The Gatekeeper Part Two
Clare looked at the risen gate in distraught.
The gates of the Underworld had been raised to the surface and soon enough, the Master's armies would break through and all humanity would be lost. Everything her family had fought for, the sacrifice that Niella had made…all of it was nothing thanks to Clare's foolishness. Everything that had happened and the devastation that was surely to come was all Clare's fault.
"I'm sorry, everyone. I'm so sorry," she whimpered, as tears slid down her cheeks.
Xander wrapped an arm around Clare's shoulder and pulled her in close. "It's not your fault, Clare." None of them were blaming Clare for this. How could have been Clare's fault? She'd been trying stop the darkness, not help it. And even so, Clare couldn't have known what was going to happen and more to the point, she hadn't wanted it to.
Clare said nothing and did not look the least bit convinced.
"Look! Up at the gate!" cried Chip.
Everyone turned and watched in horror as the Gargoyle of the Gates, a terrible gigantic beast that was said to serve the Master and attack any who dared oppose the darkness, broke free of it stone prison and blasted all five Rangers and Clare sky high.
Koragg then swooped down and grabbed Clare by her arm. "Get up! You won't get away this time." He forced Clare to stand and dragged her away.
"Clare!" cried Xander, as he struggled to stand up. "Let her go, Koragg! Fight me instead!"
"I think not," said Koragg. "The Gargoyle of the Gates will take care of you."
Enraged, Xander launched himself at Koragg and swung his axe at the Knight Wolf, but Koragg just blocked Xander's blows with ease and then blasted Xander across the battlefield before disappearing through a dark seal.
"NO!" cried Xander, distraught. But it was too late. Xander's beloved girlfriend was now gone, possibly forever and nothing Xander had done or could do had been able to change it. "KORAGG, YOU BRING HER BACK NOW, YOU HONORLESS COWARD!"
Xander hoped against hope that Koragg might at least react to the insult, but there was no reply, no sign that Koragg had heard Xander's enraged, heartbroken cry, much less that he even cared.
"We'll get her back, Xander, I promise," assured Mason. He didn't know how, but the Blue Ranger refused to give up on Clare. One way or another, they were going to rescue Clare as well as Udonna and bring them both home before it was too late. "But we need to stay focused and fight or else there won't be a home for Clare to come back to."
Mason was right. Their grief was great but there was no time to dwell on that as Gargoyle continued its attack, forcing the Rangers to quickly transform into their Mystic Titan forms. Whereupon, they joined together to form the Mystic Titan Megazord.
"Mystic Spell Seal!"
Quickly, they conjured a mystic spell seal and attempted to blast Gargoyle with it, but the beast just teleported to behind them before they could blink and swung its mighty staff onto the back, injuring them. When they tried the spell a second time, Gargoyle again teleported elsewhere but this time he hit them so hard that the megazord went flying into the gate and the force from the hit caused the crack in the gate to widen.
Suddenly, something long and sharp poked out of the gate and then an unwanted face appeared, grinning a sick, smug grin.
"Hello, Rangers!" said Morticon.
"It's Morticon!" exclaimed Vida. "He's escaping!"
"Not again!" whined Chip. He remembered all too well what had happened the last time Morticon had gotten free. It had taken all their strength and more to send him back to the Underworld and they were nearly destroyed in the process. What was worse, it was clear that Morticon's strength had grown, which only made the situation worse and the odds of them coming out of the battle alive and in one piece were extremely unlikely.
"Your megazord has caused the crack in the gate to widen enough for me to get through!" said Morticon, as he pushed way past the stone gates. "Now your whole world will know my crushing power! Yes, the time has come! The destruction at the surface world is at hand!"
Before anyone could react, Morticon fully emerged from the gates that had kept him and his kind imprisoned for so long and then he let out a gleeful yell.
"YES! I'M FREE!" yelled Morticon. He then lit up his sword with dark magic and swung his blade down on the Rangers from one side while Gargoyle began attacking them from the other.
"Oh, crap! He's free!" exclaimed Xander. "What're we supposed to do now?"
"The only thing we can do, keep fighting!" said Natalia. "We don't have a choice. C'mon, guys!"
With two extremely powerful and dangerous enemies attacking on both sides, it did not seem possible that victory would be the Rangers'. Was it possible that Morticon's dream of dark magic and conquest of the surface world was finally going to come true?
XXX
Meanwhile, Clare was stirring.
After Koragg had kidnapped her, Clare had been knocked unconscious, making it easier to transport her. Now, she was awakening and she found herself in a closed off area of the Underworld. There was very little light and what's more, there appeared to be no one around, except for Clare. Then, slowly but surely, a familiar glowing sphere appeared floating in the air just a few tantalizing feet away.
"Clare!"
Clare's face lit up and she sighed in relief at the sight of her aunt and mentor, still trapped in Koragg's bubble but otherwise unharmed.
"Udonna! OW!" Clare yelped in pain when she tried to step forward, only for the force-field to zap her and force her back.
Koragg then made his presence known. "Good. You've awakened."
Clare scowled. "What do you want, Koragg?"
"Your magic was strong enough to raise the gates. Now, we will see if you're strong enough to open them," explained Koragg, as though it were obvious. "Or else your sorceress will pay with her life."
Udonna frantically shook her head in alarm. "Don't do it, Clare! My life is not worth the innocents who will suffer if the gates are opened!"
Though it broke Clare's heart to sacrifice her aunt, Clare did not intend to obey Koragg's demands. Udonna was right. Sometimes, the good of the many outweighed the good of the one. "I will never help you, Koragg!"
