DISCLAIMER: I do not own Power Rangers or Super Sentai. They are respectively owned by Saban Brands and Toei Company. I do not profit from this story in any way, shape, or form.

A single scream echoed through the air of North Market City, shattering the peaceful atmosphere. Gnomes, Night Elves, and Centaurs ran for their lives as a massive squad of Blots charged through the streets, led by a pair of Lightless, a Panther and a Liger. The monsters knocked over stands and destroyed goods as they made their way through the city, smacking away anyone brave enough to attack them, until they came to the city square, where they were faced with two figures standing before a group of frightened people: The Guardians of Fire and Darkness, both morphed and standing with their weapons ready.

"Just so you know, you break it, you buy it," Nikki stated, gripping her Heat Sabers.

Drayden smirked under his helmet, resting his Dragon Buster on his shoulder. "On the plus side, you might not have shoes or shirts, but you're about to receive a service."

The army of darkness merely roared in defiance, rushing the two. Without any hesitance, the Red and Indigo Rangers leaped into the large crowd of monsters, immediately slashing down any Blots that came their way. There had to be hundreds of them, maybe hundreds of hundreds, and yet, they were no match for the duo, who stood back-to-back while cutting down foes. Within a mere matter of a few minutes, Nikki and Drayden had destroyed all the Blots, leaving only the two Lightless.

"Let's wrap this up!" Nikki shouted, summoning her Crystal Gauntlet and inserting the Phoenix Crystal in the top. "Guardians of Gaia, MINERAL MODE!"

As the Phoenix Crystal became engulfed in light, increasing in size to fit the gauntlet and having the Phoenix symbol emblazoned on it, Nikki threw her fist up in the air, the light transforming her suit into its Mineral Mode. As she did this, Drayden inserted the Dragon, Wolf, and Lion Crystals in the hilt of his sword and then closed it, the crystals spinning around in the compartment. He gripped the sword tightly in both hands as Nikki drew her Crystal Blast Morpher and Gaia Saber, the power of her crystal pouring into both.

"Fire Blast & Slash!" Nikki called, firing a bullet-shaped blast of fire from her blaster before releasing a wave of heat from her sword.

"Shadow Break!" Drayden roared, cutting straight down and sending out an indigo, white, and black slash of dark energy. The three attacks all merged together in a four-pointed star of white hot flames and collided with the Liger and Panther Lightless, obliterating them immediately. With their work done, the two Rangers took off their helmets and exchanged a fist bump.

"Good job," Nikki said with a warm smile. "I know I can always win with you around, Drayden."

"Of course!" Drayden replied, smiling back. "You can always count on me, Nikki. I promise, I'll ALWAYS have your back."

Nikki blushed slightly, letting her fingers intertwine with the Indigo Ranger's. "I know. I feel closer to you than anyone else on the team. You're so dependable, and...I feel like you match me perfectly."

Drayden nodded, feeling himself draw closer to the Guardian of Fire. "I feel the same way about you. I feel like...like I've never felt about anyone before."

"Oh, Dray..." Nikki moaned in a hushed voice as Drayden put a hand to her hip, their lips starting to close in on each other. "Drayden...DRAYDEN!"

Drayden's eyes shot open as he sat up, a piece of paper stuck to the side of his face. Looking around, he found himself sitting at the table in the main chamber of the Ancient Library, his team-mates all looking at him with glances ranging from the quizzical to the amused. All save for Nikki, who looked a little irritated at him.

"...I-I'm sorry, you were saying?" Drayden asked, peeling the paper from his face.

Nikki crossed her arms, looking unamused. "I WAS going over this week's attack record, but clearly, someone found that a bit too boring."

Drayden blushed hard, bowing his head a little. "I'm sorry, I must not have gotten enough sleep last night..."

"...Well, I guess we're ALL kind of running on fumes lately," Nikki acknowledged, turning back to the Viewing Globe as a few areas in Gaia were highlighted with red circles. "Blot attacks have actually gone up lately, and they aren't just the standard variety anymore. Venom and Mecha Blots are starting to come out more casually, too."

"I thought the point of removing Walker from the equation was to DECREASE the number of attacks," Dirk pointed out. "At this point, you'd never know one of Dradarius' major players was taken out of the game."

"Well, we also might've handed Dradarius his first real smacking down in a LONG time just recently," Layla reminded the Guardian of Earth. "That MIGHT be encouraging him to enter try-hard mode. Except this isn't an RTS where it's costing him any money or resources to build up armies."

"Yeah, but he HAS to have a limit," Patrick noted. "So where's he getting all this energy?"

Nikki looked around at her team, reading their glances. "...We're all thinking the same thing?"

"That crystal," Drayden acknowledged, getting nods. "That HAS to be the source of his power. It might even be the source of his longevity. Even the dark races of the Dark Zones don't live as long as he has."

Nikki sighed, turning to Jowar. "Any luck finding any information on that thing?"

Jowar shook his head. "Charles and I have been reading through every last document in the library, and we haven't found ANYTHING relating to a giant black Gaian Crystal."

"But it IS a Gaian Crystal?" Madilyn asked. "I mean, that much we're absolutely sure of?"

"Yes," Jowar answered, stroking his beard. "If there any doubts in my mind, they were erased when I saw that sky whale they escaped on."

"You think it's a Gaia Zord?" Layla inquired.

"Well, 11 IS an odd number to end on," Dirk remarked. "I suppose we all should've seen a twelfth one coming."

Nikki put her hands to her hips, exhaling hard through her nose. "Probably. Anyway, for now, we just need to keep up with the research. The answer's out there. We just need to find it."

The others all nodded in agreement before getting up to leave, Nikki turning back to the Viewing Globe. Everyone went their own way, save for Madilyn, who followed quickly after Drayden as he headed off to find his father in the garden. She tugged on the back of his shirt, getting his attention and grinning impishly.

