The Light

Two days passed following Imperious' death and the shocking revelations of Koragg and Natalia's true identities. In those two days, it had been quiet as the grave for both sides. The Mystic Rangers were busying themselves learning more about the Mystic Crystal as well as trying to discover what fate had befallen Leanbow as well as helping Natalia through the emotional turmoil she was enduring. And those who served the Master had been forced underground, quite literally as with both the Master and Imperious gone, they were without leadership or great power for the second time in as many moons and their forces were scattered.

For the last three days, Necrolai and a reluctant Lee-Lee had been searching through the rubble of the Pit, searching high and low for something, anything that would give the forces of darkness a boost over the Mystic Rangers. They needed it now more than ever, now that Natalia's identity as Princess Aurora and the Mystic Crystal had been revealed after sixteen long years. Necrolai was persistent and refused to give up, but now Lee-Lee was on the verge of pulling her hair out in frustration.

"There's got to be something here…" muttered Necrolai, as she lifted up a large rock.

"There's nothing there but filth," grumbled Lee-Lee, as she dusted herself clean. "Mom, please, we've been sifting through the rubble for a three days now! Can't we just forget about all this already?" Her tone changed from exasperated to pleading. "I mean, seriously! You may be the Queen of the Vampires, but even that isn't enough! Everyone of greater power who's gone up against the Mystic Rangers is either dead or forced underground! Morticon, Imperious, the Barbarian Beasts and even the Master! And now that the Mystic Crystal's been found, there's no stopping them. So, why don't you just quit while you're ahead? Please. I don't want to lose you! Can't we just get a condo in Briarwood and do something else with our lives for once?"

For a moment there was no reply and for a few heartbeats, Lee-Lee thought that maybe, just maybe she'd finally gotten through to Necrolai. Even if the Vampire Queen never gave up her own darkness, maybe mother and daughter could finally lead different lives together in peace. But then Lee-Lee's heart sank like a stone when Necrolai grinned her infamous grin as she patted Lee-Lee's shoulder.

"I appreciate the concern, my daughter, but you needn't worry so much. We'll have the life you want and more, just as soon as I—what is this?" Necrolai gasped in shocked delight as a black and silver book literally flew down into the Vampire Queen's hands. "The Book of Prophecy!"

Now Lee-Lee's interest was piqued. She'd heard tales of the infamous book before but never had she ever laid eyes on it until now. "The book that foretells the future?"

Necrolai nodded and an excited laugh emitted from her throat as she opened up the book and writing magically appeared on the page. "'And Necrolai, Queen of the Vampires, finds the Book of Prophecy before she tumbles into the Inner Sanctum of the Ten Terrors.' Lee-Lee! Do you realize what this means?"

Lee-Lee had no idea what the Ten Terrors were and nor did she care. She was too focused on the feeling of dread in her stomach. "It means trouble, Mom. And it probably means we've bitten off more than we can chew this time. Why don't you close that book and we'll leave?"

Knowledge of the future was dangerous as it often foretold terrible fates that couldn't be avoided and Lee-Lee did not wish to be part of that.

"Close the book and leave?! Are you out of your mind? No! This means there's still hope for our plans!" said Necrolai, excitedly.

Your plans, Mom, not mine. All I want is to live happily in Briarwood with you and my friends and have this stupid war be over finally! Lee-Lee wanted to say, but did not. Right then, Lee-Lee's watch beeped, reminding her of the hour and she cursed beneath her breath.

"Mom, I have to go. I'm late for work. Will you be okay?" asked Lee-Lee, concerned.

Necrolai nodded and waved a dismissive hand. "I'll be fine, Lee-Lee. Go! I'll see you later."

With some reluctance, Lee-Lee departed and as she did so, she had the horrible feeling that the next part of the final battle was only just beginning. And she was right, for no sooner had Lee-Lee left, the Book of Prophecy took off and as Necrolai chased after it, the Vampire Queen did tumble into the Inner Sanctum.

XXX

Back on the surface world, Mason was busy working his shift at the Rock Porium, restocking the CDs and records and putting the empty boxes in a pile to be discarded. Or at least, he was supposed to be.

