"How am I supposed to tame that?" Mal repeated as the ranger's watched the purple and black dragon that was on screen as they watched the ending battle they had just had with Meteor Dragon only moments ago when it had intervened in the battle.
Doug was currently running scans on the atmosphere, seeing if they could find it. "Isn't there some kind of spell that can be used to do the job?" He asked her.
"You can't just place a spell on someone to control them; it's not really fair to them." Ben replied simply. Although he had understood and certainly had forgiven Mal for placing the love spell on him, regardless of her motives, there was still a part of him that could remember the shock that went with that realization.
When he had dived into the enchanted lake during their first date and realized what had happened for an instant he had felt shocked and betrayed, but that quickly faded as he realized that the purple haired girl had started a chain that despite everything they felt for each other may not have started any other way. Of even more relevance of course was the recent love potion that had affected Mal (they still weren't sure of Nerissa's motives there) and the similar mind altering effect that Sermaya had had on Ben.
"Besides generally dragons are notoriously known for being immune to spells." Fairy Godmother revealed, making the others realize that although now was not the right time for it they still had to ask her what had happened to make magic all but unknown in Auradon. "Even though this is a zord, unlike the Auradon Megazord there is some…biological component to it."
"That brings me back us back to the original question." Mal completed with a flourish of her hands. "How I tame that dragon?" She laughed a bit. "That thing could eat us all in one bite and it wouldn't be a complete meal."
"That's such a comforting thought." Audrey drawled with a roll of her eyes. "But Mal is right. How can she be expected to do that, especially alone?"
"Who says she has to do it alone?" Evie reminded her.
"Because I have too." Mal realized. "This is my zord and I have to make it understand me alone."
"Is that true?" Carlos asked.
"We really have no way of knowing for sure, but yes I would be willing to bet she's right." Fairy Godmother answered.
"But first we have to find it." Jay added. "Any luck Doug?"
He shook his head. "Not yet, it must be able to scatter the kinds of energies are sensor scans run on." He answered.
"How are the repairs going on the megazord?" Audrey asked Jane and Carlos.
"It's up and running again, we could take it into combat now if we had to." Carlos replied wearily. "But it won't be fully repaired for almost another two hours. Hopefully we have that time."
"I wouldn't bet on it." Mal said grimly. "Paradias seemed to hint there was something else on the horizon." She shivered a bit, a feeling the other five rangers shared. "To say nothing about what we've been feeling."
"And still are feeling." Lonnie added and then asked. "Why was that Meteor Dragon thing so different from the other monsters we've faced?"
"I don't think the monster itself was different. I think it's about the amount of magic and power that went into its creation." Jane answered.
"Wait, isn't that the same thing?" Jay wondered.
Jane shook her head. "Two different things but they can be connected. If you look at Sermaya I don't think there's too much in the way of magic power there but he's clearly very strong." She said.
Evie thought she understood. "Whereas we already know Paradias and Nerissa are strong magically but as far as we've seen they're not exactly going to go hand to hand with Jay or M in a fight either." She supplemented. Jane nodded her agreement.
"Hey it just occurred to me, how am I supposed to get into to the dragon zord anyway? I can't fly and it seems to be spending a lot of time in the atmosphere." Mal voiced.
That brought them all up short again. That was something else they didn't really have an answer for. Finally Doug spoke. "We don't have any way. But maybe someone else does."
"What about a spell?" Ben asked her. "Anything in your spell book?" Sadly the purple haired girl shook her head.
Jane seemed to light up, much to Carlos's secret delight. "We could ask Jordan, maybe she has an idea." She supplied.
"It's a great idea." Audrey agreed. Jordan was the daughter of the Genie that befriended Aladdin, the arch nemesis of Jay's father Jafar, and another female genie named Eden. "Except how do we explain to her why we need a flying spell or a winged Pegasus or magic carpet or whatever?"
That brought them all up short. So far no civilian knew who they were unless they considered Ben one, and if things had gone as planned he would have been the red ranger. There was also the argument that as king he probably would have had to know anyway. Likewise Jane, Doug, and Fairy Godmother were the reasons they had a command center and working powers in the first place.
