The Hunter

Natalia groaned in relief as she sank into nearest armchair in the breakroom and propped up her feet on an empty kitchen chair, causing the aches in her body to start fading away. It was only noon but she was spent and it was no wonder.

At five o'clock that very morning, Toby had made a panicked phone call to Natalia with disastrous news regarding the store. The pipes in the Rock Porium had busted due to an oversight by the plumber, causing a huge mess. And if that wasn't enough, the truck with the latest batch of stock was arriving several weeks earlier than expected and if someone wasn't there to receive them, Toby would lose the stock, which would be quite bad for the store. After calming down her frantic boss, Natalia had volunteered to come in, even though it was her day off and pull a half day's shift to take care of all those problems, claiming she knew a good plumber who would fix the problem for free as he owed her a favor. (Which was a lie as Natalia planned to use magic to fix the pipe problem)

Toby had been quite grateful for the assistance and promised not to ask something like this again, but truthfully, Natalia didn't mind. With her life being as crazy and stressful as it was at the moment, keeping busy was the best option. It also helped that Lee-Lee, who'd been sleeping over at Rootcore for a girls' night with Natalia, decided to join in and help out. Together, they'd been quite a team. In the next several hours that followed, the pipes were fixed and the resulting mess was cleaned until it was no more, the kitchen was scrubbed clean until it sparkled and shone, more than a dozen customers had been helped out since the store's opening, the trash had been taken to the dumpster, the floors swept and mopped clean, heavy boxes had been unloaded from the truck and emptied and the stock had been completely restocked.

"You look like you could use a pick-me-up. You hungry?"

Natalia opened her eyes and glanced up to see Lee-Lee holding two bags of take-out from Culvers as well as container holding two raspberry malts. Already, Natalia could smell the butter burgers and French fries, which made her mouth water and her stomach rumble.

"Starving," admitted Natalia. She could not resist the moan of delight that emitted from her throat as she sank her teeth into the food. "Thanks, Lee-Lee. I owe you one."

Lee-Lee waved a dismissive hand. "Forget it. You've earned it after a day like today. We both have. Speaking of which, I suggest we catch that new sci-fi flick after we're done here. Want to go?"

Natalia eagerly nodded as she wadded up her food wrappers and tossed them into the trash. A break from the craziness that was her life sounded blissfully delightful at the moment.

Lee-Lee squealed in delight and then took out her phone to reserve a pair of tickets for the matinee.

The happy moment was interrupted, however, when Vida, who'd arrived with the others for the next shift, poked her head in.

"Hey, Natalia, Toby wants to see you in his office like right now. He seems really mad. He's doing that eye twitch thing of his."

Natalia groaned in annoyance. "Oh, for heaven's sake, what now? Whatever it is, I didn't do it!"

Natalia didn't have the slightest idea what Toby could be mad about, but she was quite certain it wasn't her fault. She'd done nothing wrong, hadn't she? Unless working her butt off at the shop in between missions and mystic warrior training counted as "wrong."

With some reluctance, Natalia rose up from her seat and went to Toby's office, expecting the worst. What she was met with, however, was the exact opposite.

Standing on Toby's desk was a giant red guitar surrounded by red and gold trophy pieces adorned with tiny instrument statues.

"The winner of the first-ever, Rockployee Month Award goes to Miss Natalia Russell!" declared Toby, everyone cheered and applauded. "Who, for the short time she's been here, has served as one of the hardest working employees I've ever had the pleasure of working with and therefore, deserves not only this trophy, but a generous bonus and a fifty dollar gift card for the cinema. Congratulations, Miss Natalia Russell!"

For a moment, Natalia was speechless as she accepted the trophy and envelope containing the prizes. This was the last thing she had expected, but nevertheless, she was grateful. However, she also knew that these rewards were partially due to all the work put in that morning and she couldn't bring herself to hog them all.

"Thank you, Toby. And thanks, everyone, for all this. But, Toby, if it's all right, I'd like to share all my rewards with Lee-Lee. Ever since she started working here, she's been a big help to me, both as a coworker and a friend," said Natalia, as her eyes glowed with gratitude. Lee-Lee had really stepped up to the plate for the last several weeks, acting as a listening ear and helpful pair of hands, and Natalia owed her a great deal for it. "I don't know what I'd have done without her."

When Toby smiled and nodded, Lee-Lee looked like she might cry as she and Natalia then hugged one another tightly.

It was promising to be a great day. What could possibly go wrong?

XXX

Apparently, plenty could.

