RJ opened his eyes

RJ opened his eyes. He saw the ceiling of the loft, the felt his limp body in his precious chair. He was reclined back. He looked around him, blinking a few times to make sure he wasn't dreaming. He wasn't. He looked over and saw Fran in the loft's kitchen, cleaning up the dishes that were in the sink.

"Fran…?" RJ said weakly, squinting his eyes to make sure the person was her.

As soon as she heard his voice, she whipped her head around.

"You're awake!" She yelled with a sigh of relief, she placed down the dish she was washing, turned off the sink and ran to him. "I was starting to worry if you'd ever wake up."

"How…how did I get here? The last thing I remember was…the beach." RJ said, searching his mind for more clues as to what had happened.

"Yeah, that's where I found you, lying unconscious behind a rock. You know it wasn't easy dragging you to my car." Fran said with a smile.

"How did you even find me?" RJ asked, rubbing his head, feeling the bandage that Fran had put on him earlier.

"Well, I heard the alarm go off and you guys leave. Then you all were gone for so long that I came to see where you were on your all your TVs. And wouldn't you know it, there you were knocked out on screen five." Fran explained with a sigh.

Then RJ's eyes grew very wide, as if he had just realized something. He put the foot rest down roughly, then looked at Fran.

"Casey, Theo and Lily were captured by that lizard monster! I have to go help them!" RJ said, beginning to stand, but Fran put her arm out to stop him.

"I really think you need to rest a little longer RJ. If you go out to save them in this condition you'll…" Fran began, sadness in her voice.

"…be captured as well." RJ finished for her, looking down in shame. Fran put her arm down and sat back.

"I guess this means you'll have to leave soon though, huh?" Fran asked, looking at RJ, with an expression mixed with sadness and worry. RJ gave a small nod, then looked up to her sadly.

Fran stood up and returned to the loft's kitchen and to her dishes.

"I man the ship while you're away." Fran said, looking down at her dishes.

"Thanks, Fran. Don't know what I'd do without you." RJ said looking up to her. She returned his look.

"Luckily you'll never have to find out." She replied with a sweet smile. "Just come back safe…okay?"

"I always am." RJ said, then leaned back in his chair, starring at the ceiling. "I'll leave first thing in the morning. I'll be gone before Jungle Karma opens so, good luck."

"You too." Fran responded with a smile that RJ gave back.

--

At Dai Shi's lair, Dai Shi sat on his throne meditating, when Slizard came through the doors. Behind Slizard was the red, blue and yellow rangers, tied up with a sand-like rope, struggling to break free.

"Here are the rangers, as you requested, Dai Shi." Slizard said bowing, presenting the rangers to him.

"Three?" Dai Shi said with a displeased tone as he stood from his throne. "There are four power rangers, Slizard." He snarled.

"Uh…" Slizard stammered, "The fourth ranger may have…gotten away…" Slizard began to take a few steps backwards, he was worried about what Dai Shi would do to him.

"I'll let it pass this time. But if the Wolf Ranger interferes with my plans, you're as good as gravel. Got it?" Dai Shi said so meanly that it sent shivers down Slizard's spine.

"Y-yes, Master Dai Shi." Slizard bowed as he stepped out of Dai Shi's way. Dai Shi walked up to the rangers and watched as they tried to break the rope that constricted them with no luck.

"Let us go, Jarrod! You can't just keep us here like this!" Casey yelled, Dai Shi could tell Casey was giving him an evil look through his crimson helmet. But he was unfazed.

"Yeah, what're you planning to do with us? You don't think we're gonna fight for you, do you?" Theo said, still struggling to break free.

"Are you just going to destroy us?" Lily asked with fear in her voice.

Dai Shi just glared at the rangers. He looked at them like a predator watching his prey about to strike. The stare slightly scared the rangers. They were at his mercy.

"Exactly, little Cheetah." Dai Shi stated with a grin that dripped with evil.

He lead the three rangers into a small room. Fog coated the floors and the room was fairly dark. The rangers saw what looked like four steel cages. In front of each cage was a small wooden pedestal. The cages were placed right next to the other. On the back of each cage's wall, was a carving of an animal. The one on the far left was the Wolf, then the Cheetah, then the Tiger, then the Jaguar.

"What're you gonna do, just keep us locked in a cage forever?" Casey asked loudly with anger.

