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Power Rangers In Retrograde - Mystic Force – Trick 29 When the Flower Blooms Part 3
'Now is my chance!' Koragg!Bee thinks to herself as Vida!Bottle unseals herself and she made a break for the opening, 'I just need to return to the hive!'
the world slowed as she saw Chip raise his mystic morpher, brow furrowed as she tried to outrace the lighting but she wasn't fast enough and the world went dark.
“I'm counting on you old friend,” Koragg didn’t recognize her voice, it sounded male but it was also hurt, gruff she could be in pain, hurt, nothing was clear as she handed off the child to a shining figure but who was that figure.
“You can count-” the figure took her child, swaddled in his red blanket and ran off as Koragg turned to watch as the Gatekeeper struggled to to send the gate back into the underworld even as the Master's tendrils snaked out trying to stop her.
Time slowed as Koragg's heart was torn open, “Niella get back!”
Who was the Gatekeeper to her, seeing her killing herself to banish the master tore open her heart as if she was watching family leap into the pits of hell and he feet moved without her as she drew sword and shield. She was not alone however as she charged the gate, 4 others warriors charged with her.
“Niella!”
Koragg shot up in a cold sweat, panting, skin pale, Kat was patting the sweat from her heaving chest as she felt her forehead but jumped back as Koragg shot up panting.
“Niella?” Daggeron asked curiously, “What do you know of Niella?”
“I...I it's all a blur,” she growled shaking her head.
As she returned to her senses she noticed someone was holding her hands, two someone's in fact, “V-Vida? Sis...Madison?”
Then she froze up in fear, “V-Vida?!”
She smiled pulling Koragg close, “Don't worry about it, you can hang onto my powers a little longer.”
Koragg relaxed slumping into the seat, “T-Thank you...I-I don’t know what to say.”
“It's what Nicole would have wanted,” Vida says mournfully as she began to cry into Koragg's shoulder, “W-wherever she is.”
“Don't worry V,” Chis says confidently, “We'll find him.”
“Yes Chris,” Nick added, “We will.”
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Gem and Gemma removed their helmets as they stood in the dimly lit hanger waiting for the figure in Pink to emerge from the Pegasus Jet.
“Nice save, back there...”
“...we owe you our lives.”
“It's Me who owes you my life,” The Pink Rangers says demorphing as she wraps her arms around the twins in a massive embrace, “When the factory came down around me I though I was a goner.”
“You were in...”
“The Factory? But we thought...”
The Twins looks at each other confused and then to the Pegasus Jet, “Where did you get...that.”
As if in answer the Pegasus Jet began to groan, shrinking down to a familiar form, the Pink ranger laughing as she wrapped her arms around Nicole, “It's you! My Savior! I don't know how you turned into a Zord and made me a Power Ranger but you saved all our lives.”
Nicole dropped to her knees weakly, voice cracking, “Would you believe Magic?”
The 3 Rangers looked to each other and then Back to Nicole helping her to some rubble she could rest against, “There's no such thing as magic.”
Nicole winced at the comment, holding her heart, “Where are we now?”
“Oh this?” Gem opened.
“Just one of Venjix's factories,” Gemma finished.
“You have to keep moving...”
“...or he'll find us.”
“But for now it's a good place…
“...to repairs on our Zords.”
Nicole took a deep break as he eyes began to close, “T-That was exhausting...”
“W-Wait I never got your name,” The Pink Ranger said confused.
“M-My name?” Nicole said confused as she started to fade into unconsciousness, “B-Blecker, N-Ni...cole.”
As darkness took her the Pink Ranger looked curiously, “That's weird...that's my name too.”
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“Is that...” Maddie held her mouth, trying to suppress the bile but failed, Vida quickly grabbing her hair as Koragg reflexively turned into a bucket to catch the mess.
Through the windows they saw the beach and LeeLee, the same horror passing through all the Rangers minds even as Daggeron leaps down to the beach side and gently runs his fingers over her body as the other Rangers leap down to join him, Kat watching from the Solar Streak.
“Dis...gust...ing.” Koragg shivered as she changed back dripping in bile.
“S-sorry V.”
“That is going to get so confusing,” Vida comments as she starts to trace LeeLee in opposite rotation to Daggeron, each of the Rangers following suit.
“You can fix this right?” Kat calls from the Solar Streak, “Like with Koragg?”
“She is alive, but barely, she is just lucky that her Ancient Mystic form is already piecemeal,” Daggeron nods as his Laser Lamp, “Focus your magic.”
“Right!”
LeeLee is enveloped in the white light even as Kat leaps down rushing toward her as she hears a sharp gasp catching the young girl as she slumps forward into her arms.
“Xander...” LeeLee gasps as Kat takes her pulse, “H-He...she...lost...”
“What do you mean...lost?” Chris wonders as she passes out.
“Uh guys,” Chip's voice cracks as he shifts to female form and looks on to the horizon and a lush jungle forest, “All that wasn't there when we left right...”
“No,” Daggeron says softly as the Solar Streak pulls up to the shore, “We may already be too late.”
“No,” Nick says firmly, “We saved LeeLee and we saved Vida,” he flusters looking to Koragg, “Er both of you...We'll save Xander too.”
Vida and Koragg chuckle.
“LeeLee's going to need time to recover first,” Daggeron adds as he carries LeeLee toward the Solar Streak.
“Ugh I feel so dirty,” Koragg heads head to the water and dives in trying to wipe the bile from her body.
“Sorry again V,” Maddie flusters.
“Not your fault,” she shivers even as she starts to peel off her clothes, “Just watch my back...”
Maddie nods as she glares at Chip, Chris and Nick.
“What?” Chip shrugs, “I'm a girl too!”
“You are not.”
Koragg shivers, “Ugh salt water isn't much better.”
“I can fix that V,” Maddie moves to join Koragg, making the water around them fresh and helping wash the bile from her hair and back.
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The Green Faerie that was once Xander stretched as the green rose bloomed and she yawned stretching, wings flutters as she lifted off, flitting over to a near flower where she cupped the nectar in her hands as if it was a soccer ball and sipped at its skin until she had drunk it all down.
With a smile she looked out at her growing forest, tilting her head curiously as she at a stone fountain, “If only I had some water magic then it would all be perfect.”
A warm breeze drifted in as the sun shone, and she turned her head back toward the shore, “What's that, there's a magician of the Blue?”
the Green Farie floated over closer to a blowing bush placing her ear to it.
Giggling she began the dance, flowers blooming all around her, “Oh they revived the magician of the Orange, good for them! How many of them are there? Nine? Well don't keep me in suspense are they all wizards?”
The Green Farie giggled in delight, a broad smile playing across her lips as she clapped and danced across the flower tops, “Oh wonderful, wonderful! I don't have much use for the Magician of the Red but to think there are two Magician's of the Gold and two of the Pink. And the Magician of the Blue and Yellow! This is all so wonderful! If I could get some of their power I could do anything! Oh I must prepare! I must prepare indeed!”
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“I don't like this,” LeeLee says nervously as she walked with Chip, “You didn't hear him, he didn't even realize he was hurting me. I don't think he even remember being human. And Daggeron has us splitting up? Why? He found you alright!”
Chip nods looking around cautiously, “This is a adventurers' rule number one, never split up. But Daggeron said that Xander's energy is everywhere, in the trees, the air, he can narrow it down so we needed to split up.”
“Perhaps I can help,” The Green faerie drops down from the tree tops, “Who are you looking for?”
LeeLee shrieks, not even recognizing Xander's voice with how much it has changed, “W-Who are you?”
The Green Faerie tilts her head, smiling mischievously “Me? Who do you think I am?”
“Oh!” Chip covered LeeLee's mouth as he pulled a small book from his vest's pocket flipping through the pages, stopping at a drawing of Xander, “I know this one...You're a nature spirit! Very rare, very powerful!”
Xander giggles, busing, “You flatter me.”
“A-A nature spirit?” LeeLee says unsurly, “Y-You wouldn’t happened to see a young man...or woman around here, probably wearing a green vest similar to ours...or a Ent?”
Xander tilts her head curiously before kissing Chip's cheek, a wreath of flowers forming in his hair as he blushes and shifts to female form, “I miiiiight, you'll have to pay a toll.”
“A toll?” LeeLee says confused.
Charlotte flusters, as she thumbs through her book, “R-Right your a pixie type, playful, mischievous, and wise. But you require a tribute for your favor, s-so what do you want?”
