Code Busters
The skies were clear and the sun was shining, making the day bright and beautiful as Clare walked through the woods, collecting ingredients to restock their potion supplies as well as additional flora for the protection spell Udonna. After a good half-hour, Clare's basket was brimming full of all different kinds of leaves, herbs, and berries that would be greatly beneficial for the Mystic Rangers.
"Let's see…beetle's fang, check. Adder's fork, check. Slug root, check. Knotgrass, check. Hollyflower petals, check." said Clare, happily as she crossed items off of her checklist. "Whoa!"
The 'whoa' was due to Clare having to quickly duck down as the Mystic Rangers zooming by on their Mystic Racers. Chip narrowly missed Clare's head by a few inches but thankfully the rest of the Rangers were more careful and few higher up long before risking Clare.
"Sorry, Clare!" yelled Chip, over his shoulder.
Clare scowled as she dusted herself off. "We really need to have traffic lights out here," she muttered. But her irritation vanished when she came across the next item on her list, stickleberries. Stickleberries resembled blackberries in shape but were light blue in color. While highly recommended for protection potions, they were not recommended for anything else as they were quite disgusting in taste.
After collecting a good supply of stickleberries, Clare began making her way back to Rootcore only to freeze in her tracks when the ground shook. But it was not an earthquake as Clare was quick to learn, for when she turned around, Clare gasped in fright to see something quite large burrowing its way towards her at an alarming speed.
Quickly picking up her skirts, Clare ran for her life, dropping most of her herbs in the process. In her hurry to get away, she didn't see the underground beast had doubled back and was about to collide with her until it was almost too late.
"Look out!" screeched an unknown voice.
Before Clare knew what was happening, a creature she'd never seen before pushed Clare out of the monster's path, saving her.
"What was that?" asked Clare, to herself as she picked herself up. She glanced around the woods. "Hello? Is anyone there?" But there was no one to answer her as both the monster and the one who had saved her were long gone. Clare felt grateful that the danger was gone but she still felt a twinge of fear as well as disappointment. Whatever the creature was, its presence couldn't possibly be a good sign. And more importantly, who had saved her and why hadn't they stayed so Clare could thank them?
XXX
Meanwhile, down in the Underworld, Morticon and the rest of the Master's servants were discussing their recent defeat as well as the appearance of the new five Mystic Rangers. It was a matter of great and lengthy discussion as while prophecy had foretold five new warriors to fight against the darkness, the Master's forces hadn't truly believed it. Prophecies didn't always come to pass and more importantly, magic was an unpredictable mistress, making it all but impossible to know for certain that the powers of the original Mystic Warriors would find new hosts.
"I still can't believe it!" exclaimed Necrolai, her voice thick with shock. "The magics of the original five Mystic Warriors have found new hosts! It's just like the Great Battle fifteen years ago when we were trapped down here! I can't believe it's happened!"
"You're a fool, hag, to believe that," spat Koragg. He was in a foul mood and had been so ever since Natalia had defeated him in battle. It did not help that despite the aid of his dark magic in healing him, Koragg was still unfit for battle and his body showed evidence of Natalia's attack. "Udonna had to give the mystic powers to someone. But it is not other four we should be concerned with. The Red Witch alone poses the greatest threat to our plans.
"Finally, something we can agree on, Koragg," said Necrolai. The Knight Wolf was not the only one who'd taken an interest in the Red Mystic Ranger. Necrolai found Natalia's powers not only to be incredibly strong someone who was supposed to be new to magic, but also far too similar to that of the fallen princess as well as the long-lost Mystic Crystal. "We must keep a close eye on that girl. She could be of great use to us in finding the Mystic Crystal or even the Princess. Perhaps—"
"Silence, Necrolai!" commanded Morticon, causing the whole throne room to fall silent. "Do not speak such poisonous words. You know as well as I that the Princess was lost when Imperious attacked fifteen years ago."
Fearing for her life, Necrolai quickly bowed in humble respect. "Of course, my lord. Forgive me. I meant no offense."
Morticon nodded, pleased with Necrolai's obedience. "Still, you raise a fair point, hag. The Mystic Crystal would not only revive our glorious leader, but to retrieve it would mean great rewards for us all and victory over the surface world would be ours!"
"And how do you intend to find the Crystal, Morticon?" demanded Koragg.
"That is of no concern to you, Koragg, for the moment we must focus on destroying our enemies. And while you two have been arguing in circles, I have taken steps to ensure we will succeed," spat Morticon.
As if for proof, the ground beneath them shook with great force.
"What have you unleashed, Morticon?" asked Necrolai, in awe.
Morticon grinned a smug, sickening grin as he replied, "The Hydra Worm!"
Necrolai gasped. "The creature that dug this enormous pit?" Necrolai had never seen the Hydra Worm in person but she knew the stories of the dark beast. Ancient history spoke of an evil sorcerer who wanted the ultimate dark beast under his control and so he'd taken his pet worm and infused it with dark magic, making it gigantic in size and granting it eight heads. The Hydra Worm was rumored to have dug the pit in which Morticon resided but more than that, it was said to have sank entire continents beneath the ocean by burrowing enormous, deep tunnels below the surface. Because it rarely surface, the Hydra Worm was supposed to be extremely difficult if not impossible to defeat.
"It's only a matter of time before it breaks through to the surface," said Morticon, smugly. "The city will be destroyed from below unleash the Rangers stop it. But I will make sure that they don't with the aid of a creature from my army of the underworld!"
