A few days later, the group was studying several spell books. Nick looked up at Udonna and asked, "Mom? Um, I've already studied most of these books—they're just the basics—or books that Dad studied."

Udonna smiled and, pulled out another set of books. She took Nick outside and said, "I want to see if you can try one of these spells."

Nick nodded—they already knew he had his father's powers—they were his dominant magic—but what of his mother's abilities? Could he use the Snow Staff like she could? That was something they wouldn't find out unless they somehow stole it back.

Nick carefully attempted the first spell. Udonna watched him carefully—for the past sixteen years, she had always worked with him using only the books his father had studied. It was time that she taught him what she had learned when she was a child.

Nick glanced up at her and murmured, "Mommy?"

"Yes, Bowen?" she asked—something was wrong. Nick only called her Mommy when something bugged him or when he was in excruciating pain.

"Why did Dad do that? Why not someone else?" he asked again. Udonna was pretty sure that Bowen asked that question at least once every time he'd visit her.

Udonna shrugged and said, "You know how stubborn your father was. I had asked him to let someone else go, but he insisted that it was the only way."

Nick nodded, reluctantly.

Udonna rubbed his shoulder and murmured, "Is this about your parents?"

Nick nodded—when he had been seven, his adoptive parents had divorced, and during that process, rather than deal with the stress of them arguing over where he'd stay, he had spent his second grade year at Briarwood Elementary and lived with Udonna and Clare until the divorce had been finalized. Now, he sometimes would get upset at the idea of his birth parents' separation, just as his adoptive parents' divorce had upset him—it still did upset him. And things were still pretty messy. Udonna would still get Nick over long weekends, vacations, and breaks, but only if given permission could he visit on normal weekends. Rather than deal with the stress of him running off, all his relatives told Nick he could visit Udonna, if she said it was OK. Unfortunately, his adoptive father spent years trying to change the court's rulings, so that Nick could not spend time with Udonna, and if he did, it was very limited contact. However, the fact that she was indeed—genetically proven—his biological mother, allowed Nick to stay with her whenever he wanted to, and he did not have to spend time with his adoptive father.

Suddenly he froze. "I have met the others—well, Madison and Vida and Chip—before," he said, grinning up at Udonna.

She smiled and said, "Why don't you go talk to them?"

He nodded and raced back inside. "Maddie? Chip? V? This is going to sound crazy, but do I remind you of anyone?" he asked, nervously.

Madison rubbed her forehead and slowly said, "There was a boy—in second grade—named… Oh my gosh! Nick!" She jumped out of her seat and threw her arms around the team leader.

Vida and Chip stared at each other and then joined the hug. Xander blinked and asked, "What did I miss?"

"I met Maddie and V and Chip twelve years ago, during my second grade year," Nick confessed. "Those rumors about going into the forest and never coming out again are false. I lived here at Rootcore with Mom and Clare that year. And I have come and gone in the forest for years."

The others nodded and Chip said, "Are we all still friends?"

"Of course," Nick grinned, remembering how his friendship with the Yellow, Pink, and Blue rangers had begun.

Nick glanced up at Udonna. "Now, Nick, I know this is hard for you, but I want you to be a good boy and behave, OK?" Udonna asked her seven-year-old son. Nick nodded and asked, "Mommy?" "Yes?" Udonna replied. "I wish my parents would stop fighting," he sniffled. She hugged him and led him to his classroom where he met a red-haired boy who was wearing a cape, yelling that he was a superhero. Udonna looked at Nick and said, "Promise me you'll try to make some friends." Nick nodded and wandered over to the cape wearing boy. "Hi," he whispered shyly. "Hi, you must be Nick. I'm Chip," the cape-wearing boy declared. "Hi, Chip," Nick grinned. "Come on. Come meet my other friends," Chip grabbed Nick and led him over to Madison and Vida and swiftly introduced the three to each other. Madison, deliberately not looking at Nick, asked, 'We'll always be friends, right?" "Yeah!" Vida cheered. "Uh-huh," Chip nodded his head in agreement. "Always," Nick, just as deliberately not looking at Madison, promised.

Vida grinned and said, "Well, you two have made progress."

Nick and Madison looked at each other and then at Vida. "What are you talking about?" Nick demanded.

"You two wouldn't talk to each other or look at each other to talk to each other, because when you would, you'd say something stupid," Vida explained.

Nick blushed at the same time as Madison.