(As you guys already know, we drag to get episodes out which is also due to working on our own animation show.
(If you guys could spread the word about this story will gladly publish it more often and frequently.)
Escaping Reality Part 2/2
The town of Crystal river glowed with firey orange heat. The molten corporeal faceless charged the town sending clouds of ash and sulfur into the air. To think that the incident at the mountain was the last the town had hoped to hear of these mana-crafted invaders, yet here they were. Citizens ran in fright in order to escape the suffocating fumes.
A crystalline archway of ice appeared chilling the air and from the frosty portal, the young arctic ancients spilled onto the paved roads.
"We have got to get better at that," Brandon chaffed as he dusted the light snow off his shoulders.
The faceless took note of their enemies, and a nonhuman growl emerged from the base of their throats.
"There's too many of them for us to charge right in, if you want my guess on an approach I say we split up and try to take some of them down by ourselves," Ava suggested.
"That could work...ooooooooor I could try out this new duplication spell. We outnumber them, and be home in no time?" Genesis offered.
"Let's try and thin them out, I don't really trust any of those new spells," Vivian added.
"Don't knock it til you try it," Genesis smiled as she charged, the others weren't far behind her.
The faceless spat globs of magma which exploded around the teens. They scattered each drawing a number of faceless after them.
Brandon threw a hard right aimed at the abdomen of a faceless. He drew his hand back which was steaming the skin around his knuckles red and tender to the touch. Brandon cursed to himself, he forgot one of the first lessons the snow prince taught them; a magical coating in order to protect themselves from being burned.
"Careful when touching them, they're still really hot!" He called.
"Not a problem for me!" Heath responded, he swiped his spell code and his On-teec Uda spell engaged. With the added boom in his voice, the lava which comprised the faceless around him, cooled enough for him to strike.
Ava likewise had no trouble dealing with damage as her skin quickly recovered from whatever burns she suffered.
The heat of the monsters had no effect on Vivian even without the magic coat she felt no damage.
Genesis felt like an evil sorcerer, each enemy was a potential victim for a new spell. The first one she tried went off without a hitch, the faceless shrank and contorted until it was absolutely no more. The second one sent another flying high into the sky. The power was absolutely in her hands.
With the numbers thinning the five teens regrouped ready to deal a finishing blow. Vivian clutched her head sensing something more.
"Wait, it's not over yet."
The remaining faceless grouped together, their bodies breaking down and becoming interwoven. A monstrous being appeared before the rangers resembling a massive koi that oozed droplets of magma.
"We should morph, like Now," Vivan said.
"Arctic Ancients, Guardians Awaken!" The rangers each stand on a field of ice with a blizzard surrounding them. With an ice pick in hand, they smash the ground causing a fissure to spread which gave rise to a block of ice containing their ranger suits. With a second arching swing, the rangers shatter the ice block and the freed fragments fly toward them knitting the suit on their bodies like falling snow. To complete the sequence, the rangers each look over their shoulders, and with a sudden flash of magic, their helmets are dawned.
The Koi monster roared and spewed a great rush of magma.
"I got this!" Genesis bellowed whipping out her Morpher, "Protectia Glacisa!"
A thin wall of ice erupted before the rangers and collided with the coming flow of lava. Genesis smirked under her helmet overjoyed that another one of her spells worked.
Heath and Brandon darted to the left and right of the monster. With their fists curled they both punched with all their might. The Koi beast rebounded backward and thrust its hands forward sending two burning pearls at the blue and black rangers. Ava was next to move in followed by Genesis who flew overhead.
The pink ancient aimed low with a well-placed kick targeting the abdomen, while Genesis flew in with a drop kick from above. Both blows glanced harmlessly off the monster's scaly skin as the fish beast gripped both Yellow and Pink rangers and slammed them hard on the ground.
"Its scales must be like armor," Vivian deduced, her sword falling into her hand as gently as a snowflake. A bony protrusion sprouted from along the Koi's arm, it dared the red ranger to come. From overhead, three shadows passed, and descending from the skies were the Red, Blue, and Pink mystic rangers.
Vivan rushed forward using her enhanced speed, the edge of her saber clashing with the Koi's bony arm. The two went back and forth thrusting, parrying and dodging. It took everything Vivian had to stay focused.
"There they are!" Madison exclaimed having dismounted her mystic racer.
"Wait Maddie," Vida said taking hold of her sister's arm.
Vivian once more dashed forward with a series of quick thrusts targeting the joints of the monster each of which was blocked in turn. As the fight dragged on Vivian felt seasick, the queasiness in her stomach rose to a fever pitch. Her muscles and limbs felt heavy as if 400lb weights were bound to her arms. The movements of the red ancient slowed as her head spun and her vision blurred.
Madison winced under her helmet.
"Vivian!" Brandon yelled.
"Viv!" Genesis called out after.
The webbed hand of the Koi monster ignited as it swiped Vivian across the face, knocking her to the ground. To further relish in its gain, it proceeded to step repeatedly on the red ancient.
"Hey! GET YOUR FOOT OFF OF HER!" Vida exploded drawing her magi staff. A torrent of wind as powerful as a cyclone sent the Koi monster careening into a building. The tip of Vida's wand still glowed with power as she stood ready to devastate the creature again with gale-force winds.
The arctic team surrounds Vivian who lay sprawled on the ground. She took a considerably nasty blow but it shouldn't have taken her out of the fight. The Koi monster loomed over the rangers as they held their ground.
"Back up! Back up!" The pink mystic weaved her way through the young rangers, making way for Nick and Madison to get to their daughter. Vida's magi staff was in hand ready to defend
Nick made a B-line toward his daughter. If he had to guess she burned through her magic reserves and was in need of another burst of his. Nick placed his magic staff in Vivian's grip and began chanting a charm, the phoenix crest glowed as magical energy poured into Vivian.
"The mystic force rangers?!" Heath's eyes became wide as saucers at the sight of the three mystic rangers.
Madison stood silent as her husband tended to their daughter. Once more she was faced with this feeling of uselessness. What more tears could she cry that she hasn't already, how much angrier can she get at a reality she could never change? This was the way things are and there was no solution in sight.
The Koi monster stirred, its body began to heat up as its rage built. Without saying a word Madison drew her magi staff, and geysers of water erupted dousing the monster with very intense water pressure.
"Oh my god!" Heath said in Awe.