“Well,” Xander dances around them making flowers bloom, “That all depends what your willing to give up. After all there isn't much a nature spirit such as myself need now is there?”
“Just tell us what you want,” LeeLee grumbles, “Our friend is in danger.”
“Ohhhh well in that case, the forest tells me that one of you is a Magician of the Yellow, of thunder and lighting, and as it so happens I need the Yellow to better control the elements and protect my domain.”
“You want some of my magic?”
Xander giggles as she lays in Charlotte's hair and begins to play with it, “That's riiiight...and in exchange I'll tell you all I know about any green humans or Ents in the area.”
“I don't trust her,” LeeLee grouses.
“We could use any lead we can get,” Charlotte whispers as she flips open her Mystic Morpher, “Are you ready?”
Xander giggles as she floats there eyes shut arms behind her back, “Hit me!”
Charlotte nods as she focuses a stream of magic into Xander who dances around lighting arcing across her body as Charlotte drops to her knees, “We really need to take a break from that, that's the third time today, I'm running on empty.”
LeeLee rushes over and helps Charlotte stand as Xander dances around them, storm clouds gathering overhead as thunder cracks, “Oh this is just perrrrrrfect!”
“We had a deal, so talk,” LeeLee growls inadvertently flashing fangs. Drops to her own knees holding her head, “Whoa...I'm feeling a little light headed as well.”
“A promise is a promise,” Xander giggles as she offers each of them an apple, “Here this is full of the life force of the forest, it should help get you back on your feet.”
“T-Thanks,” Charlotte says weakly taking a bite and begins to stand, new strength flowing into her.
LeeLee holds the apple a moment, her eyes glowing red as she finds her eyes transfixed on Charlotte's neck, her mouth watering.
“LeeLee?”
She shakes her head clear and takes a bite of the apples, feeling stronger, the urges fading, fangs receding as her eyes returned to normal, “S-sorry, my mind wandered.”
“You sure your alright?”
“What? Of course!” She hisses, “Why? Don't you trust me!”
“Hey! Hey! Calm down LeeLee you just looked a lot like Vida when she was under Necrolai's control, when she was a vampire.”
LeeLee huffs eeys glowing as she flashes her fangs as Xander flutters off, “And so what? You have a problems with Vampires? With My mother? With me?”
“N-No of course not, it's just!”
LeeLee shakes her head and sits on the ground with a deep breath fangs vanishing as her eyes return to normal, “S-Sorry guess I haven’t fully recovered.”
“Understandable, you did almost die.”
“It's just,” her eyes flashed again as she bit into the apple with her fangs, letting the warm juices run down her throat, revitalizing her, “this apples is doing wonder...”
LeeLee sighs, “N-Normally I can control my other half, never had a problem before but...”
Charlotte nods as she offers LeeLee the rest of her apple, “I get it, don't worry.”
“Thanks,” LeeLee smiles as she devours it, “I didn't realize how starving I was.”
“What are friends for? Right?” Charlotte smiles looking around for Xander, “Though looks like our lead got bored and flew off.”
“Told you we couldn’t trust her,” LeeLee growls even as Charlotte hand her another apple, “Thanks….wait I though we only had the two!”
Charlotte chuckles as she points behind LeeLee to a bushel of apples on the ground behind her, “pixies are still good spirits, she wasn't going to just leave without some kind of payment.”
LeeLee smiles, fangs gleaming as she dives into the bushel shoving a couple into Charlotte's mouth, “I guess I was wrong, she wasn't so bad.”
“Manks,” Charlotte manged with her mouth full as LeeLee hissed, fangs in full view as she dove into the apples.
“Owch,” Charlotte growled as she dove at the food as well just as the trees overhead dropped a payload of more apples down on their head, the girls laughing as they filled their hungry bellies, playfully tossing the fruit at each other between bites.
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“So Nicole eh?” Blecker says to her twin as the are their mres and water as Gem And Gemma did maintenance on their zords, “Don't suppose you were born a man?”
“I don't think so...why?”
“Long story…” Blecker flusters looking curious to her partner, “What do you mean you don't think so?”
“It's all kind of a blur, my past, I know my name but...”
“Amnesia?”
She nodded, as Gemma made her way over, “Memory loss is pretty common among prisoners of Venjix's factories.”
“It is?” Blecker looks curiously to Gemma, “Also Venjix?”
“A computer program...” Gem explained as he came over to join his sister.
“...that took over the world.”
“Well that would explain the Mad Max vibe I’ve been getting from this place, it's some kind of apocalypse realm.”
Nicole presses her hand to Blecker's for head, “Are you sure you don't have a fever, your talking about a lot of crazy things.”
“I'm fine, I just need to find a way back to my dimension.”
“Other Dimensions don't exist...”
“...silly.”
Blecker glared at the twins, “Seriously? You sit her talking to a pair of girls who look identical, one of which you have admitted fell out of a hole in the sky and who can turn into a A Zord and yet you refuse to acknowledge magic or other realms?”
Before the twins could answer Nicole cut in, “any technology significantly advanced is indistinguishable from magic. I don't know if I believe in magic as some kind of unknowable thing but I know you somehow turned me into a Power Ranger and became a Zord. So I believe in you, the details don't matter.”
Blecker smiles, “I like this girl.”
Nicole laughs, “I like you too, does that make me a narcissist?”
Blecker laughed, it felt good to laugh, she missed that feeling.
The hanger shook as Gem and Gemma looked to each other, and took out their morphers running for their Zords.
“Looks like we've been found,” Nicole sighs, kissing Blecker brow, “You up for going Zord?”
“Do I have a choice?”
a beam crashed down and destroyed their makeshift table.
“No.”
“That's what I figured,” Blecker sighed running toward Gem and Gemma as her form changed, The Pink RPM ranger right behind her.
“It's Morphin' Time!”
“RPM, Get in Gear!”
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“Vida,” Koragg began to slow, her voice small, “C-Can I...can you...keep a secret?”
“V?” Vida stopped letting Koragg catch up to her, “Of course, were sisters.”
“N-no Madison is your sister, Nicole is your sister I'm just...a shadow.”
Vida pulls her close as Koragg begins to sob.
“I-I don't even know who I am, just flashes, fragments.”
“It's alright, until you figure out who you are I have no problem with you borrowing my memories.”
“T-Thanks Vida...I'm just so afraid...afraid of myself, of Koragg, what if I’m reading the memories all wrong? What if I really am an evil monster? What if I choose to serve The Master.”
Vida smiles brushing aside Koragg's tears, “Now that's just ridiculous, know how I know?”
“H-How?”
Vida smiles as she traces Koragg's heart with her finger, “Because my magic would never help a monster.”
Koragg smiles, “T-thank you.”
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“Daggeron?” Nick says softly. “You think Xander can still be saved?”
“Having second thoughts?”
“I-I don't know, I have hope, but if we cant sense him then it's already to late isn't it?”
“That is a very possible case, if he has been consumed by the Green he wont even recognize himself.”
“Who won't recognize themselves?” Xander floats down from the tree tops, circling the two.
“A nature spirit?” Daggeron says surprised.
“X-Xander?” Nick says unsurly, “I-Is that you?”
“Xander?” She tits her head curiously, “Is that who your looking for?”
“Xander, stop playing around.”
Daggeron raises his arm to quiet Nick, “That's not Xander, her magic is of the Green this is true but it's on a whole other level, beyond anything he could ever achieve on his own.”
“A-Are you sure?” Nick says uneasily.
Xander giggles, “I might know where your friend is...for a price.”
Daggeron narrowed his eyes as she danged around him, “What price spirit?”
“Oh nothing big,” she giggled as the sun rained down on them, “But I know you have the power of the Gold and it wouldn’t hurt to make my own power of the Gold stronger.”
“See,” Daggeron whispers, “her powers far exceed those of Xander, she commands all the elements.”
Nick growls as he flips open his Mystic Morpher, “Fine, have my magic then just tell us where Xander is!”
Xander giggles, “Alright since you offered, there was some Ents to the east, about half a day's walk.”
“East? Half a day?”
Xander nods, “By train, it's on the eastern continent, I noticed you had one. Now pay up.”
Nick sighs as he and Daggeron feed their magic into Xander, “Seriously that far how could Xander get all the way over there?”
