CHAPTER TEN: EPILOGUE
CAIUS
It had been a year to the day since they defeated Zell. He had not returned. Galaxia, Dimitri, Morgana, Caius, and Zordon had returned with Alpha, Winifred, Quang Bu, and Jason to the farm. They had restored the property to what it had once been and Galaxia had cast a preservation spell on it. Even if they were no longer there, the farm would prosper, maintaining life and giving any descendant of the Chosen a sanctuary in their hour of need. The animals would be cared for by her magic, as would the land.
It had taken little effort to convince the universe of their innocence. They stood together, broken but victorious, and told everyone the truth. Raven's entire village stood by them, verifying their tale. Between that and the fact that they agreed to undergo truth spells to test their honesty, the rest of the universe accepted that Zell had, in fact, been an especially deceptive force of evil.
Caius found Zordon sitting in the basement, staring at the energy tube. It had remained empty since right after they had used it to save him. Zordon refused to use the power, leaving it inside of the tube and staying far away from it.
"Zordon… Are you well?" Caius asked.
Zordon sighed. "Today is a difficult reminder, Caius," he admitted. "I half expect him to show up in there any moment and tell me it was all a charade."
"He is not coming back, Zordon. Your father is dead."
"I know. I killed him."
"Yes, you did… I know how difficult that still is for you, Zordon. Are you having trouble again?" Caius was fully aware that Zordon hardly slept sometimes because his nightmares were so severe. He often wished Raven was still with them to provide their friend with some comfort on those nights when his mind would not turn off.
"My mind has tormented me a bit, yes… But not as much as it did before. I suppose I am learning to move past it slowly."
"I believe that is a skill we all still struggle to master."
When Dimitri and Morgana stepped outside, Caius knew what was coming. "Caius… Zordon… It is time," Dimitri said.
"You are leaving us," Caius said flatly.
"We are. We have waited long enough. We must find my daughter," Morgana said. "Whatever it takes."
"You have our support, Morgana," Zordon said. "What do you need?"
Morgana looked at them and said, "I found this… Last week, while I was searching for a clue." She held up a baby blanket and began to cry. Caius sighed. Finally, that vision had come to light as well. "I must find her. There is no more time to waste."
"We cannot bring Jason. It is too dangerous a journey," Dimitri said. "Caius, I know this is too much to ask of you, but… Will you watch over our son while we are away?"
"Of course," Caius replied. "I would not dream of separating him from Quang Bu. They are as close as brothers."
"Caius…" Morgana sighed. "If anything happens to us-"
"Hush with that talk!" Galaxia said from the doorway. "Do not leave here expecting not to return."
"I am realistic, Xia," Morgana said gently. "I must think of Jason now." She looked at Caius again. "Please, Caius… If we do not return, protect our son."
"Always, Morgana… But Xia is right. If you leave expecting not to return, that is what will occur," Caius said.
"We will do our best to return," she promised, "but I cannot leave this to chance. Jason needs a guardian should anything occur. You, Xia, and Zordon are the only ones we trust with our son."
"And we shall love him and guard him always," Galaxia promised, "but you will return, Morgana. We have lost enough. We shall not lose you both as well."
Morgana hugged her. "My sister…" She whispered. "You have given me more than you shall ever know, Xia. I love you."
"I love you as well. Stop saying goodbye. It is only a brief farewell, until next time."
"Until we meet again," Dimitri said indulgently. He kissed Galaxia's hand. She pulled him into a hug.
"Bring Rita back to us," Galaxia said. "I will find a way to restore her light."
Zordon looked devastated as she said this. Caius hoped they would succeed, but in every vision of the future he had seen, Rita remained evil. He feared it would be a very long time before Rita was saved, and it would not be in the way they expected.
Only a mother's love can save her, he remembered. The problem was, he was fairly certain that love would not come from Morgana.
As night fell, Morgana tucked Jason into bed with Dimitri by her side. Together, they said their goodbyes. Morgana was crying. "Remember your promise, Caius," she said urgently.
"I shall," he vowed.
"Be safe, my friends," Galaxia said as she hugged them both.
"Be strong," Zordon added. "I know you can do what you must." He also hugged them.
