Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. Saban and Nickelodeon own them. I also don't own any song lyrics used.

AN: Here's chapter 40! Enjoy and let me know what you think! Thanks to all the great reviews too and here's notes to those individuals:

Pinkrangerfan: Thanks, glad you enjoyed the chapter. Lots of interesting things to come. :)

TommyOliverMMPRFan: Yes, the zeo crystal hunt is on. :)

Lmv16: Aw, thanks! Glad you like it so much. :)

Alex B. Goode: Glad you enjoyed it and thank you for your condolences. :)

RHatch89: Here's a new chapter! Good to know I can keep everyone hooked after this many chapters. :)

foreverawildandbeautifulmess: Thanks, glad you're enjoying it so much! I loved the prank scene too. It turned out better than I thought it would. And glad you love the Hunter/Tori moments, cause I love them too. You'll love this chapter too. ;)

MMPRFansince93: Thank you for your condolences, I really appreciate it. Glad you're enjoying the story! :)

Jokermask18: Glad you liked it. :) And thank you for your condolences.

Harry2: Yep, he'll be ready for Ivan Ooze soon. And yes, we will soon have a new zeo team. ;)

fallingstar22: Glad you're enjoying it. We will see the results of Karone's and Marah and Kapri's plans in this chapter. :)

garnetred: Thanks, glad you're enjoying it. I have my new zeo team picked out, but that's top secret info for now. As for Zack...I'll be dealing with him quite a bit more coming very soon and we'll see his struggle soon, hopefully within the next few chapters. :)

Green-Extreme-Ninjetti13: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. We will see more Kelly/Trent, though it will be quite a few chapters down the road. They are a minor pairing, but I will get them worked into the story. :)

Crimson Rising

Chapter 40: Demons

They say it's what you make

I say it's up to fate
It's woven in my soul
I need to let you go

Your eyes, they shine so bright
I wanna save that light
I can't escape this now
Unless you show me how

When you feel my heat
Look into my eyes
It's where my demons hide
It's where my demons hide
Don't get too close
It's dark inside
It's where my demons hide
It's where my demons hide

Song: Demons

Artist: Imagine Dragons

New York City

Manhatten Island

Malcolm Renaldi's Family Compound

Katherine gazed at the mansion in the near distance with trepidation, as bad memories assaulted her mind. She felt a hand on her shoulder and felt her pounding heart start to slow, as Billy's presence made her feel safe again.

"Are you sure about this? No one would blame you or think any less of you if you never wanted to set foot in that house again," he told her.

"I know…but I can do this, as long as you're with me," she promised. He smiled and nodded, as he took her hand.

"Hold on tight," he said, as he felt the gift from his animal spirit in his limbs. The two of them disappeared into a blur of blue, as he used his wolf speed to bypass the mansion gates and the guards, who looked perplexed, as they felt a sudden and swift breeze pass by them.

"What the hell was that?" one of the guards wondered.

"I don't know. Radio the idiots in the house to keep a look out," the other said, though he wasn't sure what to tell them to look for.

The Legacy Compound

Ranger Ops

"And if you're just joining us, we have just aired the footage yet again of the crimson power ranger, known as Hunter Bradley, delivering what was a killing blow to our Commander and Chief, President James Morris," the reporter said, pausing to show Hunter firing his blast at the President. Of course, what they weren't showing was the part where Master Vile had made himself known and the President's eyes had gone black with evil or the part where he was mentally torturing Shane, Dustin, and Cam.

"Of course the murder of the President is a capital offense and the Vice President has assured the Country that he will be brought to justice for his crimes. Hunter Bradley is considered to be extremely dangerous," she continued. Blake couldn't listen to any more.

"I can't believe this! We can't let them keep thinking that my brother is a murderer!" Blake exclaimed.

"Maybe we could try to get another message out there, like we did before," Carly suggested.

"We could try, but this would be a little harder for everyone to swallow. Even we had a hard time believing that Master Vile's demonic spirit had actually taken over the President. I heard it just now coming out of my mouth and even I think it sounds crazy," Cam replied.

"So they just get to keep trashing my bro," Blake said angrily.

