Avril splashed water onto her face as she stood in the bathroom, leaving the water on, she looked at her reflection. She did not look ok, she did not even look healthy as her skin was pale and she felt very weak.

Kwan came out of Avril's necklace. "We need to get you to Udonna." He told her, as he now stood next to her.

"No." Avril shook her head. "I ... I'll be fine once the day wears on." She turned off the water and stood straight, only to sway and Kwan catching her.

"Your one-on-one battle with Necrolai last night took up most of your energy." He told her. "Udonna can heal you." He insisted, but she pushed away from him, only to fall back into his arms.

"Guardian, she broke my wand." Her voice was starting to sound very weak.

Kwan lifted her up into his arms. "I am taking you to Udonna." He said firmly. "You have to be healed."

Avril started to say something, but she passed out, her head falling into his chest.

XxXxXxXx

Udonna gasped when she saw Kwan walking into Rootcore with an unconsious Avril. "Kwan?" She gasped as she hurried over to him. "Is it really you?" She asked in concern, and her eyes landed on Avril. "What happened to her?"

"I'll explain later." He promised. "But right now, Hotaru needs to be healed."

Udonna nodded. "This way, follow me." She heads for the second part of Rootcore, and hurries down a hallway. "Lay her down." She insists as she pushes a door open to reveal a bedroom. And Kwan hurries in to lay Avril down onto the bed, and Udonna rushes up.

"Where's her wand?" She asks urgently, looking at Kwan, who reaches in the inside of his coat pocket to pull out two broken peices. "What happened to her?" Udonna asks as she turns to look back at Avril.

"Necrolai attacked her last night." Kwan explained. "She stole Hotaru's magic, and broke her wand."

Udonna gasped. "This is troubling." She looked down at Avril, who was looking more and more paler. "Her magic must be restored." She said with worry. "Or I'm afraid." She trailed off, she quickly placed her hands over Avril, and her hands began to glow.

"I have failed." Kwan said sadly as he looks down at Avril. "I promised to keep her safe."

Udonna paused for a split second. "Hotaru?" She asked, she turned to look at her close friend. "Avril is really Hotaru?"

Kwan nods. "Yes. After the Great War, Kaylynn thought it best to change not just her last name, but her daughter's name too." He revealed. "She thought it would be safer for both of them."

Just then a noise was heard from downstairs.

"Udonna!" Maddie called with worry.

Udonna was forced to stop healing the gold Ranger. "I have to help the Rangers." She said sadly.

"Yes." Kwan nods. "Go. Hotaru will be alright for now."

Udonna nods. "But just in case." She says a spell, and a small dark cloud appeared and started to lightly snow on top of Avril. Udonna then leaves.

XxXxXxXx

"Rangers." Udonna greets as she walks down the stairs. "What's happened?"

"We just had a close encounter with Necrolai." Xander told her.

"She's after somebody called the Gatekeeper." Nick explained. "Do you have any idea who she's talking about?"

"The Gatekeeper?" Udonna breaths, stiffening. "Yes." She turns her back to them, not wanting them to see the pain on her face. "She was a powerful Sorceress named Niella." She pauses to take a deep breath, and without looking at the Rangers, she walks over to the Xenotome. "She was my sister." She revealed finally turning to face the Rangers. "Niella cast a spell that sealed the Gate, and banished Morticon and his armies to the Underworld. The spell was so strong that it depleted all of her life force. When the Gate was lowered to te dephs, Niella was gone." Everyone was silent as Udonna told them a painful part of her past. "But her spirit lives on in my heart." She managed a small, sad smile. "And through the legacy of her child." She finished.

"She had a child?" Maddie asked.

"Yes. And I fear that is whom Necrolai is seeking." Tears lingered in Udonna's eyes.

"Then we need to find that child before Necrolai does." Vida said firmly.

"You won't have to look far." Udonna replied. "Niella's daughter, and the heir to the Gatekeeper's power, is Clare."

Stunned the Rangers turned from Udonna, to the frozen apprentice as the blonde reappeared.

XxXxXxXx

After a few hours, Avril awoke. Still feeling weak, but she was awake and alert. Feeling snow gently fall on her, she looked up to see the snow cloud above her.

"Where am I?" She sat up, and the snow cloud disappeared. "Guardian?" She asked in almost a panic.

"You're in Rootcore." Kwan answered her gently. "You needed to be healed." He walked over to the bed. "Are you alright?"

"I feel so weak." She said. "And I hurt all over." She pushed the blankets off of her. "I need to head down to the main room." She got off the bed, but swayed a little as she stood in place. "The others. They have to be worried about me by now."

"You need to rest!" Kwan exclaimed as he tried to stop her.

"No, I don't." Avril stopped at the now open door, and leaned against the doorframe for a minute. "I know the others need help." She hurried out of the room. She half limped, half hurried and nearly fell down the stairs.

XxXxXx

"Udonna!" Avril cried as she stumbled over to the crystal ball, and fell onto the table. She saw the Rangers fighting Necrolai. "I need to help them." She turned from the table, but fell to the floor.

Clare came running in. "Avril!" She cried as she ran over to her friend. "Are you ok?" She asked in conern.

"No." Avril breathed. "That fang face, Necrolai stole my magic last night." She revealed. "She also broke my wand."

Clare's eyes widen. "What?" She gasped, she held tighter to her friend as Avril tried to push her way.

"I need to help my team." The gold Ranger said weakly, finally able to break free of Clare's grasp and stumbled to the door.

"But you can't morph!" Clare protested. Then tears started to glitter in her eyes as she started to panic. "Oh, what do I do?" She whimpered, then a glint caught her eye. "It's my turn to protect the Rangers!"

