Chapter 14: Long Ago
Stifled giggles surrounded Maddie, who forced herself to relax her tense muscles as she stood in the centre of her friends, guided there by Vida. She couldn't see who was where as a soft cloth was tied carefully but firmly around her eyes, keeping her locked in darkness.
"Trust is the key to any team," Udonna spoke to her right, and Maddie could feel what she assumed was a hand waving in her face to make sure that she couldn't see. "In order to truly trust each other, you must be willing to put your safety in the hands of the team," Udonna continued as Carvallain finished tying the blindfold around her eyes. "Are you ready, Madison?" Udonna asked the one she had called on first.
"I think so…" Maddie sounded hesitant, but nodded.
"Slowly fall forward. Your team will catch you," Udonna guided her from where she stood a few feet away. Maddie took a deep breath, and let herself fall forwards. To her relief, three sets of hands caught her easily and guided her back up.
"Aw, there's a good boy Fireheart," Claire cooed as she walked past. The attention of the Rangers who could see immediately went to the apprentice and the baby Dragon that she carried in a blanket. All but Carvallain rushed over to her, forgetting all about Maddie, who didn't realise they'd moved as she braced herself to fall forwards. Both Carvallain and Udonna darted forwards to catch her, but were too late as she shrieked and crashed to the ground.
"Are you alright?" Carvallain asked as he and Udonna helped Maddie back to her feet. She pulled the blindfold off and looked around quickly, wondering what had happened. Betrayal registered on her face as she saw the other Rangers all gathered around Claire, cooing over Fireheart.
"That's trust for ya," Maddie sniffed, and Carvallain couldn't help but chuckle at her words.
"The novelty of having a baby dragon around for the first time. I'm sure if it came to it in battle, they would catch you," he told Maddie, who smiled back as a blush flickered across her cheeks.
"I hope so. At least I know you would," she told him, earning more of a laugh from the Elven Prince. Maddie's smile turned more teasing, and she nudged him. "It really is good to see you're being more yourself, you know. You're fitting in great with the team," she told him, and Carvallain's laughter faded. He cleared his throat in an attempt to distract from where his ears were turning red.
"I do not know what you mean," he sniffed. Before Maddie could say anything more, the crystal ball in the centre of the room began to hum with power. The others stepped away from Fireheart and Claire, following Udonna as she rushed over to see what was going on.
"Dark magical energy is emitting from the forest," she warned, her eyebrows furrowing at the level of darkness that was blotting out the centre of the crystal ball. It was so dark, it prevented them from getting a look at whatever the cause was.
"We'll check it out," Nick said, and they hurried out of Rootcore.
"This way!" Titania pointed in the direction the crystal ball had directed them. The team ran through the forest, which was eerily quiet save for their heavy footsteps.
"It's quiet…" Nick muttered as they slowed to a walk once they reached the clearing where the dark magic had been detected. There was nothing out of place, not even to the human Mystics still learning about the Mystic Realm.
"Almost too quiet," Chip and Titania chorused together, and exchanged grins as the others glared at them. "Sorry, always wanted to say that," Chip apologised, but Titania just giggled. Without warning, Carvallain suddenly flung his arm out to stop the others, and Nick grunted as he walked into him.
"Behind us," he warned in a hiss before the Red Ranger could get annoyed at him. Carvallain turned, drawing his sword with a ringing of metal as he stared at the tree where he'd heard sounds. "Show yourself!" Carvallain ordered as the others watched warily.
"Who goes there?" to their surprise, a strange figure stepped out from behind the tree. His armour was bronze and blue, with eerie red eyes, and something about it set them all on edge. "What brings you children into these dangerous woods?" he demanded.
"There's something…familiar about him," Carvallain murmured, his eyebrows furrowed.
"Give us a second and we'll show you," Nick led the charge, and the team began to fight off the stranger. Whoever he was, he was powerful, and easily held his own against their greater numbers, catching Carvallain's sword.
"An Elf?" the stranger hummed, and shoved him backwards. Carvallain swore as he was knocked off balance, allowing the stranger to trip him.
"Hey!" Titania shouted, drawing his attention away from Carvallain. Rainbow magic shimmered around the sword she didn't use often, and he dodged the strike before it could catch against his chest plate. When it missed, the man got in close and grabbed her wrist to disarm her in a painful move, before tossing her across the clearing and straight into Vida. The two tumbled to the ground as the others continued to struggle against him.
"Wait!" as they regrouped and went for their Morphers, Udonna's call rang out.
"Watch out! He's evil!" Nick warned as he glanced over his shoulder at their teacher. She was smiling as she approached, seeming almost unaware of their fighting.
"No, he's not," her answer made them all frown and turn to her curiously. "He's an old friend," Udonna told them as she reached them. The moment the stranger saw her, he chuckled and held out his arms. In a flash of magic, the armour vanished to reveal a man wearing a white, blue and red tunic, with a wide smile on his face.
"Udonna!" he exclaimed.
"Calindor!" Udonna greeted him warmly, holding out her arms as she approached him. "You haven't aged a day!" she noted.
"Calindor? I remember that name," Titania whispered to Carvallain, who nodded.
"I'll explain later," Calindor told Udonna, his gaze on the Rangers still watching him warily. Titania was cradling her wrist, and Carvallain hadn't fully lowered his sword even as they recognised his name.