"You misunderstand. I don't intend to ask for you power. I intend to take it!" growled Koragg. His shield then split open. "Eye of the Master!"
A great dark seal appeared beneath Clare's feet as she was then attacked by dark magic. Her body went rigid as a great spell wheel, five circular runes with ancient symbols that kept the gates locked up, appeared above Clare's head. They were all rotating in different directions, trying to match up to one another perfectly. When they were complete, the gates of the Underworld would be forever unlocked and the Master's evil forces would be unleashed upon the surface world.
"Perfect," said Koragg, happily. "When the spell wheel is complete, the gates will open and our armies will be unleashed!"
Right then and there, the first match of the spell wheel was made and Clare screamed in pain as her magic began to unlock the gate against her bidding. It did not take much longer after that for another match to be made and Clare's screams intensified. What was worse, her coloring began to fade and it was only through Koragg's spell that she was able to keep standing.
Knowing that Koragg was a warrior of honor, Udonna made a desperate move for Clare's life. "I beg you, Koragg! Stop this madness! Where is the honor in this?"
Koragg scoffed. "Do not speak to me of honor, sorceress! You know nothing of the word! Your pleas are useless, so save your breath! The Master's wishes must be obeyed to the very end!" In Koragg's mind, there was some honor in this victory, for Clare had not only proven herself to be a great opponent, but she had the power to escape if the silly girl would just focus her magic and do what had to be done. She had the means to defend herself, it was hardly Koragg's fault if she didn't. And even so, Koragg was not one to question the Master's wishes nor disobey him. Koragg's hands were tied. "Now, be silent. It will soon be over!"
Unable to do much else, Udonna merely watched in distraught at her beloved niece's pain while she silently prayed that help would come.
XXX
Back on the surface world, Natalia and the other Rangers were getting the beating of their lives. As they had feared, Morticon's powers were greater than ever, which gave him an advantage of the battlefield. And worse, the Gargoyle of the Gates kept attacking as well, which made it increasingly difficult for the Rangers to get any upper hand. With each blow they suffered, the situation was looking increasingly hopeless.
After Morticon blasted the Rangers again with his sword, Natalia decided to try a different approach. "Let's take it to the skies! Ready, guys?"
"Ready!"
Their megazord's wings extended and they shot straight up into the sky like a rocket. Whereupon, they cast one of their most powerful spells.
"Spirits of the Ancient Titans! TITANS ATTACK!"
The Rangers' magic strengthened tenfold and they conjured a powerful mystic spell seal, which they used to attack Morticon. It was a spell that normally would do a great deal of damage, if not completely destroy their enemy but for once, this was not the case. The mechanical hybrid managed to not only counter the spell before it could take affect but he also hit them with so much devastating dark magic that the Rangers not only disbanded from the megazord but the Dark Magic Strike also caused them to power down completely.
They landed in the rubble of the battlefield, injured and their strength greatly sapped.
"Ow…" moaned Chip, as he struggled to stand. "Morticon's even stronger than he was last time!"
"He's got more dark energy than before," said Xander, in agreement. "How're we supposed to stop him when he's like this? We don't have that kind of power."
Xander raised a good point. They'd used their strongest defensive spells but it hadn't made a dent in Morticon's armor and in their current weakened state, they stood little chance of surviving another battle against the darkness. Not to mention, the gate was still standing and if it wasn't sealed shut and soon, the Master's armies would be unleashed and everything would be lost. The situation looked truly and utterly hopeless.
Mason shakily rose to his feet and looked at Morticon's rampaging form in distraught before becoming alarmed. "Guys, look! Something's happening!"
Everyone turned to look where Mason was pointing and to their horror, the gates of the Underworld were smoking as a powerful dark spell emerged from the cracks, the once clear blue skies were darkening and within moments, it became black as night and dark magic reverberated through the air as it began to drain the surface world of any light and happiness that it could find. To make matters worse, the Gargoyle of the Gates was destroying the city at Morticon's commands.
"Destroy it! Destroy it all!" ordered Morticon.
The Gargoyle was only too happy to obey its leader's orders as it had spent far too long in its petrified form and was more than ready for some destruction and devastation on behalf of the dark forces.
"I can't believe it," said Vida, as tears glistened in her eyes. After everything they'd done to protect their world, it was all going to be for nothing. Morticon was going to win, if he hadn't already. "Is this really how it ends?"
Stubborn as ever, Natalia's hands clenched into fists which ignited with fire as she stood up. "No. This is not how it ends! Udonna said we were the protectors of the city and that's what we're going to do!" Natalia had lost the life she'd known and the people she'd loved once before. She would not let history repeat itself. One way or another, they were going to stop Morticon and rescue Clare and they were going to win the accursed war. "I don't care what the odds are! I'm not giving up! Clare and Udonna are depending on us and so is everyone else in the city! This is who we are and what we were meant to do. I'm going to keep fighting. Are you guys with me?"
Emboldened by Natalia's speech, Mason and the other Rangers nodded in agreement. Natalia was right. They couldn't give up. When they'd accepted their mantles as the Mystic Rangers, they'd also taken on a duty to protect the city and its inhabitants no matter what. No matter how the war ended, surrender was not an option.
"We're with you, Lia," said Xander.
"So, what's the plan?" asked Chip.
Natalia thought carefully for a moment and then a plan sprang into her mind. "Koragg took Clare because they need the Gatekeeper or else their plan fails. If we can get Clare away from him—"
"Clare can lower the gates and we can stop Morticon," finished Mason as his face lit up. "She's probably inside the gates."