"...So, you know you talk in your sleep?" Madilyn asked, causing Drayden to blush terribly. "Lucky for you, no one else heard it...Well, MAYBE Patrick, but don't expect him to make a thing about it."

Drayden groaned. "Unlike YOU, who feels the need to torment me about it..."

Mad grinned more widely, jumping up onto Drayden's back and wrapping her arms around his head. "I'm just trying to be your helpful guide through your painful trek into the world of unrequited love! Mind you, that's only because you don't SAY anything to her."

"And I'm just trying to figure out why you seem to care so much," Drayden replied, easing Madilyn back down. "Someone maybe trying to make up for their own past unrequited love?"

It was now Madilyn's turn to turn bright red, looking away desperately. "I-I have no idea what you're implying!"

"Uh-huh," Drayden scoffed. "Whatever. I'll talk to Nikki if and when I feel like it. Good enough for you?"

Mad harrumphed, crossing her arms. "Well, I guess I'll make due with that much."

"Good," Drayden muttered, taking his leave from the flustered young woman. Madilyn, in turn, rolled her eyes, and turned to leave in the other direction, only to come face-to-face with Patrick, much to her surprise.

"P-Patrick?!" Madilyn nearly shrieked. "What are you doing here?"

"Same as you," Pat replied, "although I prefer to be a bit more discreet about it. So, is he gonna talk to her?"

Madilyn frowned, fists on her hips. "I dunno. That guy's a hard nut to crack."

"Well, he's doing a poor job hiding how he feels," Patrick noted. "Half the team already knows what's going on with him. I mean, why bother keeping it a secret at all?"

"I KNOW!" Madilyn responded. "He's so stubborn and childish about this!"

Patrick smirked. "...Kinda like you?"

Madilyn scoffed, pointing a finger in Patrick's face. "Kinda like YOU, is more like it."

Just as Patrick was about to retort, all of a sudden, Dirk walked into the hall they were both standing in, carrying a big wooden sign behind his back. Without saying so much as a word, he simply walked up to the two, held up the sign, allowing them to read the one word on it, 'IRONY!', and then walked away, leaving the two to just awkwardly stand around and wonder what that was all about.

Dradarius tapped his fingers across the armrests of his throne, watching as Blots were being outfitted with the armour of the Mecha Blots. This was going to be a necessary upgrade to his forces that, while not being as large in supply as ordinary Blots, would still reap great rewards. After all, when Mecha Blots were destroyed, the darkness that formed them usually created massive Blob Blots, meaning any Lightless he turned giant sized would have immediate aid. However, that was only part one of advancing their forces.

"Spine," Dradarius muttered, looking over to his Dwarven Dark General. "Have the new Lightless figurines been tested?"

Spine nodded as he bowed. "Preliminary tests show they're ready for use in the field. I even modeled some of them after creatures and figures that have become rather infamous sources of horror on Earth. Unfortunately, we have a slight problem."

The Usurper of the Dark Throne cocked an eyebrow. "And that would be?"

"Well, it's just...our remaining Shadowmancers," Spine explained. "I'm afraid they lack Walker's talent as it pertained to awakening and maintaining Lightless."

Dradarius chuckled lowly, pulling himself up from his throne. "And who, may I ask, do you think it was who taught Walker everything he knew about Shadowmancy?"

Spine gulped. "...Yes, of course."

"My Emperor," Arc declared as he entered the throne room with a pair of Mecha Blots, bowing before Dradarius. "I believe we've found a suitable target for the next attack."

"Very good," Dradarius replied. "The past few attacks have shown us a bit more of the new Guardians' limits. I believe our first goal in eliminating them is to first be rid of Gaia's last wizard. With the most talented user of the light gone, the rest will follow."

"Based on reports, it seems that Jowar's only real means of power is the Light Crystal he carries," Arc explained. "However, said powers are likely quite limited outside of Everbright."

"Then our first goal should be to draw him out of his library," Dradarius said with an evil grin. "...Spine. Prepare the Mummy Lightless. It will be the perfect executioner of this plan."

Spine gave a quick bow before taking his leave, going to fetch the Lightless figurine. However, as he left, he failed to take notice as a single Mecha Blot watched him leaving and a bright red light lighting up over its visor as it watched on.

Walker sighed, watching in his new cavern lair as the footage of the events in the throne room of Abyssial Fortress played out over a small handheld device. "Tch. I miss my fireplace. It showed me exactly what I wanted to see when I wanted to see it, and it wasn't so small."

"Oh, deal with it," Darkea said rather grumpily, taking a seat on a rock. "At least we HAVE a means to see what's going on, and that took calling in just about every last favour we had within the empire."

"True," Walker acknowledged. "And the timing couldn't have been better, since your father's started making more and more Blots into Mecha Blots. And, thanks to this little device, we can see anything they see."

"And with so many Mecha Blots around the castle, father won't be able to organize dinner without us knowing what he'll be eating," Darkea joked before her eyes widened. "...Wait, why don't we just have his food poisoned then? Get rid of him that way?"

Walker groaned loudly, burying his face in the palm of his hand. "Do you honestly think that NO ONE has tried that before? One, getting poison into the castle is hard enough, two, finding a poison powerful enough to kill Dradarius is near impossible, and three, a poison that powerful would be too quick for me. I want to see him SUFFER longer than that."

Darkea's eye twitched, a bit disturbed by this, but let it go, instead saying "...Well, at least we can watch what he's doing from now on. We'll leave the job of keeping him occupied for now up to the Rangers."

"There IS one other thing we can do for now, though," Walker pointed out. "Dradarius' forces occupy the zone the Dark Chamber resided in, and apparently, he picked what was left of the chamber rather clean, but there's something I hid that was unlikely to be destroyed, and if he'd found it, I'm sure we'd know. Could you by any chance be a dear and fetch it for me?"

