"You said we need to talk, so talk."

Lothor laughed and, with a snap of his fingers, the Kelzaks disappeared. He then motioned for her to follow him and stepped through the opening to his left.

Kali hesitated before following him. She stepped through the opening, her eyes darting left and right, taking in everything that she could. There was no exit - why would there be, she was in a spaceship in the middle of the Solar System, of course there wasn't going to be an exit. There were also no windows - did Spaceships even have windows? She shook away the thought.

Lothor led Kali down a dark and twisting hallway. Her heart hammered in her chest, and she clenched and unclenched her fists - a nervous habit she had picked up as a kid. Something inside of her was telling her that this was a bad idea - scratch that, she knew it was a bad idea the minute Lothor suggested it, but she also felt the need to stay and find out what he wanted from her.

"Where are you taking me?" Kali asked, her voice loud in the silence.

"I said we needed to talk," said Lothor. "I didn't say we would be talking in the open." He stopped outside a basic black door and pushed it open. He then turned to Kali and motioned for her to go first.

Kali narrowed her eyes and stepped back. "It's your ship," she said. "You first."

Lothor shrugged and stepped through the door.

Satisfied that there was no traps surrounding the frame, Kali followed him through. A light flickered on and she saw that she was in a sort of office - a desk and chair sat in front of a bookcase which was lined with books, some of which were labelled Ninja Basics, Ninja History, Magical Spells and Enchantments - one that caught Kali's attention the most was a book on Magical Realm families. She furrowed her brow and crossed the room, stopping in front of the book and running her finger down the spine.

"I thought it may interest you," said Lothor, smiling.

"Why do you have that?" Kali asked. "You're not of the magical realm, you wouldn't be in there."

Lothor nodded. "Just like everything in this room, I borrowed it to ensure that my future turned out as I planned it," he said.

Kali scoffed. "Your future?" she asked. "Your future is dark and consists of nothing but defeat."

"Careful, Hellhound," Lothor warned. "I hold the power up here. I know, from intense research, that while you're away from your precious base Root Core, your powers aren't as strong."

"Doesn't mean I can't do damage," said Kali.

Lothor stared at her. He then walked past her towards the desk and opened the top drawer. "I asked you to stay so we could talk about this," he said, setting an old scroll on the desk. He unfurled it, showing Kali a timeline of events that had happened leading up to now - the attack on the Ninja Schools, recruiting aliens from throughout the galaxies, and at the bottom, opening the Abyss.

"Aren't you missing something?" Kali asked, her eyes drawn to the tear at the bottom of the scroll. "Where's the rest?"

Lothor let out a bark of laughter. "Once I complete my destiny, the last entry on the scroll won't matter," he said. "No one will stop me… not with you at my side."

Brow furrowed; Kali glanced up. "What are you talking about?" she asked.

"This is my conversation topic - the real reason I asked you to stay," said Lothor. "You know what I intend to do at the Abyss of Evil."

"Yes."

"Then, you have but one choice to make, Hellhound. Help me open the Abyss, and save as many people as you possibly can, or leave me do it alone, and watch thousands die."

Kali straightened and followed her arms. "What makes you think that you'll succeed in either scenario?" she asked. "The other Rangers, plus the Mystic Guardians will stop you. I will stop you."

"Maybe. But, what will you be protecting if I open the abyss alone?" Lothor asked. "Think about it - the Abyss is an unstable force of nature. The blast that erupts from it when forced open will cause catastrophic aftershocks and the city of Blue Bay Harbour, along with all its people will be destroyed. But, if you open it…"

"I can contain the blast and save others," Kali answered.

Lothor nodded and rolled up the scroll. "What do you say, Hellhound?" he asked, holding out one hand. "Do we have a deal?"

~X~

Two hours later…

Kali entered the Rock Porium, smiling as she spotted Vida and Matoombo at their usual place behind the DJ table. Xander and Lorna worked the front counter, while Nick had just stuck his head out of the back office, he broke off mid-call as he spotted Kali.

"Hey," Nick smiled.

Kali returned it and accepted the embrace Nick offered. "Hey," she said.

"What's wrong?" Nick asked, pulling back and holding her at arm's length. "How did it go? Did you free the other Ninja students?"

"Not exactly."

"What do you mean? Did the protection charm hold up? Did you have another reaction?"