"These are the Mystic Rangers," Udonna introduced them, and Calindor bowed before them suddenly.
"The forest will forever be in your debt," he told them, before glancing at Udonna. "What happened to the former Mystics?" he asked, looking confused.
"Who is this guy?" Maddie asked before Udonna could explain.
"A great warrior," Udonna's answer didn't answer the question, but she was too delighted to see her old friend. She turned to him, hugging Calindor as tears prickled at her eyes.
"And an old friend!" Calindor added.
"One of the Knights who fought in the Great Battle," Carvallain elaborated a little more for the Rangers. As he moved to step forwards, he lifted a frog that had landed on Maddie's shoulder and discreetly moved it to a nearby tree without her noticing. "I'm Carvallain," he introduced himself. Recognition flickered in the man's eyes.
"The Prince of Miramalos," he bowed his head, and Carvallain instantly winced at the action. Nick laughed, clapping a heavy hand to the Elf's back as he passed him.
"I'm Nick," he introduced himself next, and the other Rangers followed suit.
"Is your wrist alright? I did not mean to injure you so badly," Calindor noticed Titania still cradling her wrist. His attention snagged on the bandage still wrapped around it.
"It's not your fault," she smiled at him, holding no resentment towards the Knight. "I had a mishap with iron during a battle" she waved her hand, which had only healed up a little in the time since Morticon's defeat, and that was only thanks to hard work from Penelope.
"I see," Calindor nodded.
"Oh no!" Carvallain swore he heard a voice behind them, but when he turned around, there was nobody there. He frowned, before dismissing it as his own paranoia, and turned back to continue talking to the Knight.
The group made their way back to Rootcore, bringing Calindor with them as Udonna brought him up to speed on everything he had missed since he had disappeared.
"You've mentioned Knights before. That they were all gone?" Nick remembered what Carvallain had once told them. The Elf nodded, having been checking Titania's wrist as they walked. It seemed alright, and the pain had mainly come from the injury caused by the iron that had burned through her magic.
"Yeah. There were a handful of them during the Great Battle. Most of them died, and two of them disappeared. Calindor was one of those two," he looked ahead to where Calindor was walking confidently with Udonna, smiling as she spoke.
"Wonder what happened to him," Chip said, curious about who he was and how he had suddenly been able to return. Especially since he hadn't seemed to age in the 18 years that had passed.
"What's the difference between Knights and Mystics?" Xander wondered.
"They're a different rank to Mystics. They're on par strength-wise and do have their magic, but their power comes from physical attacks," Titania was the one to answer his question. "They also don't necessarily have an element. I guess…Koragg can be seen as an example. He might be evil, but he's a Knight with a Wolf Spirit," she added.
"Let's just hope he doesn't have an Ancient Mystic Mode," Carvallain's words made Titania shiver.
"A what?" Chip's eyes lit up at the name.
"It's an ability only accessible by Knights that lets them surpass their limits, but can only be used for a short time," Titania explained, looking uncomfortable at the idea that Koragg could possess even more power. He was already a formidable foe.
"The Seal has been broken. Dark magic is again amongst us," Udonna continued her story as they walked into Rootcore, having told Calindor about their victory against dark magic and the retirement of the former Mystics.
"I know," Calindor said, looking grave as they walked in.
"Your return has good timing," they were surprised by Taliesin's voice, and looked across the main chamber to see the Satyr cradling the baby Fireheart, while Claire stood peering into the crystal ball.
"There's a creepy creature attacking people at the plaza," she warned, and the Rangers ran to the open space without waiting.
"Fight with honour," Calindor nodded at them.
"Ready?"
"Ready!" the team shouted, flicking out their Mystic Wands. "MAGICAL SOURCE, MYSTIC FORCE!" they Morphed and went for their brooms as Titania twirled, vanishing in a flash of rainbow-hued lights. The rest summoned their Mystic Racers as Titania let her wings appear, and they took off with cheers across the forest.
As the Rangers flew off to take on the monster in the Human Realm, Udonna led Calindor through Rootcore, showing him everything.
"This is Rootcore; a safe haven I built after the Great Battle," she explained as she gestured around the room. "And I believe you should recognise Taliesin," she nodded to the Satyr, who clopped forwards with a smile on his face.
"Of course I do," Calindor nodded and reached out to clap his hand to Taliesin's.
"It has been too long, old friend. Though, perhaps that is not the correct thing to say?" Taliesin asked, and Calindor laughed at the question.
"I see that time has not changed your wit, you old goat," his words earned a bleat of laughter from the Satyr. "And I say, is that creature in your arms truly…?"
"A dragon? Yes," Taliesin nodded as he looked down at Fireheart. The baby dragon was fast asleep, and occasionally a small puff of smoke rose from his nostrils. "The Mystics found his egg in a Fae Puzzle hidden by Dusk sometime before he and Nim disappeared," his smile faded as he spoke, and Calindor looked grave.
"Claire?" Udonna called to her niece, who was still looking in the crystal ball with worry for the innocent civilians being harassed by the monster. "This is Calindor. He fought beside us many years ago," she introduced him as Taliesin moved off to place Fireheart in the nest they had constructed for him.
"Oh, hello, I'm-" Claire tripped over her own feet and gave an embarrassed laugh. "I'm Claire," she introduced herself to the man, who smiled back at her.
