had already left the room, taking it upon herself to prepare breakfast anyway. The sound of sizzling pans from the other room drew their attention away from the arguing.)

ARBUSTO (His mouth started watering): Do I detect the tantalizing aroma of potato-like substances and egg?!

LUCERNA: Mmm...I smell sausage!

CALISTO: Switching it up I see? Nice!

GLACIEM: It shouldn't be too long before it's ready.

(It was then that a human-shaped shadow crept around the corner, tip-toeing ever closer past the stables, with a fork. Suddenly a mist of water doused the shadow's face, revealing JT in camouflage.)

CALISTO (His face was clearly unamused): Seriously, JT?

JT: I can't help it! Glaciem has the best sausages! (Lucerna and Calisto snickered a bit.)

ARBUSTO (He held the spray bottle, confused): I still don't get it. (JT reached for the sausages again but Arbusto sprayed him again) NO! No! Bad JT! (JT growled like a dog as he backed away up the stairs while Arbusto continued to spray him) Back! Back, I say!

JT (He was already far up the stairs): BUT THEY'RE SO GREASY!

ARBUSTO: NO GREASE FOR SCAVENGERS! (He threw the spray bottle up the stairs and a thud was heard.)

JT (He sounded dazed): I'M HURT!

ARBUSTO (He sighed): Animal!

(After chasing JT off, the dragons sat at the table.)

GLACIEM (Serving each of them a plate, making sure to set one aside for Cicuta whenever she woke up): Enjoy, everyone.

(An audible groan came from one of the other stables and Cicuta slowly dragged herself out of her stable. Getting to her feet, she yawned loudly and scratched her side, slowly moving over to her plate and sitting down, starting to eat, without saying a word.)

PRISMIO (He was a little frightened of Cicuta): Um…g-good morning, Cicuta. D-did you sleep well?

CICUTA: Peachy. (She ate, ignoring everyone else.)

PRISMIO (Some food from Cicuta's mouth splattered on his face): Oh, uh, that's good. Um, though could you maybe finish chewing before- (A low growl came from Cicuta) or don't, whatever you want is peachy with me.

LUCERNA (Growling at Cicuta): Don't be a bitch, especially not towards my baby brother.

CICUTA (muttering while scarfing down the food): Speak for yourself.

CALISTO (He chuckled): Woah there. This isn't a competition, sis.

CICUTA (Muttering again): Says the one who competes with everything.

ARBUSTO (He cleared his throat awkwardly): Would it at least be considered improper to ask you to keep your elbows off the table? Some of us wish to be more civilized beasts.

CICUTA (She looked up to Arbusto slowly and raised an eyebrow): Try living "uncivilized" for almost all your life. Then get back to me, nerd. I'll eat how I want. It's not the end of the world if my elbows...

LUCERNA (She angrily slammed her clenched-up claws on the table): But you sure as Hell aren't going to talk that way! I don't care if you've lived in the Nether for ages! You are NOT going to treat us like that!

(Cicuta looked right into Lucerna's eyes, her frown evident till it turned into a smirk. She picked up her plate and went to the sink, putting it in there and then just shrugging and going back to her stable, taking out her butterfly knife and playing with it. Lucerna's eyes flared angrily. Cicuta was hitting every single note for making her a very angry dragon. Calisto sighed and shook his head.)

CALISTO: Don't worry about it. She's still trying to get adjusted here. (He looked over to Glaciem and tilted his head.) ...you okay, sis? Not zoning out on me, are ya?

GLACIEM: Hm? Oh, no, I'm alright. Just thinking.

PRISMIO (His concern for his sister showed): About what?

GLACIEM: Tell me, what do you all think of your human partners? What sort of relationship do you each have with them?

PRISMIO: Oh, Curtis has been doing great with boosting my confidence! I feel so much braver and stronger around him, like nothing or no one can hurt me. (He caught a glance at Cicuta's stable) Um, not that there's anyone I'm scared of or anything. (He leaned in next to Arbusto and whispered in his ear) Cicuta scares me!

ARBUSTO (He whispered back): You too? (He spoke out loud again.) As for me, things with me and JT have gotten less hostile compared to when we first met. Although I'm starting to regret agreeing to partake in his "activities."

LUCERNA: Oh, I dunno, Arbusto. You're less of a stiff these days.

ARBUSTO (Annoyance showed in his eyes): That is because yesterday he "massaged" me and Alexis's backs by JUMPING UP AND DOWN ON THEM! Though Alexis did not seem to mind, apparently she likes his massages. I'm still not sure why!

LUCERNA (She chuckled): So then, can I give you your next massage that way, brother dear? (She gave a wicked grin that implied anything but a relaxing time.)

(Arbusto only squeaked in fear. Calisto snickered.)

GLACIEM (She turned to Calisto): What about you, brother? Like me, your partner is your opposite gender. Does that affect your bond in any way?

CALISTO (He tried to hide his blush but it was slightly noticeable): Well...not really, no. I mean, I wasn't expecting to be teaming up with a girl but ya know, she kicks a lot of and I get along great. Training's good, casual stuff's good. Yeah it's...yeah it's all good.

ARBUSTO (He knew what the blush was really about and snickered): A fruitless effort, dear brother. Try, oh how does it go, "playing the fields" with someone who is SINGLE.

CALISTO: WELL EXCUSE ME FOR GETTING PAIRED UP WITH THE HOT ONE! (He pouted.) Dude, I can't help it. I mean…(He started to ramble on, trying to find a way to recover.)

GLACIEM (She spoke very quietly, almost seeming to miss the teasing exchange between Calisto and Arbusto): I see. (She looked down at her plate, which was barely touched, apparently lapsing into deep thought.)

CALISTO: Look, even if Alexis was single, there's no way a dragon and a human could make a relationship work. Like, not a chance. (He looked to Glaciem.) Right?

(Glaciem seemed to wilt a little at Calisto's words, her wings drooping a bit. She didn't answer his question, just stared sadly at the table.)

