"This guy is going down!" Vida growled as they ran down the street.
"Keep running!" Madison shouted.
She and Vida were blocking attacks coming from behind as Chip helped Nick. That initial blast he'd taken to the leg had hit hard. Even the boosted healing abilities from being morphed were taking a while to heal the injury.
"Look out!" Chip cried as an attack came from the front.
They all dived out of the way, Chip pulling Nick with him. Hitting the ground, they rolled and immediately started getting back to their feet.
"We gotta keep moving," Vida said.
They lifted their staffs together.
"Finishio!" they cried, disappearing in a swirl of magic.
"Great," Adam muttered.
"Now what?" said Rocky.
"We've got to find them," Adam said. "Before they're all taken."
Rocky nodded and they took off, searching for the rangers.
Tommy caught a glimpse of the rangers disappearing from the street. Though he didn't see Rocky and Adam, he knew they'd be nearby. Hoping they'd make the same guess as he did as to where the rangers would go, he darted toward the forest. And he was right. Four of the kids were stumbling through the trees. Chip was still supporting Nick.
"Great, Nick's hurt," Tommy muttered, watching from a short distance away. "And where's Xander?"
"We should make a break for Rootcore," Vida panted.
Nick shook his head
"I don't want to jeopardize the base," he said. "This guy can follow us anywhere."
"I'm running out of suggestions," Chip muttered as they came to a stop. "If this was a role-playing game, I'd give myself a time-out."
Nick sunk down to the ground to rest for a moment and Vida crouched down next to him. Chip and Madison stayed upright, on the defensive.
"At least we have some cover from the trees," Madison said, glancing around.
"Whoa!" they exclaimed as trees started disappearing around them.
Magic blasts were flying around them. Tommy crouched down, trying to stay out of the line of fire. Deciding not being seen was his best chance, he used his invisibility.
"Glad this didn't go with the ranger powers," he muttered to himself, watching his surroundings warily. "Benefit of genetic abilities."
"You were saying?" Chip said.
"Guess I spoke too soon," Madison said, looking around.
Chip got Nick back up and they started to move again.
"We're in trouble!" Vida cried.
"You can't hide from me!" Oculus laughed, his voice seeming to come from everywhere at the same time.
Vida, turning to make sure the others were behind her, didn't see the blast coming. It struck her dead on and she quickly faded away. Tommy stared in shock as the rangers cried out.
"Sis!" Madison screamed, running forward.
"Vida!" Nick cried, falling as he reached for her.
Madison fell to the ground where her sister had been standing.
"No!" she gasped.
"Vida!" Nick said again, shaking his head.
Chip ran to Madison.
"Hey, Maddy, you okay?" he asked, taking her arm.
"No!" she snapped.
"Vida!" Nick shouted.
Chip, realizing they needed to keep moving, hauled Madison to her feet and ran for Nick. Getting them both up, he started them moving again.
"Come on," he said grimly. "We gotta find cover!"
They started running back toward town again. Shaking himself, Tommy was moving to follow when he saw someone else watching them run. Making a quick decision, Tommy spun to face the other person present.
"Who's there?" he demanded, stalking forward cautiously. "Come out."
As the figure came out from behind the tree, Tommy looked at him in surprise.
"Who are you?" Tommy asked.
"I should ask the same of you," was the response.
"I'm a friend of the rangers," Tommy answered. "What's going on?"
After a moment of hesitation, he got an answer.
"I'm Phineas," the odd looking man said. "I saw you with the rangers before."
"Yeah," Tommy nodded distractedly. "What is happening to them?"
"They're being hunted," Phineas said, wringing his hands. "And if the Terrors get a hold of Nick, all will be lost."
"But what about the others?" Tommy asked, glancing toward where Vida had vanished.
"Oculus has taken them," he said. "I have to make sure he doesn't take Nick."
"No one is taking anyone else," Tommy growled. "Let's go."
Phineas looked at him in surprise, but nodded.
"There they are!" Adam exclaimed, finally sighting the rangers again. "But where's Vida?"
"Oh no," Rocky muttered. "You don't think—"
Adam nodded.
"That monster must have got her," he said grimly. "Jason's not going to like this."
The kids stumbled down an alley, Nick still favoring his leg and leaning on Chip.
"Wait," Nick panted. "Wait, stop for a second."
Chip carefully let him down. Holding his leg, Nick tried to catch his breath—as did Madison and Chip.
"Nick, we can't stop," Madison said.
"I'm gonna surrender," Nick sighed.
"What?" Chip exclaimed in shock.
Rocky and Adam looked at each other in surprise.
"If he gives himself up they'll never get the other two back," Adam said, shaking his head. "He can't surrender."
"So how do we stop him?" Rocky muttered. "Tommy said to stay out of sight and out of the fight."
"I don't know," Adam said. "But we may have to step in whether we want to or not."
"It didn't used to be this frustrating," Rocky sighed.
"That's because back then we could just charge in and save the day," Adam said, shaking his head. "Now it's their turn—and we can't stop them from making the same kinds of mistakes we did…"
"You can't," Madison was saying. "We're a team."
"It's me they're after," Nick insisted. "If I give up it will save Xander and Vida."
He gasped in pain, shaking his head. Madison and Chip were both adamantly disagreeing.