Darkea sighed, her shoulders slumping. "...Brother, do me a favour and let me know the INSTANT you're mobile again, PLEASE?"

Walker smirked deviously at his sister. "Oh, trust me, if this mission goes as planned, then you'll know when I'm feeling better..."

Professor Snyder smiled as he put his glass down on a table with a large stack of books on it, having listened to Drayden explain his current plight for the better part of an hour. "...So, what exactly is it you want to ask me?"

"I just wanna know, when is it usually an appropriate time to tell a girl what you really think of her?" Drayden asked, leaning against a windowsill.

"I don't think there's a proven case where one time has a better success rate than another," Charles replied with a chuckle. "Really, I think what you're asking is if an appropriate time exists in this particular situation period."

"...Maybe?" Drayden conceded. "I mean, she IS my leader. It'd be like being on a naval vessel and trying to ask out the captain."

Charles sighed, but before he could suggest anything comforting to his son, the sound of the torches in the main chamber roaring caught their attention. Heading there, they found the rest of the Rangers all standing by as Jowar identified the source of the trouble: A Gnome settlement to the north under attack by a squad of about a dozen Mecha Blots.

"Well, THEY'VE upgraded," Layla observed.

"I'll watch over the battle from here, unless things get too hectic," Jowar said to the team. "Good luck, and let the power protect you."

Nikki nodded, reaching for her chain as the others followed suit. "It's Morphin Time!"

At this call, the team pulled their crystals from their chains and inserted them inside their morphers. They then raised their morphers skyward and yelled out "Guardians of Gaia, AWAKEN!" Six rainbow coloured blasts shot out, spiraling around each other in the air, before doubling back and coating the team with energy, their Ranger suits materializing over their clothes. Once morphed, they were immediately teleported to the town, arriving in front of the Mecha Blots.

"Let's send these scrap-pile shadows back to the junkyard!" Nikki ordered, the team forming up in a line to her sides. With this, the two forces charged each other, swords slamming into energy shields. Patrick and Dirk quickly teamed up to take a pair on near the edge of a hill, Dirk going low with his Gaia Saber while Patrick went high, catching the Mecha Blots across the visors and cracking them. With the two monsters disoriented, Dirk was able to shoulder tackle against their shields hard enough to send them tumbling down the hill and into a lake, which shorted out their systems.

"Well, looks like these Blots are-" Dirk started to say before Pat's hand slapped onto his shoulder.

"Dirk, please, I'm begging you, DO NOT say 'they're all washed up'," Patrick pleaded before leaving to face more Mecha Blots.

The Orange Ranger lifted a finger, about to retort, but let his hand drop to his side pathetically. "Yeah, okay..."

A few feet away, Madilyn and Layla were battling against their own pair of cybernetic shadows, the Violet Ranger having already traded her Crystal Blast Morpher for the Blue Ranger's Gaia Saber. Layla opened fire on the Mecha Blots, who were quick to block with their energy shields, but Mad flipped up and over her sister and the monsters, cutting the tubes filled with Ebony Venom apart. As the Mecha Blots found themselves running out of power, Layla unleashed a charged up blast of water while Madilyn slashed them with a lightning-filled cut, the two attacks sandwiching them and blowing them apart.

"Who's next?!" Madilyn cheered before turning around to face a trio of Mecha Blots converging on the two Guardians.

"Sis, you're not allowed to ask that anymore," Layla muttered under her breath, the two readying their weapons.

Meanwhile, Nikki and Drayden were busy with a quartet of Mecha Blots in the center of the small town. Despite being outnumbered, the two stood back-to-back and slashed at anything coming their way, Drayden with his Dragon Buster and Nikki with her Gaia Saber, both containing their primary crystals inside. Finally, they managed to score hits on all four of the Mecha Blots' tubes, causing them to rapidly empty while they stood in a circle around the duo.

"Double-mental Slash!" the Red and Indigo Rangers hollered, spinning with their swords and cutting across all four Mecha Blots, causing them to fall to the ground in fiery explosions.

"Yeah!" Drayden shouted cheerfully, holding a fist out for Guardian of Fire. "Good job!"

Nikki blinked, but hesitantly fist bumped the Guardian of Darkness. "Uh, thanks, Captain Exuberant."

Cursing himself mentally as Nikki ran off, Drayden soon followed, the two catching up with the rest of the Rangers as they stood off against the final four Mecha Blots. Before the six Guardians of Gaia could charge them, one Mecha Blot held out a small figurine, which began to absorb the darkness from its fallen fellow shadows.

"Oh no, it's changing into a Lightless!" Drayden observed as the other three remaining Mecha Blots were also absorbed, their mechanical parts falling to the ground. Finally, the last Mecha Blot absorbed the figurine into its body, causing it to transform as a dark fog surrounded it. When it was over, the Blot was gone, replaced by an eggplant-coloured, horrid-looking mummy wrapped in dark grey, almost diseased-looking, bandages. The Mummy Lightless roared, stretching its new body.

"A mummy?!" Patrick demanded. "I thought all the Lightless were based off of animals and mythological creatures!"

"Guess they must be trying something new," Nikki suggested, just as the Mummy Lightless let out another roar and charged the team. "Whatever it is, let's take it down like all the rest!"

Despite this proclamation, though, the six found themselves knocked around like punching bags as the Mummy Lightless raced up to them, swinging its arms around. Not only that, but as Dirk and Drayden were soon to learn, attempts to punch it back were like hitting brick walls with their bare fists, and the two were almost certain they'd both broken something in their hands before being promptly knocked back down again. Nikki and Patrick both threw kicks at the monster's head, but it was unfazed as it swatted both away.