Kali shook her head. "I need to talk to you," she said. She then looked around at the others - Xander and Lorna were close by, and listening, but Vida was too far away. "All of you."

"Is everything okay?" Xander asked.

"Maybe," said Kali. She then shrugged. "Maybe not. You think Toby will let you off for a little while? I need to do this conversation at Root Core. Mom, Leanbow, and Udonna need to hear it, too."

Everyone's attention turned to Nick.

"Toby is off today," said Nick. "We'd have to close up." He turned to Xander. "You're the assistant manager. It's your call."

Xander looked around the store and then back at Kali. "Is it life or death?" he asked.

"Yeah."

Xander nodded. "Okay. You guys go on ahead, I'll tell everyone there is an emergency and meet you at Root Core," he said.

Kali forced a smile. "Thanks, X," she said.

"I'll get Vida," said Lorna, heading over to the stage.

Kali heaved a sigh and wrapped her arms around herself. Her conversation with Lothor still lingered in her mind, and she was hoping that her friends would be able to help her make the right choice.

~X~

"What did you tell him?" Leanbow asked.

"Bet you told him no, right?" Xander asked.

Kali shrugged. "I wanted to say no, but…" she sighed, breaking off.

Xander furrowed his brow. "There's a but?" he asked. "How can there be a but? The answer is simple - no. Why would you consider helping him open the Abyss? Wasn't the whole point of you going there to stop him from opening it?"

"Things change," said Kali. "And, technically, my point of being there was to open the Abyss in order to lock Lothor inside. I can't do that if I don't have control over the Abyss opening, which is what he is offering me. Plus, the aftershocks, if I can control the Abyss opening then I control the aftershock. No one has to die."

Xander sighed and leaned back. "How can you trust him?" he asked. "What if this was Imperious? What if he had asked you to do something like this, would you have trusted him?"

"But it's not Imperious," Kali snapped. "And I don't trust Lothor."

"Then why would you consider doing what he asks?"

"Because I don't have much of a choice, Xander," Kali yelled. "If I don't do this, thousands die. If I do, I can control the outcome and the severity of the situation."

Silence fell throughout Root Core, and Kali buried her head in her hands. She hadn't meant to argue or yell at her friends, and while she had come here to ask them for their advice, she hadn't been expecting to be met with such disagreement. Surely, they understood the repercussions of Lothor opening the abyss without the Hellhound, right?

"How does he even know that his plan will work?" Vida asked. "Can he see the future or something?"

"He took the Scroll of Destiny from the Wind Ninja Academy thirty years ago," said Kali. "It has predicted everything up until now, and it's all been accurate. He is missing part of the scroll, and I am guessing it is the part that shows the others trying to stop him, but he doesn't seem to think it's a concern."

"Obviously, because he has the Hellhound on his side," said Xander.

"I'm not on his side!" Kali argued. "I just think that with me opening the Abyss, it will cause less destruction. Sure, it will unleash all the evil of years gone by, but -"

"You do realise it's not just Ninja warriors inside that thing?" Xander interrupted. "The demons we fought are in there, too. Imperious is in there. Morticon. The Ten Terrors."

Kali lowered her gaze.

Leanbow set a hand on Xander's shoulder and eased him back into his seat. "What were you thinking staying there with him, Kali?" he asked. "You must've had a reason."

Kali shrugged.

"Did he say something? Do something?"

Kali swallowed and looked up, meeting Leanbow's gaze. "You knew Merlock and the other guardians better than anyone, yes?" she asked.

Leanbow nodded.

"Did you that Merlock had a brother?"

"Yes. But… he died very young," said Leanbow, shaking his head. "Dragon Fever."

Kali shook her head. "He didn't die. He left and had two son's - Hanoi and Kia," she answered. "Hanoi is my Sensei, and Kia? He's now known as Lothor."

The silence that swept around the table was deafening.

"Lothor?" Lorna whispered. "As in - "

"The same Lothor that has tried to kill me and the other Ninja's for months," Kali nodded. She looked back at Leanbow. "Merlock didn't tell you that his brother left because it would arouse suspicion, I don't know what he meant, and neither did Lothor."

"Wait, so Lothor told you this?" Xander asked. "How do we know it's the truth?"

