A/N: WhAt An UpDaTe? It's been what almost a year?! Well now we're back! Thanks to everyone, old readers and new, who have dmed me to continue this story. Ngl I started this when I was in hs and looking back the writing is absolutely atrocious. But thanks you guys, new chapters coming!
Chapter 24: The Snow Prince
-Reefside-
-Cyber Café-
With the rest of her friends busy teaching Aria decided to pay a visit to the Cyber Café, aka home to the Dino Thunder rangers. Her old band, Black Magic, took over Kira's role for entertainment as she was now working to become a recording artist. She sat there watching her old friends play a chill set as to not disturb the customers.
"Want a refill?" a voice behind her asked
Aria turned and came face to face with her old friend Trent Mercer. His jet-black hair had grown out and was tied in a man-bun on the back of his head, but his bright smile and light eyes remained the same.
She got to her feet and hugged the former white ranger "Trent what are you doing here?" she smiled "Last I heard you were studying in New York."
The two broke apart and sat at her table "I'm just here visiting; thought I'd help Hayley out for a little. Could ask you the same question. Heard from Tommy that you were living in Briarwood." He raised an eyebrow, a silent confirmation that he knew that she was the latest black ranger.
"Oh yeah," she chuckled "Well, just wanted to be home for a while ya know? How's Kira? And the guys?"
His smile widened "Busy. Kira's been writing music, Conner's been coaching, and Ethan…well I don't really know. He said it's classified…"
'Interesting…' she thought
However, before she could ask any more questions Aria's morpher rang.
"What's up?" she asked. Beside her Trent grinned, memories coming back from his white ranger days
"Daggeron needs you back here" Nick sighed "Training"
Aria sighed "On my way" Normally she loved training but Daggeron's style of teaching was very rigid. At the Academy she was taught that the teachers were there to give her the tools she needed, and it was her job to use them and apply them in a match. With Daggeron everything had to be his way.
She looked up apologetically at her old friend who in turn rolled his eyes and nodded his head towards the door.
"On the house" he grinned
With a smile and a quick hug Aria rushed out the door. Once she was in the clear Aria streaked to Rootcore.
-Briarwood-
-Woods-
Aria changed into her training gear and cautiously trekked through the mystical woods. If Daggeron had specifically asked for her and Nick then today was going to be rough – no magic, just fists.
Suddenly she heard a rustling of the trees she turned and found Nick and Daggeron sparring. She flipped into action and backed up her brother. Daggeron was unphased by the added opponent. The twins rained down on their teacher and when his guard was down Nick ducked low to weaken his balance while Aria went high and used his weight against him. He fell to his knees as they backed up, their chests rising and falling in sync.
"That's not how I taught you." Daggeron sighed as he easily got back to his feet. "You'll do best to follow the standard technique"
Aria rolled her eyes as Nick spoke up "Come on, Daggeron. Loosen up."
"With Terrors attacking there is no time for your antics" he replied sternly
"Look, all we do is train" Nick sighed
"Everybody's got to let off some steam sometime" Aria added. Her own anxiety about the future did not fade when she moved home. She knew her friends – and especially her brothers – would notice something was up with solely based off her fighting style. She was never a super aggressive fighter, but a smart one. But with her anxiety at an all time high she just needed to hit something.
"But I am your teacher." He argued
"Daggeron, listen," she sighed "I think I speak for both of us when I say that you have taught us so much. But we have our own way of doing things." 'I grew up in a fucking ninja academy for God's sake…' she couldn't help but think to herself.
Nick backed her up "Sometimes you just have to follow your gut."
Daggeron looked almost disappointed as the twins began to walk off when suddenly a blue magic seal appeared behind the three of them and sucked them into an unknown dimension.
-Realm of the Snow Prince-
They ended up in new realm covered in snow but somehow it was fairly warm. There was snow coming up to their waists, but it wasn't cold or uncomfortable. Daggeron seemed to know where they were though.
"Where are we?" Nick asked
"The realm of the Snow Prince" The Knight smiled to himself "He is mentor to the original mystic warriors, including your father."
The twins who were taking in the new realm looked to Daggeron. In all honesty the two were so preoccupied with the Terrors attacking Briarwood that their father was far from their mind. However, Daggeron took this moment and crushed it under his boot when he said, "I fear he's been watching you train."
