Light Source Part One
After Black Lance managed to escape the prison that Leanbow had trapped him in, he returned to the Lair of his fellow Terrors just in time for the Selection Ceremony. Once again, the light left the Stone and encircled the remaining six Terrors before finally settling on Hekatoid, much to everyone's clear disapproval and annoyance. Especially Hekatoid's.
"Me? It's my turn? Gah!" whined Hekatoid. "All I do is work, work, work! I'm hungry! When's lunchtime?"
Matoombo shook his head in disgust. "All you do is eat, you lazy slob! You've been chosen! Show some respect for the Stone!"
"I know, I know, it's the Rules! At least I have a plan!" said Hekatoid, as he hopped off to his room.
Black Lance scowled at the retreating blue toad. "I hope it's a plan that'll get him destroyed. Hekatoid is not ready for battle. He's out of shape and he's a load of dead weight we shouldn't have to carry!"
"Even so, he seems quite sure of himself. I want to know why," said Itassis.
She hadn't seen Hekatoid this confident in his abilities since he'd swallowed the crystal shard that briefly blocked the Pink Ranger's powers. Something was amiss here.
"Forget about that blob. What about Leanbow? Have we found him yet?" asked Gekkor.
Sculpin nodded. "Don't worry. My plan's unfolding. Trust me. When we find him, the Master will be revived and we shall live like gods!"
The Terrors all cheered to hear this, all except for Itassis, who was quietly sneaking off to Hekatoid's chambers. The blue toad left the door open and his wards down, allowing Itassis entrance into the room and what she saw in there alarmed her.
Hekatoid was bouncing with glee as he placed not a small knickknack on his shelf but a small cage containing Udonna, who was out cold.
"I have the mother of the Light! She's all mine!" cheered Hekatoid. "What a keepsake!"
"HEKATOID!" said Itassis, sharply, making Hekatoid jump a dozen feet into the air. "What have you done, you foolish toad?"
Instead of looking ashamed or the least bit apologetic, Hekatoid seemed quite smug and pleased with himself. "Oh, I've only captured the mother of the Light when she visited the Lake of Lament, that's all!"
"You have the White Sorceress Queen and you didn't tell anyone?" said Itassis, in disapproval.
"Call it an insurance policy! The Rangers won't attack me if they don't know where their beloved queen and teacher is," said Hekatoid.
"An insurance policy? Hekatoid, you fool! It's bad enough that you attacked without honor but this is suicide! Have you forgotten the power of the Mystic Crystal? What happens when the Rangers track the Queen here and kill us all?" demanded Itassis. While she had faith that they would win the war against the Mystic Rangers, Itassis was not arrogant enough to think that they could go up against the Mystic Crystal's power unscathed if they didn't have a strong plan of attack against their enemies. "You should have told us!"
Hekatoid dismissed the Egyptian-like Terror's worries. "Who cares about honor? And so what if the Rangers are foolish enough to come here? We can take care of them and we'll capture them too! The Master will be pleased!"
Itassis glared at Hekatoid but she didn't argue further, seeing that it would be pointless. One way or another, there would be consequences for Hekatoid's actions and she could only hope that the other Terrors wouldn't be the ones to pay the price.
XXX
Meanwhile, Natalia was keeping herself busy with her shift the Rock Porium.
It was lucky that it was a busy day at the store, for Natalia needed something to keep her mind occupied besides magical training. She had a lot to think about and she was also worried about Udonna as she hadn't heard from the White Sorceress Queen or Clare in a few days. If they didn't check in by that evening, Natalia was going to forget about Udonna's orders and go looking for her mother herself, no matter the consequences.
"Hey, Lia, are you okay? You seem pretty quiet," said Lee-Lee.
Feigning ignorance on what Lee-Lee was referring to, Natalia just nodded. "I'm perfectly fine. Why wouldn't I be?"
Lee-Lee didn't seem convinced. "Well, you just seem preoccupied lately and I'm concerned about you. Are you still dealing with—?"
"I appreciate the concern, but I'm fine and I'm not still dealing with it," said Natalia, briskly, hoping Lee-Lee would drop it. "It's been a struggle but I've come to accept it and I've made my peace. It's all I can do."
Shortly after Serpentina's destruction, Lee-Lee and Natalia had found the Book of Prophecy and despite their every instinct telling them to ignore the accursed thing, the two women had been unable to resist the urge to read its contents as everyone knew that the Book's prophecies usually only came to those who needed to know of them. Despite their every faith in their abilities, Natalia and Lee-Lee had needed to know if their efforts were all for naught, if they were truly going to win the war against the Master and his forces. The Book of Prophecy had answered all their questions and more, but the information hadn't just reassured them, it'd also left them devastated.
