Madison stood stock-still in the middle of the forest, trying to process what had just gone on today. Nick was leaving. Her friends had driven him away. They'd accused him of stealing, and now he was gone. How had this happened?
Birds fled their treetop perches as the young witch let out a frustrated scream. This wasn't right. Nick wasn't supposed to be gone. The five of them had been destined to come together as a team, and as friends, and now those friends had pushed him away. She'd been searching for him for nearly two hours, and she needed to find him right now more than ever and talk to him, see if he would come back, if only for her. What had he said to her before he'd left?
'Just call for me and I'll be there.' Would it actually work? Could he hear her calling for him? Even with all the magic she'd witnessed over the past few weeks, it still seemed a little far-fetched to her. She trusted Nick's promise, though.
"Nick? Can you hear me?" she asked anxiously into the air. "Please come." Closing her eyes, she concentrated fiercely on seeing him arriving here, that carefree grin on his face. She peeked an eye open slowly, but she saw nothing. He wasn't here. Even though she hadn't fully expected it to work, she felt kind of let down. Why did she think that he could hear her, when he was probably out of town by now?
As she turned to sit down on a log, a golden-purple shimmer caught her eye. A spell circle was etching itself in the air. As it was completed, it fell slowly to the ground, revealing Nick.
"Hey," he managed to say before he was engulfed by a tight hug from Madison. "You know that it's been less than half an hour, right? Barely enough time to leave town." She looked up at his smiling face and frowned.
"Don't joke. It was bad after you left."
"A lot of shouting?"
She nodded. "Mostly on my part, actually. I mean ... ergh. It pisses me off just to think about it. I can't believe them ... "
"Hey, it's okay," Nick whispered, stroking her hair as they continued their embrace. "It's fine. I'm here now." Something in her clicked.
"How did you get here?" she asked, stepping back from him. "How did you even hear me?"
Nick grinned and replied teasingly, as if this was a big secret, "Honestly? It was magic." She playfully smacked him on the chest. "What? It's true. Another spell just came to me. Some sort of self-teleportation, I guess. And as for hearing you, I'm not exactly sure how that worked. It was kind of like how I hear Koragg, except more gentle, like you were next to me whispering instead of in my head screaming. And here I am."
"I'm really glad you're here. You can't just leave like that."
"Why? The only things tying me to Briarwood are you and my sister."
"What about our friends and being a Ranger?"
"They'll do fine without me. As much as I like them, I can't hang around while they hate me like that."
"They don't hate you. They're just being overly judgmental, like always. Well, not so much Chip. He's just easily swayed by these kinds of things. But Vida and Xander tend to jump to conclusions a little too fast," she coaxed. "And what about being a Ranger?"
"Like I said, you guys'll do great without me."
"So why do you still have your morpher?"
He arched his eyebrows as if she should know this already. "I never said I was going to stop being a Ranger. And besides," he added, "it's my wand. How would I focus my magic without it?"
"You have before."
"Not real spells, just my elemental powers. You know that. Listen," he said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, "I can't stay, but I'll never leave you. I'll always be a call away. I'm probably going to get my stuff from Gracey's tomorrow and see if my grandma will put me up." Maddie gave him a pleading look.
"Please, please stay. You just got settled in and everything, and you've only been here a few weeks. I'm sure the others will come around."
"Tell me when they do," he scoffed, voice lined with bitterness, "because Xander seemed pretty sure that I'd done it."
"You know him, though. He's always that arrogant. Though it didn't help when you set those flowers on fire." He shrugged sheepishly.
"I couldn't help it. For all the control I have, it goes out the window when I get angry. Thanks for putting it out, by the way," he appended, laying a soft kiss on her forehead. She replied with a blush.
"It was nothing."
"Well, it could've become something. You know how destructive a fire can be," he said, voice filled with the memory of past fires he'd caused. She pulled him back into a comforting hug, burying her face in his chest. They stood together for minutes that seem to last forever and no time at all. Lost in their own thoughts and just being together, they only snapped back into reality when Nick's phone rang. He reluctantly answered it, pulling himself out of the embrace.
"Hello? Oh, hi ... No, I'm not dead on the side of the road. I'm just spending time with Maddie ... Yes, my girlfriend Maddie ... No, we're not doing anything wrong, Gracey. Just because you would, doesn't mean I will ... Oh, whatever. If lying helps you sleep at night ... Fine, burn my chicken ... Yeah, I'll be home soon. I think Maddie needs to get home soon, too ... Yeah, I love you too ... Okay. Bye." He secured his phone back in its holster before looking at Maddie apologetically.
"Your sister?"