"It's fine Blake, you know I don't care what they think or say about me," Hunter interjected, as he and Tori, along with Zedd came, as they were getting ready to leave for Phaedos. Blake sighed.

"That's not the point. Even after all this is over, you might not be able to show your face in public ever again, unmorphed anyway," Blake said.

"We'll deal with that when the time comes. I don't like it anymore than you do, but it is probably something that's best dealt with once Vile and Ooze are taken care of," Zedd surmised.

"That brings up another point though. Vile will very easily be able to sneak attack us if he wanted to. Who knows who or what he will use as a host body," Tori reminded.

"That is a very good point. We all must be very careful who we talk to outside of rangers and allies," Zedd warned.

"You don't seem that worried though," Hunter mentioned.

"I'm worried, just not about Vile finding another human host. He could take that approach and attempt to infiltrate our ranks, but if I know that old snake like I think I do, he's too showy for that kind of an attack," Zedd reasoned.

"So you think he's going to choose someone more powerful?" Tori asked. Zedd nodded.

"It's what my gut is telling me," Zedd replied.

"Do you think he'll go as far as to take over Ivan Ooze?" Shane asked, his mind whirling at the possibility.

"He's not that good. As large as his ego is, he knows that Ivan Ooze would be impossible to keep control of. He's too powerful, but I think he is looking for someone who could give him a physical edge, especially since Tori is able to shield against his mind control powers," Zedd stated.

"We'll be ready for him," Hunter said, as Tori squeezed his hand.

New York City

Manhatten Island

Malcolm Renaldi's Family Compound

Kat stared at the disorderly attic that had her things strewn all over in boxes. She was actually surprised that Malcolm had even bothered to have his men toss her things in the attic instead of just throwing it all away. Idly picking up a picture frame that was face down, she was stunned to find that it was her wedding photo. She was so happy at that moment and the girl in the photo had no idea the horrors that awaited her in the marriage she had just forged. She shuddered and put the photo back down. Her heart skipped a beat, as she looked in the box next to it. She dug into it and found Aiden's baby pictures. Her eyes misted and she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, we don't have time for this," she apologized.

"I'd say that box of pictures is pretty important. We should take it back with us," Billy said, as he lifted the box and set it off to the side.

"Thanks, but you don't have to do that. We're here for something much more important," Kat replied.

"We're okay on time," he assured her. She smiled.

"I thought all those pictures were lost forever," she mentioned, as she approached a large cedar chest. It had been her great, great grandmother's, passed down to the oldest girl in the family for generations. She lightly brushed her fingers along the Hillard family crest that was emblazoned on the lid. Taking a deep breath, she opened it and found memories of her childhood inside. Steeling herself, she pushed the desire to look through it all away and went for the much smaller metal chest inside. Reaching in her pocket, she pulled out a small key. She had kept it on her person all this time and during her marriage to Malcolm had thought numerous times about using it on her ex-husband. But she had never quite been able to bring herself to break Zordon's cardinal rule about using the powers for personal gain, even though she had a feeling the wise old sage would have made an exception given how evil Malcolm had proven to be. Slowly unlocking the case, pink light engulfed the attic and she let a breath she wasn't aware she had been holding escape. She picked up the magnificent crystal and clutched it close.

"Mission accomplished," Billy told her with a smile.

"Thanks for coming with me. I don't think I could have done this alone," she replied. He smiled back.

"You're stronger than you give yourself credit for, but you're welcome," he replied, as he helped her up.

"Well, well, I knew if I kept all your crap that you'd come back for it one of these days, Katherine," a nasty voice said snidely. Billy immediately crouched into a defensive stance, as Malcolm and his goons arrived.

"You're trespassing on my property, rangers," he hissed.

"We have what we need, so we'll be going now," Billy replied. Malcolm chuckled.

"I don't think so. Let's see if you can morph faster than a speeding bullet," Malcolm sneered, as his goons fired their guns. Pink light exploded from the crystal and disintegrated the bullets instantly. Malcolm's goons covered their burning eyes, but unfortunately for the billionaire, he was too close to them and howled in agony. Once the pink light from the crystal dissipated, Kat gasped in horror. Malcolm's skin on his hands and face was seared with red welted burns. They were fairly minor, but likely would leave some scarring. Had he been standing just a few feet closer, Billy was certain, it would have been more serious. And had it been the full zeo crystal, Malcolm probably would have been nothing more than a pile of ash.

