Hunter rushed over to Blake. “Hey. Don’t scare me like that.”

“Well where’s the fun if you can’t torture your big brother?” The two laughed a little before embracing.

A shivering voice from behind caught everyone’s attention. Hexuba’s hands were running through the glass remains. “You’ve got your little friends back, Ranger,” everyone was in astonished to see her actually standing up. “But the Savage Sword is mine!” She held up the restored instrument of death to the sky.

“This ends now,” said Leo, raising his Transmorpher to his face. “Go Galactic!” He pressed the button below the gold-rimmed dial and quickly morphed. Kai and Damon followed, morphing into Galaxies Blue and Green. Smashing a crystal to the ground, energies streamed up and formed the Galaxy Quasar Launchers.

“Thunderstorm Cannon!” The Wind and Thunder Rangers formed their power weapons into a unified launcher.

Andros slid the handle of his Spiral Saber onto his sidearm and it with electric charge. “Spiral Saber, booster mode!”

“Lock on!” they all shouted with echo as Hexuba trembled in rage. “Fire!”

Bright energized spheres launched from the Quasar Launchers, merging with the sheer power from the Thunderstorm Cannon. Hexuba was paralyzed by the sight and was struck before knowing it. Pillars of fire ignited on and around her.

Cam held out the Cyclone Morpher shouting, “Samurai Storm, Ranger form!” He unstrapped his Samurai Shield and shifted the top of his helmet 180 degrees as fire blazed on the black visor. Super Samurai mode was formed. Cam leapt passed the other Rangers and touched down before Hexuba. A swift upper swipe from his saber knocked the Savage Sword clear from her hands. The saber, empowered by the amulet, then hammered down and cut across the witch’s chest.

All at once, the Wind, Thunder, Samurai, Galaxy and Space Rangers turned their backs with weapons in hand as the full-sized explosion rocked the ground. A fiery shockwave ringed throughout the area. Finally, Hexuba had been silenced.

Andros broke the moment. “Now let’s get that sword bac-” A sudden pain came from the center of his chest. It grew with such strength that he had to grip his breastplate.

And it wasn’t just Andros. It was all the Rangers suffering the same pain that soon elevated to excruciating. Their chests began to glow at that point. “What is this?” yelled Damon, barely able to breath now.

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Karone kept herself frozen in the face of the victory. She had them right where she needed them. She couldn’t ignore that voice inside her that wanted to kill them. It was ringing through her skin. Astronema’ wouldn’t have thought twice…

Astronema…is that what she’s become? Is it possible?

“Karone,” said Anatari in a meek voice. “Karone, listen to me.”

She forced herself to break concentration. “Anatari?”

“I can sense purity returning to their souls. They are your enemy no longer.”

Karone rushed over to him. “Are you okay? I tried stopping this in time-”

“You showed great courage for someone without any powers.”

“I couldn’t let you die. Everyone needs your help now. I don’t know who you are, but your powers can help stop this.”

“My powers fade in the realm of the living. An unexpected side effect from being an underworld gatekeeper all these years. I’m an old man, Karone. I once served Lothor to dominate the greatest forces of good the universe had to offer. By the time I had learned better, it was too late. They banished me without thinking twice. But the past is over. Lothor is about to be freed.”

“Tell me what I can do. All my friends are in danger.”

“Your brother has joined the fight, Karone.”

“What? How do you know this?”

“I know what the Gods allow me to know. I don’t have much time left in your universe, but I can at least take us to the battle.”

A high scream came from both Maya and Kendrix; their chests lit up brightly.

“My allegiance is yours, Karone, for saving my life to do this.” His hands glowed black and a bluish portal was opened before them. In an instant, the four were teleported through it.

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The Savage Sword was raised to the sky by Jinxer’s hand. As it glowed brighter, so did the Rangers’ chest. “My sister’s magic may have been too weak for you, Rangers. But mine is now amplified not only through this sword, but now the Quasar Sabers!” On that cue, all three sabers flew to the Savage Sword like magnets. The Rangers weren’t able to stop them. The sabers then melded onto the blade, creating a blinding glow.