Finally, Caius said goodbye to his friends with his own hugs. He prayed this would not be the last time he was able to do that, but he knew how dangerous this journey would be. He wished he had seen the outcome, but his visions did not always work like that. For now, he was as ignorant of the future as any of the others.
SIX DAYS LATER.
DIMITRI
The journey was a long one. He had hoped it would be easier to track Master Vile and Rita down, but they were very well-hidden in another realm, and without Galaxia's power to travel by portal, Dimitri was uncertain how to reach them.
Morgana nearly collapsed. He steadied her. "My love… You are exhausted. You must rest," he said.
"Just a bit more," Morgana protested.
"No, my Morgana… You need your strength. We both do." He searched for a safe place to set up camp. He found one fairly quickly and set to work.
She fell asleep in his arms. Dimitri stared at her face, still amazed after all this time by her beauty. He smiled as he watched her sleep, feeling peaceful for the first time in days. Finally, he drifted off as well.
When they woke, it was morning. Something did not feel right. Dimitri cautiously walked toward the sound of a girl crying. When she spotted him, she glared at him. "Who are you? What are you staring at?"
Dimitri immediately recognized her. This girl had attacked him the day Raven died. This was Rita. What are the chances? He wondered. "I will not harm you, Rita," he said gently.
"Liar!" She screamed.
Dimitri realized her dress was torn. Her hair was unkempt and her eyes were wild. "What has happened to you, Rita?" He asked gently.
"You should know! You are probably his accomplice! I shall show you the fate he met!" She motioned toward an unmoving form several feet away. The body was impaled upon what Dimitri assumed was his own sword.
"Who was he, Rita? What did he do to you?"
"He was one of my father's guards. He tried to have his way with me..." She no longer sounded angry or dangerous, but instead sounded like a terrified little girl as she whispered, "He would not release me, and when I tried to escape, my dress tore, and then he kissed me... He made me kiss him... Just like... Just like..." She began trembling violently.
"Rita-" Dimitri said gently. He tried to touch her arm to comfort her, but she pulled away violently.
"Do not touch me!" She cried. Dimitri pulled back, but it was too late. Rita's panic caused her powers to become uncontrollable. Dimitri flew through the air, hitting his head on a rock as he landed. Rita continued to panic. The earth shook. A storm came from nowhere. Lightning struck a tree and it crashed down on top of Dimitri.
He heard Morgana screaming his name and realized she must have found him. "Dimitri... My love..." She sobbed as she reached him. She moved the tree off of him using her own magic as rain poured down on them.
"Rita..." Dimitri whispered. "The girl is Rita."
Morgana stiffened. Then she said, "I must heal you."
He knew he was beyond that. Not only was his head injury bad, but his back had been cut by a smaller rock as he was crushed between the tree and the earth. He had lost too much blood. There would be no saving him this time. The fact that he could see Lucy looking at him sadly merely confirmed what he already knew. "Save your strength. Save your daughter."
"Dimitri..." Morgana whispered.
He used the last of his strength to touch her face, wiping away a tear with his thumb as the rain washed away the rest. "I love you," he told her.
"Do not leave me! I cannot do this alone."
"You can, my Morgana. You are strong." He looked into her eyes. "Stop this storm and save her. I believe in you." He felt his final breath pass his lips as he lost the ability to hold his hand up any longer.
MORGANA
She felt his hand drop and knew Dimitri was gone. Morgana let out a cry of grief as she clung to his body. Then, she did what she had to. She looked at the girl and knew Dimitri was right. This was her daughter.
Allowing her grief to burst from her in the form of magic, Morgana ended the storm. Rita collapsed onto her hands and knees sobbing. Morgana kissed Dimitri's lips a final time before releasing him. She stood and ran to her daughter. She hit a barrier before she could reach her, but she was closer than she had ever dreamed she could be.
"Rita..." She called gently.
"I didn't mean to..." Rita whispered in horror.
"I know. Let me in, Rita. I can help."
"You... You're the girl who saved me at the marketplace," Rita said.
Morgana looked into her eyes and said, "I am more than that, sweet girl..."
She would have said more, but suddenly, lightning burst from the earth and shot straight through her heart.
RITA
She screamed as she watched the girl who had saved her life fall to the ground dead. Had she done that to her? She couldn't seem to control her powers anymore. Medgar had tried to force himself upon her and she had been reminded of the day she had lost everything. Like Zell, he had forced her to kiss him, and for a moment, she was there again, in that basement, terrified and alone, betrayed by someone she'd been told to trust.