"If it's you they're after, it's you we have to protect," Chip said firmly as Madison nodded in agreement.
"Watch out!" she suddenly cried, placing herself in front of Nick.
A beam struck her and she cried out in pain, falling backward. But before she hit the ground, Madison disappeared.
"Maddy!" Nick cried.
"Oh, no!" Chip exclaimed.
"Someone's gonna die," Rocky muttered. "Because Jason is not gonna like this…"
Adam nodded in agreement. Chip pulled Nick to his feet again and both boys stumbled back toward the forest. This time Adam and Rocky stayed as close as they could, not wanting to lose sight of them again.
"Hope Tommy catches up soon…" Adam said as they followed.
Chip and Nick were still moving slowly. They powered down after they got into the forest, hoping to blend in a little more. Ducking and hiding behind trees, they tried to figure out a way to stay out of sight.
"You know he's gonna find us," Nick panted, leaning back against a tree.
Both of them were looking around warily, not sure where the next attack was going to come from.
"I've been thinking," Chip said, stepping away from the tree. "He's probably in another dimension, which allows him to follow us wherever we go."
He was glancing around as he spoke, trying to make a decision on a direction.
"If we could make—" he continued.
"Stop," Nick interrupted. "I'm gonna give myself up."
"What?" Chip exclaimed, staring at him in surprise.
Rocky and Adam, hiding a short distance away, groaned.
"Don't do that, kid," Adam muttered. "It won't get your friends back and it'll just end in disaster…"
"We've gotta stop this," Rocky said, shaking his head. "The rookie is going to get us all killed."
"We can't interfere," Adam said firmly.
"Yeah, I know," Rocky sighed. "Tommy said to stay out of sight and don't get caught up in anything."
"I'm not gonna lose all my friends," Nick was saying. "If there's something I can do to stop it."
Chip shook his head adamantly.
"But if you surrender you'll destroy everything that we stand for," he argued. "We're power rangers. Do you really think that's what Xander, Vida, and Madison would want you to do?"
He turned, frustrated with Nick, as a blast came flying straight at him. Rocky and Adam both jerked to dive for him even though they knew they were too far away. But before it struck Chip, a blurred figured tackled him out of the way. They both tumbled to the ground as the blast struck the tree instead.
"Oh, sure," Rocky muttered. "Tommy gets to interfere."
Adam just shrugged. Nick was staring at Tommy in complete shock as he got up, crouching next to Chip.
"Tommy?" Nick said slowly. "What are you doing here?"
"Come on kid, get up," Tommy muttered, carefully shaking Chip's shoulder. "I'm here for the girls' birthday—great way to celebrate."
He directed the last part at Nick, glancing over his shoulder at him. Chip wasn't moving.
"Is he alright?" Nick asked, clearly concerned.
"He'll be fine after he wakes up," Tommy answered, checking over him. "Looks like he hit his head on a tree root or something when I tackled him. Not my intention…Come on, Chip. Not the time to be sleeping. Crazy hunter on the loose trying to take you all prisoner."
Focused on trying to wake up Chip so they could get moving again, Tommy didn't hear Nick slipping away. But Rocky and Adam did. Breaking cover, they ran to Tommy.
"Tommy!" Adam exclaimed, stopping next to them. "You've got a problem."
"What are you two doing?" Tommy snapped, glaring up at them. "You're breaking our cover!"
"Rookie is gone," Rocky said, gesturing toward where Nick had been standing.
Tommy's head whipped around. Seeing no sign of Nick, he groaned and got back to his feet.
"And we've got a bigger problem," Adam said. "He's planning on sacrificing himself to save the others."
"Great," Tommy growled. "Alright, the two of you stay here. I'm going after him."
Rocky put a hand on his shoulder.
"You can't kill the rookie," he said.
"I'm not going to yet," Tommy muttered. "Though he's well on his way down that path. You two just stay with this one. Keep him out of trouble and try not to let him see you if he wakes up. I've gotta catch Nick."
"Alright," Adam said. "So long as there's no green coming out."
He grinned as Tommy shot a glare at them.
"Nope, they're brown," Rocky grinned.
Shaking his head, Tommy took off.
"I'll take care of you two later," he called back as he darted after Nick.
"So, now what?" Rocky said, looking down at Chip.
Adam sighed, reaching down to pull Chip up.
"Let's get him out of sight," he said. "Hopefully that hunter's focus is on Nick now and not us."
I have to end this, once and for all… Nick sighed to himself, leaning against a tree.
Chip was still free, but if Oculus knew that it wouldn't be long before the yellow ranger was lost, too. Nick hoped Tommy could keep him safe long enough for Nick to end this. Taking a deep breath, he stepped out from behind the tree.
"Come on you coward!" he shouted, clenching his fists. "Show yourself! I surrender!"
"Yes, the game is over," Oculus' voice echoed around him. "I have won."
Nick breathed an internal sigh of relief. If Oculus thought he had won, that meant he didn't realize he'd missed Chip. He wasn't sure how Tommy had managed to move that fast, but right now he was just grateful for it. And maybe, just maybe, if he could stall long enough the sun would set with Chip still free.
"It's me you want," Nick growled. "Let my friends go! I won't even fight you."
He stayed standing out in the open, ready for Oculus to take him.