"Which is guarded by those two," reminded Vida, gesturing to Gargoyle and Morticon. "How're we supposed to get past them without getting caught?"
"We don't," said Natalia, in realization. All five of them trying to gain entrance past the gates wasn't possible, but it would be far easier for one person to slip in and out without being detected if a diversion was provided. "If we all went, we'd be squashed like bugs. But maybe I can go it alone. I know I'm asking a lot of you guys, but do you think you can keep Morticon and Gargoyle busy while I go after Clare and Udonna?"
While Natalia was the leader of the Mystic Rangers, she knew her plan came with a great deal of risk and she couldn't just send her boyfriend and friends out without making sure they were willing to take on the dangers involved.
"Absolutely," said Mason, as the others nodded. It made sense for Natalia to go it alone. She was the strongest out of the five of them and she knew Koragg's battle tactics the best, and a lone strike past the gates would stand a better chance than all five of them at the same time. "We'll keep Morticon and Gargoyle busy. You go after Clare and Udonna. Ready guys?"
"Ready! Magical Source, Mystic Force! Galwit Mysto Prifior!"
Mason, Vida, Chip and Xander morphed and transformed into their Mystic Titan forms and then bonded together into their dragon megazord, whereupon they resumed the battle against the Gargoyle and Morticon. With not one, but two powerful dragon's fire breath attacks, they destroyed the Gargoyle of the Gates, leaving a perfect opening in the gates of the Underworld for Natalia.
"Magical Source, Mystic Force!" yelled Natalia, as she thrust her morpher into the air. As soon as the transformation was complete, Natalia summoned her Mystic Speeder and hit the accelerator as she zoomed towards the gates.
As Natalia neared the gates, however, she was met by an approaching army of Styxoids and Hidiacs, who were armed and prepared to defend the gates from unwanted intruders.
Oh, great. Just what I need, thought Natalia, grumpily. Quickly, Natalia blasted the foot soldiers with her bike's lasers, destroying a good chunk of the Hidiacs and Styxoids. She then dismounted from her bike and drew her sword and thrust it out to the skies. "Magi Staff, Ignis Pluviam!"
A blast of fire magic shot into the clouds and then localized great balls of white-hot fire descended from the heavens, obliterating all the remaining Hidiacs and Styxoids into ashes and leaving Natalia free to continue her mission.
With the pathway cleared, Natalia wasted no time in creating a ramp for her motorcycle, which she then used to gain the altitude she needed as she hit the gas pedal and took off like lightning past the gates and into the Underworld.
"Hold on, guys, I'm coming," vowed Natalia.
One way or another, Natalia was going to rescue Udonna and Clare, no matter what the cost. And Koragg would be given a harsh reminder of the dangers of messing with the Rangers' own.
XXX
Meanwhile, Clare's strength was almost gone as with each completely rune, the spell wheel drained more and more of Clare's life-force. When the spell wheel was finished, the gates to the Underworld would be fully opened and the Gatekeeper would be no more.
A few tears slid down Clare's pale cheeks and her throat felt hoarse from screaming in pain. She'd been trying for what seemed like an eternity to stop the spell wheel but she had failed miserably and she was beginning to fear the worst.
"Give me the strength to fight this, Mother," whispered Clare, praying Niella might somehow hear her and lend aid.
"Silence!" ordered Koragg, harshly. "The spell wheel is nearly complete and the gates will soon be opened! And our armies will be unleashed!"
"But the Gatekeeper's energy is almost gone and Clare will not survive!" protested Udonna. "Koragg, please. How can you do this to an innocent life such as Clare's?"
"Your niece is no innocent, Sorceress!" hissed Koragg. "The moment she took on the Gatekeeper mantle, her fate was sealed! And even if that were not so, I take no pleasure in doing this. But it was the only way and the Master's wishes cannot be defied!"
Realizing it was pointless to continue arguing as Koragg would not be swayed from his decision, Udonna turned to Clare with tears of regret in her eyes.
"Forgive me, Clare," said Udonna, her voice choked with tears. This was all her own fault. Udonna had vowed to protect Clare from harm with her life and that promise had been broken in every way. Soon, Clare would perish and the dark forces would win. Everything that Udonna had done to keep Clare safe, everything she'd ever fought for…it had all been for nothing. "I failed in my promise to your mother to protect you. I'm so sorry."
Despite her exhaustion, Clare stubbornly shook her head. "There is nothing to forgive, Aunt Udonna. This isn't your fault." In Clare's eyes, Udonna was innocent. The White Sorceress had only ever done what she thought was right. She'd done her best to protect Clare, even when the odds were against the Udonna. Nothing that happened from that moment onward was on Udonna's shoulders. The only ones to blame were the Master and his goons.
Just as the spell wheel was about to be complete and the gates fully opened, a familiar voice shouted out, "FLAMMA AETERNA!"
Koragg was suddenly blasted by a powerful fireball that not only heavily burnt him, but also sent him flying across the room.
Natalia then appeared from the shadows and extended her sword as she leapt down and she stood protectively in front of Clare. Right then and there, the young blond sorceress was released from her imprisonment and the spell wheel vanished.
"Natalia!" cried Clare, in relief as she hugged Natalia from behind. Never before had she been so happy to see the Red Ranger. Finally, things were starting to look up. "You found us."
Natalia nodded and ignited her sword with fire as she took a defensive stance.