She stared at the carnage she had caused. Medgar had deserved his fate, and she did not regret impaling him upon his own sword. She had not meant to harm the boy her marketplace savior wept over, but her fear had taken over after he tried to touch her. Had she killed the girl as well?
"Rita, lower your barrier," her father said.
Suddenly, she knew the truth. "Father? You killed her?" She asked, not lowering any of her magic. She hadn't thrown it up intentionally, so she was uncertain she could lower it anyway, and she did not want even her father near her now. She no longer knew who to trust.
"Yes. I felt your fear and protected you."
"She was not the one I feared! Your guard tried to violate me!"
Her father looked horrified. "Where is Medgar?" He demanded.
Rita pointed and her father laughed. "You did well, my dear child," he said.
"I killed a boy. He was trying to help me, I think, but I was frightened..."
"He is one of Zell's Chosen... They are still our enemies, Rita. You did the right thing. This girl was as well. I had to kill her, Rita. She would have harmed you."
There seemed to be more he was not saying, but Rita could not guess what it might be. "She saved me once," Rita said sadly. She felt herself crying.
"Enough! We should celebrate this, not mourn their loss!"
"But she-"
"Do not speak of her again! Do you understand me?"
Rita nodded. Her heart ached. Watching this girl die had hurt her in a way Rita could not understand. She felt as if part of her had died, too. Suddenly, she began screaming and sobbing. Her father finally fled to escape the sound. Rita felt the storm return. Her powers ran wild, wreaking havoc, and she could do nothing more than allow it.
ZORDON
He and Galaxia were with Caius when he started staring at something they could not see. "They're gone," Caius whispered. "We have lost them."
Galaxia immediately began to cry. She wrapped her arms around Caius from behind. Zordon pulled them both into his. He knew they needed to retrieve their fallen friends, but first, they must calm down enough to do so safely.
"They are together," Caius whispered. "Dimitri went first... But he waited for her."
"Of course he did," Galaxia said sadly. "I shall open a portal... We must bring them home."
"Xia, it is too dangerous," Caius said. "Rita is there and she has a magical storm of chaos flowing through the area. She cannot control it."
"I can help," Zordon said.
Caius and Galaxia looked at him skeptically. "Zordon, I know facing Rita is difficult for you..." Caius said gently.
"I believe I can calm her enough for Xia and you to get Dimitri and Morgana out of there. Make sure you recover his sword. It is a family heirloom and Jason is meant to inherit it. I know it would be important to Dimitri."
"We shall not leave you there alone with her," Galaxia said.
"You must. I will return to you, Xia, but I must be alone to calm her."
"And if she hurts you?"
"Caius... Do I die today?"
"Not that I have seen, but the future can change, Zordon," Caius said.
"Please trust me. I know I can do this... I must try. I owe her that much."
Caius and Galaxia stopped protesting. Galaxia opened a portal and they crossed through into the most chaotic storm Zordon had ever seen. He could see Rita in the middle of it, screaming as power burst from her and destroyed whatever it could.
"Wait here. When it is safe, please recover our friends. I shall find my way home on my own," Zordon said. He walked straight toward Rita. Without hesitating, he called to her. "Rita! Rita, please, stop this!"
"Go away!" Rita screamed. "Leave me alone! Everyone just leave me alone!"
Zordon took a chance and stepped closer to her. He pulled some of the chaotic energy into himself, filtering it so it did less damage. Finally, he reached her. "Rita... I'm here," he said. "I am not going anywhere."
She was visibly crying. To his shock, she flung her arms around him and wept into his hair. "My blue boy..." She whispered.
Zordon held her, trying to comfort her. It was true her energy was different. It was darker and it wanted to destroy... But deep inside, beneath the rage, the girl he loved still lived.
"I did not mean to harm him..." Rita said through her tears. "I was frightened and I lost control."
"I believe you," Zordon promised her. "It's alright, Rita. You are safe now."