"Have it your way," Oculus said. "You will be my biggest prize yet."
"No!" he heard Tommy shout as a beam came flying toward him.
Then he was tackled out of the way, tumbling to the ground. But it wasn't Tommy he saw. It was Phineas.
"Come on!" Phineas cried, starting to drag him away.
Nick struggled, wanting to continue with his sacrifice. Then Tommy was there. Grabbing Nick in a headlock, he dragged him out of sight behind some bushes and a fallen tree. Phineas stayed with thm.
"I should have known it's you, Phineas!" Nick growled. "And you need to stay out of this, Tommy!"
"Good to see you, too," Phineas said as Tommy looked around warily. "I just saved a life, again. We all have things we're good at."
Nick struggled against Tommy's grip, trying to break free. But Tommy wasn't letting go.
"Let me go!" Nick demanded. "I must surrender to save the others!"
Tommy shook his head.
"Not a chance, rookie," he snapped.
Phineas was shaking his head, too.
"Interesting conundrum," he said, looking at Nick. "You have to save us all."
"What?" Nick frowned. "What are you talking about?"
He stopped fighting as hard, though he was still trying to pry Tommy's arm away.
"You are the Light, the key to destroying the Underworld," Phineas explained. "What a burden, I know. But if you surrender, then we're all lost—every bird, squirrel, and fly, caterpillar, alligator, flea—well, no one really cares about the flea, except maybe another flea—"
"Okay, okay, okay. I'm the Light," Nick muttered. "But they're my friends. What am I supposed to do? And would you let go!"
Tommy loosened his grip slightly, allowing Nick to pull away. But he was ready to tackle him again if Nick tried to take off and sacrifice himself.
"Not sacrifice yourself," Tommy growled. "I've done too much work for you to throw it all away."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Nick frowned. "And how else am I supposed to save them? Oculus has Xander, Vida, and Maddy."
"Trust me," Tommy said, ignoring the first question. "Sacrificing yourself will not get them back. Whatever Oculus says, all you'd be doing by surrendering is handing over the city to them—and by default, the world. I am not going to let you do that."
"Then what do I do?" Nick yelled in frustration, clenching his fists as he glared at Tommy.
"Not something stupid," Tommy muttered, rubbing a hand over his forehead. "Mmm… I thought I was done with this…the migraines are back…"
"What does your heart tell you?" Phineas asked, looking at Nick.
"Heart?" Nick repeated, turning his attention to the troblin.
"Yeah," Phineas nodded.
"Heart…" Nick frowned. "Fire Heart…That's it!"
His head shot up as the answer finally dawned on him.
"I am the Light!" he exclaimed. "Thanks again, Phineas!"
He turned to look at Tommy, who was watching him intently. Phineas slipped away, not wanting to be anywhere near the fighting when it started.
"Thanks, Tommy," he said. "You're right. Sacrificing myself won't get them back. But I am going to get them back—all of them."
Tommy nodded.
"Go get 'em, kid," he said.
Taking a deep breath, Nick turned around and pulled out his morpher.
"Legendary source, Mystic Force!" he cried.
Before Tommy realized what was happening, the world shifted around him. Nick had moved dimensions and Tommy had gotten caught up in the spell. He looked around in shock, slightly disoriented by the sudden change in location.
"Show yourself," Nick demanded, looking around. "Face me!"
"I see you finally came to your senses," Oculus said, appearing out of thin air.
Muttering to himself, Tommy darted for cover. He hadn't intended on being this close to the fight. And the last thing he wanted right now was for someone to see him. Without any morphers, he'd probably just get himself killed if he got too close.
"This isn't going to end well," he grumbled, ducking behind an old wall.
"Yeah, I did," Nick growled at Oculus. "And you're going down!"
"Oh really?" Oculus scoffed. "Rise!"
A swarm of creatures appeared, led by Necrolai.
"Well, well," Necrolai smirked.
"Perhaps you should have surrendered," Oculus laughed.
Nick was completely surrounded by the enemy—and hopelessly outnumbered.
"I hope you know what you're doing, kid," Tommy muttered, peering around the wall.
"Fire Heart!" Nick called, raising his hand. "Red Dragon Fire Ranger!"
There was a loud roar and suddenly Fire Heart came flying in. Tommy looked at the dragon in surprise.
"They have a dragon!" he exclaimed. "A real dragon."
"That beast!" Necrolai cried, ducking as Fire Heart swooped over them.
The dragon landed behind Nick, who flipped up onto his back.
"Let's go Fire Heart!" Nick shouted, holding on tight.
Fire Heart took off into the sky, Nick cling to his back.
"Attack!" Necrolai screamed, pointing at them.
Beams of magic started shooting toward Nick and Fire Heart as they tried to blast them from the sky. But Fire Heart shot a blast of fire back at them, taking a lot down. Then Nick and Fire Heart both transformed, joining together into a new ranger form for Nick.
"Who's giving up now?" Nick smirked, landing in the middle of the mob of creatures. "I am the Light!"
"Go!" Oculus shouted.
"Get him!" ordered Necrolai.
"And now he gets to bond with the dragon," Tommy muttered, ducking behind the wall again. "That's not fair…All I got is the dragon zord—cool, but not the same thing…"
The enemy had charged Nick. He was fighting hard, taking them down easily with his new ranger form. Bonding with Fire Heart had given him a strength boost.
