Long Ago
After his shameful retreat from the battle, Imperious spent the next week recovering and regaining his strength. His defeat as well as his time in the cave had left his energies significantly depleted. But that time was long since passed and now he was ready to get his dark plans back on schedule.
"Now that I'm free of that cave and back to my full strength, I will take my revenge on those blasted Rangers and destroy their wretched city," vowed Imperious. "But I will not do so alone. Come forth, Jester! Liberum Adsignatos!"
Imperious thrust out his fan as he incanted the spell, causing a portal to appear and from it, emerged Jester, who was a clown, in every sense of the word. He looked like a cross between a monster and a medieval jester with accordions for arms, he was always cackling like a hyena and hopping around like an overactive frog. But in spite of his nature, Jester was quite strong and quick on his feet and could be quite troublesome when he wished to be.
"Ha-ha! Finally, I'm free of that filthy prison!" cackled Jester, gleefully.
"Yes, you are," said Imperious, sharply, forcing Jester to turn and face him. "And now that I have granted you your freedom, you will do as I command!"
Not wishing to anger his rescuer, Jester immediately bowed. "What is it you wish, my liege?"
Imperious grinned. Humble obedience and respect. He could get used to that. "Jester, do you recall the plan you and I spoke of before the Great Battle ended?" When Jester nodded, Imperious conjured a black and red paint brush and handed it to Jester. "Excellent. You will take this and use it to fulfill our dream of conquering the surface world. I trust you handle this?"
Jester giggled in excitement as he clutched the paintbrush to his chest. "Absolutely, Lord Imperious. I won't let you down!"
And with that, Jester was sent to the surface world to wreak his mischievous havoc.
Necrolai, who'd been quietly watching the exchange, stepped forward. "My lord, forgive me if I speak out of turn, but I must warn you not to underestimate the Rangers. After all, they destroyed Morticon and quite possibly Koragg and that was no easy feat."
"Your concern does you credit, Necrolai, but you needn't worry," said Imperious, dismissively. "Morticon and Koragg may have been great warriors, but I am far greater than they were. I will not fail to destroy the Rangers. For you see, I have a plan to take them down from within!"
If Imperious' plan worked, both the Rangers and the city would be destroyed before sundown and then the rest of the surface world would the Master's for the taking.
XXX
Back at Rootcore, it was proving to be a very quiet, ordinary morning. Udonna was brewing protection potions, Xander was helping Clare tend to baby Fire Heart, Vida and Chip were studying their incantations and Mason was practicing his water magic. Natalia, however, was nowhere to be seen and she had been absent most of the morning. As the clock struck noon, Chip's brow wrinkled in concern. It wasn't like Natalia to be absent for so long.
"Hey, where the heck's Natalia?" asked Chip, curiously. "She's been gone all day. That's not like her. Should we be concerned?"
"Don't worry about it. Natalia's fine. She called me this morning and said she had some errands to run," said Mason. "But she should be back soon. Speaking of whom…"
Mason smiled as Fire Heart's head perked up and his tail went up into the air, signaling Natalia's return to Rootcore. Lately, whenever Natalia made an appearance, Fire Heart was the first to greet her. He loved Clare and Xander as he considered them his parents, but when he wasn't with them, Fire Heart could be found hanging out with Natalia.
"Big Sister!" squealed Fire Heart.
Before anyone could stop him, Fire Heart leapt out of the blanket Clare had wrapped him in and ran straight for the entrance before jumping into the air and making contact with the Red Ranger.
"Ouch! Fire Heart!" Natalia stepped out of the shadows, looking both disgruntled and amused as she carried Fire Heart with one hand and several grocery bags with the other. "I love you too, buddy, but you really need your claws trimmed." Fire Heart was generally a very sweet dragon, but the little dragon had very sharp claws which needed trimming on a weekly basis. "Hey, why don't you go sit with Papa while I get you your treat?"
At the mention of the word 'treat' Fire Heart's tail wagged with vigor like a dog's as he nodded and obeyed, leaping out of Natalia's arms and climbing up Xander's torso.
Once Fire Heart was on Xander's shoulder, Natalia placed her bags down and took out a packet of dried apples, which she then proceeded to open and pour into a neat little pile on the floor. Fire Heart eagerly licked his lips in anticipation, but waited patiently for Natalia's permission as per part of his training.
"Okay, Fire Heart. Go for it," said Natalia.
An excited squeal emitted from Fire Heart's throat as he leapt down off Xander's shoulder and began devouring the dried fruit pile like there was no tomorrow.
"Well, he's a happy dragon," said Clare, smiling. "So, where've you been all day, Natalia?"
Natalia sighed. "Yeah, sorry about that. I was going over my checklist and realized I forgot some ingredients for my mom's meatball soup. So, I had to run and get those and then when I got to the check-out, I remembered that I needed something presentable to wear for dinner this weekend."
The previous week, Natalia and Mason's relationship had taken another step. Natalia had used the spell she'd used to summon Clare's mother, to contact her adopted parents. It had been a very emotional night as Natalia had not only finally come to accept that their deaths weren't her fault and made her peace, but she'd introduced Mason to her parents as her boyfriend and they'd given their blessing to the relationship. Afterwards, Mason had decided it was high time to return the favor. The following weekend, Natalia was going to Mason and Vida's house for dinner to meet Mason's parents and be introduced as Mason's girlfriend.
Natalia was bringing her mother's meatball soup as part of the meal, to be served alongside Mason's father's dishes of homemade pasta and garlic bread. Natalia was looking forward to finally meeting the people who'd raised Mason into the wonderful man he was, but Natalia was also petrified as she'd never been introduced as anyone's girlfriend before and she wanted to make a good impression. It'd been causing her quite a bit of stress.
"Are you still stressed about that? Lia…" Mason's face softened as he affectionately squeezed Natalia's hand. "…you've got nothing to worry about. I've told my folks all about you and they're really excited to meet you. Everything's going to be fine, I promise."
"I know, I know, it's just…" Natalia sighed again. "This isn't something I do on a regular basis. I'm completely out of my element." Social situations weren't exactly Natalia's forte. She was much better skilled with fire magic, martial arts and battles. Not to mention, Natalia didn't feel as though she met the typical standards for a 'good girlfriend' given her former lifestyle as a nomadic loner, her tough-as-nails personality, her amnesia (which seemed to have gotten worse as she was struggling to recall details like names and faces from her dreams) and her love of motorcycling.
"Well, if it helps, so I am," admitted Mason. Having never brought anyone home before, the Blue Ranger was in the same boat as Natalia. He wasn't as nervous as her, but the twinge of fear was there for different reasons. "But it's going to be okay, I know it. I mean, how could my parents not love you? You're strong, brave and beautiful. Just relax."
Natalia smiled as she tenderly kissed Mason and caressed his cheek. "And you are the best boyfriend ever, which is another reason why I love you."
"I love you too," said Mason.
Suddenly, their moment was interrupted when the crystal ball became dark, warning the group of a dark magic attack.
"Rangers, there's dark magic in the forest. Go investigate," ordered Udonna.