"Let's see how he does against this!" Dirk yelled, hitting his buckle and calling out his axe. "Quake Ax!"

With a roar, the Orange Ranger swung his axe at the Mummy Lightless' abdomen, smacking it hard and sending sparks flying from the mighty hit. However, hard as it was, it seemingly did nothing to the monster, who merely kicked Dirk away, knocking his weapon aside. Then, the Lightless' bandages suddenly came unraveled around its left arm, shot out, and latched onto the axe, dragging the weapon to it and keeping it tied to the creature's body.

"HEY!" Dirk shouted. "Give that back, you creep!"

"Dragon Buster!" Drayden yelled, preparing to hack the Lightless apart.

"Storm Lance!" Patrick called, drawing his lance and leaping up, aiming for the monster's head. However, before either he or Drayden could land a blow, they were both knocked away as the Mummy Lightless' bandages sprung free and hit them both square in the chest before taking their weapons away. While it was distracted, however, the monster received a massive water blast from Layla's Flood Launcher, right to the side of the head, just before Madilyn leaped up and jabbed her Lightning Daggers into its shoulders.

"Take that, you horror-movie reje-" the Violet Ranger started to say cockily before the Mummy Lightless' bandages wrenched her daggers free before sending her crashing into her sister, then picking up the later's Flood Launcher.

"Heat Bow!" Nikki exclaimed, readying an ignited arrow and aiming it for the Lightless' back. Hearing her, though, the Mummy Lightless freed up its bandages and sent them at her, just as she was about to fire. However, catching sight of this exchange about to occur, Drayden ran in, tackling Nikki out of the way of the bandages.

"You alright?" Drayden asked as Nikki shook off being tackled.

"Why did you-" the Red Ranger started to ask before looking past Drayden's shoulder. "Look out!"

Before Drayden could react, a pair of bandages wrapped around his ankles and hauled him up and into the air. As it did this, though, Nikki rushed up and, separating the Heat Bow into her twin Heat Sabers, slashed the Mummy Lightless across the right arm, where its bandages had come somewhat unraveled, causing it to moan in pain and back off a bit. However, it refused to let Nikki follow this up, slamming Drayden into her and sending them both tumbling end over end downhill. The Mummy Lightless then scooped up the Heat Sabers, latching them to its body as it slowly walked down the hill towards the two, the other Rangers regrouping around them.

"Man, this thing's tough!" Dirk groaned, clutching his arm.

"Let's try Mineral Mode!" Layla suggested, reaching her hand up to summon her Crystal Gauntlet.

"No!" Nikki ordered, slowly getting up as the monster approached them. "It'll just take our Gauntlets too, and our crystals with them!"

"And he's already got mine with my Dragon Buster!" Drayden pointed out as Dirk helped him up.

The six Guardians of Gaia backed up a bit as the Mummy Lightless sauntered toward them, the bandages holding their weapons coming loose and raising them up overhead, threatening to attack them with their own weapons. Fortunately, before it could, a series of golden rays shot down from the sky and blasted the creature hard, knocking it away. The Rangers looked to the source, spotting Jowar flipping through the air and landing at their side, already morphed into the Wizard Ranger.

"Jowar!" Patrick cheered. "Good timing!"

"Thought you could use some assistance!" Jowar replied, keeping his Unimax Staff held out toward the Lightless. "I'd have been here sooner, but I had to make sure the Gnomes were evacuated to safety first!"

"Be careful, this one's pretty tough!" Mad cautioned.

Jowar nodded, readying his staff for battle. The Mummy Lightless roared as it got back up, charging the Wizard Ranger. Jowar managed to block its swings with his staff, but was then knocked aside by a bandage holding the Quake Ax, hitting him in the shoulder with the blunt side. However, Jowar was able to roll back to his feet and fire a blast of light into the monster's side, scorching its bandages. He then leaped forward, looking to catch the Lightless in the gut, but was cut off by the Dragon Buster getting swung his way, slashing him hard and sending sparks off his suit as he fell back to the ground.

"Ugh, it's no good," Jowar groaned, fighting to get back up. "My powers are already starting to fade...!"

Spotting its opportunity, the Mummy Lightless immediately launched a number of bandages forward, striking the Guardian of Light hard and knocking him backward before wrenching his staff away. Spotting their mentor getting knocked onto his back, the Rangers quickly got between him and the monster, Layla and Drayden helping him to his feet.

"This is no good!" Nikki exclaimed. "Back to the library! We've gotta regroup and come up with a new plan!"

The others hesitated, but nodded in agreement nonetheless. Using their communicators, they teleported away, leaving the Mummy Lightless alone in the abandoned town. It tilted its head back and roared with triumph, the Rangers' weapons clutched in its bandages.

"Well, THAT couldn't have gone much worse..." Dirk groaned as he plopped down into a chair, he and the others having demorphed once reaching the library.

"Tell me about it," Layla replied, looking over the Viewing Globe. "The Gnomes all lost their homes, and we're out our weapons and two crystals!"

"Unfortunately, without our crystals, both Drayden and I will be unable to morph," Jowar pointed out, causing Drayden to look down at the ground and let out a depressed sigh. "It's going to be up to the rest of you to find some way to get them back, as well as destroy the Mummy Lightless before it can do anymore damage."

Nikki clenched her fists in anger before looking to the Guardian of Darkness. "...Drayden, I wanna have a word with you. In private."

Drayden suddenly felt his blood turn cold, catching his leader's look. He might not have been with the team for very long, but he knew that expression pretty decently. Nonetheless, with a gulp, he nodded, following her to the hall leading to the bell tower. Once they were gone, everyone else currently not sitting awkwardly took seats, likewise knowing what was waiting for Drayden.

"Hoo boy, I do NOT wanna be Drayden right now," Madilyn muttered. "I've been on the receiving end of a lecture from Nikki in that bell tower before. It's not fun."