"You want some more?" he growled, glaring around him.
As more creatures charged, Nick jabbed one with his staff—now in a new form. He blasted it backward through a wall. Unfortunately, it was the wall Tommy had been hiding behind. Tommy rolled out of the way, covering his head as pieces of rocked rained down around him. Using his invisibility to stay out of sight, he ran for cover again. Nick was fighting really well, taking down his attackers with ease.
"Yeah, alright!" he exclaimed, leaping around and attack. "Take this!"
Magic crackled and glowed on his sword and staff as he fought, taking down more creatures. But he was also causing a lot of destruction. Fortunately it was ruins he was destroying. Unfortunately, Tommy was quickly running out of walls to hide behind. Another wall exploded next to him and he tumbled out of the way, trying to protect himself as best he could.
"Consider yourselves rocked!" Nick shouted.
He slammed his sword and staff down to the ground in a magical attack. The earth shook and several explosions went off. Tommy, who had been moving for cover again, was blown off of his feet by the edge of an explosion. He momentarily lost control of his invisibility, but no one saw him. Landing hard, he instinctively tucked himself into a ball as debris rained down around him.
"Yeah, baby!" Nick exclaimed.
He threw his weapons like boomerangs, sending them in a distance attack. They spun with magic, taking down any they touched and flying back.
"Slow learners," he scoffed.
Leaping into the air, he shot fire down on another group of creatures.
"Fire!" he shouted.
The last of the creatures fell under his attack. Landing, he spun to face Oculus.
"Oculus, you're next!" he cried, pointing his weapons at the hunter.
"So be it," Oculus said, looking around in surprise. "One on one, ranger."
The hunter didn't have a choice. He was alone against Nick. Tommy groaned, pushing himself up. He leaned back against a nearby wall, panting as he watched Nick face down Oculus. A bright green slash of magic shot toward him, but Nick blocked it. As he did every attack Oculus threw at him.
"Give me back my friends!" Nick demanded.
"Never!" Oculus laughed.
He sent another strike at Nick. But instead of blocking, Nick unfurled a set of dragon wings and leapt into the sky. Tommy stared at him.
"And now he gets to fly," he grumbled, shaking his head and wincing.
"No!" Oculus cried.
Nick launched a powerful attack at Oculus. The hunter, having underestimated the red ranger, fell to his power. Oculus was destroyed.
"Red Dragon Fire Ranger!" Nick exclaimed, punching the air. "Yeah!"
Sighing, he spun. As Nick began the spell to return to their original dimension, Tommy shoved himself to his feet and stumbled forward. He didn't want to get left behind and he was fairly certain Nick had no idea he was there. He made it in time, the familiar setting of the forest quickly appearing around him. Nick powered down and went sprinting to find his friends, but Tommy stayed where he was for a moment to pull himself together.
"Do you think Tommy's alright?" Rocky sighed, looking around. "It's been awfully quiet…"
Adam shook his head, checking on Chip again.
"I hope so," he said. "But the quiet worries me. Ranger fights are never this quiet…"
They'd been waiting for a while now. Chip was still unconscious and there was no sign of Tommy, Nick, or any of the other rangers.
"If anything happens to Tommy, Jason is going to flip," Rocky muttered.
A groan caught their attention. Chip shifted, starting to wake up. Adam jerked his head and they both slipped out of sight. They didn't go far, wanting to make sure he could get himself up and moving. Chip sat up slowly, putting a hand to his head as he looked around in confusion.
"Nick?" he mumbled, frowning. "Nick!"
He leapt up, stumbling and catching himself against a nearby tree. Holding onto the tree for a moment, Chip grimaced.
"Gotta find Nick," he said, pushing himself off the tree.
Still stumbling a little, he took off determinedly into the forest.
"Well, you gotta give it to him," Adam said. "He's determined."
"Yeah, he is," Rocky agreed. "Now, let's find Tommy before he gets himself in too much trouble."
Chip moved as quickly as he could through the trees, desperate to find Nick. He had to stop him from sacrificing himself. Stumbling again, he grabbed a tree.
"Man," he muttered. "My head kills…"
There was a flash a short distance away and Xander, Madison, and Vida suddenly appeared. Chip breathed a sigh of relief.
"Guys!" he called, waving.
Laughing, they ran to meet him. He tried running, too, but nearly fell again.
"Chip, are you alright?" Vida asked, catching him.
"Yeah," he said. "I hit my head, but I'll be alright. Where's Nick?"
They shook their heads.
"Haven't seen him," Xander answered. "Did we win?"
"No clue," Chip said. "I think I was unconscious, not captured—so, maybe?"
"But then where is Nick?" Madison asked, looking around in concern. "He didn't sacrifice himself, did he?"
"What?" Xander and Vida exclaimed.
"He wouldn't," Vida said.
"Oh yes he would," Chip muttered.
Footsteps caught their attention.
"Hey look!" Chip exclaimed, pointing. "There he is!"
They all laughed and smiled in relief.
"Hey Nick!" Madison called, bumping against Vida.
"Over here!" Vida shouted, laughing.