Right on cue, a very disgusting soulless mutant, Mucor, entered the throne room and bowed before Morticon and the others.
XXX
As part of their training, the Rangers were practicing driving their Mystic Racers. When not in use, they resembled ordinary brooms with each a different colored ribbon symbolizing the Ranger's ownership, but when they were in use, they were like flying motorcycles that traveled at amazing speeds. It had taken some practicing, but the Rangers were quickly getting the hang of them, especially Natalia as it reminded her of her motorcycle.
"Hey, Pinky, last one to Rootcore buys lunch!" teased Natalia, as she hit the accelerator. "Try and keep up, if you can!"
"No one calls me 'Pinky'!" said Vida. She tried to sound agitated but she was failing miserably. As much as Vida disliked being called Pinky and the color pink, it gave her incentive to improve her skills as there was nothing Vida loved more than a good competition. And Natalia was quickly to proving to be Vida's favorite rival of all time. "You're on, Red!"
"Get her, Vee!" encouraged Chip.
Quick as lightning, Vida hit the accelerator and chased after Natalia through the forest. But despite having more experience, Natalia and Vida's race ended in a tie when they reached Rootcore and dismounted, causing their racers to turn into normal brooms again.
"Very good, Rangers," said Udonna, proudly. She'd been waiting on the forest floor below and watching them with great interest and pride. "You get better every day. But that's enough Mystic Racer practice for today."
Both Vida and Chip groaned in disappointment.
"Aw, come on. Just one more lap around the forest. Please?" begged Chip.
"Yeah, I'm just getting warmed up," said Vida, enthusiastically. She was itching for another race, terribly badly. "I want to see what this bad boy can really do."
Udonna chuckled and shook her head. "I understand, but I'm afraid the answer is no. It's time for elementary incantations. So, please, follow me back to Rootcore and we'll begin studying the spell books. Your powers are great, but if you're to further grow as Rangers and magical practitioners, you must learn the primaries of magic. Come."
While Xander, Mason and Natalia were content with Udonna's decision, Chip and Vida were not and they made this known by saying in unison, "Boring!"
"I think that sounds great," said Mason, as they began following Udonna back to Rootcore. Flying on the Mystic Racers was fun but Mason was more than ready for some quiet studying so that he could better improve on his magic. "I can't wait to start."
Vida rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Only you, bro. You're such a nerd."
Mason just smiled. He couldn't help it. Ever since he was a kid, when he wasn't making video diaries, Mason was found in the library, pouring over countless books, both fiction and non-fiction of all different subjects, as he was not only a bibliophile but he also had a passion for learning all that he possibly could.
"Well, I happen to like nerds and I'm with Mason on this," said Natalia. "Quiet studying sounds great right now."
Everyone laughed as Mason blushed under Natalia's words. Though they'd only just started to get to know each other, it was plain to see that Mason had a crush on Natalia. But whether or not she was aware of it was another matter entirely.
"So, Udonna, the Mystic Racers are awesome but now that we're Power Rangers, don't we lots of other cool stuff too?" asked Vida, excitedly.
"Yeah," gushed Chip. "I mean, no one's more excited than me to finally get to wear a cape."
"'Finally'?" laughed Xander. "If I remember correctly, you used to come to school and work with a pillowcase pinned to your back."
This time, Chip was the one who turned bright red with embarrassment. "Yeah, well, that was a long time ago."
"That was yesterday, mate," teased Xander.
"Well, anyway!" said Chip, loudly over everyone's laughter. "Vida's right. We're official superheroes now. Where's the rest of the vehicles, weapons and gadgets we get?"
Udonna smiled nostalgically at Chip's eagerness. His youthful innocence and eagerness to learn more of magic reminded her of younger days when she was a new apprentice. But Chip, much like Udonna and many others who'd come before him, would have to learn the value of patience in the learning of magic.
"The Xenotome holds the spell codes that can unlock magical powers beyond your imagination," explained Udonna.
Upon hearing this, Vida looked ready to burst at the seams with excitement. "Then what're we waiting for? Let's bust it open, load the codes and get our booty!"
Natalia raised a questioning eyebrow and shook her head at Chip and Vida. "Guys, we've just barely begun to scratch the surface of our powers. Rushing through things might not be the best idea. Like my mom used to say, 'all good things to those who wait.' It'd probably be best if you settled down and took the time to learn the basics before attempting the big stuff."
"Easy for you to say, Little Miss Firepower. You're already awesome in battle. You trashed Koragg all on your own. What more do you need to learn?" said Vida, scowling.
"Plenty," she replied. Natalia wasn't an idiot. Just because she finally had some decent control over her powers didn't mean that Natalia was done learning how to master them. Not to mention, years of being afraid of her abilities did not make her inclined to rush through the lessons and lose control in the process. Years of self-defense lessons as well as motorcycle driving and repair had taught Natalia the values of patience and humility. "Besides, there's always more to learn and there's always someone out there who's more skilled. We can't get ahead of ourselves."
"Natalia is right. Of all the things you'll come to learn, humility and patience will be your greatest lessons as well as the most invaluable," said Udonna, nodding in agreement. "And in regards to your question, Vida, the Xenotome doesn't work that way. As you perform heroic deeds and grow as Rangers, the book will reveal the spell codes, but only when the time is right. Now, that's enough discussion. It's time to start your lessons. Come along."
Without waiting for a reply, Udonna resumed her walk back to Rootcore and everyone but Chip and Vida followed. They were huddled together in discussion. Neither one of them was too happy with the situation and sought to rectify that.