"Yeah. She started to freak out when I didn't come back. Thought I had crashed or something like that ... " he replied with a grin. "Anyway, I need to be going back. You want a ride home?"
"I'd like that," she replied, nodding enthusiastically. "Where's your bike?" she asked a moment later, looking for the vehicle.
"I left it back by where I pulled over. I didn't exactly know if it should come through with me, so I just hid it behind some trees." He held out his hand. "Are you ready? This self-teleportation thing feels kind of weird." With no hesitation, she took his hand. He looked at her for a minute, taking in the calmness emanating from her, and knew that it wouldn't hold up for very long.
"Uthe sastos." A warm sensation spread over her head, moving down her neck and chest slowly. She looked down to see exactly what was happening, but all she could see was a spell seal working its way down her legs, which stood oddly alone. Starting to panic, she looked at her hands, yet saw nothing, then to Nick. She could see him smiling comically at her and yet she couldn't see him at all. He just wasn't there, but she could still see him somehow. This was moving way beyond weird.
A white light flashed before her eyes for a moment before she felt a cool breeze ripple over her face. She blinked a few times, adjusting to feeling corporeal and looking around. Nick was next to her, still smiling as he too reappeared out of the circle. When she felt her feet become reacquainted with the ground, she breathed a sigh of relief.
"Wow, that was ... " she managed, words trailing off as she tried to find the proper words.
"Different?" Nick supplied, looking amused. "Yeah, it's definitely weird, but it's fast. Here," he added, passing her a helmet from the back of his bike, which she hadn't noticed until now. Pushing the bike back to the road, he threw one leg over, waiting for Maddie to do the same. Once she had wrapped her arms around him, he revved the engine and tore off into the night.
The next day at work was harder than Madison had expected. She tried her best to ignore her friends unless work demanded it, but the day only dragged on uncomfortably. Vida seemed less enthusiastic at her turntables, Chip was quieter and more down to earth and Xander even willingly took a task that involved physical labor. Even Toby seemed to be grounded closer to reality, looking like he was thinking something over. There was a general air of depression in the store.
Finally, Xander broke the silence, nervously asking the question that had been weighing on his mind all morning, "Has anyone found the money?" The three other Rangers merely shook their heads. "Great. I don't know how I'm going to tell Toby ab-"
"Tell me what?" the man asked, emerging silently from his office. Xander froze, then turned slowly to his boss.
"It's just - Well, I ... You see ... " he stammered as the other Rangers joined him. Toby held up a halting hand.
"Just tell me. No, don't tell me. No, do. No, don't. Do. Don't. Do? Don't?" he replied indecisively. Pausing for a second, a smile flitted across his face as he held up a finger. "Alright, how about you tell me about how you lost the thousand dollars."
The Rangers all exchanged shocked glances. How could he now about the lost bank deposit so soon? The boss's smile grew wider as he pulled the small envelope out from his back pocket, a small miracle in itself to the Rangers.
"I found it under some magazines and receipts by the register when I was closing up last night." He paused, taking in the ashamed looks that Vida, Chip and Xander wore, along with the triumphant smirk Madison had donned. "I mean, come on. You guys can tell me about this kind of thing. I may be your boss, but I'm still your fr-fr-friend," he said, stumbling awkwardly over the last word and finally getting it out with a hint of realization in his voice. "Why didn't you guys tell me?"
"Well, we thought Nick did it," Xander replied sheepishly, knowing how stupid it sounded now. Toby furrowed his brow.
"Nick?" he asked incredulously. "How could you even think that? The guy's as honest as ... as the Stones are classic rock!" Maddie couldn't help but grin as her boss flashed the 'Rock On' sign with so much exuberance. Turning that grin into a vicious smirk of victory, she turned to her friends.
"Told you," she said, resentment still evident in her voice. When Toby gave her a questioning glance, she blushed lightly. "It's just that I told them the same thing yesterday and they ignored it." His mouth rounded into a knowing O, drooping as something else occurred to him.
"So that's why he didn't turn up for his shift this morning? Because you three drove him away?" The three accused teens stood in an ashamed silence. "What would make you think he did it anyway?" They all turned to the rack of vinyls behind them, where Leelee stood defiantly.
"What?" she replied, already in her mode to shift the blame. "I'm not the one who drove my friend away." She gave them all an indignant glare as she cracked open a can of soda and was dripping with cola before she could blink. All four Rangers and their boss couldn't help but grin as the prima donna pouted.
"Why do bad things always happen to good people?" she whined, looking disgustedly over her ruined leather jacket. As she stomped off everyone turned their attention back to the original problem. Toby, though, seemed slightly stunned by the departing girl's attitude, staring vacantly into space around where she'd been standing.