The two sisters hugged, relieved to see each other and Nick. Hearing their calls, Nick stopped and looked around. Relief lit up his face when he saw them. Grinning, he ran to his friends.
"You're back," he sighed.
They all hugged each other tightly, glad the hunt was over.
"How's your head?" Nick asked, looking at Chip.
"It'll be fine," Chip grinned.
"He's got a hard head," Vida laughed. "Always has."
The others laughed.
"How'd you hit it anyways?" Madison asked.
"Nick hit you with a tree branch or something?" Xander snickered.
Nick froze, his eyes wide.
"I was kidding," Xander said. "We don't really think you'd purposefully hurt any of us."
"Tommy," Nick groaned, looking around. "Where's Tommy?"
The girls frowned.
"Tommy?" Madison repeated. "What about him?"
"He's here to visit for your birthday," Nick said, running a hand over his head. "He's the one who knocked Chip out of the way before Oculus could get him. And he and Phineas are the ones who talked me out of sacrificing myself…But I haven't seen him since I morphed…"
Vida and Madison exchanged concerned glances.
"We have to find him," Vida said. "What if one of the Terrors found him? He could be lying in the woods, hurt."
"Spread out," Nick said. "I doubt he went far if he was worried about the two of you."
Nodding, the rangers spread out to search for Tommy, calling his name as they went.
After Chip took off, Rocky and Adam started combing through the area for Tommy. They were really hoping he hadn't gotten too caught up in the fight. After a few minutes they found him not too far away. He was sitting on the ground, leaning against a tree with his eyes closed. Tommy was covered in dirt, his clothes stained and torn.
"Tommy!" Adam cried, running toward him.
Rocky was right on his heels. They dropped down next to him.
"Tommy?" Rocky said, grabbing his shoulder.
Tommy's hand shot out and he grabbed Rocky's shirt as his eyes flew open. Seeing who it was, he immediately relaxed his grip. Rocky fell backward, landing on the ground as Adam laughed.
"Sorry," Tommy said, shifting. "You really shouldn't sneak up on people like that."
Adam and Rocky both frowned, looking at each other.
"Tommy, we didn't sneak up on you," Adam said slowly. "I shouted—didn't you hear me?"
"What?" Tommy frowned, looking at Adam.
"Oh, this is good," Rocky grumbled. "Now he can't hear us."
"Tommy, what happened?" Adam said a little louder.
Still frowning, Tommy rubbed at his ears.
"I think I got a little too close to an explosion," he muttered.
Adam and Rocky both groaned.
"Are you alright?" Rocky asked, trying to make sure to speak loudly enough that Tommy would hear him.
Tommy nodded.
"My ears are ringing," he said. "But I think that'll go away…"
More shouts caught Adam and Rocky's attention as they helped Tommy up.
"Oh boy," Rocky muttered. "They're coming."
"What?" Tommy asked.
"The rangers," Adam said, looking at Tommy. "They're looking for you."
Tommy groaned.
"Go," he snapped. "Get out of here before they see you. I'll meet you back in town after I let them know I'm ok."
Rocky and Adam nodded, darting away through the trees as a few of the rangers came into view. Tommy leaned back against the tree to wait.
"Tommy!" Vida cried. "Guys, I found him!"
Soon all of the rangers came running. Vida and Madison threw their arms around Tommy the moment they reached him. Smiling, he hugged them back.
"You two alright?" he asked, looking down at them.
They both nodded.
"What are you doing here?" Madison asked.
"I'm sorry, what?" Tommy said, rubbing his ears again.
All of the rangers exchanged concerned glances.
"Tommy, are you alright?" Vida asked.
He shook his head.
"You're going to need to speak up," he said. "My ears are ringing—I can't understand a word you're saying."
"What?" they exclaimed.
"See, that I heard," he sighed. "I got caught up in Nick's fight. Just a little too close to a few explosions…"
Madison gasped, biting her lip.
"But you're ok?" she asked.
He sighed again, leaning his head back against the tree. They weren't getting the 'speak louder' part.
"Guys, what do we do?" Vida asked, looking at the others. "If Tommy really did get pulled into the fight, he could be seriously hurt."
"And he can't even hear us to ask if he's ok," Chip said.
"We should take him back to Rootcore," Xander said. "Daggeron will know what to do."
The girls immediately started shaking their heads.
"He's not going to go," Madison said. "He hates magic, remember? And even if he's hurt I don't think the five of us can force him…"
"The guy has a strong grip," Nick admitted reluctantly. "Had me in a headlock to keep me from surrendering…"
Vida snickered. Tommy was frowning as he watched them, trying to follow their conversation. But they were talking quietly and too quickly for him to read their lips.
"So then what do we do?" Chip asked. "We can't just leave him here."
"Maybe we can try convincing him," Madison said doubtfully.
Nick scoffed.
"Good luck with that," he said. "But we really should take him back anyways. Remember what I said about the green eyes? If we can get him back to Rootcore we can make sure there aren't any spells on him."
They all nodded in agreement.
"But we still have a problem," Madison pointed out. "How do we get him there?"
"I've got an idea," Xander said, reaching into his pocket. "But you two aren't going to like it—and I don't think Tommy will either."
"Xander, what are you doing?" Vida asked.