"'When the time is right'?" repeated Vida, grumpily. "I don't want to wait that long!"
"Me neither," agreed Chip. "There's got to be a quicker wait to get those codes."
Vida was quiet as she considered their options and then her face lit up. "I've got an idea, come on." To their retreating friends, she called out, "We'll catch up with you guys later!"
Who cared what Udonna or Natalia said about patience? Chip and Vida were going to get the codes quicker than anyone could blink and leave the others in the dust in the process.
XXX
Five hours later, while Udonna brewed her protection potion, Mason and Xander were pouring over the spell books to learn incantations. Mason was loving every minute of it as there was so much to learn, so many ways to improve on his water magic and even better, the chance to learn how each and every spell originated in history. Xander, however, was just the opposite. He was not only bored out of his skull as studying had never been his favorite pastime but there was just too much learn, too many spells and charms and dos and don'ts of magic to remember and his head was starting to split from it all.
"Man, look at all these incantations. How's my brain supposed to fit in all this stuff?" whined Xander. "How're any of us supposed to remember it?"
"Just keep practicing. Any time I got stuck with something, my dad would say studying is like a field-stripping a weapon, it's just repetition until you've got it," said Natalia, as she performed a spinning kick that transformed into a fire tornado.
Natalia was not currently studying because after three solid hours, Natalia had decided to take a break from reading and was presently practicing combining her martial arts moves with that of her fire magic in a sectioned off, fire-proofed area. She was showing vast improvement in her level of control and was proving to be very entertaining as fire swirled and blazed from every single punch and kick she made.
Mason and Xander applauded as Natalia finished her fiery spinning kick.
"Now, that was awesome," said Xander.
"Wicked cool," agreed Mason.
"Thanks, guys," said Natalia, as she plonked down into her chair. She then took a great swig of her ice water before returning to the spell book she'd been reading. "Hey, I don't know about you guys, but I'm starved. Why don't we get some lunch in twenty and call it good for one day?"
"Sounds good to me," said Xander, as his stomach rumbled.
Mason nodded in agreement and then his eyes lit up with a mischievous spark as he spied a certain spell in the book he was reading. "Hey, Xander, I think I found a way to help with your memory storage problem." He aimed his wand at the Green Ranger. "Craneor Magnus!"
Suddenly, Xander's head swelled up like a balloon and both Mason and Natalia laughed.
"Now, you have lots more room," joked Mason.
"And I thought he had a big head before," laughed Natalia.
Xander tried to look angry but he failed miserably as he wasn't really all that upset. "Very funny. Now, Mason, if you wouldn't mind…?"
Mason nodded and then reversed his spell, returning Xander's head back to its normal size.
Natalia attempted to return to her reading but her attention was diverted when she heard Clare and Udonna's conversation.
"Clare, didn't I ask you for stickleberries for this protection potion?" asked Udonna, as she stirred more herbs into the cauldron.
Clare winced, apologetically. "I know, I'm sorry. But it totally wasn't my fault. I had a whole bunch of them in my basket but I lost them when I was attacked by this giant worm."
Udonna stopped stirring as her eyes widened in shock. "Giant worm? What worm?"
"Well, I think it was a giant worm. But I didn't get a good look at it because it never surfaced," admitted Clare. "One minute I'm picking stickleberries and then suddenly the ground shakes as some big creature underground comes at me. I run for my life and the next thing I know, this weird gnome or troll or goblin thing knocks me out of the way and saves me."
"Hmm," said Udonna, concerned. She didn't like the idea of some dangerous creature making its way underground with such force. If it was what she suspected, then they were all in serious danger. But what was also concerning was the stranger who'd saved Clare's life. "Did you see who helped you?"
Clare shook her head in disappointment. "No. He disappeared into thin air before I could thank him or get his name." Clare was at a loss to explain why anyone would run off like that, especially from her as Clare was a nice girl and didn't judge on appearances.
"This is troubling," said Udonna. "We must keep an extra close eye on the forest and I strongly advise against you going out there alone until we know whether this strange creature is benevolent or not. Understood?"
Clare nodded. "Fine with me. I've had enough trouble for one day."
Natalia's interest was piqued, though she said nothing on the subject. An underground monster. Wonder what that could be? Was it really after Clare in particular or just anyone who crossed its path? The vague description of the beast sounded oddly familiar but Natalia couldn't quite place it. However, she pushed that aside and resumed her reading, deciding to cross that bridge when she came to it.
XXX
Meanwhile, Chip and Vida were attempting to unlock the spell codes by being heroes for hire, quite literally. Their place of business resided on a busy street corner and they'd set up a banner painted in red, white and blue with stars and the words:
HEROES 4 HIRE
It might've looked more impressive had Chip not forgotten the 'e' in heroes and having to fix his mistake by adding in a small 'e' that looked almost out of place. Also, they were camped out under the banner with a small folding table with their lunch between them and all in all, it looked similar to a child's lemonade stand, which didn't serve that good of an impression.
"So, Vee, how do you figure that being heroes for hire will get us more codes from the Xenotome?" asked Chip. He was eager to get the codes but was a little skeptical about Vida's plan working.
"Well, Luke Cage and Iron Fist are heroes for hire in your comics and they're considered heroic, right? This is just us doing the same. Besides, Udonna said that doing heroic deeds unlocked the codes, so all we got to do is perform a bunch of them and we're golden," reasoned Vida.