XxXxXxXxX

"You're beat, and no one has come to save you." Necrolai taunted as she stalked over to the fallen Rangers. "Maybe there is no other Gatekeeper." Suddenly she cried out in pain when magic slammed into her, throwing her away from the Rangers. "What?!" She cried out as she looked around.

"Wrong Necrolai!" Clare said as she stood nearby. Next to her is Avril, who's sitting on her knees and looking pale. "My mother's spirit lives inside me!"

"Clare!" Xander yelled.

"Avril!" Chip cried.

Clare looked at the circlet in her hand, then to Avril. The blonde placed the object onto her head, activating the magic.

"Power of the shining moon! Behold, the Gatekeeper!" Clare's outfit changed into the Gatekeeper's outfit.

"You have the power now Clare." Avril's voice is weak, and Clare keels next to her. "Believe in yourself."

"I'm going to get your magic back, Avril." Clare promised. "Don't worry." She said soothenly before standing up.

"The Oracle was right! So there is another ... and my plan to draw you out has worked perfectly!" Necrolai confidently laughed as Clare turned to face the vampire queen.

"You're going to regret ever meeting me, witch." Clare growled, looking more determined then the Rangers had ever seen her. She held out her hand, summoning a staff, which she used to conjure a shield that easily blocked Necrolai's attack.

"No!" Necrolai cried out in horror. Her full strength hadnt' been enough to put a dent in Clare's magic.

Casting a counter attack, Clare's magic surrounded Necrolai, who screeched and fell to her knees as her enhancements disappeared. "My new powers ... they're gone!" She cried. The Rangers ran over to Clare, and Avril.

"Let's give her a hand Rangers!" Nick called and the five still morphed Rangers, leaped into the air as Necrolai got to her feet. They slammed into her, and Necrolai cried out as she fell to the ground again.

"You will lose Rangers." Necrolai growled at them as they landed. "I'll return!" She warned, before flying off.

"Ave!" Chip fell to his knees next to her, just as she closed her eyes and fell backwards in a faint, he easily caught her.

"Ave!" The others cried out with worry.

"Stand back." Clare told them, they looked to her, then to their fallen friend, and the ones standing backed away as Clare walked up.

The blonde was holding a big ball of magic in both her hands. "This is Avril's magic." Clare told her friends. "Necrolai stool it." She knelt down in front of Avril. "Just like I promised Ave." She gently let go of the big ball of magic. "Rangers, pull out your Staffs, point at her and concentrate." She cast a spell and Avril's broken wand appeared on the ground in front of her.

The Rangers did as instructed. The tip of Nick's Magi Staff glowed red, Maddie's blue, Xander's green, Chip's yellow, and Vida's pink. The five colors started swirling together then flowed to Avril's broken wand, it magically fixed itself before it created bright light.

The light engulfted Avril. When it finally died, she looked heather and stronger. Avril slowly opened her eyes to see her team standing in front of her. "Hey guys" She smiled. "I told you, you could you could do it, Clare." She told the new Gatekeeper, who smiled.

"Are you ok?" Chip asked as he helped Avril stand.

"Yeah!" She smiled at him. "I feel great!" She turned to look around as her smile faded. "Where's Necrolai? She's going to pay for stealing my magic."

"There's no time for that. Udonna's been captured." Clare informed them quickly, and the rush for victory quickly faded. No sooner had she told them, Nick cried out, putting his hands on his helmet as everyone jumped and looked at him.

"Nick ... what is it?" Avril asked as Koragg's message ended, and the pain that split through Nick's head eased and his breathing became normal.

"He wants to fight you ... alone." Nick staggered a little as he walked towards Clare.

"I accept."

XxXxXxXxXx

As Clare went to fight Koragg, the Rangers returned to Rootcore to watch from the Crystal Globe.

"We shouldn't have let Clare go on her own." Maddie frowned as they stood by the table.

"You saw how she was back there. She sent Necrolai running." Vida shrugged, but looked just as worried.

"Yeah." Nick agreed. "But this is Koragg she's now facing." He turned around the face the Globe. It showed Clare as she fought against Koragg, but soon the tables turned on Clare as Koragg called on Catastros to fight her. it was over quickly. "I've had enough of this." Nick growled, and the others quickly followed.

XxXxXxXxXx

Koragg stood over Clare, who scrambled away from him, but she was badly beaten and exhausted from the fight, and was unable to do anything as he raised his sword over her. Before he could land the finishing blow, Chip yelled out.

"Koragg!" He blased the surprised Knight with his magic, and Vida leaped in from the other side, knocking him back with her own magic. They stood together, morphed and ready to fight.

"Rangers!" Clare stared up at them.

"Right!" Chip nodded with a grin.

"Do not interfere!" Koragg snarled at them, and the only response was Nick leaping over their shoulders.

"Mystic Force Fighters!" He called on the boxing gloves and bounced off Chip, and Vida's shoulders. "Spin Attack!" The Red Ranger spun through the air as his magical flames surrounded the, and he slammed into Koragg. "Pink on someone your own size!" He yelled as the Knight angrily. Before they could begin fighting, they heard Clare cry out, and looked around to see Necrolai holding Clare. "Clare!" The Rangers ran to help, but Koragg blocked their path.

"Stop!" He called, as Necrolai yanked Clare's head back.

"By the power of the Gatekeeper, let the Gate rise up!" Necrolai activated Clare's powerful magic, and the girl screamed in pain as purple magic shot into the air. The sky turned dark, and the Rangers looked up as they felt the darkness looming.

"The Gate." Koragg looked around as the ground shook, and a massive gate rose up.

"This is not good." Avril gulped as they ran over to Clare, helping the horrified girl to her feet.

"Oh man ... now what?" Nick asked as they all looked up at the gate that loomed over them.

XxXxXxXxXx

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