Before Aria or Nick respond the Snow Prince appeared before them. Daggeron nudged Nick and motioned for them to kneel before him. The Snow Prince looked like nothing the twins have seen before. His skin and armor were different shades of a silvery blue and the crown resembled an intricate snowflake.
"Great teacher, it is an honor." Daggeron greeted
"Welcome Daggeron." He said with open arms "And you the mystic rangers Baya and Bowen?"
"Aria" "Nick" they corrected, still not used to their given names.
"It has come to my attention," the Snow Prince began, pacing in front of the kneeling trio "that one of you have strayed off the path of knowledge."
"Don't be hard on them, teacher" Daggeron answered without missing a beat. "Both are very bright, but sometimes a little headstrong." At those words the twins looked at each other, he was calling them headstrong?
"No, Daggeron, it is you who needs to learn a lesson."
Nick and Aria were beaming at the fact that after he threw them under the bus he was now getting called out. "It is my bidding that for this day, you will become a student again. And you two, Bowen and Baya-"
"Nick" "Aria"
"Will be the teachers."
With that they got back to their feet and sent back to their own realm. Daggeron looking reluctant and frustrated while Nick and Aria were teetering with excitement.
-Briarwood-
-Woods-
Back home the twins couldn't hold it in any longer and began laughing at their teacher, or rather…student.
"This isn't funny." Daggeron scolded, clearly embarrassed "Stop laughing."
The two were leaning on each other, stumbling forward, unable to stand up from laughing so hard.
"Now, now. Don't talk back to the teachers" Nick said mockingly continuing through the woods
"Come on, class is in session" Aria followed
-Later-
"Okay," Nick began "Time for your riding lesson"
"I have a magic carpet" Daggeron grumbled "I don't need to learn a Mystic Racer."
"That's not what we had in mind" he nodded his head in front of him and Daggeron's eyes landed on Nick's pride and joy, his sleek black motorcycle.
"You're not getting me on that old thing." Daggeron argued.
Aria nudged him with her elbow "Come on Daggeron…it'll be fun"
"If you can ride a magic carpet, you can handle this" Nick said rather cautiously, not really keen on letting someone – especially someone as inexperienced as the Solaris Knight – ride his bike.
With a sigh Daggeron put on the helmet and took off. He hit the brakes every three seconds and was very wobbly on the bike leaving the twins beside themselves with laughter.
Eventually Daggeron had gone to far to watch anymore so they waited for his return. Soon, they saw a dejected looking Daggeron hike up the road pushing Nick's – once pristine bike – now covered with dirt and branches and leaves poking out from under it. Daggeron didn't look any better.
"What happened?" Aria asked
"I met the wrong end of a stickle berry bush." He said through gritted teeth
The two were struggling to contain their laughter.
"I don't see the point in this lesson at all." Daggeron's temper rising
Before either could come up with an answer their morphers rang. A new Terror, Megahorn was terrorizing the city.
-The City-
They wasted no time in meeting up with the other rangers and leapt into battle. Using their Legendary Titan forms the core five assembled into the Manticore Megazord. Aria grew to her own Titan form and flew over the friends to provide morecover and backup along with Daggeron's Solar Streak Megazord.
"I couldn't make a dent in that armor of his last time." Daggeron warned
"Daggeron couldn't beat him?!" Xander repeated in shock
Vida added to Xander's worry "Then what are we supposed to do?"
"I'll tell you what we do" Aria clenched her fists as she hovered over her friends "We fight!"
"He's too strong. We need a plan" Daggeron argued
"Here's a plan. Nick called "Legend Striker Spin Attack!" Aria added her own magic in the attack in hopes to weaken his armor but Megahorn just laughed it off. "That actually tickled" he cackled.
"No way!"
Megahorn took flight and fired a blast into the megazord's chest knocking the rangers out of their Titan form and onto the ground below. Aria gasped at her fallen friends as Daggeron called out for them. The Terror took advantage of the distraction and cackled as he flew off into a cloud of smoke.
But Nick wasn't done. He stood and with a new burst of energy he challenged him, "I say we fight, dragon to dragon!" he declared. The others followed him and stood by their leader, wincing behind their helmets.