Instead, Mason couldn't help but frequently stop and cast a concerned glance in his girlfriend, Natalia's, direction while she unloaded each batch of stock from the supply truck. Although Natalia's body language betrayed nothing, Mason was worried about her, for she hadn't been herself since the Leanbow Incident three days ago. She'd been quieter, more reserved and seemed to be going through the motions while burying herself in her work when she wasn't talking with Udonna.

Granted, it wasn't wholly unexpected as Mason knew that Natalia had a lot to sort out—finding her birth parents, regaining her memories and learning of her true identity, and losing Leanbow so soon yet again—and Mason was respecting Natalia's wishes for space, but even so, Mason wished she would at least talk to him so he could help her in some way. He hated feeling so helpless, especially when it came to the woman he loved.

"Morning, Mason."

Mason nearly jumped out of his skin but then relaxed when he saw it was just Lee-Lee, entering the shop.

"Lee-Lee, hey," said Mason, smiling genuinely for the first time that morning. "How're you today?"

Lee-Lee sighed as she leaned against the check-out counter and she suddenly looked quite upset. "Honestly? Not that great. I got laid off this morning."

Mason's eyes widened in surprise. That was the last thing he'd expected Lee-Lee to say. "You've been laid off? Why? What happened?"

"The company I was working for went belly-up and bankrupt due to my boss's horrible management skills," said Lee-Lee, sighing again. "I didn't even get the memo until I tried to go into work and found the doors locked! So, now, I've got to start e-mailing my résumé and try to find a new job. And we both know how hard that's going to be in this economy."

Mason gave his friend a sympathetic look. Mason had been lucky to get a job at the Rock Porium as finding a decent-paying job, even with the required job skills and degree was difficult in this day and age. Lee-Lee was going to have a hard time of it for a while. Or was she? Mason's face lit up as an idea suddenly struck him.

"Wait a second, Lee-Lee, I might have something that could work." Natalia glanced around and spotted Toby just as he was entering his office. "Toby, wait! Can I talk to you for a sec?"

After a brief discussion, Lee-Lee's job issue was fixed. After promising she wouldn't run off without a warning for hours like the Rangers, Lee-Lee was given a job at the Rock Porium, a job she was only too happy to accept as it meant more time with her friends and time spent at her favorite store. Lee-Lee was so thrilled that she gave Mason a tight embrace after she put on her new uniform.

"Mason, you are the best! Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you!" squealed Lee-Lee, gratefully.

Mason smiled. "My pleasure. Anything else I can help you with? How've things been going with your mom since—?"

"Since the Leanbow Incident? As well as can be expected. She's chasing the Book of Prophecy and delusions of grandeur again. Honestly, I don't know what to do for her at this point," said Lee-Lee, shaking her head. "But enough about me. How've you guys been? How's Aur—Natalia?"

For the past few days, Lee-Lee had been so busy with her work and Necrolai that she hadn't had a moment to catch up with the Rangers until now, so she was left in the dark as to how her friends had been coping with the shocking revelations of late.

Mason sighed as he cast a forlorn look at Natalia's retreating form as she returned the truck for another load. "Honestly? I don't know. She's putting up a good front, but I think she's struggling more than she's letting out. I want to respect her wishes and leave her alone until she talks to me, but I wish she'd talk to me now, you know? I hate that she's hurting and there's nothing I can do to fix it."

Lee-Lee nodded understandingly. "I know the feeling. But trust me, Mason, when I say, that you're doing plenty for her. We both know Natalia will let us in when she's ready and until then, we've just got to hang on and remind her that we're here."

"I hope so," said Mason, unable to keep the skepticism out of his voice. While Mason knew that Lee-Lee was right, he couldn't quiet his nagging doubts. I know I told Daggeron to wait until Natalia was ready to talk, but what if I'm wrong? What if this isn't enough? How can I help the woman I love if she won't even let me in? Gah, I'm so sick of feeling helpless! There's got to be something I can do, but what?

Mason was snapped out of his musings when Natalia called out to him as she pocketed her morpher. "Mason! Get the others. We're needed back home."

Knowing that Natalia was referring to Rootcore Mason felt a twinge of fear as he nodded and fetched the other three Rangers. Udonna almost never called them straight to Rootcore in the middle of their shifts at the store, which meant the situation was serious. What was going on?

