The Return

The following day after Hekatoid's destruction, Lee-Lee and the Rangers returned to the Rock Porium for their shifts. Instead of getting to work, however, they were called into a meeting with Toby, who wanted the full details of his employees' double-lives and the situation at hand with the Terrors and the Master. Everyone was only too happy to oblige with Toby's wishes and give him the whole story with no details skipped over.

"So you guys really are the Mystic Rangers," said Toby. Even after having witnessed them morph and fight, he was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that his employees and friends were actually powerful practitioners of magic and he hadn't known it until now.

Everyone nodded and murmured in agreement.

"So, Natalia is the Red Ranger." When Natalia nodded, Toby pointed to Xander. "Xander's the Green Ranger." Xander grinned as he nodded in confirmation. "Mason's the Blue Ranger and Chip's the Yellow Ranger." Mason winked in confirmation and Chip proudly gestured to his bright yellow shirt as he smiled. "And Vida is the Pink Ranger."

As she still wasn't overly fond of the color pink, Vida rolled her eyes but it was done good-naturedly and she smiled as well.

"Now, Natalia is also Princess Aurora, the daughter of Queen Udonna, the White Ranger and King Leanbow, a powerful wizard, who's also Koragg—the guy who was trying to trash the city for six months. Except he's really a good guy, it's just no one knows what happened to him," continued Toby.

"I'm impressed, Toby," said Mason, smiling. "That's quite—"

Toby raised a finger, silencing the Blue Wizard. "Ah, ah! I haven't finished! Now, Natalia is also 'the Light,'" said Toby, as he made air quotes with his fingers, "the power to stop all evil and the heiress to the Mystic Crystal, the most powerful magical gemstone ever to exist. But the bad guys are looking for the Light so they can destroy her and claim the Mystic Crystal for their boss, and therefore destroy the whole world!"

"Exactly—" began Chip, only to be cut off by Toby.

"Silent!" warned Toby. He turned to Lee-Lee, who was standing by a CD rack, grinning as she listened to Toby's little recap. "Now, Lee-Lee's mom is the Queen of the Vampires, who really did carry me off. So, I guess I can stop seeking professional help now."

After Necrolai had abducted Toby, the poor man had sought out therapy to deal with it as when he wasn't dealing with nightmares over the trauma, sometimes he'd thought himself a crazed loon.

Lee-Lee grimaced and looked apologetic. "Sorry about that."

Toby smiled and murmured that it was okay before he resumed his little recap. "And…and now the Ten Terrors—the Master's first followers who have the powers of gods—are here, trying to call forth the head honcho himself. Natalia's ancestor, the Master of All Evil. And you know what that means?" Right on cue, the sounds of citizens' panicked screams hit their ears, causing Toby's shoulders to slump. "It means you guys won't be working your regular hours for a while. Looks like it might just be me and Lee-squared for a bit."

But instead of a rampaging monster, Phineas strode into the store sans his glamour-spelled leather bracelet he usually wore when he left the Mystic Woods.

"Ah! Oh! Think they'd never seen a troblin before!" said Phineas, shaking his head at the panicked civilians. He then turned around to face a bewildered Toby and the others, revealing the bouquet of sunflowers he was carrying—a gift for Lee-Lee. "Hey, guys! Thought I'd take advantage of the peace and quiet and come visit. Hope you don't mind. Oh, Lee-Lee, these are for you. Your favorites."

Lee-Lee accepted the bouquet with a visibly touched smile before kissing Phineas' cheek.

"I'm sorry, who're you?" asked Toby, confused.

Phineas bowed. "I, good sir, am Phineas the troblin. Half-troll, half-goblin, all good friend of the Rangers and boyfriend to Miss Pimvare here."

"Ah, I see. Nice to meet you," said Toby, as he nervously shook hands with the troblin. He'd been told all about Phineas by the Rangers and while Toby liked what he'd heard about Phineas, the troblin's appearance was still somewhat startling.

"Not that I mind seeing you, Phineas, but why on earth did you come here without your glamour bracelet?" asked Natalia. Granted, most people might've thought Phineas was wearing a costume or something of the like, it still didn't warrant risking exposure.

Phineas looked a little sheepish. "Oh, that. Well, I…uh…I lost it in a poker game with Jenji last week. My bad. Sorry."

Everyone laughed at this. Despite all appearances, Jenji was an excellent poker player and almost always won, which was why the Rangers never used real money when they played with him. Phineas obviously hadn't known that.

"I'll fix that right away for you," said Mason. Fortunately, he always kept a spare glamourized item on his person in case of an emergency. He took out a spare leather bracelet from his pocket and fixed it onto Phineas' wrist, immediately making him appear human. "But please be more careful with it and don't lose it in a poker game. Promise?"

Phineas nodded. "I promise."

One way or another, Phineas was going to be a lot more careful with the bracelet. Especially if it meant he could see his favorite people outside of the Mystic Woods. But even so, there was a hint of pain in the troblin's eyes as he accepted the bracelet, as though he wished he didn't have to keep hiding in public. But such a thing was impossible. Wasn't it?