While everyone was celebrating at the Rock Porium, the Terrors had started the next Selection Ceremony to decide who would next to attempt to destroy the Rangers and claim the Mystic Crystal for the Master. After a few moments of watching the light circle around the monstrous beasts, it settled down on Oculous's sword, marking him as the next chosen.

"Seems it is my turn," said Oculous, smugly. Unlike Magma, Oculous was not just powerful and strong when it came to the mystic arts, he also had a sharp mind and was a deadly skilled hunter. It was those skills he planned to put to good use against the Mystic Rangers. "I will succeed where that fool, Magma failed! For I have the perfect plan to capture the Light and the Mystic Crystal."

Necrolai could not help but chuckle in eager delight as she rubbed her hands together. Oculous's skills were legendary, even the Underworld, and she was only too excited to see how the pesky Rangers would handle themselves against the one-eyed Terror.

However, some of the Terrors were not at all pleased with the Stone's choice. Many of the Terrors' egos did not fit into the gigantic stone chamber as they all prided themselves on being the best of the Terrors. What's more, all of them wanted the honor and glory of fulfilling the Master's wishes themselves and had little desire to share the credit or worse, watch another claim it all.

"I wonder why the Stone chose him instead of me," said Gekkor, grumpily.

Matoombo, who did not share in his fellows' egoistical nature, shook his head. "Patience, Gekkor. Your time will come, as it will for us all. And must I remind you that the Stone is never wrong?"

Gekkor just grunted in response and settled down at this. But others did not.

Megahorn, a green dog-like Terror with an attitude to match his name, was furious and made his feelings known. "I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE STONE RULES! THE STONE SHOULD HAVE CHOSEN ME! ARGH!"

Black Lance's glowing blue eyes narrowed as he held up his weapon warningly. "Megahorn, calm yourself this instant! You know we are governed by the Rules of Darkness! If you break the code, the consequences could be disastrous for us all!"

Serpentina, who was Megahorn's lover, stood beside her beloved as her eyes glowed bright red with anger. "I agree with Megahorn. Why do we allow that stupid Stone to tell us what to do? We are Terrors! We have the power of gods! We should be able to do as we choose!"

Itassis slammed her hand against the wall, causing a thunderous noise to echo throughout the room. "Silence!" she ordered. "You know the bargain we made when we took these forms. We are all bound until the day we die and we must adhere to the rules we agreed to. Your words could be considered treason, so hold your tongue, for you know not what you say!"

"I know what I'm saying and I'm saying destroy the enemy at any cost!" roared Megahorn, furiously.

Having heard enough, Sculpin then intervened by grabbing Meghorn's throat. "Enough of this! You will watch your step, Megahorn, and remember your place! You serve the Master! You will do as you are told and cease this behavior and poisonous words! Do I make myself clear?"

Megahorn growled in agitation as he nodded. Once he did so, Megahorn was released and the Terrors went about their business. As soon as the coast was clear, Serpentina turned to her lover.

"You folded far too easily. I take it, you have a plan, my love?" hissed Serpentina.

Megahorn's eyes gleamed as he nodded. "I do, indeed, my love."

The Rules of Darkness be darned, Megahorn was going to do as he so chose and nobody was going to stop him.

XXX

The next day found Natalia alone in the woods with Fire Heart in the dragon's nest.

Earlier that day, they'd taken a flight together, then played fetch with the biggest branches Natalia could find and now she was pouring him a pile of oats and vegetable greens for Fire Heart's lunch. The meal consisted of Fire Heart's favorites but the dragon took little notice of it as he instead, nuzzled and sniffed his old hatchling blanket that Clare had made for him as it still carried traces of Clare's scent. Ever since the blond sorceress-in-training left with Udonna, the dragon had been missing his foster mother terribly and it always showed.

Natalia's eyes glowed with sympathy as she stroked Fire Heart's neck. "Missing your mama, boy? Yeah, me too. But they'll both be back soon." I hope. "In the meantime, you should keep your strength up. So, come on. Eat your lunch. I added a Carolina Reaper pepper today."

At the mention of his favorite hot pepper, Fire Heart's eyes gleamed and he momentarily forgot his grief as he then consumed his food.

Natalia just chuckled as she sat down on a log and began consuming her own meal, only to have it all interrupted by the arrival of Daggeron and Jenji via a flying carpet. The Solaris Knight looked quite serious, which did not bode well.

"What's wrong now? Another Terror show up?" asked Natalia, in between mouthfuls of food.

Daggeron shook his head as he sat down beside his goddaughter. "No. I just need to talk to you." He sighed. "Listen, Aurora, this is a very dangerous time for you."

