Power Rangers: Mythic Descendants
Disclaimer: I do not own Descendants or Power Rangers! Descendants belongs to Disney. As for Power Rangers, ownership of the series has been returned to Saban (though for how long is anyone's guess). Meh…the point is that I don't own them.
Previously, on Power Rangers: Mythic Descendants…
"You guys ready?" Ben asked, turning his head to the left and then the right, addressing each of his comrades.
Mal, Triton, Jane, and Lonnie all nodded. "Ready!" They affirmed.
"Then let's do this!" The king of Auradon shouted as the five of them raised their Mythicores into the air over their heads. Instinctively knowing what to do, they pressed their left hands against their glowing gems and called on the power within them.
As one, the five heroes shouted a single phrase:
"Mythos Descendium!"
Chapter 02: Powers Descend, Rangers Defend! (Part II)
When Mal first left the Isle of the Lost, the barrier's magic-suppressing properties ceased their effect on her. The feeling of her magic (which had been accumulating in her magical core since the day she was born, but without any outlets through which it could be released) spreading through her body for the first time ever was like a dam that had burst, unleashing millions of gallons of previously-held back water and flooding the land downstream. The immense power flowing through her veins was amazing–it made Mal feel like she could do anything, like there was nothing that was beyond her reach. It was like she was hyped up on 100 cups of coffee without getting killed by a caffeine overdose. She had never felt more powerful!
And now, as Mal morphed into the Purple Mythic Ranger, she felt that same feeling, only at least ten times as great, like all of the caffeine in the world had been magically transferred to her bloodstream. The magical power now flowing through her body was unbelievable, like nothing she had ever felt…no, that's not right. Mal had felt something like this once before, during Ben's coronation. When she held the Fairy Godmother's wand in her hands, its light magic had coursed through her. At the time, she had thought that that feeling was what it always felt like when you held an extremely powerful magical artifact in your hands.
But now, as she felt the power of her ancestor, Maylana, coursing through her, Mal realized that it wasn't the sheer amount of magical power that gave her this feeling, but the immense power of the light. It now hit home to her that light really is more powerful than darkness. Feeling emboldened and more confident in her own goodness, Mal called out:
"Dragon of Magic: Purple Mythic Ranger!"
At the same time, Jane was also reveling in her new powers as the Pink Mythic Ranger. She felt not only the power of her ancestor coursing through her body, but now she could also sense her own dormant magical abilities within her. The daughter of the Fairy Godmother had always known that she had that power within her, but her mother had refused to teach her how to use her magic. The elder fairy had insisted on waiting until "the time was right" before beginning that part of her daughter's education. This greatly upset Jane, who thought she was more than ready to learn how to use her powers.
It wasn't until King Ben's coronation that Jane realized that what her mother said was true. In her jealousy and envy towards the more attractive and popular girls in school, she had tried to use the wand to change her appearance so that all of the boys would notice her. But it backfired when she lost control of the wand the moment it entered her hands, resulting in the giant hole in the barrier surrounding the Isle of the Lost that had started this whole mess in the first place. Her mother was right; she hadn't been ready to learn magic yet.
But now, as the power of her ancestor, Julea, filled her entire being, she knew that the time her mother had spoken of had come. Jane's magic had been awakened, and she was ready to use it to protect the people of Auradon, just like her mother, the Fairy Godmother. With great confidence, Jane shouted:
"Fairy of Wind: Pink Mythic Ranger!"
Li Lonnie was amazed by the awesome power that was swelling up inside of her. She had always wondered what it would feel like to actually be able to use magic, but this…this was beyond her wildest dreams!
You see, Lonnie wasn't like the other princesses at Auradon Prep. Unlike Audrey and the others, the daughter of Fa Mulan and Li Shang wasn't actually royalty, even though her mother was an honorary member of the Auradon Princess Society. While this meant that she wasn't as well off as some of her peers, it also meant that she wasn't pampered when she was a child as much as they were. She was trained by the best martial arts specialists in the world–her parents–and was taught humility, honor, loyalty, and virtue in battle. Like most young girls, Lonnie's idol was her mother, and she wanted nothing more than to grow up to become a brave, strong, and self-sufficient young woman that would make her mother proud. She dreamed of someday fearlessly facing down an entire army and defeating them with her skills and ingenuity, just as her mother had trapped Shan Yu and his entire army of Huns in an avalanche that she had started.
