Fireheart
They exchanged uncertain glances as they followed Xander. The green mystic stopped abruptly, looking around for something.
"Now where?" Nick asked frustratedly. He raised his eyebrows. By now it was crystal clear that Xander was as lost without the map as they were, whether he admitted it or not.
"It's this way!" He turned right but Neil looked at him hesitantly.
"You sure?" He asked.
Xander nodded.
"You do know it's okay if you don't remember the map exactly, right? We will figure out something else." The white mystic said quietly.
"I do know what I am doing, Neil." Xander snapped at him before walking faster only to stagger backwards in alarm as Phineas jumped in front of them again.
"I wouldn't go that way." The troblin said casually, nodding his head fervently." Only took me a couple of years to learn that landing on my feet was way easier than landing on my face!"
"Maybe now would be a good time to ask Phineas for his help?" Madison asked.
"We don't need anything!" He retorted sharply.
"He's right!" Phineas agreed jovially. "Who cares about anything while they are being eaten by a Borebeast? But hey, once again, have a nice day!"
"A what beast?" Neil repeated horrified as Phineas turned around, about to walk away.
"He's just trying to scare us!" Xander waved him off. "Come on guys!"
"Wait!" Neil shouted. "Phineas, wait up!"
"Neil, what are you doing?" Xander asked him tensely.
"Xander, we don't have any magic here or our ranger powers, you know, the reasons I gave to convince my mom and Udonna to let us come here. We are powerless! We need all the help we can get!" He explained.
"But we don't know Phineas that well! No offence, Phineas." The green mystic snapped.
"Point taken." The troblin said completely unbothered.
"And you know the forest so well?" Neil shot back. "We have been running around in circles for hours and whether you want to admit it or not, we are lost! We are hungry, tired and once again, without magic!"
"But-"
"Xander, we are going with Phineas. We already said no once and we ended up in a sand swamp! Let's not reject a gift horse in the face twice!"
"I am with Neil." Nick said.
"Me too." Vida agreed, turning to the others. "Guys?"
Maddie and Chip looked at each other before moving over to them.
"Come on, Xander." Neil insisted.
"Guys, I know where I'm going!" The green mystic insisted, his voice heated. "Okay then, okay, I will cover your shifts for two weekends at Rock Porium if you stick with me!"
Maddie and Chip hesitated.
"Make it three." Maddie countered.
"Deal!" Xander agreed.
"Xander, this isn't a game!" Neil shouted. "We can seriously get killed! The only reason we aren't dead since we became rangers is our magic and we don't have any here! Please!"
"I know what I am doing. It's clear you don't believe in me!" Xander looked at him, his voice shaking with betrayal.
"It's not that-"
"Let's go guys." The green mystic said, leading Chip and Maddie into the forest. Chip grinned back at them. "I have always wanted to see a Borbeast anyway!"
"Is he always this trigger-happy about the prospect of getting killed?" Nick shook his head.
Vida nodded grimly. "I hope Xander knows what he is doing."
"Let's go." Neil said quickly, turning his head away. "They won't see reason and I for one want to get out of here."
Lena pursed her lips into a thin line as she arrived in the city to bear witness to a squadron of hidiacs and an ogre thrashing cars and forcing civilians to flee in fear.
"Stop!" She commanded, stepping forwards.
"So, you finally show up, knight!" A familiar cackle came from behind. Lena turned around just in time to block a blast of dark energy with a shield of yellow magic.
Her fingertips cackled with electricity as she glared at Bandora, who was clad in a black gown with red highlights. She wore a silver tiara with an emblem of a bat in the centre.
"Impossible… I thought Necrolai was back…" Lena mused.
"For once, I agree with you, knight." The dark witch grimaced. "I still have command over Necrolai's lifeforce. Someone is masquerading as her and trying to sow dissent in my ranks."
"Not my problem!" Lena summoned a crossbow, shooting energy arrows at the dark witch, which she swatted aside with her hand.
"You are outmatched, knight! The least you can do is be polite." Bandora snarled. The hidiacs surrounded Lena from all sides. The ogre made the ground shake as he approached her with slow but thunderous steps, dragging his club behind.
"Sorry to disappoint you but I have faced worse than your sorry excuse of an army!" Lena told her scathingly, touching her necklace. "Magical Source, Mystic Force!"
Lightning shot down from the skies above, blinding the forces of darkness momentarily as she transformed. Regal armour manifested over her as the spirit of garuda appeared behind her before fusing with her helmet.