With the monster distracted, the arctic ancients were free to regroup near their mystic predecessors.
"Excuse me, Pink mystic ranger um ma'am. Is she going to be okay?" Brandon asked Vida about Vivian.
"She'll be fine. For now, we need to take care of this monster," Vida said.
"Get out your weapons," the pink mystic commanded.
"Uhhh we can't," Brandon said, "We haven't gotten that spell."
"I can resolve that no problem," Genesis bragged.
Vida held up her hand, "Take it from me, there's no shortcut to magic."
The Koi monster groaned as it fought through Madison's stream, Vida looked to her sister who remained steadfast in her determination, yet Vida could tell the constant outpour of magic was taking a toll on Madison.
"Forget about the weapons, come on let's go help her." Vida was already ahead of her sister bringing both the yellow and blue and black rangers with her.
"Uh yes, ma'am!" Heath said following the lead of the legendary pink mystic ranger.
Vida led the charge supported by her sister and the four arctic ancients. Ava glanced back to see that Vivian and the Red mystic ranger had not moved. The staff in Vivian's grasp pulsed as Nick chanted but Vivian wasn't responding well, she was still comatose and the red mystic looked very worn out. Ava knew that she could probably do something. Vida, Madison, Heath, Brandon, and Genesis went to challenge the koi monster once again while Ava turned and knelt beside Vivian.
"Um, R-Red mystic ranger?" Ava stammered as Nick looks up to see the Arctic Ancient Pink ranger standing before him.
"I could help. My element is healing." Ava offered, bringing out her Morpher.
"Uh." Nick was at a loss for words, what exactly was this ranger offering? To his knowledge, no one else aside from him and his father had the magical capability to give Vivian what she needed.
"Do you know what's wrong with her?" Ava asked curiously.
Ava went close to Vivian, prepared to begin her healing spell but Nick blocked her. He knew better than anyone how dangerous Vivian could be when it came to consuming magic. There was only one well-known solution to Vivian's condition, she had to consume the firepower of someone in her bloodline. There was no telling the effect someone else's magic would have on her. "Look uh, just go help the others. They need you."
The Koi monster was more infuriated than ever. The sudden cooling caused by the blue mystic ranger hindered much of its movement but it was far from being defeated. Lava began to flow back into its hardened joints, returning a degree of mobility as the koi monster moved to challenge the rangers.
With a roundhouse kick, Vida engaged the monster, fluttering her cape to obscure its vision. Brandon drove his fist into the core of the monster, sending it stumbling backward. Madison charged with her magistaff in hand, the monster fluidly avoided her many strikes and knocked her away with a well-placed punch. Heath was next to move in catching the monster's downward hammer strike, he howled at close quarters blowing the monster away. Once more Genesis took to the skies, she swooped low keeping out of reach of the Koi which swiped its firey webbed hands at her.
"Let's see how you like this!" Genesis mocked as she flipped through her repertoire of spells. Burning pearls the size of dodgeballs came hurdling at Genesis knocking her out of the sky, she landed near Ava, Nick, and Vivian who showed no signs of life. Vivian's suit remained to conceal her identity but she was not responding to the treatment of Ava and Nick.
More faceless began to emerge from the earth, their inhuman growls, and the heat of their bodies drew near to the four rangers. Ava stood quickly, with Vivian and the red mystic preoccupied she needed to be the last line of defense. The faceless stepped forward but Ava did not wait. Her first punch crumbled a faceless to ash. She tripped another and sent a third, careening into a building. Genesis picked off a few as well keeping the foot soldiers away from their leader.
"What are you doing standing around? Get in the action," Genesis said.
"I would but Vivian is still out of it."
"Hmm, maybe I can wake her up. With a little cheat code spell." Genesis said as Ava went after the faceless.
"Need help, sir? I have a spell, especially for this. It's a spell lodged deep into the collection of ancient spells." Genesis said.
"What?" Nick questioned as Genesis tapped in a few buttons, causing her wand to glow as pointed it at Vivian. Each time she put in new codes Vivian remained unresponsive.
Nick didn't notice it before but words were escaping Vivian's lips. She muttered them silently virtually mouthing them.
"Deffro...newid..legme..."
In the distance, Nick could hear the cry of the Koi fish. Its body began to elongate and its webbed hands began to morph into claws.
The scales of the creature became more reptilian in nature as attacks glanced off of its hardened skin.
The koi morphed to the point that it no longer resembled a fish but rather had the likeness of a dragon. Its mighty whiskers wrapped tightly around Madison as it single-handedly lay pinned down each of the other rangers.
Vivian was still muttering words as the creature grew stronger.
"No, no, no, stop! Stop!" Nick whirled on Genesis pushing her Morpher away.
The yellow Ancient stumbled backward in surprise, she was just trying to help. "What?! What did I do?"
Nick's veins burned with anger, he could feel Vivian finally starting to respond to his enchantments, she was just on the brink of consciousness when everything changed. Genesis' reckless use of spells only served to push Vivian even deeper into her coma, at a depth which Nick was uncertain she could come back from.
It drained Nick significantly to bring Vivian back to where she was, but now he had to start all over again all because of an inexperienced and careless mage wanted to play pretend.
"I-I could try another spell. I saw this one spell is for healing or disappearing."
"No! You've done enough! Do even know what you're doing?! Magic is earned, not given!"
"I-I-I." Genesis stammered. "B-but but there are monsters out there, we don't have time to learn. L-let me try another spell."
"Stop!" The mystic red ranger gripped her arm in order to keep her from charging forward. Suddenly there was a scent of woodsmoke in the air as a crimson-red magic circle burned in the air.
There was a sudden clip-clop of hooves as the wolf warrior charged into battle atop his mighty steed Catastros.
With his sword drawn he battered away the faceless cutting them down with ease as he geared his horse toward his granddaughter.
"The Snow prince told me what had happened. I'll take her somewhere safe."
Nick scooped Vivian into his arms while the Crimson Knight Wolf kept the faceless back with energy blasts from his shield.
"I gave her as much as I could, she should be coming around soon," Nick said as he position Vivian on his father's horse.
"I'll finish things up back at Rootcore, how are you feeling?" A crimson wolf head chomped down on a faceless decimating its body.
"I'll be alright, just get her out of here," Taking his sword in hand Nick cleaved a faceless that got too close.