Jowar stroked his beard, looking perplexed. "I'm confused. Is there some sort of issue between those two I'm unaware of?"

Patrick scoffed, resting his hands on the table. "Something like that..."

Dradarius grinned, clutching a fist as it burned with dark energy while watching the events unfold over the mirror. "There! Now, without his precious Light Crystal and Unimax Staff, Jowar will no longer be a threat to us!"

"My Emperor, we should recall the Mummy Lightless and have the weapons and crystals in its keeping destroyed," Arc suggested. "Then they'll be severely handicapped."

"I've got a better idea," Spine said with a smirk. "Why not sic the Mummy Lightless on Everbright and watch the Rangers be taken out with their own weapons? Its already proven to be completely unstoppable, and can easily take the rest of their weapons if they try to fight back as well."

"Both are sound plans," Dradarius admitted, "but, to be honest, I rather like the idea of defeating the Guardians of Gaia through such a humiliating method...Very well! The Rangers will fall on this day!"

"...So, you wanna tell me what that tackle was all about?" Nikki inquired, glaring a hole through Drayden's head as the two reached the top of the bell tower.

"I was just trying to help, okay?" Drayden replied, rubbing his arm. "Those bandages were coming right at you!"

"Except my arrow would've hit way sooner than Arnold Vosloo back there!" Nikki insisted.

"...Who?" Drayden asked, utterly confused.

"From The Mummy!" Nikki answered, still a bit angry while also appearing somewhat embarrassed. "With Brendan Fraser?"

"...The Rock was in the sequel, right?" Drayden guessed. "As the really bad CG effect?"

"Right, but we're getting off-topic!" Nikki pointed out. "I didn't need you to save me, and if you hadn't stepped in, I might've gotten a shot in!"

Drayden groaned, fidgeting slightly. "...You're right. I'm sorry. I messed up. I just, I thought you were in danger, and I just...acted."

Nikki sighed, taking herself down a notch. "It's not about what you did, Drayden. I just wanna know why. You're not one to act so rashly."

"...Uh, hello?" Drayden asked, cocking an eyebrow. "Do you even REMEMBER the terms by which we first met? I was tricked into being possessed by a 1000+ year old Shadowmancer and nearly destroying you guys, just so I could feel like my own person."

Thinking that over, Nikki's shoulders slumped slightly. "...Okay, point taken. But usually, you're a bit more level-headed in battles. It's something I'm used to being able to rely on. Was I wrong to think that?"

"No," Drayden said quickly, looking away. "I just...I didn't wanna see you get hurt."

Nikki's eyes narrowed, crossing her arms as she began to feel a bit more aggravated. "...If this is gonna turn into some kind of macho chivalry thing, let me save you the trouble: I am NOT a damsel in distress. I'm the Red Ranger for a reason."

"I know that," Drayden replied, resting his hands on a windowsill. "I just...you spend so much time and effort looking out for everyone else on the team, and sometimes, it feels like you don't think much of protecting yourself. And I get it, you're the leader, and you NEED to think of everyone else first. Not that you wouldn't anyway, mind you. It's something I really admire about you. Well, that and the whole super-hot glamazo-"

Almost immediately, Drayden felt his throat try to close itself up as he realized what he'd just let slip. Nervously, he very slowly turned his head and looked over at Nikki, who was just standing there, hands on her hips, also looking a bit awkward, and yet was also just the slightest bit amused at the sight of the Guardian of Darkness looking like he had just wet himself.

"...And by 'super-hot', I, of course, mean the fire thing," Drayden rather pathetically lied to the point where he didn't even know why he was bothering.

Rubbing her temple slightly and giving a small, halfhearted smile, Nikki walked over to the Indigo Ranger. "...Drayden, you're a really nice guy, but..."

"But I'm not your type," Drayden guessed, looking back out the window. "I get it."

"No, you don't," Nikki replied somewhat nervously, standing next to Drayden and looking out at the sun. "The truth is...I'm not YOUR type. I'm probably not ANYONE's type."

Drayden blinked, looking back at his leader. "What do you mean?"

Nikki rubbed the back of her neck, sighing as she prepared to explain. "I mean...I don't like the idea of kissing guys. Or girls. Or anything, for that matter. I mean, a peck on the cheek or forehead is one thing, but the idea of making out or the like is just awkward and wrong to me. Hugs would probably be nice, but I get that enough from my friends anyway. Holding hands...well, maybe that'd be okay, but I'd definitely need it back after a while. Maybe even cuddling. I mean, I see Layla and Faye do it and it looks nice. And while I could see myself maybe one day wanting a baby, making one would probably feel less like an enjoyable experience for me and more like a chore."

Drayden just stood there, taking this all in, until he felt that Nikki was done talking for now, feeling it was his time to say something. "...So, are you saying you're asexual?"

"...Do we NEED to put a term to it?" Nikki asked, sounding a little sad as she rested her chin on her arms. "Besides, there ARE asexuals who might take pleasure out of...that. It's just not me is all. I have zero drive whatsoever, and I don't think I ever will."

"And this automatically makes you not my type?" Drayden inquired.

"Well, most people tend to be kinda touchy-feely with their significant others," Nikki defended.

"And what, you think I'm so shallow that I NEED that?" Drayden demanded.

Nikki's eyes narrowed, looking directly into Drayden's. "I suppose next you're gonna tell me you never think of it."

"Never said I didn't," the Guardian of Darkness reminded his leader. "Just that I didn't NEED it. Besides, what I think about you or what I might fantasize about has nothing to do with whether or not I think I can 'have' you are not, it has to do with the kind of person you are. And I...I think you're a wonderful person who cares a lot about so many people, and you're someone I'd like to get to know better, and it doesn't have to include the touchy-feely stuff if that bothers you."