And now, she was filled with the strength of her ancestor, Lo Luana, Lonnie knew that the time to prove herself was now. Not only could she feel the great power growing inside of her, but she also found that new knowledge was flowing into her brain–knowledge of different fighting styles, weapons, and abilities that she had never even know existed. Lonnie realized that her ancestor had left her these things to fight the forces of evil with, and the thought of this gave her another person to make proud of her. With courage and honor, Lonnie cried out:
"Phoenix of Sun: Yellow Mythic Ranger!"
Ever since he was a little boy, Prince Triton II had looked up to his grandfather, the king of Atlantica, as a role model. King Triton I was powerful, noble, and steadfast enough to either invigorate or quell the mighty seas at will, yet he was also kind and loving of his posterity. Triton II wanted nothing more than to grow up to be just like his grandfather.
Thus, when he learned that four of the villains his grandfather was tasked with stopping from leaving the Isle of the Lost were being given a chance to attend Auradon Prep and live in Auradon, the young prince was furious. He felt that the Royal Family of Auradon was insulting the mer-king that he looked up to by letting such vermin walk amongst them. When he learned that the four 'guests' had publicly decided to choose good over evil, he snorted and dismissed it as typical trickery for the children of villains.
But now, as he felt the power of his ancestry, Lord Neptuno, course through him, and his merman heritage respond to the familiar power of the ocean, Triton II couldn't help but think that if a power of goodness similar to this had chosen the daughter of the Mistress of All Evil, then maybe not all villains' kids were evil. He would have more time to ponder this later: right now, however, he had to face monsters that he was certain were evil. With strength and nobility, Triton II declared:
"Merman of Sea: Blue Mythic Ranger!"
Ever since he was a child, Ben had been raised by his parents to rule with a firm but fair hand, and to do everything in his power to defend the people that he ruled over. The future ruler of Auradon had taken these lessons to heart, and had dedicated his life to protecting the peace in Auradon.
It was with this in mind that Ben had decided to extend an invitation to attend Auradon Prep and live in Auradon to the children of the four worst villains of all time. While most people would rather forget it, the fact of the matter was that the Isle of the Lost was in fact a part of the United States of Auradon, and the young then-prince had felt it his duty to give the children who were trapped there a chance at the life that they were entitled to as the future of the nation.
Ben had to admit, it had been close. The decree had almost backfired on him, but his bet had paid off. When Mal, Evie, Carlos, and Jay publicly chose goodness over evil, they had proven what he had set out to: that maybe, just maybe, there existed the potential for goodness inside of everyone.
He had been especially proud of his girlfriend. Out of all the children from the Isle of the Lost, it was Mal who had the potential to be the greatest threat to the peace and tranquility of Auradon. At the same time, however, Ben felt that she could also be its greatest champion. Not because the daughter of Maleficent was a powerful magical being (though that fact certainly didn't hurt), but because despite that her mother was the worst villain of all time, Mal had consciously chosen good. She wasn't like Audrey or the other princesses in Auradon, who hadn't chosen to be good so much as it was all they knew. Mal was raised by the worst villain of them all, in an environment that actively encouraged evil, and yet she had chosen good over all of that. It was the strength and willpower to forge her own path in spite of all that stood against her that Ben loved the most about Mal.
And now, as the strength and power of his ancestor, High King Bale, made its way through his body, Ben could feel that the Red Ancestral Knight would have approved of his decisions. He could feel the strengths and weaknesses of each of his teammates, and realized just how well the Mythicores had chosen their new bearers. Not only did they embody the ideals of their brave and noble ancestors, but they also fitted together perfectly like the pieces of a puzzle. He realized just how much of an honor it was to be the leader of such a great team, and it was at that moment that he swore to prove himself worthy of the position, just as all the Red Rangers who came before him had. With all the strength, confidence, and courage of a true leader, King Ben shouted:
"Griffin of Fire: Red Mythic Ranger!"