After seven months of practically nonstop danger, plus the time of the Great War, Natalia didn't consider this relevant news. "I know. But honestly, why're you telling me this? My life's been in danger for a long time now. That's nothing new."

"Because things have changed. Last time, the Ten Terrors weren't a factor. Now, they've returned and what's worse, they know you're the Light and have the Mystic Crystal. They're going to come for you and when they do, they're going do everything in their power to deceive you. And if they can't capture you for the Master, they'll destroy you and take the Mystic Crystal for the Master," said Daggeron, gravely.

Natalia resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Again, this wasn't relevant. She knew all of this and it was impossible to forget. Why was Daggeron treating her like a child and speaking of irrelevant matters? What was the point of it all? Yet despite her annoyance, Natalia could see there was something that Daggeron wasn't admitting, which wasn't a good sign.

"I know, Uncle Daggeron. And I promise, I'm going to do everything I can to stop them. But where are you going with this? I have full access to the crystal's power now and I've learned so much from you both as a warrior and a Mystic Ranger. What more can I possibly do to grow in my powers and skills? What aren't you telling me?"

Daggeron looked at Natalia sympathetically. "It's true, you have come a long way and you should be proud of yourself. But there's still a step you have yet to take. I wish I could explain it, but you must find out for yourself. But trust me when I say that when the time's right, you'll understand and you'll also realize your connection to Fire Heart."

My connection with Fire Heart? What…? Natalia didn't have the slightest idea what Daggeron was talking about. True, she and Fire Heart had always been close, even when he was a baby. But a connection? That seemed a little far-fetched. And even they were somehow connected, how was that supposed to serve any useful purpose in the coming battles? More importantly, how was Natalia supposed to access a connection with Fire Heart when she didn't sense one at all?

Suddenly, Natalia's morpher rang with the dark energy alarm. She bit back around when she saw the cause of it. "I've got to go. One of the Terrors is in the city."

"Go. I'll be in the Opaque Dimension training if you need me," said Daggeron. "And Aurora? Be careful and be ready for anything."

Natalia nodded as she then morphed and summoned her Mystic Racer. She had no time to dwell on Daggeron's cryptic advice. Right now, she had bigger fish to fry.

XXX

Meanwhile, Megahorn's absence from the sacred chamber had not gone unnoticed. If it had been any of the others, it would not have been worth fussing over, but it was not so now. Megahorn's absence was of great concern to the other Terrors, given Megahorn's earlier outburst.

"Where's Megahorn gone off to?" demanded Sculpin.

"I don't know. He didn't speak to me," said Black Lance. He turned to Serpentina, who was lurking in the doorway with a smug look on her hideous face. "Serpetina, you were the last one with him, weren't you? Where did he go?"

Serpentina just scoffed. "I am his lover, not his keeper! Megahorn does what he pleases and so do I!"

Itassis's eyes narrowed at Serpentina's retreating form. "We need to keep a closer eye on her and Megahorn. They are reckless and could upset the Balance of Evil or worse, put us all at risk for their thirsts for vengeance."

Sculpin nodded. "Agreed. Necrolai!"

Immediately, Necrolai flew in front of Sculpin's face. "Yes, my lord."

"Track down Megahorn's whereabouts at once!" ordered Sculpin. "I trust you have a method for this, you annoying little insect?"

Necrolai quickly nodded. "Give me a mere drop of his blood and I will locate him, my lord," promised Necrolai. For the Queen of the Vampires, blood could do a lot more than just nourish her, it could also help her track down those she sought by allowing her to see what they saw.

Necrolai's wish was granted. She took a long sniff and a taste of the blood and soon her eyes glowed from the dark magic. "I have found Megahorn, my lord. He's battling the Solaris Knight in the Opaque Dimension!"

Sculpin couldn't believe what he was hearing. "He is WHAT?!"

The rule was simple: when one Terror was chosen, that Terror alone was allowed to do battle with the enemy. Unless the circumstances demanded it otherwise, which they hadn't in this case, any other battling from other Terrors without consent from the Master or the Stone was forbidden. Such disobedience could lead to terrible results for the remaining Terrors.

Itassis also looked enraged but she also seemed unsurprised by Megahorn's behavior. "His disregard for the rules has put us all in great danger. You have done well, Necrolai, now be at ease while I deal with that foolish mutt."

Megahorn had broken the rules and now he would learn that there were consequences to his actions whether he liked it or not.

XXX

Back on the surface world, the Mystic Rangers were racing to the plaza where Oculous was waiting for them. Though he didn't have a proper face, it was plain to see that he was feeling quite smug if not arrogant regarding the outcome of the battle that was surely about to take place.

