Long Ago
As they walked back towards Rootcore, Neil cast a suspicious glance at Calindor.
"What's wrong?" Ryan asked, as he and Madison stopped beside him.
"I don't know." He whispered back. "Something about Calindor doesn't seem right."
"It's not just you." Ryan murmured. "Something is not adding up."
"Or maybe you just need some time to adjust to the fact that your dead uncle is actually alive and well?" Madison offered.
"I guess." Neil shrugged.
As they reached Rootcore, the eyes of the dragon head flashed red.
"What is going on?" Calindor asked alarmed.
Vida turned towards Udonna and Lena. "I thought you modified the wards so that it doesn't consider me an intruder."
"We did." The white witch assured her.
"I may be missing something, but why would you need-" Calindor asked the pink witch.
"Because I am a vampire." She shrugged and the knight laughed in response, only stopping when he noticed that the others weren't joining him.
"Surely, you must be joking. A mystic warrior can never be a vampire!" He shook his head in jest.
"No, Vida is a vampire though it was not by choice." Lena said.
"But you walked in sunlight and it is not possible for any nightwalker to do so unless…" He wandered off, looking at the pink mystic with renewed interest and disbelief.
"Yeah, I am the vampire queen. No big deal." Vida said nonchalantly. "We cool?"
"The queen of vampires is part of the Mystic Force… Times truly have changed." Calindor said slowly.
"There is more you should know. It's best we bring you up to speed inside Rootcore." Lena insisted.
"Very well." Calindor smiled, holding out his arm, which his sister readily took as she led him into their headquarters.
Ryan's eyes narrowed but he didn't say anything.
As soon as they entered Rootcore, Calindor gasped as he saw Clare.
"Niella!" He said happily, before turning to Udonna and Lena, who had pained expressions on their faces. "Why didn't you tell me Niella was here too!"
Udonna placed a hand on his shoulder. "I am afraid that she is not my sister. Niella perished in the great war. Calindor, meet Clare, Niella's daughter and my niece."
"Wait… That's –" Calindor gulped, his eyes dimming with loss. He turned to Clare apologetically. "I am sorry. You look a lot like Niella. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Thank you." Clare smiled at him sweetly. "It's an honour to meet you too."
Just then, the crystal ball showed darkness and the familiar chime rang from the rangers' morphers.
"What is going on?" Calindor asked.
"Dark magic in the city." Clare informed the rangers hurriedly.
"Right. We are on our way." Nick said.
"I will accompany you all." Calindor decided but Lena placed a hand on his shoulder. "Probably best for you to sit this one out. You are still recovering from the curse."
"Maybe you should too." Ryan told the older ranger. "Will give you time to catch up with your brother. I will help the others."
"Alright." Lena gave him a grateful smile.
The rangers nodded before hurrying out the exit.
"Fight with honour!" Calindor called after them.
The rangers appeared in the middle of the city, exiting from a tree.
"I could get used to this." Ryan noted.
"Look, there it is!" Nick spotted the blue monster with razor blades for arms, who was chasing after civilians.
"It's wrecking time!" He announced, just as a blast of pink magic hit him, sending him staggering back.
"Hurry, this way!" Maddie said, helping a girl who had fallen down in the commotion and leading her away from the monster.
The others chased past the sea of screaming citizens and surrounded the monster.
"I am Jester and I will bring a smile to my mistress' face by destroying this city!" He jeered at them.
"The bad guys are always so obvious!" Vida shrugged, drawing her magi staff and charging at the monster, only for him to melt into the ground.
The pink ranger looked around surprised. "Hey, where did he go?"
"He was right here!" Nick ran over to her, inspecting the ground when they heard a cackle nearby.
"Yoo-hoo, the joke is on you!" Jester appeared at a distance and pointed to a nearby building, from which a pair of civilians dangled helplessly. "Now what are you about to do?"
"This!" Neil raised his magi staff as a white aura surrounded him. "Blizzard Rush!"
His body transformed into a mighty snow storm that spiralled towards the monster, leaving him encased in a slab of ice. Neil rematerialized behind him and snapped his fingers and the slab shattered into a million fractals, the monster along with it.
Meanwhile Maddie had caught the civilians, landing safely on the ground. She nodded as the two gave her hurried thanks before scurrying away.