He'd just pulled his wand out of his pocket. Instead of answering, he pointed it at Tommy. Vines shot out, wrapping around Tommy who let out a strangled cry of outrage.
"Let me go!" he shouted, struggling against the vines.
"Xander!" the girls exclaimed.
"What are you doing?" Madison cried.
"You said we needed to get him back to Rootcore," Xander said. "Got a better suggestion?"
Mutely, they all shook their heads.
"Let me go!" Tommy shouted again, glaring daggers at them. "Now!"
They all jumped in surprise as his eyes flashed green.
"See!" Nick said. "I told you!"
"Oh, he's going to hate us," Madison cried.
"Let's just get him back, sis," Vida said. "He'll forgive us eventually—I think…"
As Tommy continued to shout at them to let him go, Nick and Xander each took a side. Not wanting to aggravate him further by using more magic, they decided to walk. They weren't far from Rootcore now anyways. Nick and Xander dragged Tommy, still tightly bound by the vines, between them.
"You're all going to regret this if you don't let me go," Tommy growled, still trying to free himself as another flash of green flickered through his eyes.
Xander flicked his wand again and one of the vines shifted to act as a gag.
"Xander!" Vida and Madison exclaimed.
"He's going to draw unwanted attention," Xander said defensively.
Tommy's eyes flashed green again, his gaze focused Xander.
"He didn't like you before," Vida said, shaking her head. "Now he's really going to hate you…"
Xander shrugged.
"Doesn't matter right now," Nick said. "Something is obviously going on with him. We can't risk him being under the Master's control. Unless the two of you are ready to take him out if it comes to that."
Madison and Vida both shook their heads, looking apologetically at Tommy. His return gaze was murderous—Tommy was beyond angry now. When they got into Rootcore, Daggeron came rushing out to meet them, sighing in relief.
"Itassis said you were under attack," he said. "I didn't think I'd—what's going on?"
He'd just noticed Tommy standing bound between Xander and Nick.
"Tommy got caught in the fight," Vida said, glancing back at him. "And we think there's something else going on with him…"
Daggeron shook his head.
"So you tied him up?" he said disapprovingly. "This isn't right."
Striding forward, he pulled the vine out of Tommy's mouth.
"Untie me!" Tommy demanded, struggling to free more than his mouth. "This isn't right! Let me go!"
"Wait!" Chip exclaimed as Daggeron reached down to free Tommy's legs. "We think he's under a spell!"
Daggeron frowned, but freed Tommy's legs anyways, allowing him to stand on his own. But Nick and Xander didn't let go of him. Tommy had stopped demanding his freedom when Daggeron had freed his legs. He was still trying to break free of the rest of the vines, but he also appeared to be concentrating on something else.
"A spell?" Daggeron said, straightening up. "What kind of spell?"
"We don't know," Madison said, shaking her head. "But his eyes have been flashing green—and that's not normal. That's why we had to bring him here…"
Daggeron turned to study Tommy. Panting, Tommy glared back at him.
"Let me go," he growled. "Now. Before I'm no longer responsible for my actions."
His eyes flashed green again, accompanying his threat.
"When we talked to Udonna about this before, she said there were scans she could use to check for a spell," Madison said. "Do you know how to do those?"
Daggeron nodded and reached into his pocket for his wand.
"They aren't complicated," he said. "But it should give us the answers we need."
"No!" Tommy shouted, jerking.
With his legs free, he was able to lash out again. Spinning on one foot, he dropped Xander with a kick to the back of the knee. As he came back around he tripped up Nick as well. Then suddenly there was a flash of light. Tommy froze and crumpled to the ground.
"Tommy!" Vida exclaimed. "What did you do?"
She looked at Daggeron accusingly.
"It's a simple relaxation spell," Daggeron said reassuringly. "It merely relaxes the body so that injuries can be tended to without the patient tensing and possibly aggravating something further. It will last a half hour at the most."
"Udonna said something similar the last time," Madison said, frowning.
"Clare wasn't in control of the spell she cast," Daggeron said. "I was. He'll be fine. And this gives me a chance to scan him without anyone else getting hurt."
He eyed Nick and Xander, both of whom were wincing as they got to their feet.
"Let's get him on the couch," Daggeron said, looking at Chip.
Nodding, Chip helped him lift Tommy up onto the nearby couch. They also removed the rest of the bindings so he could lie there more comfortably. Then Chip stepped back so Daggeron could take the scans. Muttering the spell under his breath, Daggeron held his wand out over Tommy. After a moment, he straightened up and turned to the globed. He pointed his wand at it and a picture appeared.
"What is that?" Chip asked as the rangers gathered around to take a look.
"It's an image of Tommy's life force," Daggeron answered, frowning as he looked at it. "That's odd…"
"What is?" Madison asked fretfully.
"Take a look at the image," Daggeron said.
"What about it?" asked Vida.
The image in the globe didn't have a steady shape. Instead it was more of a series of colors, shifting together around a central point. In the very center of the image was a green sphere. They could see it pulsing, veins of a darker green shooting through and around it and occasionally releasing bursts of color. A bright white made up the next layer of the image, followed by red, and then finally, black.
"What do all of you know about a person's life force?" Daggeron asked instead of answering.
"Not a whole lot," Xander admitted.
Daggeron nodded.