XXX

When everyone gathered at Rootcore, the Rangers were quite surprised to see both Clare and Udonna standing at the foot of the stairs, each with a bag of luggage beside them. They looked somewhat regretful but no less determined, which did not bode well and gave their audience a sense of unease in the pits of their stomachs.

"What's going on? What's the big emergency?" asked Chip.

"There isn't one. But I do have a rather big announcement to make," said Udonna. She took a deep breath. "After much consideration, I have decided to search for Leanbow and Clare is going to accompany me on this journey."

It was hard to say who was more shocked at this unexpected announcement, the Rangers or Jenji or Daggeron, for there was more than one dropped jaw and set of widened eyes as well as the sudden sound of an item falling and crashing onto the floor. It was quite understandable, though. Udonna and Clare both leaving on such a risky, if not foolish errand? What would the Rangers do without their White Sorceress and apprentice? And how could Udonna leave so soon after finally being reunited with her daughter at long last?

Daggeron was the first to break the tense silence. "What? You're leaving? No, it's too dangerous. Besides, how do you know where to find Leanbow?"

"We don't, not exactly," said Natalia, surprising them as she stood beside her mother and cousin. There was a hint of pain in her brown eyes, but it was overshadowed by resign, as though she was forcing herself to be at peace with a decision she did not agree with. "But we do have a general idea of where my father is."

"How?" asked Xander, curiously.

Natalia placed a finger on her left temple. "The telepathic link he established. I've been trying to use it to locate him. For some reason, Leanbow's been doing his best to close it off, but it hasn't worked, not entirely. I've been able to get a general idea of where he could be. It isn't much, but it's the only lead we have to go on. Mama and Clare are going to find him and bring him home."

"Then we should go too. We can help," said Vida, quickly. If Udonna was truly determined to go on such a dangerous quest, it was all the more reason for the Rangers to accompany her, especially now that Natalia was able to fully access the Mystic Crystal's power. They could be of invaluable aid to Udonna and Clare.

Much to everyone's dismay, Udonna firmly shook her head. "Out of the question. If Imperious' final words are to be believed, then you're needed here now more than ever. But Clare and I will report in frequently and let you know if we require your aid. That's my final word on the matter."

Nobody looked particularly happy about Udonna's decision but they knew better than to argue with her when she used that tone of voice.

"When do you leave?" asked Jenji, sadly.

"Now," admitted Clare, regretfully.

Upon hearing this admission, an immediate round of tearful farewells and wishes of safety and good luck arose from the makeshift family. It was a particularly painful moment for everyone there, but especially for the Red and Green Rangers. Although he would deny it, Xander was forcing back tears as he hugged and kissed Clare good-bye, while demanding that she call him every night and promise to return to him safely. It was a promise Clare was only too happy to keep.

Natalia was no better off. She wrapped her arms around her mother and forced herself to ignore the tightening in her throat and the tears that burned her eyes. I know why you have to do this and I want Papa home too, but you and I have only just found each other again. How can you bear to leave me so soon, Mama? Especially after all that's happened to us both? She yearned to say but did not, refusing to be selfish. She knew why this had to happen and she knew it was for the greater good. So, instead, Natalia softly murmured, "Be safe and bring him home soon."

"I will, I promise," assured Udonna, softly. She pulled back and gently touched her daughter's face. "I am so, so proud of you, Aurora. You've become the woman I always dreamed you would be. I love you, so very much."

"I love you too, Mama," said Natalia, as she hugged Udonna again. Please, please come back to me! I can't lose another mother.

All too soon, the hugs and tearful good-byes ended and it came time for Udonna and Clare to part from Daggeron and the Rangers. There was not one dry eye among them as they did so, for this was a mission unlike any other. There was no guarantee of success, no solid hope for a reunion, no way of knowing how it was going to end and no means for the Rangers to lend aid to their comrades. All they could do now was hope and wait. And that was, perhaps, the hardest thing to do of all.

XXX

Meanwhile, Necrolai, who'd taken the tumble of her life down a seemingly bottomless pit, finally landed quite painfully onto a cold stone floor. Curiously, she glanced around the enormous, dimly lit chamber that she had entered.