"Yes, the bumbling servant," he nodded, and Taliesin rolled his eyes.
"Seems you are exactly are you were 18 years ago, callous fool," he muttered, leaving the room. While they had been friends and comrades, Taliesin - and all of them - knew that Calindor spoke without thinking, saying rude things that offended everyone around him.
"Servant?" Claire's smile had vanished as she repeated the word. "No, I'm a Sorceress in training," she corrected with a polite smile. "And who's bumbling?" she asked, finding herself offended.
"Excuse me, milady," Calindor bowed deeply, but Claire's smile didn't return as he stepped past her. "And this must be your crystal ball," he leaned on the table and peered closely at it.
"Yes…this is the one that let us know there was dark magic in the forest when they found you," Claire set quietly, unsettled by the man. Her eyes widened as darkness began to cloud the crystal ball again, and she gasped. "Hey! It's showing there's dark magic here in Rootcore! Udonna! Taliesin!" she whirled around to call for the two, and while nobody was looking, Calindor waved a quick hand. The darkness vanished.
"I don't see anything," he said simply. Claire whirled around as Udonna walked down the steps, and Taliesin returned from the side room with a curious look on his face.
"It's gone…" Claire muttered, confused.
"What is it?" Udonna asked, resting a hand on Claire's back.
"But…it was here! There was smoke and dark energy…" she stumbled over the words, not sure what had happened.
"Could we speak?" Calindor asked Udonna, almost impatiently. "In private?" he pressed.
"Of course," Udonna nodded with a smile. Calindor strode off, and Taliesin caught his arm.
"Cal, do try to be nicer with your words. Calling Claire a bumbling servant is beneath you," he warned quietly. Calindor laughed and pulled his arm free, shrugging off the Satyr.
"It was an honest mistake, and I apologised," he said, already walking away. Taliesin frowned after him, finding his attitude colder than it had been before.
"Child, you must have been working too hard," Udonna gave Claire a sympathetic smile and walked off to speak with Calindor, but Claire didn't look any happier.
"I know what I saw," she muttered, glaring at the crystal ball.
"How about a walk?" Taliesin offered. "Fireheart is asleep, so we should take the time to collect what we need for his next meal," he pointed out. Claire managed a small smile, and the two left Rootcore.
In Briarwood, Jester howled with glee as he chased around the terrified public, which made it easy for the Rangers to spot him as they flew over the city.
"There he is! Get him!" Nick yelled. As Titania tilted down to drop to the ground, her wings fading as she landed, the others leapt from their Mystic Racers and took off running the moment they hit the ground.
"It's wrecking time!" Jester giggled, slashing cars and splitting them in two as he pranced around.
"The bad guys are always so obvious," Vida rolled her eyes and leapt up to attack from above.
"Yikes!" Jester noticed them at last, managing to dodge the blasts of magic that Vida fired at him. In the time it took for them to blink, he'd vanished.
"Where'd he go?" Vida asked as she landed and looked around.
"He was right here!" Nick shouted, not understanding how the monster had disappeared so easily.
"He's still nearby, that was not a teleportation spell," Titania warned as she looked around carefully, keeping her Magi Staff raised.
"Yoohoo!" they whirled around to see Jester rising from the ground. "The joke's on you!" he taunted. Maddie then gasped, spotting two people dangling from the upper floor of a car park. "Now what are you gonna do? Let's play!" he charged at the Rangers, tossing Maddie aside. As she landed and looked up, the two fell from the railing, screaming as they plummeted towards the ground.
"Oh no!" Maddie threw herself forwards, propelled by magic as she flew through the air to catch the two and land safely on the ground.
"You spoiled my fun!" Jester saw her catch them and turned to shout at her furiously.
"Too bad for you!" he whirled around and shrieked, barely managing to dodge Carvallain's sword. He took off running, and the rest of the Rangers got to their feet and hurried over to Maddie with Carvallain.
"Now that's how you catch someone," Maddie told them pointedly. Carvallain laughed at her words.
"Nice job, Maddie," Nick grinned.
"No time to stand around, we need to find that monster before he hurts anyone else," Titania warned them. They nodded, and hurried in the direction that Jester had gone in. They spotted the monster getting to his feet, holding a strange brush in his hand after painting a symbol on the ground.
"Stop!" Nick yelled, and he gasped as he realised they'd found him. "You're in trouble now!" the Red Ranger called on the Mystic Fighters and ran in, aiming a punch at Jester. However, the monster giggled and dropped through the ground again, and Nick's flaming punch hit the barrel behind him. It exploded, and Nick screamed as he was carried through the air to land heavily near his team.
"Nick! You alright?!" Chip asked as Nick pushed himself to his feet.
"That phasing spell is a problem," Titania hissed. "Behind you!" she then yelled, spotting the monster again. Jester latched onto Nick's back before he could turn around, shoving him forwards before twisting to kick Nick hard.
"That was a good one," he giggled as he landed. "Bye bye!" with a wave, Jester sank partially into the ground and suddenly sped towards them. "Coming through!" he shouted, moving too fast for them to stop him, and the team were knocked to the ground.
"This guy is loony," Nick ran over to help them up, but Jester dashed around and with several well-placed strikes, knocked the team back to the ground.
"You can't stop me! I'm Jester the Pester," he giggled.