"He had a book - Families of the Magical Realm -"

"That doesn't prove anything," said Xander, shaking his head. "He could've added the pages himself."

"And he spoke to me in my mind."

Another silence.

Kali sighed and brushed her hair aside. "Look, I didn't come here to argue, I thought I came here to ask for your help, but I guess I really came here to tell you what I planned on doing," she said. "But I do need your help… not on making a decision, but on helping me prevent Lothor's world domination."

Eithne, who had been silently listening to this point, stood and approached the table. "I don't agree your actions, or your decision, but…" she added as Kali geared up to argue. "… I also think that this is the only chance we have of stopping Lothor. What do the other Ninja's think, or haven't you told them yet?"

"They don't even know I am back," said Kali. "I came straight here."

"Good. Don't say anything to them," said Eithne. "I shall contact Sensei Watanabe tonight and explain things, just so he knows that whatever happens next isn't a personal thing for you."

Kali nodded.

Nick stared at her, his head cocked and an eyebrow raised. "There's more," he said. "What is it?"

"Nothing. I Just…" Kali hesitated. "I just now need to get Cam's amulet away from him without arousing suspicion."

"Why would you need the amulet?" Lorna asked.

"Lothor says it would be better if I used a conduit to open the Abyss," said Kali. "The Amulet will be able to sustain my abilities and prevent a shock wave when the abyss explodes."

"He's right," said Udonna. "The Samurai Amulet is one of the most powerful relics in the Mystic Realm. It will stabilize your abilities, Kali. I am surprised you haven't been drawn to it before now."

Kali furrowed her brow. "Is that why Cam and I are so close?" she asked. "Because of the amulet."

Udonna shrugged. "It is possible," she said. "But no one will ever be able to tell for sure. Yours and Cameron's friendship blossomed before he became a Ranger, it just became stronger after."

Kali nodded and looked down at her hands. "There's one more thing I need to ask you," she said, looking up back.

"What is it, child?" Udonna asked.

"I need you there. When I open the abyss," said Kali, meeting Xander's gaze. "I need you to help the other Ninjas. Yes, they have the power to stop whatever comes out of that place, but they won't understand why I have seemingly switched sides. I don't want them to lose their focus and get hurt." She swallowed. "Will you do that for me? Please, help my friends."

Linking his fingers with hers, Nick squeezed and nodded. "I'll be there," he said.

"Me too," said Vida.

"I'm not a Ranger," said Lorna. "But my fire abilities are getting better, and I can use some on-the-job training, so count me in."

All eyes turned to Xander.

"Are you sure that this is the only way?" Xander asked.

"It's not different to what I did when we were Rangers," said Kali. "Remember? I followed Udonna and Sculpin to the Underworld, leaving you and the others to deal with Black Lance and later the Master?"

Xander, Vida and Nick nodded.

"This is just like that."

"This is nothing like that," said Xander.

Kali smiled and shrugged. "Okay, maybe not," she agreed. "But I had to do that, and I have to do this. It's the only way this doesn't end in tragedy."

Xander sighed and then nodded. "Okay. I'm in," he agreed.

"Thank you."

~X~

The next few days passed in a blur. Kali returned to Ninja Ops and endured a scolding from Cam, who, while angry, was more relieved to see that she was alive and well. He and the others did ask her questions - what were you thinking? What did Lothor do? How did you get out? - but Kali was able to evade the answers, and, after a while, Sensei stepped in and covered her.

Eithne had made good on her promise. She had explained everything to Sensei, who seemed stunned than Kali knew the whole truth about his heritage. One evening, after everyone had retired home or to bed, in Cam's case, he asked her to remain behind so they could talk. They spoke for a whole hour, discussing Lothor's upbringing and the plan that was no in motion.

When Kali got to the part about the amulet, she hesitated.

"It is a conduit," said Sensei. "I figured it would be a great help to you in the end. Partly the reason I allowed Cam to go back in time to get it. I knew it would be helpful in the long run."

"I don't want to hurt Cam or the others," said Kali. "But, I need a way to get the amulet without them getting in my way."

"I wish I could help you, little one," said Sensei. "But Cam is too curious for his own good, sometimes. Just asking him for it will arouse suspicion, and that is the last thing you need right now."

Kali smiled awkwardly and nodded. She needed a plan. A way to get the Amulet without Cam's interference. But how?