Nikki smiled, blushing a little. "That's really sweet, Drayden. But...I don't know. I just need some time to think about...everything."

"I know," Drayden replied. "And I promise, I'm not gonna colossally mess up like I did today. It's just, would it kill you to, at the very least, have someone to watch your back while you're watching out for everyone else?"

"I think that might be doable," Nikki answered. "Now, what do you say we meet up with the others and work out a way to get our weapons back."

"Good idea," Drayden said with a chuckle, turning back to the hall. "I feel completely exposed without my sword."

Nikki rolled her eyes at that comment, about to make a smart remark, when suddenly, her mind flashed back to the battle. Specifically, she recalled how the act of slashing the Mummy Lightless across the arm while its bandages were loose had seemingly done more to hurt it than anything else they'd tried in that entire battle, even getting hit by Jowar's light. Realizing this, she smacked herself in the forehead with her palm hard.

"Oh, good GRIEF, I'm stupid!" Nikki groaned, albeit with a smile.

"Why, what's going on?" Drayden asked, baffled.

"I'll explain on the way, c'mon!" Nikki yelled, grabbing Drayden by the hand and hauling him back to the main chamber, much to the latter's embarrassment.

The Mummy Lightless let out a loud, menacing growl as it entered Everbright. It immediately started hacking down trees with the Dragon Buster and Heat Sabers, causing them to fall dead to the ground. After a while, though, it found itself standing before Nikki, Patrick, Layla, Dirk, and Madilyn, the five standing in a line and blocking its way to the Ancient Library. Under its bandages, the monster's decrepid-looking lips twisted into an evil grin.

"Everyone remember the plan?" Nikki asked, earning nods from her team. "Then let's do it. It's Morphin Time!"

With this order, the team reached to pull their Gaian Crystals free and draw their Crystal Blast Morphers. Seeing this, the Mummy Lightless loosened the bandages around its abdomen and sent them hurling forward, aiming for the team's crystals and morphers.

"NOW!" Nikki shouted as she and Dirk ran forward, all while Drayden and Jowar leaped down from their hiding places in the treetops. Together, the four grabbed hold of the bandages, clutching them hard in their hands and bringing them all together. The Mummy Lightless growled, trying to retake its bandages, but the four dug their feet into the ground hard and gripped the bandages tightly, refusing to let go, all while Patrick, Layla, and Madilyn finished morphing.

"Crystal Gauntlets!" Madilyn yelled as she, Layla, and Patrick summoned their golden gauntlets, placing their crystals in the slots atop them.

"Guardians of Gaia, MINERAL MODE!" the three called, throwing their fists in the air as their crystals grew to fit into the gauntlets, their Zords' emblems emblazoned into them. Golden light then poured out over the Guardians of Wind, Water, and Lightning, morphing the three into their Mineral Modes. Seeing the others about to lose their grip on the bandages, Madilyn raced forward and grabbed hold of them, sending a blast of electricity straight through to the Mummy Lightless and shocking it hard. As this happened, Patrick and Layla threw their hands out, smacking the monster relentlessly with gusts of wind and waves of water hard enough to knock it several yards away and completely untangle its bandages, causing the team's weapons to fall to the ground.

"Alright!" Drayden celebrated as he and the others quickly scooped up their weapons. "Plan worked like a charm!"

"Yeah, and now for Phase 2!" Nikki replied as she, Dirk, and Drayden all set their crystals into their morphers while Jowar gave his staff a twirl. "Guardians of Gaia, AWAKEN!"

Leaping toward the Mummy Lightless, Nikki and the others quickly morphed, striking the monster all at once with their weapons. The Lightless roared in agony as it fell back, pain rushing through its exposed body as dark mist started to seep from the wounds inflicted on it. Dirk then summoned his own Crystal Gauntlet, transforming into the Amber Ranger before slamming the ground hard and causing a pair of stone slabs to grow out of the ground and sandwich the monster hard.

"Looks like you were right," Drayden said, standing by Nikki's side. "Those bandages were all but completely invincible, but underneath them, the Mummy Lightless is about as weak as an ordinary Blot."

The Red Ranger nodded, summoning her Crystal Gauntlet. "Looks like. Now what do you say we end this baddie for good?"

"I'm game!" Drayden replied, inserting all three of his crystals into his Dragon Buster while Nikki transformed into the Ruby Ranger. "Shadow Break!"

"Fire Blast & Slash!" Nikki called. The two released a pair of energy slashes along with a bullet-shaped blast of fire, the three attacks connecting into a four-pointed star of white hot flames. It blasted the exposed Mummy Lightless so hard that it was sent flying out of the forest before exploding into a massive ball of fire.

Spine's jaw dropped as he watched the Mummy Lightless go up in flames via the image on the mirror. "H-How did this happen?!"

"Well, I believe it started when someone suggested we send the Lightless to Everbright," Arc retorted, all while Dradarius groaned in irritation. "AND without waiting for more Mecha Blots to back it up."

"JUST MAKE IT GROW ALREADY!" Spine shouted.

With a sigh and a shrug, Arc pulled his bow free from his back and readied a pitch-black arrow, aiming it at the mirror. He then released the arrow, causing it to fly through the mirror, all while saying "Just so you know, this is for my Emperor, not for the sake of saving your hide."

Back in the forest, the Rangers were celebrating when, from out of nowhere, a black arrow appeared near where the Mummy Lightless was destroyed. The arrow then absorbed the dark mist from the Lightless' destroyed body before striking the ground, causing said mist to reach up into the sky and create a giant-sized version of the monster, its bandages wrapped around it again.

"Time to up the ante!" Nikki ordered as she, Patrick, Layla, Dirk, and Madilyn threw their gauntleted fists skyward while Drayden thrust his sword up. "We need Gaia Zord power, now!"