There was the chance Chad might have learned about them after the love potion incident but that didn't seem to change his outlook on them at all, and if nothing else it seemed to make things worse if possible. But that was by circumstances beyond their control. This wasn't necessarily one of those times.
"We're not supposed to be revealing our secret identities or what we do here." Fairy Godmother reminded them. "At least under normal circumstances."
"These aren't normal." Mal reminded their headmistress and mentor. "And if Red Magi has taught us anything it's that we might need magical help somewhere in the future. I mean my spell book and I are great but we're talking about a genie here." If anything it made the purple haired girl wonder why Jordan didn't seem to have the problem that Jane and probably others had.
Well this conversation was going on in the command center, just outside the city where the Meteor Dragon had been destroyed, the ground wad disturbed where the dragon monster had been destroyed by an egg. It hatched almost instantly, and from it emerged a large dragon, it wasn't as bulky as its predecessor but it was lankier, including the large arms that held massively sharp claws.
Paradias laughed as he watched from his view screen. "Now we have the real challenge. Let's see they or that errant dragon can withstand the awesome power of the Gandor the Destruction Dragon!" He exclaimed.
The alarm sounded and the footage of the purple dragon was replaced by something far more terrifying. This newest monster had already taken flight and had already started to attack the outskirts of the town.
"No way." Jay breathed.
"What is that?" Jane asked.
Each of the ranger's knew this was really the monster that had them feeling the way they had that morning. "Oh my gosh." Audrey whispered. "That thing is huge."
"I don't even know if the Auradon Megazord could stand up to that thing at full power." Jane said softly as she looked at the power readings on the monster. She didn't bother to say what their odds were as things stood right now.
Mal had her doubts that even the dragon that was supposed to be her zord could stand up to that monster on its own. "You guys have to try." She told her team. "And I…I don't know how, but I have to hope I can call that dragon out like I did last time."
Fairy Godmother agreed. "That's the only chance we have. We haven't found the dragon yet and we no longer have the time to worry about searching for it."
"Is there anything that I can do?" Ben asked. He of course knew he couldn't really go out there but if somehow any of their military power could help…
Mal shook her head grimly. "Just wish us luck and hope for the best. Believe in us."
Ben reached out and stroked Mal's cheek. "I believe in you." He said sincerely. He looked to his ex-girlfriend and, still his best friend, and their other friends. "I believe in all of you."
Mal leaned up and kissed her boyfriend on the lips before the team left the command center and toward the surface, where they knew the dragon was already in the process of destroying everything in sight.
Once they left the school they pulled out their iPhones, input their numbers and morphed. Mal fell back just a bit as she wondered the best way of calling out to the dragon that was supposed to be her zord as the rest of her team called out, "We need Auradon Megazord power!"
From the mountains their megazord was released and the five rangers wasted no time in getting to the cockpit and putting in their iPhones in their spots on the console. This was followed moments later by Evie placing her mirror shield in the slot on her console to summon the megazord's shield and Lonnie and Jay placing their weapons in the linked part of their consoles to summon the megazord's sword.
"We're as ready as we'll ever be." Audrey said with a sigh. "Let's give it all we've got."
Carlos didn't want to point out that it wouldn't be much. Their power levels were only sixty percent and backup power at half that level. The zord's structural integrity was only at seventy percent an while repairs were being made quickly even now thanks to the zord's composition it would be taken away just as quickly in a fight like this.
"Please, if you can hear me, we need you now." Mal called out. She wasn't sure what to expect and was not entirely surprised that nothing happened.
"Making a plea to the beast, are we?" She heard Paradias from behind her. "Even if the dragon were to show even that would be no match for Gandor, my dragon of destruction."
Mal turned to face their arch nemesis again. "That was the real monster; Meteor Dragon was just the set up." She accused.
Paradias laughed. "You're right my dear. In fact, in a roundabout way if that dragon hadn't destroyed my other dragon, Meteor Dragon you deemed it apparently, then my dragon of destruction would have never been able to show up." He had an evil glint in his eyes that reminded the purple ranger a bit of her mother Maleficent if she thought about. "Though what a conundrum that is for you, if it weren't destroyed my original monster would be doing what my dragon is doing now."