"No kidding," Titania muttered, winded.
"I'd love to stay and chat, but I have work to do. Catch you on the flip side!" Jester declared, and was gone before they could even speak.
"This isn't good. He's up to something," Carvallain's eyes narrowed. He didn't like that the monster wasn't focused on fighting them, rather acting like he was defending himself when they tried to stop him.
"He painted something on the ground," Maddie remembered, leading the others over to examine it.
"Strange," Xander frowned as they gathered around the large red symbol on the ground. "Any idea what it is?" he asked the others.
"Not a clue," Titania admitted as she crouched beside it. She winced as she did, feeling the aches already from the beating Jester had given them.
"Something about it…it's off. I can't tell what," Carvallain muttered. "And if he's painting it here…it's for a reason," he shook his head, frustrated that he couldn't work it out. Hearing his tone, Nick patted his shoulder.
"We'll stop him," he told the Silver Ranger, who nodded.
"Right," he agreed, not about to let the monster succeed, whatever his plan was.
Claire hadn't managed to cool off as she stormed through the forest. Instead, she seemed to be growing more and more agitated as she walked, thinking about what Calindor had said when they spoke.
"Bumbling servant!" she repeated the words again. "Oh, he makes my blood boil!" Claire exclaimed.
"Yes, I've realised that, but could you perhaps slow down for a moment?" she looked over her shoulder to where Taliesin was moving down the steep hill at a much more careful pace. "Apologies, but these hooves are not designed for storming through the woods," Taliesin's words made her flush.
"I'm sorry," she apologised, and started walking again when he caught up to her. "It's just…he really got under my skin. And I like everybody, so that is saying something!" Claire exclaimed, but as she pushed through the thick bushes, she bumped into something. Or rather, someone, as Phineas gave a startled shout that made her shriek.
"Whoa, whoa!" Taliesin stopped the two from freaking out, raising his hands and soothing them with a shushing noise. "Phineas, what are you doing out here?" he asked, seeing the frantic look on the Troblin's face.
"He's back!" Phineas yelped instead of answering the question. Taliesin frowned, not understanding. "This is bad," he winced, and clapped a hand to his mouth.
"Who?" Claire asked, just as confused.
"No-one," Phineas lied, standing rimrod straight. Taliesin stared at him, wondering just what was going on in his bizarre mind. Claire sighed and walked past him, still wound up. "What's wrong? Eat one too many stickleberries?" he asked sympathetically.
"No…I don't trust one of Udonna's old friends, and I trust everyone," Claire sighed as they started walking.
"That's funny. I don't trust one of Udonna's old friends," Phineas admitted, and Taliesin slowed, narrowing his eyes.
"His name is Calindor," Claire sighed.
"I don't trust Calindor," Phineas gave a shrug as for a moment, it seemed that neither of them was really listening to the other. After a moment, the two stopped, and Claire turned to stare at him. "What?" Phineas asked, not seeming to understand.
"Phineas…" Taliesin stalked towards him with greater speed than before. "What do you know of Calindor?" he demanded as Claire stared at him, wide-eyed. Phineas looked around as if expecting someone to be eavesdropping.
"Long ago…he betrayed the Mystics," he told the two. Claire's jaw dropped, and Taliesin felt his entire body go cold. Phineas yelped when the Satyr grabbed him by the collar, more roughly than he usually was.
"Speak plainly, Phineas. What do you mean?!" he demanded as Phineas stared at him with wide eyes.
"Taliesin!" Claire gasped, grabbing his arm to pull Phineas free. "Phineas, please, what are you talking about? How do you know?" she asked as Phineas fixed his tunic.
"I was kinda there…he zapped Daggeron with dark magic-"
"Dark magic? Against Daggeron?" Taliesin hissed, running his hands through his hair. He struggled to breathe as his eyes welled up with tears of anguish at the betrayal. "That was why they both vanished that night, but -"
"Taliesin! Calindor is at Rootcore with Udonna!" Claire exclaimed, jerking him out of the haze he was falling into. Taliesin stared at her, his breathing unsteady.
"Go. You're faster than me. Warn Udonna, and I'll catch up," he told her. Claire nodded, and took off running.
"What'd I say?" Phineas cocked his head, not understanding. Taliesin closed his eyes for a moment, trying to compose himself as he took a deep breath.
"Thank you, for telling us," Taliesin told him, and hurried after Claire. Phineas watched them, still looking a little baffled.
With no sign of Jester, or word from Rootcore about him resurfacing, the Rangers went to Rock Porium so that most of them could work.
"I'm always worried when Carvallain has that look on his face for too long," Titania admitted as she watched the Elf Prince from a distance. His eyebrows were furrowed as he stared at the ground in front of where he sat, not really seeing anything while his mind raced.
"You can almost hear the cogs turning," Xander grinned as he watched, plucking the strings of the ukulele that he'd found in the back room of the store. Vida grinned and leaned on the counter to watch as well.
"Squealing is more like it. Smoke's gonna start pouring from his ears, I guarantee it," she said, making the other two start giggling.
"I may be focused, but that does not make my ears any less sharp," Carvallain warned them without looking up.
"Or pointy," Chip added. Vida, Xander and Titania burst out laughing at the comment, and this time Carvallain did raise his eyes to glare at Chip. The redhead gave a sheepish smile. "Sorry," he apologised.