"Magna Buster, power up!" Jowar called, raising his staff. A rainbow of energy shot out from the Rangers' crystal-bearing weapons, six of which called forth the Phoenix, Hippogriff, Leviathan, Behemoth, Thunderbird, Dragon, Wolf, and Lion Gaia Zords from their hiding places, while the last hit the roof of the Ancient Library, causing the Magna Buster to rise up from it. Once all the Zords were summoned, the Rangers teleported to their respective cockpits, plugging in their weapons.

"Gaia Zords, combine!" Nikki, Patrick, Layla, Dirk, and Madilyn yelled as they plugged their Unity Crystals into the hilts of their swords. The Behemoth Zord then leaped up, its body shifting around to resemble a giant torso. The Leviathan Zord twisted its body around before most of its body lifted up to latch onto the Behemoth Zord, forming a hip and legs. The Phoenix and Thunderbird Zords cawed as they curled their wings and talons in and connected to the sides of the Behemoth Zord, forming the right and left arms of the giant robot as human-like hands emerged from their beaks. Finally, the Hippogriff Zord perched onto the back, wings spread out, and its head resting atop the robot. The Hippogriff Zord's beak opened wide to reveal a humanoid head inside as the Rangers' cockpits slid back into it, becoming one large cockpit. "Gaia Megazord, power up!"

"Gaia Zords, combine!" Drayden shouted. The Dragon Zord twisted its long body around, resembling the legs and torso of a giant robot with the dragon head forming the chest. The Wolf and Lion Zords then tucked their legs in, connecting with the Dragon Zord as arms. Lastly, a robotic head slid out, resembling a dragoon's helmet, as the robot landed on its feet next to its fellow robot. "Dragoon Megazord, power up!"

The giant Mummy Lightless bellowed as it charged toward the two Megazords, slamming its arms across the Gaia Megazord's chest and knocking it aside before headbutting the Dragoon Megazord's chest, sending it stumbling backward as sparks flew off it. The Gaia Megazord got back to its feet, however, and attempted to punch it in the face, but doing so did little to faze the monster, who merely grabbed the Megazord by its shoulders, bandages coming loose and entangling the massive machine as the Lightless lifted it up. The bandages then tightened across the Gaia Megazord's body, causing sparks to shoot off in the cockpit.

"Aw man, he's trying to crush us!" Dirk exclaimed as he and the others tried to get free.

"Hang on, guys!" Drayden cried out. The Dragon Zord's head on the chest of the Dragoon Megazord opened to launch dark flames across the hide of the Mummy Lightless, which had been left exposed by using so many bandages to tangle up the Gaia Megazord. The Lightless let out a horrid cry as pain ripped across its back, but was quick to retaliate, swinging its captive robot at the Dragoon Megazord before releasing it, sending the two crashing and falling to the ground. The Magna Buster opened fire with rapid blasts of light, but they bounced harmlessly off the mummy's bandages.

"Dangit, this thing's schooling us!" Mad groaned. "We gotta do something about those bandages!"

Layla's eyes perked up as a thought occurred to her. "...Guys, I think I've got an idea, but we're gonna need a distraction. Jowar, Drayden?"

"We're on it...!" Drayden replied as the Megazords got back up. "Jowar, let's play some interception!"

"I'm on it!" the Wizard Ranger responded, locking onto the Mummy Lightless with the Magna Buster. "Magna Buster, FULL POWER!"

The Magna Buster immediately unleashed a giant, continuous burst of golden light across the Mummy Lightless' side, pushing it away a bit. However, it eventually managed to get turned into the blast and dig its feet in before slowly powering through it. Spotting this, Drayden marched the Dragoon Megazord forward, unfolding the Dragon Zord's wings and releasing rapid-fire energy blasts at the monster as well.

"You've got your distraction, guys!" Drayden shouted. "Better hurry with that plan!"

"Right, we need the Gaiamax Staff," Layla replied, looking to the others in the cockpit.

Nikki smirked as she caught on, bringing out the Kitsune Crystal. "I think I get the plan. Let's do it! Kitsune Zord, power up!"

"Unicorn Zord, power up!" Patrick called, getting the Unicorn Crystal.

"Turtle Zord, power up!" Layla summoned, retrieving the Turtle Crystal. The three then placed the Auxiliary Zords' crystals in their blasters and pulled the triggers, sending out a trio of pink, silver, and aquamarine lights that called the Kitsune, Unicorn, and Turtle Zords from their hiding places. Spotting this, the Mummy Lightless tried peeling a few of its bandages off to grab hold of the Zords, but the Dragoon Megazord quickly got in the way, getting hit in the process.

"Gah!" Drayden groaned as his Megazord fell to the ground. "Hurry up, guys! It's getting free!"

"Auxiliary Zords, combine!" the Rangers in the Gaia Megazord's cockpit ordered. The Kitsune, Turtle, and Unicorn Zords twisted their bodies around to form a large staff of sorts with the Kitsune becoming the shaft, the Unicorn's horn growing into a drill on the top, and the Turtle's shell bringing all the pieces together. "Gaia Megazord, Gaiamax Staff!"

With one mighty grunt, the Mummy Lightless finally shoved its way free of the Magna Buster's assault. It then beared down on the Gaia Megazord, which held the Gaiamax Staff tightly in both hands, the Lightless' bandages starting to unravel.

"Come and get it, creep!" Nikki taunted. Sure enough, the Mummy Lightless threw its bandages forward, entangling the weapon. However, before it could try to pull the Gaiamax Staff free from the Megazord's grip, the drill on it started spinning quickly, unwrapping the mummy far more than intended. It cried out as it realized far too late the plan of the Rangers, grabbing hold of the bandages and trying to retake them, but as it did, the Dragoon Megazord got back up.