CALISTO: Wait, Glace, you don't…?

CICUTA: She has a crush on the rockstar, is it not THAT obvious to you idiots yet?

(Everyone turned to look at her. Glaciem's entire face lit up bright red, all but confirming what Cicuta had said.)

ARBUSTO (His smile grew wide): You do not!

CALISTO (He smiled as well): Ah hah! I knew it!

PRISMIO (He danced a little and sang in his chair) Glacey likes Vaaance! Glacey likes Vaaaance!

LUCERNA (Slams the table and stands up): STOP IT! ALL OF YOU! YOU'RE UPSETTING HER!

(Glaciem did indeed look as though she was about to cry, though she was trying to hide it. She clearly had not wanted any of them to know how she was feeling, and was not taking being teased very well.)

CICUTA (Entering the kitchenette): Boys. (She rolled her eyes.) You are all so incredibly fickle. What do any of you, ANY of you, know about love? You are DRAGONS. You are winged predators of the sky! Humans runs from you and humans FEAR you.

ARBUSTO: I prefer it if we could divulge from the stereotypes if it is all the same to you.

CICUTA: Well it isn't. So shut it. (She looked to the others.) Unbelievable. You all care so much and love your little human pets like no tomorrow. Yet how amusing that, from what I recall from what Divus told me, you couldn't even go look for your mother OR me.

LUCERNA: Don't you dare talk about things you know nothing about! We tried everything to find mother, and we never even knew you existed!

CICUTA: I got my story straight from Divus's mouth and the fact that you all STOPPED looking for her is pathetic. You want to know something? I was right there in that batch of eggs with you all. And Divus NEVER looked for me. That dragon is not worthy to be MY father and if he couldn't even TRY to look for me or your mother, he is...

LUCERNA (She let out an angry roar): You pretentious, self-righteous little brat!

CICUTA: YOU DON'T KNOW A DAMN THING ABOUT ME! AND NONE OF YOU WANT TO!

LUCERNA: AND YOU DON'T KNOW A DAMN THING ABOUT US EITHER, AND YOU DON'T SEEM TO WANT TO KNOW AT ALL!

CICUTA: GEE, I CAN'T IMAGINE WHY WHEN THE OH SO FEARLESS LEADER IS A CLOSED OFF, DETACHED, WANNA-BE!

PRISMIO (He screamed at the top of his lungs): ENOUGH! (Everyone stopped and looked at him. Prismio just glared at Cicuta, actually getting up in her face.) Look, you don't like us, and I very much don't like you either! I may not be the bravest, but I don't care about your personal problems, while those humans upstairs put themselves on the line EVERYDAY to protect the world, us, and ungrateful brats like YOU, need our help! Now if you want to be a grouch, fine! But we're all in this together, so I suggest you find a better alternative to criticizing us, OR SHUT THE F...

(Before Prismio could finish, Cicuta's fist connected hard with the side of Prismio's face, knocking him straight to the ground with a yelp. Prismio lied there for a few seconds, tears trying to escape his eyes as he clutched his face in pain.)

CICUTA: Little runt. (She growled.) Don't you ever talk to...

(Lucerna roared viciously and outright attacked Cicuta, sinking her teeth into her flesh and digging her claws into her. Cicuta roared in pain and retaliated, biting and scratching as well. The two brawled along the floor, to the point of drawing blood. Just then, a white flash illuminated the room, causing everything to stop at once. The dragons looked to the door and saw Alexis holding her wand, clearly not amused.)

ALEXIS: One thing this team's had plenty of is conflict with each other! I don't know what's going on down here, but we don't have time for it! We've got another attack.

(The dragons nodded and Cicuta shoved Lucerna off, crawling back and getting to her feet, Glaciem and the others watched. There was silence for a moment.)

CICUTA (She looked to Glaciem): ...I would forget about your petty little feelings for spiky.

GLACIEM: What?

CICUTA: We can live ten of their lives and just like the wind, they come and go. So I'd say drop those feeling and watch them shatter now before he does them for you.

ALEXIS (She was confused): Feelings? What? (She noticed Glaciem) Glaciem, are you ok?

GLACIEM (She teared up a little, clearly feeling crushed): ...Nothing important, Alexis.

ALEXIS (She shot a glare at Cicuta): And you, you'd do well to mind your manners around here, Quintin's not out of the woods himself.

(Alexis turned and walked away, Cicuta felt a little threatened for a minute. Cicuta watched her leave and smirked slightly, casually walking away and up the stairs. The others were soon to follow.)

(KNIGHT RANGER BASE: COMMAND POST)

(While the dragons were arguing down below, the alarm had rung out and the Knights made their way quickly into the Command Post. Curtis jumped into the main seat and started typing at the keyboard.)

VANCE: What's on the menu this morning? Spectre Bots, Demon Generals, Black Knights?

JT: Yuranzo? The Nickelodeon executive staff? (He gasped.) SENTAI PURISTS?!

VANCE: Heaven forbid we can't have that. (He grinned and fistbumped JT.)

QUINTIN: Hentai what?

JT: Sentai purists! Nerds who get their panties all twisted and start beating the crap out of each other over which is better; the sentai or Power Rangers.

QUINTIN: I always thought Beetleborgs was better.

JT: SHUT YOUR EXISTENCE FOREVER!

ALEXIS (She shook her head): What do we have, Curtis?

(A grid like map appeared on the screen marked in brown with various landmarks scattered on the main screen. Various swirls appeared on the screen that looked like portals and a blinking red light appeared in the forest area.)

GALE: Since when did you guys have a map of the Nether?

SONDRE: I've been leaving trackers in various parts around the Nether while I was searching for you. I needed to find a lock on Arcana's location but on the map, it keeps shifting around. It's impossible to get a lock on. So when I got back, I uploaded the data from the trackers to give us a rough outline to sections of the Nether.

CURTIS: Courtesy of me, of course. (Sondre nodded and pat his shoulder.)