Lee-Lee nodded, having expected nothing less from Natalia, but she still looked concerned. "And the others? How did they react when you told them?"
Natalia sighed. The jig was up. "They didn't react because I haven't said anything, not to anyone. Not even my mother."
"You haven't told them?" said Lee-Lee, aghast. "They don't know?" When they'd read the Book of Prophecy, Lee-Lee had kept silent as she'd assumed that Natalia would reveal the information herself at a later date when Natalia was ready. It was quite a shock to find out that Natalia hadn't done it and frankly, Lee-Lee was appalled Natalie would keep it a secret.
"Would you keep your voice down?" hissed Natalia. Lee-Lee's voice had risen in pitch when she spoke, much to Natalia's alarm and annoyance. Did Lee-Lee want to risk exposing their secrets to entire store? After making sure no one had heard them, Natalia whispered a spell to temporarily make the two's speech unintelligible to any who might hear them before turning back to Lee-Lee. "To answer your questions, no. No, they don't know and they're not going to know—not now, not ever. No one is going to know outside of the two of us. Can you imagine what everyone else would do if they knew? They can't know."
Natalia knew it was cruel to withhold such important information from the others and she longed to confide in them of what she knew, especially Mason, but at the same time, Natalia knew telling them was out of the question. If the other Mystic Rangers knew what the Book of Prophecy had foretold about Natalia's future, they would be devastated, especially Mason. They'd lose their focus on the mission and it might alter the future in a terrible way. Billions of innocent lives were counting on the team to win the war against the Master. It was too great of a risk to take. Ignorance was bliss in this case, at least it was in Natalia's opinion.
Lee-Lee didn't share in this opinion. "But this is bigger than just the two of us! They have a right to know—"
"No, they don't! Not about this!" interrupted Natalia, sternly. "If they were meant to know, the Book would've told them, but it didn't. It only told the two of us and then it vanished to who knows where!" Natalia sighed as she rubbed the space between her eyes. "Look, Lee-Lee, when the Book of Prophecy came to us, nobody forced us to read it, we made that choice ourselves. Now, we not only have to live with the consequences of that decision, but we have to make choices for the good of everyone else knowing what we know. And it's my choice to not tell the others about any of it—not now, not ever. And for the good of everyone else, you'll keep this secret too."
Judging from the look on Lee-Lee's face, the blond clearly disagreed. "Natalia, you can't keep this from them and you can't ask me to, either!" No matter how good an argument she made, Lee-Lee couldn't understand Natalia's reasoning. How could Natalia justify keeping something so great and important about the future a secret? It affected everyone, not just Natalia!
Natalia's eyes flashed warningly. "I can and I will." She held up her hand to silence Lee-Lee when the girl opened her mouth to argue again. "Lee-Lee, when we were kids, I swore a binding blood oath to keep your secret just as you asked, and you promised you'd owe me a favor in return. So, I'm sorry, but if you won't do as I ask simply because I ask, then I'll have to use that blood oath magic right here, right now. Are you going to make me do that?" Natalia had no wish to invoke such magic at all, but nevertheless, she was prepared to do so if Lee-Lee didn't cooperate.
Lee-Lee looked devastated at the resolution in Natalia's eyes and she clearly wanted to argue more, but instead she reluctantly shook her head. "No, I won't. I'll keep your secret. You don't need the spell. You have my word, which is stronger than any blood oath."
Though it killed her inside, Lee-Lee would keep Natalia's secret and take it to her grave. It wasn't what Lee-Lee wanted, but what choice did she have? Natalia was adamant that the secret be kept and Lee-Lee didn't have the power to defy Natalia's wishes. And more importantly, Natalia did have a point—it was Natalia's destiny, her fate and her business, not Lee-Lee's.
Natalia's shoulders relaxed and she sighed in relief. "Thank you and I'm sorry. I know this is a lot to ask but I wouldn't ask if I wasn't a hundred percent certain about it. I don't like this anymore than you do, but we both know that even I can't alter what has been written and nor can fate be changed. We have to accept it, no matter what the cost. And believe me, I wish we could tell the others, but what good would it do? Revealing what we know would only upset them and create a panic that we can't afford, especially not now that we're so close to the Final Battle with the Master and the Terrors. We must put our duties before our personal feelings. Do you understand me, Lee-Lee?"