Chip couldn't find fault in Vida's logic and it made some sense. As long as heroic deeds were done, no matter what they were, the spell codes would be unlocked.
And it wasn't long before Chip and Vida had their first customer, an older woman who needed someone to mow her lawn and wash her six dogs, tasks that could've been considered heroic from a certain point of view, considering the woman's estate was the size of a football field and the only lawn mower she had was an old push mower and her dogs were not only filthy from playing in the mud but also quite hydrophobic. The jobs were quite tedious and by the end of them, both Chip and Vida were exhausted and sore beyond measure.
"Man, I don't know how many more heroic deeds I've got left in me," complained Vida. After washing the dogs, their employer had also had Vida take a look at her car, which had resulted in Vida getting a mouthful of car exhaust for her troubles.
"Yeah, tell me about it," agreed Chip. He was spent and never wanted to mow another lawn as long as he lived. Still, it would be worth if they unlocked some awesome spell codes for their troubles. "So, let's see how many new spell codes we got."
Vida's face lit up as she and Chip dug out their morphers and checked their list of spell codes, only to be disappointed beyond measure when nothing new appeared.
"Nothing?!" exclaimed Vida, in disbelief. "After all that work! How can this be possible?"
"Maybe it doesn't show up here. Maybe it'll show up in the Xenotome," suggested Chip. He refused to give up so soon. After all the work they'd done, they had to get something for their efforts. "Let's go to Rootcore and check the book."
Seeing no other options, Vida agreed.
XXX
Following lunch, Mason and Xander decided to take Natalia on a tour of Briarwood so she could get a feel for the city and so they could all get to know each other better. It was proving to be quite a delightful day as they explored book stores and parks, looked at some of Briarwood's monuments, walked on beach and even hit the local motorcyclist shop downtown where Natalia was able to get a good deal on a part she wanted for her bike. They capped off their outing with some ice-cream cones and were taking a walk to the movie theatre to catch the latest sci-fi flick.
"I'm surprised Chip and Vida didn't come. They would've loved this," said Xander, as he finished off his minty ice-cream. They'd tried calling and texting the other two Rangers all day, but there'd been no reply. "Come to think of it, they never showed up for studying, either. Where do you think they went off to?"
"Who knows? Somewhere they can get into plenty of trouble," said Mason, shrugging, as he wiped his hands clean of the blueberry ice-cream that melted onto them with a napkin. He loved his older sister, but knowing Vida, she was probably up to her eyeballs in some kind of trouble by now. "I saw the look in Vida's eyes. She's on one, again."
Natalia took the final lick of her strawberry ice-cream before tossing the plastic bowl and spoon into the nearby trash bin before speaking, "I take it they do that a lot? Get into trouble, I mean?"
"I'll show trouble!" hissed a voice, before Mason could reply.
Natalia and the boys took defensive stances when they saw Necrolai standing before them, looking ready for a fight.
"Who the heck are you?" demanded Mason.
"I am Necrolai, Dark Mistress of the Underworld and Queen of the Vampires," she hissed.
Xander patted Natalia's shoulder and began stepping forward. "I'll handle this one." If they could just talk their way out of this, there would be no need to Ranger up. "Hi, I'm Xander. Whatever the problem is, I'm sure we can just talk it out."
"You wish!" Necrolai's eyes glowed bright purple with dark magic and then Xander was blasted back. He would've broken something if Mason and Natalia hadn't caught him in time.
"Okay, maybe not," admitted Xander.
Natalia rolled her eyes as she got out her morpher. "Let's Ranger up! Magical Source, Mystic Force!"
Mason and Xander quickly followed suit and morphed before launching into battle. But the fight did not look to be in their favor, for although they were able to land multiple punches and kicks, the Vampire Queen was proving to be a more capable fight than they'd given her credit for. She was able to dodge many of their blows with astounding agility. Xander even tried plunging his Magi Staff into the ground beneath Necrolai's feet, which sent her flying into a concrete wall, doing a fair bit of damage but still wasn't enough.
"That's it! Playtime's over!" screeched Necrolai. "Now, you're in trouble, Rangers!" Quickly, Necrolai extended her wings and took the air, where she blasted them twice more with her dark magic eyebeams, injuring them enough to make them power down and easy pickings for Necrolai. "Let's go for a ride!" Necrolai grabbed Mason and Xander by their throats and then held Natalia between her feet.
"Let me go, you freak!" yelled Natalia, as she struggled against her captor. I have to get out of here. I have to get help. Summoning up with strength she had left, Natalia's hands glowed with white-hot flames, which she pressed against Necrolai's ankles, causing the Vampire Queen to scream in pain before she dropped the Red Ranger to the ground.
Free of her captor, Natalia quickly rolled under a car, concealing herself from Necrolai's vision. As soon as the coast was clear, Natalia emerged and began heading back to Rootcore.
I'll come back for you guys, I promise, she vowed.
XXX
"Send Mucor to the surface world, Koragg!" ordered Morticon. "He has an appetite, for Mystic Power Rangers!"
Fully healed now, Koragg thrust out his hand and summoned up the energy needed for the spell. "So be it. Oothra Noquah Ozarro!" A dark seal appeared, causing Mucor to grow in size as he was transported to the surface world.
"Hungry!" whined Mucor.
"Patience, Mucor!" snapped Necrolai. Despite being burnt by the Red Ranger, Necrolai was still able to fly and she hadn't relinquished her death grip on Mason and Xander. "Dinner's coming! Good riddance, Rangers!"