Xander shrugs, “I can't make any promises it is who you seek I can only tell you what you know.”
As Daggeron and Nick wavered as they dropped to their knees.
“That...took a lot more out of me then I thought.”
“Me too.”
Xander giggled as she danced off, “The magician of the Orange and Yellow also seemed tired, I left them some food in a grove to the north,” she pauses tilting her head, “Oh how cute they fell asleep. Anyway since you were so cooperative and spared me so much magic I'll open the trees to you, use the root network to find them, I'll shape a canopy and a bed of roses of of would like to rest as well.”
“Thank you spirit,” Daggeron says cordially as Xander vanishes into a tree.
“What are friends for,” she giggled as she vanished.
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Nicole brushed her fingers over the scorched hull of the Unicorn Tank, of Blecker, who audibly winced, “Are you sure this is safe…she isn't a normal machine.”
Gemma had another panel off as was waste deep in the innards of Blecker as Gem was repairing her engine which was pulled out, in fact most of Blecker was in pieces, several cables feed into the main frame. But a good mass of it was spread across the flickering bunker.
“Neither are...”
“...Our zords.”
“Yeah but she's alive?” Nicole bits on her nails as she brushes Blecker's hull, her voice low, “You holding up Nicole?”
Her voice was distorted, resonating from several parts, spread among the twins, “everything hurts but I'm….alive….somehow.”
“What I mean is...”
“..our Zords are part animal...”
saying together, “...bio-technolgy.”
“We can't leave with her like this, what happens if Venjix attacks?”
The twins stop, looking up to Nicole together speechless.
Nicole swallows hard as she runs toward Gem's Zord morphing, “I-I'm going to p-patrol.”
“Good Luck!”
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Imperious looked around the Pit annoyed, he was alone save for the Catsuit and the army of Hidiac and Styxoids, “First Korragg, now the Pink Witch's and Necrolai, we are running out of generals to lead our armies.”
The Master bellowed.
Imperious was non pulsed, “I have an idea to get us new general,” his gaze drifting to the catsuit, “But there is a risk.”
The Master bellowed.
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Necrolai, still in human form, stood in the doorway, emotionless, as she watched several people run past her, LeeLee at her side holding her hand warmly.
“What's the hurry?”
“A cat monster is attacking the city!”
“A cat...monster?” Necrolai says confused as she looks over to LeeLee numbly, “Probably Nicole's suit, the master removed it and animated it, you should probably go.”
LeeLee squeezed her mother hand tighter, “I'm not going anywhere mom.”
“Your a Power Ranger now, this is what you do...”
LeeLee flusters, “Actually...about that.”
Necrolai looked to her daughter confused.
“I'm not really me,” she sighs, “I'm a shadow, a construct, the real LeeLee and the others are going to be gone for a while...”
Necrolai sighs as she turns, slumping back into the dark house, “Only a shadow, a puppet like Vida was, could love a monster like me. Leave me alone.”
“Mom you don't...”
“I said Leave me alone!” She hissed as she transformed back and flashed her fangs. LeeLee's shadow remained nonpulsed.
“You can't scare me with that face mom.”
“Just leave me alone,” Necrolai shifted back to human as she dropped to her knees, returning to her sobs.
The Shadow moved to her mother, kneeling and holding her close, “I'm not going anywhere mom, you may not want to believe it but I have all of LeeLee's thoughts, memories, my feelings ARE her feelings. And as a shadow I lack the power to Morph so I'm staying here until you snap out of this. There is nothing else I'd rather do.”
“What about your job, your new friends?”
“They'll understand,” LeeLee began to cry herself, “Don't you get it mom...I love you.”
Necrolai sighs, “What is love, I've done horrible things to you, to Vida, Nicole, the world, I don't know the first thing about love. Why show it to me when you know I'll just use it against you later.”
“You would never hurt me, not intentionally, you are my mother.”
Necrolai sighs, “Mother? A Mother loves her children, all you have ever been is tools for my ambitions.”
“That's not true and you know it,” LeeLee hugged her tighter, “now snap out of it. This is the Mother I know, the confident, in control Queen of the Vampires.”
“Queen?” Necrolai looked up confused as LeeLee transformed, taking a form similar to her.
“Yes, Queen, and I-I'm you little P-Princess.”
Necrolai looked through the shadow, “Y-You don't have to...I know you...”
“Mom, this is part of who I am. Just as your feelings, your very human feelings are part of you. It's time to stop hiding in the shadows,” LeeLee says calmly as she changes back pulling Necrolai to her feet and turning her toward a window where sun light streamed in, “And step into the light.”
Necrolai shrank away from the light, “the Light has never been good for my skin.”
“Let it go and stop making excuses,” LeeLee growls pulling her mother into the light, “The sun never bothered us anyway.”
Necrolai said nothing.
LeeLee smiled, snapping her fingers, “I know what you need, a nice relaxing day at the beach, warm sun, cute boys, come on! It'll be fun.”
Necrolai dropped to the floor again sighing, “What's the point.”
LeeLee growled, “To enjoy life, to enjoy living! Come on!”
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“I'm sorry,” Madison said suddenly.
“Sorry? For what?” Chris says confused as Kat listened.
“Getting distracted, swimming off, I I had just stayed by the shore...”
“Don't beat yourself up over it,” Kat cuts in, “Everyone gets distracted from time to time.”
“Yes but...” Madison trembled, “If I hadn’t we would have been able to keep Xander from diving off the deep end and keep LeeLee from...”
“LeeLee was in stone form,” Chris interrupts, “and Xander nearly killed her, I suspect none of us would have fared much better.”
“Shhh, you hear that?” Kat says suddenly.
“Hear what?” Chris and Madison say together.
“Shhh,” Kat insists again as she veers off, the two following her.
“Damn it! Just my luck!” Xander grunted as she struggled in the web, each movement only getting her more and more tangled in the webbing.
“What do we have here?” Kat leans in.
Suddenly a massive face with to huge green eyes was starting at her, Xander's heart skipping a beat as she shrieked. “Don't eat me!”
“Calm down! Calm down! I'll get you free!”
Xander shrieked again as Kat's massive hand closed around her, her world going dark. “Heeeeeeelp!”
Kat hissed as her hand turned to wood around Xander, “What the?”
Before she could shake it a flower bloomed on the back on her hand, as Xander emerged, “Free at last!”
“What did you do?” Chris rushes to Kat's side inspecting her still transformed hand.
“Shows you right for trying to eat me!” Xander huffed.
“I was trying to free you!” Kat hissed.
Xander blushes, “R-Really?”
“You were the one calling for help,” she growled as she shook her hand as it returned to normal.
“Well now I feel terrible-” She cut herself shot as she saw Kat's hand return to normal, 'Hummmm'
“No harm done,” Maddie smiles as she turns Kat's hand over in hers, “Everything back to normal now Kat?”
She nods twining her hand and flexing her finger, “Seems like it...Thanks...”
“Just who are you?” Chris asked.
“Who do you think I am?” Xander teases.
Maddie cut in, “Some kind of sprite like Vida?”
Xander smiles as she crosses her arms over her chest, “I suppose I owe you a favor, so what is it you want?”
“The only thing we need is to find Xander,” Chris leads, “you wouldn't happen to have seen a guy wearing green around anywhere?”
“A guy?” Xander looks thoughtful, “No can't say as I have.”
“Oh well thanks for your time,” Kat adds.
“Wait,” Maddie called before Xander could turn away from them, “Remember Xander's lost he could be a girl, or a ent...”
“Oh right...”
“Ms. Sprite,” Madison smiled, “Have you seen a girl in green or a giant tree person?”
Xander sighed, “I already answered your question, I should get back to tending the plants.”
“Please!”
“...We did save your life,” Chris cuts in.
Xander signs, “I'll make you a deal, lend me some of your water magic and I'll tell you what I know, I'll even throw in a bonus for saving my life.”
“My magic?” Madison says confused, “Why do you need my magic.”
Xander sighs summons large flowers for them all to sit in as she moves to Madison's shoulder, “Do you know another about nature spirits like myself?”
“N-No...that's more Chip or Daggeron's area of expertise.”
A cool breeze blew through as the sun flitted in from the tree tops warmly, “We are suppose to command all the elements, masters of nature, before you and your friends arrived my control over wood, earth, and wind were at their apex while my control of thunder and the sun were at half strength at best but worst all was my control water which seemed non existent. Your friends have already helped fan my thunder and sun magic to their former levels and I opened the root network to them as compensation. But my water magic still lacks.”