The sudden appearance of the five spandex-clad (Dr. K: THEY ARE NOT SPANDEX!) warriors had Maleficent's minions frozen in shock. Each of the five Rangers were garbed in spandex-like material in their corresponding color–red, blue, yellow, pink, and purple. Each of their elbow-length gloves and boots were in a darker shade of their Ranger color, and around their waists, they wore silver-colored belts with small, spherical crystals embedded in them. Over their shoulders, they each wore a short, white cape held in place by a medallion bearing a symbol that appeared to be a partially-eaten apple surrounded by a circle of flames. Each of their helmets looked slightly similar to those worn by medieval knights, only more colorful and in the shape of their corresponding mythical animals. Around their wrists, they wore their silver-colored Mythicores.
As the five Rangers stood side by side, ready to charge into battle, they were no longer just five warriors, but a single team of five warriors. It was five for one and one for five as they declared as one:
"Powers Descend, Rangers Defend! Power Rangers: Mythic Descendants!"
Their roll call was topped up with an explosion behind them, giving off smoke in each of their Ranger colors.
Oh, shit! Crocokiller swore worriedly in his head. It was bad enough when there were just two descendants of those damn knights around, but now all five?! Why did I have to open my big mouth and volunteer to be the first one to return?
"What are your orders, Boss?" One of the minions asked.
Crocokiller growled. "What do you think they are?!" He roared. "Attack!" The horde of minions complied as they charged at the five colorful superheroes.
"Let's show them what we're made of, guys!" Red Ranger said as he ran forward to meet the enemy halfway.
"Right!" The others four Rangers nodded as they followed their leader into battle.
Evidently, Crocokiller had called for reinforcements; there were now 40 minions to deal with instead of just ten. The five Rangers divided their adversaries evenly, each Ranger taking eight.
Purple Ranger made the first punch, striking the first minion to come into range in the chest. She was surprised when that one punch sent the minion tumbling back into the one behind him.
Wow! Mal thought in amazement as she leaped over the minion coming at her from 11 o'clock and sent a roundhouse kick straight into the side of his skull, sending another armored goblin to the ground. I guess these suits really do give us extra power. I've never been able to hit this hard before!
Bringing her focus back to the fight, Purple Ranger swiftly dodged to the side, easily avoiding the battle axe that a minion tried to bring down on her. It's not just my strength that's been enhanced, she realized. My speed, reaction time, reflexes…all of them are a lot better now!
"Nice toy," Purple Ranger said as she reached for her utility belt. "Now let me show you mine."
Going on the instinctive knowledge that came with her new powers, the Purple Ranger pressed her gloved hand against one of the crystal spheres on her belt. She channeled some magic into it and incanted: "Armiocomus!"
Both the crystal sphere on her belt and the one in her Mythicore began to glow purple in response to the incantation. Mal held out her hand, a three-foot purple baton (like the one cheerleaders use) with dragon heads on each end appearing in her grasp by magic. "Dragon Baton!"
"Staff Mode!" Purple Ranger declared as the mouths of both dragon heads opened up and a foot-long bar of purple energy extended from each of them. As three minions came at her from different directions, she ducked down and expertly spun the staff in her hands, easily disarming the three goblins and sending them flying.
Turning to her three remaining opponents, Mal held her staff out in front of her and grasped it with both hands. "Take this!" She shouted as she began to spin it at high speed, the two bars of purple energy making it appear like a giant purple disc. Channeling her magic into the staff, Purple Ranger called out, "Dragon Burst!"
The purple beams grew even brighter as a blast of violet energy in the shape of a dragon's head erupted from the staff and struck the three remaining minions, sending them flying into the side of the school.
"You know, a girl could get used to this whole 'superhero' thing," Mal said aloud to no one in particular as she deactivated her Dragon Baton's Staff Mode and casually twirled it in her fingers.
Lonnie easily leaped over the minion and landed perfectly behind him. "Hold still, you little brat!" The goblin growled as he turned around and swung his axe at the Yellow Ranger.
"Not a chance!" the daughter of Mulan replied as her lips curved into a confident smirk underneath her helmet. Bracing her hands on the ground, Yellow Ranger flipped and brought her foot down…hard…on the minion's wrist, forcing him to drop the axe.
"Hi-YA!" She cried as she whipped her other leg around and kicked the minion in the side of the head, sending him to the ground. Turning her attention to the two goblins charging towards her on either side, Yellow Ranger leaped into the air at the last second and left the two minions to crash their thick skulls into each other.
