Udonna left her room and called the rangers to Rootcore. "We're leaving for the Underworld. I'll look for Nick. The rest of you take out Koragg, Imperious, and Necrolai," she ordered.
"Why do you get to rescue Nick?" Vida demanded.
"Because… because he's my son," Udonna replied, "Which is probably why he thinks he heard my voice before this adventure began."
The rangers stared at each other and then nodded. Nick, where are you? Udonna mentally asked, softly, after the group slid through the Gate.
There was no answer. Udonna closed her eyes and let herself sense Nick's magic. She slipped through the tunnels and grabbed her Snow Staff and then darted along another path, where she found Nick glaring at Koragg. "Let… Nick… go… now!" Udonna growled.
Koragg ignored her and grabbed Nick by the arm and handed the teen over to the Master. "No! Nick!" Udonna ran after Koragg.
Koragg grabbed Udonna and held her back and she stared in horror as the Master tortured her son. "Nick," she choked out as tears streamed down her face.
"Let go of me, Koragg," Udonna twisted against her captor. "Please, he needs me."
Koragg tightened his grip on Udonna. She growled and flipped the knight to the ground. "Now, I'm mad," Udonna hissed.
She slammed her knee against his groin and Koragg sank to the ground, letting out a yelp of pain.
She then ran over to Nick's limp form and shook his shoulder. "Wake up, Nick," she ordered gently.
Nick blinked up at her and whimpered. "It hurts, Udonna," he whispered as he reached up to the White Sorceress.
Udonna wrapped her arms around Nick and pulled him against herself, cradling the injured teen gently. The Master roared, enraged, as Udonna tenderly picked Nick up and carried him a safe distance away. The other rangers joined Udonna and Nick, and she nodded to them to cast the teleportation spell. The group returned to Rootcore and Vida asked, "Is Nick going to be OK?"
Udonna rubbed Nick's shoulder and whispered, "Stay with me, baby boy. It's gonna be OK."
"Udonna," Nick whimpered and buried his face against her chest.
Nick slowly opened his eyes and stared up at her. "I'm here, little one," Udonna whispered gently. "I'm not going anywhere."
Nick pressed his head against her shoulder and she whispered, "It's going to be alright, Bowen, I promise."
Nick blinked and she whispered, "You were right. We had met before—I am your mother, Nick."
Nick clung to her and whispered, "Mom, Koragg put a spell on me and that's why I couldn't answer you, when you asked for me—I never heard you ask where I was."
"What about the others? Could they contact you?" Udonna asked.
"No," Nick curled up in his mother's arms.
Daggeron took Bowen out of Udonna's arms and laid the teen on the couch. Udonna then sat down next to Bowen and watched the teen gently.
The other rangers all returned to work and Udonna didn't even look at Daggeron, when he said, "Udonna, let me know if you need me to stay with Bowen."
"I will," she whispered, never looking away from Bowen, watching him carefully as he slept.
Daggeron then said, "Koragg is going to come after Bowen again. They may end up fighting to the death."
Udonna pressed her head against Bowen's head and stared up at Daggeron. "Koragg will have to get through me to get to Bowen," she growled. "I already warned him once—I will rip him apart if he ever tries to harm Bowen again."
Daggeron backed away from her, frightened. She had changed so much from that day when she handed Bowen over to him with instructions to take the infant to safety. Then she had been a frightened seventeen-year-old, who only wanted her son to have a chance at life. Now, she was a fiercely determined warrior and mother, who would fight to the death to protect her son.