VANCE: Smart move. So we can keep expanding these tracker's signals and connect them up so we can find Arcana's hideout right?

SONDRE: Hopefully, yes.

JT: Yes pleeeeaaase! I wanna give Arcana the friendly gift of my staff up his ass...or would he like that? (Quintin, Sondre, and Vance facepalmed)

GALE: Whats this dot here in the forest area? A disturbance?

ALEXIS: Looks like it.

JT: Hello, monster-of-the-day! So what're we looking at this week? A crab with bionic claws? A cockroach that makes your cellphones roam? ...A centipede with Wi-Fi!?

CURTIS: Honestly, no idea. It could be a trap.

VANCE: Well what should we do then? None of us can go into the Nether and get out in one piece.

JT: Yeah, been there, done that, not doing it again!

SONDRE: Only Halfings can. Which is while I'll go. I know that area rather well.

QUINTIN: I wouldn't be so sure. (He crossed his arms.) Cicuta's travelled all around the Nether for years. If anyone knows that area, it's her. Leave this to me and her.

SONDRE: Going in alone is not a wise decision, Quintin. We need to be prepared for anything.

QUINTIN: Well I'd like to do something that maybe shows I'm LOYAL to this team. For a long time now, I've been fighting alongside you guys and I'm still sensing that it's not unanimous on the whole "we trust you" situation. (JT looked away awkwardly, whistling.)

ALEXIS: Alright, that settles it...

GALE: I'll go. In case people forgot, I'm a Halfling too. And I'd like to contribute more than just "moral support" by resting.

VANCE: But what about your morpher?

GALE: I am tired of just sitting on the sidelines. This morphers got enough juice for a fight.

QUINTIN: Alright. Now how are we gonna get there? None of us can open Nether portals.

VANCE: Guess we can't just mine some obsidian? (Everyone looked at him.) ...Oh come on, am I the only one here who plays Minecraft? (Curtis raised his hand.) That's better.

JT (He smiled awkwardly): I only play adventure games like Sam & Max. (Curtis just rolled his eyes and pat JT on the head.)

SONDRE: Well, the only way I know how is that the Nether runs like a parallel dimension to ours. So if we go into OUR woods, we can open a corresponding portal there that can take us into their woods.

ALEXIS: You mean we've had a Nether portal in our woods and we didn't know about this until now?

SONDRE: I did. But don't worry, that one's protected by our magic. Only we can go back and forth through them.

CURTIS: Convenient.

SONDRE: All of you stay here and monitor our progress. Quintin, Gale, follow me.

QUINTIN: I'll get Cicuta. (He turned and left with Gale out of the room.)

VANCE: Do you think it's a trap? (He looked to Sondre.)

SONDRE: Of course I do. When has a mission for us NOT been a trap? (He smiled and looked down at Curtis and left the room.)

(WEST MEADOWBROUGH WOODS)

(The three Knights and Cicuta didn't waste time getting out into the woods. They each drove on their Jet Streamers to the spot within the woods, coming towards a clearing. It was the same clearing they fought the Psycho Rangers in almost a year ago. Looking around, Sondre approached a stump and brought ups his morpher, taking a card out and slowly scanning it through. Once it was registered, he brought the morpher up and the wind began to pick up slowly. Quintin watched and then looked over to Gale, noticing that she didn't seem well.)

QUINTIN: What's up, Gale?

GALE (She felt a strong wave of nausea wash over her, but stood firmly, her resolve solid): Nothing. I'm just fine.

QUINTIN: You're not the only one whose nervous. (Gale looked to him.) I'm not too keen on going back to that hellhole either. It's like you're breathing in death itself. I don't know how I even survived there for so long.

CICUTA: Luck, mostly. I'm not too picky on the food either. (She chuckled quietly.)

GALE: We'll be just fine. I know we will. We're the Power Rangers. This is our responsibility.

QUINTIN: You know that a lot more than I do. They still think I'm Arcana's spy. They've been talking about you two. Three of us come back from the Nether and they're a little uneasy. Almost makes me feel like we don't belong. But we're gonna prove them wrong, right?

GALE (She smiled and nodded at him): Right. Just because we survived the Nether, that doesn't mean we're outsiders. Now we can prove that.

(Quintin nodded and then noticed that a portal began to form right above the stump, pulsing black and purple with little arcs of electricity shooting out everything. Sondre went back to the Jet Streamer and looked to the others.)

SONDRE: Let's do this then.

(Sondre revved the engine on his Jet Streamer and started racing towards the portal. Once Sondre disappeared through it, Gale followed along with Quintin and Cicuta.)

(WOODS IN THE NETHER)

(The process of travelling the portal was rather quick and the team soon appeared in the Nether woods, eerily similar to their own woods. The sky was orange and the trees looked twisted and warped. Gale shuddered heavily at being back in this place. Sondre looked down at his map, observing the area and stopping right near one of the trees with Quintin, Cicuta, and Gale stopping next to him. In the distance, they could see smoke coming from the distance, towering high above the sky.)

SONDRE: ...Guess we found where the disturbance came from.

GALE: Is it worth looking into?

QUINTIN: Yes. As odd as it sounds, some of these people here are my friends.

GALE: You have friends here? I didn't know that was possible.

CICUTA (She smirked): You'd be surprised what kind of allies you can make when you pull the right strings to survive.

SONDRE: Regardless, let's go.

(The three Knights and Cicuta took to the skies through the clearing, heading straight for the smoke. They hovered above the forest to get a better view and once they got past the smoke, they could see exactly what was going on. They looked down and a saw local village on fire, with innocent demon creatures running and screaming.)

QUINTIN: A fire?

GALE: Someone's trying to burn it to the ground.

SONDRE: Not if we have something to say about it.

(The team landed on the ground and heard a distinct laugh. They ran off to find it and as they rounded a corner, they saw where the laugh came from. Not far from them, wielding the Serpent Soul Scythe on her shoulder...was Ziara.)