In spite of her conviction, Natalia had little desire to keep the Book of Prophecies' writings hidden. She longed to confide in Mason about her findings and hated keeping such a secret from those she loved, but she saw no alternative. In her mind's eye, she could see what would happen—everyone would devastated, especially Mason. And once they got past the shock and pain, the others would take great unnecessary risks to fruitlessly try and prevent what was written in stone, thereby creating even more problems than they could afford at the moment. Or worse, they would accept it just as Natalia had and she'd had to watch the grief and pain in their eyes grow with each passing day until the Final Battle arrived. She refused to let that happen and her position as the Princess of the Mystic Realm and Red Mystic Ranger demanded it.
Duty means doing the right thing not just for yourself but for others, even if your heart aches against it. They were words Natalia had heard many times from her birth family before she'd lost her memory and they were words that Natalia hadn't fully understood until she read the Book. Her heart was breaking to keep her secret, but for the sake of the innocent lives counting on her, she would do what she had to.
Tears pooled in Lee-Lee's eyes as she nodded. She understood all too well, but that didn't mean she had to like it.
"Well, what can I do? I need to do something to help," said Lee-Lee. There had to be something, anything she could do to make things better. Maybe Natalia didn't believe that fate could be altered, but Lee-Lee refused to take it lying down. Maybe, just maybe there was a chance that they could change things for the better.
Natalia's face softened. "Actually, there is something you can do. We haven't heard from my mother or Clare in days. I'm worried that something's happened. Can you check in with Necrolai, see if she knows anything?"
Relieved that such a golden opportunity had arisen, Lee-Lee eagerly nodded. "Of course. I'll go now." She moved to leave but then stopped, turned back and held Natalia in a tight, tearful embrace. If Lee-Lee was wrong, then there were words that needed to be spoken. "Whatever our fates are, I want you to know that I'm glad we met and became friends. You'll always be a sister to me."
Natalia forced back stinging tears of her own as she returned the embrace. "I feel the same way and I always will." Regardless of their bloodlines, Natalia would always consider Lee-Lee a friend and sister and she would always be thankful that they'd met.
Lee-Lee smiled and then quickly departed from the store.
XXX
When Lee-Lee arrived in the Terrors' home, she hid herself in shadows as she listened in on their conversation. She was horrified to hear that Hekatoid had been chosen to attack the surface world next and that he'd captured Natalia's mother. This did not bode well and it also meant that Lee-Lee had to come up with a plan of attack and get some backup if she was going to rescue the White Sorceress Queen from the slimy Terror.
"Necrolai!" barked Sculpin.
Necrolai flew up into Sculpin's face. "Yes, my lord?"
"Have you found Leanbow yet? He must be destroyed if the Master's to be revived!"
Necrolai timidly shook her head. "Not yet, Lord Sculpin. But I promise you, I'm close! I just need a little more time!"
Miraculously, Sculpin did not punish Necrolai for her failure. "Very well then. Do what you must, but hurry! We're running out of time!"
Necrolai frantically nodded and then went to her chambers to continue the tracking spell she was attempting to find Leanbow. Lee-Lee quickly followed her mother into said chambers.
"Mom?"
"Not now, Lee-Lee!" said Necrolai, briskly. "I've got to track down Leanbow before it's too late! Oh, that disgusting toad! Why did Hekatoid have to be the one to capture the White Sorceress? Now, I look bad in front of the Terrors!"
"Oh, Mom, I wouldn't worry. You can still prove yourself. Besides, where's the honor in attacking someone who's powerless and can't fight back?" asked Lee-Lee, before she could stop herself.
Necrolai scowled. "You've listened too much to Koragg."
"Actually, Itassis was saying that the other day," admitted Lee-Lee.
Necrolai sighed in exasperation. "Well, whoever said it is mistaken. Honor has no place with the likes of us. Here, it's killed or be killed. Only the strongest survive and I want us to be the strongest. Do you understand, Lee-Lee? Only by standing with the Terrors and achieving great glory and power can you and I finally not be outcasts in this forsaken world! We'll have better lives and you can have all that you ever dreamed of, my daughter!"
Lee-Lee was shocked to hear this. She never would've guessed that a better life for the two of them was her mother's true goal. "What? But I thought you wanted to be queen for the sake of being queen!"
Necrolai's face softened as she stroked Lee-Lee's face. "Oh, my child. Don't you know how much I love you? Your life and happiness are all that truly matters to me. But if we're to have any kind of a good life together, then we must be victorious and become powerful. Only then can we truly live without fear or consequence."