"That was quick." Chip quipped before Ryan hit his shoulder.
"First rule of ranger business… don't jinx it." The titanium ranger reprimanded him just as a dark seal appeared near the remains of the monster, reconstituting him. "See!"
The monster grinned at them before melting away again.
"We got to find that creep!" Xander said. The others nodded, summoning their mystic racers.
"Need a ride?" Nick asked Ryan.
"Nope. Got my own." The titanium ranger declined politely, quickly entering a code in his wrist morpher and a red teleportation beam appeared before them.
"Trans Armour Cycle!" He announced, leaping on the red bike, ignoring Chip's squeal of excitement. "I will search the streets while you guys look from above."
"Nice idea… I will join you." Nick said, pointing his morpher down at his racer and red sparks traversing it, transforming it into a bike. "Mystic Speeder!"
"Okay, let's go!" Vida told the others as they flew off.
"Nice ride, by the way." Ryan commented.
"Yours too." Nick replied, as they blazed through the city. "Hey do you ride?"
"Not as often." He said, "Definitely not into bikes like you dude, but I do like it."
"Cool." The red ranger said before looking at him hesitantly. "Hey, maybe I can take you for a ride across the city?"
"Depends. Are you asking me out on a date?" Ryan asked and though Nick couldn't see his face, it wasn't hard to hear the slightly teasing yet somehow earnest tone.
"I guess I am." The red ranger said, his face heating up underneath his helmet.
"It's a date." Ryan promised.
"Udonna! Lena!" Clare called out to them and they climbed down the stairs to where the apprentice stood with Calindor near the crystal ball.
"I don't see anything." Calindor said.
"It's gone." Clare frowned at the knight and then looked back at the crystal.
"What is it?" Udonna asked.
"But… It was here!" The apprentice said to them, panicking. "There was smoke and dark energy right here in Rootcore."
"Could we speak in private?" Calindor requested the other two, waving off Clare's worry.
"Of course." Lena smiled and he nodded, walking up the dais to where the Xenotome was kept.
"Oh child, you have been working too hard." Udonna told her niece.
"Maybe." Clare sighed, walking out of Rootcore.
The white witch turned towards the knight. "Don't take offence. She is young just like we all were."
"So how did you get trapped?" Lena asked him. "And why couldn't we find you? I must have tried so many scrying spells and it all came out nothing. We had a funeral."
"I was cursed… Stuck in a cave for years, not ageing, incredible dark magic holding me a prisoner."
"Cursed?" Lena asked. "Who?"
"It is going to sound bizarre and I am still not sure that I can wrap my head around it even after what he did to me, but we were betrayed by Daggeron."
"Daggeron?" Udonna repeated, the colour draining from her face.
"No, we know him. He fought with us, bled with us," Lena shook her head fervently.
"I trusted him with everything." The white witch exhaled, sitting down on the couch.
"Are you sure it was him? Maybe it was some monster masquerading as him?" Lena asked.
"I felt his magic, sister. Saw him twist and mutate into this horrible monster, defiling his ancient mystic mode." Calindor sighed. "I was hesitant to fight him and that ended up in me getting cursed."
Lena and Udonna turned towards each other in disbelief.
Vida heard it first. Ever since she had been turned, her senses had been enhanced. The sound of terrified screams hammered in her ear.
"Follow me!" She called out, chasing after the sound and soon spotting the monster dancing in the middle of a city block.
The rangers leapt off their racers, surrounding him.
"What is that?" Maddie spotted a symbol in the ground in garish red paint.
"Not you again?" Jester whined, swinging his claws and arcs of dark energy crashed against them, pushing them back as sparks flew out of their suits.
"No!" Nick and Ryan reached the site, leaving their bikes and running up to the others.
"You are in trouble now!" Nick swore slamming his fists together, summoning a pair of white boxing gloves as he leapt at Jester. "Mystic Force Fighters! Power Punch!"
The monster disappeared and the ranger hit the cannisters behind, causing an explosion that sent him flying backwards.
"Nick!" The rangers cried.
"You okay, mate?" Xander asked, running to him.
"Yeah." He nodded, only for Jester to land on his back. "It's been fun but I got to go!"
A dark circle enveloped him as he vanished.
