In the Human Realm, Xander sat in his meditative position. Large amounts of green mystical energy poured from his aura and fed the tree.
"You can make it…" He whispered aloud, "I know you can…"
~Mystic Realm~
As the Rangers passed through the Capitol compound, they were swarmed by numerous Knights and Wizards. They were clad in steampunk - mystical attire in various different colors. The Rangers noted quickly, however, that all of these warriors were marked by a black glyph that depicted a flower. It made every pair of eyes glow with a burning red. Not only that, each warrior attacked with a ferocious rage.
"Look out!" Noah shouted as a squadron of Wizards conjured a serpent made of fire. The Blue Ranger created a sphere of water between his palms and threw it at the serpent, extinguishing it.
Liam backflipped away from a few Knights and landed next to Alicia. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"
"Definitely mind control," Alicia nodded, blasting a Knight with a wave of wind. "But the question is, who's pulling the strings?"
"Lee! Ali! Get down!" Jared cried out. The two ducked to the side to avoid a surge of tree roots from a Green Wizard. Jared opened his palms and thrust his arms forward, causing a stream of fire to rush forward and incinerate the foliage. A Knight quickly got the drop on the Red Ranger and struck him with swift slashes.
"Jared!" Sonia called in worry, only for her to be taken down by a Sorceress in Yellow who was much more attuned to the element of Lightning.
Eventually, the Rangers and Claire grouped up together, completely surrounded.
"You guys weren't kidding," Noah gasped to Claire. He raised a circular wall of water to act as a barrier around them. "These guys are the real deal."
"Anyone have a plan?" Liam asked, staring down the incoming attackers.
Jared took in the situation and thought about it for a few seconds. "Noah! Ocean Burn!"
"Got it!" Noah nodded, flattening his hands to the ground. The Blue Ranger made a water puddle under their group while Jared ignited a flame between his hands. He swung down, blasting the puddle with his fire, causing vapor to erupt in all directions.
"Split up!" Jared instructed his team. "Liam, go with Sonia. Noah, go with Alicia. I'll go with Claire. We'll cover more ground this way. Stay in touch with a communication spell and keep each other safe. Go!"
"Right!"
With that, the Rangers divided, each group running in separate and Alicia jumped from wall to wall and eventually got to a lookout tower.
"Well, well, well..." Came an alluring voice. "Look what we have here..."
The two turned to see a handsome young man staring at them. He was lean built and had tan skin, dark hair and green eyes. He wore a white, skin tight uniform that was accented with blue stripes. Over this uniform was a poncho/cloak.
"My name is Eivor… You two look like a challenge..."
Liam and Sonia ran down a walkway when they sensed an incoming attack. A ball of energy came flying at them from above, but Liam easily raised a wall of earth to block it.
A woman's grounded voice said, "Nice reflexes. I want to know more about you."
A dark skinned sorceress landed in front of them. Her hair was dark brown and her eyes were neon blue. "My name is Galla… and as the Mystic Realms head of magical research… I'm looking forward to studying you."
Jared stared down Lance, Rachel's friend who came to retrieve her, while materializing his Legend Sword.
"My, my..." Lance began with a calm tone, "Someone really wants to fight."
"What happened to you? What happened here?"
Lance's once green eyes flashed with angry red. "We serve the one and only Magnificence."
"Is it the Master?" Claire asked, her hands beginning to glow a white light, "Is he back?"
Lance shook his head, "The Master won't be returning for some time. I serve a greater power."
Jared ignited his sword with flames and pointed it forth. "Where's Rachel?" He gripped the hilt with anticipation, he could feel his breath getting a bit erratic. He could feel Lance's aura, which caused Jared to tense up.
Noah and Alicia took a fighting stance. Eivor focused his Mana and the boost made his muscle mass grow slightly. He charged forward at amazing speed. Noah grabbed Alicia and jumped away. Eivor struck the ground the two stood on and created a sizable crater.
"Nice dodge." Eivor admitted as he dusted himself off. He whispered a spell under his breath and launched a flurry of lights at the two.
"Legend Kwan Dao!"
"Legend Bow!"
Pink arrows soared through the air, but all missed Eivor. The Wizard lifted his fist and brought it down, but Noah blocked the attack with his weapon. Noah could feel the strength behind Eivor's fist, easily overpowering him. The Wizard felt like a brick wall and Noah was merely a tennis ball.