Genesis watched in both awe and sorrow as the self-proclaimed defender of truth spurred his steed into another crimson portal. She couldn't bare to look at the red mystic, Genesis knew for certain she must have offended him.
The newly morphed Dragon Koi roared as it rained meteors of burning pearls. It was like a never-ending hail storm and Vida, Madison, Heath, Ava, and Brandon could hardly keep up.
Nick was ready to charge, he glanced behind him to see that Genesis wasn't following, her stance represented shame.
"Hey...I'm sorry for yelling at you. I know you were trying to help, but using magic without control can lead to disaster. Doing things the quick and easy way may not always pan out like how you want it."
"...Yeah, I see," Genesis spoke up slightly.
Nick nods and then looks to the battle with indignation rising in his heart. The burning fires caused by the faceless were drawn toward Nick as they began to wrap around him blazing with the design of the phoenix.
Both the mystic and arctic rangers were in battered heaps on the ground having been pelted relentlessly by the mutated draconian koi. It gleamed with pride as it looked to permanently end the rangers. It raised its arms calling forth more burning stones to appear.
With his phoenix cloak fully formed, Nick took off like a comet toward the monster.
The mystic phoenix glided toward the cursed monster shrouded in flame. Nick's sword was practically screaming as he struck the monster with an initial cut. The blade slices through the scales of the dragon monster, delivering a great deal of damage and leaving a notable slash across its torso. Nick moved again positioning another devastating strike but the monster rebounded backward and quickly fled the battlefield.
Brandon struggled to rise his whole body was sore. Seeing the red mystic ranger in action was a sight to behold. Brandon glanced back to where he last saw Vivian, she was gone. "Where'd Vivian go?"
The vibrant phoenix flames around Nick cooled as he breathed a sigh of relief. Nick looked at his wife who was steadily picking herself off the ground.
"You alright?" Nick's voice was faint as Madison responded with a nod.
Ava responded to her comrades as she looked away from the mystic rangers, "I don't know, she was last with the red mystic ranger and she's gone now."
The rangers most engaged with the dragon koi lay in scattered heaps across the battlefield, the pain from their conflict seeping deep into their bones. There was a real ringing in the ears of the arctic ancients as they recuperated from the challenging fight. Nick stood near his wife and her sister, sharing a brief, secretive conversation.
"Vivian's fine, my dad came to get her," Nick said.
"We'll that's good news," Vida said, "I don't about that monster though. I'm surprised you still have it in you. Light bulbs only last around 5 years."
The red mystic Ranger stares at the veteran pink ranger before speaking, "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that."
The Mystic rangers looked back to their young compatriots, they did well for their age and fought incredibly hard. The Snow prince did well teaching them and Nick was even more proud that his daughter was leading a strong team.
Madison on the other hand had a look of concern about her. Even though the arctics had no indication of the mystic identities, the Snow prince gladly shared all he knew of the young warriors. Madison knew that the blue Arctic was her daughter's best friend.
Vida seemed to pick up on this familiarity and offer assurance to her sister and brother-in-law.
"Don't worry, I'll do all the talking," Vida told the mystic as she walked to the arctic ancient rangers.
Vida approached the arctic ancients as they all drew their attention to her, "You guys were rough out there, but good job."
"Uh, we're uh uh..still learning the ropes," Heath said bashfully.
"Um ma'am, I mean mystic force pink ranger. Do you guys happen to know where our friend went? She was ill and then she disappeared." Brandon asked.
"Oh, don't worry. She'll be okay, we took her to our headquarters in the meantime."
"What was happening to her?" Ava asked.
"Maybe sucking up too much magic, I don't know," Vida wasn't really telling a lie but she also wasn't 100 percent truthful.
"Would that happen to us too? We just got our powers, and I don't wanna lose them." Heath said.
"Don't need to worry kid, it was probably that monster. Or something else."
"Can we go see her?" Brandon asked.
"Uh, you could see her soon but not right now. The snow prince will let you know. Well gotta go, it was nice seeing new rangers in the mystic world. Hopefully, we meet again." Vida then left along with the other mystic rangers, leaving the arctic ancients questioning everything.
The tension at Rootcore was intense, Vivian's cognizance was still to return to her as she was put in the resting quarters. The old magic of the tree roots allowed the three mystics to appear just outside the smoking snout of the wood dragon. Nick, Vida, and Madison removed their helmets.
"How is she?" The pink mystic was the first to traverse through the gullet of the dragon with Nick not far behind, but Madison hung back. From the moment Vivian went down while fighting, the shadow of guilt began to slowly constrict around Madison like a black serpent. If she were to progress any further, the guilt snake may just crush her bones and swallow her whole.
Madison did not know how to answer, the situation has never gotten to be this dire every time Vivian had her blackouts. Nick looked at his wife taking note of her internal struggle. "What's wrong?"
Madison shook her head profusely, fighting back the urge to break, "I shouldn't."
Leanbow appeared at the entrance with deep creases around his eyes. "It's okay Madison, you don't need to be afraid." The grizzled saint welcomed the three mystics into their old base. Clare had taken her students out into the woods so as to not disturb the mystic master.
When Leanbow had brought Vivian in, her composure started to slip again and she was in need of another magical transfusion. For several minutes he poured his magic in, never leaving his granddaughter alone.
It took a lot of badgering and willpower, but Madison reluctantly entered the ancient tree. The blue mystic ranger kept shaking her head, "I can't believe that just happened." She could not bring herself to draw any closer to her daughter out of fear she may start to slip again. Vida urged Madison to step closer, but the younger Rocca sister refused.
"I'll stay right where I am."
"Maddie, she's okay now. What happened out there was just an accident," Vida comforted.
Madison tore away from the others, her eyes puffy and red the fangs of the guilty cobra sank deep into her flesh. "An accident?... I make too many of those don't I?"
Nick's ears perked at the sound of his wife's distress. This was the woman who rallied the other mystic rangers to spur Nick into combat after the master had easily killed both Leanbow and Daggeron. This was the perfect opportunity for Nick to return the favor. "No, you don't. Don't say that."
Leanbow interjected, "Madison she is doing well. You can't blame yourself for something you can't control."
Madison slowly walked to the table, gripping Nick's arm tightly.
"I had given her enough magic to subdue any effects from the outside world. Now because of the extensive amount of magic she absorbed she won't awaken for another hour or so," Leanbow said.