"Where am I?" she murmured. "This place, it's huge!" Even Necrolai felt quite small inside such a large, gloomy chamber and yet it seemed to remind the Vampire Queen of something she had read once before."Could this be the chamber of the Ten Terrors? I thought it existed only in nightmares."

Though she had never before laid eyes on the Ten Terrors, Necrolai knew the stories of the Master's first and most loyal ten followers all too well. Their stories struck fear into the hearts of all who served before the Master, even the Barbarian Beasts.

Necrolai took a few steps back whilst gazing around the chamber, only to yelp and take flight when she was nearly burnt by a giant humanoid seemingly made of volcanic rock and hot lava.

"We have a trespasser here! Who are you and what're you doing in our sacred chamber?" growled Magma, angrily.

"Are you one of the Terrors? I have business to discuss with you! Ahh!" Necrolai narrowly dodged a swinging blade from another giant humanoid monster, this time from one with a fluffy mushroom head.

"What business do you have with us, insect?" demanded Matoombo.

Necrolai squinted and she flew up higher so that she might better see his face. "By the gods, you're so tall I can barely see your face! I am Necrolai, Queen of the Vam—augh!"

Hekatoid, a rather disgusting fat, blue toad-like Terror, suddenly blew his horn and the shockwave sent Necrolai flying straight into the wall.

"We do not care for you, you filthy, insignificant little creature! Leave now while we're still feeling merciful!" spat Oculous. His single red eye glowed brightly with anger as he held his weapon threateningly in Necrolai's direction. "You are an eyesore."

Necrolai gulped nervously yet she did not move. She could not afford to show weakness at the hands of such magnificent servants of evil. Yet even so, Necrolai privately wondered if Lee-Lee had been correct about biting off more than she could chew. Was this a mistake? Was she going to perish here in the chamber of the Ten Terrors?

Before Oculous could follow through on his threat, however, another Terror, Gekkor, intervened. "Now, now, don't frighten the little vampire bat creature. Let's hear her out before we stomp on her."

Now quite scared, Necrolai held up her hands in a surrender position as she flew a little further away from the Terrors' faces. "Do not stomp me! I have come to pledge my allegiance and service to you and I have important news from the surface world regarding the location of the Light and the Mystic Crystal! Please, my lords and ladies, accept what I offer!"

Upon hearing this, all Ten Terrors stopped their defensive stances and became intrigued, for they had been waiting more than a few years for this sort of information.

"You know the location of the Light and the Mystic Crystal? Very well, we will spare you and accept your offer. Now, go on, little bat," said Black Lance. "Tell us what you know of them. Where have they been hiding all these years?"

"In plain sight, my lord! The Light, Princess Aurora is none other than the Red Mystic Ranger and she's had the Mystic Crystal this entire time!" said Necrolai. "What's more, Imperious has been slain and the Master's been sealed away again by the magic of our enemies!"

Serpentina, a Gorgon-like humanoid monster, cackled. "Sealed away again? My, the Master's been quite inefficient of late!"

Necrolai gasped in horror at Serpentina's blatant disrespect of the Master. "Don't say that!" Heaven alone knew what might happen if the Master happened to hear such a thing and decided to take action against them all.

Itassis nodded in agreement. "Necrolai is right. You must watch your tongue, Serpentina. And let us not forget, the Master was not completely revived at the time of his banishment."

At that moment, Sculpin, the unofficial leader of the Terrors, stepped forward and plunged his weapon into the floor, cracking it and causing all to fall silent.

"Enough of this useless talk! The time has come for us to make our move! Our laws say that all who stand in the way of the Master and dark magic must be punished! We will make our presence known to the Mystic Rangers and then we will begin the Selection Ceremony so that we may begin to conquer the surface world, claim the Mystic Crystal for the Master and destroy the Light!" said Sculpin.

The other Terrors all cheered in agreement and Necrolai could not stop the grin that crossed her face. Now that the Ten Terrors had been awoken, the Rangers were finally going to meet their match and now the balance would be tipped in Master's favor. What could possibly be better?