"Ummm ... Toby? Hello?" Xander said, waving a hand in front of his boss's face. This seemed to snap the hippie out of his trance.
"Yeah?" he said, still slightly dazed. His employees, accustomed to his eccentricities, went with the flow and ignored his spacy moment.
"I just want to say that I'm really sorry for all of this. I should've told you about the money," Xander said, adding guiltily, "and for accusing Nick. It was totally out of line." Toby held his hands up innocently, brushing off the apologies.
"Hey, don't tell me. I'm not the one you need to apologize to." He glanced oddly at the Rangers back pockets as their phones rang the same tone in perfect unison. They all instantly had their phones out and open, listening to the distinctly female voice coming out of it. Xander nodded for the group and looked up at their perplexed boss.
"Sorry, Tobes, but we have to take this," Xander said apologetically, patting his boss on the shoulder. "We should be back soon." The four teens ran out of the shop quickly, all pulling off their work shirts and shouting their goodbyes to a speechless Toby.
Earlier that same morning, Nick left his sister's house early, almost nine, all of his few things packed onto the back of his motorcycle. At least, he tried to leave. In actuality, Gracey forced him into a chair in her dining room as he was about the head out the door, setting an omelette on the plate before him.
"One omelette, hot and fresh. Go at it," she said, motioning to the various toppings scattered across the table. Walking into the adjoining kitchen, she cracked another few eggs into a pan. Nick, despite his slight irritation at her usual forcefulness, couldn't help but smile. Gracey was a natural chef, and stubborn sister. He loved her in all her laid-back college girl glory, long black hair held back by a bandanna, dark tan skin covered by a striped tank top and white linen pants hanging loosely over her trim frame. She was possibly the coolest person he knew and the most annoying, but that was the enigma of siblings.
"I really need to leave," Nick said tiredly, still not entirely awake. His sister responded with a defiant shake of her head as she prodded the eggs.
"No way, not without a good breakfast. And mine are great," she added with a self-sure grin. "Now eat." Back to scrambling herself some eggs, she left Nick to begrudgingly scoop some green peppers onto his omelette.
"So why are you leaving so quickly? You've only been here for a few weeks. I thought you were going to finish school here," she said conversationally, poking at an egg yolk.
"Not much reason for me to stay here anymore. Besides you and Madison," he amended through a bite of eggs upon seeing her hurt look.
"Madison? She's your girlfriend, right?" He nodded, mouth too full to talk. "I thought you'd made friends and got a job, too."
"I did."
"So why are you leaving then? You've got friends, a girlfriend and a job. That's more than you had back at Grandma's, and it sounds like a few reasons to stay. I don't think I'd want to leave with all that."
"You've already got all of that. I thought I did."
"Awww, what happened?" Gracey asked, automatically slipping into sympathetic big sister mode.
"We kind of had a falling out."
"You and your friends?"
"Yeah. They accused me of stealing from the Rock Porium." Gracey winced.
"Ooh, that's harsh. And what about Madison? Won't she want you to stay?"
"Yeah, she does. But I just can't after what the other guys said. I'm just -" He paused, trying to find the right words. "- going through some tough shit right now, and what they said didn't exactly help."
"Do they know about this 'tough shit'?" she asked, using air quotes for emphasis.
"Well, no, not really. Only Maddie does."
"Then you can't really blame them for that, can you? They didn't know."
"Yeah, I know. It's more about the things they said and the way they said them. It just pissed me off," he said, last dregs of anger still swirling through his voice.
"I can tell. And watch your language. Mom would blow a fuse if she knew I was letting you talk like that." Nick grinned at her as she finally approached the table with her plate of eggs and took a spot next to him.
"I know, I know. But she's on a whole other continent right now, so I think we're good. Anyway," he said, forking the last bit of his omelette into his mouth and standing up, "I've got to go now. Grandma's expecting me by eleven and it's already almost ten."
"Aww, come on. Don't go yet. I haven't had nearly enough time with my little brother yet. Just wait a few more weeks - I'm sure I'll be tired of you by then." Nick gave her an apologetic smile from the doorway.
"Sorry, but you know what the roads are like right now. All you damn college kids finally getting out of bed and down to a Starbucks for a triple espresso latte and a biscotti. It'll take me almost twice the time to get there, and - oof." He grunted as Gracey pulled him into an insanely tight bear hug.
"See you, little brother," she said, voice muffled by his T-shirt. "Stay safe. You know how dangerous that bike can be."
"And yet you still beg to drive it." Gracey stepped back and gave him a sly grin.