As Karone, Maya, Kendrix and Anatari entered through the portal, the last two Quasar Sabers flew from their hands.

“No!” screamed both Andros and Cam, who gathered themselves to sprint towards the demon.

Two black cards materialized in Jinxer’s hands. “Red and Green are my favorite Christmas colors.” He whisked them away and stabbed both Andros and Cam in the shins, absorbing into their bloodstreams and cerebral cortexes. They were stopped in place.

“Oh dude…” Dustin had a shiver in his voice.

Cam and Andros sharply turned towards the other Rangers, starting a slow march.

Blake started backing up. “This’ll be brutal.”

Kai looked over, “Yeah, thanks for the reassurance.”

“I’m open for suggestions,” said Damon, backing up as well. “But don’t even think about making me the decoy.”

Hunter shook his head in disbelief. “Jinxer can’t be allowed to bring Lothor in his true form.”

Leo followed up, “We’ll have to gather any resource we have. It’s the only way.”

From behind, Jinxer placed his gloved hands on the shoulders of his Samurai and Space Rangers. “Leave nothing of them.” Sabers drawn out to their right sides, the two Rangers marched forth in unison without a word.

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“Oh dear,” Anatari immediately saw what was happening with the Rangers. “It seems our demon friend has new enchanted friends.”

Karone looked vexed. “Jinxer’s just using us to stall time for Lothor to return.”

“I’m afraid we’re already too late, Karone,” blissfully announced Anatari, pointing to a transparent rift in the sky and trying to ignore the fatigue his body was undergoing. “Jinxer has successfully opened the gateway! Bastard. Lothor will consume us all if we do not act now.”

Just then, a force of a hundred slashing swords cut across Anatari, Maya and Kendrix, blowing them away nearly a hundred feet. Only a terrified Karone was left to face Jinxer.

“My, this thing really packs it.” Jinxer was swinging the super Savage Sword randomly to tease his prey. “What’s the matter, princess? Has turning away from evil left you so child like? My brother has told me many tales of you, particularly how scared you were after he abducted you.”

Karone was almost behind words. The numbness of her body negated the fear. “Your brother is Darkonda?”

Jinxer cackled delightfully. “Not only that, but he’s alive and well. You were quite the tyrant in your day, I’m told. All those lives you destroyed as Astronema. Can you honestly tell me that you’ve put that part of your life to rest?” He laughed some more.

Her blood started to boil like she hadn’t felt in a long time. Flashbacks flooded of her abduction and the psychotic mind games played by Darkonda. The sexual torture and the feeling of absolute loneliness…her deadly rise to the top of her game. She had nightmares about it, and now she couldn’t tell the dream from the reality. Karone dropped to her knees with her head buried between her elbows, rocking back and forth.

Jinxer snickered at the easy prey. “Easier than I thought.” He raised the Sword over his head and then anchored it down.

Anatari regained his sights to see Jinxer and Karone. At the top of his lungs, he shouted “No!” He sprung to his feet, but he was too far away.

The blade reached her hair…

A crackling boom followed….

Jinxer nearly fell over in disbelief. The blade of his sword had been stopped….by the rod of a staff with a large diamond-shaped tip. The staff of Astronema.

Karone speared her eyes at him, rising off her knees and overpowering the demon. As their weapons locked against each other, she cracked the diamond end of her staff against Jinxer’s knee, and then swatted his face with the opposite end. Jinxer was left unconscious.

She then stepped on his belly and pointed the bladed end at his neck. Her face was sweating beads and her eyes burned with a pure hatred.

“You don’t want to do that, Karone.” Anatari stood behind her.

“Oh? And what will he do if I don’t? He has Darkonda’s blood in him! His kind ruined me.”

“If so, it’s by your choosing. Fate only takes us to crossroads before our own actions determine our destiny. You’ve come so far, Karone.”

“I want him dead, Anatari. Surely you understand.”

“I understand that if you do this now, then Darkonda’s grip on you will never let go. He wins, Karone.”