Lee-Lee's eyes glistened with tears as she embraced Necrolai. Knowing that Necrolai's actions had only ever truly been to give Lee-Lee a better life brought joy to Lee-Lee's heart. "I love you too, Mom. And I just had an idea. What if the White Sorceress Queen were to escape under Hekatoid's watch? That'd make him look really bad and would give you a chance to shine."
Necrolai's face brightened with excitement. Though Lee-Lee's idea was a risky one, it would well pay off if Lee-Lee succeeded. "Oh, that does sound good! If you think you can succeed, Lee-Lee, then do it. Go to Hekatoid's private banquet hall on the surface world. I bet you anything, he'll be keeping her there. But be careful. Don't get caught."
Lee-Lee grinned. "Oh, I won't. I know how to be stealthy. After all, I learned from the best."
Necrolai looked proudly at her daughter. "That's my girl. Now, go. Quickly."
And with that, Lee-Lee left Necrolai's chambers but not before she swiped an important magical object that would be none too invaluable in the rescuing of Udonna.
XXX
Back on the surface world, things had become quieter at the Rock Porium and Natalia was taking advantage of it by playing her favorite tunes on the stereo and humming along to it while she restocked some records. That is, until all four of her teammates suddenly encircled her like lions encircling their prey. There were looks of concern and determination on their faces, which didn't exactly please the Red Mystic Ranger as she had a fair guess as to what was up.
"Is this an intervention?" she asked, half-joking, half-serious. She hoped she was wrong because she really didn't want to have this conversation, if it was what she was thinking it was.
"More like a questioning," admitted Chip. "A friendly, concerned one."
Natalia sighed. "Look, if this is about why Lee-Lee left, it's nothing serious. Udonna and Clare haven't checked in for days and since Lee-Lee wants to do more to help, I asked Lee-Lee to see if Necrolai knows anything. That's all."
Everyone looked relieved to hear this but unfortunately, it didn't stop the interrogation.
"Well, that's great, but not what we wanted to ask," said Chip, hesitantly. "Listen, Lia, we saw you and Lee-Lee arguing and…"
"What were you and Lee-Lee arguing about?" interrupted Mason. Though his tone was kind, it was also somewhat commanding, which meant business.
"Nothing of any consequence," said Natalia, briskly. "Private matters. That's all." She hoped they would drop it but no such luck.
"It didn't look that way to us," said Vida, concerned. "As a matter of fact, you two have been acting weird for quite a while now. What's going on?"
"Nothing that's any of your business. Now, will you just let it go?" said Natalia, her patience wearing thin. How many times did she have to say no before it got through her teammate's thick skulls? She wasn't going to tell them what was bothering her, not then, not later—not ever! They were better off not knowing and quite honestly, Natalia wished she didn't know either.
"If something's affecting you both so much that you're arguing, it affects the team and therefore it is our business," argued Xander.
"No, it doesn't!" snapped Natalia, as she clenched her hand into an angry fist. "Yes, Lee-Lee and I had a disagreement. So what? It's our business and it's not affecting the team because Lee-Lee and I are more than capable of not letting our squabbles affect our duties! Now, I really don't want to talk about it, so for the love all that's holy, quit asking because it's none of your business and I'm not going to answer your questions!"
Natalia really hated losing her temper like that with her boyfriend and friends, but at the same time, why couldn't they just leave her be? She knew they meant well, but some things were better left unsaid, especially Natalia's secret she was carrying.
Before anyone could reply, everyone's morphers went off and soon, Daggeron's voice was heard. "Rangers, Hekatoid's captured Udonna and he's attacking the city. I need backup, ASAP!"
Natalia's eyes flashed with phoenix fire. Hekatoid had captured Udonna? That disgusting slimy frog was going to pay dearly and there were going to be frog legs for dinner if Natalia had anything to say about it.
"Let's go, guys!" she barked.
Without hesitation, the other Rangers nodded and followed Natalia out of the shop. When they were far enough away, they morphed into their Mystic Ranger forms and then joined together to create their Mystic Titan form.
Hekatoid was wreaking havoc downtown in his gigantic form, swinging his horn-like hammer towards the heavens, causing the sky to darken.
"It's my turn to wreak havoc on the city! Grow my little babies! Grow so you can rain down and rule the surface world!" Hekatoid's gleeful rant was cut short when a powerful blast of hot fire was suddenly blasted at him from behind. "Ow! Hot! Hot! Hot! Who dares strike me?"
"I do!"
Hekatoid spun around to see Daggeron in the Solar Streak Megazord which was shining and steaming from the attack
"You're making a big mistake, Hekatoid! Have you learned nothing from the deaths of your fellow Terrors?" demanded Daggeron.
"No, it is you who's making a big mistake!" roared Hekatoid.