"What…what did you do to me, you little bitch!" he screamed. Billy smirked. He wasn't going to act like he didn't believe the scum deserved it.

"She didn't do anything to you. The zeo crystal incinerates any evil it comes in contact with. The more evil, the stronger it reacts. It's really too bad it wasn't the full crystal. I'd be stomping on your ashes right now," Billy retorted. Malcolm glared at them through his pain.

"I see that you've moved on, Katherine. I suppose it's fitting that you're whoring yourself to one of your own kind," he spat in a pained voice. Billy grabbed the crystal and thrust it closer to them, making them all cower back away.
"If you think I'm screwing with you, just try me! Come just a little closer...I dare you!" he threatened.

"Billy…let's go," Kat pleaded. He pulled the crystal back and she grabbed the box of photos. He took her hand and he shot one more glare at Kat's ex.

"If I were you, I'd disappear. Because after we defeat Ivan Ooze and his army…and we will, then we're coming after you and your entire operation. And by the time we're done with you, you'll be wishing that this crystal had turned you to ash," Billy promised, as they disappeared in a streak of blue and violet teleportation. Malcolm let out a howl of pain and rage.

"Boss…" one of his men said, as he approached him.

"Get me to a doctor, you fool!" he demanded, as he was escorted to his car.

Triforia

"These are really nice digs," Kapri mentioned to their host, as he led them to a large ballroom in the palace's east wing. The sisters were sure that during the time it had belonged to the Royal family of Triforia, it had been beautiful. But the evil slobs that had taken over had turned it into a place for them to kick back. It was now nothing more than a dark, disgusting tavern. Prostitutes of various species milled about and she swallowed the bile in her throat. She remembered days like this on her Uncle's ship. The witty, campy front he put on was just for show, simply a part of his game. Lothor was far more ruthless than the people of Earth ever knew, possibly more than the rangers had even known. But she had seen him and his idiots Generals at their worst and cruelest. Everything was always funny to Lothor, which made him all the more sadistic. It made both her and Marah sick that they had followed him for so long, mostly out of fear, because they knew what he would do to them if they had run. She remembered when Marah had first met Dustin face to face during the Beevil incident. In front of her Uncle, she may have acted like the mean older sister, but that was for show too. Behind closed doors in their bedrooms at night, she had often spent the evenings letting her sister cry on her shoulder, especially when she had fallen for the yellow wind ranger. She warned Marah that if she left Lothor's army at that point in time, then their Uncle would have made sure that Dustin was the one that paid for her betrayal. She had seen him do it on so many occassions. She had witnessed him laugh hysterically, as he murdered Hunter and Blake's parents. His words still chilled her to the bone.

"You know, my only regret is that your brats aren't here to see this," he had hissed evilly, before blasting them point blank with his evil energy, incinerating them both.

"Can I get you pretty girls a drink while we wait?" their host asked. Kapri sobered and took the lead, as usual, knowing that this place was having an even more profound effect on her sister.

"Now you're talking, handsome," she purred. She was a fantastic actress and it had saved their skin more than once over the years. And today, she hoped that it would help lead them to the yellow zeo crystal.

Onyx

Leo fell to the sand for the third time, as the alien dragged him by the manacles around his wrists.

"You know, I'm getting really tired of this," Leo protested.

"Quiet!" Astronema barked, as they continued their journey into the Octavian desert. Finally, after hours of walking in the hot desert, they were approached a section of sand that had a slight depression. Beneath the surface of the sand, they could see a flash of blue energy.

"This is it," Leo thought silently. It was time for the real performance now.

"Finally..." Astronema hissed, as the bounty hunter shoved Leo forward.

"Get the crystal, ranger scum," he ordered.

"I'm not helping the Queen of Evil get the zeo crystal, so you can forget it!" Leo spat. The alien shoved the red ranger into the sand, before drawing his sword and putting it to Mike's throat.

"You will...or your brother dies..." he threatened.

"Don't do it Leo!" Mike protested.

"Get that crystal or watch your brother die," the bounty hunter threatened again. Leo sighed and slowly got to his feet, before walking toward the sand.

