"Oort, what is the anniversary about?"

The boy was munching on a collection of chocolate fudge filled in m&ms.

"The day a Space Ranger blew up." Oort replied.

"No, not that." Zurg said, calmly, shaking his hands, laughing. "the other anniversary."

"The thing that happened?" Oort looked up toward Zurg.

"Yes." Oort had a long stare at the evil emperor, perplexed. "Wasn't there myself."

"Nana said that you were." Oort said.

"Nana comes to lie from time to time." Zurg said as the boy looked at him skeptically.

"Nana said something terrible happened day." Oort said, softly.

"And the other adults?" Zurg asked.

"They get all soft and quiet, really sad." Oort said. "Adults are weird." the five year old shook his head. "Looking at us all weird since forever."

"Doesn't say much about the anniversary." Zurg rubbed beneath his audio synthesizer. "What happened?"

The small boy wiped of his mouth with a napkin, becoming quiet, looking all grown up, looking down at his hands that would forever pale in comparison to the legend who did outdid him. He clenched his hand then looked toward the waiting Evil Emperor Zurg with a glare then stood up from the chair.

"Buzz Lightyear is a good person." Oort said.

Zurg rubbed the top of his helmet with his gaze set upon Oort then his shoulders lowered briefly.

"Do you know what happened?" Zurg lowered his servo, exasperated.

"Not old enough to know the full details." Oort confessed looking aside then shifted his attention toward Zurg with a smirk. "Ask Quark, he knows."

"He remembers?" Zurg asked.

"He has nightmares about it." Oort squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. "That gives me nightmares."

"This doesn't make sense in the slightest." Zurg commented.

"I have nightmares about it!" he stretched his arms out. "Being a old man like my pop, mind my business, doing Space Ranger business on Trade World and then his scream echoes!" he waved his arms in the air, frantically, then lowered them down to his knees as Zurg was taking notes. "It echoes!" Zurg lifted his gaze up toward the small boy. "There is nothing that can be done to stop it!" he wrapped his arms around his shoulders. "It's in the air!" he looked up toward the ceiling. "It leaves craters in my beauty sleep!" he lowered his head. "Some nights, sleep is elusive because of that nightmare."

"Sounds like the nightmare is about being unable to help." Zurg noted. "For a child living with a sibling, it shouldn't be a problem for that child is there."

"The kind of comfort that he needs. . ." Oort looked aside. "Hugs don't do."

"What kind does he need?" Zurg asked as Oort was quiet looking aside. "Child, you're the last one, don't make me start torture."

"Oort Lightyear does whatever is possible, helping all the way, helping is the way that Oort Lightyear would rather go." Then Oort relented. "He needs someone who is there."

"A person like that dies doing what their heart is more aptly suited." Zurg said.

"A Space Ranger!" Oort bore a grin.

"Who does Quark need?"

"Warp. Our Warp."

"Does Nana talk about the anniversary at all?"

"Never doesn't really talk about it. Besides, there's better to talk about; my friends!" Oort exclaimed. "There's Eli Rocket the Tangean, Johanny the small giant, James the being with the mouth at the top at the end of a tube that's like a trunk and the eyes are at the bottom of the head, Riccar the fish person, Izzy the no gender being coming from a Western themed planet, and-There are so many friends! Good and sometimes they're bad but there all that have my back. Chari and Gamma are friends with these Ipsedan kits, one of them is named, Curl, I think, Curl Darkmatter," he looked aside waving his hand, puckering his lips, considering it. "they look a bit like Warp Darkmatter-"

"One moment." Zurg departed the room, fuming.

Oort watched as the tall being departed the chamber and then the entire tower shook with his anger released. The young boy went through the ajar doorway, his wrist laser comn open, aiming his red light at the general direction of nothingness. He jogged coming to a pause spotting a couple hornets. He ran right toward them with a cry drawing their attention and immediate fire. The hornets fired at each other knocking the other down as the five year old boy moved with confidence and skill that belonged to someone far older, muscle memory coming to the surface, tricks done long ago. He aimed at a couple more hornets along the way leading them to shooting each other using his size to his advantage with a grin. The cell block that held his siblings was blasted open in large part of the hornets being manipulated to do so. Gamma saw Oort gesturing toward them with a hand to his general direction.

