"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

(Takes place 60 years after "Mystic Fate II")

Theme 60: Album

Bly Residence, April 24, 2066, 3:00 pm – Briarwood, CA, USA

Rowan Bly slipped inside her grandparents' house, the screen door shutting softly behind her. Moving past the pantry, she stopped and stole a few of her grandmother's famous cookies, complete with cranberries. Placing one in her mouth, she snuck down the hallway towards the living room, sneakered feet not making a sound on the mahogany floors that her grandfather had painstakingly installed upon his construction of the place years before.

Just as she reached for the iron doorknob, a calloused hand stopped her. Looking up, she grimaced upon seeing the arched brow of her older brother, Cedric. Dark blue bangs on platinum blond hair dangled in front of his chocolate-brown eyes, curiosity shining in their depths.

"Row, what are you doing?" Cedric asked slowly, having a vague idea but wanting to get it confirmed first.

Rowan sniffed loudly knowing that at eight years of age she was too old to cry but, well, in this case, she knew it was validated. "I just miss them and thought that the Album'd make me feel better."

Cedric's gaze softened; damn it, his little sister had him wrapped around her fingers, and she bloody well knew it. Glancing around for their mother, whom they were sure didn't want them there they were relieved to see that she wasn't anywhere near them. Their father had left the small family ages ago. "Fine. Move quickly." Upon receiving a questioning look, he added, "I'm coming too. Now, move it!"

As the two kids slipped inside the room, they instantly spotted the Album, done in shades of green and pale pink, the two colors made to complement each other. Grinning at each other, they opened it and flipped through a few pages before finding an interesting item. They began chuckling at the photo, which was surrounded by the signatures of their family and friends. The year scrawled in their grandfather's chicken scratch was 2009. The photo showcased their grandparents throwing pies at each other at some kind of picnic, with Grandfather Xander's eyes glittering madly, as Cedric's so often did. Grandmother Vida's hair was tinted pink; a color which Rowan knew would look awesomeon Cedric. Of course, he had to ruin it and say no every time she asked.

As the siblings turned a few more pages they saw their grandparents again, though this time they were both smiling at the camera, showcasing their left hands, which now had rings on them. Instead of their grandfather's hard-to-read writing their grandmother's beautiful script-writing told the story behind the picture. The year was 2010 and their grandparents were dressed in rather fancy clothes (which both knew they detested with a passion), with Grandma in a long white dress with a pink sash and veil and Grandpa in a tuxedo with green trimmings. Surrounding them were Sasha, Garnet and Penn's grandparents: Grandpa Chip and Grandma Clare; on the other side were Maura, Skye, Felix and Tarne's grandparents: Grandpa Nick and Grandma Madison. Behind them stood a set of three people and a cat-creature, of whom they only recognized the powerful Sorcerer Daggeron. Also present in the photograph was a beautiful brunette, her arm hooked around a frizzy-haired man's arm along with a girl with long, platinum hair se eyes glinted happily and a Troblin, his toothy grin showing his excitement. His arm was wrapped around the platinum blond. There were no names for the mysterious people pictured, but that only made Cedric and Rowan more curious.

As the two continued to travel forwards through the album they saw various snapshots of their grandparents' lives, including snapshots of their grandparents' first real house, a small brick building with columns on the outside (Cedric identified them as Ionian and at Rowan's look responded that Sasha's father the architect had taught her and she him), small flower gardens surrounding it. Next, they saw their own house (well, their mom's house, they supposed), built next door to their grandparents' house, which had had an addition built onto it. In addition, a wider range of flowers had appeared as well as a koi pond and landscaping that made it more natural-looking. Sasha's father had always cited that Grandpa Xander had had a strong fascination with harmonizing buildings with nature, which in turn had led to the construction of the addition and their mother's house, the one which the two Blys were in now.

They also saw shots of an older Rock Porium, complete with Grandma Vida's turntables, which now sat in their uncle's living room, as he'd inherited his mother's love for the art. Rowan herself loved to do nothing more than sit with her uncle and listen to her grandmother's music, amazed that even as she grew older her energy and passion for music still thrived. In comparison were photos of the new Rock Porium, which was much larger than its predecessor. It even had a bigger music station, now manned by their elf friend Drek.

Next, they saw photos of their Uncle Orion's birth, his full name – Orion Royce Bly – written down in grandpa's chicken scratch with what appeared to be a wet area smearing the date of birth. Squinting, Rowan read the date out loud: August 13, 2016.

"He looks so small," Rowan whispered not able to reconcile the image of their six foot four-inch tall uncle with that of the too-small appearing child in her grandmother's arms.

"According to mum, Uncle Orion was premature," Cedric responded looking closer. Narrowing his eyes, he gently ran his finger over the photo nodding at what he found. At Rowan's look he added, "I'm sensing that the reason was that his magic hadn't fully developed yet." Like the rest of their family, Cedric and Rowan had been blessed with magical powers, though only Cedric had managed to tap into his so far, and even that was only to the extent of being able to read people's auras through photographs.