XXX

Meanwhile, down in the Terrors' hole, the Sacred Torch was burning brightly with the Master's energy that they'd retrieved from Leanbow and the Terrors were gathered around it, gazing at their leader's form in awe and respect.

"Behold the energy of the Master!" declared Sculpin. "He is with us now and I offer up my body to be his home!"

Although the Master's energy form was free from Leanbow's prison, the Master did not yet have the strength to fully return quite yet. For that to happen, the Master needed to pick a host from one of the Terrors, in which he would reside until his strength had been fully replenished. By which time, the Master would not only be able to form his own body but he would also be restored to full power and would be able to wreak horrible vengeance upon the surface world.

Black Lance took a step forward and gave Sculpin a challenging look. The fish-headed Terror may have been one of their leaders and one of the more powerful of them, Sculpin was not the only one worthy of being host to the Master. "I, too, would give my body!"

Sensing a fight about to begin, Itassis wisely stepped in between the two. "It would be an honor for any of us to be the receptacle of such power," she said, slowly.

Sculpin nodded in agreement. "Yes, with the Master's strength and powers, there will be no stopping whichever of us is chosen. There will be no mercy for the Light and we shall finally obtain the Mystic Crystal for the Master!"

Just then, the Stone became alit, signaling the start of the Selection Ceremony.

"It's time. Another of us needs to be chosen before the Master selects one of us to be his vessel before the final battle against the Rangers," said Itassis, commandingly. "We gather."

Of the original Ten Terrors, only five remained and those five all placed their weapons in a circle as they waited to see who would be chosen. Much to Gekkor's immense disgust, the lizard-like Terror was passed over in favor of Matoombo.

"I am the one!" said Matoombo.

"You have been selected. Go, Matoombo, and bring glory to the name of the Terrors," commanded Sculpin.

Matoombo nodded and then disappeared for the surface world.

XXX

Back at Rootcore while Jenji tended to Fire Heart, Udonna was still continuing her search for Leanbow. Though it seemed like a hopeless, fruitless pursuit, the White Sorceress Queen refused to give up, especially now that her Snow Staff and with it the complete restoration of powers had been returned to her, which should—in theory—make the search easier. But so far, Udonna had had no such luck. Even the crystal ball's magic was turning up empty.

"Udonna, I've found something that might help." Daggeron burst into the room with a white leather notebook engrave with a blue mermaid's tail on the cover. Daggeron opened it to reveal multiple pages inscribed in Lady Marina's—Daggeron's late wife and Mason's birth mother—neat, cursive handwriting and sketches. "I can't believe I forgot about this. Before she died, Marina was working on a more refined spell to locate missing blood-kin. She only tested it once before the first war but it worked and it might be what we need to find Leanbow. Take a look."

Udonna's eyes brightened as she glanced over Marina's notebook. The spell had only been used once before, but the logic behind the magic was sound. "This may be exactly what I need to find Leanbow and bring him home. Thank you, Daggeron." And thank you, Marina, Udonna silently added before she then started to prepare the spell.

The spell required a cherished object belonging to the person in question as well as a small DNA sample such as a lock of hair. Fortunately, Udonna had both. She had a tiny strand of Leanbow's greying hair locked away in their chambers as well as Leanbow's heirloom gold and ruby ring. Once she had both items placed carefully in her closed fists, she waved her arms and shouted out, "Sereum Novium!"

Immediately, Udonna's eyes closed and her body became stiff and ridged like a mannequin's while her astral form left her physical body. The magic of the spell then drew Udonna's astral form down deep into the depths of the earth and then to the deepest level of the Underworld. It was certainly a dark, gloomy place that had a hopeless air about it, which made Udonna's face go tight with worry.

"Where are you, Leanbow?" murmured Udonna, as she continued to fly across the barren wasteland. "I can feel your presence. I know you're here!"

As if in answer, the spell suddenly stopped dragging Udonna and then when she glanced down, she saw her husband in his Ancient Mystic form. Leanbow was barely conscious and very badly injured, but still, when he saw Udonna, a smile flickered across his face as he weakly reached for his wife.

"Udonna, my love…" rasped Leanbow. When Udonna knelt down beside Leanbow, he grasped her hand with all the strength he could muster. "The Terrors have the Master's energy. I've failed you. I've failed us all! Forgive me and let me go. It's too late for me."

Udonna stubbornly shook her head as a tear slid down her pale cheek. "There is nothing to forgive because you have failed no one," she said, firmly. How could Leanbow possibly think the Terrors' actions were his fault? Leanbow had done the best he could and it was thanks to Leanbow's actions that they even had a fighting chance in the first place. "And I'm not letting you. I'm going to bring you home, my love. Just hold on."

And with that Udonna summoned her Snow Staff and then began to heal her husband, all the while, she prayed she wasn't too late.

XXX

Back on the surface world, Matoombo was making his attack on the city. The skies had gone from clear and blue to almost pitch black with storm clouds that sparked with powerful bolts of lightning, which didn't bode well at all.

"I am Matoombo of the Ten Terrors. I am gathering all of your electrical energy," he said, as he swung his blade towards the heavens. From Matoombo's weapon came a giant, golden ball of electrical energy that quickly began sucking up all the city's electricity like a sponge. "When I have it all, it will return with a vengeance. My justice will be swift!"