"Who the heck are you, One-Eye?" demanded Xander.

"I am Oculous the Hunter and you five are my quarry, especially the Red Ranger," said Oculous. "All five of you would make excellent trophies for my collection but I'll make you a deal instead. It is the Red Ranger and the Mystic Crystal I desire most, so I will spare the rest of you if she surrenders herself and the Mystic Crystal to me now. Interested?"

Naturally, no one wanted to accept such a ludicrous bargain. Surrender their leader as well as the most powerful mystical weapon to the Terrors? Out of the question!

"Forget it!" snarled Mason, as the others angrily shouted in agreement. "We'll never agree to that!"

"You are fools to refuse my offer!" warned Oculous. "I am the best of all the hunters. No prey's ever escaped me. Do yourself a favor, Red Ranger, and surrender yourself and the Crystal now. It'll save us both a lot of trouble."

While Natalia had no desire to sacrifice her teammates to such a lunatic, she also had no intention of surrendering herself and thereby sacrificing the entire world. So, she stubbornly shook her head as her sword ignited with white-hot fire.

"Never," she spat. "I will never surrender to scum like you!"

Oculous's red eye gleamed as he tightly gripped his own blade. "Then I have no other choice but to make you."

"And how do you intend to do that?" demanded Vida.

Oculous chuckled evilly. "By playing my favorite game. I'll go to All-Seeing Dimension where I will wait and watch, and then one-by-one, I will demolecularize the four of you with my lasers, making you my prisoners until either I release you or I am destroyed. If I don't have the four of you by sundown, I will surrender. That's the game."

Chip drew his weapon and transformed it into his famous crossbow. "And what if we don't want to play your sick little game?"

"You don't have a choice!"

Before anyone could move or protest, Oculous vanished in a beam of bright red light, causing everyone to take defensive stances as they frantically glanced around for any sign of the hunter.

"Rangers, the hunt is on," said Oculous. Though they could hear him quite clearly, there was no sign of the one-eyed Terror and what was worse, his voice seemed to be coming from every direction, making it impossible to pin down a location. "I can be anywhere and I can see all! I suggest you start running!"

Chip flinched as his eyes caught the bright sunlight glare from the window of one of the nearby buildings. But the glare was not like any other, for it was red as Oculous's eye, which gave Chip an idea as to the hunter's location.

"Guys, I think he's up there!" said Chip, pointing at the window.

Natalia's eyes narrowed. Oculous said he was going to the All-Seeing Dimension, which was nearly impossible to get to unless you were a beast like Oculous. Why would he claim to go there and then choose such a place to operate from where he might be so easily discovered? It made no sense and seemed far too easy. Still, the risk was too great to ignore.

"Shields up!" ordered Natalia.

Nothing further needed to be said as all five Rangers joined their Magi Staffs together to form a giant shield around them which protected them from the oncoming onslaught of red laser attacks from Oculous for the next several moments, until an unexpected laser blast came from behind and hit Natalia directly in the leg.

"OW!"

"Lia!"

Natalia lay on the ground, powered down and clutching her leg which was not only a bloody and bruised mess and looked quite painful but was bent in the wrong direction.

"That blast came in the other direction! He attacked from behind, the coward!" said Vida, furiously.

"Not the time, Vee!" said Mason, sharply. "Cover us!"

Vida nodded and then assisted Chip in deflecting the rest of the oncoming attacks while Mason and Xander tended to Natalia's leg, which had been broken in Oculous's attack. Though her lips were stiff and she looked pale, Natalia made no further verbal protest of pain during the examination.

"Okay, the good news is, it's a clean break. Easily fixable. Bad news, we don't have any medical supplies with us and I'm rubbish at healing spells," announced Xander. "Lia, I know you're hurting, but do you think you can invoke that healing fire spell you use? Otherwise, I'll see if I can make a splint for your leg."

Natalia nodded. "I'll manage the spell." Though she was in a lot of pain and finding it difficult to focus, Natalia knew she had to heal herself so they could keep moving. Otherwise, they were going to be sitting ducks, easy prey for Oculous and easy fun for the hunter's sick game.

"Sana Ignis!"

Natalia's body was then engulfed in healing fire which restored her to peak health and enabled her to join in the fighting.

"We've got to get you out of here," said Mason, urgently. Though the All-Seeing Dimension gave Oculous the power to see all, there was still a slim chance that they could block his vision a little if they left the plaza and headed elsewhere. "We're sitting ducks out here in the open."

"Agreed. We should—Xander, no!"