"Hell yeah," she said indignantly. "I look bitchin' on it." She grinned a crazy grin and looked up at him. He may have been on the shorter end for being a guy, but he was taller than her by a longshot. "Just stay safe, will you? I've got this bad feeling about you and the next year or so, like a lot is going to happen to you between now and the next time I see you. Speaking of which, when will I see you again?"
"I'm not sure yet, but I will be back. I promised Maddie that I'd visit as much as I could."
"You'd better. I'll kick your ass if you visit less than once a week." The playful look on her fade faded, replaced by sadness and drawing a sigh from her lips. "I'd guess you better leave. Wouldn't want to freak out Grandma." She leaned up to give him a quick kiss on the cheek before pushing him out the door ungraciously.
A half hour later, Nick was speeding down the road. He was almost completely alone, having been fortunate enough to escape any heavy traffic and get onto this seldom-used back road. Almost no one ever used this road for some reason or another, so it had easily become one of Nick's favorites. He could enjoy the speed and the almost-quiet that came with a motorcycle without dealing with others. It was just him, his bike and the road. That was all he really needed. Well, Maddie too, he silently amended, feeling a headache coming on.
'What did I tell you, Red Wizard? They do not trust you,' Koragg roared suddenly in his head.
'It's not true,' Nick thought back in a very lackluster way. 'Madison still trusts me.'
'Maybe now, but soon she will come to distrust you along with the others. We were not meant to mix with their kind. We were meant to rule them, son.'
Nick, under his helmet, was clearly agitated. 'Why do you keep calling me that?'
Koragg smirked. 'Come to the beach and find out.'
He was gone as quickly as he'd come, fleeting echoes of his presence resonating in Nick's mind. The boy pulled onto the shoulder of the road and pulled off his helmet, letting the breeze ruffle his hair. Should he go? His curiosity was screaming yes, but his better judgment said no. It was probably just a trap to catch him. Then again, his curiosity was dying to know why Koragg had this weird obsession with him.
Overriding his common sense, he revved his engine and veered onto the road in the opposite direction, heading to the beach.
Twenty minutes and a call to his grandma to explain his tardiness later, Nick was standing on the beach, keeping a watchful eye out for Koragg. He didn't have to wait long.
"Hello, Red Wizard," growled a voice from behind Nick. He turned around without hesitation and saw his enemy standing in his cocky way not fifteen feet from him.
"What do you want with me?" Nick asked, immediately down to the point. He could almost see the Knight Wolf smirking behind his helmet.
"It's a personal matter, son," he said, adding tremendous emphasis to the last word. "Very personal."
"Why do you keep calling me that? What is up with your freakish interest in me?" Nick asked, anger beginning to bubble up in him.
"You will soon know, boy," the Knight Wolf responded with a laugh. "Eager, are we?"
"No, I'm tired of you messing with me. Stay out of my head." Koragg could see the fury burning in his son's eyes, and it made him smirk.
"So how does it feel, knowing that you are truly evil? That you were born evil and cannot escape your fate?" Nick was only getting angrier. Good, very good. "Don't ignore it. Embrace it. Join me and join the darkness. I know you, and I know your power. Join me." Koragg's voice, though rough, carried a tempting undertone.
"You don't know me at all, otherwise you'd know that I'm not evil, and I never will be."
"I know you better than you think, son. You will come to me sooner or later. It is your destiny."
"I'm never going to join you, no matter what you say. And stop calling me son. I don't care what your weird interest in me is, but I'm not your son."
"Is that really what you believe? You have been deluded by the light."
"It's what I know. I may be dark, but you're not my father." By now Nick was desperately pleading with himself that what he said was true, that Koragg was lying. The compassionate underlying tone in Koragg's voice, though, had thrown a single grain of doubt into Nick's mind, and it was growing rapidly.
"Do you require proof? I will prove it to you if I must."
"How? What could you do to convince me?" Nick asked, staring down the Knight Wolf, who only stared back evenly.
"Power down," the warrior whispered quietly, his armor disappearing in a flash of purple light. A tall, tan man stood where the Knight Wolf had been, staring intently back at Nick.
The boy was physically stunned. He'd seen this man once before, in a vision. He gaped in horror at the same man he'd seen standing over his baby self, albeit about twenty years older. His long, curly hair hadn't changed, but the goatee had traces of grey spread randomly through it. It was true, all true.
A smile spread across Koragg's face. "So you see it now. You understand my interest in you. I'm merely trying to regain what I lost so many years ago."
Nick simply stood frozen in his shocked silence. The pieces all seemed to click into place so nicely now. Koragg was his father. That was going to be a hard one to accept. Just being a dark child was hard enough to swallow, but when you added Koragg as his father... He involuntarily shuddered.