"Right away," said Natalia. She quickly cast a spell that sent her purchases to her room before joining the others in morphing and then summoning their Mystic Racers. After which, they zoomed out of Rootcore, wondering what fight lay ahead of them.
XXX
It did not take long for the Rangers to find the source of the dark magic.
Two miles from Rootcore, a strapping young man with fair skin and long blond hair, garbed in red and black wizard's clothes was not only sporting a number of bruises but he was also being led in chains by a Styxoid and a dozen Hidiacs. His head, which had been bent down, suddenly shot up at the sound of the Mystic Racers as they came into view.
"Please, help me!" he cried.
"Don't worry! We're coming!" yelled Natalia. She turned to the other Rangers. "I'll get the Styxoid. You guys get the Hidiacs. Go!"
"Right!"
Quickly, everyone leapt down off their Mystic Racers and launched themselves into battle. Despite being outnumbered, the battle was over in a matter of minutes as the Styxoid and his goons went down fairly easily with but two simple spells—something that had never happened before. With the enemy defeated, the Rangers turned their attention to the shackled man.
"Thank you. You saved my life," said the man, gratefully. "Now, if I could just ask but one favor more of you…" He held out his shackled wrists.
"Sure. Not a problem," said Vida. "I'll have you out of those in a second." She whipped out a hair pin from her pocket and began picking the lock. Moments later, the man's shackles came off and he began rubbing his tender wrists. "Are you all right, mister?"
"I'll be fine, thanks to you." The man looked at them in awe and gratitude. "You must be the new Mystic Warriors that my captives spoke of. It is truly miraculous. I am indebted to you all. But where are my manners? Allow me to introduce myself." The man bowed. "I am Calindor, knight of the Mystic Realm, former apprentice of King Leanbow."
Chip looked excited. "No way! A real knight? That's so cool!"
Natalia's eyes narrowed. Something didn't add up here. The stranger, Calindor, was an apprentice of King Leanbow's? If that was true, why hadn't Udonna ever spoken of him? And where had he been all this time? And more importantly, if he truly had been a prisoner, then why was he only sporting a few bruises and why had he been taken through the forest where the Rangers were sure to find him instead of using other, stealthier methods?
"You say you served as one of the King's knights and apprentices? Are you acquainted with Queen Udonna?" When Calindor nodded, Natalia continued, "Then forgive me for asking, but what exactly happened to you?"
Calindor sighed and looked regretful. "I can't blame you for being cautious. These are dangerous times. One can never be too careful. But I can assure you, if you speak with the Queen, she will confirm my identity. As for my story, it is a long and painful one, one that I will explain after I've had a chance to rest. These past fifteen years have not been easy."
Natalia's face softened, but she still maintained her ground. "Xander, call Udonna. Ask her if she recognizes Calindor."
Xander nodded and after taking a photograph of Calindor and sending it to Udonna along with a detailed text message, Udonna's reply came quickly.
"Udonna's confirmed Calindor's claims and she wants him back at Rootcore as soon as possible," said Xander.
"Rootcore?" asked Calindor, confused.
"Our base of operations," explained Mason. "Come on. We'll show you. You can ride with Chip."
Calindor smiled as he sat behind Chip on the Yellow Ranger's Mystic Racer and then off they went to Rootcore for a long overdue reunion.
But unbeknownst to Calindor and the Rangers, they were being watched by a certain troblin and he was not the least bit happy to see Calindor. In fact, Phineas was petrified and kept muttering over and over to himself, "Oh, boy. This is not good. This is not good!"
XXX
When they arrived at Rootcore, Udonna was waiting for them with a broad smile on her face. "Calindor, as I live and breathe. I can't believe it's you."
"Udonna," said Calindor, smiling as they embraced. "You're as beautiful as I remember. You haven't aged a day."
"Nor have you," said Udonna. She was not merely complimenting Calindor's handsome looks. She was stating a fact as Calindor did not appear to have aged a day since Udonna had seen him last, which had been fifteen years ago.
"As I told your Red Ranger, it's a long story, one I'll happily tell you in a moment," said Calindor. "But first, I'd like to catch up, if that's quite all right."
Udonna nodded. "Of course. Why don't you come sit with me over here so we can chat?" Udonna turned to the Rangers. "You're all welcome to join us if you wish. Calindor is a great warrior and has a many a great tale to tell."
Chip, Vida and Xander exchanged excited looks as they joined Udonna and Calindor at the table. Within moments, the room was filled with the sounds of happy chatter and laughing.
Mason was about to join in when he saw Natalia out of the corner of his eye and turned to look at her. Natalia was not joining in the merriment, instead she was leaning against the wall with her arms folded across her chest, looking unhappy. Concerned, Mason walked over to Natalia.
"Hey, what's wrong?" asked Mason. "Is it about the dinner?"
"No. It's something else. The fight in the forest with Calindor…am I crazy or did that rescue go down a little too easily?" asked Natalia, quietly.
After a moment's consideration, Mason nodded. The whole fight had gone down too easily for Mason's liking. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he just knew something wasn't right with Calindor. "Should we tell Udonna?"
Natalia shook her head. "Not without proof. I mean, look at her." Natalia gestured to the White Sorceress, who was smiling broadly as she chatted and laughed with Calindor. There was a happiness in Udonna's eyes that Natalia hadn't seen in a while. "She's so happy to have her friend back that she's not going to listen to anything we have to say to the contrary without hard evidence she can't refute."
"Well, we should at least warn Clare. She can keep an eye on Calindor," said Mason. "And we should also talk to Lee-Lee."
Natalia nodded in agreement. Neither of them liked this. They didn't want to be right. But their instincts were almost always right and they had to trust them. If there was anything amiss with Calindor, then they needed to know before it was too late.
Clare, who'd been putting Fire Heart down for a nap, entered the room to participate in the fun, only to stop when Mason waved in Clare's direction and beckoned for her to come over to them, which she did at once.
"Hey, guys, what's up?" asked Clare.
"Clare, we need you to do us a favor. Can you keep an eye on Calindor? See if he acts suspicious or does anything that doesn't seem right," said Mason. "And keep it on the quiet."
Clare stared in confusion. "Uh…I guess I can. But why? He's Udonna's friend."
"We can't explain it, but neither of us trusts him," said Natalia. "We just have this feeling that something is wrong, but we can't go to Udonna without proof and between our shifts at Rootcore and that freak Jester running rampant in the city, we don't have time to look for it. So, watch him and call us if anything happens or ask Phineas about Calindor."
Clare tilted her head. "Phineas? Why him?"
"He said he was there during the war and saw everything. See if you can track him down so that he can confirm Calindor's story," said Natalia. "I'll try and get in touch with Lee-Lee, see if she knows what's up with this guy." If Calindor truly had been a prisoner for the last fifteen years or if he was allied with the dark forces, they needed to know and the sooner the better. "So, will you do this? Please?"
Clare didn't look convinced, but she didn't argue. "Okay, I'll see what I can do."
"Thanks, Clare," said Mason.