"Not swift enough, cotton ball!"

"Who dares?" Matoombo turned around to see both the Solar Streak Megazord and the Rangers' Titan Megazord standing behind him, armed and ready for a fight. "Ah, it is you. You're wasting your time. There's nothing you can do. It'll soon be over."

"Over for you, you mean!" snarled Natalia. "Let's get him, guys!"

Together, all parties attacked Matoombo at once but a surprise came their way when Matoombo not only shielded himself from the attacks, he also sent forth a burst of electrical energy so powerful it caused all six Rangers to power down.

"This isn't good. How is he so strong?" worried Daggeron. "Aurora, we may need you to use the Mystic Crystal to defeat him."

Natalia nodded in agreement and braced herself to use the powerful gemstone, but instead of taking advantage of their vulnerable state, Matoombo instead placed his weapon at his side and said, "Stay out of my way and I will not harm anyone. You have my word."

Before anyone could stop him, Matoombo then disappeared through a dark spell seal.

Vida frowned as she stood up. "That's strange. He said he wouldn't hurt anyone." That didn't make any sense. Why would one of the Terrors care if people got hurt?

Xander scowled and scoffed. "Yeah, right! He's lying! He wants to destroy the world but not hurt anyone? What a load of rubbish!"

"Maybe, maybe not," said Natalia. She was also frowning in puzzlement as her hand brushed against the Mystic Crystal, which gleamed from its place on her neck, as though she was recalling something she'd forgotten. "But either way, we need to find Matoombo and quickly. Let's split up and search for him. Call in if you find him. Go!"

Everyone nodded in agreement and then took off in separate directions in search of Matoombo. Whether or not Matoombo was going to keep his word and not hurt anyone, the fluffy-headed Terror still needed to be found and his ball of electrical energy stopped before it was too late.

XXX

On a hill overlooking the city and the waters surrounding it, Matoombo stood and watched Briarwood's people with confusion and perhaps a little bit of awe and respect. The Master and those who served him were so much more powerful than them, yet they still fought tooth and claw against it. Why? Why did they do this and yet still smile in the face of all their sufferings? And how were they able to do it? It was a mystery Matoombo wished he could solve.

"Why do the humans fight against the darkness and cherish every breath they take?" Matoombo muttered to himself. He couldn't understand it and yet, perhaps the solution was right under his nose. "Can their magic and their hope truly be that strong?"

Matoombo was snapped out of his mutterings when he heard a boy's voice cry out, "My balls!"

Matoombo spun around and his heart skipped a beat when he saw a young boy about nine years of age chase after two rainbow-colored balls into the street just as a large blue SUV was driving around the corner. The driver was only half paying attention to the street as he was busy texting on his cell phone one-handed at the same time, which was illegal in Briarwood.

"NO!" yelled Matoombo. Without thinking, Matoombo ran out into the street and protectively covered the boy with his body while at the same time, cast a spell that drained the car of its energy, causing it to come to a screeching halt, quite literally. Matoombo glared so darkly at the reckless driver that the poor man actually bolted from his car right then and there. Matoombo then carried the shaking child across the street and then knelt down to the boy's level. "Are you all right, young man?"

The boy nodded and then after a moment, stopping shaking and looked at Matoombo with immense gratitude before hugging him tightly. "Thank you, sir. Here." Having miraculously managed to retrieve both of his balls, the boy handed one of them to Matoombo before smiling and running off back to his friends.

Matoombo smiled at the boy's retreating form and then as he glanced at the small rubber ball in his hands, a small tear slid down the Terror's cheek.

Unbeknownst to him, Vida had been watching from up in the skies from her Mystic Racer. She, too, had seen the boy in danger but before she'd had the chance to act, Matoombo had instead, much to her utter amazement. Seeing Matoombo care so much about an innocent civilian made the Pink Ranger wonder if her earlier suspicions were correct. Deciding to take a leap of faith and find out, Vida leapt off her Mystic Racer and powered down.

"It's called a ball. You use it for play," she said, thinking that Matoombo didn't know what it was.

Fortunately, Matoombo wasn't offended. "I know very well what this is and what's for. But I must admit, I've not seen one quite like this before. In my day, they were made of different material entirely. I'm glad to see that some things have not changed."

This piqued Vida's curiosity even more. "You're not like the others, are you?"

Matoombo stiffened. "What do you mean? I am Matoombo! Energy Warrior of the Underworld and Conqueror of the Worlds!"

"That may be true, but earlier, you said you didn't want to hurt anyone. Every other Terror we've come across couldn't care less about innocent people," explained Vida. "And what's more, I just saw you save that little boy. You have a good heart."

Matoombo stared at Vida in astonishment. "You really think so?" he asked, unable to keep the hope out of his voice.

"I don't just think it. I know it." She held out her hand for Matoombo to shake. "Let's start over. My name's Vida. I'm the Pink Ranger."

After a moment's hesitation, Matoombo reached out and shook Vida's hand, only to be blasted in the face by a powerful geyser of water, courtesy of Mason, who appeared out of nowhere and stood protectively in front of his sister.