Mason and Xander screamed as they were dropped into Mucor's mouth and swallowed whole.
XXX
As soon as they arrived at Rootcore, Vida and Chip went straight for the Xenotome, only to find that it was completely blank. Not a single new spell codes had been unlocked, which both disappointed and aggravated them immensely.
"Stupid book must be broken," muttered Vida.
"Yeah. We should've gotten something after all that," said Chip, disappointedly.
"WHERE THE HECK HAVE YOU TWO BEEN?!"
Chip and Vida nearly jumped out of their skins as they spun around to see Natalia limping into Rootcore, spotting a number of nasty-looking bruises and lacerations. She was clutching her chest as if her ribs were damaged and she looked beyond furious.
"Whoa, Natalia. What happened to you?" asked Vida, concerned. "Are you okay?"
"Do I look like I'm okay?" snapped Natalia. "I thought you two might've been hurt or worse when you didn't pick up! Speaking of which, where've you guys been and why haven't you been answering your phones? Do you even know what's happening right now?"
Despite flinching under their leader's harsh tone, Chip proudly announced, "We've been performing heroic deeds to unlock the spell codes."
Ignoring her pain, Natalia folded her arms across her chest and continued to look disapproving at them. "Oh, have you? And what, pray tell, did these 'heroic deeds' entail and just how many codes have you unlocked?" she asked, her voice dangerously calm.
Vida and Chips suddenly felt quite nervous under Natalia's piercing gaze and they exchanged sheepish looks as they revealed what the 'heroic deeds' they'd been doing and how they'd just found out that the Xenotome was still blank. All the while, Natalia hadn't said a word, which did not bode well for Chip and Vida.
"So, what do you think?" asked Vida, when they'd finished their story.
Natalia took a deep breath. "May I speak freely?"
Vida and Chip exchanged puzzled looks and then they nodded.
"I think you're both colossal idiots," said Natalia, bluntly. "And you don't actually know anything about being heroes."
Chip and Vida were rendered speechless and gaped at Natalia. Idiots? Them? How could that possibly be true? And how could Natalia possibly say that they didn't know anything about being heroes when Chip was the expert, having spent a fortune on comic books, video games, DVDs, and trading cards all based on superhero lore.
Natalia ignored their reactions and continued her rebuke. She seemed to get angrier with every word she spoke as the room grew increasingly hotter.
"Do you have any idea what a hero even is? A hero is someone does the right thing, who faces danger even though they're afraid, someone who puts the lives of others before their own, no matter what the cost is to their own well-being. Not someone who wants glory and power for their petty self-interests! So, for you two pretend your actions are even remotely heroic is insulting and disrespectful to all the real heroes out there and you should both be ashamed of yourselves!"
Natalia paused to let her burning rebuke sink in before she downed a bottle of painkiller potion from the supply cabinet.
"You know, I came here to get some help but now I see that I shouldn't have bothered. So, if you'll excuse, I'm going to help Mason and Xander. Let me know when you've grown up," said Natalia, disgustedly. She didn't even wait for a reply before taking off on her Mystic Racer.
Chip whistled low in Natalia's direction. "Wow. Now I know how Koragg felt. We're lucky she didn't flambé us."
"She was pretty mad," agreed Vida. "And we probably deserved it." Her brow wrinkled in confusion. "But what was Natalia talking about when she said we were insulting and disrespecting 'real' heroes? What does she know about that?"
"I think I can explain that," said Udonna, startling them. The White Sorceress Queen had been watching the exchange from the shadows, waiting for the right moment to intervene. "Natalia was raised quite differently than you two. Her late mother was married to a soldier, a man of honor and integrity who instilled his values into Natalia before his passing. He was a hero to Natalia in more ways than one, so you can why she would take offense at your behavior."
Both Vida and Chip were shocked as well as horrified. Their leader was not only orphaned, but her father had been a great man, a true hero in every sense of the word. Then they winced as though they'd been punched in the stomach and they felt guilt and shame threatening to overwhelm them.
"Oh, jeez, no wonder she was so mad," said Chip, guilty. "She's right. We didn't act like heroes. We were being selfish. Worse, we were disrespectful to her dad."
"We didn't mean to. We didn't know," said Vida, weakly. Then again, Vida couldn't blame Natalia. They'd only just begun their friendship and people didn't go blurting out that kind of sensitive, private information to those they barely knew. And Vida and Chip's behavior certainly hadn't warranted that level of trust. "But you're right. We messed up." Then Vida's brain caught up with the rest of Natalia's words and she felt a wave of alarm. "Wait, what was she saying about Mason and Xander?"
As if in answer, the crystal ball lit up with a view of Natalia zooming towards Mucor, who was now gigantic in size and ready to consume more innocents to satisfy his hunger. Worse still, the crystal ball showed Mason and Xander trapped inside its disgusting stomach.
"The others are in trouble and Natalia can't possibly take him down on her own. You must go help her," said Udonna, urgently.
"Us?" said Vida, incredulously. "Look at that thing! It's massive! We'll get squashed! We need an army to fight it!"
"You just might," said Udonna. "There are only two of you and you've hardly begun to master your Ranger powers. But can you really leave Natalia to fight this on her own? Her power is great, but in her injured state, she might not win. Are you afraid?"
Vida was scared but she tried to deny it. "What? No. I-I—"
"I'm totally scared," piped up Chip. He held out his hand, revealing a fresh set of goosebumps. "Look, I have goosebumps on my goosebumps!"