Nick and Vida both took positions around the table as Leanbow began to question. "How did this happen?"
"It's better we show ya," Nick said as the blankness of the yellow crystal ball was replaced with an omniscient view of the battle. Leanbow studied intently as he watched Vida, Madison, and Nick arrive on the scene. Things were already looking bleak as the arctic rangers struggled to keep up with the corrupted foe. Leanbow was proud of how the new rangers were fighting but grimaced when things took a sudden turn.
"We have no footage of what happened before we arrived, we'll have to ask the snow prince about that. No doubt the magic was definitely from the Black Requiem. Things got incredibly more difficult as we were coming in," Nick paused looking at Madison, she was not in the mood to say much. "As you saw, the fire blood curse began to flare and uh-"
"I've never been so close to Vivian, morphed. When I got there, she started to faint." Madison spoke up.
Nick cleared his throat, "the pink Arctic ranger said she could help but I wasn't sure what her magic would do. That's when the yellow ranger interfered, which led to this." He indicates to the screen.
"What is she doing?" Leanbow asked as he went in for a closer look. The image reflected in the crystal ball magnified to focus on Genesis as she cast a multitude of spells. Leanbow watched with intrigue as the yellow arctic haphazardly dialed the spells.
"Looks like the youngster figured out how to hack the Morpher. Pretty smart. We can thank grid battle force for that. " Vida said sarcastically.
"How is that possible?" Leanbow wondered.
"Dad we live in a time now where everything is more open. Even though Morph x is illegal, with the right amount of money and connections any idiot can get a hold of the little that remains. You will not believe how many failed attempts to replicate the formula exists. Good thing all these little hacks she concord didn't last very much." Nick said.
"She sure poured a lot of it into Vivian," Leanbow said as he watched.
"Yeaaah, that's where it gets worst," Nick sighed, "Those monsters mutating, it was Vivian."
"What do you mean?" Vida asked.
"She may have been unaware as to what was going on but the void was very much awake," Nick said as they watched further into the footage. Leanbow listens closely as he hears Vivian spurs out a dark ancient dialect.
"That is seriously creepy," Vida said. Leanbow's eyes panned to his daughter-in-law, who was utterly dismayed. He rested a gentle hand on her shoulder trying to lend her his strength.
"There's no need to blame yourself, Madison. We all know that when her curse activates it consumes all the magic she has currently, which often leads to her blackouts and fainting spells. Bowen and I can prevent this by filling her with our magic, but this solution isn't permanent, unfortunately. You cannot forget this Madison, you are her mother. It's in your instinct to want to defend her at all costs, even if it sometimes costs you everything. I think it's best that we finally educate these young rangers about Vivian's condition. Leanbow said.
"Yeah, " Nick spoke up, "that's why we're going to tell her when she wakes up."
"...Good." Leanbow agreed.
Leanbow and Nick nodded their heads in agreement, it was about time for Vivian to learn the truth of her heritage. Vida was the only one to notice Madison's reluctance. She was keen to tell her daughter everything that has been kept hidden from her, yet Madison feared that she would become a monster in Vivian's eyes.
Through the all-seeing eye of the crystal ball, Nick, Leanbow, Vida, and Madison all watched in silence as the young arctics bickered amongst one another. Their confusion on the condition and location of Vivian was threatening to tear their team dynamic apart.
The wolf warrior stroked his forested gray chin as he looked on with interest. After hearing so much about these rangers and having had the opportunity to see them in battle, Leanbow concluded that they were indeed spirited. All they needed was guidance and inspiration.
"These young ones have the will of steel, tough, determined, resilient. Deep down however they lack the cohesive element that holds everything together. To some extent, they bear similarities to my former allies."
"So what should we do?" Vida asked.
"Hmmm, I'm sure the Snow prince wouldn't mind if I pushed them in the right direction. It's like Udonna always said, 'real heroes are born in the face of real danger." Leanbow said.
"Oh, I remember that one." Vida smiled.
Leanbow looked to Vivian who was resting peacefully, looking back to her normal self, "I'd figure the Snow prince may also want to evaluate her himself before she returns to the field, just so there would be no more surprises."
There's a spark of interest in Leanbow's eyes as he vanishes instantly. There is a noticeable hint of woodsmoke from where he was once standing. With Leanbow's assurance that everything will be okay, Madison took a seat next to her resting daughter. She brushed Vivian's brown locks out of her face and watched in the silent captivation of her daughter's composure.
The guilt of having possibly been the cause still clung to Madison like an unwanted shadow, but the stress was starting to recede.
A roar echoes from one of the chambers. The friendly and vicious dragon Fireheart had returned to rootcore and he was hungry. The flame of his breath lit up a doorway which drew the attention of the three mystics.
"I got this," Vida said rising from her seat. It had been a while since she had last seen the dragon and he has grown significantly since.
The image of the arctic ancients faded from the crystal ball as Nick rose to sit beside his wife.
"She looks a lot like you," Madison said, caressing Vivian's cheek as Nick sat down next to Madison.
"I wouldn't say that...If you ask me, her beauty comes from you. I'm to blame for her attitude and temper."
"...Well if you put it that way.." Madison cracked a light smile. Nick always had something witty to say that would cheer her up. She scanned the details of her daughter's face. She definitely had Nick's ears and cheeks, not to mention his green eye color but she had Madison's eye shape and nose.
Looking at her sweet and innocent appearance of Vivian, a conflicting storm began to bubble and brew inside Madison.
"..You know, I was thinking.." Madison said as Nick pulled his full attention to her.
"Maybe it's best we don't tell her."
Nick narrowed his eyes at that but didn't say a word.
"Before you say anything, hear me out...She's already under a lot of pressure, especially since she became a ranger. It wouldn't be right for us to complicate things anymore. She's still young, we can still play it off until she's older."
Nick stared at Madison, for years Madison was the one to push him into doing things Nick otherwise would not have wanted to do. She was the one who was the most excited for Vivian. She reasoned that the mysterious ranger energy emanating from the cave was just the miracle cure the two of them have been looking for. She was the one who originally pushed Nick into revealing the truth to Vivian sooner. Also, Madison was also the one who was the most eager to find a solution to Vivian's curse. Now here they were ready to come clean but yet Madison had opted to stay silent.
The red mystic ranger had been with Madison long enough to know exactly what she thought and felt. He often saw the black shadow of depression and guilt that continuously tried to asphyxiate his wife.