Natalia could only watch in horror as the Green Ranger took a protective stance in front of Natalia and was then demolecularized by Oculous.

"My first quarry! Oh, what fun!" cackled Oculous. "Best move, Rangers! The game's just getting started! But I warn you, you can run but you cannot hide from me for long!"

Despite their grief at having lost one of their friends, the Rangers had no choice but to bury their feelings and keep moving. They then proceeded to run as fast as they could whilst deflecting the seemingly endless red laser blasts that kept coming their way. Eventually, they found themselves in the thickest parts of the Mystic Woods.

"How—much—longer—before—sunset?" grunted Vida, as she clutched her side. She was breathing hard and a hideously painful stitch was forming.

"Too long. Stop!" ordered Natalia.

Everyone was only too happy to agree to rest for a brief moment as they were all in state similar to Vida's after all the miles they'd run. Thankfully, the thick covering of trees seemed to provide them with some cover, for the laser blasts appeared to have stop.

"We can't rest long. We have to keep going," said Mason, as he leaned against a sturdy oak tree. "Maybe we should head to Rootcore."

"And risk the base? Out of the question," said Natalia. Even Rootcore's protections couldn't shield them from the All-Seeing Dimension. "Oculous can track us anywhere."

Chip threw up his hands in defeated worry. "Then what're we supposed to? Keep running and hope we don't get blasted until sundown? That's at least four hours away and I don't think we can go that long! I'm sorry, but I'm out of ideas. If this were a LARP game, I'd call a time-out."

"Unfortunately, we don't have that luxury," said Vida, shortly. "We'll figure something out. We always do. I mean, there's got to be a way to stop this clown or at least force him out of his hidey hole so we can fight him. But at least there's some cover from all these stupid trees."

It was the wrong thing to say as the laser blasts resumed their onslaught and the once thick covering of trees vanished before their very eyes in a haze of red light.

"Oh, crap! Let's go, guys!" ordered Natalia.

No one argued as they returned to running and deflecting the laser blasts.

"You can't hide from me, you pathetic little weaklings! Hiyah!"

As Vida pushed Natalia out of the way of the oncoming blast, the Pink Ranger was then struck and disappeared in a haze of red light.

"SIS!" cried Mason, sounding both distraught and horrified as he pounded the ground where Vida had stood just mere moments ago.

"Vida!" yelled Chip and Natalia, horrified.

Another Ranger gone and we're no closer to stopping Oculous than we first started playing this sick game. Oh, gads, what the heck am I supposed to do? How do I end this? Natalia had the ultimate power in the universe as well as the skills and knowledge to wield it, but in that moment of fear, she could not think of how to use it. All she could think of was the vanishing form of two of her teammates and what was worse, her mind kept flashing back to the Great War when she'd seen too many noble souls lay down their lives for her own. It was then that Natalia realized what had to be done. It was a heavy price to pay but it would be worth it if it meant no one else had to die for her sake. I have to stop this before it's too late. There's no other way to save everyone else.

But there was no time to dwell on this as she and the other two Rangers resumed running and deflecting. The battle was far from over.

XXX

Meanwhile, in the Opaque Dimension, Daggeron was struggling to stand as he was terribly injured, thanks to the foolish Terror. While Daggeron had been training with Jenji, Megahorn had appeared out of nowhere and forced Daggeron into combat against him. Although the Solaris Knight had fought his hardest, alone his power was nothing compared to that of one of the Terrors and now he was quite possibly about to meet his own demise.

"Now, Solaris Knight, you will be destroyed!" snarled Megahorn. He quickly powered up his weapon with dark magic and tossed the black ball of energy at Daggeron, only to be shocked when instead of destroying Daggeron, the energy ball was countered by another spell.

"What?!" exclaimed Megahorn, as he furiously looked for the source of the other spell. "Who dares—Itassis? What are you doing here?!"

There, standing on the ledge above them, was Itassis, armed and dangerously calm.

"Stop, Megahorn!" commanded Itassis. She then quickly disappeared and reappeared in between Megahorn and Daggeron, protecting the Solaris Knight. "You will cease this battle at once and you will not kill the Solaris Knight, not unless you want to be destroyed instead!"

Megahorn's eyes flared with anger. "How dare you threaten one of your own! And how dare you interfere in that which is not your concern, Itassis?"

What right had the Egyptian-like Terror to interfere with Megahorn's private business? Didn't she understand that this was all Megahorn's glory alone? Didn't she understand that if Megahorn destroyed the Solaris Knight, not only would Megahorn be the greatest of the Terrors but they would also be one step closing to claiming victory for the Master?