"Hardly." Dai Shi said so softly that it was almost a whisper.

After that, three Rin Shi entered the dungeon. They broke the rope that held the rangers. Each Rin Shi grabbed a ranger and threw them into their corresponding animal's cage. They doors shut with a powerful force and the Rin Shi locked the locks on the doors. Each ranger ran up to the doors and pulled them, slammed them, and pretty much tried everything to open them, but it was no use.

"How long do you plan to keep us here?!" Theo yelled pulling the door.

Then Dai Shi walked up to Theo's cage and starred into his blue helmet.

"As long as it takes." Dai Shi spoke coldly.

"As long as it takes…to do what?" Lily asked, not even wanting to hear the answer.

Dai Shi walked into the middle of the room and faced the team.

"I'm glad you asked, Yellow Ranger." Dai Shi said. "Slizard!" he called.

And like a puppy running to his master, Slizard ran to Dai Shi.

"You rang, Dai Shi?" Slizard bowed.

Dai Shi looked at his comrade.

"Go get our…little presents we have for the rangers." Dai Shi smirked, then looked back at the rangers.

"As you wish Dai Shi." Slizard said as he left the dungeon.

"You had better let us go, Jarrod right now or I'll—" Casey began, but was cut off by Dai Shi.

"You'll what?" Dai Shi taunted as he approached Casey's cage. "What will you do? You're trapped in a cage, in my dungeon. You're in no position to make threats. So I'd watch my tongue if I were you." Casey punched the door as hard as he could.

"You'll pay, Jarrod. I swear." Casey said softly to himself.

"Don't make things worse, Casey." Lily said with a calming tone.

"I'd listen to you're Cheetah friend, she's smart." Dai Shi said, looking at Lily then back to Casey. Casey gripped his fists tightly.

Then Slizard returned with two Rin Shi warriors at his sides. One Rin Shi held a large hourglass with yellow sand, the other Rin Shi with blue sand. The hourglass Slizard had bore red sand.

"Hourglasses?" Theo spoke in disbelief.

Dai Shi walked up to Slizard and the Rin Shi.

"Very good blue ranger. But these are not just any hourglasses. I've synced these hourglasses with you're life energy. When the sand runs out, you and your team will be destroyed." Dai Shi explained grinning evilly. "Allow me to demonstrate."

Dai Shi took Slizard's hourglass with red sand. He went to the pedestal in front of Casey's cage. He flipped over the hourglass so that the sand started to fall to the bottom, and placed it on the pedestal. Dai Shi then looked to Casey, and just waited for his reaction. Then suddenly, Casey let out a painful yell, grabbing the right side of his chest. Dai Shi looked pleased.

"Casey?!" Lily said with worry, running to the side of her cage, looking at Casey.

"What's wrong, Case?" Theo said, doing the same as Lily. Casey struggled to answer.

"I…don't know." Casey said groaning softly.

"The hourglass is draining his life energy. Soon it will be depleted." Dai Shi explained.

"Theo, look!" Lily said, pointing at Casey's hourglass. Theo looked over and saw that the sand in the hourglass was red on the top, but once it hit the bottom, was black.

Then Dai Shi walked up to one of the two Rin Shi and picked up the hourglass filled with yellow sand.

"Your turn yellow ranger." Dai Shi said, placing the hourglass on the pedestal in front of Lily's cage. Then Lily to cried out in pain.

"Lily!" Theo shouted to her, he wanted to help her, but had no way to do so.

"Don't worry Blue Ranger," Dai Shi said approaching the other Rin Shi, grabbing the blue sanded hourglass, "It's your turn." Dai Shi then placed the hourglass on the final pedestal, causing Theo's life energy to drain as well.

Dai Shi grinned at the suffering rangers.

"Very well done making the sands, Slizard." Dai Shi said grinning at the reptile.

"No sweat." Slizard replied very happy with his actions.

Dai Shi turned his attention to the rangers.

"I have other matters to attend to, but I'll be back to check in on you later. That is, if you're not destroyed by then." Dai Shi chuckled evilly. Then he, Slizard and the Rin Shi, left the dungeon. The doors closed and locked loudly behind them.

"I sure hope RJ can find us." Lily said weakly.

"Yeah…" Casey said panting, "…and soon."

--