XXX

Back on the surface world, the Rangers had returned to their shift at the Rock Porium. For the past five hours, they'd been doing not only their own work but they'd also been teaching Lee-Lee the ropes. She was proving to be a big help and more importantly, her companionship was putting a genuine smile on Natalia's face while the two women chatted as they worked, for which Mason was quite grateful as it gave him hope that Natalia was cheering up a little and returning to her old self.

Suddenly, the peaceful work shift was interrupted by the sounds of the Rangers' morphers going off and the clear sky suddenly darkened with black thunder clouds.

"Oh, great, what now?" muttered Natalia, as she and the others raced outside. The dark energy reading was off the scales, something that did not bode well in the least.

As if in answered, the darkness in the sky seemingly split in two as lightning struck, the ground shook and then a great pyramid slowly rose from the depths of the earth and one-by-one, a gigantic humanoid monster appeared on the steps of the pyramid.

"Oh, holy crap! Is this the end of the world as we know it?" gasped Chip, horrified.

Vida smacked her boyfriend's shoulder. "Don't say stuff like that! Do you want to jinx us?"

Daggeron, who'd joined them, also looked frightened and horrified. "By the gods. In all my years of magic, I've never seen anything like this."

Xander paled. "I didn't want to hear that."

If Daggeron, the seemingly all-knowing of magic beings didn't have an answer as to the identity of their new enemies, it was not good news.

"Who the heck are they?" wondered Mason. "Where did they come from?"

As if in answer, Natalia unconsciously covered the Mystic Crystal with her hand as it suddenly started to glow in the darkness. "Long ago, there was a cult of eight wizards and two witches of great power who were not loyal to the Mystic Mother or her daughter. They sought not only infinite knowledge of the mystic arts but they also desired to be beings of great power themselves and to find a truly worthy sovereign to serve and worship. When the Master completed his dark transformation, he sought out any would serve him, promising anyone their greatest wishes in return.

"Naturally, the cult was his first group of loyal servants. In return for their undying allegiance, the Master granted their wishes for knowledge and dark power, transforming them into the Ten Terrors, but at a terrible price. They became nearly immortal but none retained their human form and all but two sold their very souls, and they are bound by the Rules of Darkness as well as the stone that gives them their power. What's more, when the Master was banished by the Mystic Mother, they took refuge in their unholy chamber rather than risk destruction or capture, and there they have waited for the chance to return and fulfill their Master's wishes…until now."

Everyone stared at Natalia in stunned surprise at this. How on earth could Natalia know all of that history, let alone the identity of their new enemies?

"How do you know all this? There's no historical record of them at all," said Mason, curiously.

Natalia gestured to the Mystic Crystal that hung on her neck. "The Crystal isn't just a vessel for power. It's a source of infinite knowledge. It tells me what I need to know when I need to know it."

"Well, let's hope it tells you how to defeat these clowns, because I think we're going to need the info," said Xander, grimly, as the tenth and final Terror appeared.

Natalia did not reply as Sculpin pounded his weapon, causing all to gaze upon him and the other nine Terrors.

"People of the surface, allow me to introduce to you the destroyers of your world! I am Scuplin, this is Black Lance, Megahorn, Itassis, Serpentina, Hekatoid, Oculous, Magma, Matoombo and Gekkor! We are the Ten Terrors of the Underworld! We have come to punish you!" roared the fish-headed Terror. "Give us what you hold most sacred! Give us the Light and the Mystic Crystal and we may yet spare your pathetic little world! Do not bother trying to fight us, for we will have what we seek or you shall all pay dearly as you will soon see!"

Before any of the Rangers could take action, the Ten Terrors disappeared into the depths of the Underworld and everything returned to what it once was.

But although everything was peaceful again, the Rangers knew that the next stage of the war had only just begun and it was going to be one of their darkest times yet.

XXX

Not long after their public appearance, the Ten Terrors gathered around their sacred stone for the Selection Ceremony to determine who would be the first to return to the surface world and wreak havoc upon the pathetic humans. All Ten Terrors placed their weapons together as they waited to see who would be the lucky Terror first chosen.

"Stone of Judgement, show us who is to be chosen!" commanded Sculpin.