"MYSTIC TITANS DRAGON FORMATION!"
"Galwit Mysto Prifior!"
One again turning into their Titan forms they came together and formed the Mystic Dragon. Sensing them approaching Megahorn turned around and fired again. Nick mirrored his attack and sent his own blast back. Aria backed her brother up, soaring next to her team and firing her own black magic. Smoke and sparks blurring their vision. The two sides flew right past each other. From a distance away Daggeron watched the rangers just dive in the fight, something that he was not a fan of.
"Nick! Aria!" he called. "Don't rush in!" he scolded
But they were in the heat of battle Megahorn and the twins were exchanging blows by the second which eventually caused them to be knocked to the ground as Megahorn cackled from above.
"I'll get you!" Nick called out as the dragon flew away.
"Stop this!" Daggeron scolded "You'll use up all of your power."
"He's got to have a weak spot" Aria gritted as Nick summoned his sword and jumped into battle again. He leapt into the air and planted a solid kick into the side of Megahorn's neck. The Terror cried out in pain and fell from the sky. "Want some more?" the dragon challenged and fired directly into Nick's chest.
This time Nick was sent back to the ground as a civilian.
"Nick!" Aria called for her brother. Daggeron de-morphed to help him but she couldn't leave the others behind. She styed and fought along side them as much as she could – bobbing and weaving his attacks – but it was too much. Soon the remaining rangers were shot out the air as well and Nick and Daggeron rushed to their aid.
They struggled to their feet as Megahorn approached menacingly, "You are no match for me." At his words Aria stood on shaky legs. The others too weak to hold themselves up. She stood beside her brother and her teacher as he got closer. "Time to perish…this will be easy."
To their surprise however, Megahorn was shot in the back. The three standing turned their heads to find the Snow Prince. "I think not" he said coolly.
"It's the Snow Prince" Nick explained to the fallen rangers. Chip's eyes widened in awe "Isn't he the main guru of all the Mystics?"
"I dunno, but I'm glad he's on our side" Vida sighed
"I see I must take matters into my own hands" the Prince merely glanced over his shoulder to Solaris "Daggeron, you disappoint me."
Aria, stuck between the two, looked awkwardly between Nick and Daggeron. 'Did I miss something?' she thought as her friends finally managed to get to their feet.
"Get away from them, wretched beast." The Prince commanded Megahorn.
"Says who?" he challenged
"The Ancient Mystic from the Icy North. I am the royal Snow Prince!"
"Don't make me laugh. I'll destroy you!"
The seven of them just watched intently as the Snow Prince easily took on the Terror. They dance around each other, at one point it seemed like the Prince would come out victorious, but Megahorn was a tough opponent. Slowly the Prince's attacks weren't landing as often and soon Megahorn tossed him aside like a doll.
He stood and declared that the battle would finish on his own battlefield. He cast a spell seal and sent Megahorn to his own dimension. His voice soon rang out to the rangers "Rangers, I may need your help." He sounded stronger already. "Will fight alongside me?"
"Of course, we will" Aria spoke for the team and they ran to meet him, but before Daggeron could follow the Prince held up a hand. "Not you, Daggeron."
"But – "
"No, you haven't learned anything have you?"
The twins looked at each other before glancing at Daggeron. The Solaris Knight looked both confused and frustrated. The Snow Prince looked to Nick and Aria and told them to hurry. With one last look at Daggeron the Twins followed the others through the seal.
-Snow Prince Dimension-
In this new dimension they were already morphed, the Five activated their Legendary Warriors Mode.
Despite the new surroundings Megahorn was as cocky as ever, "I'll bring you down in any dimension!" he declared
"Rangers, we need to combine all of our magic!" the Prince instructed.
"You got it!" Nick said as he and the Five readied themselves.
"MYSTIC LION STAFF, CODE TWO!"
Aria turned her focus to her own power, conjuring her black magic to emerge and help her friends.
"MYSTIC FORCE FURY!"
The combination of magic between the seven Mystics did nothing but blow Megahorn back a few feet. "Was that supposed to hurt me?"
"Our combined powers didn't work!" Maddie gasped even the Snow Prince was shocked.