Suddenly, the warning bell went off and Mason ran to the crystal ball. "Fun time's over, guys. One of Imperious' goons is attacking at the plaza."
Quickly, everyone stopped what they were doing and morphed before rushing out to the city.
Right after the Rangers left, Udonna and Calindor rose up from the table. "You're probably starving after your journey. I'll bring some sandwiches from the kitchen. In the meantime, why don't you meet Clare? I'm sure she's eager to meet you."
"Of course," said Calindor. After Udonna left, Calindor joined Clare at the crystal ball. "Greetings. I'm Calindor. You must be Clare, the bumbling servant."
Clare's jaw dropped. She was stunned. A bumbling servant? How could a friend of Udonna's be so rude, much less make such a thoughtless assumption and say it aloud?
Miraculously, Clare bit back the stinging retort she was longing to utter and instead, politely said, "Servant? No, I'm a sorceress-in-training and Udonna's niece."
Calindor chuckled and smiled a little too sweetly for Clare's liking as he bowed. "My apologies, milady. Forgive me."
"It's okay." But it was clear from Clare's hesitant tone that it most certainly was not okay. Maybe Natalia and Mason were right to suspect the worst about Calindor. He didn't seem to fit the profile of an honorable warrior. He was more like an arrogant buffoon.
"So, this must be your crystal ball," said Calindor.
Clare nodded. "Yeah. This is how we track down dark magic in the vicinity. It's how we found you." Clare's eyes widened in alarm as the crystal ball grew dark. "It's showing there's dark magic right here in Rootcore. Udonna!"
As Clare turned her head to call for her aunt, Calindor took the opportunity to change the image of the crystal ball.
"What's wrong?" asked Udonna, worriedly.
"The crystal ball's showing dark magic right here in Rootcore!" said Clare. "Look! It's—what?!"
Much to Clare's surprise, the crystal ball had gone completely blank and wasn't registering the slightest hint of dark magic.
"Are you sure you saw dark magic, Clare? Because I see nothing and I saw nothing before," said Calindor, nonchalantly.
Clare couldn't believe this. The dark magic had been right there. She'd seen it with her own eyes. How could that have changed so quickly? "But it was there…" she said, weakly.
Udonna put down the tray she was carrying before gently stroking back a strand of Clare's blond locks. "Oh, sweetheart, you must be working too hard. I think it might be best if you took a break for the rest of the day."
Clare was aghast. How could Udonna not believe her? Clare didn't make mistakes like that! She may not be the most skilled of magical practitioners, but she was not overworked and she knew perfectly well what she'd seen, which left only one explanation: Calindor must've interfered with the crystal ball. But why exactly, Clare couldn't say. But there was someone who would probably know.
"Actually, you know what, a break sounds wonderful. I'm going for a walk in the forest. I'll be back before dark," said Clare.
"All right. Be safe, Clare," said Udonna.
Clare nodded and then quickly departed for the forest. She hadn't lied. She was going on a walk, but she just hadn't specified where she would go on that walk. Clare was taking Natalia and Mason's advice, she was going to see Phineas.
XXX
Meanwhile, the city of Briarwood was in complete chaos.
Jester's paintbrush was proving to be quite the dangerous tool. Whatever he painted came to life and attacked Briarwood's citizens and the city's infrastructure—animals, plants, inanimate objects like statues and cars—and everything else one could possibly think of. And to make matters even worse, whatever Jester painted on the citizens of Briarwood, be it an extra set of eyes or limbs, crazy hair, or something insane out of a cartoon, it became real and further added to the chaos.
"Ha-ha-ha! It's wrecking time!" cackled Jester. He quickly painted a laser gun and then used it to blast a car into smithereens.
"There he is! Chip, get him!"
Jester looked up to see the Rangers zooming in on their Mystic Racers. Quickly, Chip leapt off his broom and aimed his Magi Staff at Jester.
"Fulgur Percutiens!"
Lightning shot out of Chip's Magi Staff and it should've been a direct hit, but Jester was quick on his toes and not only leapt out of the way, but quickly painted a mirror that caused Chip's lightning attack to rebound on its caster.
"Chip!" yelled Vida. After making sure Chip was all right, the Pink Ranger clenched her hand into a fist. "You're going to pay for that, you freakazoid! Percutiens Turbinis Vasti!"
A giant, incredibly fast tornado emerged from Vida's Magi Staff, but once again, Jester was too quick. He vanished through the pavement before the tornado could strike him.
"What the—where'd he go?" demanded Natalia.
"He was right here," said Xander.
"Yoo-hoo!" squealed an all-too familiar voice. "The joke's on you! Look up there!"
Everyone spun around to see Jester emerge from the ground behind them, completely unharmed and ready to cause more chaos. What's more, he was pointing over his shoulder and when the Rangers turned to look, they saw half a dozen citizens hanging onto a parking garage rails for dear life.
"What're you going to do? You don't have time for both them and me!" cackled Jester.
"Think again, circus freak! Xander, Mason, get those people to safety!" ordered Natalia.
Xander and Mason nodded and without haste, ran to rescue the bystanders. Xander conjured a series of thick, sturdy vines that caught those who fell and Mason conjured a geyser to lift him up so he could grab the remaining citizens.
While the Blue and Green Rangers were busy, Natalia, Vida and Chip chased after Jester, who'd managed to slip away all the commotion. Before the other Rangers caught up with him, Jester began painting on the pavement.
"The plan's working perfectly! Now for a little art project!" Within moments, a magical symbol was painted in red upon the pavement. "That ought to do it! Boy, I'm good! Master Imperious is going to be so pleased with me!"
"Hold it right there!"
Jester leapt to his feet and took a defensive stance as the Rangers came into view. "Not you again! Haven't you learned your lesson by now? You can't beat me! I'm Jester the Best Pester! I'll even prove it! Look!"
Quickly, before anyone could stop him, Jester blasted Mason, Xander, Chip and Vida with his laser gun and then quickly painted a long rope, which he then used to lasso up Natalia and then he began pulling her towards him.
"You just made a big mistake, freak," growled Natalia. She grabbed the rope. "Ardente Igni!"
Suddenly, the rope lit up with white-hot fire and heavily burnt Jester's hands and exploded in Jester's face, causing the clown to cry out in horrible pain as he dropped the rope.
"OUCH! You people are no fun!" whined Jester. "But I promise you, I'll have the last laugh today! Just you wait and see!"
And then, just like that, Jester conjured a dark seal that caused him to vanish.
With Jester gone, Natalia turned her attention to her teammates. Jester's blows hadn't been strong enough to cause them to power down, but they were still going to feel it in the morning. "Hey, are you guys okay?"
After everyone confirmed that aside from some aching bruises, they were okay, they turned their attention to the mess that Jester had made.
"Hey, guys…everything Jester painted came to life today. But why didn't this do anything?" asked Chip, gesturing to the symbol on the ground.
Mason frowned as he knelt down and examined it. "You're right, Chip. This should've come to life, but it didn't. And I can only think of two reasons why that didn't happen."
"And those reasons are what, exactly?" asked Vida, curiously.