"Get your hands off my sister, Matoombo!" he snarled.

"Mason, no! Stop!" yelled Vida. She quickly came in between Mason and Matoombo as the latter drew his own sparking weapon. "It's okay. Matoombo wasn't going to hurt me. I just saw him save a little boy from being hit by a car."

Mason stared at his sister in shock as he drew back his weapon. "What?"

"He's not like the other Terrors," insisted Vida. "He doesn't want to hurt people. Trust me."

Mason hesitated but then powered down, deciding to trust Vida's judgment. But even so, Mason wanted to be complete and utterly sure. "Is she telling the truth?" he demanded. "Are you different from the other Terrors? Because if you are, then prove it. Because you can't conqueror this world without hurting people. If you do, people won't just get hurt, they'll get killed—innocent civilians, my sister and that little boy she says you saved. So, prove yourself to me, Matoombo."

Right on cue, Matoombo's energy sucking ball returned. By now, it had grown to such a giant size and was on the verge of exploding with dangerous energy. In its current state, it could not only destroy Briarwood, it could very well destroy half the planet's population. Instead of allowing this to happen, Matoombo swung forth his blade and destroyed it, causing the energy to safely return from whence it had come.

Mason sighed in relief while Vida practically bounced on her feet and cheered.

"Yes! Thank you, Matoombo! I knew you couldn't do it!" cheered Vida.

Mason held out his hand to Matoombo. "I'm sorry I attacked earlier. I misjudged you. Forgive me."

Matoombo shook Mason's hand. "It is all right. All is forgiven."

"But I don't understand why you're different from other Terrors. All the others we've fought are pure evil. Why do you care?" asked Vida.

"I think I know," said Mason, as he then recalled the day the Terrors first appeared. "It's because of your soul, isn't it? The day the Terrors first came to Briarwood, Natalia said all but two of the Terrors sold their souls to become what they are. You're one of those two, aren't you, Matoombo? You didn't sell your soul, so there's a part of you that's still human."

Matoombo reluctantly nodded. "Yes," he confessed. "Unlike the others, Itassis and I kept our souls. We wanted to be powerful, yes, but we valued knowledge high above it. I also sought the chance to remake the world without the cost of lives and the chance to regain a life that I had lost, my son's. My only child, my little Solan, was a bright child with so much potential, so I sent him to finest school I could far across the seas. But on his journey home, his vessel was struck by a terrible storm and he was lost to me. Rather than learning to move on and find closure, I chose to allow my grief and rage to blind me to the faults of the darkness. I took the coward's way out and joined the Master's side."

Wisely, Mason and Vida chose not to comment on this as it was the truth: Matoombo had been a foolish coward who'd taken the easy way out. But at the same time, they couldn't help but sympathize with Matoombo as his main motivation had been his grief for the loss of his only child. It would've been far too easy for the Master to take advantage of Matoombo's pain and twist it into something the scumbag could use to his advantage. Matoombo may have aligned with the darkness but he hadn't done anything truly evil to their knowledge, so if he truly was seeing the error of his ways, then it was time to grant Matoombo a second chance to make amends.

Vida gave Matoombo a sympathetic look and squeezed his shoulder. "It's not too late to start over. Help us stop the other Terrors and honor your son's memory by being the good-hearted man he knew you to be. Will you join us, Matoombo?" She knew she was asking a lot by asking Matoombo to turn on his cohorts, but at the same time, Matoombo didn't belong with those monsters. He had a good heart and what's more, he had a soul.

Without hesitation, Matoombo nodded. "I will join you. For honor and for my son's memory, I shall fight alongside you."

Vida and Mason exchanged excited smiles. What had started out as a bad situation had just gotten so much better. A powerful Terror had just joined their side. Surely, with Matoombo fighting alongside them, nothing else bad could happen?

XXX

But this was wrong in so many ways. For unbeknownst to Matoombo and his new Ranger friends, the Master's energy had not only grown darker, it'd also left its place on the torch, signaling that he was about the choose his host.

"Excellent! The Master comes!" said Sculpin, pleased as he and the other Terrors gathered around in awe and impatiently waited for the Master to make his selection. "Now, he will make his choice!"

"May he choose wisely for victory!" declared Black Lance.

"Yes, wisely," said Itassis, in agreement. Whoever the Master chose would not only be a stepping stone in the Master's rise to power, but the combined magics would make the two almost unstoppable. But everyone had their weaknesses which could be exploited, which was all the more reason for the Master to be wise in his decision, for there no was turning back once the Master made his choice.

The Master's energy swooped around the room and then went into the Stone.

"Who will be the lucky one?" wondered Gekkor.

The Stone glowed brightly with the Master's dark energy and then the decision was made, much to everyone's shock, amazement and utter disgust.

XXX

Back on the surface world, Matoombo's pleasant talk with Vida and Mason was interrupted he was suddenly attacked by a powerful explosion of dark energy. It caused Matoombo immense pain and he slid down the hill to where Itassis and Gekkor had just appeared.

"What…what's happened to me?" moaned Matoombo, as he struggled to his feet.