“Sounds to me like you need us more then we need you, you better not be lying when you say you know where Xander is.”
“Chris!” Madison gaps, “Shes a magical creator who has lost her magic, part of our job as Mystic Force is to protect magic!”
Chris flusters, “S-Sorry, guess I still have a lot to learn.”
“Your forgiven just try and remember what we stand for.”
Chris nods, “Sorry...again.”
Xander smiles as she floats away and Maddie flips open her Mystic Morpher, “This is wonderful, I can't remember the last time I was at full strength.”
Maddie soon slumped into her flower chair, “That...took a lot more out of me then I thought.”
Xander giggled as she flew above the tree tops, Kat gasping as her feet became soaked through her shoes and looking down was shocked to see an ankle deep stream had formed under them snaking west. With Chris help they extracted Madison from the flower and lowered her into the water.
“Huh? What I miss?” Madison's eyes fluttered open as she looked down at her mermaid tail, as she lie in the water, Kat was behind her crouched on her toes as she held Maddie upright, “Though that might help.”
“T-thanks,” Maddie blushes as the river deepens until her tail is fully submerged, along with half of Kat, “But I thought cat hated water.”
“I only look like a cat, remember,” she purred.
“Oh and a waterfall there,” Xander laughed softly as her fairy dust rained down into the clearing with the Rangers.
“Hey!” Chris called up to Xander, “Aren't you forgetting your promise?”
Xander's seemed to have lost herself in her landscaping, as Madison smiled, “Oh let her have some fun for a few minutes, she hasn’t been at full power in some time.”
Chris sighs, “Alright, I just feel like we're wasting time that could be spent on Xander...”
“Or your brother?” Kat adds.
Chris remains quiet.
“Brother?” Xander says curiously as she floats down, “You lost your brother? I'm so sorry. I lost all my sisters, while I was sleeping...I'm the only one left here.”
“Oh I'm so sorry,” Madison says softly, “I almost lost my sister for a time as well.”
Xander smiles drying her tears, “Then you understand what it's like, to be all alone.”
“You don't have to be,” Chris cuts in, “Alone I mean. Once we find Xander and finish our training we're going back to our world but if there really isn't anyone here for you you could come with us.”
“Really?” Xander eyes shinned, “That would be...” hen then hardened as she held her heart, “But no...I can't...”
“Why can't you?”
“Look around you,” She motions to the forest, “This place used to be teeming with life, in the seal, under the earth, in the sky, I can hear it whispered from every blade of grass, ever leaf, but while I slumbered everything died. I have a duty, I can't just leave because I'm lonely.”
The Rangers nodded.
“We understand.”
Xander took a deep breath, “Anyway you are right, a promise is a promise. I didn't see any green girls but if you take that train of yours to the eastern continent I can sense some Ents, it can promise it is your friend but it's a place to start. About a half days ride by train.”
“A half day?”
Xander nods as she lands in Kat's hand, “Don't suppose you can speed things up any?”
“I can only offer what I did your other friends, the Root Network is open for you while you are on this continent. Use it to gather up with your friends. I'll even craft a retreat for you to rest at if you like. I know several others were quite worn out after sharing their magic with me and needed the nutrients of my fruits to restore their strength.”
“Thank you but we need to keep moving,” Chris explains, “No telling what the delay of another day will do to Xander.”
“That's up to you, I only make the offer,” then she smiled as she pressed her palms into Kat's a green glow forming between then, “As for that bonus….”
Everyone gasped as Kat pulled back a Mystic Morpher, “I-Is this?”
“Yes,” Xander smiles, “It was faint but I could sense The Green within you, and when you were able to change your hand back to normal before I had a chance I was sure of it. It may tame some time before you are the equal of your peers but go with my blessing.”
Kat gasped as her clothes changed, becoming similar to the mystic garb worn by the others, by Xander, “I'm honored.”
Xander smiled, “It may even offer you a way to reach your lost friend.”
“This is amazing,” Kat laughed as small vines rise from the ground, “I never imaged the morphing grid could be manipulated in such a way. I just regret I didn't know this when I was working on project Delta. Thank you!”
“We should probably keep going,” Chris smiles as he kisses Kat, “You totally deserve it.”
Kat coughs as she tried to lift up Madison, “Are you ready to go?”
Her tail refuses to change back as she leans into Kat's chest, “Honestly I'm still feeling kind of tired, Only staying awake because of the water.”
Chris sighs, “Looks like we aren’t going anywhere.”
“N-No! I can help!” Maddie flops out of Kat's arms dropping to the dirt as she craws toward a tree, “We just need to meet up with the others then get on the Solar Streak, I'll manage.”
As she vanishes Xander smiles, “I'll add a lake to that retreat for you, good luck.”
“Thank you,” Kat waves as she follows Madison into the Trees, Chris right behind her.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Catsuit loomed over Toby who tried to back peddle away as the monster growled, raking her claws across his chest, tearing his shirt, Toby felt light headed, the world spinning as he looked around, he was hardly the only person who had been attacked and was shaking their head in pain but he was the only one conscious. Everyone else around him were being dragged off by Hidiacs.
“Y-You can't get away with this, The Power Rangers...”
The cat hissed, and rose her claws to strike again, Toby shut his eyes tight and braced for the attack.
“Hi-yah!”
It never came, as he opened his eyes, vision bluring he saw Nick fending off the monster hand to hand. But It wasn't just Nick but all his staff who had arrived, save LeeLee, who were fending off the Hidiacs.
“You alright Toby?”
“Head spinning...”
“Just hold out guys,” Nick called to the others, I'm sure the Power Rangers will be here any minute, we just need to get the civilians to safety.”
A firm kick sent the cat flying giving Nick the chanced to lift Toby over his shoulder, the others were doing similar to get the victims out of danger.
Toby shook his head, fading in and out of consciousness, his ears burned, his skin crawled, “Watch out.”
The Cat had launched an attack at Nick's backside but somehow had missed, a blast of watter knocking her off her feet again.
'Water...the Blue Ranger!'
His mind tried to locate the rangers but saw nothing, and the quick movement of his head mad his stomach turn, he couldn’t help himself as the contents of his lunch shot across the street and dribbled down his chin and shirt, Nick slipping on it as they both fell on their backs, the Cat stalking toward them with anger in her eyes.
“S-Sorry Nick.”
“Not your fault Toby.”
She roared as she dove at them, Toby didn't know why but even as dazed as he was the attack seemed to come in slow motion, as he rolled atop Nick taking the full force of the attack on his back.
“Stay with me Toby!”
Nick rolled them out of the way of the follow up attack as he pulled Toby to his feet, but his consciousness was fading.
“Looks like the Power Rangers are running a bit late,” a new voice, male, announced with a laugh.
“Good, I could use a good workout, been getting rusty,” this one female.
“Who?” Toby managed as he fought consciousness as blurry figures steeped into his view to face off against the feline.
“Shall we remind the good people of Briarwood who are?”
“That does seem the custom, sound off everyone!”
"Crunan the knight!"
"Vicamros the bard!"
"Caren the paladin!"
"Norian the dragon knight!"
"Xanril the ranger!"
"Loraella the cleric!"
"Defenders of Yggdrasil! Ready to fight!"
The Adventurers flinching as an explosion of smoke and fire erupted behind them before they charged the Cat and Hidiacs.
“Turn!' Caren and Loraella shouted as Hidiacs exploded into smoke as they ran past.
“I must be seeing things,” Toby groans before finally passing out.
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“Guess we are staying the night,” Chris says annoyed as he looks out over the his friends. Madison was in mermaid form passed out at the edge of a waterfall lake, head resting on the shore. LeeLee had shifted to her vampire form and was passed out under the shade of the massive tree house that the Green Faerie had construed for them surrounded by numerous half eaten fruits. Chip was still female and was sleeping against LeeLee's shoulder. Nick and Daggeron were passed out in the actual tree house on wicker couches. Only Jenji, Kat, the Vidas, and himself were awake.
“Today has been crazy,” Vida yawns absently.
“Not you too,” Chris sighs.
“Don't be so harsh on them Chris,” Kat says softly, kissing him, “They used a lot of magic today as well, they just didn't run into that Green Fairy to further wear them out.”
“I know...it's just...”