"I specialize in Anatomical Magic," Eivor informed, his mouth curling into a sadistic grin. "Every muscle and sinew in my body can be amplified to its peak. You're in for a treat today, young Sorceror."
Noah grinned under his helmet. "Thanks for sharing." He answered sarcastically. Noah broke away, jumped into the air and focused. "River Rush!"
"Hurricane Wave!"
The two attacks fused together and hit Eivor head on.
Sonia ducked away from another energy blast. Liam formed a barrier and protected himself as well as Sonia. Galla kept firing blasts from his hands.
"Now!" Liam said. Sonia sent sound electricity through the ground and knocked their target off balance. Liam then kicked a small boulder at Galla. The Witch side stepped, and the attack grazed her arm.
A sonic wave was unleashed from the Witch, which caused Liam and Sonia to demorph.
"What just happened?" Liam asked, surprised.
Sonia concluded, "She disrupted our connection to the Grid… Somehow…" The sound that was emanating from Galla made her flinch a bit. "It's got to be that sound she's using. If we can just stop it…"
Galla laughed as she lobbed black spheres the size of baseballs at the two. Sonia let out a sonic clap which blocked a few of the spheres while Liam erected a barrier to block the rest. Together, they used their own specific magic to cast an earth tremor spell, which made Galla fall off balance. This in turn caused the disruption sound to cease, which made Sonia and Liam's Ranger forms come back.
The Witch stared at the two and flashed a wide grin. "What interesting abilities. I have never seen them before. I'm curious on how they work." With a disturbed and psychotic smile, Galla looked at the two Rangers. "Maybe, I should study you more closely."
The two felt uneasy. The eyes, the smile, the uncanny tone of voice made the two Rangers back away a few steps without them realizing it.
"She might be coo-coo for Coco Puffs," Liam whispered with a nervous tone.
"Yes, you will be my test subjects." Galla said with enthusiasm. "I absolutely must understand how you both function."
Sonia's blood boiled. She summoned her Daggers and shouted, "Not happening!"
Liam placed his arm in front of Sonia to stop her from diving recklessly. "Remember, she's possessed. And we don't know what she can do. We've got to be careful."
Galla clapped her hands. "Oh, come now. I promise it won't be bad. I'll give you my special treatment. Testing will be shortened to eight times a day, and I will provide pills to relieve half the pain. Spiritual surgery, where I dissect your soul, will be shortened to 4 hours every two days instead of 8. How does that sound?"
Sonia shook her head. "No way, you psycho!"
"Earth Breaker!"
"Lightning Crash!"
The electrified boulder hit Galla and exploded, sending smoke and debris in the air.
Jared kept slicing away, but Lance was too agile for him. "Come on, Red Ranger. I thought you were stronger than this!"
Jared sent a kick, but missed. He then sliced down and missed once more.
"Of course, you'll never hit me," Lance continued to taunt, "A magic user of your skill level could never!" Without casting a spell, Lance was able to get around Jared's attacks and, with a swift kick to the stomach, sent Jared flying.
"Enough!" Claire shouted, casting a spell that caused Lance to be entangled in golden ropes."
Alicia asked uneasy, "Did we get him?"
"Not sure." Noah replied, taking a few steps closer.
"Hardly!" Eivor called out in reply. The Wizard jumped high into the air and started to glow. His muscle mass increased even more. He was as big as the hulk and came down at a faster speed. Noah tried to trap him in water, but his target was too powerful. Instead, he grabbed Alicia, and conjured a wave of water for the two to ride on. Quickly, they appeared behind Eivor in the air.
"Spirit Slash!" Noah sent a blue wave of energy from his X-Sword and nailed Eivor. However, in a flash, Eivor was behind the two and slammed them into the ground.
He landed with a heavy smash. "Oh, come on! That can't be all! And you really thought you'd save the Mystic Realm?! Every Wizard, every Knight, every Witch, and civilian is under my Master's control. You can't win!"
Galla was far from damaged. She opened her mouth and let loose these clear specters with sharp teeth. They charged at the Rangers. Liam raised a barrier of rock, but they opened their mouths and devoured it. Sonia shot beams of lightning at them, but the specters ate those too.