"Then let me explain," he said. "Every person is born with magic inside of them. Some learn to use it, others do not. However, it is tied into their individual life-force. This magic inside of them lends a color to their—soul, if you will. It is a part of who they are as a person. In fact, it even plays a part in your colors as rangers."
The rangers frowned, exchanging glances.
"What does that mean?" Nick asked.
"Each of your cores is focused around a specific color that helps define you," Daggeron answered. "Take you, Nick, as an example. If I were to scan your core, it would appear to our eyes to be red in color."
"Because I'm the red ranger," Nick said.
"No," Daggeron said. "You are the red ranger because your core is red. Remember what I said. Your core helps define who you are."
"So then what does it mean?" Chip asked.
"Red is leadership," said Daggeron. "It means you feel responsible for those around you—and that you like to be in control."
The ranger laughed, looking at Nick.
"That's Nick," Vida grinned.
"So then what is odd about Tommy's?" Madison asked, drawing their attention back to the globe.
"In general, a person's core is made up of one predominant color," Daggeron explained. "You may see small flashes of other colors that influence who they are—based on individual experiences—but look at Tommy's."
They all looked closer again.
"Those aren't small flashes of color," Xander said, shaking his head.
"No, they aren't," Daggeron agreed. "His core is wrapped in bands of color. Green at the center, then white, then red, and finally, black."
"Black?" Vida exclaimed. "That doesn't sound good."
Daggeron shook his head.
"Hold on," he said. "Black isn't always a bad thing. The color itself does not equal darkness."
"So then what is it?" Nick asked, frowning.
Daggeron took a deep breath, sighing.
"Let me explain in ranger terms," he said. "I think that will be easiest for you to follow."
All five of the kids nodded in agreement.
"As I said a moment ago, the color of your core determines your color as a ranger rather than the other way around," he said. "Like Nick, those who wear red as rangers will typically be leaders. They take responsibility for their teams—both in taking care of them and taking the blame when the group as a whole makes a mistake. They also have a tendency to want to be in control of whatever situation they may be in. It can be difficult for them to let that control go."
The rangers laughed again, looking at Nick. He glowered back at them.
"It's not a bad thing," Madison quickly reassured him. "It just fits you so well."
"Then what about their colors?" Nick asked, wanting to focus on someone else now.
"Yeah," Chip grinned. "What does yellow mean?"
"Yellow is—heart," Daggeron said, trying to come up with the best word. "Traditionally yellow rangers tend to be the spirit of the team—the one who is always ready to listen and support. They're the sunshine and cheeriness and oftentimes more open minded than their teammates—"
"Like believing in vampires when the rest of us didn't?" Xander said.
"Exactly," Daggeron nodded.
"That's Chip for you," Vida smiled. "Always looking out for the rest of us."
"You, Vida, are pink," Daggeron said. "You represent the emotions of the team."
Vida looked at him in confusion.
"Umm… ok?" she said. "I didn't think I was that emotional."
"Not in the way you'd think," Daggeron said. "Your emotions tend to lean more to the—aggressive. However, while you can be volatile in those emotions, they also keep you more down to earth. And that also helps you keep the rest of the team grounded."
"So all pink rangers are like Vida?" Nick asked, earning a glare from his teammate.
Daggeron shook his head.
"At the core, yes," he said. "But in the way they express that core, no. Some will lean toward softer emotions, others toward more aggressive, and some will fall in the middle. It depends on the individual."
"I think I'm starting to get this," Chip said.
"Good," Daggeron said. "Because this lesson will help you understand one another better—and make it easier to function as a team."
The rangers nodded, glancing at each other.
"Now," Daggeron said, looking at Madison. "Blue is intellect. They are the planners and thinkers. They also tend to be a little more level-headed, thinking ahead rather than charging recklessly in. There also seems to be a tradition of feeling they have something to prove to the rest of the team."
Madison blushed, ducking her head. Smiling, Vida slung an arm around her shoulders.
"That's my sis," she said. "Always the smart one."
Rolling her eyes, Madison playfully shoved Vida away.
"What about me?" Xander asked eagerly. "What does green stand for?"
"Well," Daggeron said slowly. "Loyalty. Green represents a strong loyalty to the people you care about. They are generally passionate in some form and tend to be more individual—they aren't so focused on being a team player. Not always in a bad way, it just means they're more likely to try and do something themselves before calling the rest of the team."
"Nice," Xander grinned.
"Though you should know that the original green ranger here on earth—in the human realm—was actually evil," Daggeron said.
"That's right!" Xander exclaimed. "I didn't think about that…"
Daggeron nodded.
"While we aren't sure of all of the details—as no one knows the identities of that original team," he said. "If you look at the news reports and such from that time, when the green ranger first appeared he fought against the other rangers."
"I remember that," Madison said. "Everyone was so shocked to see rangers fighting rangers. We had a run in with him when we were little… He tried to kill us…"
"But his loyalty was still there," Chip said slowly. "Right? Just twisted in some way."
"Exactly," Daggeron nodded. "Even those who do evil would embody the traits of their core in some way—no matter what the color."
"Tommy's definitely loyal," Madison smiled. "And he's always been a leader."
"Yeah," Vida snorted. "You should see him and Jason butt heads when they both think they're right."