"I dare because I have every right after what you've done! And what you do concerns us all when you break the rules, Megahorn! I know the consequences when one breaks the Rules of Darkness! How dare you jeopardize us all for the sake of your pettiness? I should destroy you right here and now, as is my right!" hissed Itassis. "But I will leave the decision to you. Return to the sacred chamber or die. What will it be, traitor?"

Megahorn had no desire to cease the battle but even so, he knew that he stood no chance of surviving against Itassis, especially after the fight he'd just had. So, with furious reluctance, Megahorn sheathed his weapon.

"Consider this your lucky day, Solaris Knight!" spat Megahorn, as he then disappeared.

Itassis's eyes narrowed at Megahorn's retreating form and then she sheathed her own weapon before turning to Daggeron. What she did next shocked Daggeron more than ever, she held out her hand and called forth a spell that healed Daggeron completely of his wounds.

"Thank you. But why have you done this, helped me and healed me?" asked Daggeron, bewildered.

It made no sense for the Rangers' enemy to intervene in such a manner, let alone be so kind and merciful as Itassis had. So, why had she done this?

"I did not do it for you, Solaris Knight," said Itassis. Though her tone was not warm, it was not cold either. "I did it for myself and the other Terrors. We may not be on the same side, but there is one thing we have in common. We value honor in battle as well as obedience. Megahorn not only put us all at risk with his disobedience, but he behaved disgracefully. That is why I have taken such actions. But you should not concern yourself with this, for right now you have a bigger problem."

Daggeron's heart sank and he felt his throat tighten with fear as he immediately thought of his son and the rest of the team. What terrible danger were they in from the other Terror who'd gotten loose in the city?

"What're you talking about?" he croaked.

Itassis did not look back as she started to walk away. "As we speak, your apprentices are being hunted down and destroyed like insects. If I were you, I would leave this forsaken place and go to them while I still could."

Daggeron needed no further instructions as he then left the Opaque Dimension as quickly as he could, all the while, praying for the safety of his son and the others.

Please, please don't let my son be taken from me!

XXX

Back in the Mystic Woods, the situation had gotten worse than before.

After another round of frantic running and shielding, Oculous had claimed yet another Ranger trying to protect their leader, this time it was Mason. That had been three hours ago and with sunset still no closer in sight, Natalia and Chip were running out of options as to what to do next. At that moment, they leaning against a tree, trying to catch their breaths and they gulped down copious amounts of water to quench their thirsts.

"Chip, we can't keep going like this," said Natalia.

"We can and we will," said Chip, encouragingly. Despite his earlier concerns, Chip now fully believed they could either hold out until sunset or they would come up with some kind of plan that would defeat Oculous and get the others back. "Just hold on a little longer. We'll think of something, I know it."

Natalia growled in exasperation. "Chip, there is no 'we' here! Just me. It's me that he's after, not you! You don't have to keep risking your life for me, I'm not worth it!"

Chip stubbornly shook his head. "Don't talk like that, Natalia. You are worth it and it may be you they're after, but it's you I have to protect! You're my princess and my leader and more importantly, you're my friend! I'm not going to let them take you when I can do something to stop it!"

"Chip, please, just stop!" said Natalia. She didn't want to hear that. She'd heard too much of that kind of talk during the Great War and all it had led to was the loss of lives and a lifetime of PTSD. No matter what anyone said, the safety of Natalia's life wasn't worth the loss of so many others. "You think I don't feel the same way? That there's nothing I wouldn't do to protect you? You're wrong. All of this is on me and I'm going to end it!"

"How?"

Natalia sighed. Chip wasn't going to like this but he didn't have a choice but to accept it. As the Princess and leader of the Mystic Rangers, Natalia's word was law and final.

"I'm going to surrender myself Oculous," she confessed.

Chip's jaw dropped in shock and his eyes nearly bulged out of his sockets. "What?! Surrender? Are you kidding me?"

"Do I look like I'm kidding?" said Natalia, sharply. "Anyway, it won't be a real surrender. I'm going to fake it so that I can fight the son of a bilge rat one-on-one. The way I see it, either he'll let the others go because he'll have me or I'll destroy him in the battle. And maybe, just maybe, I can find the base of the other Terrors and take them all down."

"And what happens if you're wrong? Or you get yourself killed in the process?" countered Chip.

Natalia didn't even hesitate. "It's a price I'm willing to pay."

The needs of the many outweighed the needs of the one. She knew her idea was risky but what choice was there? The sacrifice of one insignificant life in order to save billions of innocents. The math didn't lie and was too great to ignore.