"Those ghost things eat Mana!" Liam informed back handspringing from a foaming mouth.
Galla complimented, "Very observant."
The ghosts weaved around the two Rangers, making them jump around in a frantic flurry. Eventually, the two were cornered and the ghosts went right through Sonia and Liam. The pain was immense and the two screamed out. They fell to the ground, drained of strength.
Jared could not get a hold of Lance. "Soul Fire, Ignite!" The burst of flames were sailing toward Lance's center and Jared had thought he was on target. However, Lance arced his body backwards and bended into a circle. The blast went through the opening.
"Nice try!" Lance taunted. "Now it's my turn." With blinding speed, he appeared in front of Jared and sent a flurry of rapid punches, eventually nailing the Red Ranger over and over. Jared was sent flying back into a wall. Claire tried to restrain Lance, but he easily broke free from her spells and cast a countercurse. A black cage appeared around Claire, rendering her helpless.
Lance laughed. "Is that all?"
Simultaneously, each Wizard taunted the Rangers.
"You'll never win at this rate!" Eivor berated Noah and Alicia.
Galla scoffed at the weakened Liam and Sonia, "It is a waste for the Spirits to be in your hands. I will study you extensively... and forget about special treatment!"
Lance kept laughing. "You won't save anyone with that power! You're pathetic!"
The Rangers all thought back to their numerous hours of training with Xander and Claire.
(Flashback)
On the Base's training floor, Xander had easily walked through all five Rangers with hand to hand combat.
"It's not enough. You've got to adapt! Part of being a Ranger is fighting enemies that can hit you back harder. You take their fighting styles and adapt your own to beat them!"
Much later, Claire was easily able to dispel all of their elemental attacks. The Rangers exhaustedly fell to the floor, demorphing. Claire crouched down to their level and gingerly said, "It's alright to feel frustrated. I was walking disaster zone when I was an apprentice. Don't give up."
(End Flashback)
Something ignited in the Rangers, causing them all to rise.
Noah said, "We're far from done."
(Flashback)
The last training session they had before they left, Xander was to fight the five all at once to assess their physical and supernatural powers.
Noah jumped into the air and came down with a kick Xander, but he jumped backwards.
"River Rush!" The burst of water was well controlled and splashed in front of Dr. Bly, blinding his line of vision. The water then started to move in a circle around Dr. Bly, preventing him from escaping. A giant green prism rose out of the ground next to the water wall. Jared fired a few bursts of flames at Dr. Bly, but he used his own energy to disperse the flames. Alicia raised her hands. "Hurricane Wave!" The gale sent Jared and Sonia flying at Dr. Bly. The two assaulted their teacher with fast paced punches and kicks.
Dr. Bly was starting to have trouble blocking all the attacks. The water wall was replaced by a giant green box and Noah joined the battle. The three rangers put everything into their attacks. A punch from Noah, a high kick from Sonia, Dr. Bly back flipped away, but Jared came down with a powerful kick. Meanwhile, Alicia was stirring the wind. Jared dashed and was attacking from above. Dr. Bly moved his arms inward to block, but Noah super sped below, somersaulted, and blocked his teacher's arms from closing with his legs. Jared flipped over Dr. Bly and held onto his back. Sonia fired electricity all around her. Noah and Jared jumped away as a giant storm cloud appeared above them all. Noah froze Dr. Bly's leg molecules so he couldn't move.
Jared said, "Sonia, now!"
Sonia summoned a lot of lightning from the storm cloud and sent it at Dr. Bly, Jared and Noah jumped away at the last second, thoroughly defeating him.
After the battle he and Claire were impressed.
"You planned on making the storm cloud. You used Noah's water and Jared's fire to heat the atmosphere while Alicia stirred Sonia's electricity with her wind. Very nice team work." Claire smiled.
(End Flashback)
Noah and Alicia got up. "Don't you ever..."
Liam and Sonia found the strength to stand. "... tell us..."
Jared said, "...that we're not enough!"
All five said simultaneously, "We're stronger than you know!"