"Guys, we gotta take care of that circus clown running amok in the city," Nick interrupted their laughter and gathered them around the spinning shelf of vinyls. "Any ideas on what he's up to?" he asked, looking at Carvallain.
"Unfortunately, I do not understand what the symbol painted on the ground is for," he said, looking apologetic for not coming up with an answer.
"I know I've seen it somewhere before," Maddie said, making them turn to her. As they did, their eyes widened as a frog crawled up onto her shoulder. Chip squeaked as he fought laughter, and Vida just stared at her sister as Carvallain arched an eyebrow. "It must have something to do with a dark seal…" Maddie trailed off, seeing the looks and not understanding why they were staring at her. "What?" she asked.
"Uh…you have a…" Titania started as Xander slowly made his way around Maddie, still playing the ukulele.
"Seems your prince has arrived," he grinned. When she realised what was sitting on her shoulder, Maddie screamed and swiped her hand to knock it off, startling Xander in the process. Vida burst out laughing as Maddie stumbled away, fear on her face as she moved behind Nick.
"Still don't like frogs, sis?" Vida smirked at her. Maddie glared at her, her face flushed.
"Not since you put one down my dress when we were kids, no," she gave a mocking smile as Chip giggled, remembering it too as Nick gave him and Vida a confused look at Maddie's accusation.
"That was a long time ago!" Vida defended. Before Maddie could say anything, the frog croaked and hopped towards her, and she screamed again. She darted away, terrified as Nick went to her to make sure it hadn't landed on her, before seeing the frog hop away.
"Ladies and gentlemen…the legendary Mystic Force," Carvallain gave a weary sigh as he watched pandemonium break out. He walked away, leaving them to it as Nick, Xander, Vida and Chip tried to catch the wayward frog, while Maddie whimpered every time she saw it hopping around.
"You gonna help us or what?" Nick asked when he saw Titania just watching with her arms crossed over her chest and a grin on her face.
"And ruin this spectacle? You think too highly of me," she shook her head, before her smirk widened. "If you need a hand, I'd be happy to make a deal," she offered. Nick growled and made a dash for the counter when the frog landed on a CD case
It soon devolved further, with the teens mixing trying to catch the frog, with teasing Maddie, who squealed and ran to hide behind Titania. Hearing the chaos, Toby emerged from his office and looked around at the group, looking almost impressed.
"Rock and roll," he murmured, seeming oddly satisfied by the mayhem, and returned to his office.
"Wait," Carvallain suddenly stood beside Maddie and Titania again, his eyebrows furrowed. "I confess, I'm still learning the ways of your world, but frogs don't tend to frequent this establishment, do they?" he asked Maddie as she clung to Titania.
"No! I wouldn't work here if they did!" she exclaimed tearfully.
"What are you thinking, Car?" Titania asked, looking up at the Elf curiously. Carvallain turned to watch the chaos still ongoing.
"It seems that Maddie has been plagued by frogs frequently since we entered that strange cave where we found Jenji," he pointed out. "The frog in the cave, and then again earlier today when we met Calindor," Maddie stared at him, her mouth hanging open as she struggled to find the words to demand about the second time. "And now here," Carvallain said, wincing as Chip took a dive over a counter.
"What are you trying to say? Am I cursed?!" Maddie asked, and Carvallain chuckled a little.
"I do not believe that is the case. But there is something curious going on," he admitted. Titania shrugged.
"You might be right. So…are you gonna go help?" she asked, turning her sharp gaze back to the chaos still ongoing. Carvallain gave her a haughty look, and crossed his arms as he turned to watch as well.
"The Crown Prince of Miramalos does not stoop to chase frogs," he said loftily, but they saw the smile on his face and even Maddie couldn't stop herself from laughing.
"No!" Taliesin had just reached Rootcore when he heard Claire's horrified scream. He swore, and despite being out of breath from racing back, the former Moon Mystic pushed himself to keep moving.
"Claire! What's gotten into you!" he heard Udonna's shocked yell mixed with furious grunts from Calindor.
"He's a liar! He's the one who betrayed the Mystics!" when Taliesin got inside, he saw Calindor flailing as Claire clung to his back, while Udonna stared wide-eyed as she clutched a goblet in her hands.
"Udonna, she's out of her head!" Calindor shouted as he fought to pry the angry apprentice loose.
"It's true!" Taliesin backed up Claire, and Udonna turned to look at him. As he spoke, Calindor whirled around in his attempt to dislodge Claire. She shrieked, and her foot caught the goblet in Udonna's hand. It landed on the table and the contents that she had believed to be tea spilled all over a book.
Calindor stopped thrashing as they all stared at the violent poison that burned straight through not only the book, but the table too. "Calindor…" Taliesin breathed, seeing proof with his own eyes.
"Fine…" Calindor hissed, and with a sharp movement he threw Claire loose. She barely landed on her feet beside Udonna, who caught her and steadied her. "Guess the game's over," he sneered, tossing the goblet in his own hand aside. There was a burst of dark magic, and he flung out his arms. For a moment, his golden armour appeared. Then the dark magic clouded over it, and he transformed further until Imperious stood between them. "Surprise!" he exclaimed, cackling as the three stared at him.