Vida sighed. "Okay, I guess I am a little freaked. But not all of us can be fearless like Natalia. I mean, you've seen what she's like. Nothing terrifies her."
Udonna stared at them incredulously. "Is that really what you think? You're wrong. Natalia feel fear just like anyone else. In fact, before she came to Briarwood, she was scared of her magical abilities, of what would happen if she lost control or was exposed. It was because of that fear that she nearly left Briarwood for good."
Vida and Chip's jaws dropped.
"No way! Natalia had magic before she came to Briarwood? How is that possible?" gasped Chip.
Udonna shrugged. "I do not know. But the point is, she was afraid for quite a long time. She had very little confidence in her abilities. But when she fought against Koragg to save your lives, the fear of what would happen if she didn't take action was greater. So, in spite of her fears and the overwhelming odds, she did what she thought was right. Courage, children, does not erase your fears and nor does it change the situation or the consequences. Courage is when you face your fears and control them and attempt to change the outcome." She paused for a moment to let this sink in. "You have every reason to be afraid, the creature's size and strength are unlike anything you've ever encountered."
Despite the fear she felt, Vida felt a new resolve forming. "It does look bad but Mason's my brother. I can't leave him helpless to this thing. And if we let Natalia fight on her own, she'll get killed."
"And we can't forget Xander," added Chip. "They need us. We've got to try and help them."
Vida nodded in agreement. Regardless of the odds or how scared they were, they had to help their fellow Rangers. It was their duty.
Udonna smiled approvingly as they pulled out their morphers. "Remember, real heroes are born in the face of real danger."
"We won't forget, Udonna," promised Vida. They'd learnt their lesson and they would not forget it any time soon. "Magical Source, Mystic Force!"
XXX
After morphing and grabbing their Mystic Racers, Chip and Vida raced off to Mucor's location, just in time to see Natalia get knocked out of the sky with a swing of his giant, green arm.
"Lia, hang on!" yelled Chip. He hit the accelerator and swooped down, just barely catching the Red Ranger in time while Vida snatched Natalia's broom out of the air. "Are you okay?"
"I will be," said Natalia, as she struggled to catch her breath. She slid onto her restored Racer and looked at Chip and Vida in amazement. "You guys came to help. Even after I yelled at you?"
"Well, of course we came. You're our friend. We couldn't just leave you and the others. Besides, you were right to yell. We deserved it," said Chip.
"We were being selfish idiots and we shouldn't have been in the first place. We're Power Rangers now, but more than that, we need to be better people for ourselves and for others," said Vida. "We're sorry. So, are we still friends?"
Natalia nodded and then her morpher lit up. She flipped it open. "It's a new spell code, for healing. Talk about perfect timing." Quickly, Natalia punched in the code and at once, her body was engulfed in fire. When the flames receded, she was completely healed of all her injuries. It was said that a phoenix burst into flames and was reborn from the ashes and it seemed that Natalia was the same. "Now, let's get this freak!"
"You've got it, boss," said Vida.
While Natalia distracted Mucor, Vida leapt off her Racer and transformed herself. "Mystical Wings! Mediocris Pulvis!" Giant, pink butterfly wings appeared on Vida's back and then she used them to spread special dust which made Mucor expel Mason and Xander from his body. Although Mason was able to use a water spell to clean him and Xander up, neither one of them was at all happy about having been stuck in Mucor's disgusting stomach.
Chip took charge next. Carefully, he stood on his Mystic Racer and aimed his weapon at Mucor. "Magi Staff, Crossbow Mode! Eat this, slime brain!" Powerful bolts of lightning shot out from the crossbow, knocking down Mucor and injuring the filthy creature long enough for the Rangers to regroup and try to come up with a plan. It was not long, however, before all their morphers lit up.
"Hey, look! We all got a new spell code," exclaimed Mason, excitedly.
"Just like Udonna said we would," said Xander. "Come on, guys. Let's put it to the test!"
At once, everyone shouted, "Galwit Mystio Prifior!"
A series of light magic seals appeared and transformed the Rangers into the Mystic Titans, beings of great size as well as great power. Natalia became the Mystic Phoenix, a great silver and red warrior with a mighty sword to match. Xander became the Mystic Minotaur, a green and silver armored mythical beast with a massive battle axe. Mason transformed into the Mystic Merman, a blue and silver armored sea creature hybrid with a majestic trident. Chip turned into the Mystic Garuda, a silver and gold mythical birds with powerful wings. And finally, Vida changed into the Mystic Spite, a pink and silver mythical being who could transform into a giant, rock solid ball that would decimate its enemies.
Immediately, Mucor lashed out, blasting at them with explosive magic but his blows were dodged. Chip took the skies and blasted at Mucor with lightning and then Natalia sliced at Mucor with her sword. With Mucor in such a weakened state, he was easy prey for their final attack. Vida curled herself into a tight ball, which Xander blasted to Mason, who performed an amazing backflip and sent to Chip, who in turn passed Vida off to Natalia. With each passing, Vida's strength grew and when Natalia finally threw Vida at Mucor, the germ-ridden beast was blasted into oblivion.
Pleased with their victory, everyone cheered. They had won another battle against the Master's forces and unlocked more spell codes. What could possibly be better?
XXX
Back in the Underworld, the defeat of Mucor as well as the Rangers' new use of the Mystic Titans' power did not sit well with some of the Master's lackeys. Necrolai, in particular, was unhappy at the current situation. The Rangers had only taken to their powers quite recently and already, their powers were growing exponentially. This did not bode well for anyone in service to the Master or to the Master's plans to conquer the surface world.
