Disclaimer: The following is a work of fan fiction based on the television series, Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future (if they were mine, Retribution Part 2 would not have ended the way it did!). It is not intended to infringe on the copyrights of Landmark Entertainment Corporation or anyone else who may have legal rights to the characters and settings. I also took a few liberties with the fairy tales represented in this fic.
Happily Ever After
Once upon a time, in a country far far away lived and ruled the good king Matthew and his wife, the brave and wise queen Vi. They were well loved by their people for they were just and kindhearted. After long years of waiting and wishing for a child, their lives were blessed with the birth of a princess they named Jennifer. This little girl grew up to be fair maiden who was just as kind and good as her parents were. So it came to no surprise that one day in her 20th year, the young princess went to her parents with a request.
"Father, mother, I have been told that my dear old teacher, the good wizard Mentor, has fallen ill. Please allow me to visit him and see if his needs are met."
Deeply touched by their young daughter's wish, the good king Matthew spoke: "My dearest child, you make your mother and myself very proud by your caring for your people. I will advise the kitchen to prepare some wine and foods you can take with you as a gift for Mentor."
"Thank you, dear father."
Smiling gratefully, Jennifer curtsied graceful and left for her room, where she donned her red hooded cape, a gift from her parents. Then, she hurried down to the stables to prepare her horse, a trusty gray mare by the name of Phoenix. This horse was known throughout the lands for her incredible speed and her silvery fur. Gently, the young princess brushed and saddled her horse, before she went to pick up the gift basket assembled for her old teacher. After securing it to her saddle, the princess rode off, taking her favorite path through the old pine forest.
But unbeknownst to the princess, evil lurked in this forest's beautiful shadows. From the country of Volcania, the evil Lord Lyman had sent forth his minions, ghastly creatures in the shape of a vulture and a wolf, to spy on King Matthew and probably even take a member of the royal family hostage. Soon the red-eyed wolf found out that the king's most trusted advisor and former teacher to the young princess had fallen ill. Knowing King Matthew, Lord Lyman was sure the good king would soon come to see Mentor. So he ordered his minions to watch the wizard's house and – if possible – capture both men as well as Mentor's magic cloaks and his book of magic wisdom.
Several hours passed until the vulture finally spotted a red hooded figure on a gray horse which he easily identified as the fair princess's mount. Quickly, he informed the wolf of his discovery and sent him in pursuit of their royal prey.
Soon, Princess Jennifer reached the small log cabin in which her old teacher lived.
"Mentor?" she asked softly upon entering.
"My dearest Princess Jennifer," a weak voice called from the bed.
"I come bearing gifts, with best wishes from my father and my mother."
She sat the basket on the table and walked to take her teacher's hand.
"On any other day, your sight alone would be enough to cure me. But today is a dark day for our country. Lord Lyman sent his vilest servants, the wolf and the vulture, to capture your father and I. You must go and warn your father right away. Go and open the chest under the window."
Another person would have thought these words to be feverish rambling, but the princess knew better. So she did as Mentor asked her to and opened the chest.
"Take the book and the magic cloaks and take them back to the castle. Your father knows what to do with them. Do not hesitate!"
Quickly, the princess took of her cape and wrapped the cloaks and the book in it. Then, she hurried to the door where she turned around to Mentor.
"I cannot leave you!"
"You must. I will distract them. Now go!"
Hastily, Princess Jennifer fled the cabin to her horse, when she heard a wolf howl. For a moment, the young woman pondered what to do, then she tied the red bundle to the saddle and sent Phoenix on her way. She watched her horse racing away and returned to the cabin.
But once she stepped through the door, the princess discovered she had come too late. Next to the completely disheveled bed sat the red-eyed wolf and licked it's lips. Slowly, it turned to Jennifer.
"Surrender, by order of Lord Lyman!" the evil creature snarled.
Taking a stoker from the chimney, Princess Jennifer, who was very well trained in the art of sword fighting, slowly walked towards the wolf and said in a very un-royal manner: "Go to hell!"
At the same time, not too far away, three travelling woodsmen from the far away country of the Northern Star sat on an old log and shared a humble meal they had earned cutting wood for a young widow with small children. Not only had the cut enough wood to last her through the harshest of winters, she would also be able to trade what she didn't need.
"This is a beautiful country", the dark-skinned one said.
"You are right, Robert," the tallest of the three replied. "And so very peaceful."
The third man, a young, handsome fellow with dark hair and bright eyes, listened quietly to their musings. He could not enjoy their surroundings as much as Robert and Michael did, for he sensed danger in the air.