"Udonna, you and Claire get to safety!" Taliesin leapt up the steps and landed behind Imperious with his fists raised. Calindor - or rather, Imperious - laughed as he angled his head to look at him.
"Oh, you old fool. A half-breed such as yourself wouldn't have been a match for me back when you were still the Silver Ranger," the cold, taunting words dug deep, but Taliesin didn't let it show. "Now? You're retired for a reason, you foolish goat!" Imperious waved the fan in his hand and let a burst of dark magic fly towards Taliesin.
"And I was the Moon Mystic for a reason too!" Taliesin's eyes lit up silver, and he raised his hands. Channelling the power of both moons, he cut through the dark magic. It slashed across Imperious' back, making the former Knight snarl in pain. However, Taliesin winced from the amount of energy it had cost him. He'd intended on the magic doing more damage, and while it had been strong, it had barely damaged Imperious.
"That wasn't too bad, for someone like you," Imperious sneered as he recovered. "But without your Mystic Wand, you're nothing," he told Taliesin. Feeling the cold of snow magic, Imperious turned and blocked the follow-up attack from Udonna, laughing. "You can't overpower me without your Snow Staff, Udonna!" he taunted her as Claire watched from the sidelines with a terrified look. His dark magic clashed with her white magic, sending an odd sensation through Rootcore.
"I can't hold on!" Udonna shouted as she was pushed back, her power waning. "Claire, quick!" she told her niece. Claire's eyes widened, but she didn't wait to question it. With a shout, she cast a spell that banished Imperious with a shout. Udonna slumped over, winded but relieved.
"Who's bumbling now, bud?" Claire taunted with a proud grin. Hearing the roar of pain, she whirled around to see dark magic slamming Taliesin into the wall hard enough to crack the preserved wood.
"You!" Imperious shouted, grabbing Claire. "Be still!" he ordered, tossing her into Udonna's arms before casting a spell that locked them in a bubble of darkness. Behind Imperious, Taliesin had slumped to the ground with blood dripping down his head. "You always were a pain, Udonna," he growled at the witch, who only glared at him. Imperious then turned away from her, setting his sights on his prize. "Without the Xenotome, the Rangers will be helpless and lost," he declared as he reached out to take the book. However, something burned at his fingers as he got close, and he cursed as his hand jerked back. "I should have known. A protection spell," he rolled his eyes, and began to chant the words to a counterspell, working to undo the protective bindings.
Chaos was still in full swing in Rock Porium, as the Rangers continued their attempts to catch the frog. It was proving to be craftier than they realised, dodging each attempt to grab it and even causing them to collide with one another, all while Titania and Carvallain watched and laughed, and Maddie hid behind them.
"Maybe I should just catch it for them," Titania suggested, almost starting to pity them.
"Then how would they learn?" Carvallain asked.
"No, please, just catch it so you can get rid of it," Maddie pleaded. Titania turned a grin on her.
"My offer of a deal to help still stands," she said, and Maddie bit her lip. The longer the frog remained in Rock Porium, the more enticed she was to the thoughts of accepting a deal. However, as she opened her mouth, Carvallain shushed them.
"People are screaming," he warned, and turned quickly. "Enough with the frog! Something's going on outside!" he raised his voice so the other Rangers heard him. They stopped, and as the commotion died, they heard the screaming too.
"We better check it out," Nick frowned. Maddie was the first out the door, happy to be away from the frog as they hurried out, unaware that the frog was following them.
"Anyone wanna see a trick?" Jester asked as he spun on the spot, watching the people who ran screaming from him and his attacks. "Guess not," he shrugged, turning back to the marking he was painting on the ground. His manic smirk widened. "This is it! When the circle is complete, all humans will be destroyed!" he declared, going down on his knees to finish the mark.
"Hold it, jokester!" he looked up at Maddie's shout, and saw the Rangers Morphed in front of them. As he was distracted by their arrival, Maddie raised her Magi Staff and conjured a wave of water that crashed against Jester, knocking him back as it washed away the mark on the ground.
"No!" Jester screeched as he rolled backwards, unable to fight against the pressure of the water.
"That's it!" Maddie gasped. "I know what you're trying to do," she declared. Jester looked up, dripping wet as the water finally stopped.
"You do?" he gasped.
"You're writing down symbols on the ground to create a Dark Seal. It's the same one we've seen Koragg use," Maddie accused him as the symbols finally connected in her mind. "But it's not gonna happen," she told him.
"When the Seal is complete, all the humans will be gone! Try and stop me!" Jester declared, and threw out a hand. A barrage of dark magic collided with the Rangers, making them cry out as they were thrown off their feet. "What a joke!" he cackled.
"This guy's going down!" Maddie recovered first and charged at Jester with her Magi Staff raised.
"Bring it!" Jester challenged her.
"Maddie, wait!" Carvallain got back to his feet to join her as he changed his Magi Staff to its Spear Mode. Maddie didn't wait for him, leaping through the air. Having waited for an opening, Jester moved faster than she could and landed another blow that sent her crashing to the ground. "You'll pay for that!" Carvallain warned.
"I don't think so!" Jester turned and grabbed the end of the spear, using the momentum to pull Carvallain closer. With a blast of dark magic, he tossed the Elf aside and turned back to Maddie, lifting her by the arm to hurl her across the courtyard.
"Sis!" Vida yelled, trying to get to her feet. Maddie groaned as the landing caused her to demorph, and she looked up at the giggling monster.