"Isn't it obvious, old friend? You have been chosen to be the Master's vessel," said Itassis. Logically, it made sense as the Master needed to siphon off colossal amounts of mystical energy so he could form his own body. As the Energy Warrior of the Terrors, who could fulfil that need better than that of Matoombo?

"Not that you deserve such an honor!" spat Gekkor, furiously. "We saw what you did, you pathetic excuse for a Terror! You saved the human boy and aligned yourself with the Rangers? Tell me it was a trick and that you still serve the Master!

Matoombo glared darkly at Gekkor as he drew his blade. "I will never again serve that bloody tyrant and I will sooner die before I allow the Master to rise!"

"If it's death you desire, then death you shall have, you disgusting traitor!" snarled Gekkor. He drew his two-pronged blade and it began to glow brightly with dark magical energy. "But such swift mercy is not for the likes of you! No, you will be the Master's vessel whether you like it or not and only when he has risen will you be executed. For now, though, I will make you suffer for your treason!"

Choosing not to interfere, Itassis wisely stepped back out of harm's way and watched as a great battle between Matoombo and Gekkor unfolded. Before long, Matoombo was aided in battle not just by Mason and Vida, who'd morphed into their Legend Warrior forms, but also by the other Rangers who'd been alerted by their dark magic alarms. Together, they were able to stand against Gekkor long enough for Daggeron to call forth the Solar Streak train, which would've hit Gekkor and squashed him like the disgusting bug he was had Gekkor not flown up into the air in time.

"Vida, get Matoombo out of here! We'll handle the lizard," ordered Natalia. If the Mystic Crystal's knowledge was correct, which it usually was, then there was a very good solution to their problem, one that would not only save Matoombo but also stop the Master forever. And Matoombo more than likely knew it too.

More importantly, if this plan was successful, then perhaps the future Natalia knew of would be changed forever.

"Right!" After snatching up Jenji in his lamp, Vida grabbed Matoombo, who was kneeling down on the ground, breathing hard and badly injured from Gekkor's attack, and helped him to stand. "Come with me, big guy. I'll keep you safe."

And with that, Matoombo and Vida got onto the train and then it took them off to places unknown, much to Gekkor's ire.

"NO!" roared Gekkor. "Don't think you can escape me, you traitor! I'll find you, Matoombo! I will hunt you down and get you for the Master!"

Before anyone could stop Gekkor, the lizard-like Terror disappeared through a dark spell seal.

Xander cursed under his breath. "What's Vida thinking? I can't believe she did that!" Risking her life for the sake of Terror! What was going on in the Pink Ranger's mind?

"Nothing Vee does surprises me anymore," said Chip.

"I may surprise you," said Itassis, as she descended down to their level. "And I may have all the answers that you seek. If you're willing to hear me out, I think both our sides will be greatly benefited. Will you do so?

After seeing so many seemingly impossible victories achieved by the Rangers and seeing the great Matoombo's loyalties shift so easily, Itassis's curiosity was piqued. She craved answers to the questions burning inside her and knew only the Rangers would be able to provide them. But would the Rangers be willing to take a chance with her?

XXX

Meanwhile on the Solar Streak, Jenji was anxiously driving the train to the dimension of Matoombo's choosing while Vida tended to the Terror's injuries in the most comfortable train car using the train's well-packed supply of first-aid.

"Are you feeling any better?" asked Vida, anxiously as she tied off the last bandage.

Matoombo nodded and gave her a grateful smile. "Yes, I'm feeling much better now. In fact, I—look out!"

Before Vida could react, she was grabbed by Matoombo and pulled aside, narrowly avoiding being hit by Gekkor's blast of dark magic as the lizard-like Terror burst in through the train car window, causing glass to shatter and go flying everywhere.

"Matoombo! You cannot escape me or your fate!" snarled Gekkor.

"Think again you slimy overgrown gecko!" growled Vida. She thrust out her Mystic Lion Staff and pink sparks of magical energy shot out of it as she shouted, "Venit Foraminis!"

Gekkor yelped as a powerful vortex appeared beneath his feet, sucking Gekkor out of the train car and into the starry dimension outside. Before Gekkor could follow the train car, Vida summoned forth a powerful tornado that spun Gekkor around like a rag doll and then he lost consciousness. When Gekkor finally came too, both the Solar Streak and the fugitives were gone, much to his ire.

XXX

Furious and hoping for some aid in punishing Matoombo, Gekkor stormed into the Terrors' Sacred Chambers were Sculpin and Black Lance stood.

"Matoombo's betrayed us all!" roared Gekkor, furiously. "We need to hunt down that traitor and execute him, slowly and painfully!"

Much to Gekkor's ire, both Black Lance and Sculpin brushed off Gekkor's concerns and anger.

"Oh, relax, Gekkor. We have seen everything," said Black Lance, condescendingly.

Gekkor didn't like hearing this. "WHAT?! You know and you've done nothing! Why, I ought to—"

Sculpin's eyes flashed warningly, causing Gekkor to fall silent and take a step back. In his current state, he was no much for Sculpin, even if he wanted to take on the fish-headed monstrosity. "Make no mistake, Gekkor, action will be taken. I know where he's headed and what his plan is."