“We all feel the same,” Koragg yawns, “But it can't be helped.”
“I know...but still...”
'Now is my chance!' Koragg!Bee thinks to herself as Vida!Bottle unseals herself and she made a break for the opening, 'I just need to return to the hive!'
the world slowed as she saw Chip raise his mystic morpher, brow furrowed as she tried to outrace the lighting but she wasn't fast enough and the world went dark.
“I'm counting on you old friend,” Koragg didn’t recognize her voice, it sounded male but it was also hurt, gruff she could be in pain, hurt, nothing was clear as she handed off the child to a shining figure but who was that figure.
“You can count-” the figure took her child, swaddled in his red blanket and ran off as Koragg turned to watch as the Gatekeeper struggled to to send the gate back into the underworld even as the Master's tendrils snaked out trying to stop her.
Time slowed as Koragg's heart was torn open, “Niella get back!”
Who was the Gatekeeper to her, seeing her killing herself to banish the master tore open her heart as if she was watching family leap into the pits of hell and he feet moved without her as she drew sword and shield. She was not alone however as she charged the gate, 4 others warriors charged with her.
“Niella!”
Koragg shot up in a cold sweat, panting, skin pale, Kat was patting the sweat from her heaving chest as she felt her forehead but jumped back as Koragg shot up panting.
“Niella?” Daggeron asked curiously, “What do you know of Niella?”
“I...I it's all a blur,” she growled shaking her head.
As she returned to her senses she noticed someone was holding her hands, two someone's in fact, “V-Vida? Sis...Madison?”
Then she froze up in fear, “V-Vida?!”
She smiled pulling Koragg close, “Don't worry about it, you can hang onto my powers a little longer.”
Koragg relaxed slumping into the seat, “T-Thank you...I-I don’t know what to say.”
“It's what Nicole would have wanted,” Vida says mournfully as she began to cry into Koragg's shoulder, “W-wherever she is.”
“Don't worry V,” Chis says confidently, “We'll find him.”
“Yes Chris,” Nick added, “We will.”
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Gem and Gemma removed their helmets as they stood in the dimly lit hanger waiting for the figure in Pink to emerge from the Pegasus Jet.
“Nice save, back there...”
“...we owe you our lives.”
“It's Me who owes you my life,” The Pink Rangers says demorphing as she wraps her arms around the twins in a massive embrace, “When the factory came down around me I though I was a goner.”
“You were in...”
“The Factory? But we thought...”
The Twins looks at each other confused and then to the Pegasus Jet, “Where did you get...that.”
As if in answer the Pegasus Jet began to groan, shrinking down to a familiar form, the Pink ranger laughing as she wrapped her arms around Nicole, “It's you! My Savior! I don't know how you turned into a Zord and made me a Power Ranger but you saved all our lives.”
Nicole dropped to her knees weakly, voice cracking, “Would you believe Magic?”
The 3 Rangers looked to each other and then Back to Nicole helping her to some rubble she could rest against, “There's no such thing as magic.”
Nicole winced at the comment, holding her heart, “Where are we now?”
“Oh this?” Gem opened.
“Just one of Venjix's factories,” Gemma finished.
“You have to keep moving...”
“...or he'll find us.”
“But for now it's a good place…
“...to repairs on our Zords.”
Nicole took a deep break as he eyes began to close, “T-That was exhausting...”
“W-Wait I never got your name,” The Pink Ranger said confused.
“M-My name?” Nicole said confused as she started to fade into unconsciousness, “B-Blecker, N-Ni...cole.”
As darkness took her the Pink Ranger looked curiously, “That's weird...that's my name too.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Is that...” Maddie held her mouth, trying to suppress the bile but failed, Vida quickly grabbing her hair as Koragg reflexively turned into a bucket to catch the mess.
Through the windows they saw the beach and LeeLee, the same horror passing through all the Rangers minds even as Daggeron leaps down to the beach side and gently runs his fingers over her body as the other Rangers leap down to join him, Kat watching from the Solar Streak.
“Dis...gust...ing.” Koragg shivered as she changed back dripping in bile.
“S-sorry V.”
“That is going to get so confusing,” Vida comments as she starts to trace LeeLee in opposite rotation to Daggeron, each of the Rangers following suit.
“You can fix this right?” Kat calls from the Solar Streak, “Like with Koragg?”
“She is alive, but barely, she is just lucky that her Ancient Mystic form is already piecemeal,” Daggeron nods as his Laser Lamp, “Focus your magic.”
“Right!”
LeeLee is enveloped in the white light even as Kat leaps down rushing toward her as she hears a sharp gasp catching the young girl as she slumps forward into her arms.
“Xander...” LeeLee gasps as Kat takes her pulse, “H-He...she...lost...”
“What do you mean...lost?” Chris wonders as she passes out.
“Uh guys,” Chip's voice cracks as he shifts to female form and looks on to the horizon and a lush jungle forest, “All that wasn't there when we left right...”
“No,” Daggeron says softly as the Solar Streak pulls up to the shore, “We may already be too late.”
“No,” Nick says firmly, “We saved LeeLee and we saved Vida,” he flusters looking to Koragg, “Er both of you...We'll save Xander too.”
Vida and Koragg chuckle.
“LeeLee's going to need time to recover first,” Daggeron adds as he carries LeeLee toward the Solar Streak.
“Ugh I feel so dirty,” Koragg heads head to the water and dives in trying to wipe the bile from her body.
“Sorry again V,” Maddie flusters.
“Not your fault,” she shivers even as she starts to peel off her clothes, “Just watch my back...”
Maddie nods as she glares at Chip, Chris and Nick.
“What?” Chip shrugs, “I'm a girl too!”
“You are not.”
Koragg shivers, “Ugh salt water isn't much better.”
“I can fix that V,” Maddie moves to join Koragg, making the water around them fresh and helping wash the bile from her hair and back.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Green Faerie that was once Xander stretched as the green rose bloomed and she yawned stretching, wings flutters as she lifted off, flitting over to a near flower where she cupped the nectar in her hands as if it was a soccer ball and sipped at its skin until she had drunk it all down.
With a smile she looked out at her growing forest, tilting her head curiously as she at a stone fountain, “If only I had some water magic then it would all be perfect.”
A warm breeze drifted in as the sun shone, and she turned her head back toward the shore, “What's that, there's a magician of the Blue?”
the Green Farie floated over closer to a blowing bush placing her ear to it.
Giggling she began the dance, flowers blooming all around her, “Oh they revived the magician of the Orange, good for them! How many of them are there? Nine? Well don't keep me in suspense are they all wizards?”
The Green Farie giggled in delight, a broad smile playing across her lips as she clapped and danced across the flower tops, “Oh wonderful, wonderful! I don't have much use for the Magician of the Red but to think there are two Magician's of the Gold and two of the Pink. And the Magician of the Blue and Yellow! This is all so wonderful! If I could get some of their power I could do anything! Oh I must prepare! I must prepare indeed!”
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“I don't like this,” LeeLee says nervously as she walked with Chip, “You didn't hear him, he didn't even realize he was hurting me. I don't think he even remember being human. And Daggeron has us splitting up? Why? He found you alright!”
Chip nods looking around cautiously, “This is a adventurers' rule number one, never split up. But Daggeron said that Xander's energy is everywhere, in the trees, the air, he can narrow it down so we needed to split up.”
“Perhaps I can help,” The Green faerie drops down from the tree tops, “Who are you looking for?”
LeeLee shrieks, not even recognizing Xander's voice with how much it has changed, “W-Who are you?”
The Green Faerie tilts her head, smiling mischievously “Me? Who do you think I am?”
“Oh!” Chip covered LeeLee's mouth as he pulled a small book from his vest's pocket flipping through the pages, stopping at a drawing of Xander, “I know this one...You're a nature spirit! Very rare, very powerful!”
Xander giggles, busing, “You flatter me.”
“A-A nature spirit?” LeeLee says unsurly, “Y-You wouldn’t happened to see a young man...or woman around here, probably wearing a green vest similar to ours...or a Ent?”
Xander tilts her head curiously before kissing Chip's cheek, a wreath of flowers forming in his hair as he blushes and shifts to female form, “I miiiiight, you'll have to pay a toll.”
“A toll?” LeeLee says confused.
Charlotte flusters, as she thumbs through her book, “R-Right your a pixie type, playful, mischievous, and wise. But you require a tribute for your favor, s-so what do you want?”