Soon, it was time to face reality, and Kali found herself at Storm Charges with Tori, a week after her encounter with Lothor took place. She entered the store and found Dustin grinning at a piece of paper in his hand, while carrying a box of oil under one arm.

"Hey, Tori, Kali, guess what?" Dustin said, waving the form at them. Kali managed to glimpse 'US ACTION GAMES' at the top before it disappeared.

"Kelly's sponsoring you to go to the US Action Games and Freestyle," said Tori, grinning.

Dustin's smile faltered. "Yeah. How'd you know?" he asked.

"She told us this morning," Kali said, ruffling his hair. She glanced over her shoulder, her face falling as she met Hunter's gaze and then turned away, following Tori into the back room where Shane was gushing over his own entry form.

Dustin scoffed as he followed the Thunder brothers into the back room. He perched on the table as the others took up the couches. "So, wait, everyone knew except for me?" he asked. "Is that about right?"

"Yeah, that's about right," said Tori.

"Yeah. I hate that," Dustin whined.

Kali shook her head and reached to take the entry form from him. She glanced it over and then handed it back. "Xander is being sponsored by the Rock Porium in Skateboarding," she said, glancing at Shane. "Guess you've got some competition."

Shane shrugged, indifferently. He was used to seeing Xander on the ramps these days, especially when there was a competition involved. He was a good skater, and Shane knew he'd be a fool to recognize him as anything but.

"Hey," said Dustin, nudging Blake's knee. "Didn't you test today for Roger Hannah and the Factory Blue Sponsorship?"

"That's right. How'd it go?" Tori asked.

"There was a photographer there from Dirt Works magazine," said Hunter. "He said he hasn't seen anyone test that fast since McGrath in '91!" He clapped Blake on the shoulder, proudly.

Leaning forward, Kali caught Blake's eye. "Save the suspense," she said. "What did you say?"

"Full factory ride if I want it," said Blake.

Dustin cocked his head to the side. "Why wouldn't you want it?" he asked.

"Come on, don't you think I'm a little busy around here?" Blake asked, curiously.

Kali shrugged. "We're not going to be Rangers forever," she said. "Trust me. Giving up on your dreams isn't something you ever want to do, just because you wear a morpher. You'll start regretting your decision, and you'll come to hate being a Ranger if you do."

"She's right," said Shane. "Plus, how can you pass up an opportunity like that?"

"That's what I told him," said Hunter.

Blake sighed and looked away.

"So, I have a question," said Tori, looking thoughtful. "Speaking of Ranger duties. Has anyone actually told Sensei that we're going to the Games? I haven't."

Kali shook her head as Tori glanced her way. She then turned to Shane.

"Not me," Shane said.

"What about Cam?" Dustin asked. "Did we ask him if he wants to go?"

With a shared look, the group stood and made their way out of Storm Charges.

~X~

Cam pinched the bridge of his nose. "So, let me get this straight? It slipped all your minds?" he asked. He was more amused than annoyed. "I mean, Dustin I can believe."

Dustin scoffed and then laughed. "Hey, I was the one who remembered," he defended.

"You were also the last to know," said Kali. "Not exactly a good defence. But it's true, he was the one who remembered you… after Tori prompted us about asking for permission."

Dustin gasped and then shook his head.

Kali smiled and reached up to ruffle his hair again.

"I can understand how this could've happened," said Sensei. "It is an honour to compete in such an event. I can only imagine the excitement can be quite a distraction." He met Kali's gaze and she lowered hers, biting her lip as she looked away.

Tori smiled and looked at her friends. "Does that mean it's okay if we go?" she asked.

"Yes, of course," Sensei granted.

Licking her lips, Kali forced a smile as Tori nudged her in excitement. She grinned and turned to the others, listening intently as each of them planned on how and what time they would be arriving at the games.

It was already decided that Dustin and Shane would arrive with Kelly, the two were entering after all, and Kelly was the one with all the equipment. Blake, Hunter, and Cam would arrive with Tori, while Kali had turned down the offer, stating that she already had plans to arrive with the other Mystics and would meet the Ninja's at the front gate.

~X~

The following Saturday, Kali killed the engine of her bike as she parked it beside Nick's, while Vida drove her jeep into the last available space in the parking lot. They all dismounted and turned to one another, while Kali stored her gloves under her seat, and placed her helmet in the back seat of the jeep.