Tears glistened in Chip's eyes. "Well, you may be willing to sacrifice yourself, but I'm not! If you do this, you'll be sacrificing not only yourself but everything we're fighting for. Do you really think that's what the others would want? You don't understand—!"

"No, YOU don't understand, Chip!" yelled Natalia, angrily as tears glistened in her own eyes and fire ignited in her clenched fists. She was upset and furious, not just with the situation but also with Chip's complete lack of empathy and understanding. He was a great warrior and had seen many battles, but he did not yet know the true horrors of war and nor could he comprehend what Natalia had been forced to witness and endure during the last Great War against the Master. "You don't understand any of this! Do you have any idea how people I watched die during the Great War because they were trying to protect me and this blasted crystal? Do you have the slightest clue how any of that felt? Knowing so many innocent lives were being taken because of me? Or having to watch your own father sacrifice himself twice in one day for the same reason? Do you know how it feels to lose two families and not be able to prevent it? Have you ever had to suffer frequent nightmares and panic attacks because of it?"

Chip was silent and his face was unreadable as he considered this.

Natalia took a deep, shaky breath to try and calm herself. She knew she shouldn't be yelling at the Yellow Ranger but she needed him to understand and now wasn't the time for gentleness or sugarcoating the plain facts of the matter. So many lives had been lost in the protection of herself and the Mystic Crystal. People like Daggeron's wife and Clare's mother, people she'd loved and lost. There had been too many times when she couldn't prevent the horrific tragedies that haunted her nightmares. And there were times when the survivor's guilt and grief threatened to consume her like a cancer. Well, no more.

"No matter what anyone says, I am not worth the cost of innocent lives. I've lost too much and too many people I love. I can't let it keep happening not when I can stop it," said Natalia, brokenly as the tears slid down her cheeks. "I can't and I won't let this keep happening. What kind of princess would I be if I didn't lay down my life to protect my people and those I love?"

Chip hesitantly reached out and placed his hand on Natalia's shoulder. When she didn't pull away, Chip gently squeezed it before pulling Natalia into a tight hug, which she found herself returning.

"You're right," said Chip, softly. "I don't know how it feels to endure all that. I didn't understand what you're going through and I'm sorry for not being more empathic about it, but Lia…none of that was your fault. You shouldn't feel guilty for what others chose to do. You are worth so much more than what you think. You're the reason we all came together as a team and friends and you're the reason we have hope. I'm scared too, but we can't give up. You can't give up. You're the Light and we need you if we're going to have any chance of winning. And besides, how would Udonna or Mason feel if they knew what you were planning to do and they lost you?"

Natalia groaned as she pulled away from Chip. Darn the Yellow Ranger and his sharp mind! He played the one card he knew Natalia couldn't ignore or refuse.

"You suck, you know that?" she said, as she smiled a little.

Chip just laughed but then the moment came to an end when Oculous hit Chip square in the back, claiming him as the fourth prize.

"Chip!" yelled Natalia.

"I've claimed the last of your friends little Ranger. You have until sunset to surrender yourself to me or you will never see them ever again!" cackled Oculous.

Natalia clenched her hands into fists as she conjured a cloaking shield and racked her brains, trying to think of a plan that would end this madness and save her teammates from Oculous. She needed a bit of advice or something of the like. What would her birth parents say if they were here? Probably something along the lights of following my heart, but what use is that to me now? Wait a second…heart…Natalia's eyes lit up as she remembered what Daggeron had told her only that morning of her connection to Fire Heart. She suddenly felt warm and content as well as strong as she thought of the dragon.

Of course, that's it! How did I not see it before? Fire Heart! I know what it is I have to do now! As Natalia thought this, the Mystic Crystal glowed brightly in confirmation and then a surge of new mystical energy flowed through Natalia's body. She couldn't help but smirk as she then made her way to clearing near a lake in the forest. She'd been playing by Oculous's rules but no more. Now he would abide by her rules and the hunter would become the hunted.

"Legendary Source, Mystic Force!" yelled Natalia.

And with that, Natalia morphed into her Legend Warrior form and then she stepped into the clearing. She held out her arms as she glanced at the skies.

"All right, Oculous, you son of a bilge rat!" yelled Natalia. "UNCLE! I know you see me! So, come on out, you coward!"

There was a surge of red light and then Oculous entered the clearing. "Have you finally come to your senses, Princess?"

Natalia nodded as she tightened her grip on her Lion Staff. "Oh, I have. And guess what, Cyclops, you're going down for what you've done!"