“Well,” Xander dances around them making flowers bloom, “That all depends what your willing to give up. After all there isn't much a nature spirit such as myself need now is there?”
“Just tell us what you want,” LeeLee grumbles, “Our friend is in danger.”
“Ohhhh well in that case, the forest tells me that one of you is a Magician of the Yellow, of thunder and lighting, and as it so happens I need the Yellow to better control the elements and protect my domain.”
“You want some of my magic?”
Xander giggles as she lays in Charlotte's hair and begins to play with it, “That's riiiight...and in exchange I'll tell you all I know about any green humans or Ents in the area.”
“I don't trust her,” LeeLee grouses.
“We could use any lead we can get,” Charlotte whispers as she flips open her Mystic Morpher, “Are you ready?”
Xander giggles as she floats there eyes shut arms behind her back, “Hit me!”
Charlotte nods as she focuses a stream of magic into Xander who dances around lighting arcing across her body as Charlotte drops to her knees, “We really need to take a break from that, that's the third time today, I'm running on empty.”
LeeLee rushes over and helps Charlotte stand as Xander dances around them, storm clouds gathering overhead as thunder cracks, “Oh this is just perrrrrrfect!”
“We had a deal, so talk,” LeeLee growls inadvertently flashing fangs. Drops to her own knees holding her head, “Whoa...I'm feeling a little light headed as well.”
“A promise is a promise,” Xander giggles as she offers each of them an apple, “Here this is full of the life force of the forest, it should help get you back on your feet.”
“T-Thanks,” Charlotte says weakly taking a bite and begins to stand, new strength flowing into her.
LeeLee holds the apple a moment, her eyes glowing red as she finds her eyes transfixed on Charlotte's neck, her mouth watering.
“LeeLee?”
She shakes her head clear and takes a bite of the apples, feeling stronger, the urges fading, fangs receding as her eyes returned to normal, “S-sorry, my mind wandered.”
“You sure your alright?”
“What? Of course!” She hisses, “Why? Don't you trust me!”
“Hey! Hey! Calm down LeeLee you just looked a lot like Vida when she was under Necrolai's control, when she was a vampire.”
LeeLee huffs eeys glowing as she flashes her fangs as Xander flutters off, “And so what? You have a problems with Vampires? With My mother? With me?”
“N-No of course not, it's just!”
LeeLee shakes her head and sits on the ground with a deep breath fangs vanishing as her eyes return to normal, “S-Sorry guess I haven’t fully recovered.”
“Understandable, you did almost die.”
“It's just,” her eyes flashed again as she bit into the apple with her fangs, letting the warm juices run down her throat, revitalizing her, “this apples is doing wonder...”
LeeLee sighs, “N-Normally I can control my other half, never had a problem before but...”
Charlotte nods as she offers LeeLee the rest of her apple, “I get it, don't worry.”
“Thanks,” LeeLee smiles as she devours it, “I didn't realize how starving I was.”
“What are friends for? Right?” Charlotte smiles looking around for Xander, “Though looks like our lead got bored and flew off.”
“Told you we couldn’t trust her,” LeeLee growls even as Charlotte hand her another apple, “Thanks….wait I though we only had the two!”
Charlotte chuckles as she points behind LeeLee to a bushel of apples on the ground behind her, “pixies are still good spirits, she wasn't going to just leave without some kind of payment.”
LeeLee smiles, fangs gleaming as she dives into the bushel shoving a couple into Charlotte's mouth, “I guess I was wrong, she wasn't so bad.”
“Manks,” Charlotte manged with her mouth full as LeeLee hissed, fangs in full view as she dove into the apples.
“Owch,” Charlotte growled as she dove at the food as well just as the trees overhead dropped a payload of more apples down on their head, the girls laughing as they filled their hungry bellies, playfully tossing the fruit at each other between bites.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“So Nicole eh?” Blecker says to her twin as the are their mres and water as Gem And Gemma did maintenance on their zords, “Don't suppose you were born a man?”
“I don't think so...why?”
“Long story…” Blecker flusters looking curious to her partner, “What do you mean you don't think so?”
“It's all kind of a blur, my past, I know my name but...”
“Amnesia?”
She nodded, as Gemma made her way over, “Memory loss is pretty common among prisoners of Venjix's factories.”
“It is?” Blecker looks curiously to Gemma, “Also Venjix?”
“A computer program...” Gem explained as he came over to join his sister.
“...that took over the world.”
“Well that would explain the Mad Max vibe I’ve been getting from this place, it's some kind of apocalypse realm.”
Nicole presses her hand to Blecker's for head, “Are you sure you don't have a fever, your talking about a lot of crazy things.”
“I'm fine, I just need to find a way back to my dimension.”
“Other Dimensions don't exist...”
“...silly.”
Blecker glared at the twins, “Seriously? You sit her talking to a pair of girls who look identical, one of which you have admitted fell out of a hole in the sky and who can turn into a A Zord and yet you refuse to acknowledge magic or other realms?”
Before the twins could answer Nicole cut in, “any technology significantly advanced is indistinguishable from magic. I don't know if I believe in magic as some kind of unknowable thing but I know you somehow turned me into a Power Ranger and became a Zord. So I believe in you, the details don't matter.”
Blecker smiles, “I like this girl.”
Nicole laughs, “I like you too, does that make me a narcissist?”
Blecker laughed, it felt good to laugh, she missed that feeling.
The hanger shook as Gem and Gemma looked to each other, and took out their morphers running for their Zords.
“Looks like we've been found,” Nicole sighs, kissing Blecker brow, “You up for going Zord?”
“Do I have a choice?”
a beam crashed down and destroyed their makeshift table.
“No.”
“That's what I figured,” Blecker sighed running toward Gem and Gemma as her form changed, The Pink RPM ranger right behind her.
“It's Morphin' Time!”
“RPM, Get in Gear!”
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“Vida,” Koragg began to slow, her voice small, “C-Can I...can you...keep a secret?”
“V?” Vida stopped letting Koragg catch up to her, “Of course, were sisters.”
“N-no Madison is your sister, Nicole is your sister I'm just...a shadow.”
Vida pulls her close as Koragg begins to sob.
“I-I don't even know who I am, just flashes, fragments.”
“It's alright, until you figure out who you are I have no problem with you borrowing my memories.”
“T-Thanks Vida...I'm just so afraid...afraid of myself, of Koragg, what if I’m reading the memories all wrong? What if I really am an evil monster? What if I choose to serve The Master.”
Vida smiles brushing aside Koragg's tears, “Now that's just ridiculous, know how I know?”
“H-How?”
Vida smiles as she traces Koragg's heart with her finger, “Because my magic would never help a monster.”
Koragg smiles, “T-thank you.”
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Daggeron?” Nick says softly. “You think Xander can still be saved?”
“Having second thoughts?”
“I-I don't know, I have hope, but if we cant sense him then it's already to late isn't it?”
“That is a very possible case, if he has been consumed by the Green he wont even recognize himself.”
“Who won't recognize themselves?” Xander floats down from the tree tops, circling the two.
“A nature spirit?” Daggeron says surprised.
“X-Xander?” Nick says unsurly, “I-Is that you?”
“Xander?” She tits her head curiously, “Is that who your looking for?”
“Xander, stop playing around.”
Daggeron raises his arm to quiet Nick, “That's not Xander, her magic is of the Green this is true but it's on a whole other level, beyond anything he could ever achieve on his own.”
“A-Are you sure?” Nick says uneasily.
Xander giggles, “I might know where your friend is...for a price.”
Daggeron narrowed his eyes as she danged around him, “What price spirit?”
“Oh nothing big,” she giggled as the sun rained down on them, “But I know you have the power of the Gold and it wouldn’t hurt to make my own power of the Gold stronger.”
“See,” Daggeron whispers, “her powers far exceed those of Xander, she commands all the elements.”
Nick growls as he flips open his Mystic Morpher, “Fine, have my magic then just tell us where Xander is!”
Xander giggles, “Alright since you offered, there was some Ents to the east, about half a day's walk.”
“East? Half a day?”
Xander nods, “By train, it's on the eastern continent, I noticed you had one. Now pay up.”
Nick sighs as he and Daggeron feed their magic into Xander, “Seriously that far how could Xander get all the way over there?”
Xander shrugs, “I can't make any promises it is who you seek I can only tell you what you know.”