They had to do everything in their power to prevent Matoombo's plan, because if he was successful, the Master would never rise and all they'd fought for would be for naught.

XXX

Unbeknownst to Sculpin, Itassis also knew and she was telling the Rangers, who'd decided to take a leap of faith and trust in the Egyptian-like Terror. In all honesty, it wasn't a hard choice to make. They knew from Daggeron's tale of what'd happened in the Opaque Dimension that Itassis was a being of honor, and they also knew that like Matoombo, Itassis still had her soul. And more importantly, she had knowledge they needed.

"Matoombo is headed to the Dawn Dimension, home of the Lake of Hope. The lake's waters are said to be as pure as the Mystic Crystal and once Matoombo steps into them, not only will the Master be safely purged from his body and Matoombo freed of him, but Master will also be destroyed," Itassis explained.

Everyone exchanged excited, nervous glances at this. If this was true, then the war was finally at its end and soon they'd be free of the Master forever. But they held back their excitement as they realized that while Matoombo may plan on doing this, there was no guarantee that he would succeed in doing so, especially with the other three Terrors after him. They had to help Vida and Matoombo and quickly before it was too late.

"Tell us how to get there, please," said Daggeron.

Itassis held up a finger. "I am not like the others. I crave knowledge, not power. I will send you there myself after you tell me what I want to know."

Chip frowned in suspicion. "How do we know you'll keep your word once we tell you what you want to know?"

"As a gesture of good faith, I will send one of you to their destination right now. But only one," said Itassis, warningly. "If given the answer that I seek, I will send the others. Who will it be?"

"Vida is my son's sister. I should be the one to go," said Daggeron.

"I'm her best friend. I should go," protested Xander.

Chip scowled at Xander. "I'm her boyfriend. I'll go."

"I'm her leader and I have the Mystic Crystal. I should go," argued Natalia.

Itassis smiled, silently admiring their noble hearts and bravery. "How selfless of you. But I will send the Blue Wizard," she said. Mason was the only one who had not spoken up as he'd trusted in the others to protect and aid Vida and Matoombo. For that, he was the obvious choice.

Mason looked startled but nevertheless, graciously accepted Itassis's decision and allowed to send him to the Dawn Dimension.

Once Mason was gone, Itassis turned back to the others.

"All right, what is it that you want to know?" asked Daggeron. He tried not to show his impatience, for although he had every faith in Mason and Vida's abilities as Mystic Warriors, Daggeron was a father first and foremost and naturally, he worried for them. So, he was anxious to go to the Dawn Dimension and help them.

"A simple answer to a simple question," replied Itassis. "Long before you even knew of the Mystic Crystal being at your disposal, you fought against beings far more powerful and dangerous than you. Yet time and time again, you defeated them and even when you don't use the Mystic Crystal, you still defeat us Terrors. Why is that?"

Xander scowled. "We're better than you. How's that for a simple answer?" he snapped.

Daggeron gave Xander a warning look that silenced him just as Itassis's blue eyes flashed.

"Careful. The wrong answer will cost you everything," she warned.

Natalia took a step forward. "You want to know why we always beat you, even though we rarely use the Mystic Crystal's power to do so? Yes, we've faced servants of darkness far more powerful us. Yes, some of you have been bigger and dangerous. And yes, sometimes, we've almost been destroyed. But we always win because we have something you don't and might not ever have. Something that not even beings as powerful as the Mystic Mother or the Master could ever give you."

Her curiosity piqued, Itassis looked intrigued and stepped closer to the Rangers. "Yes?"

"No spell can bring it forth," said Chip. "It can't be borrowed, bought or stolen."

"It can't be taught, yet we can learn it from the examples of others," said Xander.

"Everyone is born with it. They just have to step forth and claim it as their own," said Daggeron. "It's in their hearts."

"What is it?" asked Itassis.

Natalia smiled softly. "It's many things. Love. Family. Friendship. Courage. Honor. Selflessness. Hope. More than that, it's when you put someone else's well-being ahead of your own, even if you don't know them from Adam."

Itassis was astonished by such an answer. It was so noble, so simple and yet so sad and risky. She couldn't believe this was the truth behind her enemies' power. She felt in awe of them and yet at the same time, struggled to understand why they would put themselves through such things when on occasion, such choices brought terrible pain. "And why would you do that?"

"Because it's the right thing to do," replied Natalia, as the others nodded in agreement. "And even when the right choice is hard, the rewards are more than worth it. Does that satisfy you, Itassis?"

Itassis did not reply at first.

Natalia wisely chose not to comment but all the same, she could've sworn she saw a sparkle of tears in Itassis' blue eyes.

XXX

Meanwhile, Vida and Matoombo had arrived in the Dawn Dimension.

It was a beautiful dimension with a sky that was always the colors of the dawn—rosy pink, deep gold, lavender, crimson and a deep blue. What's more, the deep forest down below had trees with leaves matching the gorgeous sky and all was peaceful for every creature that resided there lived in harmony and happiness.

"This place is amazing. I should visit when the war's over," said Vida, in awe as they walked to the Lake of Hope. As they'd exhausted the train's resources getting to the Dawn Dimension in a hurry, they'd had no choice but to walk the rest of the way to the lake.