"One, it isn't finished because we interrupted Jester's paintjob. Or two, it didn't come to life because it wasn't supposed to, which means we have a bigger problem on our hands. I can't place this symbol, though. Does anyone recognize it?" When everyone shook their heads, Mason continued, "We should check out the rest of the city and see if there's any more. If there's one, there has to be another."
"Mason's right. Let's split up so we can cover more ground. Xander, hit the south side. Vida, you go east. Chip, check the west. Mason and I will go north," said Natalia.
Everyone nodded and then took off for their respective assignments. After a quick search of the city, it was discovered that Jester had made at least three symbols in different areas of Briarwood, including the one they'd first found. Removing them was impossible as the paint had long since dried, which meant the only way to rid the city of them was to erase any more symbols before the paint had a chance to dry or destroy Jester and undo his dark magic with his destruction. But as to the purpose of the symbols, no one knew and nor was there time to find out as Jester was nowhere to be found and it was time for their shifts at the Rock Porium
XXX
Back in the Mystic Woods, Clare was almost at her wit's end.
She'd been combing the forest for what had seemed like forever, but so far, there hadn't been the slightest sign of Phineas. Between that and her burning anger from Calindor's arrogant manner as well as his offensive comments, Clare was in a foul mood.
"Bumbling servant! Ooh, he makes my blood boil!" hissed Clare, to herself. "And I like everyone so that is really saying something! Whoo!"
In her seething anger, Clare failed to notice the tree root which was sticking out of the ground, causing her to trip down the hill and roll straight into Phineas, who was hiding in some bushes.
"Oof!"
"Ow! What the—? Oh, Phineas. I'm so sorry!" said Clare, alarmed. She quickly picked herself up and then helped the troblin do the same. "I didn't mean to hit you. Are you okay?"
Phineas frantically shook his head. He looked more scared than Clare had ever seen before. "No, I'm not okay! He's back! He's back! We're all doomed! This is bad!"
Clare stared in confusion. "What're you talking about?"
Thinking he'd said too much, Phineas covered his mouth and then feigned ignorance. "Uh, nothing. What's with the upset look? Eat one too many stickleberries?"
Clare shook her head. If only a stomachache was the problem, she wouldn't be in such a pickle. "I wish. Actually, I really need to talk to you. I'm have a really lousy day," said Clare, miserably. "Natalia and Mason don't trust or like one of Udonna's old friends. At first, I thought they were mistaken, but now…I agree with them. And do you have any idea how rare it is for me to dislike or distrust someone? I do just the opposite with everyone."
"Huh. That's funny. I don't like or trust one of Udonna's old friends," said Phineas. "And I also always like people, so that is saying something."
Clare's ears quivered at this. Phineas didn't trust one of Udonna's old friends? That was both odd and concerning, considering how friendly and accepting the troblin was.
"Really? What a coincidence," said Clare, slowly. "The old friend of Udonna's you don't trust…his name wouldn't happen to be Calindor, would it?" If Phineas confirmed Calindor's name, then Clare would know for certain if there was a problem with the so-called honorable warrior.
Phineas nodded, causing Clare to stop in her tracks. "Yep. That's it. Calindor. Can't trust him. He's is evil with a capital 'e.' What?"
Clare stared at Phineas, her eyes wide. "You know him?"
Phineas nodded again as though it were obvious. "Yeah." He glanced around to make sure no one was listening and then whispered into Clare's ear. "Long ago, Calindor betrayed the Mystics. Sold them out for power and a seat at the Master's side, he did."
Clare's jaw dropped in horror. Calindor was a traitor? How could he do such a despicable thing? He was a jerk, certainly, but to have betrayed the Mystics? Then again, it certainly explained his sudden return to the world as well as his behavior.
"You're absolutely sure Calindor's a traitor?" asked Clare. While Clare trusted Phineas explicitly, the war had been fifteen years ago and she needed to know that the troblin's account of events wasn't mistaken in the slightest.
Phineas nodded. "Yeah, I was there when Calindor showed his true colors. He attacked Daggeron with dark magic while Daggeron was taking these two kids to the safety and said he now called himself Imperious. And then—"
Imperious. That was who Jenji had said betrayed Mystics and that name had been a well-kept secret. The fact that Phineas knew it only proved Clare's fears and Natalia's suspicions. Calindor was the one who'd betrayed them and was now one of their most dangerous enemies.
Suddenly, Clare remembered that Calindor had been left alone at Rootcore with Udonna.
"Udonna!" shrieked Clare, startling Phineas. "I left Calindor alone with Udonna!" That had been a poor decision on Clare's part as without her Snow Staff, Udonna was essentially powerless in a fight. "I've got to get back to Rootcore! Thanks, Phineas!"
Without waiting for a reply, Clare raced back to Rootcore, praying she wasn't too late.
XXX
After Clare left Rootcore, Udonna began placing the sandwiches on two dinner plates and while she had her back turned, Calindor Calindor scanned the room, looking for anything that might spoil his plans. It was not long before he spotted it, Jenji's lamp, which was sitting on Udonna's desk, rattling like crazy as the genie feline cried out, "Hey! Who's out there? Huh? Who's there?" Suddenly, Jenji's head poked out and his blue eyes widened in alarm. "Not him! No! Udonna!"
Calindor's hand clenched into a fist. "Jenji!" he growled. Why did that stupid fleabag have to be at Rootcore? One word from Jenji and all of Calindor's plans would be ruined before they even began. Quickly, before Udonna had a chance to hear Jenji's cries of alarm, Calindor waved his hand and a metal dome-shaped plate cover appeared, which he placed over Jenji's lamp, silencing the genie feline. It was to poor Jenji's misfortune that one of the genie rules: if a genie could not see his escape or was not summoned by the master of the lamp, then the genie could not leave his prison…was working so well in Calindor's favor.
"Rotisserie chicken with lettuce, tomatoes and parmesan cheese on wheat bread," said Udonna, startling Calindor.
Calindor nearly jumped a foot. "I beg your pardon?"
"Your sandwich," said Udonna, holding up the plate. "I assume it's to your liking? If I recall, this was your favorite."
Calindor relaxed and nodded as he began eating his food. "Yes, of course. My apologies. I guess I'm still a little nervous after all that's happened."
The smile on Udonna's face disappeared as she put down her half-eaten sandwich and she looked solemn. "Calindor…I know you've been through a great deal, but I need to know what exactly happened to you. Where have you been?"
Calindor sighed as he pushed away his own plate of food. "Udonna…" he began, slowly. "What I'm about to say won't be easy to hear, but I'm afraid it's the truth. Fifteen years ago, before the Great Battle ended, I received intelligence that we had a mole in our ranks and they knew of the plan to take Aurora away. They were going to intercept her on the way to the safe house and take her to the Master."
Udonna's eyes widened in shock. "A mole? In our ranks? Why didn't you tell me at once?"