Mal shook her head. "Try what you want Paradias, you won't win. We won't let you." She vowed.
"You can't stop us now." Paradias stated as if it were fact. Mal just hoped he wasn't right.
The Auradon Megazord approached the dragon of destruction just as he faced them. Unlike the previous monsters this one seemed to have no ability with speech. It instead roared and fired a volley of fireballs at its opponent. Even the shield couldn't keep the battle zord completely safe as the blasts struck all around it.
"We have to try to finish this quickly." Jay said. "While we still have the power to do so."
Audrey nodded. "You're right." She agreed. The megazord raised its sword and collected energy to try to bring the powered down blade weapon upon the monster. But when it impacted the dragon it did nothing to it. Two massive claw slashes sent the megazord to the ground and it roared in either triumph or amusement.
"This isn't good." Carlos said. "Primary power at twenty percent, I'm diverting our backup power but that's only going to bring us to half power."
"Keep it together guys." Audrey instructed. "We're the only chance this world has right now."
Their chances got a little better when a bolt of energy soared from the sky and hit the dragon of destruction though not with the same devastating results that had been accomplished with Meteor Dragon.
"It's the dragon." Evie breathed. She hoped Mal could find a way to tame it now.
The purple dragon rushed toward the dragon of destruction but the monster's large claws reached out slashed the zord hard. The ranger's gasped in shock as they saw not the circuitry that they would see from the Auradon Megazord but instead evidence of flesh and blood.
As if to make it worse the monster dragon grabbed its tail and then slammed it hard into the ground. The rangers were surprised that they hadn't heard any bones, if it had any of course, break.
"Destroy it my dragon." Paradias ordered with glee.
"No." Mal protested and for an instant she thought about attacking the mastermind again but realized that he probably had his shield up. Instead the purple ranger did the next best thing she could think of. She ran forward and jumped on the snout of the dragon zord.
The five rangers got the Auradon Megazord on their feet and did their best to attack the dragon of destruction. The good news was that it got the creature off of the injured dragon zord. The bad news was it turned its wrath on their half powered battle zord.
Mal leaned down and stroked the scales in between its eyes. She knew that a lot of people would have a huge problem petting a reptile and especially a dragon. In fact it occurred to her in any world where dragons didn't exist they probably didn't even have that kind of classification. "It's okay." She said soothingly. "I'm going to heal you." She took out her spell book and continued talking. "Fairy Godmother says that dragons are immune to spells but I'd be willing to bet anything that that immunity is dependent on your will." She again stroked the dragon between the eyes. "If I can find a way to heal you, I think you'll let me."
The purple ranger flipped through the pages and continued to say soothingly, "You were really brave to help us against Meteor Dragon and to help us again against that dragon of destruction. You didn't have to do either; you could have gotten out of here the instant you were freed from the mountains."
The dragon of destruction slashed the Auradon Megazord hard and caused it to crash into one of the gates, destroying it. It followed up with a two fireballs. One was deflected by the shield but the grip was lost and the second one struck head on.
Mal found something that she thought might work. It wasn't a healing spell in the strictest sense but she figured anything with something as typically neutral as dragons would be taken care of by it. "Hear my words, hear my cry, take these aches and lay them to waste." She recited.
Whatever part of the dragon that was not biological seemed to react to the spell and seemed to speed up the healing on the dragon, more like repairs if Mal had to be guess. It made her realize that Fairy Godmother was right, whatever this dragon's origins it matched perfectly with the Auradon Megeazord.
The dragon let out a roar and raised its head. Then it started to glow and change, looking less like a regular dragon and now looking like a Chinese dragon. Mal saw it begin to look a little less biological and a little more technological, which now included a place for the purple ranger to take her place in the zord. She had no problem getting into the zord and placing her iPhone in a small place similar to a console just as her team mates in the megazord did.
"It worked." Jane breathed. "It accepted her."
Fairy Godmother nodded. "Her willingness to heal it. The fact she saw past its exterior, both the dragonic and the mechanical." She smiled. "Even the other ranger's willingness to attack that dragon of destruction despite the weakened condition of the zord."