Oculous let out a patronizing laugh. "Oh, really, little girl? Well, why don't we see about that? Rise, my minions!" Oculous thrust out his hand and called forth a mystic spell seal that summoned over two hundred Hidiacs and Styxoids. "Even you can't face all my minions and myself alone, Red Ranger!"

Natalia smirked beneath her helmet. "Oh, I'm not alone. I never have been and I never will. Fire Heart, I summon thee!"

Upon hearing the incantation, Oculous's eye seemed to glow brighter in alarm. "WHAT?!"

Suddenly, there was an ear-shattering roar as Fire Heart flew into view from out of nowhere and then he made his attack. As Fire Heart's razor-sharp wings sliced through the Hidiacs and Styxoids like a hot knife through butter, many met the same fate when they were caught in Fire Heart's deadly talons or hit with lightning-fast tail and those that didn't, were incinerated from Fire Heart's blazing hot dragon's fire.

And finally, for the piece de resistance, Natalia thrust out her hands and shouted out, "Coccinum Draco Ignis Reformabit!"

And with that, Natalia underwent a powerful transformation that caused her and Fire Heart to join as one. From Natalia's back sprouted giant red and blue dragon's wings, her helmet adorned with Fire Heart's golden spikes, her uniform was now red, blue and gold armor hard as dragon's scales, and her sword had been transformed into red and gold combat sticks adorned with dragons' heads. She was now the Red Dragon Fire Ranger and in her new form, she felt more powerful than ever.

"And now, Oculous, you are going to pay for what you've done!" snarled Natalia.

She then plunged her combat sticks into the ground, which caused the ground to explode with white-hot fire and Oculous went flying until he landed face first into a sharp rock, causing his mechanical red eye to crack just a little. But though Oculous was hurt, the battle was far from over.

"You haven't won yet, Red Ranger! Hiyah!" he said, as he rose up.

Oculous sent one powerful blast of dark magical energy after another at Natalia, but the energy just harmlessly bounced off Natalia's armor. The final blast, however, she caught with her combat sticks and then redirected it at the one-eyed Terror. The result was instantaneous, Oculous's mechanical red eye shattered like glass, blinding him.

"NO! What have you done? You've blinded me!" screeched Oculous, as he clutched his eye. Though he could feel no pain due to his mechanical nature, the Terror was now at a dangerous disadvantage. For without his sight, he couldn't properly defend himself.

"And I'm not through with you yet!"

Taking advantage of her enemy's vulnerability, Natalia took the skies and ignited her combat sticks with dragon's fire as well as a spell of her own making. She then spun her combat sticks until they were swirling around like helicopter blades and then sent them to Oculous. The combat sticks then attacked Oculous from all sides until his weak spot was found, at which point the sticks formed together as one and plunged themselves into Oculous's mechanical heart.

The Terror was then destroyed in a shower of explosive sparks and with his demise came the undoing of his dark magic. There was a haze of red light and then the other four Mystic Rangers appeared in the clearing, alive and well.

"Guys!"

"Natalia!"

Natalia powered down and released herself from Fire Heart before running straight into Mason's arms, when the Blue Ranger proceeded to kiss her and the other Rangers held them in a group hug. It all came to an end, however, when Daggeron then arrived looking both frantic and relieved.

"Rangers, son! Are you all okay?" asked Daggeron.

Mason smiled and nodded as he wrapped an arm around Natalia's waist. "We're okay, Dad. Thanks to Natalia and Fire Heart."

"Yeah, we saw it all from we were held and it was awesome!" gushed Chip, excitedly. "You should've been there, Daggeron!"

"Yeah, it was wicked," agreed Xander, as he stroked Fire Heart's nose while the dragon made a happy noise. "You both have so much to be proud of."

Natalia smiled back. "Thanks, but I couldn't have done it without Daggeron." She looked gratefully at the Solaris Knight. Without his cryptic words, she might not have reached the conclusion she did and done what she had. "Thanks, Uncle."

Daggeron humbly bowed and smiled. "My pleasure, Aurora." He was grateful that he'd been able to help and even more grateful that his son and the others were safe. It was truly a blessing.

"Well, I don't know about the rest of you but I think this calls for a celebration at Rootcore. Ice-cream and the best music provided by moi," said Vida. "Let's call Lee-Lee and Phineas and have some R&R. Who's with me?"

Everyone cheered in agreement and then they began making their way to Rootcore. This wasn't over—Natalia's issues or the war—not by a long shot. But maybe for a moment, they could enjoy a little peace and quiet. Maybe for a moment, they could be grateful to still have one another and enjoy the other's company. And maybe…just maybe, there truly was hope that everyone was going to make it through and everything was going to turn out okay in end.

Just maybe.