Calindor looked regretful as his eyes glistened with tears. "Because there was no time and I had no proof that it was true. But the risk was too great, so I went to help Daggeron safely transport the children, only to be attacked. I discovered that Daggeron was the mole. He'd betrayed us all for the Master's dark magic and a place in the Master's empire. And it grieves me to tell you that when the Mystic Crystal was lost, Daggeron thought that it was in Aurora's possession, which was why he'd agreed to take her away to safety. It was all a ruse. And when he didn't find the Mystic Crystal, he destroyed Aurora and Nehir to silence them."
Udonna's jaw dropped and her hand flew to her mouth in shock. "Daggeron betrayed us and destroyed my daughter?" Udonna couldn't believe what she was hearing. The Solaris Knight, the husband of the previous Blue Mystic Warrior and Aurora's godfather had betrayed them? It couldn't be true! There had to be some sort of mistake. "No…it can't be! Calindor, please…"
Calindor shook his head. "I'm sorry, Udonna, but it's true. I arrived too late to stop Daggeron and when I saw what he'd done, I tried to avenge the Princess and Nehir. But Daggeron was prepared for me and after I destroyed him, the residual dark magic reacted and cursed me. I was trapped in a forsaken cave for fifteen years, unable to age or die until the crack in the gate occurred. After that, I was declared too dangerous to be kept alive, so the dark forces decided to take me to a place of execution, which was when your warriors found me. Forgive me, Udonna. I failed you."
Unable to contain her grief any longer, Udonna sank into the nearest chair and burst into tears. Her shoulders shook as she wept into her hands. Fifteen years of never knowing the truth, of hoping that there might still be a chance for happiness in a reunion…all gone. Aurora was gone forever and would never return and her fate had been caused by the man she'd trusted and called family.
"I can't believe Daggeron tricked us and sold us out! I trusted him with my daughter's life! And his son…how could he betray his own son?" said Udonna, her voice choked with tears.
Calindor gently squeezed Udonna's shoulder. "I am sorry, Udonna. If I'd only gotten there sooner, I could have prevented this."
Udonna shook her head. "No, you mustn't blame yourself. None of us could have predicted this betrayal. You did all you could and for that, I'm grateful. But why on earth didn't the Xenotome tell me of this?"
The Xenotome foresaw everything that ever had been, what was and what was to be. Surely, the book would've foretold or at least spoke of Dagger's betrayal and the death of the Princess? How could such a thing have been hidden from Udonna's knowledge?
Calindor's head perked up. "The Xenotome? Forgive me, but I'm not familiar with it."
Udonna rose up and led Calindor over to the book. "This is our most powerful ally, the Xenotome. Its worth to the Royal Family is second only to the Mystic Crystal. The Rangers' powers are bestowed from this book. It's all-knowing."
Calindor grinned in pleasure at Udonna's words. An all-knowing, all-powerful book that bestowed the Rangers' magic? What a treasure! And so tantalizingly close, as well! But Calindor was nothing if not a patient and cunning warrior. He knew how to make this work in his favor.
"It's most fortuitous that the Xenotome is all-knowing. I'll need to know as much as I can if I'm to help you stop the dark forces," said Calindor.
Udonna nodded in agreement. "Yes, of course. I'd be more than happy to tell you anything you wish to know. But first, would you mind terribly making us some tea? I feel I need a hot brew to get through this day."
Calindor gave Udonna a sympathetic look as he nodded. "Not at all. It'd be my pleasure. I'll have it ready in a few moments."
Udonna gave Calindor a grateful look and gave him directions to the kitchen before turning to the Xenotome to study its pages.
After closing the kitchen door behind him, Calindor wasted no time in conjuring two steaming cups of jasmine tea. After which, he reached into his pocket and uncorked a special vial of dark red liquid, which he then poured into Udonna's cup. The vial's contents swirled inside the hot tea before changing to match the color of the brew.
Calindor smiled to himself. Perfect. The stage was set. Now, all he had to do was finish his little performance and his plans would be fulfilled.
"Udonna," he called out, as he left the kitchen. "I have your tea. I even added some honey, just the way you like it. Cheers."
Udonna smiled as she took the offered goblet. She then raised it to her lips and was about to drink when suddenly…
"DON'T DRINK THAT!" screeched a voice.
Startled, Calindor and Udonna turned to see Clare bursting into the room, looking alarmed before she jumped onto Calindor's back and wrapped her arm tightly around Calindor's throat.
"Clare, what's gotten into you?" demanded Udonna, baffled by her niece's behavior. "Get off of him at once! That's no way to treat a guest, much less an honorable warrior!"
"He's NOT an honorable warrior!" yelled Clare, as Calindor tried and failed to shake her off. "He's a liar and a traitor! Phineas saw him betray the Mystics to the Master!"
Udonna's jaw dropped in shock as she looked between the two squabbling ones, as though she was not quite certain who to believe.
Realizing he had to fix the situation Calindor feigned ignorance as he continued trying to shake Clare off. "Udonna, she's out of her mind! GET OFF ME!"
As Calindor spun around to try and rid himself of Clare, Clare's foot struck Udonna's goblet, sending it flying until it landed in the pot of flowers on Udonna's desk. Upon contact with the organic matter, the liquid caused the flowers to turn black and shrivel up before crumbling into dust.
"Vitam mortem," gasped Udonna. Vitam mortem was an extremely rare but instantly fatal poison that had no antidote. The fact that it was in Udonna's goblet of tea that Calindor had prepared alone, was proof beyond a doubt of Calindor's guilt. Udonna turned and looked at Calindor with pure rage and hatred. "Calindor…you traitor!"
Calindor tossed Clare off him before standing up, looking smug. "Guess the game's over." Calindor thrust out his arms and the air around him darkened and shimmered as he changed into his true form of Imperious. "Oh, don't look so surprised, Udonna. You didn't really think I cared for all that rubbish your fool of a husband preached, did you? That was just a ruse. After all, what good is honor and good magic if it never gets you anywhere? Not like the power of dark magic that the Master provides. Now, I may not be able to provide him with the Mystic Crystal, but I think he'll be very generous and pleased once I finally dispose of you! Tenebris Mortis!"
Dark magic shot out of Imperious' fan just as Udonna attempted to counter with a defensive light magic spell of her own. The two magics met each other in mid-air and connected. For the moment, they were evenly matched, but that was about to change fairly quickly, as was evidenced by Udonna and Imperious' body language. Udonna was under considerable strain while Imperious seemed to be holding out just fine.
"You may as well give up now, Udonna! You know you can't defeat me without your Snow Staff!" sneered Imperious. "And your bumbling twit of an apprentice cannot help you either!"
"Don't underestimate me or my family, Imperious! Clare, help me!" commanded Udonna.
Despite her nervousness, Clare did not hesitate. "Meloria Orbis!"
Light magic shot out of Clare's hands and made a direct hit at Imperious, causing the dark wizard traitor to disappear and his dark spell to vanish with him.
Believing she'd just taken down a very powerful enemy and not messed up her spell for once, Clare felt quite proud of herself.
"Ha! Who's bumbling now, bub?" laughed Clare.