She looked into his eyes and did something that stunned him. Rita kissed him, but not like the day she had attacked him. This was not an act of hate, but one of love from a girl who desperately needed comfort. Images floated into his head and Zordon knew she was letting him in. He saw Rita as a small girl, the very one he and Galaxia had saved from drowning. He saw her as a teenager, kissing him and felt her joy and excitement. Then he saw her with his father, and he saw him attack her, forcibly kiss her, try to rape her... Zordon was filled with rage and grief at the same time. He felt his father shove Rita into the fire. He felt how much it had hurt and how it destroyed her. Then he saw a guard who forced a kiss as his father had. He felt her panic as she flashed back upon that. Then, she attacked the guard. Dimitri tried to touch her and she attacked him, too. Finally, Rita's heart shattered as Morgana died before her eyes at her father's hands.
Rita broke the kiss. She was still crying, but she was calmer. "Do you understand now?" She asked.
"I do," Zordon replied. "I am so sorry, Rita. I never thought he might harm you... I was a fool."
"You were a boy, Zordon. An innocent boy who loved his father... It was never your fault." She paused. "I feel myself losing more control every day, Zordon... I grow more evil with every breath. Please... When the time comes, if I am about to do something truly horrific, stop me. Swear to me you will stop me. Whatever it takes." Her fear was obvious. Rita was horrified by what she had become.
"I will save you, Rita," Zordon said.
"And if you cannot... Then stop me. Destroy me if you must. Please, Zordon... Please do not let me turn into my father." She was crying again.
"If I cannot save you, then yes. I will stop you." He knew he could never destroy her. He loved her far too much for that. He would have to find another way to stop her.
She sighed. "We can never be together... Not with what I am now... I am evil. I must destroy, and I must gain power... That is all I am now... But I will always love you, my funny blue boy." She kissed him again, then vanished before he could even say goodbye.
Zordon sank to his knees. "I love you," he whispered into the wind. Somehow, he knew she heard him.
SEVERAL DECADES LATER.
CAIUS
Time moved oddly for an immortal. He remained on the farm with Zordon, neither aging as normal humans would. Zordon aged very slowly and still looked about twenty. Caius appeared to be in his early thirties. He had stopped aging at that point. They maintained the farm together. Zordon traveled back to Eltar frequently, but he always returned to the farm eventually.
Galaxia had met a handsome young man six years after they lost Morgana and Dimitri. She'd tried not to, but she had ultimately fallen in love with him, and they'd moved away two years after that to get married and live a new life. She checked in on Caius frequently and visited at least twice a year, but it was not quite the same.
Caius had raised Quang Bu and Jason. He told them stories of their parents' adventures and courage. He taught them how to fight. He taught them to use swords and made sure they understood the importance of their father's swords. Dimitri's was a family heirloom with magic attached to it, and Quintus's sword had helped destroy Zell. There were no stronger weapons in this world than those two. He passed down a bracelet Quintus had always worn to his son. It was etched with flames, and it gave the boy both comfort and strength in difficult times. Caius had loved the boys as if they were his own. Both had gone on to marry and have children and grandchildren. It broke something in Caius when Quang Bu had died three years earlier, but the boy had lived a long life. Jason had followed him the next year, and Caius might have snapped if Zordon had not been home. Somehow, his old friend helped him through his grief.
Now he sat in his room, reading a book. A vision suddenly took control of his mind. Galaxia slept peacefully in her bed. She was ninety-seven now, which was an unheard of accomplishment in and of itself. Her husband had passed away two decades earlier, but instead of letting that break her as losing Zedd had, Galaxia had chosen to keep living and enjoying what the world had to offer. She surrounded herself with animals and magic and her family. She had five children of her own, nineteen grandchildren, and over sixty great-grandchildren, and she taught every last one of them magic and sorcery, ensuring her family would stay firmly on the side of good. She had saved countless lives over the years, both human and animal. She was respected as the great leader of her family and her community. Caius was incredibly proud to call her his friend. Her life had truly been remarkable.
As he watched Galaxia sleep, Caius knew what was coming. He wanted to deny it, but he had learned by now that for everyone else, death was inevitable. A moment after she exhaled her final breath, surrounded by her family, Caius felt everything inside of him break. Finally, he understood the last piece of the vision he had seen so many decades ago... The grave that would cause him unbearable grief was Galaxia's.
They were gone. All of the Chosen were gone. Everyone Caius had ever truly let in was now dead. He fell to his knees, consumed with a grief he was certain he would never recover from.