"He got away!" Nick slammed his fists to the ground.
"We will get him next time." Ryan reassured him, helping him up.
"Wait, he painted something on the ground." Madison pointed out as they moved to surround the symbol.
"Strange…" Xander muttered.
"I have seen this symbol before." Neil said.
"So have I." Ryan nodded.
"I can't believe this." Udonna grimaced. "Daggeron was the best man at our wedding, Leanbow's star pupil and best friend. He would never-"
"Are you forgetting who he was before?" Calindor questioned.
"What do you mean?" Lena frowned.
"He is Daggeron Darhk, son of the notorious Damien Darhk and brother of the Heretic." The knight scoffed. "We should have seen this coming."
"No." Lena shook her head. "Despite his ancestry, Daggeron proved himself time and time again."
"The Darhk family were the strongest supporters of the dark arts. And we all know, blood is thicker than water. His ancestors betrayed the Mystics just like he did us!"
"No. Daggeron and his sisters renounced their family to help us." Lena said softly.
"Maybe he was under some mind control spell?" Udonna suggested.
"We are deluding ourselves. If he comes back and tries to trick us again-"
"We will be wary of that." Lena reassured him. "But he is our friend."
"Was he alone?" Udonna asked Calindor.
"Yes…" The thunder mage recalled. "One minute, we were brethren, fighting against hidiacs, the next, he attacked me."
"Why didn't the Xenotome tell us?" Udonna frowned. "Anything about all this?"
"The Book of the Unknown. It survived the destruction of the Academy?" he asked, surprised.
"Yes. A few years ago, the Mystic Mother entrusted it in my care." Udonna said. "It was here all along. This is our most powerful ally. The rangers' powers are bestowed from this book. It is all knowing."
"There is much I need to know if I am to help you and make up for lost time." He put an arm around his sister.
"And you will." Lena reassured. "But now, you must rest."
"She is right." Udonna told him. "I will make tea."
"Please allow me." Calindor told her, smiling. "Like old times."
The other two nodded as he walked away towards the kitchen.
"So, you are not sold on Calindor being your uncle?" Nick asked Neil as they gathered back in Rock Porium.
"Something feels off." Neil told the others.
"I agree," Ryan added. "That's why I insisted Lena stay behind in Rootcore. If he is someone or something else, she can protect Udonna and Clare."
"We should be there too." Neil insisted.
"No." Ryan placed a hand on his shoulder. "We must stay here and we can't throw accusations on people without proof."
"Yeah, maybe you guys are just being paranoid." Maddie offered.
"We went to the forest sensing dark magic and instead found Calindor." The titanium ranger pointed out.
"Maybe it could be the lingering traces of dark magic from whatever curse trapped him for twenty years?" Vida guessed.
"It is possible. Anyway, as I said, without tangible proof, we can't accuse him." Ryan told them.
"And we still have to take care of that circus freak running around town." Nick said as Xander picked up his ukelele.
"Any ideas what he is up to?" He asked, stringing a tune.
"The symbol on the ground… I know I have seen it before." Madison said.
"I got it." Vida looked up at them with a smile. "It is part of the dark spell seal!"
"You are right." Chip nodded.
"And I must have seen it in one of my books about dark rituals." Ryan mused.
"You have a book about dark rituals?" Xander frowned.
"All hunters do." The titanium ranger told them. "That's how you stay ahead of demons and dark forces by having an indepth knowledge of their skillsets."
"Right. Now, we just have to figure out what Jester is planning to do with it." Maddie tapped her chin thoughtfully.
"What?" She frowned, seeing Chip and Vida smirk at her.
"It seems your prince has arrived." Xander teased, leaning behind her. Maddie looked sideways, screaming as she swatted the frog off.
"Still don't like frogs?" Vida teased.
"Not since you put one down my dress when we were kids, no." She made a face at her sister.
"That was a long time ago!" Vida protested weakly.
With a croak, the frog leapt at Maddie again, causing her to squeal again. The others jumped as the frog leapt across the store and the rangers tried to catch him.
The shop was thrown into chaos as the rangers tried to catch the frog.
"Let me." Ryan rolled his eyes at the rangers' antics, crouching down in front the frog and extending his hand. The frog leapt in his outstretched palm and he covered it with his other hand. Ryan looked at the other rangers smugly before exiting the store.
