A/N: Okay, I am immensely sorry for the EXTREME delay of this chapter. Lots of stuff happened, school started back up and one of my college classes is kicking my ass. But honestly, I have no excuse. So here's the next chapter in my story. ENJOY!

Chapter 11

Lightning and Thunder

"What do you intend to do with them, Master?"

"I'm going to question them first. I'm very interested to know how they remain connected to the Source. Afterward, I may find a use for them."

Kira groaned as she struggled to clear her head. The voices were close by, but they sounded distant. Her head was throbbing, and she could feel something sticky on her face. As she struggled to open her eyes, she could barely make out two faint figures standing in front of her. Everything was still too blurry, and there was very little light, wherever she was.

"Ah! They're beginning to stir! Wonderful!" Kira opened her eyes even further, bringing everything into better focus. From what she could tell, she was in a cave of some sort, faintly lit by two wall torches. As she tried to move, she felt something around her wrists, above her head. Looking up, she saw that she had been shackled to the cave wall by chain. She looked around and saw her teammates as they too were beginning to wake up.

"Well, I suppose the first order of business is to apologize for my rude behavior. But it was really the only way to get some 'private' time with you." Kira stared at the man who was talking. He was staring at them all with a leer on his face.

"This should be fun!" he said.

Zephyr took a steadying breath as his eyes fell on the sight in front of him. The Eltarian Elders were the first of their kind and, as a sign of respect, a temple had been erected for them not long after they had passed on. It was built at the base of a dead volcano. Zephyr was amazed at the structure, despite having been here several times before in his youth.

The temple rose from the ground, built from stone and covered in weeds. The first portion was an area where prayers could be made to the Elders. Beyond that lay the main chamber, where the Elders themselves were housed. All of it was topped with amazing spires that were truly intimidating. As Zephyr walked through the first area, he felt himself shiver in a mixture of anticipation and slight fear. This was only made worse as her entered the main rotunda and saw the 3 statues of the Elders surrounding him, piercing him their mighty stone gaze. The statues were positioned so that there were two to his left and one to his right, with a destroyed 4th statue to his far right.

'That's right, there were originally 4 elders.' thought Zephyr as he continued forward, until he stood in the very middle of the room. He looked up and realized that there was no ceiling. This only unnerved him even more.

"We have been waiting for you, Zephyr." boomed an otherworldly voice. Zephyr jumped a little at the voice, despite expecting it. As he watched, the three statues glowed, and their eyes began to emit light! A strange mist began to gather around each statue, pulling in and clustering at their feet, taking shape. Within seconds, the mist had created three figures, exact replicas of the statues, only in a semi-flesh and blood form. As the figures began to walk forward, Zephyr bowed to them and addressed them each individually.

"Fortis the Strong, Intellegens the Wise, and Cor the Heart, I am Zephyr, brother of Azazel and Zordon, I am here in need of assistance regarding Azazel."

"Yes, we know, Zephyr." spoke the Elder to the far left, Fortis. He appeared to be of middle age, with a stern face that showed no fear or hesitation.

"We have been watching you and your brothers ever since you were born, waiting for this day." said Intellegens, who stood to Zephyrs right. He wore a look of intense thought, as if he was pondering what to think of Zephyr.

"You knew I would come here?" asked Zephyr.

"Yes, young one. We knew ever since the Fallen One left our ranks." said Cor, the only female in the group she wore a smile on her young face that warmed Zephyrs core and made him feel as if there was nothing to worry about.

"I assume you're referring to him?" Zephyr pointed to the broken statue. The Elders all nodded.

"Yes, Zephyr. He is the one that started all of this, many centuries ago when we were still among the living." said Fortis.

"His name was Dominus, and he was the fourth Elder." began Intellegens. "When our kind were first beginning, we became the leaders. We divided the responsibilities between us. Dominus was our military leader. He was concerned more about the safety and welfare of Eltar, insuring that we were safe from outside threats as our culture grew and flourished. He was a powerful warrior, able to fight a horde of enemy soldiers single-handed."

"He was also the one responsible for discovering the Power Source." interjected Cor.

"Him?" asked Zephyr.

"Yes, him. He discovered it and found a way to harness it. He taught it to us, and from there our legend as Elders grew. We used our new powers to steer our culture to prominence. But then, Dominus became corrupt."

"How?"

"Dominus was soon consumed with the power. He studied it relentlessly, seeking to use it to protect us all. But the more he studied it, the more erratic he became." said Cor.

