Nick gulped and entered and saw Udonna studying a spell book. "Um, Udonna, can I talk to you?" Nick asked, nervously.
Udonna smiled and said, "Yes, child. What's wrong?"
"We've never met before this adventure began, right?" Nick blurted out.
"Right, why do you ask?" Udonna answered, watching the red ranger's face. He had been acting strange—even when the adventure began—he would attempt to avoid having to talk to her, unless he absolutely needed to.
"It's just—this is going to sound crazy," Nick grinned.
"Crazier than the idea of this realm nearly being entirely destroyed by the Darkness?" Udonna quipped.
Nick nodded and said, "I feel like I've heard your voice before—a long time before this adventure began."
Udonna frowned and glanced at the entrances—Daggeron and Clare wouldn't be back for a while—and then whispered, "Look. Twenty years ago, I was married to the original red Mystic—Leanbow—he died behind the Gates in an attempt to seal the Master away. I also had a son named Bowen, and I entrusted the task of getting him to safety to Daggeron, and Phineas ultimately took Bowen to the human realm while Calindor and Daggeron battled it out over the infant child's life."
"When Daggeron took away your son, was he wearing a cloak, by any chance?" Nick asked, curiously.
"Yes, why?" Udonna asked.
"Because whenever Koragg contacts me, I get these flashes and images and I always see a cloaked figure, running through the woods and carrying a crying baby, wrapped in this blanket," Nick explained, handing his baby blanket over to Udonna.
She fingered it and whispered, "Someday, I will find you, Bowen."
Nick looked at her and said, "And there's no way we could have met before that earthquake."
Udonna whispered, "You may be wrong about that, young ranger."
Nick stared up at her and shook his head and asked, "What are you saying?"
She blinked and hissed, "Tell no one—not even the other rangers—what I told about Leanbow or Bowen, but especially Bowen, for if you tell them or anyone at all, Bowen would be in grave danger."
Nick nodded obediently—Moms were scary when they got mad or when their children were hurt.
He left Rootcore and went to the Rock Porium where Madison asked, "How did it go? Did you solve your "I think I've met Udonna before, because I think I may have heard her voice before but I'm not sure" problem?"
Nick grinned at Madison and said, "Not so well. And I don't think so. And that really does summarize the problem. I think I'm back at square one."
The others glanced at each other and nodded, softly. Nick wanted answers—Udonna wasn't giving him them. This cycle of Nick seeking answers and Udonna not giving him them was only going to hurt the red ranger in the long run.