-Noah and Alicia-
Noah super sped forward and sent a barrage of punches at Eivor. He was amazed at how fast Noah was going and he couldn't keep up. He tried backtracking, but Noah always flashed in front of him. Alicia was standing back, using her wind to give Noah a bigger speed boost. Eivor jumped high into the air, but Alicia was expecting that.
"Spiral Stream!" Alicia sent a more powerful gale of spiraling wind into Eivor and blasted him into a wall. The stream kept on going and going. Eivor could not beat the pressure exerted on him.
"Aqua Pulse!" Noah lifted his hands and expanded the sphere of water to the size of a small car. He jumped into the stream and sailed toward Eivor. He slammed his attack into the Captain and the water sphere burst, sending Eivor through the wall and out of consciousness.
-Liam and Sonia-
The ghosts sailed at the two once more, but Liam sliced them both with his axe. Galla sent a golden ghost at them, which was significantly bigger.
"Try this!" He taunted.
"Zap Spark!" Sonia's attack soared at the ghost, but it was devoured. However, the attack exploded and shocked the ghost from the inside out. Liam sprinted forward and sliced the ghost up. When the smoke cleared, Sonia jumped through the air and at Galla, daggers drawn.
The Captain sent energy blasts at her, but Liam blocked them all. He then created green stepping stones in the air for Sonia to run across.
"Quit moving, test subjects!"
"We aren't your subjects!" The two said together.
Liam formed a narrow, but tall prism around Galla and left the top open. Sonia jumped off a stepping stone and through the opening while charging her body with electricity.
"Lightning Crash Version 2!" Sonia crashed into Galla with an armor of electricity, knocking the Wizard out.
-Jared-
Jared low swept, but Lance jumped over him. Jared sent metallic needles up at him, but Lance maneuvered around them all and came down at Jared with a kick. Jared backflipped away and set a red ball into the ground, leaving a small red circle. Lance landed where Jared was and stepped on the circle, causing it to explode. He quickly jumped into the air to avoid the fire, but the metallic needles were floating in his airspace and stuck into him. Lance screamed in pain as the fire enveloped him. The Wizard fell to the ground, not burnt to death due to his Mana protecting him. But, the pain knocked him out.
As the battle ended for all the Rangers, they felt quite drained from the experience. Each demorphed, trying their best to keep the strain from getting the better of them.
"What now?" Alicia asked, via a telepathy spell. "Jared?"
Jared thought for a few moments before saying, "We need to recuperate. We gotta find a safe place to hide."
Before any of them could make a move, they were all surrounded by separate Spell Circles that pulled them through the ground.
The Rangers and Claire found themselves grouped together in what looked to be the inside of a temple that was lit by crystals along the walls.
"What just happened?" Noah asked, looking around.
Claire explained, "That was a transportation Spell Seal. Someone brought us here."
"Claire?" Came an elderly voice, "Is that you, child?" The Rangers looked to the source and met the eyes of Udonna, the White Mystic Ranger.
"Udonna!" Claire cried out, running up to her aunt. Wrapping Udonna in a hug, Claire let a few tears fall from her eyes. "But how? You… you…"
Sonia continued, "You taught Dr. Bly… He said you passed away a few years ago."
Udonna held Claire's arms gently and took a half step back. "Oh children, you should know that magic always finds a way. When the innocent need protection, the spirit of a Ranger will always rise to battle."
The Rangers smiled at this small reunion, and they noticed that just behind Udonna were a small group of Wizards and Knights.
"What's going on?" Alicia asked, "Who are all these people?"
Udonna replied, "This… is a small resistance force. You see, the Mystic Realm was attacked by a malevolent force. Half of it lay in the darkest parts of the Mystic Realm, while the other occupied the Human Realm. They came together and managed to put 99% of the Capitol's Magic Users under its mental domination."
"Who could be powerful enough to do that?" Liam asked, "What kind of force?"
Udonna sighed and took a few steps away from everyone. She raised her left hand and snapped her fingers, causing a white square to float above them. Like a screen, it depicted numerous pale figures with glowing neon eyes.
"They are called, 'Bounts.' They are Vampires who have the Supernatural abilities of Wizards and Witches. For years they opposed the Magic Users of the Mystic Realm. However, we've no idea how they managed to gain the strength to attack us so thoroughly." Udonna then walked over to the small band of resistance fighters, which numbered at about 20. "The attack was swift. Multiple areas were affected. The strongest warriors tried to fight back, but they ultimately failed. All of them were captured and enslaved."