"He began to execute captured enemy warriors, as opposed to releasing them safely as he used to do. He then began speaking about his own kind with disgust, talking about how weak we had become and how we needed to start again. That's when he began talking about 'restarting' everything."

"Restarting?"

"Yes, he intended to use the power behind the gate to wipe the universe clean and start anew, with himself as a god." replied Cor.

"But what about the Power. Wouldn't it be too much for him? I thought there was too much of it for any one person?"

"I'm afraid those were lies we spread to keep others away from the gate. The truth is that if someone opens it, they will absorb all of the power and be omnipotent." said Fortis.

Zephyr was stunned. He had known the stakes were high, but this was a bit much for even him.

"So... how did you stop him?" he asked.

"We fought him, much like how you and Zordon fought Azazel. Only instead of locking him away, we killed him. There was no other choice." Zephyr took this all in. It was so much. Then something clicked in his head.

"I'm still unsure about something. I've been led to believe that the problems I face with Azazel have something to do with an ancestor who has been erased from my family line. That's why I'm here, I was told you would know something about it."

At this, Fortis and Intellegens both looked at Cor, who gazed at the ground with a look of deep shame.

"Perhaps it'd be best if you explained this, Cor." said Fortis.

"Yes, I suppose." Cor walked forward until she was standing right in front of Zephyr.

"Before Dominus became corrupt, he had a family. A wife and child. After his death, his wife took the child and hid his bloodline from him. The child grew up and had his own family, with his own children. They grew and matured, starting their own families. All the while, they knew nothing of their true heritage. They never knew that they were descended from an Elder and that he had tried to destroy everything. Generations later, three children were born. They were the last descendants of Dominus. Through them, his blood still flows."

Zephyr's heart was beating rapidly. His mouth had gone dry, and he was unable to think. Was it possible?

"What are you saying?"

"Zephyr, you and your brothers are descended from Dominus. He was my husband. And you are my descendant as well."

Zephyr's knees went limp and he crashed to the floor. Pain shot up his legs, but he didn't notice. He was too in shock.

"That can't be. We were never told. We never knew."

"You weren't supposed to know."

Zephyr couldn't believe it. He wouldn't. He got to his feet.

"THEN PROVE IT! PROVE IT!" Fortis spoke this time,

"Your eye. How it's tinted red. That's the mark. Dominus had pure red eyes. Your slight redness is proof enough."

"THAT'S NOT ENOUGH! THAT'S NOTHING"

"Azazel is even better proof." This stopped Zephyr.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Haven't you ever wondered why Azazel, a man who you knew as just and caring, suddenly went 'insane?'" asked Intellegens. Zephyr stared at him, thinking back.

"W-we just thought it was from studying the Source. We thought it drove him crazy."

"In a way it did. Dominus' spirit, which had remained in this realm, managed to make contact with Azazel. He gained his trust and then took control." said Fortis.

"What, are you saying that Azazel is possessed?"

"Precisely. He's been possessed since that day he attacked you all."

Zephyr absorbed all of this. As he thought about it, it began to make more sense. For as long as he could remember, Azazel was a good soul. He had been their leader back when they were warriors, and he had never steered them wrong. But since that day, it was as if he was a whole other person.

"Does this mean I have been hating the wrong person all these years?"

"I'm afraid so, Zephyr. Had you managed to actually kill Azazel all those years ago, you would not have avenged Zoe." said Cor.

"Don't say her name!" Zephyr shouted in anger.

There was a long silence. Zephyr stood in that chamber, his fists shaking in rage. For years, he had hated Azazel for stealing the one he loved from him. And now, he finds that his anger was misplaced. He would have killed his innocent brother for something he had no control over. What would he do now?

"How do I stop him? How do I stop Dominus?"

"You already know that. You must stop him from finding the gate. If he finds it and opens it, he will be unstoppable."

"Fine. Where is it?"

"The gate is buried on Earth, in the city of Angel Grove. You've been close to it this whole time."

"Alright. I'll stop Dominus from opening the gate. Before I go, there is one thing I have to know. Can I save Azazel?"

The Elders looked at each other, with a look of uncertainty on their faces. After a moment, Cor looked at Zephyr and replied.

"We do not know."

Tommy groaned. His head was pounding and his skin felt like it was on fire. He opened his eyes and was surprised to find himself back in that field of flowers. Only instead of a shining sun and blue sky, a fierce storm was gathering in the distance, with lightning arcing through the sky. The wind was blowing with such intensity that Tommy found it difficult to keep his balance.

"What's happening?"