ZEDD
He felt something odd inside of him. Suddenly certain there was trouble, Zedd searched for Galaxia. The vision that appeared before him showed a family grieving and a woman he knew was Galaxia dead in her bed, a peaceful smile on her face. This was the very vision Zell had shown him.
His mind grieved deeply, but he could not feel anything. The sense of loss, however, was extremely strong. "Oh, Xia..." He whispered. "How I wish that I could cry." He knew he had to say goodbye to her, although he was not sure how he could do that. He pulled on his cloak and teleported to her town, then hid for two days until the community gathered to say goodbye.
He stayed to the back, hidden from sight, as they buried the girl he remembered loving in the ground. He watched as the community mourned her. He saw her impressively large family say goodbye, one by one, and he knew that she had been deeply loved.
She lived her life, he thought. She was loved. She was happy. Everything, all of this... It was worth the price.
He felt eyes on him and looked up, making sure his face was still hidden by his hood. Across the cemetery, he spotted Caius. He was older, although not as old as he should have been. Caius watched him and Zedd knew he knew exactly who he was. He hesitated, worried Caius might demand he be removed, but Caius simply nodded at him in acknowledgement. Zedd returned the nod. Today, they were not enemies. Today, they simply shared the need to say goodbye.
When the time came, Zedd placed a lily on her grave. Caius joined him and fell to his knees as he began openly weeping, his grief consuming him. Zedd wished he could still do that.
A hand landed on Zedd's shoulder briefly before the person moved to Caius. Zedd jumped at the unexpected touch, then saw who was comforting Caius. Zordon knelt beside him. Zedd could hardly believe his mortal enemy had offered him even that brief show of sympathy.
"I am alone..." Caius whispered.
"You shall never be alone, Caius," Zordon promised. "I know I am not always here, but I will return as often as I can. I will never leave you."
Caius allowed Zordon to comfort him. Finally, Zordon looked up at Zedd. "I hoped you would come today," he said.
"Why would you hope for such a thing?" Zedd asked.
"Because Xia would have wanted you here." He stood and helped Caius to his feet. "Caius... We must go now."
Caius nodded numbly. He looked at Zedd. "Take care of yourself, Zedd," he told him.
"You as well, Caius," Zedd said. He and Caius might not be on the same side, but Zedd owed him a debt for the kindness he had shown him after the Zeo Crystal had burned off his flesh. He had not forgotten that. Zedd walked away, knowing they would never again be allowed a moment of peace together. Only Galaxia's death had allowed them this brief ceasefire.
She is still changing lives, he thought. I cannot love you, my Xia... But I shall never forget how much I once did.
TWO CENTURIES LATER.
ZORDON
The battle was out of control. Rita was going to destroy everything. She was working for Zedd now and Zedd had ordered her to conquer Earth. Zordon's promise forced its way back into his head. I cannot save her... I must stop her, he thought. He couldn't kill her. Even now, after all the damage she had done as evil consumed her, he still loved her. He would have to trap her instead.
He knew Rita loved games, so he challenged her to a coin toss using the power coins he had discovered. As he won, Rita screamed and let out a final act of defiance as she was sealed with her minions inside of a space dumpster.
Her magic hit Zordon hard and he was flung outside of the time line. Suddenly, Zordon felt himself losing touch with reality. Terrified, he desperately tried to find his way back, but he could not. He was left with only one option to communicate with anyone. He had to embrace the use of the energy tube, as his father had done. Zordon was every bit as powerful as his father had been now, but he rarely allowed himself to use his full powers.
Caius, he thought. I promised I would not leave him... I am so sorry, my friend. He knew he could not return to Earth physically, or even Eltar. Unlike his father, he could not come and go from the energy tube as he pleased. He was trapped outside of time, perhaps forever, and he knew it would take a long time for him to even begin to navigate his way through this chaos just to find the energy tube.
She will escape one day, he knew. When she did, he would need to stop her. In a twist he had never seen coming, Zordon realized he would one day need to form a team of his own. I shall not be like my father, he vowed. Whatever he had to do to stop Rita and to save the world, he would do it through the light.
As he became completely lost outside of the timeline, Zordon clung to the love in his heart and vowed to find a way to save the universe once and for all.
EIGHTEEN YEARS AGO.