"Take this!" Yellow Ranger yelled as she tapped one of the crystals on her belt. "Armiocomus!"
She held out her hand as both the crystal sphere she had touched and the one in her Mythicore began to glow, causing a bright-yellow compound bow to appear in her grip. "Phoenix Bow!"
As Lonnie pulled back on the drawstring, an arrow construct made of bright-yellow energy appeared cocked and ready to fire. She released the string and sent the arrow flying straight into the chest of the minion immediately in front of her. The arrow exploded upon making contact, sending the now unconscious goblin falling to the ground and leaving the four remaining ones temporarily blind.
"Phoenix Sun Shower!" Yellow Ranger shouted as she drew back her drawstring and formed four arrow constructs at once. "Fire!"
She launched the four arrows, each of which honed in on one of the four remaining minions. As each arrow approached its target, it suddenly split into an entire volley of arrows, all of which struck the target and set off a rapid series of explosions, leaving them all unconscious.
"That…was…AWESOME!" Lonnie exclaimed as she jumped up and down in excitement. "Now I see why Mom wanted to join the Imperial Army so badly. Beating up bad guys rocks!"
The minion threw its massive fist forward, intending to finish this all in one blow. Triton simply raised his arms and caught the incoming fist by the wrist with his bare hands. Caught off guard, the goblin was unable to stop its forward momentum and flew over the Blue Ranger's head. Triton then tightened his grip on the minion's wrist and swung it around, tossing the giant armored foot soldier into two of its comrades.
"You want some more?" Blue Ranger said challengingly as he beckoned the five remaining minions to come at him.
Enraged, the minions fell for the taunt and charged straight at the blue-clad warrior. Triton smirked under his helmet as he leaped over the stampede at the last minute, leaving his adversaries to stumble and fall over their own giant feet.
"Idiots," Triton snorted as he put his hand to one of the blue crystals on his belt. "Armiocomus!"
Both the crystal on the Blue Ranger's belt and in the Blue Mythicore began to glow as he held out his hand and took hold of the blue, three-pronged trident that appeared before him. "Merman Trident!"
One of the minions laughed as it and its comrades got back on their feet. "A giant fork? That's the best you've got?"
"Yeah," another minion added. "What are you going to do, serve us some giant meatballs for dinner?"
"Oh, something is going to be served tonight," Triton growled, his voice suddenly turned cold as he pointed his trident at the minions. "Crushing Sea!"
The Merman Trident glowed with intense blue light as a tidal wave erupted from the Blue Ranger's feet and swept across the field in all directions. The minions' eyes widened as they were washed away by the tide.
"Never…diss…the trident!" Triton proclaimed, his voice drowning out the groans of the minions around him who were now sore all over their bodies.
Jane trembled slightly as the eight minions she had taken advanced towards her. "Don't be scared, little girl," one of the minions said mockingly. "This will only hurt…a lot! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"
"Yeah!" Another minion added dumbly, nodding vigorously. "A lot!"
The Pink Ranger gulped. "Oh yeah?" She said, putting as much confidence as she could into her voice. She reached down to her utility belt and touched one of the pink crystal spheres. "Armiocomus!"
The crystal on her belt glowed in conjunction with the one in her Mythicore. She raised her hands and grabbed her weapons as they began to materialize in pink light. "Prepare to feel the wrath of my…" Jane paused as she examined her new pink war fans in confusion. "Fairy…Fans?"
The horde of goblins roared in laughter. "Yeah, that's really scary," the first minion said sarcastically. "Ooooh…a pair of fans! We're quaking in our boots!"
"Yeah," the second minion added. "What're you going to do? Knock us down with a nice breeze?"
"You know what?" Jane said as an idea came to her head. "That's exactly what I'll do!"
Pink Ranger raised her Fairy Fans and furiously flapped them out in front of her. The minions' laughter only grew louder at the feeling of the light breeze brushing against them. That is, until they realized that the so-called "light breeze" was picking up very quickly…
"Sparkling Cyclone!" Jane roared as all eight minions were blown away at once by a cyclone that twinkled with pink sparkles.