"Knight of Lightning, Saffron Sentinel!"
She charged at the dark witch and her underlings, a sword with an amber hilt manifesting in one hand and a crossbow in the other. She aimed her crossbow at the hidiacs, shooting them with bolts of yellow lightning.
"You will need something more than shiny new toys to beat me, knight!" Bandora screeched, snapping her fingers at the ogre. "Get her!"
The ogre stomped towards her, swinging his club wildly, which Lena dodged effortlessly before jumping at the ogre, striking him with her sword while shooting at him point blank with her crossbow.
The creature staggered backwards before growling. Hidiacs surrounded her from all sides.
"Despite your skills, you are just a lone knight against my army!" Bandora snarked before tapping her chin with her fingers. "That does make me wonder where your percious charges are?"
Lena made her way through the hidiacs with her sword and sometimes hitting them with the crossbow. She smirked as she got a clear shot at Bandora. Without wasting a second, she took aim and fired. The lightning bolts hit their mark and the witch was forced to the ground.
The ogre growled, sensing the distress of his mistress and charged at Lena in a mad frenzy, throwing his club around, swatting through hidiacs. The lightning knight turned around but it was too late. The ogre's club hit her head on, sending her skidding across the ground and forcing her to let go of her weapons, which dematerialised into sparkles of yellow light without her magic to tether them. She fell against a wall and looked up. Her visor was cracked.
She struggled to get up. Her head was spinning and even with the protection of her armour, everything hurt.
"Are you humbled now, knight?" Bandora smirked, walking towards her.
Just then, a grey blur collided against the dark witch, throwing her back.
Lena narrowed her eyes as the blur slowed down to reveal a figure in grey suit with gold plated armour and a T- shaped design across their chest. There was no doubt the newcomer was a ranger, but strangely, she couldn't sense any mystical or elemental energies from them, but there was something about them that made her magic go on high alert.
The ranger took out a hand blaster and fired at the ogre, antagonising him further and Lena could bet that the ranger was smirking underneath his helmet as they summoned an axe and leapt at the monster.
She took a deep breath as she watched the ranger cut through the ogre with their axe brutally and the creature exploded in a burst of dark magic that conveniently consumed the remaining hidiacs as well.
"What are you?" Bandora gasped as the mysterious ranger turned towards her. Not willing to find out, the dark witch teleported away.
The ranger tilted their head and gave her a small nod before walking away into the city, leaving her shocked.
She hadn't felt any magic from the ranger. Their armour was man made, raw grid energy harnessed by a suit made of advanced technology, but the person underneath the armour… She had no doubt of what they were and for the first time since her reconciliation with the Mystic Force, she felt out of her depth. Whoever that was, they were no mere mortal… They reeked of demonic energy and the fact that such a being could morph without being burned to a crisp terrified her to no end!
Neil looked up, furrowing his eyebrows. Only the barest of sunlight filtered in through the thick canopy of trees.
"Hey, they will be okay." Nick told him.
"You think so?" He countered. "Xander has a thick head, Chip excited at the slightest sign of danger-"
"Maddie is with them too." Vida cut him. "She has common sense. Besides, we didn't actually face any monsters back there, just got lost a bit. After we get Fireheart, we will pick them up on the way back."
"If they are still there…" Phineas reminded them jovially, hopping ahead.
The rangers looked at each other worriedly as they walked quickly to keep up with the troblin.
"There you go!" Phineas turned back to them and moved aside to reveal a clearing. "Congratulations, you have officially made it out of the Cimmerian Forest. Now if you will excuse me, I have got things to do."
"Hey, thanks!" Nick called after him as he headed back into the forest.
"Let's hope one of those things is a bath…" Vida grumbled, looking ahead. They were on top of a small cliff overlooking a rock quarry.
"That's a long way down." Vida bit her lips.
"Since we are out of the forest, let's see if our magic works again?" Neil asked, taking out his morpher and pointing it at the quarry. A sturdy bridge of ice crystallised out of thin air, connecting the cliff to the ground.
"Looks like it works." He smiled, running down the bridge, quickly followed by the others.
"What now?" Vida asked.
"Over there!" Nick pointed at something reflecting light in the middle of a boulder. They ran over to it and peered close to inspect it.
"It's stuck!" Neil said.
"Not for long!" Vida snarked, raising her wand. "Tornado power!"