"Natalia, you've done well, but there's no time to waste! Clare's energy is almost gone. Get her out of here!" ordered Udonna, sternly. "I'll be fine. Just get Clare out of here at once!"
"You've got it!" Natalia had no desire to leave Udonna behind, but she knew her mentor was right. Udonna was imprisoned but she wasn't entirely helpless whereas Clare's weakened state left the blond girl vulnerable. Clare was in greater need of help than Udonna. But despite this, Natalia knew Koragg wouldn't let Clare go without a fight, so Natalia would give him one. It was a risky move but the only one Natalia could dare to take. "Koragg, I challenge you to a duel. Just you and me. If I win, you let Clare go."
"Very well, I accept," said Koragg. He never could refuse a good duel, especially one with an opponent as great as Natalia. "But know this, Red Witch, if you lose then I get you!"
A warrior of honor Natalia might have been, but she had no intention whatsoever of losing the battle or being Koragg's prisoner for long, so Natalia mentally crossed her fingers as she consented.
"It's a deal. Now, let's get on with this," growled Natalia.
"As you wish," said Koragg.
Suddenly, dark magic lit up Koragg's shield and then there was a flash of blinding light as their surroundings changed. When Natalia's vision cleared, she found herself in another dimension with clear blue skies and sunlight. She and Koragg stood on opposite sides of a deep canyon valley and Clare stood high on top of a cliff, paralyzed once more and unable to do anything but helplessly watch.
"What the—? Where are we?" demanded Natalia.
"Your challenge, my battlefield," explained Koragg. "Welcome to the Endless Dimension and your destruction, Red Witch!"
"We'll see about that," growled Natalia. Prepared as always, Natalia quickly punched in the spell code Xander had recently unlocked and felt her strength increase. Hopefully, it would give her the advantage she needed to defeat Koragg and save Clare. "Are you ready?"
"I'm always ready," snarled Koragg, as he drew his sword. "HIYAH!
Nothing more needed to be said as Koragg and Natalia then charged each other. Quickly, Natalia rolled and dodged the swinging blow from Koragg's sword. She then met Koragg's blade with her own as she stood up and Koragg took another swing at Natalia. Natalia proceeded to either dodge or counter Koragg's blows and the sound of metal clashing against metal echoed throughout the rocky valley. When Koragg spun around and swung his sword at Natalia again, Natalia leapt into the air and gracefully landed on Koragg's other side, where she then delivered a powerful kick to Koragg's stomach. But the kick did little good as Koragg then punched Natalia so hard she was tossed across the valley.
Despite her pain, Natalia rolled away to safety as just as Koragg was about to strike from above. She blasted Koragg with a steady stream of fire, which gave Natalia the time she needed to stand back up and get back into the fight. The two of them continued to duel in a similar fashion, meeting or dodging the other's blows until Natalia reignited her sword with blazing white-hot fire and attempted to swing her blade down across Koragg's torso. It was a move that should have done a great deal of damage, but the Knight Wolf ignited his own sword with dark magic that not only extinguished the fire in Natalia's sword, but gave him the chance he needed. He then proceeded to punch Natalia so hard she was rendered unconscious and then he grabbed her by the throat and tossed her across the valley.
Natalia was tossed across the valley like a skipping stone across a body of water and then she proceeded to fall down the cliff side and land in a deep lake. It was lucky that Natalia was wearing a protective helmet and was also quite stubborn, or she might drowned or succumbed to her injuries. But Natalia was not a quitter and thankfully, the cold water managed to jolt Natalia into awakening. Enraged, Natalia incanted a spell in her mind that not only healed her but also caused the lake to evaporate into steam. She emerged, angry and ready to finish the battle against Koragg.
"All right, that is it, Koragg! You asked for it!" Natalia called upon her strongest spell which usually called forth the end of any battle. "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 Koraag with all her might.
When the flames receded, Natalia expected to see Koragg kneeling on the ground, clutching his sword for support with his armor cracked and burnt from the fire damage. It was what she'd come to expect from that spell, but a shock came Natalia's way as Koragg emerged from the smoke still standing tall and battle ready and only sporting minimal injuries. His power boost from the Master was clearly doing him a great favor.
"Oh, crap!" muttered Natalia. That was the strongest spell in Natalia's arsenal. She would keep up the fight, but it was starting to look like she was going to lose the duel against Koragg.
"Your magic is strong, but it cannot compare to that of the Master!" said Koragg. "Behold his power!" Koragg's shield split open and his sword ignited with dark magic. "Dark Magic Strike!"
Before Natalia had a chance to react, she was heavily struck with devastating dark magic. The blow was so damaging that Natalia was disarmed, blasted so hard into the rock wall of the cliff that it nearly caused a rock slide and Natalia unwillingly de-morphed, leaving her vulnerable to Koragg. She was also badly injured. She was covered from head to toe in lacerations and abrasions and every muscle and bone in Natalia's body was screaming in pain and she could barely stand.
"Natalia!" cried Clare, in dismay. This couldn't be the end. Not like this. Not her! Clare sent up a prayer, begging anyone would listen for help. Koragg couldn't win. He just couldn't! "No, please no! Keep fighting!"
In the blink of an eye, Koragg was standing before Natalia and holding his sword to her throat.
"Now you know the power of dark magic, the kind of power that always wins!" growled Koragg. "You should surrender now, foolish girl!"
"You're wrong!" snarled Natalia, as she grabbed Koragg's sword. Koragg was delusional. Dark magic's only power was to bring misery and pain. But that was hardly power in comparison to what light magic could achieve. "There's a greater power in love, friendship, courage and hope, the kind it takes to keep going even when it seems all's lost! That's you and all your kind will NEVER beat us and why I will NEVER surrender as long I still draw breath!"