"Black Light Burst!" Drayden shouted, his Megazord releasing a trio of indigo, white, and black energy orbs from the open jaws of its three smaller Zords. The three orbs combined into one massive sphere and smacked into the Mummy Lightless hard, sending it rolling across the ground as its bandages were pulled free and tossed aside. "Guys, it's all yours!"

"Gaiamax Finish!" the other Rangers called, throwing their fists forward as the Gaia Megazord rushed forward hard. Just as the Mummy Lightless got back to its feet, the robot thrust the drill of the Gaiamax Staff straight through its torso. The monster winced and groaned as the staff was pulled free, energy crackling across its body from the large hole carved into it. Finally, the Mummy Lightless' arms dropped to its sides and it fell backward, the energy unleashing into a massive explosion as dark mist rose up and then dissolved into the air.

"I guess that just about UNwraps this up!" Nikki hollered as the others high-fived and cheered.

About an hour after the battle, the team were now resting in the main chamber of the library, letting their bodies recover from the beating they'd taken from the Mummy Lightless. Drayden, in particular, was resting in a chair with a small ice pack on his forehead and his arm bandaged up.

"Ugh, too bad THESE bandages aren't invulnerable," Drayden commented, looking to his arm. "Otherwise, I'd wear these into battle all the time."

Patrick chuckled a little, leaning over the table. "Tell me about it. But, at least now we have a good idea as to what we can expect from now on."

"True, but something tells me that it MAY have been the point of this latest battle to get the same sort of intelligence on us," Jowar suggested with a sigh. "In particular, Dradarius knows how limited MY powers are."

"Maybe, but we'll pull through, just like we did today," Nikki said confidently before walking over to Drayden's side. "...Drayden, can I see you for a second?"

Drayden nodded, slowly getting up from his chair and following Nikki to a corner of the room, where she awkwardly started fiddling with her fingers. "Look...I feel like I should correct myself on something I said earlier."

"Oh?" Drayden asked.

"The truth is, asexuality covers a lot of areas, mine included," Nikki replied, rubbing her arm. "It's not that I'm denying that I am, I just...I don't know."

"Worried about coming out?" Drayden inquired, getting a nod. "Tell you what: Until you're comfortable telling the others, we can keep this between us."

"Sounds good," Nikki responded, letting herself smile a little. "...I was also wondering if maybe you wanted to watch a movie or something? Layla's apparently figured out how to access her Netflix account across dimensions for short periods of time."

Drayden returned his leader's smile through a small blush. "I think I'd like that. What movie?"

"Not The Mummy," Nikki said quickly. "I don't wanna see another mummy for a really long time, be it with real, practical effects, or CG."

"...Seriously, though, when your movie requires a CG effect THAT unconvincing, it just makes me wonder why they wrote it in," Drayden grumbled.

"Well, good CG isn't really a necessity ALL the time," Nikki pointed out as the two headed off, passing by Dirk as he walked back from getting an ice pack. "What'd be way worse is a movie about us, but they did weird things like take the visors and mouthpieces out of our helmets."

As they headed off, Dirk simply turned as nonchalantly as he could, facing the readers while pressing an ice pack to his chin. "...Yeah, because NO ONE is THAT stupid."

AUTHOR'S NOTES: ...So, real quick, before I get into this chapter and what I wanna talk about, I have to admit to something: I goofed. I originally wrote part 2 of Always A Ranger under the belief that Layla was adopted...NOT SO. Madilyn was the one who was adopted, as it was Tina and her parents who died in the fire, not Layla and hers. Chalk that up to spending so much time away from this project that I got that mixed up, I guess, plus the fact that, in most works of fiction, the adoptee is the younger sibling. Still, I'd rather not hide behind that excuse and just admit I messed up. However, I've since gone back and fixed chapter 2. Frankly, I'm just amazed that neither I, my proofreader, nor anyone else reading caught that. I've also decided to go back with said proofreader and re-read Season 1, fixing what mistakes we find.

Regarding this chapter, though, if anyone's wondering, this is part of the reason I upped the rating for Season 2 from K+ (like the original) to T. Ultimately, there were some story ideas I had that I just couldn't do in a K+. Specifically, as it pertains to this chapter, I felt that I couldn't have Nikki talk about her asexual nature in a K+ story. I should note, however, that asexuality is oftentimes considered an umbrella term, and that there are many different asexual sub-identities under that umbrella. I'm not 100% sure which one Nikki specifically would fall under, though, so I used the broader term. But, to clarify, Nikki is the type who doesn't feel a sexual attraction to anyone, does not desire to ever have sex outside of ever wanting to possibly have children, and doesn't enjoy overly physical acts of affection beyond a hug, a cuddle, or a kiss on the cheek. However, that doesn't mean she's against the idea of a relationship. Really, her only issue there was if anyone else who might think of her in a romantic way would be put off by that. And, as I hope I've demonstrated, Drayden is the kind of guy who doesn't get put off by that.

Also, I'm a little sorry if this chapter is a bit on the lengthy side, despite being a mostly filler story, but in addition to furthering the Nikki/Drayden arc, I also wanted to use this chapter to establish a few things early, like Walker and Darkea's new operations, as well as Dradarius' strategy for the next little while. I also may have ended up involving a bit too much of certain characters' more comedic quirks, but gimme a break, I haven't had a really good chance to use them much for a while. And lastly, I decided to reintroduce a lot of the Rangers' weapons, tactics, and Zord configurations for the sake of those who might be reading this without re-reading Season 1, or reading Season 1 at all. Regardless, I'm sorry if I bogged anyone down a bit too much. Or, if you actually liked the size of this one and wouldn't mind more like this, lemme know. lol

Next time on Power Rangers Guardians of Gaia, a new Lightless arrives that's able to revive monsters the team have destroyed before. Can the Rangers somehow manage to defeat an entire horde of Lightless? Ja né!