CAIUS
He had lived a thousand lives and he knew he'd live a thousand more. Currently, Caius was working as a professor at a university in California. He enjoyed teaching, but he never socialized with anyone outside of class. Caius had decided long ago never to get close to anyone. The knowledge that he would inevitably lose them was too much for him to stand.
The last thing he expected was Julia Chase. She was a new professor at the university who taught literature and history, and who had a passion for both. She was brilliant and funny and against all odds, she made Caius laugh. He could not resist spending time with her, even as his brain begged him to turn and run. After six months, she kissed him. Suddenly, for the first time in centuries, Caius felt alive. He had not allowed such an intimate touch since he lost Rose. He hadn't realized how much he missed connecting to someone. He could not deny he loved her. They ended up dating. Two years later, Caius lost his mind and proposed. They married that Spring.
Almost immediately, Julia got pregnant. For the first time, Caius considered that he might be able to be happy. Everything was finally going right. Sure, he would eventually lose her, but they could have decades together before that happened. They could raise their son and enjoy the time they did have.
One morning, Julia went out for a walk while Caius was teaching. Right after his class ended, a vision hit. It was Julia, crossing the street. A car slammed into her and she flew through the air, landing hard on the street several feet away. Her head hit the concrete. She died on impact.
Caius could feel the Underworld God coming for her. He dragged her off quickly and tried to grab their son.
"You shall not draw breath!" He declared. The baby was dying. If he was not removed from Julia soon, he would perish.
By the time Caius returned from the vision, he knew it was too late. His doorbell rang, and he nearly refused to answer it, but he knew he must. The officer who stood at the door told him a hit and run driver had struck his pregnant wife. Grief crushed Caius as he lost any hope that his vision had been wrong.
"The baby..." He whispered. "Did the baby survive?"
"They were performing a C-section to remove the baby when I came here. The baby was in severe distress, but they are hoping there is a chance," the officer told him. "I can drive you to the hospital."
Caius was numb as he got into the car. Julia was dead. He'd lost her decades sooner than he should have, and now he might lose their son, too.
They arrived quickly. The first doctor he found gave him a look of pity. "I'm so sorry," he said. "Your wife was killed on impact. Your son was in extreme distress when she arrived. We were able to remove him, but he was not breathing."
"He's dead?" Caius asked, his voice breaking along with his heart.
"No... Not yet. We put him on a ventilator and he started breathing, but his vitals are extremely weak, and he is unconscious… His chances of survival are very slim."
"Take me to him," Caius said. He needed to see his son while he still lived.
The boy was in an incubator, nearly hidden by all of the tubes coming out of his tiny body. Caius asked for privacy and the doctor left him alone.
"My boy..." He whispered. "I am so sorry. The God holding you hostage is angry with me, not you." He took a deep breath. "Please... Someone help my son. This is not his fate." He felt tears falling down his cheeks as he held his son's hand inside of the incubator.
You shall not claim him, he heard someone whisper defiantly. He knew it was Rose. He'd still know her voice anywhere.
Suddenly, he felt his son move. The child began to stir and opened his eyes. He did not cry until Caius called frantically for a doctor to remove the ventilator.
"Incredible!" The doctor said. "He's breathing on his own. It's a miracle…"
Caius knew it was safe to hold his son when the doctor placed him in his arms. "My beautiful boy..." He said softly. He knew the truth. His son would never be safe with him. The Death God would constantly be after him.
"I love you," he whispered. "That is why I cannot keep you." It broke something in him, but Caius had to protect his son. He spent the next few days searching for a good home for the boy, and only when a couple caused him to have a vision of his son growing up happy and unconditionally loved did he agree to give him away. He managed not to cry until after they had driven off with his little boy, who they were calling Caleb.
The next thing Caius did was resign from his job. The university offered him a sabbatical for his grief, but Caius knew he could never bring himself to teach in that school again knowing Julia was gone. He packed up his belongings and moved back to the farm, something he did every time he needed to start over. There, he remained in seclusion until the day would come when he was needed again. He knew it was inevitable. Somehow, Zell would return, and when he did, the descendants would need someone to guide and protect them.
THE END.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thank you for reading! I hope you all enjoyed the story. I appreciate any and all reviews. Thanks for the support! The journey continues in Legacy Rangers.