"Come on Damon...where are you?" Leo wondered, as he knelt beside the glowing object just beneath the sand.

"Hurry up!" Astronema snapped. Leo rolled his eyes.

"Easy Karone..." he complained silently, as he brushed the sand away and took hold of the blue zeo crystal. He was in awe for a moment, at the sheer power of just one crystal. A black dot in the sky hinted at Damon's approach and Leo gripped the crystal in his hand. Jumping into the air, he sommersalted toward the being holding his brother hostage. The lackey held his blade to Mike's throat, but the zeo crystal exploded in blue light. The alien cried out in agony, as he felt burning all over his body. The lead bounty hunter backed away, as he felt the heat from the crystal begin to sear at him. Karone sighed in relief, as she tossed off her purple wig, letting her blonde hair loose. She and Mike gathered behind Leo, as he staved off their armed enemies with the blue crystal.

"You...little bitch! You did trick us!" the Cimmerian bounty hunter cried, as he started toward them.

"Stop right there, unless you'd like to become a walking fireball," Leo threatened, as he held the crystal out. The bounty hunter snarled, but stopped in his tracks. The Astro Megaship hovered over them and released three grappling cables. The three of them hooked on and were pulled up.

"Thanks again for your help!" Leo called smugly, as the ship zoomed off, quickly leaving the desolate planet behind.

"Oh...you will pay for this rangers..." he growled.

"Get me back to the Tavern. I need to use a reliable comm. Lord Ooze needs to know of this development," he snapped to his subordinates, who quickly led the way.

Phaedos

The five ninjas faced the five Mystics on the platform at Dulcea's Temple. Ninjor, Rita, Dulcea, and Leanbow sat back in observation, as Zedd and Udonna instructed their teams.

"As bearers of the elements, your teams share similarities. While the Mystics call their elements through their spells, a ninja draws theirs from within, from their very life force and the atmosphere around them. You each have much to teach the other," Zedd stated. Udonna nodded.

"The Mystics can teach you to channel your elements through your ninja magic to strengthen them without taxing your life force so much," Udonna added. Xander grinned.

"Looks like the rookies are gonna be the teachers today, mates," he joked.

"They won't be the only ones learning, Mr. Bly," Zedd interjected.

"Once the Zeo crystal is restored to full power, if Billy is right, and I'm sure he is, the crystal should break the seal that is cutting us off from the magical realm, ultimately restoring the Mystic morphers. Then you five will join the fight again," Zedd stated.

"But the forest was destroyed," Nick replied.

"Just the forest sweetheart. The magical realm has just been sealed away," Udonna informed.

"I'm almost positive that once the barrier that is sealing us off from it is destroyed, then Daggeron and Claire will be able to rejoin us," Leanbow added.

"Then you think they're okay?" Maddie asked hopefully. He smiled and nodded.

"Daggeron is very resourceful. I'm sure he and Claire are okay. They just haven't been able to leave the magical realm," Leanbow assured.

"So what exactly do you want them to teach us?" Nick asked. Zedd smirked.

"Xander and Dustin will demonstrate what I mean by sparring," Zedd stated, as the yellow wind and green mystic stepped into the arena.

"Begin," Zedd instructed. Dustin immediately launched at Xander, ready with the powerful movements of an earth ninja, relying first solely on his hand to hand combat skills. Just as Zedd suspected, Xander went straight for magic and conjured vines to wrap around Dustin's limbs. The Earth ninja struggled with his bonds and when he realized he couldn't get out, he then used his own ninja magic. He left Xander baffled, as he left behind just his ninja uniform on the ground. As Xander examined it, Dustin suddenly appeared and blocked the green mystic's punch, before sweeping his legs out from under him.

"Dude...what kind of punch was that?" Dustin teased, as he helped him up. Zedd nodded.

"Your magic is a powerful assest, but a trained warrior will know how to circumvent your spells. You must hone your other abilities as well and who better to teach you to use your entire body as a weapon than ninjas?" Zedd asked rhetorically, as they all prepared to spar their elemental match. Shane and Vida, Dustin and Xander, Tori and Maddie, Blake and Chip, and finally Hunter and Nick.