"Oh," Rowan responded understanding. Penn Thorn had been that way at birth as well, but now he was a healthy five-year old who loved to play pranks and run around in a red cape.

"What's next?" Cedric asked and the next photo was a healthier-looking Orion next to his parents, grinning toothily as his little sister was placed into his arms. The name scrawled next to the photo was "Noel Claire Bly, born December 25, 2020".

"That's mom!" Rowan breathed tracing a finger over the childhood image of their beautiful, stately mother. Cedric merely nodded in agreement.

The hours flew by as the two kids flipped through the entire Album, laughing over some of the photos, learning the names of new people ("Oh, so those other people in the wedding picture were Lienbow, Udonna, Jenji, Leelee, Phineas, Nikki and Toby... right?") and seeing various subscripts on the bottom of the pages, each having no clue what they meant but finding them cool.

Soon enough, the sun was beginning to set when the two heard the doorknob turn. Glancing at each other, panicked, they snapped the Album shut and placed it back on the coffee table.

"What are you two doing in here?" came a voice and both of them looked up, grins lighting their faces.

"You're back!" Rowan exclaimed plowing into her grandfather, her blue eyes lighting up. Smirking, Xander Bly leaned down and patted her head, messing up her hair in the process.

"'Course we're back. I told you that we'd be back soon," he replied eyes twinkling. Next to him, Vida Bly rolled her eyes before arching an eyebrow at Cedric, who returned the favor. Xander shook his head, amazed at how alike the two were; it was quite scary at times, now that he thought about it.

"Your mom's looking for you," Vida mentioned leaning against the doorway. Her gray eyes regarded two of her grandchildren, and as they ran past her she patted them on the head as well, offering them her genuine smile, something few people had seen.

A few minutes passed before the two entered the room themselves, shutting the door behind them. Sitting down on the sofa, Vida curled up underneath Xander's arm, content for the first time in a month.

"I am so glad that we're home," she said softly eyes fluttering closed. Xander nodded in agreement his own eyes beginning to shut. Then, he saw that the Album had been disturbed.

"V, I think I know why they were in here," Xander said catching his wife's attention immediately. Leaning forward, the Australian grasped the tome and set it on his lap, running a hand over the cover. He smirked.

"They were definitely in here to look at the Album," he whispered piquing Vida's curiosity.

"What did they see?" She and Xander, as had their friends, old and new, kept the fact that they were Power Rangers secret from their children and grandchildren, hating to do it but knowing that it was necessary to protect them.

"Just the basic stuff," Xander replied opening the Album. He grinned when he saw and felt the comments that Cedric and Rowan had left behind. "They liked what they saw, V."

Vida flicked a strand of her now permanent green and pink tinted hair out of her eyes. "Of course they did. What's not to love?"

"Oh I don't know V. There's that rather embarrassing picture of you with totally green hair and covered in pink slime," Xander responded eyes glinting. He cringed when Vida smacked him; spirits, she could still hit hard!

"I think that they were rather embarrassed to see the picture of you in that pretty blue number," Vida shot back a smirk creeping onto her face. She loved the flash of red that flew across her husband's face at the mention of the bet that he'd lost spectacularly when Chip had proposed to Clare before Xander himself had built up the nerve to do the same to Vida.

"Luckily, they didn't see that or their poor virgin minds would be scarred forever," Xander commented chuckling at his own words. Vida rolled her eyes before moving closer to her husband.

"Do you ever think of what our lives would've been like if not for our being Power Rangers?" Vida asked a few moments later. In response, Xander shook his head.

"No can do, love. I can't imagine my life without you and, as living proof of all we've gone through, we have the Album."

"That's sweet... have you been taking lessons from Chip?" A laughing Vida was abruptly shut up by Xander's kiss, to which she melted into, as she had every time since their marriage all those years ago. As the two remained occupied with their present, the Album sat on the coffee table, a hint of magic running over its surface. Though it would never tell, the secrets that it held and the things that it saw would be engrained forever into this earth, and when later generations would find it the book would only reveal what it knew to those who were worthy.

"Love you, V." A kiss.

"I suppose I love you too." A chuckle then another kiss.

The Album twinkled once before returning to its inanimate state to await its next visitor with whom it would share the tale of two lovers brought together by extraordinary circumstances who saved the world and themselves, who helped to mold the world into what it was today despite having what one onlooker would describe as a "puzzling romance". Nevertheless, the Album continued to watch as the lovers reaffirmed their feelings, and if possible it would have smiled. The world was right once again.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

A/N: I can't believe that I've reached the end of this challenge. It's taken me more than a few years, but I am just proud of myself for finishing. As a writer, I've grown immensely and as a lover of Mystic Force I've become even more of an addict. Xander and Vida have both grown on me so much, and I had such a great time exploring their relationship as lovers, friends, Rangers, husband/wife and just plain, ordinary people given a great responsibility and destiny to fulfill. I hope that you enjoyed them as well.

To all of my reviewers, thank you so much for your constant support and understanding between long updates and for the encouragement you gave me. You served as outright encouragement to continue with this and finish it.

Love, MagCat