After the winds had died down, Jane stared in amazement at the eight goblins she had defeated, who were now groaning and laying prone on the ground. "Wow…" was the only thing she could say. Finally looking away from the unconscious bodies, the Pink Ranger's eyes widened as she took in the amount of property damage she had wrought to the campus. Entire trees had been pulled out of the ground at their roots, while the grass and sidewalks had been completely torn apart as well.
Only one thought was going through the Pink Ranger's head at that moment. Mom is going to kill me! She thought in panic.
Ben was standing in the middle of the circle of minions who had surrounded him. "Looks like we've fit the jackpot, guys!" One of the minions shouted. "Once we destroy the King of Auradon, we'll be known as the greatest henchmen of all time!"
"YEAH!" The others cheered as they waved their battle axes through the air in agreement.
"You'll have to defeat me first, boys," Red Ranger said as he touched one of the crystal spheres on his belt. As the crystal on his belt glowed in resonance with the crystal in his Mythicore, the young king cried out, "Armiocomus!"
A ball of red light appeared in the air above Ben's head. Raising his arms, he reached into the orb and grabbed the weapon that laid within. He pulled his weapon out, revealing a beautiful, silver sword with a red bejeweled hilt that was shaped like the head and wings of a griffin.
"Griffin Sword!" Red Ranger declared as he held his sword out in front of him.
"It doesn't matter if you have one sword or 100," the first goblin said as it turned to its fellow henchmen. "Let's get him!"
"YAAAAH!" The minions roared as they raised their battle axes and ran towards the young king.
In response, Ben simply ducked at the last moment and let the minions' axes clash with one another. The goblins tried to pull their weapons back for another assault, only to find that they were all tangled together. Taking advantage of this, the Red Ranger slipped his blade into the cracks and, with superhuman strength, ripped the axes out of their owners' hands and threw them up into the air. Ben then leaped into the air and made a flurry of high-speed slashes through the axes like they were made of butter. The shredded remains of the weapons fell to the ground, landing at the feet of the jaw-dropped minions.
Ben wasn't done yet, however. As he reached the peak of his jump, the Red Ranger pointed his sword downward and channeled his power into the blade, causing it to glow with intense, fiery red light.
The minions stared upwards at the glowing sword as it and its wielder approached the ground. They all were all thinking the exact same thought. Oh, shit!
"Griffin…" Ben said as his feet landed on the ground and he plunged the blade of his sword into the earth. "…NOVA!"
An explosion of flames erupted from the ground and enveloped the eight minions who were congregated around the Red Ranger. The armored goblins screamed in pain before falling unconscious.
Ben pulled his sword out of the ground, causing the flames to recede. He was about to turn his attention to Crocokiller, but the mutant reptile beat him to it. Crocokiller slammed its body into the Red Ranger and threw him back several yards. The impact left him slightly dizzy, but other than that, Ben's suit absorbed most of the damage.
Crocokiller snorted. "Is that the best that Bale's descendant can do?" It asked tauntingly. "I remember your ancestor being far more difficult to defeat."
"And how would you know that?" Ben asked as he got back on his feet and stood up. "High King Bale lived 1,000 years ago, so you couldn't possibly have known him."
"I can when I'm the spirit of one of Malevolence's dark soldiers," Crocokiller replied. "That's right–inhabiting this body is the spirit of one of the many evil creatures that fought the Ancestral Knights 1,000 years ago."
Ben was shocked. "But how is that possible?" He asked. "I thought that the Ancestral Knights banished Malevolence and her evil forces to another dimension."
"And they did," Crocokiller growled in confirmation. "However, thanks to that 'Queen Grimhilde' lady and the summoning ritual she used, I have returned to this realm, and soon the rest of my brethren will join me."
"Not if I can help it," Red Ranger said as he raised his Griffin Sword.
Crocokiller chuckled as it got into a fighting stance, its clawed hands held out menacingly. "Just like Bale, you don't know when to give up, do you?"
"Guess it runs in the family," Ben said as he and Crocokiller charged towards one another.
Crocokiller threw his right hand in a downward strike, intending to slice the Red Ranger's head clean off, only for his claws to be parried by Ben's sword. Ben then brought his sword down across the mutant crocodile's chest, leaving only a small scratch on the scaly armor. Crocokiller slashed at the Red Ranger with his left hand, only for him to leap back a few feet and charge forward with another strike of his sword. Once again, Ben barely made a noticeable mark on the mutant reptile's scaly body.