Suddenly, Natalia's necklace glowed with a blinding white light and then she felt her strength increase a hundredfold before her body was engulfed in fire that took the form of a phoenix and Koragg was blasted across the battlefield. Morphed once more, Natalia took to the skies and cast a powerful spell seal that paralyzed Koragg and drained him dry of his excess dark magic, rendering him vulnerable to Natalia's next attack. A battle cry escaped Natalia's throat as she fired up her sword and with one great, powerful swing, shattered Koragg's sword into dust.
For the final blow, Natalia cast another devastating spell. "Phoenix Ignem Gladio!" Phoenix fire blazed through Natalia's sword and when she brought it down across Koragg's torso, there was a devastating blaze that heavily burnt him and sent him straight into the cliff wall, breaking a good chunk of the stone in the process.
When the flames receded and the smoke clear, Natalia saw that Koragg had survived, but just barely. The Knight Wolf was in worst shape than he had ever been. His armor was blackened and heavily cracked from the fire damage and he couldn't even stand. He was kneeling and clutching his shield, which was almost completely destroyed, for dear life.
Koragg was defeated this day, but he was nothing if not as stubborn and resilient as Natalia.
"You may have destroyed my weapon and you may have won this battle, Red Witch. But the war between the two of us is far from over!" declared Koragg. "I will be back!"
Before Natalia could react, Koragg disappeared through a dark seal.
Natalia felt a wave of anger at her enemy walking away yet again but she pushed it back as she turned her attention to Clare, who was looking deathly pale and weak.
"Clare!" Quickly, Natalia ran to Clare's side and caught the younger girl just as Clare collapsed into Natalia's arms. With Koragg's defeat, Clare was no longer imprisoned, but she was still weak from Koragg's dark magic. "Are you all right?"
"I'm okay, just exhausted. Being a sorceress is way tougher than I thought," said Clare, tiredly. "I don't know how you guys do it."
Natalia smiled. "Lots and lots of practice."
"I'm sure. So, by the way, how did you do that with your necklace?" asked Clare.
Natalia stared in confusion. Her necklace? What was Clare talking about? Natalia hadn't done anything with her necklace.
"I'm sorry, what?"
"Your necklace was glowing right before you defeated Koragg," explained Clare. "I could sense its magical energy. It was the strongest magic I've ever felt and I think it strengthened your magic."
"What?" Natalia powered down and examined her necklace but the pendant was no longer aglow and nor did it look any different than it ever had. Now that Natalia thought about it, she had felt considerably stronger right before she'd taken down Koragg and she'd had that exact same feeling the last time Morticon had gotten free and she'd countered the dark spell. But how it was possible, Natalia did not know as until Natalia had come to Briarwood, her pendant had never shown any signs of being a magical one. "I have no idea how that happened. But something similar happened the last time Morticon got loose. At the time, I thought the energy came out of nowhere but looking back, it…it must have been because of this."
"Well, where did you get that necklace?" asked Clare.
Natalia helplessly shrugged. She felt more lost than ever. "I…I don't know. I've always had it."
Ever since that long-ago day when Natalia had been found on her adopted parents' doorstep, Natalia had been in possession of the necklace she always wore. She'd never taken it off, never examined it past the occasional glance in the mirror and had never questioned it. Natalia had never known for certain where the necklace had come from and had always assumed it was from her birth parents, whom she never knew. But now, she was beginning to wonder if that was wrong and something else was at work. What secrets did her necklace hold that Natalia had yet to unlock? What mysteries lay concealed beneath the metal and jewels of Natalia's pendant? Had Natalia been wrong not to ask questions and pursue answers regarding her necklace?
"Well, we need to help the other Rangers before Morticon destroys them. Your necklace has the power we need. Do you think you can replicate what you did with Koragg?" asked Clare.
"If I knew what I'd done to trigger in the first place, maybe. But I don't," said Natalia. That was the hard truth of the matter. Twice, Natalia's necklace had somehow given her the strength she needed to stop her enemies, and twice Natalia had summoned that energy without realizing it or knowing just how she'd done it in the first place. "We need another plan." After a moment's consideration, Natalia's face lit up. "Wait…Catastros. Last time I combined with him, our powers were incredible. If I could summon him here, it would give me the energy I need to end this. We could take down Morticon once and for all."
It was a long shot, but it was the only chance they had. Catastros was loyal to Koragg but Natalia had earned the mighty steed's friendship and trust and she knew in her heart that Catastros would allow Natalia to ride and combine with him once more. Especially if Catastros knew that they were going up against Morticon, the monster who'd ordered Necrolai to attack Catastros with the deadly crossbow in the first place.
"Then that's what you need to do," said Clare. "Maybe we could combine our powers so he would come here and the two of you could combine and then I can use my magic to lower the gate."
Natalia immediately shook her head. "What? No. No. Clare, I can't ask you to do that! You can barely stand! Loaning me your power and lowering the gate could destroy you!" Natalia had been helpless to prevent the demise of her loved ones once before and she'd sworn she would never endure that again. Clare was Natalia's friend. Granted, they were in the middle of a war, but how could Clare expect Natalia to just let Clare sacrifice herself?
Clare shook her head as she placed her hand on Natalia's. "You're not asking me. I'm willingly offering and you can't stop me. Besides, we both know there's no choice. I can't let innocent people suffer when I can stop it. And it's what my mother would have done."