The Lightyears tagged after Oort making their return to the gate. Chari climbed up on to a console panel with difficulty sorting through the numbers until discovering a familiar set of words: REDIAL. There was a time setting below it, the numbers equally as confusing, Chari played with the assortment, then pressed 'ACCEPT'. The gate glowed as hornets fired at the children who spread apart. Gamma was the first to depart through the portal, Chari took Oort's hand then ran in, and Hoichi was the last one left behind holding up a hornet returning fire at the oncoming fleet bearing a defiant look. Instead of running, Hoichi chose to remain behind.

"Ah, Buzz Lightyear, it's so-" Zurg shook his helmet. "A CHILD?"

"Better." Hoichi sported a grin delivering a thumbs up. "Hoichi Lightyear, the girl of the clan!"

Gamma pressed the button one last time then ran back into the portal that then promptly destroyed itself. The entire lab was destroyed, mostly complete projects, the machine itself was all over the place, bodies of hornets were covered in a fine shoot, pieces of several floors from above had fallen into the room leaving a oddly perfect circular shape behind. Zurg stretched a claw out of the rubble then pried away several pieces of debris off one at a time until his helmet was exposed. The Evil Emperor was trembling with rage. Being defeated, by someone who wasn't a Space Ranger! A little girl no less! A child at the age of five! He shook his fist in the air.

"CURSE YOU, HOICHI LIGHTYEAR!"

There was only one of the children left behind to question.

Quark. Repairs aside, he could return that child in no time flat.


The Talphs waited until it were nightfall to begin the plan. The basement was extracted and replaced with a new cell, it was done, without making a sound, carefully. Their old friends helping them out. Mr Talph looked out the doorway holding on to a Ion Blaster keeping a eye out for Space Rangers or unexpected Galaxy Watch members. It was a piece of Star Command that lingered on deputizing individuals to have the power to report their findings with documented evidence and do everything humanely and legally possible to turn in unwanted criminals. Mr Talph was tense, he remembered. He remembered the last time the neighborhood watch, THE neighborhood watch, caught eye into their misfortune and attempted to fix the problem in the most old fashioned way that left little paperwork by handling it themselves. The neighborhood watch and the Galactic neighborhood watch were two different forms, one reported to the Space Rangers, and the other reported to members of the community.

Mrs Talph put a hand on Mr Talph's shoulder, he jumped, turning toward her. The old man leaned against the frame of the doorway, his figure became smaller as he relaxed, his shoulders loosened. She was scared, just as much as he were, of things going horribly wrong. Mr Talph set aside the Ion blaster then hugged her, crying, over a successful extraction. From above, in the distance, Era and his companions gazed down upon the scene unfolding.

"This study is about to fall apart to pieces!" Era announced.

"See?" Eon asked. "Good things can wrap around the bundle of darkness and prevent it from unfolding into chaos."

"This is a travesty!" Era folded his arms. "Goes directly against what the point of the study is."

"As a matter of fact, it doesn't." Eon argued against that. "Whatever this subject was undergoing, it may be for the best case possible."

"That good triumphs?" Era lifted a brow.

"How evil triumphs." Eon said. "You still win."

"Elaborate what kind of chaos."

"Buzz Lightyear is concerned about Subject Darkmatter, who's missing, who was visibly unwell, he doesn't know if he is alive or dead."

"Dkdj djdlj f nj."

"Well being chaos, excellent, Epoch!" Era replied. "This subject could be acting good with the best intentions it is evil."

"Evil triumphs over good in this instance." Eon said as his companion laughed. "Don't like how how this study's tone turned out to be."

"It could have ended worse," Era reminded his companion. "Subject Darkmatter killing our ex-subject Darkmatter."

"It could have been interesting," Eon said. "Witnessing Space Ranger Darkmatter chasing after Darkmatter, arresting him, taking him in, losing him, being killed by him, predictable chain of events."

"Horribly entertaining." Era said with a chuckle.

"DRdgisjdgj dlkj sozz jdjlkjbsis lj." Epoch gestured toward the box being transported into a cargo shuttle.

"Epoch is right, we do have one question to answer . . ." Era agreed with a grimace. "What did he become?"

"Good or evil?" Eon bore a smirk. "A being of both?"

"Or something cruel?" Era grew a smirk of his own gazing on, curious. "Only way to figure that out is. . ."