"Is this really fair?" Nick asked skeptically, knowing that Hunter could easily overpower him.

"Your powers are derived from Hunter's. When the morphers were forged, it was Dulcea that helped us siphon Phoenix fire into it," Udonna explained.

"That's what I don't get. I thought that only Hunter could use Phoenix fire?" Blake asked.

"Authentic Phoenix fire. Nick's power and Kimberly's Thunderzord years ago were only crafted in the likeness of the Phoenix. Nick's fire is created through magic. Hunter's is literally in his blood," Zedd answered.

"Conjure your elemental beams and we'll begin," Udonna instructed.

"Tori and Hunter have already been learning to expand their elemental powers and they can demonstrate to Shane, Dustin, and Blake," Dulcea chimed in. The two nodded and focused their energy. Tori conjured her water beam and focused on expanding it. Outstretching her arms, her beam became a wall of water, shooting into the air like a tidal wave. Hunter focused his fire into a crimson sphere that started the size of a golf ball and quickly grew until it was the size of a basketball. He shot it into the air and it collided with Tori's water. There was an explosion and felt a warm mist falling on them. The two lovers smiled at each other.

"How the hell am I going to learn how to do something like that with an air beam?" Shane wondered. Vida smirked.

"I'm going to teach you how to change your air beam into a tornado," she replied. Shane smirked.

"Only if I get to teach you how to teach you some mad ninja skills," Shane retorted. She smirked.

"Looking forward to it," Vida replied.

"I'm more a dirt guy though. Not sure I could pick up the whole vine attack thingy," Dustin mentioned.

"Rocks are in the dirt, mate. I can teach you a killer rock slide attack," Xander replied. Dustin nodded.

"Yeah and in turn, you can teach Xander how to not get his ass kicked," Vida chimed in.

"Thanks V," he replied sarcastically.

"First Daggeron trains me to be a Knight and now I get to train to be a ninja," Chip said excitedly.

"Yeah, you're the coolest nerd ever," Blake teased.

"Dude I'm pretty sure Cam holds that title," Dustin responded. Tori looked at him.

"You better not let him hear you say that or he might turn you into a Samurai popsicle," Tori warned, giving them a laugh, before they returned to training.

Triforia

Kapri thought for a moment that she was going to blow the whole thing and lose her lunch all over this alien. Not only was he disgusting and evil, but she was into someone else now. Somewhere along the way in the last few weeks, she had fallen for the red wind ranger, once her greatest enemy. They had yet to talk about their feelings in great detail, but they had physically taken comfort in one another the past couple weeks.

"Dammit...when are those stupid sleeping pills going to kick in?" she wondered, as his disgusting hands roamed. She finally pushed him back and smiled seductively, trying to keep up with her act.

"Easy tiger, I like to go slow," she said sultrily. He chuckled and as he turned away to pour a drink from the liquor cabinet in his room, she wiped her mouth on her sleeve. She watched him down another glass of scotch and sit on the bed.

"Why are you way over there?" he leered. She was going to blow it if she wasn't careful.

"You're so anxious. We have all night. Like I said, I like to go slow," she replied. He smirked.

"Well, I don't," he said, as he grabbed her arm and threw her onto the bed. Panic swept through her, as he pinned her down with his oppressive weight. Just as she was about to scream, she was saved by the drug she gave him and he slowly slumped into a deep sleep. She shoved off and climbed off the bed, trying to calm down.

"Sick bastard," she cursed, as she sat down at the computer console in the room. He was a top operative and she hoped he had the information she was looking for. She chewed on her bottom lip, as she scrolled through the schematics and found it quite odd that they had sealed off the treasure room.

"Why would they do that? It would be the first place the scum would loot," Kapri said. She knew from experience. Whenever her evil Uncle had sent them on a raiding mission, he had always ordered that they go for anything with monetary value first. Lothor didn't just build or acquire all weapons and soldiers. He stole treasure and artifacts where he could, sold them on the black market in return for top of line weaponry or kept the money to hire his army of goons.

"Unless they can't go in without being burned alive," she deduced. That was it. Prince Trey, probably in a moment of grim satisfaction, had hidden the crystal in plain sight. In the treasure room. He knew if his planet ever fell, then the invaders would go straight for his family's fortune...and not be able to set a foot near it. She smirked.