"This place is boring." Megahorn bellowed "I'm getting out of here!" and with that he struck his sword into the ground causing the Prince's dimension to shatter around them.
-Briarwood-
-Quarry-
They returned from the alternate dimension and were dropped in the middle of nowhere, Megahorn stalking towards them. "Face it rangers, the reign of the Terrors is at hand. Time to be rid of you!" He swung his sword, shooting bolts of green lightning towards them. The rangers and the Prince were blown back.
"Ok the bad guys really to stop stealing my schtick…" Aria grumbled
"I'm the one in yellow!" Chip reminded
"Yes! The Mystic Force is defeated!"
"We must keep fighting!" The Prince urged getting to his feet, but the rangers were weakened from the long battle. "Be brave rangers"
Suddenly from behind them something shot at the dragon. Daggeron came into view, unmorphed, standing on his magic carpet. He flipped to the ground before his friends. At this point Nick and Aria had gotten to their feet and were helping their friends up as well.
"Not quite, vile creature" Daggeron said with a hard gaze.
"I told you to stay out of this" The Prince marched up to him and stared him down. Well, he tried to since he was a head shorter than him. "You dare disobey an order from me, an Ancient Mystic?"
"Yes, I do" Aria had to hold back from laughing, she was impressed that he was challenging his own teacher. "Sometimes you just have to follow your gut" He looked at the twins "I learned that from you two."
"Now I remember why I retired" the Prince sighed "Some students are just slower to learn than others."
"I now see the wisdom in your methods, Teacher" Daggeron bowed his head "Forgive me."
As touching as that moment was Megahorn ruined it with his growling and thrashing.
"You can always count on the monsters to ruin a nice moment" Aria sighed
"Go teach him a lesson" the Prince encouraged his student.
With a nod of his head he marched forth, morphing as he did so, and began to battle the dragon one on one. Aria could tell he was fighting differently. He wasn't thinking as much. He tried to run up the wall of the quarry but Megahorn easily knocked him from the air. The rangers moved to stand by the Prince and watch Solaris fight. Aria was trying to remember anything that stuck out from their previous battles. The battle raged on; they were evenly matched. Daggeron had even transformed into his Ancient Mystic mode but Megahorn was still standing.
However, one of Daggeron's attacks landing on his neck, the same place Nick had kicked earlier. Come to think of it, Megahorn hasn't really flown since Nick kicked his neck. That's it.
It seemed to have click for Daggeron as well as he rushed towards the dragon with a new burst of energy.
The Snow Prince, pleased with how far his student has come, announced his departure. He wished them good luck and with a snap of his blue fingers, he was gone.
Again, they watched the battle. Daggeron picked up his fallen sword, leapt behind Megahorn, and repeatedly struck his back and neck causing him to fall.
The rangers ran towards their mentor cheering for his victory. He looked down at the red and black rangers, "Guess this teacher still has a lot to learn. Thanks, you two…"
They nodded in response as Megahorn roared again. He had grown Titan sized again "Time to crash this party!"
"If that's how you want it!" Nick fired back
Aria backed him up "Come on!"
Daggeron called on his Solar Streak Megazord, Aria grew into her Mystic Reaper, as the others used their Manticore Megazord once again. The three of them were ready to battle when the clouds grew dark and thunder rumbled.
"That wouldn't be you would it?" Vida asked
"I wish it was…" Aria replied, fists clenched around her staff.
From the dark clouds came another Terror, Black Lance "How about a little help?" he bellowed
"What are you doing here? I had them!" Megahorn protested.
The rangers were shocked, their energy was low. They were barely making it with one Terror, now to add another? This was going to be tough.
"Two Terrors are better than one" Black Lance argued, his gaze still fixed on the rangers.
"Very well...Let's get em!"
The rangers were tired, but they pushed forward. Megahorn fired at Daggeron causing his Megazord to smoke and spark. Inside was worse, Daggeron was rocked back and forth in the cockpit causing him to lose control.
Black Lance called forth his chariot and charged for the others. "Look out!" Aria cried as she released her wings to get out of dodge. The others were too slow, however. They took the full blow of his attack. "GUYS!"