"Morticon, we must make haste to destroy the Rangers before it's too late!" said Necrolai. "Already, they've tapped into the powers of the Mystic Titans. If we don't stop them before he awakens—"
"Silence, hag!" commanded Morticon. "Worry not, for the underworld will triumph. They may have defeated Mucor but they will not destroy my Hydra Worm! And when the time comes, our leader will take his rightful place as the Supreme Master of All!"
The Rangers had won the battle but the war was far from over.
XXX
Meanwhile, with Mucor defeated, Natalia decided to investigate the monster that had attacked Clare. Udonna had fully consented to Natalia's plans, as they did not yet know if Mucor was what attacked Clare or if it was benevolent or malevolent. If it was the latter, then the beast would need to be dealt with and fairly quickly before it was too late.
Natalia knelt down, examining the churned up earth near the stickleberry bushes. She was no detective but so far what she was seeing did not match the M.O. of Mucor which meant they most likely had another monster to deal with. Suddenly, the hairs on the back of Natalia's neck stood up and she tensed. Someone was watching her.
"Hello?" she called out, warily. Slowly, she stood up. "Who's there?"
Nobody responded but Natalia could see the silhouette of someone in the bushes. Cautiously, she approached it, only to jump back and ignite her hands when someone or something jump out of the bushes, screaming its head off.
"Ahh!"
"Whoa! Jeez!" Natalia stood in a defensive stance as she gazed upon the creature standing before her. "Stand back!"
The creature, who held its arms up, narrowed its eyes at Natalia. "You stand back!" He took a sniff of his arms made a face. "Ugh. Maybe you should stand back."
Natalia stared in confusion as she looked at the creature before her. He was certainly grotesque in appearance with tangled black hair and an equally messy beard, lumpy skin, a big and warty nose, and droopy earlobes with gold hoop earrings at the bottom, and fangs that didn't fit into his mouth. He wore a maroon sweater, a maroon leather tunic and leggings and a dark blue leather cap sat on his head. But despite his appearance, he didn't seem to be evil or malevolent in the least. What's more, something about him seemed familiar.
"You don't know what I am. You're not from around here, are you?" he asked.
"No, not really," admitted Natalia. She pointed to the churned up earth. "And you didn't make that tunnel, did you?"
The creature blinked in surprise and then shook his head. "Nope. The Hydra Worm that went after that blond girl did."
Thought so. This guy, whatever he is, he's about as dangerous as a scary movie. Natalia drew back her magic and lowered her arms.
"I think you and I got off on the wrong foot." Natalia extended her hand. "Let's start over. I'm Natalia and you must be…" Before the creature could answer, a name came to Natalia's mind. Phineas. "…Phineas?"
He stared at her in happy surprise. "You know my name? How'd you know my name?"
"Uh…" Natalia was at a loss to explain as she didn't know how on earth she'd been able to guess the odd creature's name. It was yet another thing in Briarwood that seemed familiar to Natalia but she couldn't remember how. "Lucky guess. So, Phineas, what were you saying about a Hydra Worm?" The name alone did not sit well with Natalia and she had the sinking feeling that whatever the Hydra Worm was, it was one of the enemy's nasty little pets.
"Oh!" Phineas paled and he was about to reply when suddenly, the ground shook and gave way beneath him.
"Phineas!" cried Natalia. Oh, crap. Quickly, Natalia focused her magic and sent a burst of fire down into the tunnel. Moments later, there was a horrendous screeching sound and the smell of something burning before the Hydra Worm spat Phineas out. Immediately, Natalia ran over to Phineas and helped him to stand. "Phineas, are you okay?"
"I'm okay," said Phineas. His face lit up with great joy and he spread out his arms. "You saved my life! Let's hug!"
"I would love to, but I think you'd better run," said Natalia, urgently. The Hydra Worm sounded like it was seriously angry and judging by the movements, it was increasing its speed. "It's coming back. Run. Now!"
Phineas looked upset that he was being denied his hug but then he spotted the Hydra Worm, at which point he wasted no time in fleeing for his life.
Knowing she didn't dare take it on alone, Natalia called for backup. "Guys, I found what attacked Clare. It's a Hydra Worm. Zero in on my coordinates and get here, A.S.A.P." Natalia ran for her life until she reached the cliff side, at which point she morphed and drew her sword.
No sooner had she done so, one of the Hydra Word's heads burst out of the ground and went straight for Natalia, only to recoil in pain when she sliced at it with her sword. It proved to be a mistake on Natalia's part, however, when the Hydra Worm shot at Natalia from behind, causing her to drop her sword. It lunged for her again, only be blasted back by a powerful geyser of water courtesy of Mason, who arrived in the nick of time.
"Thanks, Mason, I owe you one," said Natalia, as he helped her to stand.
"Nope. Now, we're even," said Mason.
But there was no time to celebrate as suddenly, all eight heads of the Hydra Worm burst out of the ground below. It had not only finally made its way to the surface, but it was also extremely mad at having been burnt, sliced at and nearly drowned all in one day. Before anyone could move or formulate a plan, Mason's morpher lit up.
"Hey, I got a new spell code," said Mason, excitedly. "And just in time, too. Udonna said that the Titans had more power. Let's put it to the test. Ready, guys?"
