Author's notes - ChibiDawn, yes, ultimately Nyctophobia became a story about fear, and how people get past it (it's there in the title, after all, heh). I really get into the characters' heads, throughout the story, and there's going to be a lot more of that.

To new readers, there's a few references in this chapter to the events of other stories (and some subplots that I touch on in multiple stories). If you're new to my series, don't worry, you're not going to feel left-out. I always make sure that everything is self-explanatory. As for the confrontation between Scott and He Who Devours Truth in this chapter, yes, Scott does in fact have a secret he's keeping from his friends (that eagle-eyed readers will probably have figured out, particularly given his conversation with Eros in The Impossible Boy), and while that does get revealed in its own separate stories, we'll see this come up in a big way in parts 9, 11 and 12 of Nyctophobia.

One of the things I loved about putting Nyctophobia together was that it stretches over 12 months of time, so a lot of other stories are also going on, between chapters, which I admit, could be a little confusing, but hopefully I've balanced it well.

Onto chapter five!

Part Three

Chapter Five

Standing over Billy as the Blue Ranger began fading away before his eyes, Tommy could do nothing but watch helplessly for a few seconds. Then he grit his teeth, and realised what he needed to do.

"Billy?" the White Ranger began, and knelt towards his team-mate, fighting to keep his voice as calm as he could. "Look at me. Do you remember, all those years ago, our first trip to the planet Horath? That was the first time we ever met Prince Trystenn. Do you remember? And do you remember what you said to me, when we were trying to protect the rebels? How the people around us were trapped and scared, and how they needed a hero? I do. I think about that almost every day."

Billy looked down at the ground for a second, then nodded.

"Well that's us right now," Tommy continued. "Except it's the other way around this time. Billy, we can't do this without you. None of this is logical. None of this makes sense. I get that. But that's our lives. Nothing ever makes sense. We do our best with what's in front of us. And we can't do our best without you. That's why I need you on this. I am lost without you, man," and he stood up and extended his gloved hand. "So c'mon Bill. Let's do what we do best. Find our friends and save the world. Does that sound like a plan?"

Billy reached out hesitantly then took Tommy's hand, his fingers closing around Tommy's.

"Affirmative," the Blue Ranger replied, and stood up.

As the monster that had been Brendan closed in on Ian, Teresa kept herself between the other two monsters and the civilians sheltering at the back of the garden. The ground shook as the two creatures lashed out at her, while Ian held his ground as Brendan's monster-form drew closer. There was nothing of the Aqua Ranger in the creature's eyes.

Ian gazed around the city behind them. "So that's it then?" he asked. "That's your game? You whisper things into people's ears and turn them into monsters you can control? And I guess the rest of us are supposed to get scared, run away and save ourselves. If you think for a single second that we just give up on the people we care about? You don't know us at all, do you?"

Within reach, the monster roared and swung both gigantic fists for Ian's head. Without flinching, Ian caught both fists in mid-air and held the creature in place, staring into the monster's eyes.

"I don't know where you are," Ian began, "but the truth is you are my best friend and I love you. That is the only thing that matters right now. Come back to me Bren. The world needs saving. There's work to do. And we're not done yet."

The monster froze, staring at Ian. Then the creature blinked, and as his monster form melted away like smoke, Brendan collapsed into Ian's arms. Ian caught him as he sagged to the ground.

"Are you okay?" Ian asked.

"It was so cold and dark," Brendan murmured. "Like I didn't even exist anymore. But I wasn't alone… there was something in there with me." The Aqua Ranger looked up to see one of the monsters approaching Teresa while she was busy fending off the other one. He flicked his wrist towards her. One of his Power Sai formed in mid-motion and flew into the rocky wall in front of the monster. The creature froze on the spot and backed away.

Ian smiled. "Can you stand?"

Brendan nodded, and Ian helped him up. He was shaking at first but soon found his feet. A third monster thundered around the corner and roared towards them, when Billy and Tommy dropped down in front of them and threw the creature away with side-by-side high kicks. With Brendan now on his feet and the monsters keeping their distance, the Rangers regrouped in the centre of the yard.

"The monsters are the missing people," Ian said quickly.

"Yeah, we guessed that on the way up here," Tommy replied.

Billy glanced around. "Where is Scott?"

"We sent him on ahead," Teresa replied.

"I hope he figures this out," Brendan said.

All around, the monsters closed in.