"I do not know what to think." Udonna told Lena. "Daggeron betraying us is inconceivable."
"I know my brother wouldn't lie but maybe he is mistaken." Lena's eyes drifted towards the Xenotome. "You would think the great book of the unknown would let us in on something that big."
"The book works in unknown ways." Udonna smiled sadly. "We should be grateful that we have been reunited with Calindor after so many years. It doesn't do well to dwell on the past."
They turned around as Calindor walked in, carrying a tray with three goblets.
"Thank you." The white witch smiled, taking a goblet from him while Lena took the other.
"NO!" Clare shrieked as she bolted into Rootcore, causing them to halt seconds before they drank the tea.
Clare jumped on Calindor.
"Clare, what has gotten into you, child!" Udonna demanded.
"He is a liar! He is the one who betrayed the Mystics!" Clare told them as the knight tried to throw her off.
"Nonsense. He is my brother!" Lena said sternly. "Let go of him, Clare."
"The girl's out of her head!" Calindor shouted as Clare's foot hit the goblet in Udonna's hands, causing the 'tea' to fly out and land on the table, burning through the wood.
Lena dropped hers in alarm and saw it cause a hole in the floor.
She and Udonna looked up at Calindor alarmed. He finally threw the apprentice off him.
"Calindor?"
"I guess the game is over!" He snarled, calling on his mystic armour before dark energy washed over him, mutating him into a mummy inspired monster wielding a staff with a purple fan on it's top.
"Who are you? What have you done to my brother!" Lena demanded, instantly summoning her own armour.
"Naïve sister, still believing the best in me! I almost feel bad about destroying you." He scoffed, swinging his staff and letting loose a blast of dark magic at the three mystics. Lena and Udonna countered it with their own magic. Yellow and white magic clashed with purple energies.
"Laughable! Your magic is weak without your snow staff, Udonna and dear sister, your powers pale in front of the dark powers I was gifted by Mistress Bandora!" He drawled, pushing the two mages back.
"I can't hold on! Clare, quick!" Udonna urged her niece, who had taken cover behind the table.
The apprentice gulped nervously, getting up and thrusting her hands at the monster. "Bullurio Orvis!"
Bolts of silver energy struck the mummy, who couldn't block it due to his attention being focused on the other mystics. Udonna and Lena's magic pushed back the purple magic and collided with Calindor, who screamed as the energy ripped him to shreds.
"Who is weak, now, bub?" Clare snarked victoriously though her grin faded away as she saw Lena fall to her knees.
"You!" Clare spun around as Calindor reformed behind her. He grabbed her and hurled her into Udonna.
"Be still!" A forcefield of purple energy immobilized the two witches.
"Stop this madness, Calindor." Lena demanded, getting up and drawing her bow. She fired a lightning arrow at the traitor, which he swatted away with the back of his hands.
"I go by Imperious now, sister!" He snarled, extending his free arm and a tendril of papyrus shot out from his arm, wrapping around the lightning knight and slamming her hard against the table, which broke on the impact and the knight crashed on the floor, her armour fading away leaving her battered and unconscious.
"Lena!" Udonna screamed. Her eyes glowed white as she tried to break through the barrier but her efforts were in vain.
The sorceress glared at Imperious. "She is your sister!"
"Maybe in another life." He snorted, turning towards the Xenotome.
"Without the Xenotome, the rangers would be helpless and lost!" He reached out, only to flinch with pain as light magic shot out from it's pages, repelling him.
"Did you really think the Xenotome would reveal their secrets to a monster like you!" Clare scoffed at him. The monster tightened his wrist and lightning coursed through the two witches, causing them to cry out in pain.
He turned towards the sacred tome and tendrils of dark energy shot out from his staff, slowly eating away at the barrier of light magic protecting the tome.
"You know frogs aren't all that bad. Sure, they are slimy and sometimes poisonous, but the one of the first black rangers had a frog zord!" Chip informed them excitedly as Ryan slowly set the frog free outside Rock Porium.
The frog croaked at him before leaping from his hand and heading towards the shrubs near the store.
"They are still disgusting1" Maddie sniffed.
"And you should probably wash your hands." Neil told the titanium ranger. "With soap."