"Hey, Slime-For-Brains! Ancient Power, Mystic Spell Seal!"
Hekatoid had no time to defend himself and he cried out in pain as the Rangers struck unexpectedly from above, hitting the blue frog-like Terror with a powerful spell seal that sent him flying and injured him. They then struck him with their sword three times, causing Hekatoid to shrink down to normal human size. The Rangers followed suit in shrinking down.
Despite his injuries, however, Hekatoid still staggered to his feet and looked defiant as Natalia thrust her flaming sword under Hekatoid's chin.
"Where's my mother, you disgusting abomination?" demanded Natalia.
Hekatoid glared at Natalia. "I would suggest keeping a civil tongue in your head, Princess, if you want to see your precious mother again! And in any case, you can't stop my plan! Wait until my babies rain down from the skies!"
"What're you talking about?" demanded Daggeron.
Hekatoid looked smug as he pointed to the darkening skies. "Take a look!" He waved his horn-like hammer at the skies, causing the true nature of the 'clouds' to be revealed. They were not storm clouds, but rather billions of poisonous baby tadpoles forged by dark magic. They were not truly alive or sentient but they were no less a threat to the public.
"Tadpoles?" shrieked Mason, horrified. Tadpoles grew into frogs and with Mason's severe frog phobia, this could not be a worse nightmare for him. Frogs. Why did it have to be frogs of all creatures in the universe?
"Poisonous tadpoles!" said Hekatoid, gleefully. "And once they grow into frogs, they'll rain down onto the city and rule the surface world! Unless, of course, you get your beloved teacher back and the only way to do that is if you do as I command!"
"And what happens if we don't? What's to stop me from using the Mystic Crystal and destroying you right here and now?" demanded Natalia.
To Natalia's immense anger and dismay, Hekatoid had an answer for that.
"Because if anything happens to me before you win my little game, my minions have orders to destroy Udonna in her prison!" said Hekatoid, smugly. "And since you don't know where she is, can you really afford to take that risk?"
Natalia growled in anger as she contemplated what to do next. She had no desire to play Hekatoid's sick game but there was little choice. Even with the Mystic Crystal's power, she couldn't fight a war on two fronts which meant she had to play things smart. Lee-Lee still hadn't returned, which meant she knew about Udonna's capture and was trying to rescue her, if Natalia and her teammates could stall Hekatoid long enough for Lee-Lee to get Udonna free and if Daggeron could find a way to stop Hekatoid's plan from reaching fruition…victory might be theirs.
Natalia looked to Daggeron, who seemed to understand what she wanted done and nodded.
So, with great reluctance, Natalia sheathed her sword. "Fine. We'll play your stupid game."
Hekatoid practically bounced with glee at this. "Now, we're getting somewhere! All right, Rangers. Let's play the game!"
And with that, Hekatoid spat blue liquid at the five Mystic Rangers, transporting to his favorite dimension, which was a wet, swampy world—perfect for that of a frog like Hekatoid. The Rangers stood ankle deep in pond scum while Hekatoid appeared before them, twenty times their size and in astral form and then to their immense displeasure, he summoned forth seven dozen Styxoids and Hidiacs.
"Welcome to my favorite dimension, Rangers! It's time to play my game or you'll never see your beloved Udonna again!" said Hekatoid. "But first, the rules!" Hekatoid waved his hand and a white clock counting down a hundred and twenty seconds appeared above them. "You have until the clock runs out to defeat your opponents. Ready? GO!"
And with that, the Mystic Rangers leapt into battle. Immediately, Vida, Xander and Natalia leapt out of the pond, allowing Mason and Chip to freely attack their opponents who lingered in the water without risking harm to their teammates.
Mason swirled around his Magi Staff. "Gurgitem Abripuit!" Sparks of blue magic emitted from Mason's Magi Staff as the water suddenly whipped the undead minions, knocking them down before the water swirled together to form a gigantic whirlpool that sucked them down, drowning them.
Chip took a more energetic approach. He transformed his Magi Staff into a crossbow and slid like a baseball player through the water as he shouted out, "Fulgur Soluti!" Multiple bursts of lightning balls shot out of Chip's crossbow, electrocuting the Hidiacs and Styxoids and causing them to burst into fragments of dark magic.
Xander plunged his Magi Staff into the ground, causing the earth to shake like crazy before it split in two. Those who did not fall into the giant crevice were then grabbed by powerful, spiked vines and forcibly dragged down before the crevice healed itself.
Vida transformed herself into a giant pink whirlwind and sucked all the undead goons she could up into the air before blowing them to bits.