"By interfering." Eon said with a glance toward his companions.

The trio cackled.


Personal Log: Warp Darkmatter, the Ranger, is missing. The last that he said was betraying me was his greatest regret. The way he turned himself in, had a trial, and let himself go to prison, this doesn't smell good. . . Why? How? What happened? Everything is pointing that it changed Warp for the better. It doesn't make sense regarding his sudden disappearance.

Buzz closed his communication panel, at a loss for words, rubbing his eyes. He felt heartache in his chest for Warp. He looked toward his photograph from the academy days, Warp and himself, in their younger years. They were promising, ready to face the world, ready to leave their mark upon it. What did they have to show for it now? The tatters of a relationship and the relationship that seemingly seemed to be still alive. Two versions of the same relationship. Something happened over there that changed Warp's mind from sinking into the abyss of a poor choice. He clenched his hands together then rubbed his forehead feeling his stomach twisting into knots. Why did he get the feeling that Warp learned the hard way that the universe was unimpressed, wounding his soul, his ego, and his character. The Buzz Lightyear of that universe would be able to tell. Buzz went to the sink, splashed water on his face, then looked out the window observing the night lit scenery, tired, through the kitchen window.

Buzz pinched the bridge of his nose. Why did a world where Darkmatter was good seem so appealing? Through rose tinted lens, it looked better than this one from the heart. Why did he want to go there and stay there? Why did he want to live in a world that had familiar faces but was different beyond his dreams. Leave behind his long distance wife? Leave behind the life where they were having their first child being carried by a surrogate? Leave behind a unique childhood marked by his first set of rookies, Nebula, and Buzz Lightyear's larger than life presence raising his son. Throwing away the opportunity that his father never got to have? Having the choice to leave everything behind, not for the sake of fighting against evil, but for his own sake? A personal wish, a selfish wish. Why did his heart want that? The question was easy to answer. Too easy.

He wanted his friend back. Five years, and the wait to see Darkmatter fighting against evil by his side was dragging on. Buzz was getting too old for this dance. His heart was broken over and over and over every time he assumed Darkmatter had decided to be good. Buzz lowered his head in acceptance in where his train of thought was heading. He lifted his gaze up toward the backyard with his gaze on the view of Star Command's distant figure highlighted by the moon. What emotional reasons were there? Emotionally exhausting? Annoyed? Exasperation in him? Darkmatter was actively burning what little bridge that was repaired with Buzz in every opportunity available.

Warp had said betraying Buzz was his biggest regret. But time after time, here, it showed that Darkmatter had no regret about betraying him. He liked being on the other end of the laser fire. And for the first time, Buzz was ready for the next time that Darkmatter betrayed him and to call it quits on waiting and leave this world for the more appealing one. Something had happened to his counterpart, it was the only explanation, lost or missing because of Warp's scattered brain. Warp needed some help. It was a relief to acknowledge what his heart wanted to do instead of a shame. His shoulders loosened with the sigh that escaped as his head lowered.

"Nebula to Lightyear."

Buzz flipped open his comn.

"Lightyear here," Buzz said.

"There's a smuggling violation, anonymous tip. Solo mission." Nebula elaborated. "Said to be roughly easy to handle."

"Where is the subject being moved to, sir?" Buzz asked.

"The Alpha Quadrant." Nebula said.

"On my way." Buzz closed his comn then sported a smug grin looking out the window, approached the back door, slid it open, then turned on his wings. "Obviously, this is Warp's doing."

Buzz flew out of the house leaving it behind. He returned to Star Command then his wings deactivated once entering the familiar place bearing a grin on his features. He went to the shuttle bay of Star Command, eager, excited, taking with him a radiation treatment kit, tucked it beneath the chair. He felt renewed hope, optimism, younger, that was refreshing. He turned on the shuttle, the door closed behind him, then the shuttle craft departed from the shuttle bay. Star Command sent over the coordinates to the departing shuttle much to the pleased Space Ranger feeling his entire being vibrating with excitement and he laughed.

A loud crash from behind him shook the Space Ranger out of his glee. Buzz shifted from his chair shifting in the direction of Milky looked up apologetically out of the supply closet. Buzz could only chuckle then shift in the direction of the rookie, calmly.

"Just your luck, this is a non-Zurg mission!" Buzz said. "Over here."