"You really knew how to stick to these losers, Prince Trey," Kapri said, as she got up and glanced at the scum passed out on the bed. She glared at him and tossed off her evil alien disguise onto him, leaving her in her ninja uniform lined in pink.

"Not to worry, your Highness, the zeo crystal will soon be back where it belongs," she promised quietly, as she snuck out into the dark hallway.

"What took you so long? We were about to come in after you," Marah hissed. She had ditched her disguise and successfully completed her part of the mission. Dex was free and standing next to her.

"Sorry, those sleeping pills took a little longer to take effect than I thought they would. But I know where the crystal is," she said. Dex smiled.

"Then lead the way," he replied.

The Legacy Compound

After a long day of training, everyone had returned and most were out on the beach, enjoying the island's extended daylight hours. Billy was content to watch Trina build a sandcastle with Carly and his father and to watch Kat, as she taught Aiden how to float and swim in the shallow waters near the shore. Blake had dozed off in the sand, being wiped out from training and was now being slowly buried in the sand from the neck down by Carly and Trina, much to Hunter's amusement. He was nearby, as he and Tori each held Zoe's hands, as they strolled along in the surf, while Olivia clung to Rocky, as he and Aisha took her out into the water.

"Those two will make great parents someday," Kimberly mentioned, referring to Hunter and Tori as she sat down next to one of her oldest friends. Billy nodded.

"You look like you could use a friend to talk to," Kim added. Billy smirked.

"Adam told me the same thing fifteen minutes ago," he replied.

"Maybe it's a woman's perspective you're looking for then?" she asked. He looked at her and hesitated for a moment, but Kim was having none of it. No matter how many times Billy had clamed up over the years, Kim had always been the one to manage to make him talk. Tonight would be no different.

"Do you know what Cestria told me...right before she died?" he asked. She shook her head and touched her hand to his, urging him to continue.

"She asked me not to mourn her forever. She pleaded with me to love again someday and I swore to her that I would never love another woman the way I loved her," Billy said, his voice thick with pain.

"And now you're feeling guilty because you do have feelings for someone," Kim deduced. He looked at his best friend and sighed.

"I can read you like a book, you know," she reminded him with a gentle smile.

"But..." he started, trying to find the right words.

"It really hasn't been that long since she died," Billy said.

"But these last few weeks haven't exactly been normal and I don't know about you, but I feel like it's been a lot longer than it actually has," she mentioned, as she put her hand on his.

"And there's no time limit on this kind of thing, you know. Love is a tricky thing and did you ever consider the possibility that maybe what you're feeling for Kat are feelings that have possibly always been there?" Kimberly questioned. Billy looked at her in surprise and then started to think about it for a moment. Sure, the moment he had met Katherine all those years ago, he had an instant crush. But what guy didn't? She was the new beautiful blonde girl in school with the amazing accent. Then she became one of his teammates and he realized the amazing woman she was. During the zeo era, he remembered watching the rangers battle and being upset that he wasn't out there with them. Watching them take devastating blows and attacks had been excruciating, but the more he thought about it, the more he remembered that it was particuarly difficult to watch it happen to Kat. He remembered how many times he had wanted to rush onto that battlefield unmorphed, consequences be damned, to help them all. But he was kidding himself if he didn't admit that he would have gone for Kat first. He sighed. Kimberly had been three thousand miles away at the time and still picked up on his feelings before him, probably just from the way he spoke in his letters or on the phone.

"You know, I dont know when I became so transparent to you," he said, a bit irritated. She smiled.

"Sorry Genius, but I've been there since the beginning. I was there with you after your mom died. I was there when your dad presented your first lab to you just so he could get you to stop taking apart all the appliances in the house," Kimberly said, as they shared a laugh.

"I was there when you were bullied. I was there when our lives changed forever that moment Zordon placed our first morphers in our hands," she continued, as he remembered that fateful day.

"I was there the first time you no longer needed any of us to help you fight unmorphed," she reminded him. She had literally watched him transform from a smart, albeit shy, clumsy boy into a powerful, brilliant warrior-scientist.

"I was there for your first crush, and your second...and your third," she teased, as he shook his head.