Knowing that Clare was right and the young Gatekeeper would not be dissuaded, Natalia forced back tears and ignored the tightening in her throat as she held Clare in a sisterly embrace. "It's been an honor for me to fight beside you and be your friend."
Clare tightened her grip on Natalia. "Me too."
Whatever happened from that moment forward, Clare had no regrets. Despite her hardships, Clare had not only survived, but she had grown as a sorceress, she'd gained amazing friends and had even found love. Her life had been truly blessed.
When the two young women broke apart, Natalia morphed again and then aimed her Magi Staff at the skies. Clare placed her own hand on Natalia's Magi Staff and the Red Ranger slid an arm around Clare's waist, keeping the Gatekeeper up right as they combined their magic and shouted out, "Catastros, Veni Ad Me!"
As Natalia and Clare's magic combined, a beam light magic shot into the heavens and redirected onto the ground, creating a mystic spell seal. The ground then shook and rumbled like thunder and a great neigh echoed throughout the valley as Catastros emerged and strode over towards them.
"We did it!" said Clare, breathlessly. She couldn't believe it. They'd actually summoned Catastros!
Natalia gave Clare a brief but affection one-armed hug as she approached Catastros. "Catastros, remember me?" When Catastros whinnied and nodded, Natalia continued, "Listen, I need your help. Morticon is going to destroy my friends and probably Koragg unless you and I work together to stop him. Will you help me, Catastros?"
Natalia was not bluffing when she said that Morticon would likely destroy Koragg when given the chance. Through their mind link, Natalia had sensed a deep, bitter hatred and distrust between Koragg and Morticon. It had given her reason enough to believe that if their goals weren't the same, Koragg and Morticon would happily destroy each other in order to be the Master's second-in-command. And Natalia knew that Catastros would never allow any harm befall his beloved master, which gave them both cause to become allies for a brief time.
Catastros's eyes gleamed with righteous anger as he pounded his hooves and nodded once again.
"When you combine, send me back to our world so I can lower the gate," said Clare. "I raised it, I have to be the one to lower it. It's the only way."
Natalia reluctantly nodded. She took no pleasure in this but this was what they'd been training for ever since they'd been chosen. There was no other course of action to take. If they were going to stop Morticon, this was the only way.
"Galwit Mysto Prifior!"
Natalia transformed into her Mystic Titan form and then using hers and Catastros's combined power, sent Clare back to their dimension and then Natalia took off for the Rangers' battle with Morticon. One way or another, it was going to end…forever.
XXX
Once she was alone, Clare closed her eyes and summoned forth every last ounce of magic and strength she had left.
"I call forth the power of the Shining Moon Warriors and all other Gatekeepers before! Give me the strength to seal these gates forevermore!" yelled Clare.
As Clare's circlet lit up, she could not see them but she felt the presence of not only her mother but all other Gatekeepers that had come before Clare. They had answered Clare's prayer for help and their spirits emerged from the afterlife and poured their power into Clare's circlet, giving her the strength she needed.
With a final great battle cry, Clare sent forth a powerful beam of magic at the gates, willing it to close once and for all.
Having finally done what needed to be done, Clare finally succumbed to unconsciousness.
XXX
Back in Briarwood, while in the middle of delivering a severe beating to the Rangers, Morticon briefly stopped his attack to witness the shot of light magic that struck the gates of the Underworld and remade the Gatekeeper's seal.
"What's that? What's happening?" yelled Morticon.
As if in answer, the ground shook and the gates resealed as they were lowered back into the depths and at once, the skies became clear of Morticon's dark magic and beautiful once more. This time, the gates to the Underworld would never remerge. The gates of the Underworld were closed and would remain so forevermore.
Naturally, Morticon did not take kindly to this and had one of his infamous temper tantrums. "MY DARK MAGIC! WHO DARES TO INTERFERE WITH MY DARK MAGIC?"
"I DO!" yelled Natalia, startling Morticon as she and Catastros galloped onto the battlefield.
Mason and the other Rangers looked at their leader in relieved shock and amazement. Bonding with Catastros once had been a feat onto itself. But twice? Who on earth could say that they'd been lucky enough to have accomplished such amazing deed?
"Look, it's Natalia and Catastros!" cried Mason.
"No way!" exclaimed Xander.
"Just in time too," said Vida.
"Get her, Natalia!" said Chip.
Natalia nodded and performed the combining spell. "Come on, Catastros. Let's finish this freak! Centaurus Phoenix Megazord!"
Natalia and Catastros proceeded to combine into the Centaurus Phoenix Megazord, whereupon Natalia ignited her sabre with powerful phoenix fire and swung it thrice at Morticon. The attacks not only severely cracked Morticon's armor, but also knocked him down.
Taking advantage of Morticon's wounded state, Natalia and Catastros then proceeded to combine with the other four Rangers, creating a very powerful megazord.
"You insolent little ants!" roared Morticon. "You will all pay for this!"
Morticon swung his blade at the Rangers but they blocked his blow their sabre and proceeded to kick Morticon hard in the stomach.
Morticon had started out with the upper hand but that was about to change.
XXX
Meanwhile, although she was still imprisoned, Udonna's bubble had made its way to Koragg's chambers and it was not long before she spotted her Snow Staff hanging up on the wall like a trophy.
Knowing this was her only chance to escape and help the Rangers stop Morticon, Udonna quickly waved her hands and chanted, "Noru Estraba Luxrotu!"