"The others are around here somewhere," Kali said, brushing her hair back and checking the crowd. There were to many people for her to do a head check, but she was sure that Tori's van would stand out amongst the other parked vehicles.

"There," said Lorna, pointing across the lot. The unmistakable blue van was parked three rows away from them, and had Cam leaning out of the side. He was wearing a white shirt with a green cap, and while Hunter stood beside him. The Crimson Ranger was so tall, that Kali was surprised she had missed him.

Kali waved her hand as Cam looked in her direction, and then indicated to the front gates. He nodded, jumped down from the side of the van.

"How are things between you and Hunter?" Vida asked Kali, as she locked arms with her. Lorna did the same on Kali's other side, while Nick and Xander shared a look and followed behind.

Kali shrugged. "We're not talking," she answered. "Mostly my fault. He's tried speaking to me, but I've ignored him. I don't want to make the same mistake I did last time and trust him only for him to betray me."

"You think he will?" Lorna asked.

"I don't know. From my experience, if they can fool you once then they can fool you again," said Kali.

"Um, aren't you, and please don't bite my head off for this, but, isn't what you're doing to them similar to what Hunter did to you?" Lorna asked. "He kept the secret of the Gem from you, but aren't you keeping your deal with Lothor a secret from him?"

Kali sighed as she realised the implications of Lorna's statement. She couldn't even argue or justify her actions, because it was, exactly the same as what Hunter had did to her. He hadn't kept the Gem of Souls to hurt her, he had kept it because he was hurting. She had willingly made a deal with Lothor to protect everyone, including him, and was willingly choosing to keep it a secret from her team because they would stop her otherwise, just like they would've stopped Hunter if he had told them about the Gem.

"Hey, you guys made it!" said Tori, spotting the Mystics first.

"Are you kidding? We wouldn't miss this," said Xander. He spotted Shane and held out his hand. "How about a friendly competition? No hard feelings if one of us loses?"

"Only with you," said Shane. "The other competitors don't count."

"Deal," Xander agreed.

Shane nodded and shook Xander's hand. "May the best skateboarder win," he said.

"He will."

Kali rolled her eyes. "I'll will cry with laughter if neither of you win," she said.

"You're mean," said Shane, although he couldn't help but grin.

Kali shrugged. "And you're insufferable," she said, smiling, too.

Over Shane's shoulder, Kelly extracted herself from the ground and made her way towards the group. "You guys better check in," she said. "I'll make sure your gear is okay. Xander, do you want me to check your stuff, too?" she offered.

"Thanks," Xander said, handing her his equipment.

Kelly nodded and dashed off.

"Shall we head in?" Lorna asked, indicating to the gates. The crowd was still gathered around it, but they were moving swiftly inside as collectors stamped people with luminous stamps and took tickets stubs as people impatiently ripped them off in their haste to get inside.

The others nodded.

~X~

"It's Xander Bly. 1472 Briarwood Avenue," said Xander, giving his name and details to the young blonde female sitting behind the check-in desk. She offered him a smile as she found his name on the computer and then held out two sheets of paper.

"One is an events schedule," she said, indicating to the two larger of the two. "The other is my phone number."

"Oh, ah, no, you see, I already have a girlfriend," said Xander. He turned to Lorna.

The blonde's face dropped. "Oh," she said, somewhat sadly. "Sorry. I should've guessed someone like you would be taken." She took back her phone number and turned to Nick.

"He's taken, too," said Kali, folding her arms.

The girl shot Kali a glare and then looked back at Xander. "Anyway, your time is highlighted on the event's schedule. Good luck."

"Thanks," said Xander. He stepped away from the booth and checked his schedule. "I'm on after Shane. Why am I always after Shane?"

"Because it goes by alphabetical order," said Kali.

"But Bly starts with a B and Clarke a C," said Xander. "I should be first."

"Not if it's a first name schedule," said Lorna, checking the sheet. "And it is. There aren't many skaters, which is why you're after Shane. You're not the last one to Skate though, Zeke Evans is."

"I guess that's a good thing," said Xander. "I'm not totally last."

Kali rolled her eyes. "Zeke may pull out at the last second?" she teased.

"Shut up."

