The Return
Maddie stood blindfolded near the wooden table while the other five rangers and Ryan gathered around her in a circle.
"Is this really necessary?" Ryan asked. "Feels a bit overkill and too childish for… you know, people our age."
Nick shrugged. "Don't look at me. This was Udonna's idea."
The white witch frowned at them. "You are never too old to learn something. Trust is the key to any team. To truly trust each other, you must be willing to put your safety in the hands of the team. Are you ready, Madison?"
"I guess so." She replied.
"Slowly fall forwards. Your team will catch you." Udonna told her. Maddie made a face as she fell forwards. Xander and Nick caught her easily and gently put her back in place.
"Awe, there's a good boy, Fireheart!" Clare cooed, walking past them with the baby dragon wrapped in a blanket.
"Finally, something magical in this place!" Ryan smirked, walking over to the apprentice. Udonna pursed her lips but before she could reprimand him, the other rangers except Neil ran over to gather around Clare and Fireheart as the baby dragon burped and flapped his tiny wings.
"Okay, here goes!" Maddie said, oblivious that the others had left their positions and fell backwards.
"Wait-" Neil started, trying to catch her singlehandedly, only for him to slip and fall back himself and Maddie falling on top of him, both of them crying out as they hit their heads. Udonna winced while Ryan smirked.
"Oh, that's trust for you!" Maddie scowled, pulling the blindfold off and glaring at the others, who were too busy making googly eyes at Fireheart. Then, she noticed that she was on top of the white mage and turned a bright shade of red.
"Sorry…" She mumbled, sprawling backwards, and getting up.
"Well at least you know you can trust me?" Neil laughed, rubbing his head and reaching for his spectacles that had fallen out. He put them back on before getting back to his feet.
"Yeah," The blue mystic smiled. "If you don't fall yourself…"
Neil pouted at her. "On the bright side, I did cushion your fall."
They looked around as the alarms blared and Udonna rushed to the crystal ball. "There's dark magic in the woods!"
"We will check it out!" Nick told her before shooting a tentative look at Ryan. "You coming?"
"Might as well!" The veteran ranger shrugged.
"I will alert Lena as well." The white witch said. "We will meet you there."
The rangers ran out of Rootcore, flipping open their morphers as they were directed towards the source of dark magic.
Their phones stopped chiming, indicating they had reached the site but they looked around surprised as they couldn't find any hidiac or monster there.
"It's quiet here." Nick noticed.
"Almost too quiet." Ryan narrowed his eyes. "It feels like we are being watched - Look out!"
They barely dodged as a being in orange metallic armour flew out from the trees.
"Who goes there?!" He asked them. "What brings you children into these dangerous woods?"
"Give us a second and we will show you!" They shot at the being. Nick and Xander pushing him back before he threw them off. Ryan and Neil caught them as Chip and the girls attacked the stranger but they too were swatted away easily.
"Let's morph!" Nick yelled.
"Wait!" It was Lena as she and Udonna hurried over to them.
"I can't believe it!" Lena gasped disbelievingly, approaching the being. "Is it really you?"
"Mom, what are you doing? Evil monster there!" Neil shouted, running over to her, and grabbing her hand.
"He is no such thing!" Udonna smiled as the being stepped back and his armoured form melted away to reveal a dark skinned man with tussled black hair and scruffled beard clad in a black uniform with orange stripes and the mystic insignia imprinted in the centre.
"Neil, this is my brother, your uncle, Calindor, the Thunder Knight." Lena smiled before wrapping her arms around him.
"Sister?" The man said disbelievingly, yet returning the hug. "You look… Did that boy call you 'mom'?"
Lena frowned, letting go of him. "You look the same. You haven't aged a single day. Where have you been all these years?"
"I don't understand… Years?" He asked, his voice breaking. "I was gone for years-"
"It's been more than twenty years, Calindor." Udonna said. "We all thought you didn't survive the War."
"Twenty years?" He repeated in shock.
"Calindor, what happened to you?" Lena asked him.
"I don't … I went back to our home but there was no one there. I woke up an hour ago in a cave. I couldn't find the Academy. I was making my way to Rootcore… I was trapped for twenty years?"
"What's going on?" Vida asked.
"Who are they?" Calindor asked, pointing at them.
"They are the Mystic Force rangers." Udonna smiled.
"Our team?" He asked with fearful eyes.
"They didn't make it. We thought you died twenty years ago too. We searched for you for months but-"
"It's not your fault, sister." He reassured her. "I was cursed by a powerful dark mage. But the war… It is been going on for twenty years?"
"No. Niella and Leanbow sacrificed themselves to drive the darkness back and seal the gates twenty years ago. Six months ago, a crack appeared in the gates and evil broke free."
"The Academy?"
"Gone. The first place the darkness attacked. And so are all the students and mages. We are the last mystics. The last line of defence."
"So much has changed while I was- And you have a son?" He asked, turning towards Neil.
"This is Neil, the white mystic ranger." Lena smiled, nudging him forwards.
"Nice to meet you, I guess?" He held out a hand but Calindor pulled him to a hug, which he awkwardly returned by patting the knight's shoulder.
"My nephew…" He said, letting go and looking at his face. "Where is Dante?"
Lena shook her head.
"Oh…I am sorry." Calindor looked down. "So many of us are gone."
"No, today is not a day of mourning but of celebration." Udonna cut in. "Today you have returned to us. A great warrior!"
"An old friend." He corrected, hugging the red head warmly.
Lena leaned on Neil's shoulder as she cried happy tears. The white mystic smiled but he couldn't let go of the feeling that something was amiss.
I am betting you guys weren't expecting Calindor this early!