GALE/SONDRE/QUINTIN: ZIARA!?

ZIARA (She turned to see the others and she smirked, her voice cool and sinister): Right on time. How nice of you to join us…

(KNIGHT RANGER BASE: VANCE'S ROOM)

(With the rest of the Knights having little to do besides Curtis at the Command Post, Vance decided to head back to his room and work on something to keep his mind off what was going on. He laid comfortably on his bed with his guitar, gently strumming some notes and stopping to look into his notebook. He grumbled quietly.)

VANCE: Come on...one more song, is it that hard to find the right lyrics to this one song? ONE song, Vance, that's all you need.

GLACIEM (She came to his door, knocking softly): Vance? It's me. Can I come in?

VANCE (He looked up and put his guitar down): Huh? Oh yeah, yeah sure.

(Glaciem entered the room in her human form, wearing a simple off-shoulder light blue sweater, a pair of beige leggings, and white low-heel shoes. Vance noticed her as he looked up and smiled, recalling her human form from when she visited him in the night.)

GLACIEM: Hello, Vance. What were you doing?

VANCE: Trying to finish a song. I don't really have much to do around here besides work on my songs.

GLACIEM: Do you mind if I listen for a while? I enjoy your music greatly.

VANCE (He shook his head): Of course not. I could use the feedback. Come. You can appreciate things up closer, no?

(Glaciem nodded and sat in a chair next to Vance, unable to keep from glancing at him briefly as she waited for him to begin playing again. As he began strumming, Glaciem closed her eyes and let the music wash over her. It was a fairly slow-paced song, and it caused images to begin dancing in her mind. At first they were varied, ranging from her family to her current life, but the more she listened, the more the images began centering around a single person; the very one sitting next to her. She let out a soft sigh, but Vance caught it and stopped playing briefly.)

VANCE: You alright, Glace? (He reached out to touch her arm.) It wasn't THAT boring, was it?

GLACIEM (She jumped a little when he touched her arm, but quickly gathered herself): Oh no, no, not at all! I'm just… thinking of things.

VANCE (He nodded, picking up his notepad and crossing out a few notes): You and me both. Sorry if I seem distant, no rest for the wicked. (He snickered slightly.) I always wondered who came up with that phrase.

GLACIEM: Father did. He liked to make jokes about how wicked demons never seemed to stop coming, and I suppose the phrase just took with humans.

VANCE (He nods, looking away towards some of the posters on the wall): ...I hope Todd and Rika are alright.

GLACIEM: You really care about them a lot, don't you?

VANCE: Of course I do. They're like family to me now. They were so thrilled when Mr. Connors pitched the idea of selling our music to the world. Just last week, we got our first full CD made! Sales are coming in great, we're all getting the equal share out of it, but I wanna keep going. I wanna make more songs so we can get our next CD out. Getting to perform, being on stage...it means the world to me. Not more than being a Power Ranger but still, that kind of feeling is one I don't EVER want to lose.

GLACIEM (She smiled to see him so passionate and driven): You really live by your heart, Vance. I admire that about you.

VANCE: You know, in the funniest way, you want to know what we named our first album?

GLACIEM: What?

VANCE (He grinned): Dragonheart. Something told me it just fit back then.

(There was a beat, then Glaciem began laughing and laughing. The irony was too beautiful, and for the first time in what seemed to be forever, she relaxed enough to let loose with her emotions. It took several minutes, but finally her laughter died down.)

GLACIEM: Vance, only you could make me laugh like that. The name suits more than you realize, and not simply because you were to become a Dragon Knight. (She pointed at his chest, right where his heart was.) This right here is why it fits. Even before we ever met, you had the heart of a dragon.

VANCE: Ya think so? (He looked to her with a light smirk.) That's a first.

GLACIEM: I know so. Even with the element of ice, your heart still burns with a fiery passion that cannot be quelled. ...I will admit, I did wonder at why it was we were to be partners at first, but now I understand. You are the flame that brought out my own passion and drive, and I am the ice that contains raging flames. I am so very glad to be your partner, Vance, more than I can tell you.

VANCE (His smile then turned to one of concern): ...Is everything alright? You make it sound like we're almost saying goodbye or something.

GLACIEM: I've just been thinking about things. (She stared at her hands for several minutes.) Vance… this is going to seem out of nowhere, but as someone who lives by his heart, I can't think of anyone better to ask… I wonder…what is your stance on love?

VANCE: Love? Uhh, it's a four letter word that brings as much joy as it does depression mostly. (He chuckled quietly.) I...wouldn't really know honestly. I see JT and Alexis are in love, but I don't know. I've never been in it before.

GLACIEM (She turned to him with a very surprised expression): Never? I figured someone like you had experienced love before. I just…I know nothing about it and…I just wonder.

VANCE: Because I'm a musician? Well not ALL of them know about love. Most of them write about breakups if anything. I guess if anything it's something you can strive for, but it takes a lot of patience. It doesn't just come to you, love's gotta be like...a two way street. It's like music, you know? Harmonizing. You vocalize and then eventually you find something with the right harmony that fits yours. That's why I don't do that auto-tune crap. Then everyone sounds the same. You take that off, not a lot of people would be happy to see whats underneath it. People don't like to be lied to when they're in love.

GLACIEM: That is very true. You are a wise man indeed, Vance… (She looked at him, feeling herself blush slightly.) I…I need to tell you something. It's…very important…

VANCE: You're not dying, are you? (He leaned in closer, checking her eyes and looking to her skin.)

GLACIEM (She blushed even more): No, I'm not! I am perfectly healthy! …..At least, I'm healthy physically… Vance… I… I… uuh…

VANCE: Breathe. (He kept up his smile, resting a hand on her shoulder.) Go with what your heart tells you right now. I know it can be hard, but I'm sure it's worth it.