But a surprise came Clare's way as Imperious reappeared behind Clare. "You!" he growled. He then shoved Clare into Udonna's arms and cast a spell that paralyzed them both. They could neither move nor speak and were helpless before Imperious' mercy.
"Finally, I've shut you both up," said Imperious, scowling. "You always were an arrogant nuisance, Udonna. And now, you witness as I destroy everything you hold most dear. Without the Xenotome, the Rangers will be easy pickings at last." Imperious attempted to touch the Xenotome, only to pull his hand back when the book's protection spells reacted to the darkness within him. "A protection spell? Bah! This is easily remedied. Darius Melorium…Darius Melorium…Darius Melorium…"
Unable to summon help or defend themselves, Udonna and Clare could only watch in horror as Imperious began removing the protection spell. Before too long, he would have access to the Xenotome and all would be lost. What were they going to do now?
XXX
Meanwhile, back at the Rock Porium, Natalia was on the verge of pulling her hair out in frustration.
Her efforts to contact Lee-Lee to inquire about Calindor had been fruitless. Lee-Lee and several of her coworkers had been sent out on a corporate retreat for a team bonding exercise. No cell phones were allowed and nor would Lee-Lee's employer give out Lee-Lee's location to Natalia due to the fact that Natalia was not in the company's employ. Efforts to locate Lee-Lee by scrying had also been unproductive as Natalia had nothing of Lee-Lee's to scry with and nor had the magic mirror spell to speak with Lee-Lee worked as Lee-Lee's compact mirror was apparently broken.
"Ugh!" groaned Natalia, as she ran her fingers through her hair. "I swear, if I ever meet Lee-Lee's boss, I will roast him alive. That moron is the most useless, uncooperative, arrogant buffoon I've ever met. I mean, really! What part of 'emergency' did he not get through his thick skull?"
"Bureaucrats. What can you do with them?" said Vida.
"Tell me about it. Gah!" said Natalia, unable to keep the frustration out of her voice. "I know something's off with Calindor, but I can't put my finger on it. If I could just get ahold of Lee-Lee, I could prove it. Mason, what're you doing?"
Mason was holding a blue notepad in his hand and was retracing something over and over on the blue and white striped paper. Upon hearing Natalia's question, Mason turned his head in his girlfriend's direction and exposed the notebook's contents, revealing the symbols that they'd seen Jester paint earlier that day.
"I'm copying Jester's symbols. I was hoping it might help us figure out what he's up to, but I've had no luck." Mason sounded as frustrated as Natalia was, if not more. "I know I've seen these symbols somewhere before. I just can't place where."
"Well, maybe you need a little break. Spend a little time with your princess who's just arrived," teased Xander, gesturing to Mason's shoulder. "Look."
Mason turned to look where Xander was pointing and suddenly, his blood ran cold and then a horrible shriek emitted from his throat as he swatted the blue and gold frog from the cave off his shoulder. Thankfully, nobody laughed, although Vida did look a little amused.
"Still don't like frogs, bro?" teased Vida.
Mason fiercely shook his head as he shuddered. "Not since the Swamp Incident you caused when we were nine and ten, no," he said, as he glared daggers at his sister. "I've had ranidaphobia ever since!"
"That was a long time ago!" said Vida, laughing. "And I already apologized a million times for it."
Having never been told of such an incident, Natalia's frustration melted away as she felt a wave of curiosity. "Swamp incident? What's the Swamp Incident?"
Mason turned bright red with embarrassment. "Uh…"
"Oh, you don't know? Well, let me tell you—" began Vida.
"Don't you dare tell her, Vida!" interrupted Mason, growling. "One more word and the Video-That-Must-Not-Be-Named goes viral in one click."
Vida looked alarmed and then her eyes darkened. "You wouldn't. You couldn't…"
"It's here on my cell phone and I've got it backed up on my flash drive. I've also got a Wetube account and I'm not afraid to use it," said Mason, his tone not at all joking. Normally, Mason wouldn't do such a thing, but desperate times called for desperate measures. "Try me. See what happens."
Vida huffed, knowing she'd been defeated. "Fine. You win. My lips are sealed."
Mason sighed in relief. While he and Natalia generally shared everything, there were some things about his past that he'd prefer stayed buried. The Swamp Incident was one of those things that would never get uncovered—ever.
"What is with that stupid frog, anyway? He's been following you like a lost puppy ever since we went into the cave where we found Jenji," remarked Natalia. "Call me crazy, but normal frogs don't do that sort of thing, do they?"
Mason frowned as he realized that Natalia was right. As he thought of it, he had seen the frog from the cave following him all over town—at his place of work, at his house and even his favorite shops and hang outs. But the frog hadn't gotten so close to Mason's person since the cave, which was odd. The frog's behavior didn't make a lick of sense and Mason was at a loss to explain it. Why the frog was clearly so attached to Mason when the Blue Ranger had made his disposition towards frogs perfectly clear, Mason had no idea, but he didn't like it.
"No, they don't. But—AUGH! GET IT OFF OF ME!"
Once again, Mason shrieked in fear as the blue-and-gold frog returned to Mason's shoulder and was then swatted off his shoulder. What happened next as Mason and the other Rangers proceeded to try and capture the evasive blue-and-gold frog, was a chase scene worthy of Tom and Jerry, which ended with the frog disappearing out the door of the Rock Porium and into the streets.
"Gah! I hate frogs!" said Mason, shuddering as he tried to regain his control over his breathing. Of all the creatures that became attached to him, why did it have to be a frog? The one creature that gave him the panic attacks from Hades!
"Do you need a Xanax?" asked Natalia, worriedly.
Mason shook his head as he squeezed her hand affectionately. He was already calming down and would be fine soon enough.
"Too bad we can't just conjure a dark seal to get rid of all the frogs in the world," joked Vida, trying to lighten the mood.
Mason's eyes widened as an idea struck him. "Dark seal…that's it! I know what Jester's trying to do!"
Suddenly, the sound of people screaming hit their ears.
"Sounds like you figured it out just in time. Now, let's move!" said Natalia. After making sure the coast was clear, Natalia took out her morpher and the others followed suit. "Ready? Magical Source, Mystic Force!"
After morphing, Mason and the others raced to the source of the problem—Jester, whom they found attempting to make a fourth symbol.
"This'll be my best trick yet!" cackled Jester. "Once the circle is complete, all humans will be destroyed forever!"
"Not on my watch! Amnis Mari!"
A powerful stream of hot water burst out of Mason's Magi Staff, blasting Jester across the battlefield and erasing the fourth symbol before it had a chance to dry.
"No!" wailed Jester. "Do you know what you've done?!"
"Yeah, I've stopped your twisted plan," said Mason, curtly. "I know what you were doing. You were attempting to create a dark seal, the same one we've seen Koragg use, to transport everyone in the city into the Underworld or somewhere just as bad. But your crazy plan won't work. Not as long as we're here to stop you!"
Jester's eyes glinted with anger. "Is that so? Well, we'll just see about that! In the meantime, try one of my jokes, it's a real killer!"