The others laughed and walked away from the booth. They spotted Shane and Dustin near the Motocross signing in booth and made their way over, just as Dustin finished up.

"You signed up yet?" Xander asked Shane.

"No. You?" Shane asked.

Xander nodded.

"Heads up, the girl on the booth is overly flirtatious," said Kali, frowning.

Nick chuckled and wrapped an arm around her.

"See you soon," said Shane. He walked away with Dustin, leaving the two couples to survey the area.

"Now what?" Lorna asked.

Kali shrugged. "I'm kind of hungry," she said. She sniffed the air as the smell of burgers floating on the breeze.

"Me too," said Lorna.

Linking their fingers with their girlfriends, Nick and Xander led the pair over to a burger stand and placed their orders.

~X~

"We need help over on the skating ramps,"

"On it!" said Kali. She finished her burger, tossed the wrapping in the closest trash can and took off towards the ramps. She arrived, just in time to see a lad with spiky brown hair get thrown into the up ramp by a Kelzak fury, as well as two other kids, one with dark-skin and the other blonde hair, also being tossed around.

"Hey!" Lorna called, arriving beside Kali with Nick and Xander. She rushed forward, caught hold of the arm on the Kelzak fury and tore him away from the brunette boy.

Nick and Xander divided also, each one helping one of the other kids, while Kali fought her way through the crowd to where Cam and Hunter were in the middle. "Where did they come from?" she asked, grabbing the wrist of a nearby Kelzak and kicking his feet out from under him.

"They aren't alone," said Hunter. "Marah and Kapri are down there." He nodded towards the posts, blocking off a large grass section.

Kali craned her neck and spotted the two sister's. She kicked aside another Kelzak and rushed towards the barrier, jumped it and rolled down the hill, stopping behind the pair. "What are you doing here?!" she hissed.

Kapri glared at her. "Following orders, unlike you," she snapped.

"I have a plan," Kali said. "My agreement with your uncle rests on things happening my way."

"You're way is taking too long," said Marah. "Uncle wants this thing open. Now."

Kali looked down. It took her a second to realise that she was standing on top of the Abyss of Evil. "Tell Lothor, unless he slows down, he won't win," she warned.

"Is that a threat?" Kapri asked.

"Trust me, if I was threatening you, you'd know it," said Kali. "Get out of here!"

The pair shared a look. Kapri then whistled and together, along with the Kelzaks, they disappeared. Kali sighed and stood, looking around. She turned back to the barrier and looked up, finding the others congregating there.

"What happened?" Cam asked.

"They took off," Kali replied, climbing the hill and jumping back over the barrier. She spotted the three kids over Cam's shoulder and narrowed her eyes. "Are you three out of your mind?" she asked.

The tall brunette male matched her glare. "What? We didn't see you rushing to help!" he snapped.

"Yeah, your friends should be thankful we were there," the dark-skinned bloke said, rolling his shoulders.

"No, you should be thankful they decided to de-materialise," said Cam. "You have no idea what you're dealing with."

The three shared annoyed looks.

"I'm gone," the dark-skinned boy said.

"Me too," the girl agreed.

"Later, dudes," the brunette said.

They turned and stormed away.

When the three were out of earshot, the group turned to one another.

"That seemed to planned to be a random attack," said Hunter. "What do you think they were doing here?"

Cam shook his head. "They were interested in this area here," he said, heading back to the barrier. He climbed it and headed down.

Kali followed him. "Whatever that was, it was clearly a diversion," she said. "But, Root Core and Ninja Ops are on high alert for any dangers. Someone would have contacted us if Lothor was attacking some other place," she said.

The others nodded.

"I wonder what the big deal is about this field?" Xander asked. He scanned the area but couldn't find anything that would be of value to someone like Lothor.

"Hey, what's wrong with your amulet?" Nick asked.

Cam frowned and looked down. His amulet glowed neon green and, when he touched it, it speared his finger with a wave of coldness. "Argh!" he yelped.

"What is it?" Hunter asked.

"It's frozen," said Cam.

"Frozen?" Xander chuckled. "Dude, it's like, 80 degrees out."

"No kidding," said Cam, unhooking his amulet from around his neck. "I better get back to Ops and do some tests on it there. See what this is all about."

Kali looked around the area and folded her arms. "I'll go with you," she said. "And not because I don't think you could handle going there alone. I have a bad feeling about this and want to be sure that nothing is amiss."