"Mal is amazing, they all are." Ben agreed.
Jane turned to Doug. "Let' see if we can figure out what the next step is for them." She said.
The purple dragon roared, feeling fully renewed. It flew up in the air before unleashing a torrent of energy at the dragon of destruction. The extra power sent the monster reeling backwards. The dragon of destruction roared back and breathed several balls of fire at its recurring opponent but it was fast enough to evade them all.
"Look at that thing go." Evie said. "It's gotten even better now that it's bonded with Mal."
"You can do it." Audrey tried to encourage her friend.
The purple dragon lashed out with its tail but again the dragon of destruction caught it. Before it could give a repeat performance Mal was able to take control enough to slam her zord's head into the monster's body. It didn't do too much damage but at least it forced the opponent to release her zord.
Mal felt frustrated. She realized that while her zord had the ability to go toe to toe with the dragon of destruction, they needed yet more power if they wanted to beat back this destructive force.
As if to prove that point the dragon of destruction let loose a flurry of fireballs. The dragon zord evaded most of them but they struck around the area, including some that hit the school.
"Ben." Both Mal and Audrey gasped. A similar one from Evie for Doug and Carlos for Jane were heard as well.
Lonnie activated her helmet intercom. "Jane, are you guys alright?" She asked.
"We're just fine." Jane told her. "Ben and my mother just left the command center to see about the other students and staff."
"We have to stop this thing somehow." Jay interrupted.
"I think I have just the thing." Jane told them. "I'm transmitting it to you and Mal right now."
"Did you get it M?" Evie asked her best friend eagerly from the intercom.
"I got it E." The purple ranger responded. "Let's bring them together guys."
The Auradon Megazord was taken up until it landed on the back of the dragon zord, some of the excess scales wrapped around the megazord to offer extra protection. The tail wrapped around the body of both the battle zord and the dragon itself for additional protection. A space opened up between Audrey and Carlos and in came a space for Mal, finally granting her a place in the megazord hierarchy.
"Welcome to the fold M." Evie said with a smile.
"Glad to be here." Mal said with a laugh. "And with that it's time to see what the Auradon Champion Megazord can do."
Again the dragon of destruction let loose a flurry of fireballs but with the speed of the dragon the new megazord was able to bypass the blasts easily, and these were directed harmlessly out in the area.
With tremendous speed they collided hard with the dragonic opponent and he fell back a step before lashing out with its massive claws. It struck the armored battle zord and caused its flight path to fail. But as the dragon of destruction tried to follow up on that the zord lashed out and slammed its shield hard into their opponent. The additional power of the dragon backed up the attack and hit the monster back. They flew up again.
"Now why don't we try that final strike again?" Mal suggested.
"Gladly." Jay said with a laugh.
"With pleasure." Audrey vouched.
"Sounds good." Carlos agreed.
"Ready and willing." Lonnie said.
"Yes, ma'am." Evie responded.
They flew up into the air for a moment and then all six rangers called out, "Auradon Dragon Strike!" They then descended down and brought the powered up sword down hard on the dragon of destruction and angled at the last second to avoid hitting the ground and flying away as the monster was destroyed.
"Impossible!" Paradias growled in anger. "You think you've beaten me but you're wrong." With that he unleashed a huge surge of green energy straight at the Auradon Champion Megazord. It caused a huge impact and like that the six rangers plummeted to the ground hard and were even forced to power down. The Auradon Megazord was forced to retreat back to the mountain holding bay while the dragon landed hard.
Jay helped Audrey to stand. Mal was helping Evie to stand and then Lonnie and Carlos were behind them. They all looked up to see Paradias floating above them on the green disk and looking down on them angrily. "That was just a taste of what you truly have to deal with rangers." The man warned with cold amusement. "Remember that; this goes on only because I wish it."
"If you're that powerful than just get it over with." Jay called out to him, trying to call his bluff. "All you've proven is that you can have a tantrum."
Mal and Audrey exchanged glances, not sure if provoking him was really a good idea. That question would go unanswered as Mal's dragon zord raised its head and let loose with a huge storm of meteors that slammed down on the shield protecting Paradias hard. It didn't dissipate but somehow the rangers suspected if they could strike right now they might actually damage him. It was certainly enough that he chose to teleport away.