"Now that you know, will you take your rightful place at my side? Will you help me bring down the light?"
"No," Nick growled, resolution strangely strengthened by the tempting words. As much as he wanted to deny it, the offer did contain some allure. To give up morality, to see Xander beg for his life, all arrogance forgotten, to be with Madison without worrying about anything getting in the way...
No. He was good. And as arrogantly irritating as Xander was sometimes, the guy was still his friend.
"No, I'm not going to join you, not as long as there are still reasons to fight for in the light." Like Maddie. He'd fight to the death for her.
"Your friends betrayed you, though. They do not trust you."
"That doesn't mean I want to kill them." At least, not all of him wanted to. Part of him felt like occasionally brutalizing a certain trio.
"A part of you does; I can feel it. I've seen the darkness that lives in your soul. Embrace it. Embrace the true power of the dark phoenix."
"What part of 'no' don't you get? I'm not like you, father or not, and I'll never turn to evil. You might as well give up."
Koragg smirked. It seemed they shared the same stubborn streak - Nick with his refusal of the darkness and he with his persistence in bringing Nick back to his true roots. But if the boy wouldn't listen, a certain degree of force would be needed.
"If you think that I'll give up, you're a fool. I will show you the error of your ways." He held out a wand, much like the Ranger's original wooden wands, tipped with a purple wolf-shaped crystal. "Dark source, evil force!" he shouted. In a flash of purple light, Koragg had rangered up, the wand becoming part of his shield. Nick had his morpher in hand almost instantly and, without thinking, followed suit.
"Magical source, Mystic Force!" In a similar flash of light, the Red Mystic Ranger stood in a standoff with the Knight Wolf.
"Draw your weapon," Koragg growled, pulling his sword from his shield. Nick did just so, willing his Magi Staff into a sword. The two stared each other down for only a moment before Koragg lunged. Nick barely managed to avoid a direct hit to the chest by launching himself over his attacker and attempting to land a blow on his neck. The Knight Wolf managed to deflect the brunt of the attack by doing a complete one-eighty and knocking Nick's sword away with his own. The boy landed hard on his feet, using his sword as a balance as he fell into a crouched position.
"You are not strong enough, son. Give up," rumbled the dark warrior. Nick pushed himself up defiantly and stared down the other man.
"I'm strong enough today. I'll never give in to you."
"So be it. Wolf Attack!" He launched the energy attack from the eye of his shield, taking the form of many snarling wolves. Nick managed to block them all, if only by a little, and was taken completely off guard when Koragg appeared behind the dissipated energy. He launched into a furious flurry of strikes, Nick barely barring most.
Koragg smiled despite himself as he continued his assault. The boy was strong, and he was becoming stronger every day. How perfect. He intensified his attacks, wanting to incapacitate Nick quickly so he could carry out the rest of his plan.
Nick, near worn out, stood up, having been blasted by another Wolf Attack hundreds of yards to a small bridge. Koragg was there in the blink of an eye, chuckling threateningly.
"Are you done yet, Red Ranger? Do you not see that you are not strong enough to defeat me?"
"I'm not done yet, Koragg. Watch this." Nick stood up with all the determination he could muster and took a calming breath. "Power of the phoenix!" His entire body lit up with the crackling flames that were his elemental power, renewing his strength. Launching himself at the Knight Wolf, he released a fireball that knocked the man back before landing on the ground in front of the downed warrior.
"Now what?" the boy asked playfully. "Are you going to leave me alone and realize that I'll never join you? Or do you need to be destroyed first?"
Koragg chose to lie on the ground in silence for a moment, finally sneering, "That was good, Red Ranger, but not good enough." As quickly as he'd gone done, he was up again, swinging his sword powerfully at Nick, driving the boy back. Soon the situation had been reversed, Nick laying on the ground, desperately holding onto his Ranger powers, while Koragg stood tauntingly over him.
"Do you see where your light leads you? You have lost," Koragg spat, pointing his sword at Nick's throat. He flicked it slightly, ripping away Nick's Ranger form. Now only his son lie on the ground, breathing heavily and staring up at the man with hate. "Good, hate is good. Feel it. Hate me! It only brings you deeper into the darkness."
Nick, realizing that he was doing exactly what Koragg wanted, blinked hard, trying to wipe the hate from his mind. He gripped at the threads of self-control and fought the urge to set everything around him on fire.
"Do it," he whispered harshly, eying the blade at his neck without fear. "Kill me. If you're really that evil, than do it. Take me out." He paused, noticing the man's hesitation when faced with such an eager request to be killed. "Do it!"