"I am going to. Gods, you are worse than my sister!" He shook his head before going to the washroom.
Just as he came out, they heard the familiar chime of their morphers. They nodded to each other, hurrying out of the store.
"Anyone want to see a trick?" Jester drawled as he finished drawing the symbol, He looked around to see everyone running away. "Guess not. Humans are a tough crowd to please!"
"Hold it clown!" Madison yelled as the rangers arrived in the scene, already morphed. She raised her staff and a splash of water wiped off the paint, much to the monster's dismay.
"I know what you were about to do." She told him.
"You do?" He gasped.
"You are writing down symbols on the ground to create a dark seal!" She guessed. "It is the same one we have seen Koragg and Bandora use!"
"When the seal is complete, I will sink this city to the Abyss!" he declared. "All humans in this wretched place will be gone! Try and stop me!"
He charged at them, becoming a blue blur that cut through them. They cackled as they fell to the ground, sparks flying from their suits. "What a joke!"
"Enough!" Ryan tightened his fists as he stood up. "You are going down!"
He punched a code in his morpher and the trans-armour cycle appeared before him, he leapt into it and charged at the monster. Lasers fired from the bike which threw the monster back.
"Time to finish this!" He called. "Trans Armour Cycle, armour mode!"
He jumped from the bike as the bike detached and it's parts combined with Ryan's suit, forming a spectacular red armour.
"A real battlizer! Sweet!" Chip breathed.
"What in the world is this!" The monster stepped away hesitantly just as Ryan fired his Titanium Laser at him. Augmented by the power of the cycle, a red beam of energy combined with the silver laser as it struck the monster, obliterating it.
"Awesome!" The other rangers cheered, running up to him.
"Impressive." They turned around to see Bandora as she walked towards them. She snapped her fingers as the monster reformed beside her.
"This is your last chance, Jester!" She told him firmly before she turned towards the rangers.
"No Saffron Sentinel to protect you today, I see." She smirked. She clapped her hands together and bolts of dark energy slammed against the rangers, sending them skidding across the road.
Ryan charged at her, only for her to deflect his attack with an arc of purple energy. Her eyes glowed red as she let loose a wave of dark power at the ranger, tearing through his battlizer. She smirked as he dropped to the floor, his morph fading away.
"I do not know who you are but you have interfered for the last time." She drawled. The witch turned towards Jester. "Be a doll and finish them for me, why don't you?"
"It would be my honour, my queen!" He bowed before her.
Bandora blew a flying kiss at the fallen rangers before disappearing into a dark circle.
The monster turned towards the demorphed Titanium Ranger, who tried to scamper away from him, too injured to fight back.
"Come here, pretty!" The monster jeered, approaching him with his blades.
"NO!" Nick yelled as Jester raised his blade over Ryan, before a frog landed on the monster's head.
"What? A frog! Get off me!" Jester yelled, grabbing the amphibian and hurling it away.
"Hey freak!" Nick yelled, jumping at the monster with his magi staff. The other rangers joined him, drawing the monster away from Ryan.
Ryan looked around, hearing a croak. The frog leapt near him.
"I guess I should thank you for saving me." He smiled. "Thank you, little guy."
The frog croaked again. He crouched in a sitting position and the frog jumped in his hands. To his surprise, the warts on the frog's skin started to glow gold before tendrils of golden light shot out of it and swirled around Ryan, who gasped as the light healed his cuts and bruises.
"You healed me! You are not an ordinary frog, are you?" Ryan realised.
The frog croaked again.
Ryan closed his eyes, trying to focus, He sensed a layer of dark energy coating the creature.
"Oh no… You are cursed." He looked at the frog surprised. He frowned. In all his days as Diabolico's disciple and later as a demon hunter, he had learnt many ways to break curses but all of it required complex ritual circles and rare ingredients, which would take him weeks to obtain.
He looked towards the battle. The rangers were losing.
He glanced back at the frog, who croaked again.
If there was anything he had learnt about magic and curses, it was to believe that all myths and fairy tales were derived from something real.
"I can't believe I am about to do this." Ryan sighed. "Dana's probably going to kill me for this but if this works…"
He turned to the frog. "I owe you one anyway."