Her hands shook profusely. For six years, she’d tried forgetting. Her whole life. Since her dreams would not allow it, she denied the emotions during her wake. It was the only way to cope. But knowing Darkonda’s still alive…what was she to do? She gripped the staff harder and gritted her teeth. Her tears dripped onto the rod of the staff. Suddenly, she heard screams.

Looking over, it was Andros. Anyone but him. Under Jinxer’s spell, Andros was now the enemy. He needed her now more than ever. Her time with Darkonda was not now.

The Spiral Saber gave the Galaxy Rangers no mercy. Again with no Quasar Sabers to battle with, the Galaxies had to use their Transdaggers as a substitute.

Dustin performed a dirt dive and streamed towards Cam. The Samurai Ranger scoffed and stabbed his saber into the dirt, producing an energy updraft that popped Dustin out of the ground.

The Galaxies, using the double dagger formation of their Transdaggers, charged. All Andros did was demorph. On his left wrists, the battlizer materialized.

“Great,” Leo said. “Now he uses it.”

Pressing the number “3,” electricity surged through his body until the pieces of armor and metallic wings forged. Andros took to the skies and armed his winged missiles.

Tori was sliced down, sending her spinning before thudding to the earth. Blake and Hunter tried to double team with their staves, but Cam easily blocked both and dropped-kicked the Thunders down. Cam then summoned the Mammothzord guitar, the Lightning Riff Blaster.

Shane only knew the guitar to summon a Zord. “What does he think he’s doing? There’s no Z-”

Before he knew it, Shane was whacked on the head by the guitar, which shattered into metal shards.

All four missiles launched, but seconds before Andros was shot down from the sky by Maya and Kendrix. Kai, Damon and Leo were uprooted from the earth by the impact of the projectiles; fire surrounded them all.

As Galaxies Yellow and Pink ran to aid their comrades, Cam blasted them to the ground. Quickly, he stood over Kendrix with saber in hand. Speaking nothing, he raised his hand. But he was surprisingly tackled from behind. Who…it was a dark man he’d never seen before.

“Cam, stop,” Karone pleaded from behind Cam as Anatari rolled away. “You’re the only one who can stop my brother. He’ll kill them all.”

Cameron looked down at his saber. The orange sun reflected his image on the blade.

Taking her chance, Karone revealed her staff and knocked away the Samurai Saber, then slicing Cam across the chest. Kneeling, she took aim at her brother, who was moving in on the Galaxies. With a fierce discharge of electric energy, Andros was hit with full impact, shredding his battlizer suit.

Andros dropped to his knees. Leo squirmed his way up and shouted to his reunited teammates. “Now’s our chance. Lights of Orion, activate!” Golden lights shined onto the five Galaxy Rangers, forming into light pieces of armor and claws on their left wrists. Charging together without hesitation, the Galaxies glowed and merged their bodily forms into a stream of light that speared through Andros. Afterwards, that light turned and dived through Cameron. The light then reverted into the five Rangers.

Cam and Andros both sparked uncontrollably. Their bodies fell limp and finally collapsed. The energy from the black cards was then lifted.

“Andros!” cried Karone, running to her brother’s battered body. She kneeled down and held him. With the shredded armor, she couldn’t tell if he was breathing or not so she removed his helmet. Burn marks were on his cheeks and forehead, and he was cut in various places on the face and neck. She yelled his named again, trying to hold back the tears. “I’m sorry…” Karone sobbed uncontrollably. The Galaxy Rangers gathered around them, waiting for a sign of life from the Red Space Ranger.

Tori knelt down by Cam, who was also on the ground still. He showed no signs of breathing. She removed both of their helmets and tried giving CPR. She wept as she did it, but she pressed on nonetheless. Over and over again. The Winds and Thunders gathered around them. Tori’s cries echoed. Dustin dropped to his knees in disbelief crying as well. Shane placed a gentle hand on his shoulders. Blake and Hunter bowed their heads and kept their eyes to the ground.

It was the worst sight Anatari had witnessed in centuries. More souls, good ones, lost to the ways of the wicked. No words were spoken from any of the teams. Just a brief everlasting silence.

END OF ACT TWO.