"Let's see how you like this!" Crocokiller said as it raised its muzzle and gargled, accumulating a fair amount of saliva in it jaws. "Acid Spitball!"
The mutant reptile spit out the acid-green gunk in its mouth, aiming straight for Ben. The Red Ranger quickly ducked, just narrowly avoiding the projectile by a couple of inches. Hearing a hissing sound coming from behind him, Ben looked over his shoulder and saw the gunk eating away at the ground like corrosive acid.
Note to self: don't get hit by acid spit, Ben thought as Crocokiller prepared more corrosive spit in its mouth.
"Multiple Acid Spitball!" Crocokiller declared as it opened its jaws and fired a flurry of corrosive saliva bullets in random directions in front of itself. Ben leaped and swerved, trying desperately to avoid being turned into human Swiss cheese. He groaned in pain when one of the acid spitballs grazed his shoulder, taking a small slice of his suit with it.
"Ben!" The Red Ranger turned and saw his teammates running towards him, having defeated the groups of minions they had taken. Being the first to reach him, Mal helped her red-clad boyfriend to his feet.
"Are you alright?" She asked, concerned when she saw the smoking tear in Ben's suit from the acid spitball that had grazed him.
"I'm okay," he assured her. "Just got grazed by a spitball made of corrosive acid, nothing major."
"Oh, is that all?" Mal asked dryly. Ben chuckled as he remembered himself saying the exact same thing to her earlier in the infirmary.
"Well, now that we're here, we can take down this monster together," Jane said.
"Please!" Crocokiller laughed. "If the strongest of you couldn't defeat me, then what makes you think that the rest of you can?"
"Shows what you know, Crocokiller," Lonnie said as she, Triton, Jane, and Mal gathered around their leader in a supporting fashion. "Unlike you, who only has yourself, we have all five of us working together."
"That's right," Jane nodded. "This is the true power of the light–teamwork!"
Triton simply nodded in agreement, not having really anything to add.
"If the five of you are that eager to die, then I'd be more than happy to grant your wish," Crocokiller sneered as it prepared another ball of acid spit. "Acid Spitball!"
The mutant reptile fired the spitball at the Rangers, only for it to be blocked by a tidal wave that the Blue Ranger created with his Merman Trident. Taking advantage of the monster's momentary distraction, the Purple Ranger fired a Dragon Burst straight at Crocokiller's chest, sending the monster flying into the school wall behind it. The Yellow Ranger cocked several of her energy arrows and fired them at Crocokiller. Jane added the powerful gusts from her Fairy Fans to the arrows, increasing their speed even faster and striking Crocokiller dead center, before it was engulfed in a series of explosions.
"That gone him!" Jane said.
"I have to agree with you on that one," Triton nodded. "There's no way that Crocokiller could have survived that attack."
The five Rangers were shocked, however, when their enemy staggered out of the smoke, pieces of its cracked scaly armor falling from the plating. "Did you honestly think…" it growled. "…that a few puny attacks like those…would be enough to defeat me?"
"I can't believe this," Mal said in frustration. "What does it take to destroy this thing?"
Suddenly, the five Rangers' Mythicores began to glow. "What's happening?" Lonnie asked as the incantation for a new spell suddenly appeared in their minds.
"With your amazing display of teamwork, you have proven yourselves worthy of a new power," a sagely, female voice said, coming from the Mythicores themselves.
"Who are you?" Jane asked her Mythicore. "And what do you mean that we've 'proven ourselves worthy?'"
"You may call me Ancestria," the voice replied. "1,000 years ago, when the five Mythicores were created, the Ancestral Knights also created a personality within the Mythicores themselves–me. I am here to both guide and help the Knights' descendants on your journey to protect the world from the return of Malevolence. Whenever you prove yourselves worthy of your ancestors, I will grant you a new power to be used in the fight against evil, much as I am doing right now. Simply put your weapons together and cast the incantation that just came to your thoughts."
"Okay," Ben nodded as he and his fellow Rangers put their weapons together, like medieval Knights crossing their swords in their air. "You ready, team?"
"Ready," the others nodded.
"Armio combinus!" The five Power Rangers incanted as one. Immediately, their weapons and Mythicores began to glow with a bright, white light. Their weapons left their hands as they began to mold together, forming a whole new weapon in their place.