A great light appeared from the giant stone slab and then it encircled the Ten Terrors before finally placing itself onto Magma's club, marking him as the first chosen.

"I AM THE ONE!" roared Magma, in delight.

Sculpin nodded approvingly. What Magma lacked in brains, Magma more than made up for in strength and power. "Go, Magma, in the name of the Ten Terrors! Destroy the surface world, kill the light and claim the Mystic Crystal for the Master!"

Magma eagerly nodded as his body glowed from the intense heat of the lava inside his body. "I will show them just how hot, hot can be!"

And with that, Magma departed for the surface world and soon arrived in Briarwood. As soon as he arrived, he cast his club in the direction of a tall tower and lit the top aflame.

"Hear me, Rangers! I am Magma of the Ten Terrors and you shall do as I command! You have until the flames on the signal tower go out before I wreak my vengeance upon your pathetic city!" roared Magma. "And there's nothing you can do to stop me!"

"Not on our watch!"

Magma spun around to see Daggeron in the Solar Streak Megazord. The Solaris Knight launched a Remote Traincar attack on Magma, but before the tracks could even attempt to bind the volcanic monster, Magma's eyes glowed and the train cars were destroyed.

Magma cackled. "Is that the best you can do? Take this!"

Magma's club lit up with volcanic fire and the force of the blow was so great that Daggeron was not only injured but also knocked out of the Solar Streak Megazord.

"I would love to melt you where you stand but the Rules of Darkness are clear. To be fair, I will fight as your pathetic size," sneered Magma, as he shrunk down to six feet in height. "Let's get it on!"

Daggeron's hand clenched into a fight. "Fine by me! Hi-yah!"

The Solaris Knight leapt into the air and narrowly dodged a blow from Magma's ball and chain only to be caught off-guard when Magma swung around and nailed Daggeron straight in the chest with said weapon, injuring Daggeron further and sending him flying onto the roof of a nearby car. Despite his pains, Daggeron stood up and aimed his weapon at Magma.

"Solaris Laser Lamp!"

Powerful ribbons of magic shot out of the lamp, but much to Daggeron's shock, the magic just evaporated into steam and Magma was perfectly fine.

"What?! Why isn't my magic affecting you?" demanded Daggeron.

Magma cackled. "What did you expect from one of the Ten Terrors? Take this!"

This time Daggeron yelled in pain as Magma hit Daggeron with a lava ball, causing him to power down and collapse onto the ground.

"DAD!"

Like magic (no pun intended) the other Rangers appeared in the Legend Warrior forms. Mason and Vida knelt down by Daggeron's side while the other three took defensive stances.

"Send Daggeron back to Rootcore. Jenji, look after him!" ordered Natalia.

"Right, boss!"

As Jenji emerged from his lamp and began healing Daggeron, Mason and Vida quickly summoned a spell seal that transported the wound knight to Rootcore.

Mason's grip on his Lion Staff tightened and he seemed angrier than he ever had before. "You're going to pay for what you did to my father, you sick freak!"

"Oh, am I, little Ranger? Tell you what, let's play a little game!" said Magma.

"Game?" echoed Xander, incredulously. "You can't be serious!"

"Oh, can't I? Look at that!" Magma thrust his club in the direction of the signal tower that he'd lit up upon his arrival. "If I defeat you by the time those flames are gone, I will win not only this battle but I will claim your lives and the Mystic Crystal. But if even one of you is left standing, you will win this victory and your precious Solaris Knight will be healed at once. Do we have a deal?"

The Mystic Rangers exchanged suspicious looks as they considered. On one hand, the bargain seemed to be too good to refuse. One less Terror to deal with as well as the safety of their city and the well-being of Daggeron should they win. But if they lost, the price to pay would be a great one. And even so, what if it was a lie? A trap that Magma was setting for them? What if the odds weren't in their favor and Magma was prepared to win at any cost?

"How do we know you'll keep your word?" demanded Chip.

"You don't but that's what makes it fun," sneered Magma.