"No one can beat the strength of my mighty chariot" he boasted. Aria returned to the ground and fired a combination of her dark powers and lightning, but it barely grazed him. He charged again, this time Aria wasn't able to dodge and received the same blow as her friends. "RIA!" she heard Nick call.
"He's too fast!" Chip cried; they were still unable to get up.
"He's coming again!" Nick warned "Everybody hold on!"
BlackLance soared into the sky, his blade ready to strike through the center of the Manticore Megazord when a blur of black and purple knocked him off his course. The fallen rangers gasped wondering who could've saved them.
"Look!" pointed Aria. Over in the distance a familiar centaur stood.
"Koragg!" Nick called. "He's still alive, Udonna was right."
"I wear the armor of Koragg," it was Leanbow's voice, not the deep distorted voice of Koragg "but my heart is of Leanbow." And with that Leanbow leapt into the air, only to be met with Black Lance. The two battling in the skies before returning to the ground. It was incredible, the two were side by side until Leanbow detached himself from Catastros and hopped onto the back of Lance's chariot. He swung down his sword and cut one of the wheels off causing it to spin out and ultimately destroyed.
"UTHE MEJOR CATASTROS! SUMBOL UNITHOS EQUESTRAS!" Leanbow cast as he formed the Centaurus Wolf Megazord. Lance was struggling to stand when Leanbow held out his sword. "Behold the power of good magic. Mystic Spell Seal!"
The rangers watched his anticipation. It took them almost all day to weaken Megahorn and here Leanbow was taking out a Terror on his own in a matter of minutes. But when hey saw that Leanbow wasn't leaving the Seal, they knew what was about to happen. They got their feet and raced towards him.
"Carry on the fight, rangers. I'm proud of you."
"Wait!" Nick and Aria called out to their father. 'Not again…' she thought as she reached out for him.
But it was too late. "Uthe Sastos!" he called as he and the Terror were consumed in a brilliant purple light and disappeared. The two zords ran to where he once stood, and Aria's Reaper form collapsed to her knees; once again her father was lost. Inside the Manticore Megazord Nick wasn't faring much better. His head was bowed, and he held a hand to his may not have had the best reaction to finding out his birth father was Koragg but the constant game of having his father and then losing him was just emotionally and mentally draining. Maddie watched helplessly unable to help her friend and leader. The other rangers didn't know what to do, they couldn't even fathom what the twins were going through right now.
However, this was going to have to wait as Daggeron's cries were heard. The six of them turned their attention to their mentor who was locked in with Megahorn "Rangers!" he called, Aria got back to her feet, she had a job to do, "His weak spot! Give it all you got!"
The six rangers summoned the last bit of magic energy they had and aimed at the back of the dragon's neck.
Aria summoned her dark powers once again as the others called their Spin Attack. Together they fired and hit Megahorn dead on. He cried in pain and released Daggeron, arms flailing from the pain of the rangers' power. Daggeron finished the job with his Furnace Blast and finally another Terror was gone.
Four down…six to go…
-Later-
-Briarwood-
On an empty road in Briarwood Nick was having a little trouble with the magic carpet as Daggeron easily rode on Nick's bike behind him. Aria had been offered a try earlier but quickly declined. "I can fly as my Titan form, I can fly my Scarabzord, but you will never catch me on that thing" she argued. She opted to ninja streak alongside them.
"Ok this is a little harder than I thought…I could use a lesson or two" Nick strained. He look tense and uncomfortable on the unfamiliar carpet.
"Alright, first lesson," Daggeron said with a smirk "balance…" with a flick of his wrist the carpet took off faster, taking a pleading Nick with it. Daggeron laughed playfully at his student. Aria glanced at her teacher and with a smirk she said, "You learned how to ride a motorcycle, maybe I should try to teach you how to Ninja Streak." Daggeron's smile fell, he didn't mind fast, but Streaking was something else. Aria laughed and chased after her brother hoping to try and help him out. Daggeron watched, a small smile forming. The two were close as friends before there was no question. But now it was clear their bond was growing stronger – they were becoming more like siblings. He had complete and utter faith that those two would be able to save them all.
A/N: New chapters coming soon! We're almost done with MF! REVIEW AND FOLLOW!