"What kind of mission are we heading on?" Milky asked, starting to get up to his feet.

"The smuggling type." Buzz said then Milky grew a excited smile.

"Dirty business!" Milky sat down alongside the senior Space Ranger

"Affirmative." Buzz said with a nod. "If this rookie can't handle alternate counterparts, then this shuttle is free to turn around."

"Nooo!" Milky shot back. "Raptor Chill saves my rear all the time; time for substantial proof-"

"That you don't need saving?" Buzz finished with a lifted brow.

"Affirmative." Milky bore a grin.

"Had that relationship with Ty." Buzz said, briefly closing his eyes, regretfully. "Regretfully, didn't notice the pain that he was in for it."

"No." Milky shook his head. "Not gonna talk about it, we're not partners. My partner is Morgue Blast."

"Surprising." Buzz acknowledged looking toward him, squinting, surprised.

"We are together a lot off duty." Milky said. "Just friends."

"Good friends." Buzz said, fondly, turning toward the view screen. "Friends need to talk about that kind of stuff, anyway."


From near the edge of the alpha quadrant came out a very object out of thin air. the object turned around with thrusters at the side adjusting the course, slowly, with time, until it were facing the delta quadrant. The object remained fixated in one place as time ticked by, time was irrelevant from the contents of the box, the object's destination remained fixated on a lone section of space waiting to start. Unexpectedly, the two panels detached from all around the item revealing two tall androids in Space Ranger uniforms that were themed red and yellow.

"Never thought the day would come that we'll be the last resort defending a single quadrant from Zurg." XR said.

"Always knew this day would come fighting by your side." XL held his hand out. "As a Space Ranger."

"Far from everyone that we know," XR looked toward the other end as he took his older brother's hand. "A entire universe. More scary than initially thought being here now."

"They're doing okay." XL assured, squeezing XR's hand. "Assigned on to a different mission kept very unaware of our mission."

"Non-Zurg related business." XR bore a smirk then looked toward the direction that they came from. "Oh no." there was sparks erupting from the very fabric of space as if it were being torn then XR grew a grin. "It's our turn!"

"At this point, they've left the fight to us." XL said.

They let go of each other's servos.

"Plasma cannons ready." XR said.

"3, 2,-" XL counted but was interrupted.

The first sign of gray appeared out of the tearing.

"LET'S BURN HIS DIGITS!" XR cried.

The brothers fired at the hole.


Nos-4-A2 had been beaten by dozens of Buzz Lightyears in their attempt to make sure he stayed. Hundreds, easily. The energy vampire was irritated. A plan hatched in his processor that caused him to grin. His father would be pleased with the diabolical plan. He rubbed his claws together then performed a action on the console, sending a series of commands, Zurg's role would be beneficiary, the Space Ranger ideally wounded, and his wrist laser unable to function. The portal opened up once more then the Space Ranger appeared crashing down to the floor, his uniform stained in dark spots all over, battle damage easily read from his armor, his glass helmet coated in a fine layer of blood and machine blood, he had scratches decorating his features, yet The Space Ranger lifted himself up to his feet and started firing his wrist laser.

The hornets that had been ordered there were destroyed in short notice as Nos-4-A2 flew over and hovered behind him. Nos-4-A2 lunged forward, biting into the wrist laser, sucking out all the energy, then to the communication console, their arms restraining the Space Ranger. It was a genius plan, fool proof, easiest one. The Ranger bit into the energy vampire's arm then Nos-4-A2 dropped the Space Ranger to the ground. He looked toward the portal, defiant, his dark shadow reflecting in the gentle blue light contrasting against the red floor. The Space Ranger charged through the portal only to crash against the figure of a hornet landing on to his back then looked up, his strength failing him, spotting the Evil Emperor Zurg looming over him. From the other side of the portal, the vampire was laughing, cackling, evil, victoriously, triumphantly, his laughter gone unheard from the other side.

"Father will be pleased in five years." Nos-4-A2 rubbed their claws together.

The energy vampire departed the chamber.


A/N Soulangea deserves credit for the name Curl Darkmatter for Warp's kits. Their idea. I vaguely recall them mentioning that name weeks ago in chat.

This was supposed to be hella long but then I realized there are going to be very long portions of this chapter telling the tale. Like. pretty long.