"That was impressive." Evie had to grant. She went to move and felt her ankle give out on her. Jay and Audrey were now holding her upright since they knew Mal had one other thing to attend to; her zord.
Mal moved toward the dragon zord and reached out to brush the zord's muzzle. "You did great." She told him. "Now, what do you do? Do you fly back into the ozone until we need you again? Or do you go back into the mountains?"
"What else would it do?" Carlos asked the purple haired girl curiously.
"That's a good question." Lonnie agreed. "What are the other options Mal?"
She sighed. "None, as far as I know." She never the less took her spell book and to see what she could do as the five rangers stood by and waited.
"Are you going to be okay?" Audrey asked the blue haired girl.
Evie nodded. "Sprained ankle I think." She answered. Her voice was still strong. "Some ice and a bit of relaxation should take care of it."
"How about you two?" Audrey asked Lonnie and Carlos after taking a moment to see that Jay was just fine and was still supporting their blue haired friend.
Lonnie smiled. "Shaken up a bit but okay." She said.
"Ditto." Carlos added.
Mal looked to her team and then her zord. "Wow. This is odd. My mom never mentioned this spell at all. There's a really strong spell in here that can shrink the zord down into a small crystalline figure that I can still keep active and then turn it loose when we need to fight." She said with some awe in her voice.
"That is odd." Evie agreed, though she remembered from watching Maleficent train her daughter that they never went into the back of the book. She had surmised that she decided the purple haired girl wasn't ready for the spells but instead thought that just maybe it was because she knew it was spells that a good person might never use; but they weren't bad anymore.
"Do it." Audrey said simply. "The dragon zord came when we…when you needed it. You bonded with it, it likes you."
Mal nodded in agreement. "You're right." She said simply. "This spell is a bit longer."
"We're not going anywhere M." Evie said with a smile. "We'll wait for you."
It took almost an hour before Ben, Jane, Doug and Fairy Godmother heard the six teens return. Ben was already at her side. "I was worried about you." He said to Mal. "What happened?"
"Just had to do something." Mal said simply as she looked down to see the now deceptively small looking dragon, looking like a purple crystal, come right now behind them before floating off into the air to survey the command center.
Doug and Jane had found a chair for Evie and Audrey and Jay sat her down. Doug placed an ice pack on her ankle. "Feel better?" He asked her.
Evie smiled at him. "Much." She said with a smile.
"So how is everything?" Audrey asked, though she guessed it wasn't too bad as they had all been waiting for them.
"Structural damage to the school mostly." Fairy Godmother replied. "Some minor injuries but nothing major and no casualties."
"Thank heavens." Mal said as she wrapped her hands around his arm and laid her head on his shoulder. "It could have been worse after that dragon's attack hit the school."
"Much worse." Ben agreed. "We've got a few days of rebuilding up ahead but nothing compared to what Paradias was hoping for."
"Paradias." Fairy Godmother repeated grimly as she looked at each of the rangers as well as Ben, Doug and her daughter. "We've seen a burst of his true power today." She took a deep breath. "We can't ever underestimate our enemies."
"The Auradon Megazord will be fully repaired in about two days." Jane told them. "I'll have to get a good scan of Mal's dragon zord before I can make a full estimate of how long before it's fully rested, but clearly it's either not doing too bad or it's fighting through the pain." She pointed to the small dragon circling the command center. It exchanged a small growl with Dude before the two moved on.
"Even worse is that we seem to be making him very angry." Audrey noted. "It seems like we keep falling only a step behind him. We have to find a way to increase our powers before something goes wrong and we find we can't even reach that final step."
Lonnie's eyes glowed mischievously. "I have an idea about that actually." She revealed. "But I'm going to need you," She looked to Evie, "You." She looked to Mal. "And you." She said to Jane. "If we want to make this work."
"What's your idea?" Mal asked curiously.
"Remember my recent hip hop performance?" Lonnie asked in return. They all nodded and the Asian girl continued, "Here's what I'm thinking…."