"On the contrary, even if you don't keep your world, the other Terrors will!" spat Natalia. From what the Mystic Crystal had told her, Natalia knew that even if Magma didn't abide by the rules he'd set, the other Terrors would see to it that all terms were fulfilled, for they had no wish to break the Rules of Darkness. It was one thing for one Terror to risk their own life, but the other Terrors would not jeopardize all their lives at once unless the Master demanded it. "So, who should really be afraid here, you hothead?"

Being the brainless idiot that he was, Magma didn't believe Natalia's word. "YOU! Now, take this, you pathetic worms!"

Magma's body glowed with intensely heated volcanic firepower which he then blasted in the direction of the Rangers. Miraculously, they dodged the blow and then they retaliated. Xander and Chip joined their staffs together and called forth a powerful spell that bounced harmlessly off Magma's wall of lava. Magma then ignited his lava ball and tossed it at Natalia, but much to his shock, the Red Ranger not only gracefully caught it, she also absorbed every last drop of heat and fire from it, rendering it complete and utterly useless.

"WHAT?!" exclaimed Magma.

Natalia grinned beneath her helmet. "Thanks for the power boost. Now, Mason!"

Magma spun his head around just as Mason's Lion Staff lit up with powerful blue magic. "Thadal Unda Impetum!"

Natalia then leapt out of the way as a gigantic icy tidal wave descended on Magma's hot body. The resulting shock of the icy water caused Magma's body to ignite in dangerous spark as the heat in his volcanic form was almost completely quenched by the water.

"AUGH! IT HURTS, IT HURTS!" roared Magma.

After a few moments, Magma was kneeling on the ground gasping for breath as his inner flame was nearly extinguished by Mason's attack.

"You think you've beaten me?" growled Magma as he transformed into a puddle of liquid lava. "Weak, pathetic Rangers! You've only forced me to return to my giant form!" And with that, Magma returned his gigantic height.

Unwilling to give up, Natalia spun her staff around as a ring of phoenix fire encircled her. "Legend of the Sky, Mystic Firebird!" And with that, Natalia not only grew in size, but she was transformed into a giant red and gold phoenix with blazing hot, fiery wings.

Mason and the other three Rangers underwent a different transformation. "Legend of the Jungle, Mystic Lion!" As the four of them joined together, they transformed into a giant white and gold lion with razor-sharp fangs and claws, the Manticore Megazord.

They then summoned forth their Legendary Striker and ignited it with powerful magic before blasting Magma. As expected, despite it being one of their most powerful of attacks, the magical blow didn't make a dent in Magma's armor. Taking this as further proof that he was going to be the victor of this battle, Magma let out a smug, if not evil laugh.

"You should know by now that your attacks don't work on me!" sneered Magma.

"We know. We were just stalling for time and yours has run out," said Natalia, smugly.

Magma froze. "What?"

"Take a look!"

Magma looked in the direction the Rangers were pointing at and much to his horror, the signal tower that he had ignited had completely extinguished and the Rangers were still standing strong, undefeated. By Magma's own rules, he had lost his own game.

"WHAT?! NO! I made the rules and I lost!" cried Magma. "Now, I must pay the price for my failure! The Rules of Darkness show no mercy but there are still nine Terrors who will carry on my legacy! My lord Sculpin, make it quick!"

"What's he talking about?" asked Xander.

As if in answer, a portal then appeared and from it emerged, Sculpin's weapon which then lodged itself in Magma's heart. The result was instantaneous, the volcanic Terror's body sparked with bright red lightning before it exploded in a shower of gravel. The volcanic Terror was destroyed.
"I can't believe it! They killed one of their own!" gasped Vida.

"Believe it," said Natalia, grimly. While it was quite a horrific scene to witness, it was not entirely unexpected. "In this stage of the war, there's no tolerance for failures and Magma's paid the price for his own."

And it was only the beginning.

XXX

Later that evening as the moon began to rise in the sky, Mason sat on the swing at Rootcore.

Earlier, he'd sent an urgent text to Natalia, asking her to come immediately. After the battle, she'd decided to work overtime at the Rock Porium even though it wasn't necessary and it was at that moment that Mason had decided enough was enough. He'd been more than patient with his girlfriend and he knew that if he didn't do something to help her and soon, Natalia would be worse off than when she'd first come to Briarwood.