(Glaciem looked at him for several long minutes, then heeded his advice…by kissing him. It was just a brief, shy peck on the lips, but it was enough to express what she was failing to say. Vance's eyes widened and he gave her a surprised look, but before he could say a word, Glaciem bolted out the door.)

(BACK AT THE NETHER VILLAGE)

(The Knights stood at a standstill, each in a stance as Ziara stood there lazily.)

ZIARA: And none of you look happy to see me? (She smirked, touching her chest and faking offense.) What an awkward situation. Alas, I'm glad you're all here. You can now witness my fully restored power, all thanks to you, Freya.

GALE: Call me that name all you want. It's as empty as your own heart! (She growled, ready to attack.)

ZIARA: Now, now, no need to fly off the handle. After all, I'm the one whose power exceeds even yours.

SONDRE: Why are you attacking these innocent demons? They've done nothing to hurt you.

ZIARA: It was a good way to draw you out. If that means having to dispose of the weak, then it's all the better for me.

CICUTA: Typical. Do you demons every try anything new?

QUINTIN: I already let myself kill the weak once, and I'm not gonna let it happen again. Your time of terrorizing others is over.

ZIARA: Oh I wouldn't be so sure. Not when I have...a helping hand.

(The three didn't know what to do yet until a portal opened and Raiyu, in his mechanical suit of armor, made his way over to Ziara and stopped, wielding the doubled bladed Cursed Blade in his hand.)

CICUTA: ...Nice to see Arcana is at least catching up with the times.

ZIARA: Raiyu! (Raiyu turned his head towards her.) Be ready on my command. (She looked back to the others.) Raiyu contains your hatred and revenge, Quintin, but with no trace of your human existence whatsoever. He's powered by your horrible emotions and by Venomite's abilities as well. Spectre Industries was very generous.

GALE (She blinked, trying to comprehend what Ziara had said): ...Spectre Indus...oh no, not him again...

SONDRE:No wonder he looks so strange. No Black Knight has ever looked like that before.

QUINTIN (To Sondre and Gale): Sondre, you think you'll be able to fight that guy? I need to check if other demons are around. We can't have them caught in the crossfire.

SONDRE: My morpher should still work, but because the power gets smaller in every fight, I'm not sure how long I can stay morphed.

GALE: In that case, I'll deal with Ziara myself. I'm not going to let her bring me down again.

SONDRE: Like I said, your morpher doesn't have a backup power source like mine. You'll lose your powers faster than anyone else.

GALE: I don't care. It's better than just standing by and letting everyone else fight for me. I need to settle this score.

QUINTIN: Well it's your call. You guys ready?

SONDRE/GALE/CICUTA: READY!

(Sondre and Gale raised their morphers while Cicuta turned into her Buster.)

GALE: MYTHIC KNIGHTS, UNITE!

SONDRE: SHADOW KNIGHT, ACCESS!

QUINTIN: DRAGON FURY! (He raised his Burster to the sky and pulled the trigger.) IGNITE!

(The three Knights morphed and Sondre and Gale summoned their weapons.)

QUINTIN: You guys handle Ziara and Raiyu. Cicuta and I will make sure any remaining demons evacuate the area.

SONDRE/GALE: ON IT!

(Quintin took off in the opposite direction while the other charged forward.)

ZIARA: What, where is that Dragon Knight off to?

GALE: Better pay more attention to me than him.

(Gale watched Sondre go and face off with Raiyu before charging in and swinging her Halberd to create an energy wave. Ziara leaped back and when she landed, charged in to deal three slices across the chest. Gale groaned and blocked the fourth, uppercutting Ziara and striking with her halberd fiercely. Within a week she had returned to her former fighting glory, at least enough to the point where she could be a competent threat. Ziara sliced into Gale multiple times but kept finding herself countered and felt a kick to the chest knock her away, Ziara moved in and jabbed the hilt into Gale's face, making her stumble and then skid back after a running spin kick collided against her chest. Gale fell back a few feet and used her halberd to stand up again.)

ZIARA: Not so easy when you know your power is going to run out, am I right?

GALE: There's still more fight left in me.

ZIARA: Need I remind you of that borrow time you have? I wouldn't be so quick to waste it.

GALE: But if you think you're going to drain my last life, you're so wrong.

ZIARA (She chuckled, charging in): Make me believe it!

(Gale charged in as well and both clashed their weapons against each other, both sides struggling against the other. While the fight ensued, the little girl in the bronze gown with bronze gloves last seen in "Curse of the Black Knight Part 1" observed Gale from a non-fiery rooftop in great wonder. Then she glanced over to Sondre.)

GIRL: He was the one whose friends I helped inside his mind...

(Sondre was fighting Raiyu. Wielding his Sparrow Blade, he clashed against Raiyu's Cursed Blade slash for slash but found it was hard to keep up with the robot's swift and powerful attacks. Sondre found himself going on the defensive mostly. Whatever move he made, Raiyu easily countered with little effort. Sondre brought up his fist to punch Raiyu, but the gargoyle-like monster brought up his fist and made contact with Sondre's. Sondre doubled back and stretched his fingers to relieve the pain.)

SONDRE (He thought to himself): I should have known. A machine like this has a vast amount of knowledge on battling styles. Not to mention it seems like he can't feel any real torment. Spectre-made monster or not, I can't let this thing destroy the village.

RAIYU (His voice was gruff yet smoothly intimidating): Your thoughts are of mild amusement.

SONDRE: Finally, you speak. I thought I'd have to talk to myself this whole time.

RAIYU: I don't need to speak. I only need to annihilate.

SONDRE: You're wrong. Your masters, those are the real enemies. You don't have to work for them.

RAIYU: My goal is listen to my Masters and obey their wishes. If they say to destroy you, I'm going to oblige.

SONDRE: If that's the way it has to be, then so be it. Sparrow Blaster!