Exchanging grins, the girls glanced over to Tommy and froze in surprise. He was gone.
"Where is he?" Madison exclaimed.
Everyone whipped around to look. Tommy was gone and none of them had heard him leave.
"I thought you said the spell would last at least a half hour," Xander frowned, glancing at his watch. "It's barely been fifteen minutes."
Daggeron frowned as the younger rangers hopped up to do a quick search of Rootcore. But Tommy was nowhere to be seen.
"Great," Vida muttered as they came back. "Tommy disappeared again."
"I don't get it," Nick frowned. "How can he be down for days with a spell one time, and the next throw it off in minutes? It doesn't make sense."
"I'm not sure," Daggeron said slowly, turning back to the scan. "But I'm hoping this scan may give us more answers."
The others nodded, settling back down for a moment, though they all kept glancing toward the exit.
"So then what about the white and the black?" Nick asked, looking at the globe again.
"Well," Daggeron said. "Black is not, contrary to popular belief, an indication of darkness or evil. Nor is it simply the opposite of white. Black is strength. They tend to be the backbone of the group, working hard and helping where they're needed—but from the background. They don't try and be the leaders, they just want to support the team."
"And white?" Vida asked impatiently.
"Well," Daggeron frowned. "There have only been three white rangers in the history of the human realm."
"Does that include Udonna?" Madison asked.
Daggeron shook his head.
"No," he said. "Though the same traits would apply. Whites tend to be more—diverse. They're harder to fit into a single mold. However, they do have a tendency to be the patient ones, always ready to calm the others down and make them think something through."
"So everyone falls into one of those categories?" Chip asked. "Then what about you?"
"No, Chip," Daggeron said. "The colors are not definitive for everyone. Occasionally someone will come along who does not fall into the same patterns. As rangers they tend to join the team later on, coming in when they need help. They're also generally more individual and not tied as tightly to the team as a unit."
He paused, letting the information sink in.
"So, why is Tommy's core so different?" Madison murmured, her attention firmly back on the scan. "At the center he's loyal—"
"But he's also red—a leader," Vida said.
"And there's the black," Chip added. "For strength and support."
"So I guess that makes the white fit in," Xander said. "He's diverse alright."
Daggeron frowned as he nodded.
"It just doesn't make sense," he muttered.
"What doesn't?" Nick asked, frowning.
"Look closely at the green sphere," Daggeron said. "It's tainted in places. Like—well…"
"Like his loyalty was twisted," Chip said slowly, frowning. "Oh!"
His eyes widened and he whipped around to look at the rest of his team.
"Chip, what's wrong?" Vida asked in concern.
He was on his feet again, looking around rather wildly.
"I—he—I mean…" he stammered, trying to pull his thoughts together.
"Chip!" Nick snapped. "What?"
"Tommy's the green ranger!" he cried.
No one said anything for a moment as they looked at him in surprise.
"Chip, that's crazy," Madison finally said, shaking her head. "Tommy can't—"
She cut off, turning to look at the scan again as she started making the same connections Chip had made.
"Oh…" she said, biting her lip. "But—but how did we miss that?"
The rest of the group was starting to catch on as pieces fell into place. Daggeron was studying the scan intently, but he wasn't arguing with Chip's proclamation.
"I don't know," Chip said. "It's so obvious now. All of his comments, figuring out we were rangers, never being surprised by anything that happens—he's been a ranger himself."
"An evil ranger," Xander corrected. "And now he's out in the forest by himself and there's no telling where he's going."
"I knew there was something wrong with him," Nick muttered. "He's been lying to us all along."
"And you may have a bigger problem," Daggeron said grimly, turning to face them. "If Tommy is indeed the original green ranger, then he is not a threat to be taken lightly."
"But he's Tommy," Madison said. "Isn't he? He's never hurt any of us…"
Daggeron sighed.
"Maddy, you know him better than I do," he said. "But what I can read on this scan tells a different story."
He paused, making sure they were all listening.
"There is a dark magic inside of Tommy," he said. "A magic that is very similar to yours."
The younger rangers exchanged looks.
"What does that mean?" Nick asked.
Daggeron took a deep breath.
"It means," he said, "that you, and all of Briarwood, are all in very grave danger. His magic is strong—stronger than any of yours individually. If Tommy manages to harness it, we would not stand a chance against him. I believe his strength may rival that of Leanbow—and all of you have fought him as Koragg."
"So what do we do?" Vida asked.
"You have to find him," Daggeron answered. "Immediately. I don't know where his magic came from, but we cannot afford to allow our enemies to lay their hands on him. The results would be disastrous."
With grim looks on their faces, the rangers nodded.
"We'll find him," Nick said firmly.
The five started to turn to leave.
"Madison, Vida," Daggeron said.
They paused, turning back to look at him.
"I know he's like a brother to you," he said. "But there is a chance everything you know about him may be a lie. Tommy might not be the man you think he is and you need to be prepared to handle that—no matter what it takes."
They nodded reluctantly.
"We know," Madison said. "Protecting the city comes first."
"We'll stop Tommy," Vida said. "Before he can hurt anyone."
"Good," Daggeron said. "Now hurry. He's already got a head start on you."
The rangers bolted from Rootcore, determined to find Tommy before he could hurt anyone.