He pressed a kiss on the frog's head, trying to ignore the squeamish feeling in his stomach. But as soon as his lips turned the frog, golden light shot out. The frog disappeared from his hands and tendrils of golden energy spread everywhere, cutting through the monster and converging into a solid form near him.
The light dimmed to reveal a man in a blue suit with the emblem of the mystics emblazoned on it in gold.
"M'lord," He helped Ryan up with a smile. "Thanks, your kindness broke the curse."
"You are welcome though if anything, I should be thanking you for saving me." He smiled. The others ran over to him.
"That was awesome!" Neil laughed.
"Hidiacs!" Jester snarled, getting back to his feet and calling on reinforcements.
The rangers took fighting stances before the man held a hand, stopping them. "Stand back."
"Hey, hold on." Nick started as the man stepped forward, drawing a morpher and a card. "Solar Cell Morpher!"
He swiped the card in the morpher. "MAGICAL SOURCE, MYSTIC FORCE!"
Golden light enveloped him as he morphed into a majestic golden suit with blue underlines and a red cape.
"Power of the Sun! SOLARIS KNIGHT!" He bellowed. The other rangers looked at him in amazement. "I am back in action. Now, where is Jenji?"
Deep within the forest, a golden light shot through the ruins of a collapsed cave.
The Solaris Knight extended his hands and a genie lamp appeared in his hands.
A tiny white cat in Arabic robes popped out of the lid of the lamp. "What took you so long?"
"Sorry Jenji." The man said.
"Hidiacs, attack!" Jester ordered.
"Sure, we will catch up later!" The genie said, sinking back into the lamp.
"Laser Lamp, power up!" The ranger rubbed the lamp, transforming it to a blaster and spun the dial to the side, pelleting the hidiacs with pellets of solar energy before turning on Jester.
"I am outta here!" he squeaked.
"Hopefully you have learnt your lesson playing tricks on people!" The knight told him.
"Time to get serious!" Jenji announced, peeking out.
"Jenji Shining Attack!" The knight fired a blast that sent Jenji flying out in a beam of golden light to pummel the monster repeatedly. He then returned to the lamp and the monster fell down and exploded.
"The joke's over!" He announced.
"That was amazing!" Xander said as they ran up to him.
"Who are you?" Madison asked.
"No time for that now. Lena and Udonna are in danger." The stranger told them and they looked at him in worry.
Udonna and Clare watched in horror as Imperious' dark magic finally broke through the forcefield surrounding Xenotome.
"The Xenotome is mine!" Imperious cackled maniacally. "And so are all the secrets of the mystics!"
Just as he was about to touch the tome, a pillar of golden light slammed into him, sending him flying backwards. The dark magic restraining his captives broke away and the two sorceresses gasped in relief.
"Mom!" Neil yelled, rushing over to where Lena was lying unconscious amidst the wooden splinters of the broken table.
"Here, let me." Daggeron placed a hand on his shoulder as he knelt beside the lightning knight and touched her forehead tenderly. Golden energies swirled around the two of them and Lena's eyes snapped open and she took a deep breath as golden light healed her cuts and bruises.
"Daggeron!" She said tearfully, wrapping her arms around the knight.
"Here." He smiled, returning the embrace and helping her to her feet.
"Mom!" Neil was next, hugging her the moment she let go of her old friend.
"What a heart-warming reunion!" Imperious scoffed as he stood up, leaning on his staff for support.
"Oh, Calindor, what have you done to yourself!" Lena said with sorrow.
"I am now called Imperious!" He snarled at them. "And I will destroy you all!"
"You won't get the chance." Neil snapped at him, pointing his morpher at him.
Ice shards crystallised out of thin air and cut through the papyrus that held him together, hitting the wall behind him. He fell to the ground in a heap of torn parchments.
A dark circle appeared over the heap as it twisted, turned, and merged back into Imperious.
"A nice attempt, nephew but I am stronger than you think I am." He warned them.
Daggeron and Ryan moved up the stairs, ready to fight but Imperious took a step back.
"This is not the time or place but we will meet again, Solaris Knight and next time, I will finish you off for good!" The villain vowed, before disappearing through a spell seal and the rangers breathed a collective sigh of relief, having driven off the enemy from their headquarters.
"Daggeron!" Udonna threw her arms around the knight, sobbing into his shoulder.