She could not have been serious. Before he could open his mouth Vida returned once again. Her clothes and face were smudged with soot and ash.
"Fireheart sure can eat a lot, I can't even imagine where he puts it all...what did I miss?"
The tri-colored phantoms assemble in the depths of their dark domain, and the all-seeing eyes of the seer glittered as she watched the battle unfold above.
"Strong is the red warrior chosen by the phoenix," the blue astral said as she relayed her vision to her sisters.
"Strong indeed, his might proved greater than our evolved one," the pink specter; the summoner noted.
"Do not be dismayed my sisters, though the colored ones triumphed, it shall be we who reign supreme. Have you not noticed the level of completion we have experienced?" The white ghost known as the caster explained.
No longer were the three spirits teetering on the edge of existence. Their features had become much more pronounced and solid.
"The chaos of our evolved one awakens the colored ones. The confrontation of opposing mana provides us with vitality and spirit. We must attain more!" The pink specter pronounced.
"We will indeed. The champion of the phoenix will be the source of our lifeline," the blue spirit concluded.
The four arctic rangers traverse their sleepy town enraptured in the heat of a conversation. They pass the local strip mall and one of the stores which had long been for sale has now finally been sold. Things weren't adding up in regard to their most recent battles.
"I'm telling you guys, Vivian is a confirmed extraterrestrial, just look at the facts. She was the first to discover the cave up in the mountains, she somehow opened the door to the sanctuary, and she was the first to draw her weapon, need I go on?" Heath said.
"Just because she's from the states Heath doesn't make her any more different than either of us. Ava back me up here," Brandon chided.
"Uh..." Ava cleared her throat, "I'm afraid your logic doesn't add up Brandon. When I healed Vivian's dad that one time, believe it or not, I could feel something else stirring inside him already working to make him better. I doubt her parents are aliens, but they most certainly aren't human."
Genesis was reluctant to contribute to the conversation.
"I think that feeling is called almost dying, Ava." Brandon quipped, "You're supposed to back me up here."
"Well I'm sorry but even at the caves."
"Oh, I remember the caves," Brandon nodded his head profusely, almost losing his temper. "You know what? I don't wanna talk about it. I just wanna see if Vivian's okay. I didn't even see when they took her."
"A red animal warrior took her," Genesis could not get the imagery out of her mind. The fiery crimson spell seal appeared in the air just moments before the wolf warrior came riding out. He conversed briefly with the red mystic ranger before taking Vivian to who knows where.
"Animal warrior?" Ava questioned.
"Animal warrior? It was probably the wolf warrior. See I knew I heard a horse early on." Heath said.
"Yeah, I guess," Genesis shrugged.
"What's wrong with you?" Ava asked.
"...Nothing, I'm fine," Genesis said.
"And I don't believe that. Genesis is always happy and now you aren't happy. Don't worry we'll get our weapons and maybe some zords." Heath kept that positive attitude.
"Then snow prince might be able to tell us where Vivian is," Brandon suggested.
"No, no, we can't tell the Snow prince," Genesis begged.
"Why not?"
"Because...because I'm probably the reason Vivian was taken by the mystics," Genesis was uncharacteristically quiet which was slightly disturbing. Her three compatriots stopped completely in their tracks at the sound of her sheepish voice.
"I may have done something to her to when she suddenly fainted. Um, the mystic red ranger was...I guess trying to heal her, and I might have messed that up."
Ava then interjected, "I noticed he was performing some kind of healing spell. I offered to help but for some reason, he wouldn't allow me. I don't know what we did to upset him, but he did seem rather on the edge."
"I think I know why he was upset, you can't interrupt a master at work." Heath guessed.
"Not to mention the mystic force red ranger sounded familiar like I met him before." Ava wondered.
Brandon rolled his eyes, everyone's comments were so pungent and spot-on that he was left with no choice but to face reality. "Okay guys, I give in. If we find Vivian, we'll start asking more questions. Though right now I'm going to call the Snow prince."
Brandon's crystalline phone appeared in a flash. He had already dialed in the communication pattern and was about to invoke it when Genesis stopped him.
"Heeey! Brandon, come on. Vivian is safe. She's with the wolf warrior and the mystics. How about we find out a way to defeat this monster? That'll be our surprise to the Snow prince. We can think of this on our own." Genesis pleaded, her sad demeanor switched in an instant.
Genesis had her Morpher out in a flash, magic runes and symbols flashed wildly as she tried to key in the respective spell swipe pattern. As per usual Brandon was put off, the yellow ranger was once more messing with powers she didn't quite understand.
"This ought to do it!" Genesis exclaimed eyeing a respective lock pattern. As she began to trace the arrangement of the symbols, her spell suddenly stopped. Her Morpher levitates just out of her grip and into the waiting hand of the Wolf warrior.
"Whoa.." Ava was surprised.
"You shouldn't be abusing your magic like that little lady. Uncontrolled spells can be more hazardous than helpful when used incorrectly." Leanbow said morphed in his armored wolf suit, holding the yellow arctic Morpher.
"Wolf Warrior-" Brandon gasped.
"Yes, I am. Do you have a moment to chat?" Leanbow asked decked out in his armor.
"How's our friend? If you don't mind us asking?" Heath asked as Brandon nodded profusely.
"She is well. As a matter of fact, I know you all are wondering what transpired. Fortunately, I'm here to provide some answers but first, we must deal with the proverbial matter."
Everyone's gaze shifted to Genesis.
"Me? What I do?" Genesis asked.
"I have been monitoring your progress over these last few battles. Consider me impressed at how quickly you seemed to of mastered spells yellow ancient, however, your teammates are still learning the basics."
"Consider me advanced, our mentor said I'm his favorite student," Genesis bragged.
"Hm if I know the Snow Prince he has no particular favorites." Leanbow smiled beneath his visor. Other passer-bys watched in confusion as the young ancients were seemingly talking to themselves.
"Everyone's staring..." Brandon said.
"I'm keeping this conversation private, only you guys can see me."
"What's the spell for that? I could really put that to good use," Genesis perked up.
"Looking at the condition of this device, I wouldn't trust it to cast even the simplest of spells. It's a miracle that it hasn't destroyed you yet." There was an ugly crack zigzagging across Genesis' screen. As Leanbow swiped his thumb across the surface, arctic runes stumbled out of the Morpher.