(He summoned his blaster and started firing several shots, but Raiyu easily swiped them away with his Cursed Blade. The monster raced forward and sliced his blade against Sondre's chest, causing him to fall back. Sondre got back up to fire more shots as he raced in with his sword extended. Raiyu knocked the shots away but couldn't stop Sondre's sword from making contact with his armor. Raiyu fell back but wasted no time getting up. Using his ability to Shadow Travel, he zipped into the shadows and appeared behind Raiyu, dealing a series of slices and then vanishing and reappearing elsewhere to fire upon him. Stunning Raiyu, Sondre leapt in and drove both his knees into Raiyu from atop a roof, sending Raiyu rolling on the ground and getting right up when he stopped.)

SONDRE: So you can be hit after all. (He chuckled but then suddenly clutched his chest and groaned in pain.) Gah, damn it...not now...

RAIYU: Don't get too comfortable, Knight. I still have plenty of power left, unlike you.

(Elsewhere, Quintin was searching through the windows of the small houses to see if any demons were alive. It was hard to see through the black smoke, so he had to go inside the houses to get a better view. He looked in the houses within the vicinity and found no demons inside except for one. He got to the last house and saw something from behind the smoky window. He kicked open the door and saw two little demons in the corner, shaking in fear. They saw Quintin and were more scared.)

GIRL DEMON: Oh no, it's a Mythic Knight!

BOY DEMON : He's gonna hurt us!

QUINTIN (He shook his head) I'm not a Mythic Knight and I'm not going to hurt you. You just need to get out of here, now! This place is gonna burn down.

GIRL DEMON: Do you promise you won't hurt us?

QUINTIN: Yes, but you have to hurry. Here, let me help you.

(Quintin ran over to the demons and picked them up in his arms. He ran out of the house just in time as the roof collapsed. He let the demons down and look back at the remains of the house.)

BOY DEMON: Uh, thank you for saving us, Mister.

GIRL DEMON: You're a hero!

QUINTIN: Thanks, kids. Now you get out of here. I'm going to defeat the creature that did this.

(The little demons nodded and ran off out of the village. Quintin watched them until they were out of sight.)

QUINTIN: …Hero, huh? It doesn't sound so bad to be...

CICUTA (from Quintin's holster): I hate to break up this sentimentality, but we still have a job to do.

QUINTIN: Oh, uh, right. Let's go.

(Quintin quickly dashed off as fast as he could. Meanwhile, Ziara struck her scythe against Gale and the latter struck her halberd against the former. They both stepped back and both panted as they began to circle each other, weapons ready for the attack.)

GALE (She sounded almost out of energy): You almost ready…to give up…Ziara?

ZIARA (Nearly out of breath, she still stood tall): I'm not…but it looks like you are. Can't you see…that no matter what you do…it's futile to win?

GALE: It can't happen, not with you. I've come too far to walk away now. This has to end now.

ZIARA: You're right…IT ENDS NOW!

(Ziara raced forward with her extended scythe and Gale did the same with her halberd. Suddenly, Gale fell over and painfully clutched her chest. Ziara stopped running and looked down at Gale. The Green Knight armor faded off of Gale's body and green gem powder fell out of her morpher. Gale opened her eyes and saw he morpher was losing gem power.)

GALE (painfully): No, no, this can't be happening, not now.

ZIARA: Ah, yes. Once again, your power is depleting at my expense. Does that remind you of anything, my apprentice?

(Gale tried to get up using her halberd but she was too weak to even get to one knee and she fell over again.)

ZIARA: Truly pathetic, even after all that talk about "settling the score." You're a disgrace to humans and demons alike. (She made her scythe disappear and she grabbed Gale by the head.) They say it's pointless to beat a dead horse, but there's nothing to lose when it comes to this unneeded garbage.

(Using one hand to hold Gale's head, Ziara struck her fist into Gale's chest and fired a series of punches at her. Gale took every hit Ziara threw at her and couldn't even fight back, even with her halberd still in her hand. She groaned weekly as Ziara picked Gale up and slammed her onto the ground. Sondre heard the slam and turned around to see what was happening.)

SONDRE: GALE!

(Seeing this as a distraction, Raiyu used the Cursed Blade to smack Sondre toward a stone building. Sondre fell over and he demorphed. Black gem powder fell from his morpher. Sondre groggily stood up and noticed the black powder forming a little pile.)

SONDRE (He groaned,weakly): Not again. (He pulled out one of his cards.) Shadow Knight, Access. (He scanned the card through the reader but nothing happens.) What? (He did it again, still nothing happened,) Come on! (He did it three more times and still nothing happened.) Why isn't this working?

RAIYU: Run out of power, Shadow Knight? Such a pity, but don't feel too bad. Very soon, you won't feel anything at all.

SONDRE (He looked over at Gale being pummeled): Gale…Quintin, I'm sorry.

(Quintin rounded a corner and arrived back at the battle site. He saw Sondre on the ground and Gale being beaten up by Ziara.)

QUINTIN: Guys, you alright? (He rushed towards Sondre.)

ZIARA (She turned, seeing Quintin): Oh, you're back. You're here to see your teammates meet an untimely demise. (She picked Gale up by the neck) I'll start with Freya and then that pesky Shadow Knight. I'll deal with you last.

(Ziara squeezed Gale's neck tightly, pull her arm back, and then threw her through the air. She was about to hit the side of the same building Sondre was at, but Quintin was able to catch her before she hit the wall. He laid her down softly next to Sondre.)

GALE (She weakly opened her eyes): Qui…Quintin, you're back. Is everyone in the village safe?

QUINTIN: Everyone's gone, so I don't know if anyone got hurt. What about you two? Can you still morph or even walk?

SONDRE: I tried scanning my card, but nothing's working.

GALE: I could try it again, but I don't think I'll be at a high enough power this time.

ZIARA: I think I've had just about enough of this. I'm through with waiting. (She began walking towards them, summoning her scythe.) Submit now and things will be easier. But if not, then it's light out for everyone.