Udonna's Snow Staff glowed with magic and that power made its way to Udonna, enabling her to redirect it to the Rangers. With any luck, the addition of Udonna's magic would be enough to defeat Morticon once and for all.
XXX
Back on the battlefield, Natalia and the other Rangers were wearing Morticon down but they still hadn't won the battle against him yet. Suddenly, the control room and their Magi Staffs glowed brightly as they felt a sudden influx of power.
"Whoa," murmured Xander, in amazement. "Where'd this energy come from?"
"I don't know but it couldn't have come at a better time," said Vida.
Natalia ran her fingers over her Magi Staff. Udonna. Natalia didn't know how, but she just knew it was Udonna who was helping them. Though she knew the White Sorceress couldn't hear it, Natalia sent out a quiet prayer of gratitude. Despite Udonna's circumstances, she was still helping the Rangers, guiding and protecting them as she always had.
"Let's see what this power can do," said Mason.
"Agreed," said Chip.
Morticon roared in anger. "You will not defeat me!" His sword lit up with dark magic. "Dark Magic Strike!"
"Let's do it, guys," said Natalia.
Quickly, everyone thrust out their Magi Staffs and incanted, "Ancient Power, Mystic Spell Seal!"
Their megazord's sabre lit up with powerful light magic and when it struck Morticon's sword, it not only drained away the dark magic, but his sword also froze in the blink of an eye.
Morticon was shocked, to say that least. "WHAT?! HOW DID YOU—WHOA!" As Morticon pulled away from the Rangers, the weight of the ice became too much and he fell over like a stack of children's toy blocks.
"Look at that! We froze Morticon's sword! How did we do that?" asked Vida. "Mason, did you—?"
"No. It's got to be Udonna!" said Mason, gleefully.
"You mean the White Ranger," said Chip.
As if in answer, Udonna astral projected her White Ranger form to appear right beside the Rangers and snow began to gently fall around them as all six Rangers' powers increased and combined as one. With the magical strength as it was, there was no victory for Morticon, only a final swift and humiliating defeat.
Before Morticon could act, the Rangers incanted, "Mystic Strike!" as they raised their blade and brought it down hard onto Morticon.
There was a great explosion of magic as Morticon met his end. "You have destroyed the mighty Morticon, but you have not won this war! The Master will prevail, I swear to you!"
But Morticon's words fell onto deaf ears as the Rangers snapped their fingers and triggered the final blow. Morticon's body lit up like a lightning storm as he then exploded into nothing. The great, dark mechanical wizard hybrid was gone forever.
Elated at their victory, Natalia and the other Rangers cheered and patted each other on the back. They'd done it. They'd destroyed Morticon!
"Congratulations, guys! We did it!" cheered Natalia. After so many battles, finally they'd achieved in destroyed Morticon.
"Morticon's finally gone!" cheered Mason.
"Forever!" said Xander.
"About time, too!" added Vida.
"We rock!" gushed Chip.
Although the war with the Master was not yet over, the Rangers had achieved a great victory. And with Morticon's defeat, they were one step closer to winning the war. As long as they stood together as one, nothing and no one would ever beat them.
XXX
Back in Koragg's chambers, Udonna continued her chanting until finally, her bubble prison turned into ice and shattered, freeing her.
Not one to waste a golden opportunity, Udonna made her way to her Snow Staff, intending to take it back before she left. But before Udonna could take her property, Koragg appeared out of nowhere, grabbed Udonna's hand and pushed her back.
Although he was severely injured from his battle against Natalia, Koragg still had enough dark magic in him to keep Udonna away.
"No! The Snow Staff stays with me!" snarled Koragg. "You have served your purpose. Be thankful I'm letting you leave with your life."
Koragg was not being kind or merciful. Without her Snow Staff, Udonna was no threat to the dark forces and nor was she of any use to Koragg any longer. Letting her go was the only thing to be done, but if Udonna tested Koragg's patience, he would have no qualms about destroying her then and there if need be.
Udonna scowled and shook her head. "I can feel no gratitude towards such a heartless monster such as you, Koragg. Only pity."
Koragg may have been a warrior of honor but he still served the Master and his darkness. And Koragg's unwavering loyalty to Master's evil would leave him in a life devoid of what made life truly worth living such as love, friendship and family. For that and that alone, Udonna pitied the Knight Wolf and his accursed life.
Without waiting for a reply, Udonna cast a spell to take her away from the Underworld.
XXX
Outside of Rootcore, Clare began to stir as the gently falling snow brushed against her cheeks.
As Clare's eyes opened and her vision cleared, she realized that not only had she survived but she was no longer in her Gatekeeper garb and nor did she sense her mother's power any longer. Clare was no longer the Gatekeeper. She was back to her old self once more.
"Clare!"
Clare's head shot up and her face lit up as she saw Udonna and the Rangers running towards her, all of them were alive and well and looking quite relieved to see that Clare was in the same boat.
"Udonna!" Without hesitation, Clare ran into Udonna's arms and they shared a tight, embrace. When they broke apart, happy tears slid down Clare's face. "I can't believe this. You're alive! You're all alive! Everything's okay."
Xander smiled as he pulled Clare into an embrace before kissing her. "And so are you. Natalia told us what you did. Don't ever scare me like that again."
When Xander had been told of Clare's sacrifice, the Green Ranger had become sick with worry that he might have lost Clare forever.
"Deal," said Clare, as she rested her head against her boyfriend's shoulder.
"You should be really proud of yourself, Clare. Thanks to you, the gates are sealed forever and Morticon's gone for good," said Natalia.