She turned into a whirling tornado of pink wind and blasted the rocks apart. Neil lifted his hands on reflex, seeing tiny rocks coming his and Nick's way. Some were frozen mid-air, losing their momentum and clattering to the ground while others were incinerated to ashes before it could hit them. He turned to Nick, who winked at him. "You are not the only one with good reflexes."
"Yes!" Vida's yell drew their attention.
They looked at her gazing at a lead pipe sealed with an outer shell of gold.
"I will take it from here." Nick reached for his morpher. Red sparks hit the gold, melting it down and the pipe rolled free. Vida reached for it, only to quickly withdraw her hand. "It's too hot!"
"Let me." Neil came forwards, icy mist pouring from his hands as he scooped the pipe and uncapped it, pulling out a roll of parchment.
The three grinned at each other victoriously.
Suddenly, the ground exploded behind them and they fell forwards.
"No!" Neil screamed as he fell to the ground with a thud, the impact forcing him to let go of the scroll, which rolled out of his hands.
"I will take this!" They looked up to see Necrolai pick up the scroll. She cackled at them. "Thanks for making it so easy. The seal could have been unlocked by anyone with light elemental magic! I never would have been able to get it without your foolishness and now Fireheart is mine!"
"You will not get away with it!" Vida swore as they struggled to their feet.
"I won't?" She smirked, snapping her fingers and dark magic washed over the rocks around them, animating them into bulky grotesque golems. A symbol of dark magic glowed in eery purple across the chest of each creature of the small army. Necrolai laughed.
"Ready?" Nick asked as they reached for their morphers.
"Ready!"
"Magical Source, Mystic Force!"
Coloured lights washed over them as they morphed.
"Magi Staff, Spear Mode!" Vida yelled, transforming her staff into a spear, throwing it at the vampire. It hit the mark and the vampire was thrown back in a shower of sparks. She flew backwards and the rock creatures trotted forwards, making a barrier between her and the rangers. Vida grunted, the staff swinging past the creatures, returning to her.
"Magi Staff, Frost Bow!" Neil yelled, his staff turning into a bow, just like his mother's but it was painted white with light blue edges.
"Magi Staff, Sword Mode!" Nick swung his sword as all three of them charged at the golems.
The white mystic fired a volley of arrows at the golems, leaving them frozen in a slab of ice just in time for Nick to incinerate them with a blast of fire from his sword.
"Poof, that was easy!" Nick smirked just seconds before they heard a horn blaring behind them and the screech of tires against an uneven terrain. They turned around to see a cab heading their way, headlights blinking on and off ominously.
"Great, you jinxed us!" Vida scoffed as they rolled out of the way of the car.
The car whirled around midway, targeting them again.
"Great! A magical car acting like a rabid dog in the middle of a deadly forest!" Neil scoffed. "Anyone else feels we are getting the full Harry Potter experience!"
They pointed their staffs at the car defensively, shooting it with magic which bounced off the vehicle harmlessly.
A stone slab appeared in front of them and the car slammed into it, before being thrown back and resuming his monster form.
"Hey!" They turned around to see Xander, Chip and Madison running towards them, fully morphed.
"Maddie!" Vida cried happily, embracing her sister.
"Glad to see you guys finally made it out!" Neil told Xander, pulling the green mystic to a hug.
"Just in time apparently." Xander shrugged. "But I owe you an apology. You were right and if it weren't for Phineas showing up, we would have been spider food!"
"Spider food?" Neil asked.
"Yeah, something called a Borbeast." Chip said excitedly. "A giant spider like an-"
"Acromantula!" Neil finished. "I won't be surprised if we fall into a secret chamber next or face a basilisk next."
"Oh, you noticed it too!" Chip beamed at him.
"Save the nerd fest for later, boys. We got a vampire to slay." Vida cut them off glaring at Necrolai.
They nodded, turning towards the villains.
"Get them!" Necrolai pushed the monster towards them. The monster fired his blasters at them, which they deflected with their staff.
"Our turn now!" Nick charged at him, striking him with his sword, sending him staggering back.
"Magi Axe!" Xander leapt at him, bashing him with his axe.
"Magi Trident!" Maddie swung her trident, forcing the monster back as an arc of blue energy slammed against him.
"Guys, all together now!" Nick commanded.
"Thunder Crossbow!" Chip threw his crossbow in the air.
"Frost bow!" Neil followed suit, his bow landing diagonally on top of the crossbow.
"Earth Axe!"
"Ocean Trident!"
"Mist Spear!"