"Ready! Galwit Mystio Prifior!" As soon as everyone transformed into the Mystic Titans, Mason, Chip, Xander and Vida chanted, "Mystic Titans, Dragon Transformation!"
Mason, Chip, Xander and Vida's bodies glowed and then they joined together to form a gigantic, scary-looking dragon megazord which Natalia rode straight to the Hydra Worm. The Hydra Worm blasted at them with dark magic, but the Rangers just dodged as Natalia took another swipe at the dark beast with her sword. When the Hydra Worm attacked again, they returned fire with fire, almost literally as they blasted it with dragon's fire. Finally, Natalia added her firepower to the dragon megazord, creating an extremely powerful fireball that destroyed the Hydra Worm for good.
XXX
Later that day, Natalia went out looking for Phineas.
With the help of Clare, Natalia had brought with her a basketful full of assorted flowers, fruits and vegetables and even a generous supply of stickleberries as means of saying thank you for Phineas' bravery and kindness in saving Clare's life. She was just gathering a few raspberries for her own consumption when suddenly…
"AUGH!"
"AHH!" Natalia clutched at her heart and glared daggers at Phineas, who'd jumped out the bushes and scared the living daylights out of her. "Phineas! For the love of—! You have got to stop scaring me like that. Next time, I might accidentally roast you."
"Sorry," said Phineas, apologetically. "Didn't mean to scare you, Pretty Girl. I've been looking all over for you."
Natalia's curiosity was piqued. "Oh? What for?"
Phineas smiled and extended his arms. "Just wanted to thank you for saving my life. Can we have that hug now?"
Natalia's heart softened as she chuckled. "Sure, big guy." Phineas reeked to high heaven but he seemed like a nice guy. Plus, Natalia preferred not to judge by appearances. After giving him the hug, they began walking towards Rootcore. "So, if you don't mind my asking, what exactly are you, Phineas? I've never seen anything like you."
Phineas did not mind and he was only too happy to explain. "You see, I am a troblin, that is the unfortunate result of a troll and a goblin forming a union. I say unfortunate because trolls hate goblins and goblins hate trolls, so both sides hate me and I wander through the forest on my own. But tell me, young warrior, what brings you to this part of the forest?"
"Well, it's because of you, actually," explained Natalia. "That blond girl you saved from the Hydra Worm today is a friend of mine and we wanted to thank you. Here." She handed Phineas the basket. "I hope you like stickleberries."
Phineas' face lit up. "Who doesn't?" Without waiting for a reply, Phineas grabbed all the berries and consumed them in the blink of an eye before tearing into the rest of the basket's contents. "Ooh, thank you. That was delicious." He was practically bursting at the seams with happiness. "This is truly my lucky day. I haven't been friends with a pretty girl since I met Aurora."
Natalia's brow wrinkled at the mention of Aurora. Lee-Lee had mentioned a girl called Aurora and now Phineas had done the same. Was it a coincidence or something else entirely? There's that name again. Why does it feel like I should recognize it? Who is Aurora? She opened her mouth to ask Phineas about Aurora but then decided against it and said nothing.
"Oh, and as my new friend, I must warn you, fair sorceress, this forest is full of danger," warned Phineas.
Natalia nodded. "Thanks but I already know. My friends and I are up against Necrolai and Koragg. We can handle ourselves against them. How much worse can it get?" She was half-joking but her smile faded when she saw the grave look on Phineas' face. "What? What's wrong?"
"Necrolai and Koragg are but pawns," said Phineas, gravely. "You haven't met the other ones, Imperious or Morticon. But they are nothing compared to…" Phineas looked around to make sure no one was listening before he whispered, "him."
Natalia's heart sank with dread as she frowned. "'Him'? Him, who?" she whispered. If Koragg's boss was so scary that even mentioning his name was frightening, then they were in serious trouble when the time came to take him down, and Natalia was certain of it.
Phineas looked scared to death as he whispered back, "The leader of the darkness. The Supreme Master of All Evil." Phineas held a finger to his lips and made a shushing motion. "And pray that you never face him, for he will be our doom."
A chill ran down Natalia's spine. The Master. The name alone inspired fear but yet Natalia was not truly scared. "How do you know this?"
"I was there fifteen years ago during the Great Battle," confessed Phineas. "I saw everything. So, please, promise me you will be careful, friend. For you know not what lies ahead."
Natalia numbly nodded. "I promise."
What have I gotten myself into?
XXX
Meanwhile, Morticon was throwing a tantrum over the destruction of his Hydra Worm. He'd been so certain that it would destroy the Rangers but instead, the opposite had occurred and now they were short of yet another weapon against the surface world.
"They destroyed my Hydra Worm!" roared Morticon. "They will pay for this!"
Koragg nodded in agreement. "And pay they will." But secretly, Koragg was even more intrigued with the Rangers' skills, for it meant he'd found worthy opponents at long last.
Suddenly, the Master's slumbering white eye glowed bright red and the throne room roared with fresh, dark magic, signaling his awakening.
"Look!" cried Necrolai. "It's him!"
Morticon rose from his throne. "Bow down before the Supreme Master, you fools!"
Everyone in the throne room, all the Hidiacs and Styxoids and all the other soulless mutants that had yet to be given their chance to attack the surface world, placed their left arms on their chests and bowed down to their leader.
"Hail to the Master!" declared Koragg.
"Hail to the Master!" echoed Necrolai.
"Hail!" cried Morticon.
The Master was still imprisoned and could not wreak his vengeance upon the surface world just yet, but now that he had awakened, the war had truly begun.