Finally, Natalia brought out the heat. "I summon the power of the phoenix! Ignis Phoenix Surgere!" There was a great burst of light and Natalia's body was engulfed in great fire that took the form of a phoenix and then she blasted more than half of the remaining Hidaics and Styxoids into ash without thinking twice.
Though quite a few of the undead minions remained, there was still eighty seconds left on the clock, more than enough time to win the battle. But Hekatoid wasn't through yet.
"Ah, you're finishing the game too quickly. Let's up the stakes a little!"
Before anyone could stop him, Hekatoid spat out a golden, sparkling liquid at Natalia's four teammates, paralyzing them where they stood and leaving them helpless before their opponents' mercy.
"What's going on? We can't move!" cried Chip.
"Natalia, do something! Help!" yelled Mason, as he fruitlessly tried to defend himself.
Hekatoid laughed, loudly and smugly at their Rangers' helplessness, which only angered Natalia further and was a mistake on the Terror's part. Nobody threatened her loved ones!
"You want to play hardball, frog? Fine!" Fire Heart, I summon thee!" Suddenly, there was an ear-shattering roar as Fire Heart flew into view from out of nowhere and then he made his attack. As Fire Heart's razor-sharp wings sliced through the Hidiacs and Styxoids like a hot knife through butter, many met the same fate when they were caught in Fire Heart's deadly talons or hit with lightning-fast tail and those that didn't, were incinerated from Fire Heart's blazing hot dragon's fire.
And finally, for the piece de resistance, Natalia thrust out her hands and shouted out, "Coccinum Draco Ignis Reformabit!"
And with that, Natalia underwent a powerful transformation that caused her and Fire Heart to join as one, changing her into the Red Fire Dragon Ranger.
Ignoring the four helpless Rangers, the remaining Styxoids all combined their firepower at Natalia at the same time but it was all for naught, as the dark magical energy harmlessly bounced off Natalia's armor. Quickly, Natalia plunged her combat sticks into the ground, which caused the ground to explode with white-hot fire, destroying the Styxoids. She then proceeded to do the same to the rest of the Hidiacs and Styxoids, destroying them and reducing them into piles of ash and reducing the swamp land into a crater.
"We're still standing, Hekatoid! Release my teammates and my mother at once!" snarled Natalia, as she powered down to her normal Mystic Ranger form.
"You've defeated them so I will set your teammates free," said Hekatoid. He snapped his fingers and at once, the other four Rangers were freed of their paralysis but the clock was frozen at sixty seconds, which did not bode well. "But who said anything about releasing the White Sorceress? After all, there's still time left to play on the clock! Let's see how well you fare against stronger opponents!"
Before anyone could question what Hekatoid meant, he transported them yet again. This time, to the outskirts of town. Suddenly, lightning struck the ground in five different colors and when it faded, there was a clone of each of the Rangers, except the white fabric on their necks was jet-black. They were nothing more than dark magic forged together with elemental magic but they were no less dangerous.
"Let's see how well you do against your clones!" cackled Hekatoid. "Hurry up, though! You're down to halftime! On my mark. One—!"
"How're we supposed to fight ourselves?" exclaimed Xander.
"Two—!"
"We don't," explained Chip, thinking fast. He knew what to do. How could he not? He'd seen the scenario on many an anime before. "We can't win against ourselves, so don't try. We've got to switch dance partners!"
"He's right. Do what he says," ordered Natalia.
"Three!" yelled Hekatoid, as the clock began ticking down again.
And with that, everyone leapt into battle once again. But as per Chip's instructions, they didn't fight against their individual clones. Rather, they went after one another's. Immediately, Natalia went up against Dark Xander just as he summoned forth powerful vines from beneath the earth.
. "I summon the power of the phoenix! Ignis Phoenix Surgere!" There was a great burst of light and Natalia's body was engulfed in great fire that took the form of a phoenix and then she blasted the vines and Dark Xander into a smoldering pile of ash.
After narrowly dodging several fireballs and well-aimed punches from Dark Natalia, Vida leapt into the air and thrust out her Magi Staff. "Aerem Cohibent!" Immediately, a giant orb of air surrounded Dark Natalia and then proceeded to suck all the air out of Dark Natalia's body, making her unable to use her fire magic and then Vida plunged her weapon into the clone's chest, causing Dark Natalia to explode in a shower of dark magical energy.