Alicia spoke up, "What about Rachel? Is she okay?"
"Rachel Shelor was one of the original resistance fighters. We lost contact with her some time ago."
"So soon?" Liam asked, "How's that possible?"
"Time Magic," Udonna cast her eyes down. "The Bounts managed to cast a spell that threw time out of sync here in our realm. For you, it's been merely a day in the Human Realm. But here, it's been weeks."
"So what can we do to help?" Noah asked, "We need to find Rachel and stop whoever did this."
Udonna nodded, "We found you at a time most opportune. We're in the final phases of an assault on the Capitol Temple. With you Five here to help us, we may stand a better chance."
Jared took point and stepped forward, "Tell us what we need to do."
By nightfall, the Rangers split off from Claire, Udonna, and the rest of the resistance. They moved quietly through the shadows, avoiding sentry guards as they did. They managed to bypass a group of Knights and found themselves at the top of one of two central towers.
"If we can make it through there, we'll be in position," Alicia reminded the others. "Udonna said whoever's in charge of the attack is probably in the main chamber." Jared nodded and motioned for Liam to step forward. The boy's hands shook ever so slightly. Sweat matted his tan skin and his eyes were focused on the goal.
"I can only lift one at a time," He whispered, focusing his mind.
Noah gently clapped his hands on Liam's shoulders and gave him a squeeze of reassurance. "You got this, bud."
Liam nodded, feeling a little pressure lift from his mind. He stretched his arms out and created a green disc of energy that floated in front of them. The first person to stand on it was Alicia, and she chanted, "May the object of objection become but a dream, as I cause the scene to be unseen." Within moments, Alicia, along with the green disc, disappeared from view. Liam, feeling the energy of his disc, was able to keep it under control and ferry Alicia across the 60 foot gap to the other tower. For the next several minutes, each Ranger was ferried across until Liam himself began to cross.
After letting Udonna know they were in position, the Rangers waited for a few minutes. When a series of magical explosions took place far away from the Five's position, they witnessed a flurry of Knights and Wizards swarm the spots. They were all met with a flurry of ice and other elements cast by the resistance.
"Go!" Jared commanded, sprinting down the staircase of the tower. The others followed quickly and within moments, they stood at the grand entrance of the Temple chamber. The large, golden doors were blown off their hinges. The temple's glorious art and furnishings were utterly destroyed or scarred from an epic battle.
Sitting in the ornate chair at the back of the temple was Slade, wearing a white robe. He had undergone a change since the Rangers last saw him. The mask he wore covered the upper half of his face and was a deep blue. Its design was reminiscent of a demon.
"Slade?!" Sonia demanded, "What're you doing here?"
Slade laughed, "Is it not obvious? I simply used the Bounts to launch an attack on the Mystic Realm. Chaos and destruction is what Twilight Magic thrives on. It'll make it easier for the Nemeton Seal to break." Slade created a Twilight Glyph and launched a large fireball at the Rangers. They all dove out of the way as it sailed out of the temple and into a wall, utterly destroying it.
"We'll stop you!" Noah called out, "We always do."
"You'll have to get through them, first." Slade pointed to the ceiling. Floating above them were Master Tenzin, and Ryland. Behind them was Rachel who was in a floating bird cage.
"Guys!" She called out.
"Rachel!" The Rangers responded, all glad she was safe.
Rachel shook her head, "Tenzin and my brother are too strong for you! You gotta run!"
"We're not leaving here without you!" Liam cried back, "We came here for you and we're not turning back!"
"Well said," Came Udonna's voice. In a burst of white light, Udonna and Claire appeared next to the Rangers.
Claire said, "The plan worked perfectly. Now, we just have to reverse the Time Spell."
Jared pointed toward Slade and said, "There's our man."
Tenzin and Ryland dropped to the ground and slowly walked forward. Tenzin materialized a brown, wooden staff with a green gem on top while Ryland wielded a sword with a lavender hilt.
"Claire and I will fight Tenzin," Udonna informed, wielding her wand.
Alicia, Liam, and Sonia stepped in front of Noah and Jared, much to their surprise. Sonia explained, "We'll fight Ryland. You two take down Slade, and we can end this."