As Daggeron and Nick wavered as they dropped to their knees.
“That...took a lot more out of me then I thought.”
“Me too.”
Xander giggled as she danced off, “The magician of the Orange and Yellow also seemed tired, I left them some food in a grove to the north,” she pauses tilting her head, “Oh how cute they fell asleep. Anyway since you were so cooperative and spared me so much magic I'll open the trees to you, use the root network to find them, I'll shape a canopy and a bed of roses of of would like to rest as well.”
“Thank you spirit,” Daggeron says cordially as Xander vanishes into a tree.
“What are friends for,” she giggled as she vanished.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nicole brushed her fingers over the scorched hull of the Unicorn Tank, of Blecker, who audibly winced, “Are you sure this is safe…she isn't a normal machine.”
Gemma had another panel off as was waste deep in the innards of Blecker as Gem was repairing her engine which was pulled out, in fact most of Blecker was in pieces, several cables feed into the main frame. But a good mass of it was spread across the flickering bunker.
“Neither are...”
“...Our zords.”
“Yeah but she's alive?” Nicole bits on her nails as she brushes Blecker's hull, her voice low, “You holding up Nicole?”
Her voice was distorted, resonating from several parts, spread among the twins, “everything hurts but I'm….alive….somehow.”
“What I mean is...”
“..our Zords are part animal...”
saying together, “...bio-technolgy.”
“We can't leave with her like this, what happens if Venjix attacks?”
The twins stop, looking up to Nicole together speechless.
Nicole swallows hard as she runs toward Gem's Zord morphing, “I-I'm going to p-patrol.”
“Good Luck!”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Imperious looked around the Pit annoyed, he was alone save for the Catsuit and the army of Hidiac and Styxoids, “First Korragg, now the Pink Witch's and Necrolai, we are running out of generals to lead our armies.”
The Master bellowed.
Imperious was non pulsed, “I have an idea to get us new general,” his gaze drifting to the catsuit, “But there is a risk.”
The Master bellowed.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Necrolai, still in human form, stood in the doorway, emotionless, as she watched several people run past her, LeeLee at her side holding her hand warmly.
“What's the hurry?”
“A cat monster is attacking the city!”
“A cat...monster?” Necrolai says confused as she looks over to LeeLee numbly, “Probably Nicole's suit, the master removed it and animated it, you should probably go.”
LeeLee squeezed her mother hand tighter, “I'm not going anywhere mom.”
“Your a Power Ranger now, this is what you do...”
LeeLee flusters, “Actually...about that.”
Necrolai looked to her daughter confused.
“I'm not really me,” she sighs, “I'm a shadow, a construct, the real LeeLee and the others are going to be gone for a while...”
Necrolai sighs as she turns, slumping back into the dark house, “Only a shadow, a puppet like Vida was, could love a monster like me. Leave me alone.”
“Mom you don't...”
“I said Leave me alone!” She hissed as she transformed back and flashed her fangs. LeeLee's shadow remained nonpulsed.
“You can't scare me with that face mom.”
“Just leave me alone,” Necrolai shifted back to human as she dropped to her knees, returning to her sobs.
The Shadow moved to her mother, kneeling and holding her close, “I'm not going anywhere mom, you may not want to believe it but I have all of LeeLee's thoughts, memories, my feelings ARE her feelings. And as a shadow I lack the power to Morph so I'm staying here until you snap out of this. There is nothing else I'd rather do.”
“What about your job, your new friends?”
“They'll understand,” LeeLee began to cry herself, “Don't you get it mom...I love you.”
Necrolai sighs, “What is love, I've done horrible things to you, to Vida, Nicole, the world, I don't know the first thing about love. Why show it to me when you know I'll just use it against you later.”
“You would never hurt me, not intentionally, you are my mother.”
Necrolai sighs, “Mother? A Mother loves her children, all you have ever been is tools for my ambitions.”
“That's not true and you know it,” LeeLee hugged her tighter, “now snap out of it. This is the Mother I know, the confident, in control Queen of the Vampires.”
“Queen?” Necrolai looked up confused as LeeLee transformed, taking a form similar to her.
“Yes, Queen, and I-I'm you little P-Princess.”
Necrolai looked through the shadow, “Y-You don't have to...I know you...”
“Mom, this is part of who I am. Just as your feelings, your very human feelings are part of you. It's time to stop hiding in the shadows,” LeeLee says calmly as she changes back pulling Necrolai to her feet and turning her toward a window where sun light streamed in, “And step into the light.”
Necrolai shrank away from the light, “the Light has never been good for my skin.”
“Let it go and stop making excuses,” LeeLee growls pulling her mother into the light, “The sun never bothered us anyway.”
Necrolai said nothing.
LeeLee smiled, snapping her fingers, “I know what you need, a nice relaxing day at the beach, warm sun, cute boys, come on! It'll be fun.”
Necrolai dropped to the floor again sighing, “What's the point.”
LeeLee growled, “To enjoy life, to enjoy living! Come on!”
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“I'm sorry,” Madison said suddenly.
“Sorry? For what?” Chris says confused as Kat listened.
“Getting distracted, swimming off, I I had just stayed by the shore...”
“Don't beat yourself up over it,” Kat cuts in, “Everyone gets distracted from time to time.”
“Yes but...” Madison trembled, “If I hadn’t we would have been able to keep Xander from diving off the deep end and keep LeeLee from...”
“LeeLee was in stone form,” Chris interrupts, “and Xander nearly killed her, I suspect none of us would have fared much better.”
“Shhh, you hear that?” Kat says suddenly.
“Hear what?” Chris and Madison say together.
“Shhh,” Kat insists again as she veers off, the two following her.
“Damn it! Just my luck!” Xander grunted as she struggled in the web, each movement only getting her more and more tangled in the webbing.
“What do we have here?” Kat leans in.
Suddenly a massive face with to huge green eyes was starting at her, Xander's heart skipping a beat as she shrieked. “Don't eat me!”
“Calm down! Calm down! I'll get you free!”
Xander shrieked again as Kat's massive hand closed around her, her world going dark. “Heeeeeeelp!”
Kat hissed as her hand turned to wood around Xander, “What the?”
Before she could shake it a flower bloomed on the back on her hand, as Xander emerged, “Free at last!”
“What did you do?” Chris rushes to Kat's side inspecting her still transformed hand.
“Shows you right for trying to eat me!” Xander huffed.
“I was trying to free you!” Kat hissed.
Xander blushes, “R-Really?”
“You were the one calling for help,” she growled as she shook her hand as it returned to normal.
“Well now I feel terrible-” She cut herself shot as she saw Kat's hand return to normal, 'Hummmm'
“No harm done,” Maddie smiles as she turns Kat's hand over in hers, “Everything back to normal now Kat?”
She nods twining her hand and flexing her finger, “Seems like it...Thanks...”
“Just who are you?” Chris asked.
“Who do you think I am?” Xander teases.
Maddie cut in, “Some kind of sprite like Vida?”
Xander smiles as she crosses her arms over her chest, “I suppose I owe you a favor, so what is it you want?”
“The only thing we need is to find Xander,” Chris leads, “you wouldn't happen to have seen a guy wearing green around anywhere?”
“A guy?” Xander looks thoughtful, “No can't say as I have.”
“Oh well thanks for your time,” Kat adds.
“Wait,” Maddie called before Xander could turn away from them, “Remember Xander's lost he could be a girl, or a ent...”
“Oh right...”
“Ms. Sprite,” Madison smiled, “Have you seen a girl in green or a giant tree person?”
Xander sighed, “I already answered your question, I should get back to tending the plants.”
“Please!”
“...We did save your life,” Chris cuts in.
Xander signs, “I'll make you a deal, lend me some of your water magic and I'll tell you what I know, I'll even throw in a bonus for saving my life.”
“My magic?” Madison says confused, “Why do you need my magic.”
Xander sighs summons large flowers for them all to sit in as she moves to Madison's shoulder, “Do you know another about nature spirits like myself?”
“N-No...that's more Chip or Daggeron's area of expertise.”
A cool breeze blew through as the sun flitted in from the tree tops warmly, “We are suppose to command all the elements, masters of nature, before you and your friends arrived my control over wood, earth, and wind were at their apex while my control of thunder and the sun were at half strength at best but worst all was my control water which seemed non existent. Your friends have already helped fan my thunder and sun magic to their former levels and I opened the root network to them as compensation. But my water magic still lacks.”