Scott glanced around in confusion at the world he'd suddenly found himself in. It was like He Who Devours Truth had switched off the sun. While his costume was as bright as ever and his Power Coin seemed to be glowing, everything around him was a realm of murky, indistinct shadows. If he looked closely, he could just make out the stone columns of the cathedral behind him, and the general layout of the courtyard seemed the same, even in the shadowscape. But he'd lost his Power Staff somewhere. Even now, odd sounds were reaching him through the fog. He was confused and vulnerable, at the mercy of a ruthless foe.

"What is this?" Scott asked. "Where am I?"

"Don't you recognise it?" came the demigod's voice, and he loomed out of the shadows to tap the side of Scott's helmet. "We're in here."

Scott struck out for his enemy but the demigod had already disappeared. A few metres away, a crowd of people began appearing in the fog, lit up like him. Scott smiled. It was the other Rangers! But then his expression faded. None of them were morphed, and they all seemed disinterested in him, almost bored. Were they his friends, or an illusion conjured up by the monster? It was hard to tell.

"Let's see now," buzzed He Who Devours Truth. "You think of yourselves as heroes and call yourselves Rangers. That's not at all pretentious, by the way."

"Stop it," Scott murmured through gritted teeth. "Get out of my head."

The demigod ignored him. "Do you ever wonder what they think of you? You don't fit in with anyone, do you? And oh, look at this. He's keeping secrets."

"Shut up!" Scott snapped. "Shut up! You don't know anything!"

Feeling bolder, the demigod appeared beside Scott, his voice oozing honey and poison. "Why haven't you told them? Scared they'll reject you?"

Scott backed away. "This isn't real…"

"Whelp," snapped the demigod. "I am the only thing that is!"

The visions in the fog were changing now, coming through thicker and faster. He could recognise memories and thoughts, fears and weaknesses. The visions showed the moments he'd failed, the mistakes he'd made, all the times he'd been clumsy and thoughtless. The tests he hadn't passed, and the friends he'd pushed away. The battles he'd nearly lost. Short words and angry outbursts brought on by stress and confusion. Scott could feel the tears welling in his eyes and looked away, but the visions kept on coming, louder and angrier than before.

"Poor little Blue Ranger," He Who Devours Truth continued. "Always wishing he was someone else. Someone smarter, someone stronger, just someone better. Look at yourself. Look!" Scott jumped at the creature's tone, and opened his eyes to see the demigod standing in front of him. "Look how much better everyone is, while you're, what? Empty. A worthless waste. You brag of heroic exploits all the while wishing you were anybody else. Pathetic. You are nothing."

For just a second, Scott couldn't stop himself from wondering if it was true. Did the other Rangers really think that?

Then he thought of his sister, and remembered Teresa's words in the Youth Centre, only a few hours ago.

"No," Scott said. He Who Devours Truth deflated like air from a balloon, staggering back as if he'd been slapped. "Who I am is enough," Scott continued. "And the truth is, I'm sick of listening to you."

The demigod roared and swung both fists straight for Scott, but Scott caught the creature's hands and held him in place. Lowering his voice, the Blue Ranger leaned in close. "Get out of my face," and he slammed the demigod into one of the stone columns, shaking the whole wall. The darkness around them faded instantly, and they dropped out of the shadowscape back into the morning sunlight. Wounded and broken, He Who Devours Truth crashed to the ground, while Scott raised his communicator.

"Guys, if you can hear me, just hang on," he said. "I've got this."

He didn't expect to hear anything. But then the communicator crackled.

"Good job Scott," Teresa said.

"We knew you could do it man!" Brendan added.

"Whatever it is, kick its teeth in," Tommy finished.

As the demigod staggered to his feet, Scott looked back to his enemy, then froze. Tommy's voice made him realise the truth. "The sword of darkness," he said quietly. "It's always the weapon." He reached for his blade blaster and aimed it for the dagger.

The monster's face fell. "No!" he screeched as Scott pulled the trigger. The blast slammed into the dagger and shattered the blade in a blaze of sparks and smoke. He Who Devours Truth made a desperate lunge for the Blue Ranger, but as the knife's shards dissolved, they released a pulse of light that lit up the mountain. Caught by the blast, the demigod faded into nothing, while Scott watched as the crystal spikes covering the walls dissolved into the air and vanished. Scott let out of a sigh of relief, then slumped to the ground.

To be continued.

Author's notes – In the first scene, Tommy makes reference to a conversation that he and Billy shared, way back in "Shades of Grey", one of my first stories.