A/N: Kuro here, with, finally, 9.2. Once again, all hail Pinky.

Chapter 9.2:

I'm brooding, I know I am. I'm curled up on my bed, the tome Zedd told me to read before he want to sleep open on my lap. But no matter how interesting it is, not even ancient Druid lore is enough to keep my attention.

But really, can you blame me? The woman responsible for everything I've been through for the past two years is back. If it hadn't been for her, I would have never gotten the green Power Coin, I would have never tried to kill the Rangers, I would have never known the pain of having my life force drained away, I would have never betrayed them by joining Zedd.

But, on the converse, I would have never made such good friends, I would have never found someone who was a real father to me, I would have never met Ki… don't go there.

*Sigh* I'm trying. My thoughts just seem to keep drifting to her lately.

I'm pretty sure she just appealed to your heroic instinct, always running around yelling for you to help her. Seriously, I swear she was going to blow out my eardrums.

Enough!

Fine, fine, I'll just go sit in the corner… Tirthor's presence faded and I was left alone with my thoughts again. He's been giving up unusually easy lately.

I had no warning when something large and heavy bopped me over the head. Hand flying to my head, I whipped around to find the origin of my brooding state standing behind me, arms crossed, crescent staff in hand.

"What was that for!?" Her eyes flicker, and I realize she's incredibly amused.

"For brooding; I swear, teenagers are the worst! First Thrax goes off on that punk phase and now you with the teen angst!" She huffs and plops down on the bed next to me. "Honestly! What is so heavy on your mind?" She pauses at my glare, "Other than the obvious, of course."

I let out a heavy sigh. She looks sympathetic. "For what it's worth, I know what you're going through." At my disbelieving look, she smirks. "When your father's name is 'Master Vile', you really don't have much of a choice in careers."

"Who's Master Vile?"

"He's a Necromancer. He always wanted someone to succeed him in the whole 'villain' biz, but Rito was way too incompetent to ever be more than a petty attack drone. I, on the other hand, had serious skill with the arcane and a knack for tricking people into things. He kept trying to convince me to follow in his footsteps, but I preferred the healing arts to the dark powers." Her gaze became distant, like she wasn't in the room with me anymore. "He used a binding/unlocking spell on me. He bound my good nature and unleashed my nastier side."

"Like what you did to me. You unlocked all the hatred I had inside of me from my childhood." She nodded sadly.

"About thirty years later, I had eighteen planets under my command and three more on the 'to do' list. That's when I met Zedd." Oh, great, are we gonna go into a whole love story tangent?

"Zedd was…Different from all the other evil overlord I'd met. I won't bore you with the details," thank you very much, "but long story short, he broke the spells on me, explained what he was doing, and asked for my help. A few years later, we got married, secretly of course, had Thrax, and I got sent to Earth to take it over. 10000 years in a dumpster later, here I am."

Oh. "Must've sucked."

Rita nods.

I consider, then open my book, staring at it, my unbound hair hiding my face from view. Rita smiles and rests her hand on my spine. I would shake it off, but the warmth feels really good and it's unknotting my back. Ow. I didn't even know my back was knotted.

"I guess you are a healer." Tirthor says. When did he come back?

Rita shrugs. "I don't lie to you. No more than any mother does." He snorts and gives me back control.

"Right, mother, sure." I know I'm being cynical, but can you really blame me?

"I may not have been a model maternal figure, but I did – do – see you as a son. At first, yes, you were the perfect warrior; smart, quick, strong enough to take down even the Red Ranger, and fairly innocuous. After all, who would suspect the new kid in town?" Tirthor snorts again.

"A new kid with a thing for green; yeah, brilliant." Okay, seriously, stop it, Tirthor.

"Fine, Fine, I'll stop." He retreats back to his corner of my mind. I kinda hope he'll stay there for awhile.

She looks at me oddly. "You're very confusing to talk to, you know that, right?" I smirk.

"Understatement of the century." She shakes her head and continues.

"It's impossible to not pick up things from a mind when you're doing that kind of spellwork. When I went into yours…what I saw there…" She breaks off, and I wonder what exactly she gleaned from my mind. "I'm not sure what you remember from your time under the spell…" I cut her off.

"Everything." She looks at me in shock. "I remember every detail, right down to the smell the magic left in the air after you completed the spell." I hear a flash of something across her mind; it sounds like…regret.

(A benefit/consequence of studying magic; I'm hearing people's thoughts a lot easier than when I was just a ranger.)

She places her hand on my forehead. "I… had hoped it would be less than that. I purposefully botched one of the spells to backfire, so you would only have vague recollections of your time as my Ranger, but, unfortunately, it seems to have failed." She grimaces, tucking a stray hair behind my ear. I didn't even notice myself lean into the touch. Her arm slips around my shoulders. "My job in this was simple, Tommy; I had to create a warrior strong enough to stand against Zedd when he finally came; by the time he arrived, both you and Jason were the prime candidates. You just got lucky I guess." She smirks. "Its sort of a backhanded compliment, I guess."

"Funny, Zedd said something to that effect." Her smile widens.

"And what did you say?"

"I was a little out of it by that point, but I remember thinking that I could do without those kinds of compliments." She gives a soft chuckle and squeezes my shoulders.

"I sometimes wonder if Zedd really is your father. You both have the same sharp tongue." I can't help the small smile that creeps across my face. But it quickly vanishes as a familiar presence makes a beeline for my door.

"Goldar's coming." She nods, and in a puff of smoke she disappears. A moment later there's a knock on my door.

"Enter." He opens the door and kneels just inside. It may be a bit of Tirthor's personality leaking through, but I take a small bit of pleasure at the sight.

"My Lord, Finster's creation is ready to be sent. He is awaiting your command." I rise off the bed and stretch.

"Very well; let's see the rangers combat this. You're dismissed." Sliding my sword through my sash, I step out into the hall after him and make my way to the Throne Room.

As I'm walking, my mind drifts; a few days ago, I would have never allowed Rita anywhere near me. Today, after our talk, she seems, I don't know, motherly. Maybe I was just on edge from her abrupt arrival, but, then, it wasn't the spell that made me see her as a mother. She had actually cared for me during those weeks under her control, and lord knows I've never had a real mother figure to look up to.

It's not very funny, but I feel a grin spread across my face as a thought strikes me; of all the people in my homeworld, it's the ones who are trying to conquer it that makes me feel most at home.

As I watch my former friends battle the creature I sent down through my enchanted pool of water, I'm struck with a sudden feeling of dread. Frowning, I reach for Tirthor's presence.

Did you feel that?

The feeling of the terror of a thousand creatures?

That's the one.

Yep. I wonder…

We don't have to wonder long; over the sounds of the battle issuing from the pool, I hear my mentor's voice…

"My Queen! Oh, how I've missed you!"

Oh…

Crap.