"Right," The two nodded. They exchanged a look with each other and sprinted around their enemies to get to Slade. All at once, the battle ensued.
Udonna cast a blizzard spell which sailed at Tenzin, who easily raised a shield. Claire created a white ball of energy and threw it forward, but that too was blocked. Claire snapped her fingers, changing her attire to an all-black spandex suit that allowed for easier mobility. She summoned a staff that had a crescent moon on the top, a homage to her late mother.
"Power of the Shining Moon!" Claire chanted, launching spells of light forward, engaging Tenzin in a long ranged battle. The elder wizard cast flame spells that soared at the two Witches with ferocity, but together, they managed to shield themselves adequately.
While this happened, Ryland lifted his right arm. "This will be your final battle." He swung his sword forth. The blade extended like a whip and lashed at the three Rangers. Liam quickly cast an alchemical spell, raising a wall of stone to defend them. Sonia cast a Mugic spell that set the stone wall on fire while Alicia lifted it with Telekinesis and sent it flying. Ryland merely slashed the projectile into pieces.
"Not bad…"
Noah and Jared jumped at Slade, but they were immediately met by an invisible barrier. No matter what they tried, all their spells and attacks wouldn't penetrate the barrier.
"You shouldn't have come," Slade taunted. He cast another Twilight Spell, and launched black lightning at the two. They combined their abilities to create a shield, but they were still sent flying. They got up, clearly shaken from the attack. They looked over, and saw that Liam and the girls weren't faring so well against Ryland. Tenzin proved more than a match for Udonna and Claire. After nearly ten minutes of constant fighting, the Legend Rangers were at their limits.
The Five felt outpowered and outclassed. They didn't know how they were gonna save Rachel and the Mystic Realm.
"Rangers!" Udonna's voice brought them all out of their collective thoughts of doubt. "In order for your magic to grow, you must believe in it! Trust it! Have faith that it WILL protect you. In turn, it'll respond!"
"Belief…" Jared whispered, clenching his hands together. "We're not backing down."
The others rose to the same state of mind, and immediately felt a flood of power flow through them.
"These spirits chose us." Noah said, standing tall next to Jared.
Alicia nodded. "We draw strength from each other."
Liam continued, "And we'll never give them up."
Sonia finished. "...Because they're a part of us!"
Jared said, "You guys ready?"
"Ready!"
"Spirit Legend, Awaken!"
-New Morphing Sequence-
Jared jumps into the air as a swirl of red light follows him. His surroundings are that of a stone plateau. He does a front flip in an arc as the red light forms his ranger suit. His landing causes fire to burst in all directions. His helmet swirls on from the lights as the sun peaks behind him.
Noah jumps into the air as a swirl of blue light follows him. His surroundings are the same. He does a front flip in an arc as the blue light forms his ranger suit. He lands, causing water to flood below him and every direction. His helmet swirls on from the lights as the a tsunami behind him swirls up into a giant iceberg.
Alicia jumps into the air as a swirl of pink light follows her. The surroundings are the same and she does a front flip, the pink lights forming her suit. She lands, causing wind to whip up everywhere. Her helmet flashes on as tornadoes roam around her.
Liam jumps into the air as a swirl of green light follows him. The surroundings are the same and he does a front flip, the green lights forming his suit. He lands, causing a crater to form under him. His helmet flashes on as a mountain rises out of the ground behind him.
Sonia jumps into the air as a swirl of yellow light follows her. The surroundings are the same and she does a front flip. The yellow lights form her suit, she lands, causing a roar of thunder to echo. Her helmet flashes on as a lightning storm rages behind her.
-End morphing Sequence-
"Spirit of Fire! Red Legend Ranger!"
"Spirit of Water! Blue Legend Ranger!"
"Spirit of Wind! Pink Legend Ranger!"
"Spirit of Earth! Green Legend Ranger!"
"Spirit of Lightning! Yellow Legend Ranger!"
"Ancient Spirits Unite! Power Rangers: Next Legend, Start Up!"