"Yes, it sets the mind at ease," said Matoombo, in agreement. "I will accompany you, my friend."

"Room for one more?"

Upon hearing her brother's voice, Vida's face lit up with a smile as she and Matoombo spun around to see Mason running towards them in his Legend Warrior form. She didn't have a clue how Mason had found them or how he'd gotten there, but nevertheless, she was happy to have some backup.

"Mace! Glad you're here, bro. I—Matoombo!"

Vida was cut off when Gekkor suddenly appeared and blasted Matoombo across the forest.

"Surprise!" he cackled. "There's nowhere to run, traitor! Surrender to the Master or be destroyed!"

"Never!" snarled Matoombo.

"Very well, then!"

And with that, Gekkor began firing off countless arrow-like bursts of dark magical energy. Quickly, Matoombo leapt in front of his Ranger friends and absorbed the energy until he could no longer contain it. When that happened, Matoombo released it onto Gekkor. Gekkor was not only severely injured in the process, but he was also blown sky high across the dimension, giving them a little time.

Matoombo fell to his knees, breathing hard and clearly worn out.

"Matoombo, are you okay?" asked Vida, worriedly.

"That took much more out of me than I expected." Matoombo then groaned in pain as jolts of dark red lightning began to spark out of his body. "We have to hurry to the Lake of Hope. The Master will not need my body for much longer. If we don't get there in time…"

"We won't let that happen," said Mason, firmly as his face brightened with a rather ingenious plan. "I have an idea. We'll switch places!"

"What?"

Mason quickly explained his plan and once his comrades agreed, they set it in motion. Mason cast a powerful glamor spell that disguised Matoombo as Mason and Mason as Matoombo. Matoombo then took off to the Lake of Hope on a spare broomstick Mason had brought with him. Mason would serve as the decoy and with luck, it would grant Matoombo the chance he needed to destroy the Master.

Just when it seemed as though Matoombo had had ample time to reach the lake, Vida was seemingly frantically dragged 'Matoombo' through the woods and to a beautifully carved canyon and it was then that Gekkor miraculously caught up with them. Despite his injuries, Gekkor attacked and unleashed powerful bursts of dark magic at them.

"I told you there was no escaping me, Matoombo. Playtime's over now, so stop—WHAT?!" Gekkor shrieked. As the dust cleared, Mason's glamour spell was broken from Gekkor's attack, revealing the duplicity. "The Blue Mystic Ranger?!"

Vida grinned beneath her helmet as she helped Mason to stand. "You're a two-time loser—soulless and gullible!"

"With you chasing us, our cotton-headed friend had enough time to make it to the Lake of Hope!" said Mason, proudly. "Explain that one to your fellow Terrors!"

It was the right thing to say, for it caused Gekkor's temper to flare and without warning, he unleashed a powerful burst of dark magical energy that not only sent them flying into the canyon wall, severely injuring them, it also caused them both to power down. Gekkor stepped forward and just when Gekkor sent forth another powerful blast to finish them off, a powerful shield formed around the Pink and Blue Rangers, protecting them.

"What is this?" roared Gekkor. "Who dares interfere?"

"We do, you abomination!"

Gekkor looked up and saw the other Rangers leap down and stand protectively in front of their injured comrades. In spite of his own injured state, Gekkor was unafraid and unfazed by this as he had every confidence he could destroy his foes.

"Welcome to dance. Shall we?" he taunted. A great ball of dark green energy appeared in Gekkor's free hand. "Here is my full power!"

And with that, Gekkor sent it forth but instead of causing immense destruction to his enemies, a figure appeared in Koragg's armor, in the same shade of red as Natalia's own Mystic Warrior uniform instead of Koragg's choice of deep purple, appeared and absorbed all the dark energy. But despite the choice armor, this was not Koragg.

"Burning Heart of Fire, Wolf Warrior!" he roared.

"Papa!" exclaimed Natalia, overjoyed. For the first time in months, she could feel their telepathic connection and it was stronger than ever. There was no doubt in her mind that this was, in fact, her birth father, finally restored to her.

Everyone else let out similar gasps of astonishment and joy at the sight of Leanbow's miraculous return.

Leanbow turned to the others. "Good job, Rangers. Well done, Aurora," he said, proudly. "The world has been kept safe because of you and Matoombo. I am proud."

"We couldn't have done it without your help, old friend," said Daggeron.

Gekkor couldn't believe what was happening. He'd been so sure that they'd destroyed Leanbow. How was this even remotely possible?

"LEANBOW?!" yelled Gekkor, shocked. "But we destroyed you!"

"You failed and thanks to my wife's magic, I am restored." Leanbow turned to Aurora. "Will you fight by my side, my daughter?"

"With pleasure!" said Natalia. She drew forth her Magi Staff and transformed it into a flaming sword before leaping into battle alongside her father. And not a moment too soon, either. For right then and there, Gekkor let out a battle cry and lashed out at Leanbow. Leanbow quickly drew forth his blade and met Gekkor's blade while Natalia lashed out from behind with her flaming sword. Leanbow then performed a strong spinning kick while Gekkor moaned in pain from Natalia's fire. Natalia swept Gekkor's legs, sending him flying down onto the ground. She then grabbed Gekkor by the throat and tossed him across the battlefield and into the canyon wall.