Mason, who'd been dodging blows suddenly yelped as he was struck in the leg from one of Dark Chip's lightning bolts and while it was, thankfully, a minor wound, it only served to anger him and fuel his power. Quickly, he drew his Magi Staff and swirled it around as he yelled, "Vivamus Demergat Tempestas Aquae!" A gigantic orb of water formed around Dark Chip, trapping him and when Dark Chip tried to use lightning to free himself, electrocution occurred instead, destroying him.
With great difficult, Xander narrowly dodged Dark Mason's 'water whips,' a small body of water the clone formed from the moisture in air and tried to use to hit the Green Ranger before whipping out his Magi Staff and plunging into a nearby rock garden. "Scopulus Inspiratione!" Sparks of green magic fell onto the stones and pebbles which lifted into the air and grew into the size of boulders, which then hit Dark Mason from all sides, injuring him and distracting him enough for Xander to grab Dark Mason's feet and forcibly drag the clone into the depths of the earth.
Finally, Chip was left with Dark Vida and battling her was no easy feat as Dark Vida kept turning into a small, wicked fast pink butterfly and kept dodging Chip's lightning strikes. It didn't help that Dark Vida kept transforming into normal size when Chip least expected it and would take advantage of his startled state to knock him down. After several frustratingly fruitless moments, Chip finally devised a strategy when Dark Vida tried to catch him off-guard again, Chip delivered a well-timed, well-aimed kick to Dark Vida's sternum, knocking her into the wall of a nearby building and then he blasted her with one of his strongest lightning bolts, destroying the clone.
Miraculously, all this was finished just as Hekatoid's clock struck a hundred and twenty seconds, they'd finished just in time and there was no longer any time left on the clock. The Rangers had won, but it remained to be seen if Hekatoid would keep his word.
"All right, Hekatoid. We've played your stupid little game! Take us to Udonna and hand her over right now!" demanded Natalia, as her body became engulfed in phoenix fire.
"Take you to Udonna, you say?" said Hekatoid, mockingly. "Very well, little Rangers. I'll do as you say. Come with me."
And with that, Hekatoid transported them all to Hekatoid's bedroom in the Terrors' sacred chambers.
XXX
Back on the surface world, Daggeron was trying to fry the poisonous tadpoles using every last ounce of fire magic the Solar Streak Megazord possessed. And while that was happening, Lee-Lee was trekking through the forest in search of Hekatoid's private banquet chambers. If Necrolai was right, Udonna would undoubtedly be kept prisoner there and Lee-Lee was going to do everything in her power to rescue the White Sorceress. And who knew? If Lee-Lee could pull this off, maybe she could be lucky enough to also find a way to alter what the Book of Prophecy had written about her best friend's future.
Lee-Lee was halfway to Hekatoid's private banquet chambers when her troblin boyfriend suddenly swung upside-down on the tree branch in front of, causing them both to scream in fright.
"All right! All right! No more screaming!" said Phineas, as he leapt down from the tree branch. "Sorry, my pretty lady. Didn't mean to scare you."
"It's okay, but seriously, Phin, you have got to stop that," said Lee-Lee, as she clutched her chest. She loved her troblin boyfriend but she really wished he'd quit scaring people all the time, even if it was on accident. She was going to go grey before she was thirty at this rate.
"I'll try," said Phineas. A look of concern flickered across Phineas' face when he noticed Lee-Lee's red eyes and tear-stained cheeks. "Oh, you've been crying. What's the matter? Do I need to punch somebody?"
Lee-Lee laughed at her boyfriend's protectiveness as she shook her head. "No, Phineas." Truth be told, Lee-Lee had been unable to stop thinking about her argument with Natalia or what the Book of Prophecy had foretold and as Lee-Lee had been alone in the forest, it'd felt safe enough for her to cry and she'd been unable to help herself. "It's just…" Lee-Lee bit her lip and sighed. "Do you know if it's possible to alter what the Book of Prophecy's foretold?"
Phineas looked surprised to hear this and then helplessly shrugged. "I…I don't know."
Lee-Lee sighed again, this time in disappointment. If Phineas didn't know if it was possible, then maybe Lee-Lee's hopes were wrong. Maybe Natalia's fate couldn't be altered.
"Why do you ask? Is something bad going to happen to you?" asked Phineas, alarmed.
Lee-Lee quickly shook her head. "No. No, it's not about me. It's about…someone else. Something bad is going to happen to someone I care about, not you, and I don't know how to prevent it," she confessed. "But I can't tell you who it is, when, how or why. And I feel so freaking helpless."
Phineas' face softened with sympathy as he gave his girlfriend a loving hug. "Well, just because it hasn't happened before doesn't mean it can't. And if there's one thing I've learned since I met the Rangers, it's that anything is possible, even the impossible. So, don't cry and give hope. Nope, nope!"