"Come here, pretty!" he raised his wickedly sharp claws as he approached the fallen Blue Ranger, who flinched backwards as the others fought to try and get back to their feet and help her.
"No!" Nick roared as Jester raised his claws to deliver a final blow, only to be distracted by the solid thud of a frog landing on his head.
"A frog?! Get off me!" Jester shrieked, grabbing the frog and hurling it away. There was a small flash of golden light as it landed beside Maddie, and her eyes widened.
"The perfect distraction," Titania's words earned Jester's attention, and he turned around just in time for the Fae to collide with his chest in a hard tackle. He squealed, and knocked her aside with the back of his clawed hand as Nick landed and threw a punch.
"You'll regret messing with one of us!" Carvallain declared as he charged back in. Jester laughed as he continued to dodge their attacks, proving to be a tough opponent as they worked to keep him away from Maddie.
"He's tough," Chip groaned as he helped Nick back to his feet.
"But we don't give up!" Nick growled, throwing himself at Jester. The monster giggled again and spun around his punch, hitting the Red Ranger from behind to knock him straight into Titania. As he recovered, a golden light began to glow nearby, and the warm feeling of magic washed over them. "Hey…" Nick's eyes widened as they turned to see golden light in Maddie's hands, engulfing the frog she had been holding.
"Such magic…I've never felt it before," Carvallain frowned, as even Jester was distracted by the small ball of golden light that rose into the air.
"No way!" Maddie gasped as the light transformed, revealing a man with dark curly hair holding a glowing card in his hand. There was a powerful burst of magic, and the light shot out to slam into Jester. The monster screamed as he was hurled far away from the Rangers, letting them catch their breath.
"That was…"
"Sun magic," Titania finished for Carvallain, her eyes wide as they all turned to the man who stood in front of Maddie. He walked over, and offered her his hand.
"My lady," he spoke softly, and Maddie took his hand with a baffled look on her face. "Thanks. You broke the curse," the stranger told her, and Maddie's eyes widened.
"I did?" she asked, not understanding. All she had done was kiss the frog who had saved her. That very thought made her face flush as she stared up at the man.
"That was sweet!" Chip exclaimed as the Rangers ran over to her and the man.
"Hidiacs!" the shrill yell came from Jester as he recovered from the attack, and the Rangers turned back to the fight as Maddie joined them. Before they could do anything, the stranger put his hand on Maddie's shoulder and stepped past her.
"Stand back," he told them, stern but quiet as he walked forwards.
"Hold on!" Nick called out to stop him, but he didn't listen. He lifted a device from his pocket, holding it out to his side.
"Solar Cell Morpher!" he shouted, and the Morpher began to glow with golden light. "MAGICAL SOURCE, MYSTIC FORCE!" he shouted, clipping the card in his other hand. "Power of the Sun, Solaris Knight!"
"No way!" Titania gasped, staring at Solaris.
"The sun?" Chip tilted his head. "You told us there weren't any Sun Magic users," he remembered, turning to Carvallain. The Elf shook his head.
"I told you that there was one," there was nothing but awe in his voice. "And he's right in front of us," Carvallain said, giving no explanation.
"I'm back in action!" Solaris declared. "Where's Jenji?" he wondered, holding out a hand. There was a flash of magic, and they heard Jenji shout as he plummeted from the sky, his lamp landing in Solaris' outstretched hand.
"Sorry, I was reading," the genie apologised as he peeked out. "Where have you been? You look great!" he exclaimed as he studied the Ranger suit his partner wore.
"Sorry, Jenji," Solaris nodded at the monsters squealing in front. Jester grew impatient, gesturing for the Hidiacs he'd summoned to attack.
"Sure, we'll talk later!" Jenji nodded.
"Laser Lamp, power up!" Solaris aimed the lamp and fired, and bursts of golden light shot forwards. They weaved around the Hidiacs, striking Jester. He then jumped forwards to fight off the Hidiacs with ease, using the lamp to shoot them when they got back up.
"Amazing!" Xander exclaimed as they watched from the sidelines, impressed by the stranger's moves.
"Seems 18 years have done little to dull his skill," Carvallain folded his arms, watching as the Hidiacs were defeated. Solaris then aimed the lamp at Jester, who took a step back in fear.
"That's my cue!" he exclaimed.
"Not so fast," as Jester sank back into the ground to try and escape, Solaris fired a shot that passed through the ground too and disrupted the spell, expelling Jester from the ground with a scream. "Hopefully you've learned your lesson about playing tricks on people," Solaris wound the side of Jenji's lamp to full, and took aim.
"Time to get serious," Jenji peeked out with a grin.
"Jenji's Shining Attack!" Solaris fired, and Jenji burst from the lamp covered in the golden light of sun magic, throwing punch after punch of power before flying back to the lamp. "The joke's over!" he declared as Jester collapsed and exploded.
"Who are you?" Maddie asked the stranger as he demorphed, turning to them. He shook his head, looking serious.
"No time for that now," he warned gravely. "Udonna is in trouble," his words made their eyes widen.
"Calindor…" Carvallain realised, and Solaris nodded. "We must return quickly," he said.
"I can handle that," Titania volunteered. "I hope none of you have a weak stomach," she warned as she held out her hands, letting her Fae magic flow to the surface. As rainbow lights shimmered over them all, the team vanished.