"You better watch out, Slade!" Jared threatened. Each of the Rangers summoned their X-Weapons and placed them, one on top of the other. Udonna quickly cast a spell from her wand. White lights sailed forth and traveled to each Ranger, hitting their sidearms. The X-Swords combined with their X-Defender counterparts to form Magi Staffs. They were all similar to the Mystic Force's Staffs, but these Staffs were black with golden accents. At the top of each staff was a crystal that corresponded to each Ranger's individual color.
"Legend Staffs!" They called out. Jared charged first and Slade readied his defense. In a flash, Noah was above him while Jared was in front. They channeled their Mana through their Staffs and sent forth a surge of fire and water that completely eviscerated the barrier.
Liam, Sonia, and Alicia used their Staffs to enter a close combat battle with Ryland, and they managed to use their teamwork to match the Knight's strength. Every time Ryland swiped, one Ranger would block or parry while another jumped in at the right moment to launch an attack. After a few quick exchanges, the trio managed to get in a few good hits.
Alicia swiped her Staff, sending a wave of wind at Ryland, which sent him skidding back. Sonia and Liam struck the ground, sending a wave of electricity and seismic energy through the ground and right into Ryland, knocking him up in the air.
Meanwhile, Udonna had morphed and used a powerful freeze spell to immobilize Tenzin while Claire struck him with a large energy incarnation of the moon. They managed to knock the Elder unconscious and release the mind control spell on him. Drained, Udonna de-morphed while Claire exhaustedly helped her stay on her feet. The two, in awe, watched the Rangers battle with courage and strength.
"Take this!" Noah called out, sending forth a more concentrated sphere of water toward Slade. He raised his hands to block it, but Jared sent down a burst of flames, causing vapor to fill the area.
"They tricked me!" Slade thought to himself. He jumped out the vapor clouds and into the air. Ryland came flying at Slade surrounded by a tornado wrapped in lightning. The two dropped to the ground with a loud thud and were immediately trapped by stones.
"Rangers, cast the severing spell!" Udonna encouraged them.
"Right! Iacturos Mystos!" Their Legend Staffs sent forth sparks of light that struck Slade, severing his control on every Magic User in the Mystic Realm.
"No!" He cried out, trying to resist. However, the magic of the Rangers was too powerful for him, and he lost control. Before he could be captured, however, Slade broke free from his stone prison and used a Twilight Glyph to escape.
The Rangers de-morphed from exhaustion, just as Rachel floated to the ground. The Rangers shared a group hug with their friend, happy to see she was well.
-The Next Day-
On a grassy hill that overlooked the main city, the Five Rangers and Claire stood in front of a giant metal door. It had carvings and mystic symbols all over it. It stood by itself, as if it led to nowhere.
"Thanks for saving my home," Rachel whispered to her friends with gratitude.
"We should be thanking you," Liam replied with a smile. "If it weren't for you, we wouldn't be here."
Sonia continued, "We were just doing what friends do."
While the Rangers spoke to Rachel, Claire was with Udonna.
"It's time for me to go, child," Udonna stated gently, hugging her niece.
"I'll miss you… I miss you everyday."
"And I you, Claire." Udonna kissed Claire on the forehead and said, "Please, give Nick my best. Leanbow and I will always be watching you two." With that, Udonna faded away.
Tenzin thanked the Rangers once more and willed the door to open.
The Rangers looked back, all smiling.
Rachel was smiling back at them. "Rangers... good luck. Thank you..."
Jared said, "Come visit us when you can!"
With the final goodbyes, the Rangers and Claire stepped through the gate, leading back to the tree they had planted. Xander was bewildered to say the least. "That was quick! I've only been holding the gate open for less than an hour!"
The Rangers exchanged glances and grinned at their mentor. "Long story."
-An unknown forest-
Shadows swirled together and formed a teenage boy. He was wearing black shorts and a black long sleeve shirt. He had moppy dark hair and brown eyes. In another swirl of darkness, Roxas appeared. The teen looked shocked, but somehow knew that Roxas was trustworthy.
"Alviss? Is that you?" Roxas asked, his heart stopping in his chest..
This being called, "Alviss" then remembered bits and pieces of himself. He had impressions and images, but a few things were clear.
"Dad?" He answered.
Meanwhile, Slade sat on a mountaintop on the outskirts of Bayview. "It was a good test run... Now, for the real thing." He addressed a large group of Bounts who stood behind him, ready to attack the city.