"I've been pretty careful, I only use the ones I think are cool...and that we need," Genesis defended.
"You see these letters? These are the words of the ancients. It is a language long since forgotten." Leanbow said as the symbols faded. "These words represent the purest of magic, even in the hands of experienced magic users they can be dangerous if not channeled correctly."
Once more everyone's eyes were drawn to Genesis, she blushed to the point her skin was almost red.
"I can understand desiring more power, but there is no greater honor than putting your own life on the line for that is when real power is born. Do not be afraid to face the shortcomings of your reality, but stand strong even when it seems hopeless."
Vivian's eyes bolt open as she sits up suddenly, the air around her was chilled to the point that she could see her breath. There was a familiar sound of gurgling water echoing throughout the cavern; she was in the arctic sanctuary. The red ancient took in her surroundings as she desperately tried to recall what had happened.
"Snow prince?"
The mystic of ice appeared at her side in an instant with his hands folded behind his back. "I am here, how are feeling?" The Snow Prince answered.
"I feel okay. What am I doing here? What happened?" Vivian attempted to rise from the bed carved into one of the walls but her mentor eased her back down.
"Do you not remember?" The snow prince asked as he handed Vivian a ceramic cup that steamed in the cold air. "You and the other rangers we're fighting what I would call the heart of the void. They are barbarous sanguineous monsters that grow in strength. The more they battle it makes it difficult for anyone to maintain dominance for long."
Vivian placed down her cup of tea which had quickly been depleted, "It mutates? Yeah, that's what happened the last time we fought one."
"Indeed, the first beast you all have triumphed over was indeed one of those monstrosities," The Snow prince continually stroked his chin as he contemplated a thought. Since Vivian held such a close personal tie to magic it was likely she experienced something that no other mage had ever witnessed.
"If you don't mind, there's something I wish to know,"
"What is it?" Vivian asked.
"It's difficult to explain with words, but I wish to probe your mind with your permission of course."
"What are you going to do?"
"Just sit back and relax, you shouldn't feel a thing."
Vivian sat back and closed her eyes as the Snow Prince rested his hand on her forehead. Instantly he was taken back to the days of Vivian's childhood. She couldn't have been any older than two living with her parents. She sat hunched over a small table coloring, the vacancy of her young mind being expressed on paper. The crude pictures she drew were very vague but if the Snow Prince had to guess it resembled the great battle. It was the same battle in which her grandfather sacrificed himself to seal the forces of darkness away. Her parents were mindful not to mention anything of their great history yet somehow the young Vivian managed to capture all of it in perfect detail.
"Find anything interesting? You saw I was thinking of a cheeseburger right?" Vivian asked bringing the Snow prince back to the present.
He smiled as he removed his hand, it was likely she had no recollection of what she did that day. "You are full of surprises little one, you know the saying normal is boring."
"Where is everybody?" Vivian looked around.
The Snow prince extended a hand, helping his young pupil to her feet. He led her to the grand hall where a majority of their training takes place.
"Your teammates are all well, it appears that one of my former disciples is paying them a visit." The Snow Prince could feel Leanbow's magic even from this great distance. The Prince could also sense a differing pulse in the magic of one of Vivian's teammates, "It has come to my attention that someone is attempting to withhold some degree of truth from me. I have a knack for discerning deception."
"...We'll you see umm.." Vivian stammered fishing for thoughts.
The Snow prince focused more intently sensing the source of the disturbance, "One of you has severely damaged their Morpher. I wish not to divulge who I think it to be, but if there's someone specific you have in mind do not be afraid to tell me."
Vivian was speechless. Did the snow prince see that it was Genesis when he probed Vivian's mind? "Umm...it was my fault."
Snow prince tilted his head, "Do go on."
"You see um, I got my magic out of nowhere. So uh the others, it was uh. Unfair, they worked way harder than I have and yet I was the one who got the first spell. So I um was getting forbidden spells that I didn't-"
"You have a very noble heart, Vivian, much like another pupil of mine. I will not hold this falsehood against you, however, it is imperative that we at least try and mend the break. The more often uncapped magic is used, the greater danger it is for both the caster and those around them."
"But it was me Snow prince! What's my punishment? Uh, polish the ice crystals? Let me earn my magic." Vivian pleaded.
Before the Snow Prince could utter another sentence, a strong wind blew throughout the sanctuarY. The misty foam generated from the cascading waters of Alethia coalesced into a holographically projected image. The Koi monster that challenged the rangers once before had completed its first evolution as a serpentine dragon slithered its way through the streets.
"We can address the appropriate discipline later, for now, you must prepare to disembark. It appears our scaly friend has returned." The snow prince said.
In response to the call, Brandon and the other three rangers arrived on the scene. The four of them are aghast at the more complete transformation their foe has undergone. Its body had lengthened almost resembling that of a serpent with spikes and horns sprouting across its scaly body and head. Pointed teeth and jagged claws were the immediate signs of offense but there was definitely more in store. Its eyes were like mini suns burning bright with anger and it's long tendril-like whiskers waved in the air like tongues of fire.
The rangers drew out their morphers, "Arctic Ancients Guardians Awaken!"
With a burst of cold air, the rangers quickly morph just as the dragon lunged. Brandon braced himself to take the brunt of the attack. With his heightened strength he held the dragon's head firmly which gave time for Ava, Heath, and Genesis to fan out. This was going to be a tough fight for everyone. Genesis took to the skies just outside the monster's reach, with her Morpher at the ready she glided along the beast's flanks firing off simple bursts of frost magic that did nothing but irritate it.
With a jerk of its head, Brandon was shaken off and a snap of its tail, sending Genesis to the ground. Heath sprung up and attempted to mount the dragon which thrashed wildly. He could barely get a solid hold before sliding off. It was like he was riding the offspring of a mechanical bull and a crashing wave.
The dragon locked eyes with Ava as it darted toward her. She slid across the ground just barely missing its teeth and claws. It whirled again bringing it's head back around. From the back of its throat, a burning sphere came rocketing out.
The pink ranger braced for the impact which never came as standing in front of her was the red ranger. The dragon's gaze seemed to intensify at the sight of Vivian.
"Sorry, I'm late," Vivian said, dawn in her red suit.
The creature lunged again only to be grappled by Heath and Brandon holding on to its tail. The monster reared up unveiling a jagged cut across its torso.