Just as he was about to inform his friends, the beating of hooves was heard down the way. The men turned their heads and saw a grey horse galloping towards them. The handsome man stepped into its way and grabbed the reins.
"Whoa whoa whoa… hoooo!" he said in a calm voice and gently stroked the horse's neck as it calmed down. "That's fine. Good girl."
"Jonathan," Robert said, "the saddle bears King Matthew's seal."
"This must be Princess Jennifer's horse, the famous Phoenix. It is said that she runs faster than the wind," Michael said. "But where's the princess?"
Robert untied the red bundle from the saddle and opened it.
"Oh my… look! This symbol… the book and the cloaks belong to the wise man known as Mentor. If he parts with both…"
"… he must be in grave danger," Jonathan concluded, "and so might be the princess."
"Then we must help them," Robert said.
"Right." Jonathan quickly mounted the horse. "Follow me!"
He rode off, letting Phoenix run on her own. The faithful horse carried him back to her mistress.
As the young woodsman entered the cabin, he saw that the few pieces of furniture were either broken or thrown over. In the middle of the destruction sat the wolf, swallowing a piece of fine cloth that looked like it was part of a royal dress.
"What did you do to Princess Jennifer?" the young man demanded.
"Stored her away safely so that I can take her to my master, the might Lord Lyman!"
"We will not allow this to happen," Michael said as he stepped through the door behind Jonathan, followed by a grim looking Robert. Standing side by side, the three woodsmen unshouldered their axes. Without fear or hesitation, they attacked the wolf. It was a hard battle, but in the end, the three men prevailed.
"Quick, we have to act fast if we are to save the princess!" Jonathan said while Robert unsheathed his knife and proceeded to cut open the beast's stomach. He had barely pried open the cut when a slender hand reached out. Gently, Jonathan took hold of it and freed the princess from her intended prison. As he put his arm around her slender waist to help support her, their eyes met. Immediately, a fire was sparked in their hearts, consuming them. Jennifer was stunned by the man's eyes while Jonathan was deeply surprised. He had heard the princess was beautiful, but he never expected her to be this beautiful.
The two young people were completely lost in a world of their own as Michael freed Mentor.
"We must leave right away," the wise old man said. "The vulture is still out there. The king must be warned!"
Without further ado, the small party set forth and reached the castle before nightfall. Hastily they made their way to the throne room, where Princess Jennifer was anxiously awaited by her parents.
"Father! Mother!"
She ran into her parents' waiting arms and allowed herself to be hugged for a moment.
"Lord Lyman's wolf attacked me and Mentor," she said and turned her head to the young men. "These brave woodsmen saved us."
King Matthew let go of his daughter and stepped down from his throne to shake each man's hands.
"I cannot thank you enough for saving my daughter and Mentor. Please, tell me who you are, so that your names will forever be engraved in our history."
"My lord," Jonathan said with a bow, "these are my brave friends. Robert, the wizard, and Sir Michael, the bravest and strongest of all knights in the country of the Northern Star."
The queen and her daughter exchanged glances. If this young man was travelling with a knight of rank, this could only mean one thing.
"I," Jonathan started, "I am Prince Jonathan, son of King Stuart and Queen Morgana. As it is customary in my country for a prince of marrying age, I travelled the lands in search of a princess and earn my living using my hands. One day, I heard about your daughter's beauty and kindness and decided to come here to court her, if you would allow me to, my lord."
Jennifer smiled at her mother, who then exchanged glances with her husband. King Matthew pretended to think it over for a moment, then spoke: "Very well. You saved my daughter's life, so me allowing you to court her seems like a fitting reward."
Smiling Jennifer left her mother's embrace and ran for the young prince, who took her in his arms and kissed her gently.
"They were married only a few days later and lived happily ever after", Hawk said and closed the note book he held in his hands.
"I cannot find this version of Little Red Riding Hood anywhere in my database," Mentor said.
"You won't," Hawk said with a said smile. "Joanna rewrote it for Katie, and I just rewrote it for her."
He looked down at the fragile, still figure on the bed. Ever since they had rescued Jennifer after the explosion of their old base, she had been deeply unconscious due to her massive injuries. The men of the Power Team took turns watching over her, but Jonathan spent the most time at her side. About an hour ago, Hawk had forced him to take a few hours of sleep and had started to read fairy tales to Jennifer. He had done so when his young daughter had been ill to ease her discomfort.
Maybe, just maybe, Jennifer could hear him and would be put at ease too.
"How about another one?"
He thumbed through the book.
"Oh, you're going to like this one. It is called Sleeping Beauty. So, here we go. Once upon a time…"