Jester then blasted them all with a surge of dark magic, sending everyone flying. Angry and quite fed up with the clown, Mason rose up and charged at Jester, which was a mistake on his part as attacking in anger leaves one vulnerable. And such was the case for Mason as Jester used the last of his paint to make a giant metal baseball bat that was sparking with electricity, which he used to whack Mason across the battlefield.
"Bro!"
"Mason!"
Mason groaned as the force of the blow caused him to power down. Everything cell in his body seemed to be throbbing with pain and he could barely move, much less protect himself. After Jester blasted Mason's teammates, the clown turned his attention to the Blue Ranger.
"Time for my final trick. I'm going to make you disappear!" cackled Jester.
Mason closed his eyes and braced himself for the worst, but then suddenly, the blue-and-gold frog from the cave came out of nowhere and launched itself at Jester. It spat out a wad of who knew what into Jester's eyes and covered Jester's face with its own body, essentially saving Mason's life.
Jester then proceeded to let out a very unholy shriek of terror as he shook off the frog and attempted to clear his vision while Natalia and the other Rangers proceeded to take advantage of Jester's problem and beat the living crap out of him, effectively destroying him.
Stunned, Mason forced himself to ignore the fading pain in his body and his pounding heart as he knelt down beside the little frog that had saved his life. Carefully, Mason scooped it up into his hands and gazed into the amphibian's dark eyes.
"I don't know if you can understand me, but I'm sorry for how I've treated you. Regardless of my fear, my behavior was inexcusable. You saved my life, little frog, and for that I'm grateful. I could kiss you for it," said Mason, kindly. Were Mason's eyes deceiving him or did the frog actually smile when Mason spoke those words? "Ah, what the heck. It's the least I can do."
Mason closed his eyes and then placed a gentle, loving kiss on the frog's head. Suddenly, both the frog and Mason were engulfed in a light as warm and bright as the sun as everyone turned to look at it.
When the light faded, the frog was gone and in its placed was a sturdy man about Udonna's aged with tanned skin, curled black hair and stubble, dark brown eyes that were warm and inviting like the sun. He was dressed in a crisp white shirt with red dark orange sleeves up to his forearms beneath a blue and orange tunic, embroidered with a gold 'S,' black pants and boots, and he was carrying a blue and gold morphing device in his hand.
But that was not only shocking transformation. Mason's clothes had changed. He was now dressed in a crisp white shirt with a gold collar and a shining sapphire hung at his throat. A dark blue vest trimmed with gold and embroidered with sapphires hung on his slender frame and a gold belt with blue gemstones adorned his waist on top of his dark blue dress pants and black knee-length boots.
Mason was trembling as the man held out his hand for Mason to take.
"Nehir?" said the man, hesitantly, as he helped Mason to stand. "Is it truly you?"
Mason's head shot up and his eyes glistened with tears as all of his lost memories came flooding back to him. Mason's true name was Nehir, son of Daggeron the Solaris Knight and Lady Marina—the previous Blue Mystic Warrior. He was a Mystic nobleman, one who was gifted with the magic he'd inherited from his birth mother and was once betrothed to Princess Aurora, Udonna and Leanbow's daughter and his first love. His memories had been lost when Imperious attacked fifteen years ago, but True Love's Kiss had broken his father's curse and restored what had been lost to him.
"It's me, Dad," said Mason, his voice thick with emotion. Mason had had a great life with his adopted family that he loved greatly, but even so, Mason had always felt as though something was missing from his life and now he'd finally found it. "I can't believe this. You're really here!"
Without another word, Mason and Daggeron embraced.
Mason buried his face in his father's shirt as Daggeron cradled Mason's head to his chest and tenderly kissed it.
"I can't believe I finally found you at last. I was so afraid I'd lost you," murmured Daggeon, as happy tears slid down his cheeks. "This is truly a miracle." He pulled back and cupped Mason's face in his hands. "I've missed you so much, son."
"I've missed you too, Dad," said Mason, smiling. "I've got so much I want to tell you, I don't even know where to begin. I—"
"Ahem! How about you start with some introductions?" said Vida, half-teasing, half-annoyed.
Mason nearly jumped a foot and blushed bright red as he suddenly remembered that his reunion with his biological father had an audience and none of his fellow Rangers knew what was going on. Daggeron, however, just looked amused at his son's embarrassment.
Mason cleared his throat and gestured to each of the Rangers, who'd powered down and were gazing at Daggeron and Mason in confused amazement.
"Everyone, as you may know, I was adopted shortly after I was found at a hospital. I didn't know who I was or where I'd come from or who my biological family was. But all that has changed. When I kissed the frog from the cave, I broke the curse and got my memory back," said Mason. He gestured to Daggeron. "My birth name is Nehir and this is my biological father, Daggeron the Solaris Knight, husband of Lady Marina the previous Blue Mystic Warrior."
Xander stared in shock. Vida's jaw dropped and her eyes nearly disappeared into her hairline. Natalia looked calmer but no less amazed or excited for Mason. And Chip looked as excited as a little boy on Christmas Morning. Then, one-by-one, everyone made their feelings known.
"Your dad's a real knight? No way!" said Chip, excitedly. "That's so cool!"
"Awesome, mate," said Xander, smiling.
"This is wonderful, bro," said Vida.
"Congratulations, Mason. I'm really happy for you," said Natalia.
Mason inwardly sighed in relief at their reactions before he gestured to each one of his teammates. "Dad, I'd like to introduce you to the next generation of Mystic Warriors. Xander and Chip are my some of my best friends and my brothers-in-arms. Vida is my protective older sister, her parents took me in and took care of me."
Daggeron shook hands with Xander and Chip and then proceeded to briefly hug Vida. "It's a pleasure to meet you boys. And Miss Vida…" Daggeron smiled warmly at Vida. "…I owe you and your family a heavy debt of gratitude. Thank you for taking care of my son."
Vida smiled. "It's my pleasure. I wouldn't know what to do without him."
"And last but definitely not least to introduce—" Mason grinned with pride as he brought Daggeron over to Natalia, who seemed to be a little nervous at meeting her boyfriend's family earlier than she had expected. "—is my girlfriend, Natalia Russell, the Red Mystic Ranger."
Natalia turned a faint shade of pink as Daggeron took Natalia's hand and then bowed.
"It's an honor to make your acquaintance, milady," said Daggeron, kindly.
"The honor is all mine, sir," said Natalia, smiling as she dipped down a little. "I'm glad Mason found you at last."
"As am I," said Daggeron. "But first, I must ask…where're the King and Queen?"
"They're—" Mason cut himself off as he suddenly remembered that Calindor and Imperious were one and the same and he'd been left alone at Rootcore. "Oh, crap! Calindor! I forgot all about him. We have to hurry! Udonna's in danger!"
Daggeron's eyes darkened with anger. "Calindor? Where is he?"
XXX
Back at Rootcore, Udonna and Clare were still paralyzed and Imperious had almost completely finished removing the protection spell from the Xenotome.