Leanbow then ignited his sword just as Gekkor struggled to his feet in a concussed haze. "In the name of honor, Blazing Storm Slash!" roared Leanbow.

And with that, a powerful red hot flame shot out of his sword and struck the green Terror. Moments later, Gekkor's body exploded in a shower of light, leaving nothing but ashes and soot behind. Gekkor had been destroyed. The battle had been won.

With Gekkor, destroyed, everyone wasted no time in powering down, especially Natalia and Leanbow, whose reunion was long overdue. Tears of joy slid down Natalia's cheeks as she ran into her father's arms and they shared a tight, loving embrace for the first time in months.

"Papa," she cried, slightly muffled by Leanbow's shoulder. "You're finally home. I've missed you so much."

Leanbow tightened his grip on his daughter as he stroked her hair. "I've missed you too. So much I can't begin to tell you." Though Leanbow had been confident that his actions had been right and just, it hadn't prevented him from missing his family so much that it'd hurt worse than any wound. After a good long moment, he pulled away and cupped Natalia's face in his hands, allowing him to gently wipe her happy tears away. "But it's okay. We're together again and I could not be more proud of you. I love you so much, my little phoenix-star."

Natalia smiled as she hugged her father again. "I love you too, Papa."

Wisely, the others stood back and allowed father and daughter some more time together before daring to join in on the happiness. Although they were overjoyed to have their king and friend back, they knew this moment was long overdue.

The happy moment was interrupted, however, when Matoombo suddenly appeared via a spell seal, more badly injured than before and barely clinging to life.

"Matoombo!" exclaimed Vida. Quickly, she ran to her injured friend and cradled him in her arms. "What happened?"

Matoombo weakly clutched Vida's hand in his own. "I…I failed…" he rasped. "Forgive me…" He then lost consciousness. Were Vida not able to feel Matoombo's weak breath on her hand, she would've thought him dead and he surely would die soon if action wasn't taken.

"Somebody help!" cried Vida.

Natalia did not hesitate to rush to Matoombo's injured side and as she knelt down beside him, the Mystic Crystal glowed brightly with powerful healing magic, which she directed towards Matoombo. As Matoombo's body glowed, he was not only healed of all his injuries he was also fully restored to his former self. Gone was his black-and-white armored body with his mushroom shaped head, in its place was a dark-skinned wizard with hair white as snow, dressed in black-and-white wizard robes and when his grey eyes fluttered open, Matoombo looked at his hands in awe and disbelief.

"I…I've been restored. I never thought this could ever happen. How…?" he murmured.

"It's thanks to Natalia," said Vida, smiling as she helped Matoombo to stand. "She used the Mystic Crystal to save your life and restore you."

Matoombo's grey eyes filled with happy tears as he then knelt down and bowed his head in respect to Natalia. "Mystic Princess, Red Mystic Ranger and Light of the Realm, I owe you my undying gratitude and loyalty. My powers may not be what they once were, but I give my word that I will lend whatever aid I can to you and the cause of righteousness. And I humbly ask for your forgiveness."

Natalia smiled softly but it didn't quite reach her eyes, as though she knew something they didn't. "I graciously accept your offer and I forgive you, Matoombo. But I believe we both know the situation's just become far worse than we could've anticipated." Thanks to her knowledge of the Book of Prophecy and what the Mystic Crystal had told her when she'd healed Matoombo, she knew what'd happened at the Lake of Hope.

Matoombo nodded grimly as he stood up and then looked ashamed.

"What is she talking about?" asked Leanbow.

Matoombo's eyes filled with tears. "I failed in my mission. I reached the Lake of Hope, but it was too late. Before I could step into the waters, the Master forcibly left my body and sent me back to you as a warning of what is to come."

"WHAT?!" exclaimed everyone but Natalia, in horrified shock.

The Master had risen? Oh, this was not good at all.

Right on cue, the skies darkened to almost pitch-black and sparked with powerful bolts of red lightning and from the darkened heavens emerged the Master of All Evil, Ocotomus, fully restored to his dark self. He was gigantic in size, his skin a demonic red, his face black as night with golden eyes with two red tentacles like husks. From his back spouted two gigantic skeletal wings with tentacles on either side. His feet and hands were long and claw, which only further added to his demonic form.

"Your fight has been a fruitless one, for I have risen at last!" cackled the Master. "Soon, I will have both the Light and the Mystic Crystal under my control and when I do, I will ensure you all suffer and perish! Especially you, Leanbow, and your precious Solaris Knight! One-by-one, you will fall and then so will your precious world! Enjoy your empty victory, you pathetic weaklings! I will strike when you least expect it!"

There was a loud crack of lightning and then all of a sudden, the skies cleared and all was peaceful again, for the Master had vanished into thin air.

"Now this…" breathed Chip, looking terrified. "This is bad."

Bad was putting it mildly. The Master was fully restored to power and was about to unleash unspeakable horrors upon the world. If they didn't destroy him, billions of innocent lives were going to pay the price. The situation couldn't possibly be worse!