"So it was only natural that the I was the only one that recognized the first time I saw love in your eyes..." she said, as she squeezed his hand.

"And I'm not talking the kind of love that you have for family like Carly, me and Trini, or the guys. I'm talking about the look I saw in your eyes when you looked at Katherine," Kim stated.

"I saw it when I visited for Christmas that first year I was in Florida, before I wrote that stupid letter that nearly destroyed my own life," Kimberly said, as she saw him swallow the lump in his throat.

"I remember we were in the youth center at Ernie's Christmas party. Katherine and her class were performing a song from the Nutcracker and your eyes were locked on her. The Earth could have imploded right then and there and you would have never known," Kimberly said. Billy almost looked guilty.

"I'm not saying that you didn't love Cestria too, because I see love in your eyes every time you talk about her or look at Trina. But you love Kat too and it's okay," Kimberly said.

"In fact, it's more than okay. I think it's fate," Kimberly added. He looked at her skeptically.

"Fate?" he questioned. She lightly smacked his arm.

"Don't look at me like that, Mr. Science. You've seen enough crazy crap that you have to believe in fate and magic by now," Kimberly said. He nodded reluctantly.

"It wasn't fair that evil took the woman you loved away, but fate has led you back to another love that you didn't even realize existed," Kimberly continued.

"Because you smacked me over the head with it," he added. She giggled.

"That's what I'm here for. Besides, if I had let Aisha talk to you, she would have been way more blunt than me. Being subtle is not her way," she reminded. He smirked.

"Or Rocky's and I was able to brush Adam off when he tried to talk to me about Kat. But not you. You're like a gnat that just won't go away until I spill my guts," he teased, as her mouth fell open in mock outrage.

"Billy Cranston, did you just compare me to a bug?" she demanded to know.

"Yep," he answered, expecting her to try and punch his arm, but he expertly caught her fist.

"That worked when we were kids, but somewhere along the way I got stronger than you," he teased. She withdrew her hand and huffed in annoyance.

"You're lucky that I'm more interested in you going over there and talking to Kat or I would slug you," she threatened him. He rolled his eyes and stood up, before trekking out into the water.

"Seriously beautiful? You know how I feel about matchmaking," Tommy teased, as he took Billy's place beside her.

"Oh hush, this union needs to happen and boy genius needed the push," she replied.

"Well, any other couple, I would say that nothing good will come from your meddling, but those two deserve to be happy again," Tommy mentioned.

"Exactly," she replied, as she kissed him tenderly.

Aiden swam the short distance his Mother had instructed him too and then looked back at her with pride. He saw Billy and eagerly swam toward him.

"Did you see Billy? I did it! I swam by myself!" he said in excitement. Billy smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

"I did see and you did great. Your Mom is a great teacher," he said, glancing at Kat.

"Yeah, she says when I'm old enough, she's going to teach me diving!" Aiden said excitedly.

"Well, then you'll be learning from a Pan Globals champion," Billy said.

"Nearly champion. I hit my head on the board in the finals, remember?" she asked.

"An accident and complete injustice that you lost," Billy replied, as they saw Zack on the beach.

"Yo Aiden...let's go little man!" he called.

"Oh yeah! Uncle Zack is going to teach me Hip-Hop Kido!" he said, as he started running for the sand. Kat shook her head and Billy chuckled.

"He'll sleep good tonight," he mentioned.

"For sure. This is the happiest he's ever been, you know," Kat replied.

"Family will do that for a person," Billy said, as he took her hand and she looked into those green eyes that she had come to love so much.

"After we put the kids to bed, I thought we could come back out here for a walk...and maybe talk?" he asked. She smiled and nodded.

"I'd like that," she replied, as they trekked through the surf and back toward shore.

"Wow..." Zoe said in awe, as she watched her sister surf from the shore. Hunter knelt down beside her.

"Yeah, she's pretty awesome, isn't she?" he asked. The little girl nodded. Tori rode the wave until it gently dumped her onto the shore. She picked up her board and jogged to meet them.

"That was so cool!" Zoe exclaimed, as Tori smiled at her, while accepting a towel from Hunter.

"Maybe when you're a little older, I can teach you how to surf then," she offered.