"Be on your guard, Tommy. There is much evil headed on it's way."

Tommy turned and saw Zordon standing in front of him again.

"Zordon? What's going on? What evil?"

"Tommy, you must be prepared. A long, hard road lies ahead of you. It is filled with death and destruction. You must stand tall and weather it through."

"Is there any way to stop it?" asked Tommy.

"I'm afraid not, Tommy. It is inevitable. Before this is all over, some of your friends will be with me here."

"What do you mean? What is this place?"

"The realm beyond yours. A place of rest."

And before Tommy could ask his next question, the ground fell from beneath his feet and he descended into darkness.

"Is he gonna be alright?"

"All of his vitals are leveling out and his wound is healing nicely. You brought him back in time, Jason. Otherwise, he would have bled out too much."

"Thanks for saving him, Jase."

"Kim, he'd have done the same for me."

As he listened to the voices that he recognized as Jason, Alpha 5, and Kimberly, Tommy struggled to open his eyes. His whole body felt like lead, and his gut hurt like hell.

'Damn Azazel. I swear he's gonna pay.'

He finally managed to open his lids, and his eyes adjusted, he could see Kim and Jason standing over him.

"He's waking up! Tommy, are you ok? How do ya feel?"

"Mmm, like hammered shit. Where's the kids?"

"Kids?" asked Kim.

"My students! Those four kids we were trying to save. Jase, what happened to them?" Jason's eyes didn't meet Tommy's as he spoke.

"I'm sorry, man. But they're gone. Azazel took them."

Tommy took in the words, letting them sink in. He was silent for some time, letting everything run around in his head, trying to make sense of it all. This only succeeded in giving him a headache. He let out a sigh and looked at Kim, Jason, and Alpha.

"Guys, could you give me a minute? I need to be alone." The three looked at each other and started to leave, but before they got very far, Tommy spoke again.

"Kimberly, could you stay?" Kim looked at Tommy, her eyes getting a little wet. She quickly walked back over to his side. Jason and Alpha looked at the two for a second before walking out, Jason wearing a grin on his face. When they had left, Tommy and Kim looked at each other, now unsure of what to say.

"H-how long was I out?" Tommy asked, breaking the silence.

"Not long. A couple of hours. Jason teleported you both back here and Alpha started you patching you up ASAP. He was able to heal where Azazel hit you within a short while. The rest was you just sleeping it off."

"Oh. Any news about Zephyr?" Kim shook her head.

"We haven't heard anything about him since he left yesterday. Alpha says that he's been monitoring him on Eltar, but he lost the signal about 3 hours ago. He says it's because he's in the temple, something about interference."

"Oh." There was another stretch of silence, as the two tried to think of something to say. Eventually, Kim broke the silence.

"You know, when Jason brought you in, I thought you were dead. There was blood all over you. You seemed so lifeless. I couldn't believe it. All I could think was that it wasn't possible. You're my white knight, you're indestructible. I couldn't believe that you would leave me like that." Kim started to cry a little, her voice choking in her throat. Tommy reacted on instinct, grabbing her and pulling her close.

"It's alright, I'm safe now. You're knight is safe. And you know what? Once I'm back on my feet, we'll stop all of this. We'll stop Azazel and save the kids." Kim pulled away enough to look in Tommy's eyes. Hers were moist with tears.

"Promise?" Her voice was full of hope. Seeing her look at him like that, like he was still her knight, made Tommy feel truly invincible.

"Promise." he said, his voice tense with determination.

Zephyr walked away from the temple, his pace slow as he was turning over everything in his head. The revelation that Azazel was really being possessed by an ancestor had made his hurt and had filled his heart with guilt now that he knew his brother was not himself. He couldn't help but wonder what would have happened had he and Zordon killed Azazel.

Zephyr was so deep in thought, he hadn't noticed where his footsteps had taken him. Without realizing it, he had arrived at his old command center. Once he had realized this, he simply stopped and stared, taking in the sight of it.

It looked exactly the same as the command center on Earth, despite the amount of decay caused by 15,000 years of neglect.

'Everything happened so fast. After Azazel attacked us, we immediately fought back and captured him. As soon as we had him, we just left. We... never came back.'

"Until now." he said aloud. He continued to stare at the structure as the memories of that terrible day washed over him like a wave...

A/N: So there you have it! The latest chapter in my saga! Again, I apologize for the extreme delay. No excuse, but at least it's out now. The next chapter will show what happened on the day Azazel became possessed and attacked the others. Til then, read and review!