(Ziara hadn't noticed Quintin reaching towards his holster and very secretly, he moved his holster up a bit so his Burster's nose was facing outward. He quickly fired a round of laser shots at Ziara's hands. Ziara felt the blasts and she dropped the scythe. She clutched her hands and yelled.)

RAIYU: My Master, are you alright?

ZIARA (painfully): My…my hands, I can't feel my hands. They feel too numb.

RAIYU (turning his attention to Quintin): You, the Dragon Knight, you did this to her.

QUINTIN: Hey it's like she said. If others have to get hurt, then it works in our favor.

RAIYU: No one hurts my Master and gets away with no punishment. (He spun his sword and got into a stance.) Come and get me, former Black Knight.

QUINTIN (He drew his own sword from his back): Anytime you're ready. (He looked to Sondre and Gale.) Can you guys manage one last morph?

(Sondre and Gale helped each other to their feet.)

SONDRE: Let's try it. You up for it, Gale?

GALE: As much as you are. (She rose up her morpher) MYTHIC KNIGHTS, UNITE!

SONDRE (He scanned his card through the morpher): Please work…SHADOW KNIGHT, ACCESS!

(The two Knights morphed again with their weapons in hand.)

SONDRE/GALE: Back in action!

ZIARA: NO! They can't morph again!

GALE: Never doubt Knight power, Ziara. I'll deal with you once your little flunky is gone.

SONDRE: Quintin, you better try to weaken Raiyu first and then Gale and I will step in to help. We can't risk losing more power.

QUINTIN: If that's the plan, I better make it quick. TOXIC STRYKER, BUSTER MODE!

(Quintin's sword transformed into its Buster sword mode and rushed in. Raiyu raised his Cursed Blade and both swords clashed. Raiyu was able to gain the upper hand by pushing Quintin back on his feet with some kicks and swings. With Quintin's bigger sword, however, he was able to deliver swift and sharp strikes that caused Raiyu to actually spark a little. He managed to strike Raiyu back towards another stone wall and cleaved it in half when Raiyu rolled out of the way. The monster got back up with a roar and extended his blade out as he charged. Quintin grabbed his Burster from the holster and shot lasers, only to be swiped away by Raiyu's spare hand. Raiyu tried to stab Quintin, but the latter side-stepped and struck Raiyu on the shoulder, forcing him to fall back. Meanwhile, the little girl observed Quintin's fight.)

GIRL: This one dons a suit of armor similar to the others, but his power is of source with which I'm not familiar, yet there must be more of his kind out there.

RAIYU: You're certainly more of a challenge than that Shadow Knight was, but those so-called dragon powers don't mean you're any better. DARK HEART SLASH!

(Raiyu zipped forward but before he could begin the attack, Quintin's Shadow Senses started up and he side stepped Raiyu with a flip. Gaining his bearings, he charged forward and stabbed his sword right through Raiyu's left shoulder. Raiyu sparked as the sword was removed from his shoulder.)

RAIYU: GAH! How did you…?

QUINTIN: And you thought I wasn't better than you? Quit living in your fantasy world. (He kicked Raiyu in Ziara's direction, smacking him into her and both of them hitting the side of a burning building.) Looks like the tables have turned.

(Sondre and Gale rushed over to Quintin's side.)

QUINTIN: We got one chance at this, so we gotta make it count. POISON HEART SLASH!

SONDRE: SPARROW'S DAWN!

GALE: TIME STRIKE!

QUINTIN/SONDRE/GALE: TRIPLE SLASH!

(The Knights raised their weapons. Their weapons glowed their respective colors and with a swing from each, the three slashes combined into one big energy blast. It was about to make contact with Ziara and Raiyu but the latter grabbed the blast with his open hand.)

SONDRE/GALE/QUINTIN: WHAT!?

RAIYU: No thanks, I don't want this. You may have it BACK!

(Raiyu threw the blast back at the Knights. They couldn't react in time and the blast smacked into them. They sparked as they fell over and demorphed in the process. Cicuta returned to her dragon form and noticed the gem powder pouring out of Sondre and Gale's morphers.)

QUINTIN: Damn, we were so close!

RAIYU: You all did very well to make it this far, but my Master and I have done our piece for the day. She needs to heal as do I, so we'll bid farewell.

GALE (She growled, getting to her knees): And you call us weak? Why not just finish us off now?

ZIARA: You've proven your point already, Freya. I'll be back once my hands are healed. Don't forget, that last life is still there. Use it wisely. (She laughed, opening a portal up.)

RAIYU (He opened up a portal of his own): Today, you got just a taste of my power. I hope you'll be more prepared the next you see me. (He looked off to the side to see the scythe. He raised his hand and levitated the scythe into his one hand while picking up Ziara in the other.) So long, Knights! (He walked through the portal and it closed quickly.)

SONDRE (He slowly got up, coughing in the process): Is everyone alright?

QUINTIN: I'll be fine. Cicuta, you good?

CICUTA: Who cares? I could have whipped those weaklings just like that Venomite creep.

QUINTIN: Save it for next time, alright? I think we should just get this fire put out. Sondre, can you manage something?

SONDRE: Certainly. (He took in a breath and swooshed his hand from left to right and the remaining fire in the village disappeared thanks to his shadow powers.) Hopefully those demons return.

QUINTIN: I'm sure they will. I don't think Ziara has any more reason to attack this place again. Now let's get back to the base. Everyone still good to walk?

GALE: I am.

SONDRE: Me too.

(The three Knights got up and walked through the burnt village back to their Jet Streamers. They got on them, revved the engines, and took off into the sky. The little girl watched the three of them race through the sky.)

GIRL: There are still more warriors like them out there. I must know if they are the ones I'm looking for.

(With a nod, the little girl vanished in thin air. When the entire area was clear, a portal opened and a cloaked figure stepped out. The figure walked over to the area where Sondre and Gale were last lying down when they demorphed the second time. The figure noticed the small piles of green and black gem powder. He silently took two small test tubes out and scooped the powder into the tubes. Pulling a scanning device from his pocket, he began to scan the area.