This brought a smile to Lee-Lee's face and for the first time since she'd read the Book of Prophecy, she felt hopeful. Maybe Phineas was right, maybe destiny could be altered. Maybe things wouldn't end the way the Book foretold. Either way, Lee-Lee felt better about the situation and she showed it by giving Phineas a sweet kiss.
"Thank you, Phineas. I needed that," said Lee-Lee, as Phineas blushed bright red. "Now, I need you to something else. Help me rescue Udonna. She's been captured by Hekatoid."
Phineas' eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets at this. "Udonna's been captured? That's bad! I'm definitely coming with you. Udonna is my friend and I'm not going to leave her helpless against those monsters. No siree!"
"Neither am I!"
Both Phineas and Lee-Lee jumped a foot as Clare stumbled into their little gathering. She was sporting a number of bruises and she was covering in soot and dirt, but she looked no worse for wear and no less determined to continue the fight.
"Sorry, didn't mean to eavesdrop but if you're going after Udonna, I'm coming too," said Clare, firmly. "She's my aunt and she was captured on my watch. So, I'm going to help."
Lee-Lee breathed a sigh of relief at this. Clare's magical skills may not have been as good as the Rangers, but she held some firepower and would be invaluable to the mission. Every last bit of help counted in this war.
"Glad you're onboard," said Lee-Lee. She pulled her boyfriend and Clare in close. "Listen close. I've got a plan."
If they all worked together and followed Lee-Lee's plan to the letter, they might just come out winners and the Terrors would suffer yet another loss.
XXX
Meanwhile, Necrolai had finally managed to track down Leanbow and upon discovering his location, she'd informed the Terrors. Sculpin took a small party consisting of Matoombo and Gekkor to attack Leanbow and retrieve the Master.
"Come forth, Leanbow!" cried Sculpin as they entered Leanbow's hiding place. "We know you're here! Show yourself!"
But when Leanbow didn't do as commanded, an angry growl emitted from Sculpin's throat and he swung his blade, causing the crystal cloaking chamber Leanbow hid in to shatter, revealing the Fire Wizard King.
"I know what you're here for," said Leanbow, as he kept his back to them.
Gekkor's yellow eyes gleamed in the dim light of the stone chamber. "Then give us the Master!"
Leanbow immediately unsheathed his sword and held it threateningly at his enemies. "I don't think so, you abominations!"
If it was a fight they wanted, then a fight the Terrors would get.
XXX
Back in Hekatoid's room in the Terrors' sacred chambers, the blue frog-like Terror was practically hopping with glee as he stood in his giant form before the Mystic Rangers.
"Now that you're all here, I'll add you to my collection," said Hekatoid.
"Think again, Hekatoid! Where's my mother? Show her to us now!" demanded Natalia, as the others yelled in agreement.
"You want to see her? Here she is!" said Hekatoid. He took a step back and proudly showed off Udonna, who was unconscious in her cage. "She's my prize and you'll look just lovely beside her!"
"Think again, you disgusting freak! Let's Titan up, guys!" yelled Mason.
"Right!"
And with that, the Rangers morphed into their Legend Warrior forms before combining to form the Manticore Megazord. They then proceeded to beat the living slime out of Hekatoid using a series of new martial arts moves they'd learned and one of their most powerful attack spells, and when he fell to the ground in a cloud of dust, victory seemed to be theirs, at which point, they turned their attention to Udonna.
"Mother!" whispered Natalia. She couldn't believe this was happening. After being apart for so long, finally mother and daughter were reunited at last. Natalia silently prayed that Udonna was all right and they'd all be home soon. "Guys, get her but be careful."
As they were still in their Mystic Manticore form, the Rangers had to be immensely careful in picking up Udonna's cage. After carefully scooping her up, they were about to call forth the spell seal that would transport them back home when suddenly Hekatoid's tongue thrust forth from where he lay and snatched up their mentor.
Despite being on the verge of death, Hekatoid staggered to his feet and looked immensely proud of himself as he clutched his prize in his slimy hand. "You snooze, you lose!" He cackled before he spewed a black ooze from his cheeks. It hit everyone but Natalia as the Mystic Crystal had suddenly reacted and protected her. But from what, no one knew nor cared as their only thoughts were to rescue Udonna from Hekatoid.
Hekatoid then conjured a portal and hopped through with the Rangers close behind him.
To Be Continued…
A/N: Yes, I'm alive! Sorry for the long wait, but the last several months have been beyond chaotic and stressful for me. I'll try to update more regularly now. Sorry. Please review!