The father was stuck. This was his chance to destroy a Ranger, to bring the whole team to their knees. But Nick was his son, and he couldn't destroy him. He was all Koragg had left of his wife, and of his life before being trapped in the Underworld. And despite all the evil that gripped his soul, he'd still bore a soft spot for his son. He could never mortally harm the boy.
Slowly, as if not sure of his actions, he began to sheathe his sword, when four battle cries drew his attention to the bridge above them. A quartet of colors leapt from the bridge's edge and surrounded Nick in a protective circle.
"We won't let you hurt him," Chip stated first, hands grasped firmly on his crossbow, which was trained directly at Koragg's head. Automatically reacting to a threat, the warrior unsheathed his sword and held it out toward the Rangers. Under his helmet, he could only stare in shock at the four that he had believed to be Nick's former friends.
Nick was as surprised as Koragg to see his friends there, and gratefully accepted Maddie's outstretched hand.
"You're not supposed to be here," Koragg managed, disbelief evident in his voice. "He is mine."
"Sorry to break it to you, but we're his friends. We'll always be here," Xander replied confidently.
"Right. We're a team, and we'll never leave Nick," added Vida.
"Some of us never did," Maddie said in an irritated way. Nick glanced at her happily for a moment, then turned back to Koragg.
"I guess your little plan didn't work. I still have my friends, and you don't have me. End of game."
Koragg stared back at his cocky son angrily. "Don't be so sure," he growled. "Uthe mejor Catastros! Sumbol unithos equestras!" Catastros appeared from a seal on the ground, quickly combining with the now-giant dark warrior who had summoned him. Nick looked to his friends, who merely nodded.
"Galwit mysto prifior!" they shouted in unison, changing almost instantly into the Mystic Titans. Now on a level playing field with Koragg, they stared him down.
"Do not think that will help you, Rangers. It will only delay the inevitable defeat that you will face as my hands," mocked the warrior.
"Don't judge us too quickly," Vida said quickly from her perch on Xander's shoulder.
As if they'd spoken telepathically, the four Rangers standing behind Nick all shouted, "Galwit neramax unios! Dragon formation!" Knowing exactly what to do, Nick took his spot on the Dragon's back, sword drawn, as they flew toward the Knight Wolf. Koragg charged them as well, both parties meeting halfway. Swords clashed fiercely for a moment before both pushed the other back.
"Fire!" Nick shouted. The Dragon let loose a fireball that slammed forcefully into the Centaur's chest. He was pushed back even farther, but when he looked up, they could tell that they'd only angered him.
"You may be strong, Rangers, but I have become stronger. Uthe mejor ultimas!" In the blink of an eye, he'd changed forms with Catastros, becoming a megazord.
"That won't help you, now," Nick said. "Full power!" His entire body glowed red, gathering as much energy as he could and channeling it into the Dragon. Three gigantic streams of fire came from its mouth, interlacing with each other and exploding as they hit the Knight Wolf. He stumbled a bit, but only came out laughing.
"Is that all, Rangers? I expected more from the mighty Mystic Force."
"You haven't seen anything yet," Nick scoffed. "Galwit mysto uni-"
Koragg, at the same time, said, "Not so fast, Red Ranger. Dark source, evil force!" He held up a hand, drawing a golden orb out of the Titans mid-spell, and Nick froze. He could feel the magic of the spell dying as the power was drawn out of them.
"What'd you do?" he asked angrily.
"I stole your Megazord power, Red Ranger. You cannot combine now," sneered the Knight Wolf. "It will go to a good use, though." The orb floated before his palm, aimed at an empty spot on the ground. "Rise, Morticon!" A dark purple circle appeared on the ground, a hand already coming out of it. The hand was followed by another, which helped drag out a whole body.
"I am free!" shouted the newcomer triumphantly. The Rangers had never seen him before, but he seemed to be a cross between a zombie and a cyborg. Without hesitation, Morticon grabbed the Dragon, swinging it in a circle. When he'd gained enough momentum, he released the beast, letting it hurtle through the air and land harshly on the ground. The four Titans disengaged from their Dragon formation by the sheer force of the attack, while Nick was still able to stand, the Dragon having taken most of the blow. He'd only moved a few steps when Morticon had him in a headlock, pressing his blade to Nick's neck.
"This is the end of the Red Ranger," he said ominously, pressing the blade closer. "Will you not help me, Koragg?" The Knight Wolf shook his head.
"I will not stop you from killing him, but I will not help. He could be of use to us in the future. Though I have failed at my mission today, if he lives, I will continue my quest. It is your decision." If he could, Morticon would've smiled.