(KNIGHT RANGER BASE, 1:39 AM)

(That night at the Ranger Base, Quintin was walking around the main living room area, contemplating the day's events. He decided to walk outside to get some air. As he opened the door, he noticed Sondre sitting near the little courtyard outside near the trench walkway. He was meditating in silence and didn't even see Quintin behind him. Quintin watched briefly, arms crossed before deciding to approach.)

QUINTIN: Can't sleep either?

SONDRE (Opening his eyes and looking behind): Not the first time. I'm used to it by now.

QUINTIN (He walked over and looked behind him briefly before deciding to sit next to him): I don't blame you. Everyone on here seems on edge. It's either 'cause of me or...him.

SONDRE: Hmm, I understand. I remember when I used to be the paranoia enabler. It's going to take a while, believe me. You have to earn their trust, just like everyone else.

QUINTIN: You weren't originally with them when they all started out? Or did you come in later?

SONDRE: I arrived around the same time as my father and Alexis, but I was under Arcana's influence. All I wanted was to destroy anyone or anything that stood in Arcana's way. I was never like this when I was the first red Mythic Knight, and I'm sure you were never the way you were when I first saw you, right?

QUINTIN: ...Not anything like what you saw, no. Me and Vance, we go way back. We were on the same page till things went south. I barely remember who I used to be before he took over and turned everything upside down. (He raised his hand up slightly and examined it.) It's kinda strange. I can still see things that others can't. Now that I got these powers...I guess I somehow put them to good use back in Neero.

SONDRE: How so?

QUINTIN: I don't remember how long ago it was, everything feels like it was just yesterday. Everyday, I woke up just to survive. Those demons Cicuta and I kept facing, they weren't like anything we see now. There were children there. They looked almost human-like. The demons there weren't bloodthirsty savages. They all treated that village like one community with leaders and politics. That village had a better political system than some of our own cities. But they were still ruthless on enforcing their rules and laws. Since I was new there, they gave me a hard time but I eventually earned their trust. One day, a chimera like demon got into the village and started ripping it apart but I was able to take it out on my own and save the chief's daughter from getting killed. And...they actually accepted me. It didn't feel like high school where I had to make them fear me to control them They just looked at me with admiration. They trusted me.

SONDRE: I was always helping the good and defenseless as the red Knight, but once I put on that Black Knight armor, everything changed for me. After my sister was killed and my mother was taken away, nothing was right from there on out. Those beings I saved...I ended up killing them all. But I'm sure you know that feeling.

QUINTIN: More than I think you'll realize. (He said, looking out to the cave and observing things quietly.) ...Were you always a Halfling? I was never one before and it's...freaky. What was it like?

SONDRE: Of course I wasn't born one. As far as I know, I was born and raised as a full human. Coming in contact with Arcana caused my body to feel "freaky" too. I still felt human, yet at times, I felt like I was more powerful than any human around me. When I was with other demons, my body wasn't reacting with fear. I felt like…I belonged with them. They accepted me like they did for you, but for the wrong reasons. I guess that why I was able to feel a connection when you were the Black Knight. But look on the bright side, your Shadow Senses are a good thing to have,aren't they?

QUINTIN: Yeah. That's one way to look at them. Vance said it makes you "hyper aware" of the things around ya. But it's like ya got a hundred voices and thoughts going through your head. He suggested I do meditating, but sitting around in one place for too long has never been my thing.

SONDRE: Meditating is very important, Quintin. It helps to recharge your body after every fight. You can't use your Senses all the time without letting them rest for a while. You'll understand after using them more. ...So, did you come out here just to talk about our demon abilities or is there something else?

QUINTIN: …..I never really got to say I'm sorry for what happened the last time we fought. I know I wasn't in the right head for a long time so...half the stuff I said, I didn't mean it. My body wasn't under my control at that point. Neither was my mind. The fact I tried to kill Vance was proof enough.

SONDRE: I regret every day that I almost killed Vance and put his friends in danger. I was just like you a while back, but I slowly realized that this isn't the way I wanted to live my life. I had to take control before Arcana took total control over me. You and Vance should be thankful you weren't under his influence for too long.

QUINTIN: Don't think I'm not. If it wasn't for Cicuta, I wouldn't even be here right now.

SONDRE: I wish I had a partner like you did. I had to go through all this internal change on my own. But it doesn't matter, I guess. The fact is you're here now, fighting against the demons. You at least earned my respect as a fighter. You've proven yourself to be a worthy member of this team.

QUINTIN: So far at least.

SONDRE: But I am curious. If you had known Cicuta could make you into a Knight, would you still have taken her crystal?

QUINTIN (He paused at first, unsure how to respond to Sondre): ...If I had known back then, yeah I would have taken it. If there was anyone I could have found to fix what I had done and to maybe prove I belong on the right side, that'd be the way. I didn't want to live in darkness or in the Nether anymore. I just wanted to go home. I realized what I had done and it...terrified me. I never meant for things to go that far. I don't want to live in fear anymore. I want to be in control of my own destiny and not live by someone's strings. If there are gonna be any strings pulled here, they're gonna be by me. And if that wasn't enough for me, it's Cicuta. I would protect her with my life. I would fight until my last breath so she could be safe. I don't think the others are ever going to see the way I've changed, but I'm here to prove them wrong. And if I can't, I'll keep on fighting till I get to Arcana and give the world one less threat to worry about.

SONDRE: ...You speak the truth. I have no reason to think you're lying. Just remember, you're going to face a lot of trouble down the road. Whatever twists and turns I've had to overcome, you'll most likely tackle them too. I can't force you to stay with us in our home, but the only thing I want from you is your loyalty to this team. You promise me right now that you're going to keep your word to us? A true Knight sticks to their deal.

QUINTIN: Losing this team's trust is the last thing I want to happen. I know that's not gonna be easy...but I know it's going to be worth it.

(FADE TO BLACK, END CREDITS)