"Yeah. Udonna was able to channel the power of her Snow Staff to help us," added Mason. "Which couldn't have happened without your help."
"You really came through for us," said Vida, smiling.
"You sealed the forces of evil back into the depths. You're like a super sorceress now!" said Chip, excitedly.
Clare laughed and smiled under her friends' praises. For the first time in a long time, Clare felt a real sense of pride in herself and her accomplishments. She'd fulfilled her duty as Gatekeeper and more and thanks to her, the darkness would be kept at bay for quite some time, if not forever.
"Yeah, I guess I am." But then Clare's smile faded as she spotted her mother's circlet on the ground and she picked it up. "But that was my mother's power. And it's all gone now."
In sealing the gates of the Underworld forever, Clare had used every last drop of the Gatekeeper's power to do so. It was gone now, forever. And with the loss of the Gatekeeper's power, Clare felt a sense of loss, as though she was mourning her mother for the first time all over again.
Udonna's face softened as she gently stroked back a lock of Clare's blond hair. "Your mother lives on in you, Clare, and were she here, Niella would be as proud of you as I am."
In spite of her sorrow, Clare couldn't help but smile. "Thanks, Udonna." It meant more than words could ever say to hear that Udonna was proud of Clare.
"Well, I say this calls for some celebratory ice-cream," said Xander, trying to lighten the mood. "I'll buy. Who's up for it?"
Eager to celebrate their victory, everyone happily agreed. They had more than earned themselves a treat after that battle.
XXX
Later that day, Clare and Udonna each placed a tender kiss Niella's circlet before returning it to Udonna's box of special keepsakes with loving care. Feeling nostalgic, Udonna and Clare began to go through some of the other treasures in the box.
Among them was a jeweled photograph of Daggeron, the Solaris Knight and his wife, Lady Marina, Mason's predecessor as the Blue Mystic Warrior, together with their young son, Nehir. Before the Great Battle had taken them, the Solaris Knight and his wife had been close friends and godparents to Udonna's daughter and Udonna had been quite fond of Nehir, her godson. Clare had considered Daggeron and his family as part of her own and she missed them greatly.
There was also a masterfully crafted ruby and gold ring that had belonged to King Leanbow, Udonna's husband and Clare's uncle. It had been passed down in his family for generations and Leanbow had given it to Udonna as a promise that he would return from the Great Battle. Sadly, he had not been able to keep that promise as Leanbow had nobly sacrificed himself to stop the Master and his forces in the Great Battle.
And last, but certainly not least, there was a gold charm bracelet that had belonged to Leanbow and Udonna's daughter, Aurora. It had been a gift from Jenji on Aurora's fifth birthday. There was a charm for each of the people in Natalia's life—a dragon, a snowflake, a crescent moon, a seashell, a cat and the sun—and Aurora had loved it dearly to the point where the child had never taken it off. Udonna had found it in the forest after the Great Battle and took it as a sign of Aurora's fate.
So much loss, so much grief…
"I miss them too," murmured Clare, as Udonna wiped away a few fallen tears.
Udonna did not reply as she gently squeezed Clare's shoulder. Those they had loved were lost, but they were not truly gone as they lived on in Udonna and Clare's hearts. And at the very least, Clare and Udonna still had each other, which was a great blessing.
Udonna and Clare were snapped out of their thoughts by the sound of a gentle tapping on the wall. They turned and looked to see Xander hesitantly entering the room.
"Hey, sorry to interrupt. Have you got a minute? Natalia and I have something to show you guys," said Xander. "Follow me."
Curious as to what Xander and Natalia had prepared, Udonna and Clare followed Xander to an empty room where Natalia stood chanting something inaudible over a circle of special stones and candles.
"What's all this?" asked Udonna.
"Natalia and I were talking and we decided the universe owed you both one. So, we did some research and came up with this," said Xander. "I hope you like it. But be warned, it's only for twenty-four hours."
Natalia's eyes then shot open as she waved her hands and the lights of the candles left their wicks and joined together. There was a shimmer of light and when it faded, in the center of the candles and stones stood Niella's spirit. She was not transparent, but solid and she was in her prime as she had been the day of her sacrifice.
"Niella?" gasped Udonna, as tears pooled in her eyes. Was this truly possible? To not only communicate with lost souls but to bring them across from the afterlife was a great feat, something that Udonna had not thought she could ever witness in her lifetime.
"Mama?" whispered Clare, sounding like a child again. "Is it really you?"
Niella nodded as she stepped out of the circle and cupped her daughter's face. "Clare, my beautiful little girl…" she murmured, as she tenderly stroked Clare's cheeks. "I am so, so proud of you."
Clare burst into tears as she buried her face in Niella's chest. It was truly Niella. Even if it was only for a short time, Clare had her mother back.
"I've missed you so much," sobbed Clare. "I love you, Mama."
"I love you too, sweetheart," said Niella. She looked to Udonna. "Thank you, Udonna. You kept your promise. It's good to see you again."
"And I you," said Udonna. Words could not truly describe the joy that Udonna felt at her reunion with her beloved older sister or the gratitude that Udonna felt towards the Red and Green Rangers for what they'd done. It was only a moment later that Udonna joined in Clare and Niella's tearful embrace.
As Natalia and Xander left to give the reunited family a little time alone, Niella mouthed, 'thank-you' and they gave a kind smile and nod in return.
Even Natalia's powers could not resurrect Niella completely but for now, it was enough knowing that she and Xander had brought so much-needed peace and closure into Udonna and Clare's lives. It was no less than what they deserved.