"Hellhound feeling?" Cam asked.

"Yeah," said Kali, biting the inside of her cheek. It wasn't entirely the truth. But now she knew where the Abyss was located, and with Cam separated from the others, she had an idea on how to get his Amulet.

~X~

Kali paced behind Cam as she waited for his test results to come back. She was nervous about what they would tell him, but she was equally scared about how he was going to react to her deception. Would he hate her? She wouldn't blame him if he did. She wouldn't blame any of them if they hated her after this. She already hated herself for even considering it but was either this or Lothor decimate the entire city, and then the world. She couldn't let that happen.

"I don't know, Dad," Cam sighed. He had run every test he could think of, and it was all coming back negative. "I can't figure out what the amulet reacted this way." The lights flickered overhead, and Cam had to reboot them from the mainframe. "It's even drawing power from the reactors. It's never done anything like this before."

"That's not entirely true," said Kali. "Remember what happened when we went to get it? You said, after you caught it and before your fight with Lothor, it grew really warm? Like it knew it was meant for you. Your mother even confirmed it when she said it had found its rightful owner."

Cam nodded.

"Interesting," Sensei mused. "One might conclude that -"

"Since warmth comes from good, cold must come from bad or evil," said Cam, interrupting. "I can't believe I didn't think of that. I must be losing my edge."

"Some concepts, though they may seem simple, are the most difficult," said Sensei. "Especially thoughts pertaining to the powers of good and evil." He met Kali's gaze and she turned away, forcing back tears.

Cam made a small agreeing noise and nodded.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Kali whirled around, her gaze snapping to the computer. "What's going on?" she asked.

"It's Vexacus," said Cam, typing fast.

"Send the others," said Kali.

Cam shook his head. "I'll deal with this one myself," he said, opening a line of code. Kali had seen him do this a thousand times before and knew that the code would open the hanger containing her Samurai Star Megazord.

"Wait," said Kali, putting her hand on his shoulder. "This could be a trap. Lothor could be trying to draw you out."

"Why would he do that?"

Kali shrugged. "He knows you have the Amulet, and just because he willingly gave it up in the past doesn't mean he has forgotten about it," she said. "I mean, he took him from your mother back then for a reason, and Sensei, you caught him trying to open it with dark magic. For all we know, this could be a ploy to lure you out to do the same. Send the others, don't give him what he wants."

Cam hesitated and then nodded. "Okay," he said, shutting down the programme and opening a line to the others.

Kali licked her lips and met Sensei's gaze. She offered him an apologetic look and stepped back, away from Cam. She really hated lying to him, but it was for the greater good. He'd understand.

She hoped.

The battle between the Wind Megazord, the Thunder Megazord, and the three titan forms raged in the countryside. Kali bit her thumbnail as she watched, before turning to the sound of footsteps entering Ops.

"Hey, sorry, the others told me how to get in," said Lorna.

"You must be the Fire Fairy I have heard so much about," said Sensei. "Welcome to our base."

Lorna smiled and bowed. "Thank you, Sensei," she said. She then turned to Kali. "How's it going?"

Kali shook her head.

"It's going to blow!"

"Get out of there!"

Both Kali and Lorna looked back at the computer, just in time to see Vexacus swing his sword around and collide it with the side of the Thunder Megazord. There was an explosion that rocked the whole area, knocking out the Wind Megazord and the three titan forms.

"What's that?" Lorna asked, indicating to the ball of purple energy that lifted into the air.

"That's Vexacus' energy," said Kali. "He's gone."

"To the Abyss?"

Kali nodded.

Lorna swallowed and turned to her friend. "What do you have to do now?" she asked, lowering her voice.

Kali sighed and wrung her hands nervously. "The one thing I hate above anything," she whispered, staring at the back of Cam. "Betray my friends."

~X~

"Do it now, Hellhound, my patience is wearing thin!"

Kali closed her eyes and bent her head away, trying her hardest to block out Lothor's voice. She hated that he was able to communicate with her this way, and almost wished that the ability had died when he was exiled.

"Cam, we've reached the Thunder Zord wreckage. It doesn't look good," said Shane, over the computers.

"Any sign of Hunter and Blake?" Tori asked.