"You guys must have done something right, it has a deep cut on its body." Vivian pointed out.
"That was from earlier, the red mystic did that after you were taken away," Ava noted.
"Then he gave us an opening," Vivian said as her sword fell into her hand.
The dragon's claw slammed down toward Genesis but she slipped through its talons and struck with an ascending uppercut. Heath howled from the monster's other side, causing mass disorientation. Vivian sprung forward with her blade and slashed with all of her might targeting the scar.
The monster roared feeling the cold bite of the blade. It snapped rapidly at Vivian only to be struck by Ava. Brandon followed up with another feat of strength slamming the serpentine dragon with all of his might.
All of the rangers were breathing heavily as they stared at the apparent carcass of the lengthy dragon. Lava pooled out from its chest wound and nostrils as it lay motionless.
"Is it over?" Heath asked his body sore.
The eyes of the dragon snapped open as the pooling lava it emitted poured back into its body. The dragon growled and hissed as it underwent yet another evolution. It grew slightly larger as a second ferocious head formed. The two heads snarled viciously at the young rangers, their two sets of eyes burning bright with rage.
"Brace yourselves!" Vivian called as the two heads together breathed a fresh column of fire.
Flames swirled around the Arctic team as Vivian did her best to defend them using her own magic to put up a shield.
"Viv!" Brandon called as the others tried to push him to safety. With another fierce lash of its tail, the arctic rangers were halted. There were no foreseeable means of escape. Genesis summoned her Morpher, she could probably get them out of this with just the right spell however, the words of the wolf warrior rang in her ears.
"There is no greater honor than putting your own life on the line for that is when real power is born. Do not be afraid to face the shortcomings of your reality, but stand strong even when it seems hopeless."
He was right. Ever since Genesis was awakened to the power of magic she has been using it prodigally finding almost any excuse to cast a spell. Genesis has also been hypothesizing about how to maximize her results so that she could spend less time practicing.
She learned the hard way how reckless she's been acting and the toll it brought on those around her. She had almost gotten Vivian killed by casting spells she was unfamiliar with. The discipline she received from the red mystic was well deserved.
This sudden realization brought a chilling sensation that was shared amongst Genesis, Heath, Ava, and Brandon. The flames of the dragon lessened as both heads looked skyward. Falling like delicate snow the arctic weapons cascaded ever so gently into the grasps of their owners.
Brandon was gifted a Trident-like spear which he swung masterfully. Ava was gifted with a fierce claw-like weapon perfect for thrusting. Heath took hold of the twin-pointed daggers which he flipped casually. Genesis lastly received two triangular shurikens known as glaives. The battle will be decided quickly.
Vivian moved swiftly with the advent of her speed. The edge of her blade opening gashes amongst the dragon's flank. Heath and Ava both came from opposing sides, slashing and hacking. The bitter cold bite of their weapons caused the dragon to roar. Brandon slid forward and forced the tips of his spear directly into the grievous slash wound. Genesis threw her weapons which whirled around the twin heads of the dragon and all along its body. They cut deep bringing a finalizing chill before returning to her hands.
The rangers regrouped each of their weapons brimming with magic power. With a final conjoined slash, a compacted wave of frozen air sliced through the monster. With one final death cry, the body of the dragon melted into a pool of lava.
Vivian then clutches her head as she whispers a dark invocation spell that was barely heard by the rangers.
"Protogenia Maximus..."
A dark spell seal stamped with the phases of the moon spread over the remains of the dragon. The lava erupted as a new beast rose to near gargantuan heights. Three serpentine dragon heads hissed and snapped as they looked down at the minuscule rangers.
"Oh boy!" Genesis says.
The three heads of the enlarged reptile glared down at the arctic rangers, its eyes white hot with hate and malice. The rangers braced themselves as currents of energy began to build up within the beast. It started from the base of the belly and climbed up through its three necks. All the rangers could see was an immediate inferno in their near future, a fire so hot that not even their ashes would remain.
The sound of a horse's whinny brought reassuring hope. The arctic rangers looked around as their mystic predecessors arrived in their zords. Nick, Madison, and Vida spring from their mystic force flyers and assume their titan forms. Leanbow charged toward the battle in his centaur form. Crimson wolves flew from his shield as he galloped onto the field his hooves shaking the earth.
"It's the centaur!" Heath said aghast, watching the wolf warrior and the three mystics take post around their foe. The right and left heads snap at Nick and Leanbow. The mystic phoenix dove to the side and brought his blade down on the creature's neck, opening a wide gash. Leanbow held his ground while the second head continually ran against his shield. Rearing up on his hind legs the wolf warrior kicked his foe away.
The Rocca sisters entertained the middle head, Madison was busy combatting from the bottom while Vida kept her distance and engaged from the top. The chemistry of the four masters was exquisite, the way they battled and moved while in enlarged bodies was out of this world. With another powerful swing of his sword, Nick carved another deep slash in the monster's flesh. The red mystic titan was pulsing with energy, the longer he fought the more power he drew out of himself.
"Let's finish this!" Nick said and Leanbow, Madison, and Vida agreed.
"Galwit, Mysto, Unios!" Leanbow called as he cast a large spell seal and transformed into his Megazord form, "Centaurus Wolf Megazord!"
The four wizards combined their magic all of their bodies glowing with the bright aura of their power. With a final invocation, a grand magic seal was created which purified the monster vanquishing it once and for all. Its cracked lava exterior cooled to stone before crumbling to pieces. Both the mystics and the arctics celebrated their combined victory, no longer would they be plagued by the might of the monster, however, things were far from over.
When the smoke cleared, all that could be seen as a mass of darkness right where the creature's heart used to be. Vivian scream as a searing pain ripped through her head.
"Look out!" Nick called pushing his wife and Vida out of the way. The mass quickly expanded into a swirling abyss of nothingness hungrily absorbing all traces of hope and light. Unspeakable horrific sounds can be heard as well as formless shapes trying to escape the darkness. Vivian was brought to her knees in pain it was as if something within her yearned to get out.
"We have to close this thing!" Nick called still in his titan form. Vida and Madison agreed as the three of them began chanting the ancient spell. The emblems of the Phoenix, Mermaid, and Sprite appeared within the bounds of a spell seal. While they chanted the circumference of the inky mass grew smaller and tighter. Vivian's head seemed too cool as her pain decreased, the closing of this strange opening brought great relief.