"Fire Sword!" Nick threw his sword as it merged with the other weapons, giving the semblance of a blaster. Nick caught the blaster and the rest placed their arms around their leader, channelling their magic into him and the weapon.
"Magi Blaster, fire!" A torrent of rainbow coloured energy hit the monster, obliterating it instantaneously.
"Yeah!" Nick cheered.
"It's not over yet." Neil looked at the vampire, who was trying to summon a spell circle and vanish away with the scroll she had stolen.
"Hey, that belongs to us!" Vida yelled, running past the others and slamming into the vampire. She tried to wrestle the scroll out of her grasp but the vampire didn't let go of it.
"Let go, hag!" Vida snarled, tugging it but unintentionally ripping it into half.
"Look what you have done!" The vampire yelled scathingly.
"Being back from the dead made you crankier, Necrolai!" Vida jabbed as the others ran up to her.
"Why couldn't you fools have minded your own business for once!" She glared at the six, her eyes burning with hatred. "And I am not Necrolai! I am Lilith and I swear you all will pay!"
With that, she disappeared in a burst of black smoke leaving the rangers bewildered.
"So, that's not Necrolai?" Nick scratched his helmet.
"Who cares, we stopped her!" Xander said.
"We didn't exactly win either." Neil elbowed him.
"Well, at least we have half of it," Madison sighed optimistically.
"Yeah, whatever it is…" Vida murmured, unfolding the ripped parchment to reveal a indiscernible picture with strange letters scribbled all over it.
As the teens returned to clean up in Rock Porium after handing over the map to Udonna, Xander smiled apologetically at the rest of the group, setting down the cardboard cut-out of Toby's idol.
"I'm really sorry, everybody." He told them, who looked up at him.
"What is it… the great Xander admitting he was wrong?" Neil raised his eyebrow sceptically.
"I know I messed up-"
"Almost getting yourself, my sister and my best friend killed is a tad more than just messing up, Xan." Vida scowled at him.
"I know." Xander looked down. "I thought I knew what I was doing but I guess part of being a leader is knowing when to follow."
"At least it's not a total loss." Maddie started gently. "You learned from this, Xander."
"So, we good?"
The others shrugged and Xander turned to look at the white mystic, who looked away pointedly before moving over to rearrange some shelves on other side of the store.
Xander sighed before walking after him but a hand caught him from behind. It was Madison.
"Hey, he needs some time." The blue mystic said softly.
"But I should talk to him, let him know I am sorry." Xander protested.
"He knows and you should clear the air, but let him process all this first. We almost died, you know and he almost lost you…" Madison bit her lips.
"Yeah…" Xander nodded, turning his eyes away from the white mystic. "I am sorry, Madison."
"I know." She smiled at him before her eyes glinted with mischief. "You still owe me and Chip two weekends."
Xander pouted before relenting. "I do. It's the least I can do after messing up bigtime."
Maddie stopped smiling as a concerned look glazed over her face. "We are human, Xander. We all make mistakes and it wasn't just you. We went along with you too."
"Yeah, but I–"
"No buts and no blaming guilt tripping yourself." Maddie said sternly.
"Hello mates!" A vaguely familiar voice cut through the tension and they all looked as a real Jake Bonebreaker walked into Rock Porium. "My tour bus broke down so I thought I'd kill some time in here while it's getting fixed."
The rangers looked at each other disbelievingly. Xander looked back and forth between the real person and the cardboard figure.
"Hey, handsome fellow, isn't he?" The rockstar laughed, walking over to stand beside it.
"You got to meet our boss! He's your biggest fan!" Vida urged.
"Toby! Guess who's here!" Nick called and their boss emerged from his office with a perturbed look. "Jake Bonebreaker!"
The storeowner scoffed. "Nope. Not falling for that again! I have got work to do."
With that, he snooped back into his office and the rangers burst out laughing, while the rockstar looked at them baffled.
Hope you guys are doing alright.
Also, I am planning to write a Mystic Force prequel focusing on the mystics who fought with Leanbow, Daggeron, Callindor, Udonna and Niella in the Great War. To anyone who's interested, I have fancasts and character descriptions up in my Instagram page. I will update my "Twilight Storm" story and kick off the Legacyverse series, which will feature the Mystic Force heavily in May.
In the show, only the guy rangers got to turn their staffs into personalised weapons. Here, I gave Madison a trident and Vida a spear. Did you guys like the Magi Blaster concept? And did you guys figure out who's Lilith? It's an idea I have been sitting on for a while and I let you guys think Necrolai is back but she's not yet.