Eventually, Natalia appeared in the doorway, looking anxious. "Hey, Mason. I got your message. What's going on? Are you hurt?"

Mason shook his head. "No, I'm not hurt. All's quiet. Sorry for the emergency call, but you've been so preoccupied with your work that I didn't think you'd come otherwise."

Natalia scowled. "First of all, you should know better than pull a stunt like that. Second, I know I've been preoccupied but that doesn't mean I wouldn't come if you called. Though in this case, I wonder if I should leave just for that stunt, seeing as how you're okay."

Alarmed, Mason shot up. "Please, don't. I may not be hurt, but the truth is, I'm not okay because you're not okay."

Natalia froze and then raised a confused eyebrow. "Excuse me? What're you talking about?"

Mason sighed and ran his fingers through his dark blue hair. "Look, Aurora…I've been doing my best to give you your space so you can sort out what's been happening and I've been trying to wait for you, but after what I saw today, I can't just sit quietly anymore. I love you so much. I'm worried about you and I wish you'd talk to me. Please."

Natalia stiffened for a moment before putting up her usual façade. "I love you too and I appreciate the concern, but honestly, Nehir, I'm fine."

Seeing through her lie, Mason shook his head as he gently placed his hand on Natalia's and then he pulled her closer to him. "No, you're not. You've been to perdition and back and you haven't taken a moment for yourself in days. You're hurting more than you're letting on and you're trying to bury your feelings because you think your feelings don't matter right now."

"Because they don't!" said Natalia, fiercely as angry tears glistened in her eyes. "My feelings truly don't matter right now. Okay! Is that what you want to hear? As long as they don't interfere with my Ranger duties, my feelings are irrelevant. We're fighting in a war that's going to determine the fate of the entire planet. Billions of lives are counting on us to succeed, so forgive me if I don't consider whether I'm particularly happy or sad at the moment to be of any significance. We have to consider the bigger picture, just ask Udonna if you don't believe me."

Mason inwardly winced at the hard edged bitterness in Natalia's voice as she mentioned her birth mother. The fact that Natalia referred to her as Udonna instead of Mama for the first time since the revelation of Natalia's true lineage didn't go unnoticed either. Clearly, Udonna's decision to leave so soon had hurt Natalia more than she'd let on and as usual, she was burying her feelings for the good of everyone else and the mission. And it wasn't at all healthy.

"Natalia…" Mason gently cupped his girlfriend's face in his hands as he wiped away her fallen tears with the pads of his thumbs. "Your feelings matter, I promise. I consider them relevant even if you don't. And I know we've got a war to deal with, but you know what? The war's not going anywhere and if we don't take time to grant a moment to acknowledge our pains, deal with our hearts and take care of what we love, we're going to lose sight of what we're fighting for in the first place. I saw it happen to too many people last time and I won't watch it happen to you. Please, talk to me."

Realizing Mason was right, Natalia sighed and sat down on the swing and Mason sat beside her. "Okay, fine, I admit it. I'm not okay. I've been struggling ever since Leanbow disappeared. After sixteen years of searching, I finally found my birth parents only to lose them again and I couldn't prevent it. Do you have any idea how that feels? To be that helpless twice? What's more, I'm not who I thought I was and I've been trying to reconcile both my past and present lives, which hasn't been easy, let me tell you. And on top of it all, the Ten Terrors have arisen and I honestly don't know if we'll be able to beat them even with the Mystic Crystal," she confessed, as tears slid down her cheeks. "I'm not just sad and angry, Nehir. I'm scared. I'm really, truly scared. But I have to push all that aside because I'm the Red Mystic Ranger and the heiress to the Mystic Crystal. I have to be strong and push through it all, because if I let go, even for a moment, we're well and truly dead."

Mason wrapped an arm around Natalia's quivering shoulders and pulled her in close as they continued to talk through the night.

This wasn't over and Natalia wasn't going to feel peachy keen after just one night's talk, but it was a start and in the end, the first step was the biggest one to make.

A/N: I am so, so sorry for not updating sooner. For the past several months, my life has been so unbelievably hectic due to family problems, sickness and stress that I haven't been able to write. So sorry! I'll try not to let it happen again.