"Really?" Zoe asked. Tori nodded and was surprised when she latched onto both hers and Hunter's hand.

"I told her we'd hike up to the ridge and watch the stars for a while. It will be dark soon," Hunter told her. Tori smiled and together, with Zoe between them, they started to make their way from the beach and up the hillside.

Triforia

"This is boring. I don't know why they have us guard the treasure room when no one is going to go in there," one guard complained.

"You know why, idiot. It's cause of that crystal in there," the other replied. He suddenly heard a muffled cry and looked over to find a blonde woman knocking his partner out. However, he had no time signal for help, as another woman and a man knocked him out as well. Kapri grabbed the keys from the first one's belt and they quietly entered the room. Marah gasped, as yellow light filled the room, emenating from the ornate pedestal where the yellow zeo crystal rested.

"There it is," Kapri said, as Dex started toward it, but noticed that the girls were not following.

"What are you waiting for?" Dex asked.

"You're going to have to get that thing," Marah said guiltily.

"Yeah, there's no way we can go near it," Kapri replied. Dex turned to them.

"Yes you can...you're not bad anymore," Dex said.

"But we were," Kapri tested.

"So was Tommy at one time and he was able to touch the full crystal. And I know that a lot of the things you did in the past were to survive. But I believe in you and I know Shane and Dustin do as well," Dex told them. Marah smiled.

"He's right. Dustin and Shane loves us and they wouldn't if we were really evil," Marah reasoned.

"Dustin loves you...but I don't think Shane is there with me yet," Kapri said sadly. Marah put her hand on her sister's shoulder.

"Yes he is. Dustin knows him better than anyone and he said he knows that Shane has real feelings for you," she assured her big sister. Kapri smiled and joining hands, the sisters approached the crystal with the Prince of Edenoi. Together, the sisters approached and touched the crystal. They felt it searing them at first, but refused to pull away, silently pleading with it to see the people they had become rather than the people they used to be. Within a few seconds, the searing pain ceased and a rush of warmth spread through them, as the crystal sensed their good outweighing their bad. Dex smiled knowingly and motioned them to hurry. Marah concealed the crystal in her bag and they followed him out.

The Legacy Compound

Tori smiled, as she cuddled against his warm chest and she felt content with his arm slung around her waist. Zoe had been in awe of all the stars, but didn't last long and was curled up fast asleep in Hunter's lap. The night air from the ocean was getting very chilly, but neither Hanson girl needed a jacket, for his prevalent body heat was more than enough to keep them all warm. Tori brushed a stray piece of blonde hair from her sister's face and smiled at the man she loved.

"You're great with her. She adores you," she mentioned. Hunter gave her a lazy smile.

"I adore her. It's not hard to though, because she's a part of you," he replied.

"I just wish...I should have tried harder with dad. I was so angry with him. He probably felt like he couldn't tell me," Tori said guiltily.

"No Tor, you can't do this to yourself. Your dad made his choices and they didn't turn out well for him, but it's not your fault. He realized it soon enough to make sure you and Zoe got out of that situation," he assured her. She nodded.

"I love you so much and I know we still have an entire army to take on, let alone Ooze himself, but I promise you that I will defeat him. We will take this planet back and rebuild our schools," he said, as he looked deeply into her eyes.

"But more importantly, I'm going to marry you, we're going to raise Zoe, have kids of our own someday," he said slyly, as he kissed her neck. She smiled and captured his lips with her own.

"We have three of the crystals too. We'll be able to free your Mom soon," she mentioned.

"And there is a really beautiful beach here. All we'd be missing is someone to perform the ceremony," he said. They smiled at each other.

"We'll figure that part out. All I know is that I want to set our date. I know it's probably not good timing, being that we could be under attack at any time...but I'm ready," she said. He smiled.

"Me too," he replied, as he kissed her passionately.

"Come on, let's go put her to bed," Tori said, as their lips parted. He nodded and stood up, gently cradling Zoe against his chest. With his free hand, he joined it with hers, as they trekked back toward the compound.

In the next chapter, Billy and Kat talk. Andros and Zhane arrive home on KO-35 to seek the final crystal, and Ivan Ooze learns of their quest for the zeo crystals...