Udonna held Claire in her arms, her heart racing as all she could do was hope that the Rangers returned before Imperious was successful. She could see the darkness wearing away at the last of the protection spell she had cast over the Xenotome, and Taliesin was still unmoving on the ground.
Fear and dismay weighed heavily on the Sorceress as the protection spell finally collapsed in a flash of light, leaving the Xenotome vulnerable. Imperious laughed, lowering his fan.
"The Xenotome is mine!" Imperious exclaimed gleefully, but before he could grab the book and take it for himself, a blast of magic exploded against his chest and threw him back against the wall. His concentration broke, and the forcefield that held Udonna and Claire in place vanished.
"We meet again, Calindor!" the shout made Udonna whirl around quickly, her eyes wide.
"Daggeron!" she gasped as she saw the Solaris Knight striding across Rootcore. Imperious snarled softly as he got back to his feet and winced away from them, abandoning the Xenotome.
"I am now called Imperious!" he declared as he stood opposite the group. Daggeron raised his fists, ready to fight once more. "This is not the place. We will meet again, and next time I will finish you off for good!" with a hate-filled declaration, Imperious cast a spell and vanished from Rootcore. As Daggeron lowered his guard, Udonna reached out to him, and with a warm smile, he embraced her in a tight hug.
"Taliesin!" Carvallain gasped as he spotted Claire crouched beside his teacher.
"Calindor - Imperious…he attacked him with dark magic," Claire said softly as the others rushed over as well.
"I'll get Penny," Titania turned on her heel and ran out.
To say that Penelope was overwhelmed when she arrived at Rootcore to discover that not only was Taliesin badly injured, but Daggeron had returned and Calindor was branded a traitor, was putting it lightly.
"How is he doing?" Titania asked as Penelope walked out of Rootcore. After introductions had been made, the rest of the Mystics had been sent home after a tough day, with the promise of updates once anything had been found out. Only Titania and Carvallain, who lived at Rootcore, had been allowed to stay.
"It's not great. The dark magic wrecked havoc on his body, and the blow to the head only made things worse. He will live, but I cannot say for sure when he'll wake," Penelope told them, her eyes lined with red.
"This is my fault," Udonna whispered.
"No, it is not," Daggeron reached out to put a hand on her shoulder. "The blame lies solely with Imperious," he told her firmly. Penelope nodded.
"He's right. Calindor was our friend; we had no knowledge of his betrayal. Any one of us would have welcomed him back with open arms," she agreed, and managed a smile as she turned to Daggeron. "As we do with this old friend. It is good to see you, Daggeron," Penelope told him. Daggeron smiled back, hugging her tightly.
"Likewise, Penny," he told her, letting her step back. "And it is good to see you both too, you have grown well," Daggeron addressed Carvallain and Titania, who had been standing quietly nearby.
"Thank you," Carvallain bowed his head to the man, who did the same in response. Titania just gave a small smile, worried for Taliesin.
"What happened that night, Daggeron?" Udonna turned back to Daggeron. He let out a quiet sigh, his eyes dark as he thought about the moment he'd discovered Calindor's betrayal.
"I was running through the woods when Calindor attacked. The dark magic had overtaken him," Daggeron told the story with a grave look on his face. "He was strong…evil. I hardly recognised him," he said, thinking of the man who had been one of their closest allies during the Great Battle. "When it was over, we were both cursed and trapped in a magical cave," he said, grim.
"Daggeron, what happened to Bowen? My baby?" Udonna's question was quiet and full of fear. It was the question that had been on her mind for 18 years, from the moment Daggeron had disappeared. Carvallain glanced at Titania, who looked just as worried as Penelope bit her lip, scared of what the answer would be.
"I don't know," Daggeron admitted after a long moment, guilt on his face. "I lost sight of him during battle," he confessed. When Calindor had attacked him, it had taken everything Daggeron had to lead him away from the infant. "Didn't Leánbow find him?" he asked, surprised.
"Leánbow was…destroyed," Udonna's words were barely audible, and Daggeron turned away as horror and grief crossed his face.
"I am sorry, Udonna. I failed you…I failed us all," Daggeron lowered his head, and turned to walk back into Rootcore.
"There is yet hope, Udonna," Penelope reached out to her friend, trying to offer a sympathetic smile. "Bowen may still be out there somewhere. You have kept hope all this time, it is not time to give up," she encouraged her. Udonna gave a small nod, but couldn't bring herself to smile.
"You are right…" Udonna nodded. "Thank you, Penelope," she said, turning to walk into Rootcore.
"And you two," Penelope then turned to the silent Mystics behind her. "You two have to keep your spirits up as well. Have faith that Taliesin will wake," she told the two, who nodded and watched as she went inside as well.
"She's right," Titania tucked her hair behind her ear, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
"And in the meantime, we'll make Imperious pay, right?" Carvallain nudged her lightly. Titania lifted her head to meet his gaze, and a confident smile returned to her face.
"Right," she confirmed, reaching out a fist. Carvallain bumped it, and they walked back into Rootcore, completely unaware of Phineas watching from the bushes with a worried look on his face.
This chapter did take a bit of a turn that I wasn't expecting. Got to make that reunion with Daggeron bittersweet, eh?
Hope you liked it!
Please review!