“Sounds to me like you need us more then we need you, you better not be lying when you say you know where Xander is.”
“Chris!” Madison gaps, “Shes a magical creator who has lost her magic, part of our job as Mystic Force is to protect magic!”
Chris flusters, “S-Sorry, guess I still have a lot to learn.”
“Your forgiven just try and remember what we stand for.”
Chris nods, “Sorry...again.”
Xander smiles as she floats away and Maddie flips open her Mystic Morpher, “This is wonderful, I can't remember the last time I was at full strength.”
Maddie soon slumped into her flower chair, “That...took a lot more out of me then I thought.”
Xander giggled as she flew above the tree tops, Kat gasping as her feet became soaked through her shoes and looking down was shocked to see an ankle deep stream had formed under them snaking west. With Chris help they extracted Madison from the flower and lowered her into the water.
“Huh? What I miss?” Madison's eyes fluttered open as she looked down at her mermaid tail, as she lie in the water, Kat was behind her crouched on her toes as she held Maddie upright, “Though that might help.”
“T-thanks,” Maddie blushes as the river deepens until her tail is fully submerged, along with half of Kat, “But I thought cat hated water.”
“I only look like a cat, remember,” she purred.
“Oh and a waterfall there,” Xander laughed softly as her fairy dust rained down into the clearing with the Rangers.
“Hey!” Chris called up to Xander, “Aren't you forgetting your promise?”
Xander's seemed to have lost herself in her landscaping, as Madison smiled, “Oh let her have some fun for a few minutes, she hasn’t been at full power in some time.”
Chris sighs, “Alright, I just feel like we're wasting time that could be spent on Xander...”
“Or your brother?” Kat adds.
Chris remains quiet.
“Brother?” Xander says curiously as she floats down, “You lost your brother? I'm so sorry. I lost all my sisters, while I was sleeping...I'm the only one left here.”
“Oh I'm so sorry,” Madison says softly, “I almost lost my sister for a time as well.”
Xander smiles drying her tears, “Then you understand what it's like, to be all alone.”
“You don't have to be,” Chris cuts in, “Alone I mean. Once we find Xander and finish our training we're going back to our world but if there really isn't anyone here for you you could come with us.”
“Really?” Xander eyes shinned, “That would be...” hen then hardened as she held her heart, “But no...I can't...”
“Why can't you?”
“Look around you,” She motions to the forest, “This place used to be teeming with life, in the seal, under the earth, in the sky, I can hear it whispered from every blade of grass, ever leaf, but while I slumbered everything died. I have a duty, I can't just leave because I'm lonely.”
The Rangers nodded.
“We understand.”
Xander took a deep breath, “Anyway you are right, a promise is a promise. I didn't see any green girls but if you take that train of yours to the eastern continent I can sense some Ents, it can promise it is your friend but it's a place to start. About a half days ride by train.”
“A half day?”
Xander nods as she lands in Kat's hand, “Don't suppose you can speed things up any?”
“I can only offer what I did your other friends, the Root Network is open for you while you are on this continent. Use it to gather up with your friends. I'll even craft a retreat for you to rest at if you like. I know several others were quite worn out after sharing their magic with me and needed the nutrients of my fruits to restore their strength.”
“Thank you but we need to keep moving,” Chris explains, “No telling what the delay of another day will do to Xander.”
“That's up to you, I only make the offer,” then she smiled as she pressed her palms into Kat's a green glow forming between then, “As for that bonus….”
Everyone gasped as Kat pulled back a Mystic Morpher, “I-Is this?”
“Yes,” Xander smiles, “It was faint but I could sense The Green within you, and when you were able to change your hand back to normal before I had a chance I was sure of it. It may tame some time before you are the equal of your peers but go with my blessing.”
Kat gasped as her clothes changed, becoming similar to the mystic garb worn by the others, by Xander, “I'm honored.”
Xander smiled, “It may even offer you a way to reach your lost friend.”
“This is amazing,” Kat laughed as small vines rise from the ground, “I never imaged the morphing grid could be manipulated in such a way. I just regret I didn't know this when I was working on project Delta. Thank you!”
“We should probably keep going,” Chris smiles as he kisses Kat, “You totally deserve it.”
Kat coughs as she tried to lift up Madison, “Are you ready to go?”
Her tail refuses to change back as she leans into Kat's chest, “Honestly I'm still feeling kind of tired, Only staying awake because of the water.”
Chris sighs, “Looks like we aren’t going anywhere.”
“N-No! I can help!” Maddie flops out of Kat's arms dropping to the dirt as she craws toward a tree, “We just need to meet up with the others then get on the Solar Streak, I'll manage.”
As she vanishes Xander smiles, “I'll add a lake to that retreat for you, good luck.”
“Thank you,” Kat waves as she follows Madison into the Trees, Chris right behind her.
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The Catsuit loomed over Toby who tried to back peddle away as the monster growled, raking her claws across his chest, tearing his shirt, Toby felt light headed, the world spinning as he looked around, he was hardly the only person who had been attacked and was shaking their head in pain but he was the only one conscious. Everyone else around him were being dragged off by Hidiacs.
“Y-You can't get away with this, The Power Rangers...”
The cat hissed, and rose her claws to strike again, Toby shut his eyes tight and braced for the attack.
“Hi-yah!”
It never came, as he opened his eyes, vision bluring he saw Nick fending off the monster hand to hand. But It wasn't just Nick but all his staff who had arrived, save LeeLee, who were fending off the Hidiacs.
“You alright Toby?”
“Head spinning...”
“Just hold out guys,” Nick called to the others, I'm sure the Power Rangers will be here any minute, we just need to get the civilians to safety.”
A firm kick sent the cat flying giving Nick the chanced to lift Toby over his shoulder, the others were doing similar to get the victims out of danger.
Toby shook his head, fading in and out of consciousness, his ears burned, his skin crawled, “Watch out.”
The Cat had launched an attack at Nick's backside but somehow had missed, a blast of watter knocking her off her feet again.
'Water...the Blue Ranger!'
His mind tried to locate the rangers but saw nothing, and the quick movement of his head mad his stomach turn, he couldn’t help himself as the contents of his lunch shot across the street and dribbled down his chin and shirt, Nick slipping on it as they both fell on their backs, the Cat stalking toward them with anger in her eyes.
“S-Sorry Nick.”
“Not your fault Toby.”
She roared as she dove at them, Toby didn't know why but even as dazed as he was the attack seemed to come in slow motion, as he rolled atop Nick taking the full force of the attack on his back.
“Stay with me Toby!”
Nick rolled them out of the way of the follow up attack as he pulled Toby to his feet, but his consciousness was fading.
“Looks like the Power Rangers are running a bit late,” a new voice, male, announced with a laugh.
“Good, I could use a good workout, been getting rusty,” this one female.
“Who?” Toby managed as he fought consciousness as blurry figures steeped into his view to face off against the feline.
“Shall we remind the good people of Briarwood who are?”
“That does seem the custom, sound off everyone!”
"Crunan the knight!"
"Vicamros the bard!"
"Caren the paladin!"
"Norian the dragon knight!"
"Xanril the ranger!"
"Loraella the cleric!"
"Defenders of Yggdrasil! Ready to fight!"
The Adventurers flinching as an explosion of smoke and fire erupted behind them before they charged the Cat and Hidiacs.
“Turn!' Caren and Loraella shouted as Hidiacs exploded into smoke as they ran past.
“I must be seeing things,” Toby groans before finally passing out.
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“Guess we are staying the night,” Chris says annoyed as he looks out over the his friends. Madison was in mermaid form passed out at the edge of a waterfall lake, head resting on the shore. LeeLee had shifted to her vampire form and was passed out under the shade of the massive tree house that the Green Faerie had construed for them surrounded by numerous half eaten fruits. Chip was still female and was sleeping against LeeLee's shoulder. Nick and Daggeron were passed out in the actual tree house on wicker couches. Only Jenji, Kat, the Vidas, and himself were awake.
“Today has been crazy,” Vida yawns absently.
“Not you too,” Chris sighs.
“Don't be so harsh on them Chris,” Kat says softly, kissing him, “They used a lot of magic today as well, they just didn't run into that Green Fairy to further wear them out.”
“I know...it's just...”
“We all feel the same,” Koragg yawns, “But it can't be helped.”
“I know...but still...”
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