"Any last words, Mystic Ranger?" Nick, almost too exhausted to even speak, felt suddenly energized. A few words floated harmlessly through his mind, sticking out amongst his other thoughts. Knowing exactly what to do with it, he silently focused on the power of the phoenix, surprising Morticon as he flew out of the cyborg's grip.
"Invertire selia!" he shouted as he flew back down at Morticon. A purple-ish red seal came out of his hand, wrapping itself nicely around the Underworld leader, who was suddenly trapped by the Red Ranger's magic. Koragg only stared on in complete shock as Morticon was dragged back down to the depths of the pit. He'd known the boy was strong, but not this strong.
Angling himself properly, Nick managed to land on his feet facing Koragg. "Now are you done here?" he asked wearily, a hard edge of vicious intent in his voice. The boy was ready to fight him on his own no matter what now. He'd truly embraced the power of fire, the willingness to fight when it looked hopeless and he might lose his life in the process. He was progressing stunningly.
"I am not done with you, know that. This is not the last time we will meet, son." Without another word, Koragg turned into the setting sun and disappeared, leaving the Mystic Titans alone, and Nick exhausted in more than one sense of the word. He'd found one of his birth parents. It was so strange. He'd never really thought of trying to meet them, even when he'd thought they were just regular people. Now he knew who one of them was, and the strangeness of it seemed to have worn off. As little as he'd wanted to believe it at first, it seemed unavoidable now. He knew that in order to finally bring down the darkness one day, he'd have to accept his newfound lineage and move on, not wallowing in anger and self-doubt.
Quickly returning to his human form, he met his again human friends back on the beach road, all gathered around his bike.
"Hey, guys," Nick said happily. "Thanks for the save back there."
"No problem," Xander replied with a smile, which faded as he remembered the past twenty-four hours. "Look, mate, we're sorry. Toby found the money this morning. I'm sorry we doubted you. But Leelee did make me think... "
"Look, man, it's okay. I'm just glad that everything's back to normal," Nick said.
"Well, at least as normal as being a wizard Power Ranger can be," Chip added with a grin. Nick grinned back and looked at all of them.
"So do I still have a job? Hell, do any of us have jobs? I seem to remember all of us having shifts together today ... "
"Oh, be quiet," Maddie said playfully. "Of course we all do. Toby likes us too much to let us go. We're the only ones who can put up with his craziness. And he's the only one that'll put up with us running out all the time, even if it is for the greater good, or whatever." She leaned her head comfortably on Nick's shoulder, garnering only a restrained glare from Vida. She liked Nick, but that didn't mean she couldn't still feel overprotective toward her fraternal twin. It took her all of her self control to keep herself from ripping the two apart.
"So should we head back? If I remember properly, my shift doesn't end until two, and I'm working with some of my favorite people today," said Nick merrily.
"I'm all for that. Vida and I were trying to outsell each other, and Tobes is probably wondering where we went," Xander answered with a smile.
"I'll drive back," Vida said hastily, grabbing her keys out of Xander's hand. "You nearly killed us on that overpass." Xander, Chip and Vida began heading over to the bridge where they'd entered the battle, Vida and Xander arguing the whole time about his driving skills, but Madison hung behind.
"You coming, sis?" Vida asked from about twenty feet away. The brunette shook her head.
"I'm going to ride with Nick," she stated, helmet already in hand. Vida didn't show her approval or disapproval, a huge feat for her, instead opting to forcefully make herself walk to her jeep, no longer interested in arguing with Xander.
The pair climbed on the bike quietly, Nick handing Maddie his leather jacket.
"Look," he said tiredly when she refused it, "if you're going to ride with me, at least wear the jacket." Inwardly smiling, she took the oversized jacket and slipped it over her blue tee shirt. She could feel her sister's glare from afar, but shrugged it off as Nick gunned it, tearing off toward Briarwood.
"So what was that little encounter all about?" Maddie asked as soon as they couldn't see the others. Nick turned his head slightly to look at Maddie's questioning face, or as much of it as he could see through the visor. He could barely hear her over the wind and the muffling effect of the helmet, so he motioned for her to wait a second while he racked his mind for a spell to use. One drifted innocently to the forefront of his thoughts and he grabbed it quickly.
"Unios mens," he whispered, instantly feelings the effects. Another presence bordered the edges of his mind, a light, powerful presence. He could almost see her face as he would see it normally, though more of a mental impression than a physical. More entertaining, though, was the surprise he could feel echoing from her mind.
'What's going on?' asked Maddie mentally, more than a little shocked.