"Darius Malorium…Darius Malorium…" chanted Imperious. Suddenly, there was a flash of light and the draining spell cease, signaling its completion. "At last! The Xenotome is mine!" Now, the Rangers would be helpless and all the secrets of the Mystics would belong to Imperious.
Before Imperious could steal the book, however, Jenji's lamp departed from its prison and the dark wizard was blasted back by a Laser Lamp attack, courtesy of Daggeron, who'd morphed into his blue-and-gold armor which marked his status as the Solaris Knight. The spell also caused Imperious to lose his concentration and the spell paralyzing Udonna and Clare was undone.
"Who dares—you?!" exclaimed Imperious, as he glared at Daggeron and the Rangers.
Daggeron powered down but kept up his defensive stance. "We meet again, Calindor!"
"Daggeron!" gasped Udonna, relieved.
Imperious scoffed as he stood up. "As I told you once before fifteen years ago, my true name is Imperious! And while I would love to battle, this is not the place! But mark my words, soon enough I will deal with you wretched fools and finish you off for good!"
Before anyone could stop him, Imperious vanished through a dark seal.
Once he was gone, Daggeron and Udonna held each other in a long, loving embrace.
"You're here. You're alive," said Udonna, sighing in relief as they pulled apart. "It's wonderful to see you again, Daggeron. But how is this possible? Where on earth have you been?"
"I can explain that, Auntie Snow," said Mason, smiling as he stepped into view.
Udonna's eyes widened. Auntie Snow? The only one to call her that had been…
"Nehir?" gasped Udonna. She couldn't believe it. All this time, her godson had been right in front of her eyes and she hadn't even recognized him. "By the gods, you're alive! But how?"
"As I said, we have a lot to talk about," said Daggeron. "But first, I think it's time for some dinner. I haven't a good meal in fifteen years. As a matter of fact, I haven't had any meals in fifteen years."
Everyone laughed at that.
XXX
Later that evening, Daggeron and Mason were camped out in the movie room of Rootcore with a mass of pillows, blankets and cheddar-flavored popcorn. They were catching up on the last fifteen years, looking through photo albums and watching all of Mason's videos as well as images conjured from Mason's memory. At that moment, Mason was burying his face in his hands, turning bright red as Daggeron laughed while watching a particularly embarrassing video from Mason's childhood.
"You stink, you know that?" said Mason. "I told you not to watch that video!"
"Father's privilege," said Daggeron, as he ceased laughing.
Mason tossed a handful of popcorn at his father's face and then Mason's eyes glistened with tears as images of his biological mother, Lady Marina, came onto the screen.
"Mom…" whispered Mason.
A fresh pang of grief stabbed at Mason's heart. His mother had been one of the most wonderful women ever to exist. She'd been a paragon of kindness, courage, duty and selflessness and had taught Mason all about the power they'd shared and their love of books. She'd been gone for fifteen years and for fifteen years, Mason had been unable to mourn her, not knowing what he'd been missing until that moment and it all came crashing down like a tidal wave.
Daggeron reached over and squeezed Mason's hand. "I miss her too, son," he murmured. "If she were here, she'd be as proud of you as I am."
Mason sniffled as he dabbed at his eyes with a handkerchief. "Really?"
Daggeron nodded. "You've grown into the honorable man I'd always hoped you'd become and you've accomplished so much. More than that, you've found happiness and your purpose. I couldn't be prouder of you. I only wish I could've been there to see it all as it unfolded." The smile on Daggeron's face faded and was replaced with a look of regret and sorrow. "I should've been there. I'm so sorry for not being there, son. I should've—"
"Should've what, Dad?" interrupted Mason. "You did everything you could to protect us. What more could you have done? Calindor fooled us all. There was no way you could've known what was going to happen that night."
Daggeron felt the need to be forgiven for past sins, but in Mason's eyes, there was nothing to forgive as Daggeron had done nothing wrong. The Solaris Knight had done everything in his power to keep him and Aurora safe. It was hardly Daggeron's fault that Calindor had gone off the deep end and done what he'd did or that the two of them had been cursed for fifteen years. Much less that Mason would suffer amnesia and end up in the human world. No one could've predicted such a thing would've happened.
Daggeron did not look convinced but he didn't argue. Instead, he rose up as Udonna entered the room and Mason followed suit.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but can I have a word?" asked Udonna, hesitantly.
Daggeron and Mason nodded as they gestured for the Queen to sit down.
"I need to know what happened that night. Please, tell me. No matter how difficult it may be."
Knowing which night she was referring to, Daggeron sighed as he began his tragic tale. "Fifteen years ago, I was transporting Nehir and Aurora to the safe house. It was storming, visibility was poor and there was mud everywhere, but we managed to make good progress until Calindor—Imperious—attacked. He came out of nowhere. Truth be told, I hardly recognized him in his new form. He was stronger than I'd ever seen him before. Worse, he'd not only betrayed us and sold himself, but he'd allowed the dark magic to twist him into a true monster.
"He demanded I hand over Aurora if I wanted to live. I refused, so we did battle. I told Nehir to protect Aurora and ordered them both to run to the safe house and I would follow along shortly. But mine and Imperious' magics collided and in the end, we were both cursed, trapped in that forsaken cave for fifteen years. I didn't know what had happened to them, until the Rangers appeared. And that's when I saw Nehir. He went by a different name and had grown, but I knew my son. So, I followed him until he broke my curse. That's all I know. Forgive me, Udonna."
Udonna nodded understandingly before turning to Mason. "Nehir…what happened to Aurora? My daughter?"
This time, Mason sighed and his eyes stung with fresh tears as he shrugged. "I wish I knew. When Imperious attacked, Aurora and I ran for it. We hadn't gone far when we got hit with dark magic and there was a bright flash. I thought that was the end, but turns out, I was just unconscious. Miraculously, I woke up in a hospital in Briarwood with only minimal injuries. Vida and her parents had found me on the steps and took me in. I retained my powers, but that was all. I had no memories of my past life and Aurora wasn't there. I'm sorry, Udonna. I don't know what happened to her."
Mason's heart felt heavy with grief and regret. Though he would always be faithful to and in love with Natalia, part of him missed Aurora. She had been his first love and a wonderful person. Knowing that he'd failed in his duty to protect her greatly upset Mason.
Udonna's eyes were dull with grief as she shook her head. "No, you can't blame yourself, Nehir. You were a child. You did your best. Nobody could've done more. Perhaps, it's time I accept that Aurora is truly gone along with her father."
"Don't say that," said Mason, quickly. "We don't know how I got at the hospital in Briarwood. We don't know that Aurora's gone. For all we know, she's out there somewhere, lost but safe just like I was. We can't give up hope. If we do that, then Imperious wins."
Mason couldn't explain it, but in that moment, he just knew that Aurora was still out there somewhere. She might have been closer than he knew. But he did know for certain that they couldn't give up. As long as they held onto that hope, there was still a chance for victory and for their own happiness.
Udonna did not speak but she gave Mason a warm smile, signaling that she would accept Mason's words as truth. She would not yet give up hope. If there was even a chance that Aurora had survived and was out there, Udonna would find her and bring her home.