When the lights died down, in the Rangers' hands was a large crossbow made up of all five of their weapons. The bow, of course, was made from Lonnie's Phoenix Bow, which was connected to Triton's Merman Trident in a perpendicular angle near the fork of the trident. Jane's Fairy Fans were also attached to Triton's trident, on opposite sides of the lower end of the shaft. Ben and Mal's weapons formed the arrow–Ben's Griffin Sword was the upper-half of the arrow's shaft and the head, while Mal's Dragon Baton made up the lower half of the shaft.
"Mythic Crossbow!" The five Mythic Rangers declared as they aimed for the mutant reptile.
Crocokiller's eyes widened, recognizing the new weapon from the war 1,000 years ago. I've got to get out of the way! He thought, but his aching body refused to move.
"Powered by…"
"Wind!" Jane said as her Fairy Fans glowed pink.
"Sea!" Triton added as his Merman Trident glowed blue.
"Sun!" Lonnie declared as her Phoenix Bow glowed yellow.
"Magic!" Mal's Dragon Baton glowed purple.
"And Fire!" Ben concluded as his Griffin Sword glowed red.
"Powers of the Five, take flight!" They declared as one as the giant arrow launched from the crossbow and struck Crocokiller dead center.
"Noooooo!" Crocokiller wailed as it was engulfed in a massive explosion, destroying it completely.
"We did it!" The five Rangers cheered as they (yes, even Mal) gathered together in a big group hug, celebrating their first ever victory as Power Rangers.
"But you know…" Mal said after they broke up the hug. "I feel sort of bad for him."
"Crocokiller?" Ben asked, bewildered.
Mal shook her head. "No, I mean Tick-Tock," she corrected. "We just destroyed him along…with…Crocokiller…"
Ben noticed his girlfriend peering over his shoulder, looking at something behind him. He turned around and followed her gaze to the still-smoking crater where Crocokiller had been. He could make out an ominous silhouette, obscured by the smoke still emanating from the crater.
Before they could react, the shadow suddenly leaped out of the crater and tackled the screaming Mal to the ground. "How the hell is Crocokiller still alive?" Jane asked, no one noticing her vulgar language as they were too distracted by the mutant reptile's onslaught.
"Who cares?" Ben said as he raised his Griffin Sword. "Just get it off of Mal!"
"No…please…stop!"
"I don't think that she needs any help, Ben," Triton said with a smirk.
The Red Ranger shot Triton a glare so intense that the Blue Ranger could actually feel it, despite the fact that the glare was concealed by the red helmet. "Look, I get that you don't exactly like Mal," Ben said. "But at least respect the fact that she's your teammate!"
"I don't think that's what he means, Ben," Lonnie chuckled once she realized what was happening. "Just look."
Ben turned towards the reptile that was assaulting his girlfriend, and for the first time, he noticed that it wasn't the massive form of Crocokiller that was attacking her, but the smaller (but still pretty big) form of Tick-Tock. It was then that Ben realized that Mal's screams weren't of fear and agony, but rather of joy and laughter!
"Okay…I get it, Tick-Tock. I missed you, too," Mal laughed as she finally managed to pull herself out from underneath the giant crocodile's body. Kneeling next to Tick-Tock, she began to scratch the beast on a specific spot near its spine. To everyone's shock, Tick-Tock began to make a low, grumbling sound that almost sounded like it was…purring.
"Who's a good crocodile?" Mal asked in a baby voice. "Yes, you are! Yes, you are!"
Slightly weirded out by his girlfriend's behavior, Ben asked tentatively, "Uh, Mal? Why are you scratching Tick-Tock and making it purr and talking to it in a baby voice? Cause it almost looks like it's–"
"My pet?" Mal finished his sentence as she looked up at him. "That's because Tick-Tock here is my pet."
"YOUR PET?!" The other four Rangers exclaimed, jaws dropped in shock.
Mal nodded. "Tick-Tock here has been my pet since I was a little girl," she explained. "I wanted to bring him with me when I left the Isle of the Lost, but I didn't think that he would receive a warm welcome, so I had to leave him there."
"How did Tick-Tock survive, though?" Lonnie asked. "Didn't we just destroy it?"