"I'm getting infra-red heat signatures in the area, but there's a lot of interference," Cam admitted. "I can't pinpoint an exact location."

"Keep trying to establish contact. We'll head back to Ops and regroup," said Shane.

The communication ended, and Kali knew that her window of opportunity was closing. If she didn't act now, and the others returned, then she would have to hurt them all in order to get out. She didn't want to hurt any of them and had already decided on her safest bet to get Cam out of her way, with minimal damage. The one thing she was thankful for, however, was that Lorna had gone to help the others search for Hunter and Blake, and therefore wouldn't be caught in the crossfires.

"This is so frustrating," said Cam, typing as fast as he could. "I still can't get a fix on Hunter and Blake."

"We have to keep trying," said Sensei, firmly.

"I know," Cam nodded. "Hey, Kali, any chance you could locate them using mystic magic? I mean, they're descendants of a Mystic Guardian, right? They may not have honed their skills, but they're still there, somewhere, aren't they?"

Kali sighed and pushed herself up from the table. "Yeah, they'd still have a magical connection," she agreed. "But, I don't see the point in trying to search for it. I mean, they aren't going to be around much longer anyway."

"What do you mean?" Cam asked.

"I mean, once the Abyss is open, all good magic will be wiped out."

Cam stopped typing and turned to face his friend. "What are you talking about?" he asked. "What Abyss?"

"The Abyss of Evil," said Kali. "That's what this has all been about, Cam. Lothor coming back, my whole reason for being in Blue Bay Harbour, for joining the other Rangers. It was to stop Lothor. But not destroy him like we've done every other creature up to now, but to lock him away inside the Abyss of Evil."

"But you have to open it first to do that," said Cam. "We can't do that. It's dangerous!"

"For someone like Lothor, yes, but not for someone like me," said Kali. "There's just one thing I need before I can do it."

"What's that?" Cam asked.

Kali swallowed and eyed his amulet.

Instinctively, Cam wrapped his hand around it.

"I'm sorry, Cam," Kali whispered. She threw out her hand, hurling a fireball directly at him.

Cam ducked, and the ball smashed into the computer, obliterating it. "What the hell are you doing?" he yelled, jumping up and lunging at Kali. She side-stepped and then turned, catching a punch he threw at he as he caught his footing and twisted around.

Kali shook her head and twisted his wrist around, bending it in a way that if she went too far it would break. "I really am sorry, Cam," she repeated, before ramming her free hand into his chest. She gripped him by the lapels and hauled him into the air, before slamming in onto the floor.

Rising, Kali closed her eyes and muttered a spell, when she reopened them she felt fire burn inside her and threw back her head as a howl echoed around Ops, followed by an invisible wall of energy. The blast collided with the walls, the library, and all the electrical systems, shutting them down and causing them to fizzle out and die.

Cam struggled to his knees and lunged again. Kali blocked him and held him at arm's length, meeting his gaze with her own. He saw fire burn in her eyes, but it soon cleared and was replaced with regret.

"I have no use for a Samurai Ranger," said Kali, reaching over and taking the Amulet from his clothes. "However, this, will come in very handy."

"Why are you doing this?" Cam asked.

"Because I have to," Kali replied. "You and the others…" she shook her head, her voice breaking. "I can make the difficult decisions that no one else can. I've done it before, and I'll undoubtedly do it again. But, I'm not leaving you defenceless. The other mystics will explain what I am doing, and why I am doing it. I just can't let any of you stand in my way."

"You won't get away with this."

"I don't intend to," said Kali, shaking her head. "I just need you all out of my way for a little while. Once I open the abyss, you're well within your rights to fight, and I hope that I can count on you to put Lothor away for good. Because, believe it or not, Cam, I can't do this without you. Now sleep, the others will wake you when they return."

Cam struggled as his body felt heavier and heavier, and the last thing he saw before his world went black was a tear sliding down Kali's cheek, while she whispered "I'm sorry" one last time.

Kali propped Cam up against the destroyed console and turned to Sensei. He was perched on the roof of his house, his fur a little ruffled. Making her way over to him, Kali reached into her pocket and produced a miniature vial of blue liquid, which she handed to the rodent.

"Good luck, Sensei," Kali said.

"You too, my dear," Sensei said.

Kali took a deep breath, then disappeared in a flicker of black magic.

One chapter left!