"I was running through the woods when Calindor attacked." Daggeron explained as he, Lena and Udonna walked around the forest. "The dark magic had overtaken him. He was strong, evil… I hardly recognized him." Daggeron sighed. "When it was all over, we were both cursed and trapped in a magical cave."
"Daggeron, what happened to Bowen, my baby?" Udonna asked.
"Bowen? Didn't Leanbow find him?" He asked shocked. The pain on the white witch's face was all the answer he needed.
"Leanbow and Niella sacrificed themselves to seal the Gates of Darkness." Lena told him sadly. "The Great War claimed many of our friends and allies."
"I am sorry Udonna," He looked down. "I lost sight of him during the battle. I failed you."
Udonna's eyes teared up as the small glimmer of hope she had felt since Daggeron's return was extinguished.
"No. It was not your fault." Lena told him firmly. "It is my brother who is responsible for all this pain."
"She is right, Daggeron. I do not blame you. I had given up any hope of finding my son years ago." The sorceress of Rootcore sighed sadly.
"Did Seraphina make it out of the Great Battle?" Daggeron asked hesitantly.
Lena and Udonna shared painful looks.
"We were about to tell you." Lena said slowly, "She was one of the few survivors of the Great Battle along with me, Udonna, Gale and Amaya. While I retreated to the human world, the others continued to defend the realm and became teachers in the Mystic Academy."
"She is alive?" He asked hopefully.
"I am sorry, Daggeron. The Mystic Academy was one of the first places the Darkness attacked on their return. I and Clare were the only ones who made it out. Everyone else including the Mystic Mother herself were destroyed." Udonna told him.
"I see…" The knight clenched his jaw tightly.
"There is more." Udonna pressed. "This will be hard to hear but you have a right to know."
Lena chewed her lips as the white witch waved her hands and a wooden chest appeared in her hands. She opened it to reveal three compartments, one holding a silver tiara, other a wedding ring and the last having a couple of pictures.
She took out one to show it to the knight. It showed Udonna, Amaya, Gale and Seraphina along with two teenage girls, who looked identical to each other with golden hair and sharp green eyes.
"The girls… Who are they?" The knight choked, holding the picture in his hands.
"Stella and Selena Spellman." Udonna told him softly. "After the Great Battle, Seraphina found out she was expecting. They took after you and Seraphina. They were the gold and silver rangers."
"Were?" He asked, eyes pained.
"They were in the Academy when it was attacked. I am so sorry." The elder witch placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"While I was frozen, my family was destroyed. Daughters… I had daughters." He croaked. "And I never got to see them or hold them."
"I am sorry." Udonna said.
"No, thank you for telling me." He told them. "The Darkness took everything from me."
"And we will do everything in our power that they don't do the same to anyone else." Lena promised him.
He nodded, not moving his eyes away from the picture.
"Hey, wait up!" Xander smiled, turning around at the familiar voice.
Neil ran up to him,
"What's up, mate?"
"Do you want to walk together?" The white mystic asked him.
"Sure." He nodded.
His smile widened as Neil linked their arms and leaned against him as they walked through the park.
"So, I wanted to say I was sorry for freezing you out." He admitted.
"It's my fault. I shouldn't have risked all your lives just to prove a point." The green mystic sighed, "I am just glad that you decided to give us a second shot."
"Of course." Neil smiled at him warmly. "Thank you for waiting for me."
"For you, always." Xander told him earnestly, reaching out with his hands to cup the sides of his face seconds before his lips pressed down upon his own.
Imperious appeared in the catacombs and bowed before Bandora and Morticon.
"Tell me Imperious, Was I right in saving you?" The queen asked coldly. "Your return seems to have sparked a chain of events we didn't foresee and now, the Solaris Knight have joined the Mystic Force."
The hidiacs crawling out from the tunnels growled hungrily, eying the traitorous mystic.
"The Mystics may have uncovered my ruse but I have not returned empty handed, my liege." He said smoothly.
Morticon roared, slamming his sword to the ground and causing a shockwave that made the hidiacs stumble and fall, but Imperious stood his ground.
"You promised us the Book of the Unknown, so that I might finally be free!" He fumed.
"I bring you something better." He smirked. "I know where the Gatekeeper is."