"When we destroyed Crocokiller, Tick-Tock must have been freed from the evil spirit's possession and spared," Jane surmised.
"That…doesn't make any sense," Ben pointed out.
"It's magic," Jane responded. "It doesn't have to make sense."
No one could refute that argument. There was still one question, however…
"Can I keep him?" Mal asked.
Ben sighed. "It's not that simple," he replied. "There are several problems with you keeping Tick-Tock as a pet. For one, where the heck are we going to keep a 20-foot crocodile? How are we going to feed him? And besides, Auradon Prep has a strict no-pet policy."
"What about Dude?" Mal asked, referring to the campus mutt that was currently sleeping at the foot of Carlos de Vil's bed.
"Dude is different," Ben explained. "He belongs to the campus as a whole, while school rules forbid students from having personal pets."
"Power down!" Mal declared as she tapped her Mythicore and reverted back to her civilian form. Ben was confused by Mal's actions, and wondered what she was planning.
His confusion was resolved when he realized that Mal was giving him the dreaded puppy-dog pout. She had obviously demorphed so that she could use it to its fullest effect. "Please?" Mal said in a sweet, adorable voice that was totally out of character for her. "Can't the school make an exception for the king's girlfriend?"
Must resist cuteness! Must resist cuteness! Ben chanted in his head. Must not cave in! Must not cave in!
"Tick-Tock and I would be so sad if we had to be separated again," Mal pouted as she raised the giant crocodile's head. "Just look at him."
To Ben's utter amazement, it looked like Tick-Tock was actually using the puppy-dog pout, too! Unable to resist any longer, Ben finally caved in, "Fine. I'll talk to Fairy Godmother."
"Yay!" Mal cheered as she hugged her red-clad boyfriend. "You're the best, Benny-boo!"
"Okay, you seriously have to come up with your own nickname for me," Ben said in a serious voice. The others broke out in laughter at Ben's uncomfortableness.
~~~~Isle of the Lost~~~~
"Damn it!" Queen Grimhilde roared as she watched the scene play out in the Dragon's Eye. "Those five actually managed to stop our evil plan!"
"I can't believe that Auradon has its own Power Rangers now," Jafar commented. "It looks like we've got our work cut out for us."
"Not only that, but it looks like we've just made Mal's day!" Cruella sneered in disgust. "Not only were her and the other Power Rangers victorious, but now she's got her old pet back!"
"So?" Grimhilde asked as she shrugged. "Who cares if those two have been reunited?"
"Think, Grimhilde!" Cruella said. "We could have used Tick-Tock as leverage against Mal and blackmailed her into doing whatever we want."
"Cruella is right," Jafar agreed. "Mal would have done anything to ensure Tick-Tock's safety. After all, she's always had that weakness for those she feels close to. Her mother, Tick-Tock, her brother…"
"We are not to speak of that traitor…EVER!" Grimhilde snapped. "He's dead now, and good riddance, I say."
"Fine," Jafar held his hands up in a mollifying gesture. "It's not like he's any good to us dead. We should just focus on what we're going to do next."
"To Maleficent's spell book!" Grimhilde declared as the Evilest Three went for the ancient tomb, all thoughts of the son of Maleficent leaving their minds. Little did they know that something was stirring on the Isle of the Lost, something that would turn the tide of the war between good and evil…
~~~~The Island of the Damned~~~~
A 20-year-old young adult tumbled into the secret chamber located deep beneath the Island of the Damned. Ever since the night before, something had been calling out to him…a voice that he had never heard before, yet somehow sounded familiar…
"What's that?" The young man wondered aloud as he walked toward the light coming from something that was mounted on a pedestal in the middle of the chamber. He picked up the artifact that was emitting the light, which died down as soon as he touched it, and examined it. It was some kind of cuff bracelet made out of obsidian, with a black gemstone embedded into it.
Weighing his option, the young man shrugged and placed the bracelet around his wrist, not knowing that this one act would change his life forever…
What diabolical plan will the Evilest Three hatch next? What will become of Tick-Tock the Crocodile? Just who is the young man, and how does he play into all of this?
To Be Continued…
A/N: Cliffhanger! Hope you like this chapter. I plan to debut the Mythic Rangers' Zords next chapter. Thanks for all the reviews!