The void was almost shut when a sudden last rush of pain hammered behind Vivian's eyes. Wiggling through the closing seal, a jet-black blob spilled onto the ground. The amorphous splotch began to take shape emerging as a man in dark robes. A smile crept on his face as he looked at the titans staring down at him.
"At long last. I, the first son of the Void, Dythran, have arrived. I must personally greet my rescuer because if not for them I would not have been able to be born."
The towering titans all move to attack the dark wizard. With a clench of his hand snaking chains spider web across the gargantuan bodies instantly bringing the three mystics to their knees back in their normal ranger forms. The Arctics raised their weapons to join the fight but with a passive glance, they too were bound. Brandon tried to use his strength to break out but the more magic he mustered, the more tired he felt.
"Now which of you, delectable insects am I to thank?" The rangers all squirm in their grasp unable to get free. "Come now don't be shy... Whoever did it had to pack quite a wallop, I never felt such a potent force, so which one of you was it?"
The rangers all remain silent, each of them staring daggers at the new foe.
"...If no one volunteers I'll just pick one of you and slaughter the rest."
The wizard casually walks amongst his captives pointing at each squirming figure, "Eeny, meeny, miny...you." The mysterious being points at Heath. The chains that bound him grew tighter as Dythran took hold of his face.
"Hmmm you seem like a waste of space...oh well, you should do." The being rests his hand on the chest of the black ranger, sensing the course of magic running through him.
"No, wait!" Nick forces himself to stand, his magic exploding around him causing the chains to break. The being looked with interest, power was just radiating off Nick in waves. Vivian's head snaps up, the voice of the red mystic sounded very familiar.
"I'm the one you're looking for. I'm the strongest." Nick said with his sword in hand.
"...Dad?" Vivian says softly.
"Hm, interesting." The being throws Heath to the ground as he takes a more introspective glance at Nick.
"You are perfect." The mysterious foe extended his hand as a vacuum current of energy seeped into his skin. A gleeful grin spread across the being's face as Nick grimaced. Large quantities of strength left the red mystic so suddenly causing him to drop to one knee.
"Bowen!" Leanbow cries.
"How sweet! Just a lick and my taste buds are on fire. I must consume more!" The being cheered as he summoned an even stronger wave.
Suddenly magical burst lit the battlefield, and the yellow and green mystic rangers arrived just in time. Xander kept his stance with his magi axe, ferociously attacking the dark wizard leaving no room to counter. Chip took aim with his crossbow.
"Oooooh more playthings," The being said excitedly. The dark mage easily avoided Xander's hacks and slashes laughing while he did so. Chip did his best to cover Xander, bolts of his crossbow just barely missing Dythran.
Once more Xander brought his axe down only to be met with the clang of metal on metal. Chains wrapped around the being's forearm as he held back Xander's axe strike. With an opening created by his comrade Chip fired a fully charged crossbow bolt. The smile never left the being's face as with the slightest hint of effort the bolt froze midflight leaving Chip stunned.
"How is that possible!" Chip shouted.
The being's laughter echoed across the area as he summoned more of his chains. Tendrils of links shot from the ground behind Xander wrapping him up. More tried to bind Chip, but the yellow ranger leaped from his vantage point. He ran at the being switching instantly to his legend mode. The Dark wizard beckoned with his finger allowing the frozen crossbow bolt to move. It struck Chip in his back just as he passed beneath it.
The being laughed, all the more as he begin to bind Chip. The green and yellow rangers were stuck and no matter how much magic they mustered the chains sapped their strength.
"Hey!" Nick yelled as flames amassed around him taking on the full power of the phoenix. The sword of Leanbow flew into Nick's free hand as the red mystic rocketed toward the being.
For only being alive no longer than 20 minutes, the dark wizard was having the time of his life. Nick continued to press the attack showing no signs of remorse the blades in his hands were both set ablaze. With each passive blow, the being found it harder and harder to dodge.
He summoned more chains to hopefully bind Nick, but the red mystic slashed through them with ease.
The being smiles while looking at Nick, "Careful now, I am a person of my word."
The son of the Void interlaced his fingers and aligned his pointer, middle, and thumbs. "PHANTOM CHAIN!"
From the ground, dark spell seals opened summoning ethereal chains. They writhed and coiled like snakes each locking on to a particular target and piercing their cores. The Mystics and Arctics all screamed as the chains receded back into their seals slowly drawing with them the souls of their victims.
"Ugh, you want me, it's going to have to be on my terms!" Nick thrusts his wand forward creating a red spell seal. With all of his burning rage, Nick glides toward Dythran tackling him into the portal he cast. The red seal vanished erasing the signatures of both warriors. The chains which sapped the strength of the arctics and mystics vanished leaving them depleted of stamina.
Madison quickly runs to the place where her husband was last seen just as her suit disappears.
"Noooooo!" Madison yells.
The Arctic rangers gasp.
"No..." Madison said falling to her knees.
"Bowen..." Leanbow said softly.
There was silence as the Arctic ancients stood shocked.
"We have to go after them, where did they go?!" Chip massaged the back of his shoulder which had been struck by his own attack. His whole body seemed to tingle as a direct result of the phantom chain spell.
"There are countless magical dimensions, there's no telling which one of them Nick took that guy to," Vida said.
"Just who was he, those chains came from out of nowhere," Xander asked.
Madison looked to her father-in-law, "Is there anything we can do? Do you know where they went?"
"Even if I did, I'm not even sure if I could reach them. Both of their magics are far greater than mine ever was. "Leanbow said.
"Well we can't give up, there has to be someone who can reach him," Chip pleaded.
"There is." Leanbow turned to look at the Arctic Ancients who stood off to the side silently watching. Madison's looked at the ground right beneath where the spell seal hovered. She rose from her place and looked toward the arctic ancients all of whom were perturbed and confused by the rapid course of events. The blue mystic locked eyes with her daughter and approached not saying a word. Vivian wanted to back up but something told her not to be afraid.
As Madison walked she steadily built her courage. She had hoped to keep things secret for just a little while longer but now things were more urgent. This was no time to be ambivalent, now was the time for action.
Madison had demorphed, revealing her identity.
"...Mom?" Vivian couldn't believe her eyes.
(Please if you guys can, spread the word! The more people we see invested the more well publish and sooner. Until next time readers!)