'I'm not exactly sure,' Nick thought back. 'I just wanted a spell to help us talk easier while we rode. I guess it formed some sort of telepathic bond.'
'Wow,' she replied, trying to calm herself down. It wasn't everyday that your wizard boyfriend telepathically bonded you together. 'So what was going on back there?'
'Udonna didn't tell you? Well, Koragg just wanted to try and recruit me again, and tell me that he was my father. It was kind of Star Wars-y, actually. Chip would've appreciated it.'
'What?' Maddie was stunned - he could feel it. It was really kind of strange, the way he could feel her emotions as if they were his own. He could tell that she had never seen that coming, and her amazement at how calmly he said it. 'That's not true, is it?'
'Oh, I'm fairly sure it's true. We look way too alike to not be related. And, oddly enough, it feels right. It kind of makes sense. Even explains his weird obsession with me.'
'But he looked like he was about to attack you.'
'He was thinking about it. I think he was about to back off, though, when you guys showed up.'
Maddie winced. 'Did we mess anything up?'
'No, no, no, it's not like that,' Nick hastily replied. 'I'm not sure what would've happened next if you guys hadn't shown up. I guess there would've been a lot more less-than-friendly banter.'
'Good to know we didn't screw up your grand scheme,' she responded with a smile. 'So are you going to go back to living with your sister?'
'Probably. My grandma'll be disappointed, but she'll live. I haven't seen Gracey since she transferred here for college almost a year ago. And she didn't want me to leave, like a certain girlfriend of mine.' He could feel her shy smile resonating in his mind. 'Even if I could see you whenever I wanted, it still wouldn't be enough.'
'I'm glad you're staying. You don't know how weird it was not seeing you at work today. I know it's only been a couple of weeks, but you've already become an irreplaceable part of my life.'
'All of you guys are irreplaceable now. You're the first good friends I've had in a long time. Briarwood's growing on me, too.'
'Speaking of the guys, when are you going to tell them?'
'Tell them what?' he asked innocently.
'You know exactly what. Everything you've told me - Koragg is your daddy, being adopted, being some prophesied child, all of that. They will have to find out eventually.'
'I know. I'm just waiting for the right time.'
'Well, you should at least tell them about hearing Koragg's voice. That wouldn't need much of an explanation beyond him just trying to take out a Ranger.'
'I'm not sure,' he said, wary of slipping up and revealing too much to them.
'Oh, come on,' Maddie coaxed. 'If I understood, they will. And I'm not asking you to spill your guts. Just explain to them a bit about why Koragg wanted you. You won't even have to lie because it looked like he was about to take you, anyway.'
'Well ... Fine, okay,' he replied, giving in, still wary of what he might accidentally say but not wanting to disappoint Maddie. She smiled and quickly changed the subject before he could change his mind. They talked about trivial things the rest of the way back. Once at the Rock Porium, all five immediately got back to work, Nick slipping in, work shirt already on. Toby barely said hi to them before fleeing to the stock room, stammering something about customers trying to kill him. The quintet only laughed it off and went back to their regular routines.
"So what did Koragg want with you?" Xander asked a half hour later from his supervisors chair, curiosity getting to him. Nick glanced at Maddie, who gave him her best 'go for it' look.
"He wanted to take me down," he replied slowly, trying to think of how to word this. "Actually, he'd been bothering me all day yesterday." Xander arched an eyebrow.
"How so?"
"I think he used some sort of spell on me, because I could hear his voice in my head. I've been hearing him a lot lately. He probably just wants to take me out first, then you, then Madison, et cetera. Take us out in order." Xander nodded.
"So why you never tell us?"
"Why didn't you tell me about the money before you accused me?" Nick shot back. Xander cringed slightly.
"Touche," he responded, standing up and approaching his fire-powered friend. He held out his hand. "No more secrets, then?"
Nick looked at the hand and then to Maddie, who was pretending to work. Hesitantly, he took it.
"No more secrets." The Australian smiled and walked away to scare Vida in the stock room. It was something of a hobby of his, seeing if he could frighten the tough-as-nails girl.
Only a few seconds later did Nick realize what he'd just done. What had he just agreed to?
"I'm in trouble," he whispered in a frightened way.
A/N - Wow, my fingers hurt. I've been typing furiously all day to get you this chapter. It may not by a double chap post, but it's uber long. Twelve and a half pages on Word Perfect. Ergh. I've even been a little bit masochistic in order to get this to you - I'm denying myself ice cream until it is properly posted. So here it is, finally. If you're reading this, I've finally enjoyed the succulent taste of that lemon cheesecake ice cream. I hope you enjoy this chap just as much!