Petrified Xander
It was another beautiful day in Briarwood.
Necrolai's brief demise had brought the Rangers some much-needed peace and quiet for a few days, which allowed them to finish their shifts at the Rock Porium and devote some desperately needed time to deciphering the great puzzle that was the Fire Heart map. It was proving to be quite the conundrum but no one was giving up on it. Even if they wanted to, they didn't dare quit, lest they risk the dark forces get to the Fire Heart first.
At that moment, everyone was going about their business while working their shifts at the Rock Porium. Chip was holding the Fire Heart map at different angles, trying to decipher the scroll while Xander finished organizing some stock and Vida counted up two piles of receipts. Earlier that day, Xander and Vida had had an argument about who was the better salesperson at the Rock Porium and it had ended with them making a bet. Whoever sold the most merchandise by their lunch hour would not only be the best salesperson but would also buy the other lunch for the day. Judging by the look on her face, it was an easy assumption as to who was the winner.
"Hey, Chip, any luck with you-know-what?" asked Vida.
Chip frowned and shook his head. "Nope. It's driving me crazy."
Vida frowned again. They'd had half the Fire Heart scroll for a while now and they seemed no closer to solving it than when they'd first acquired it. Was that ever going to change or was the whole thing just one big wild goose chase?
Vida's frown quickly changed into a smile when she finished her counting and compared the two final results.
"Boom! I've outsold you by twelve dollars and fifty cents. I win the bet. You owe me lunch," said Vida, as she did a tiny victory dance.
"Don't count me out yet. Xander the Great still has ten minutes to go," said Xander. Despite there being so little time left, Xander had no doubt that he would win the bet via the next customer that walked through the door of the Rock Porium.
Right on cue, the bell hanging above the door of the Rock Porium jingled and in walked Lee-Lee, showing off a new gothic style black-and-red dress that was slimming and quite lovely.
"Afternoon, guys," said Lee-Lee.
"Hey, Lee-Lee," said Vida, smiling. "Love the dress. How's it going with your mom? She back yet?"
Lee-Lee grimaced. After the recent debacle when Lee-Lee's mother, Necrolai, had turned Vida into a vampire, Lee-Lee had decided to finally stop watching from sidelines and act. She was working as a double-agent, faking allegiance to the Master's dark forces while actually siding with the Rangers and spying for them.
"Yeah, she re-formed last night. She's back and is not only happy to have me 'finally' at her side, but she's also driving me batty," said Lee-Lee, making everyone laugh. "So, are you guys busy or can you join me for lunch?"
"We're never too busy for you, Lee-Lee," said Xander, smoothly, as he joined the two girls at the counter. With no other customers coming in before the end of the allotted time, Xander had decided to not only flirt with Lee-Lee but also attempt to persuade her to buy some more music and help him win his bet against Vida. "But before we go, can I interest you in some Zeppelin records or maybe a date with moi?"
Lee-Lee's face turned red as she struggled not to laugh. Xander's schmoozing wasn't working in the slightest, it never had with Lee-Lee as Xander wasn't her type and not only that, but the giant, pus-filled zit on the end of Xander's nose was a huge turnoff.
"No, thank-you, Xander, but can I interest you in some cover-up for that zit?" Lee-Lee took a small tube of cover-up and her compact mirror and opened it, revealing Xander's disfiguration.
"Pardon me? What zit?" For a brief moment Xander didn't know what Lee-Lee was talking about as Xander not only prided himself on having "perfect" looks but he also took great care of his skin on a daily basis. Zit? What zit could Lee-Lee possibly be talking about? But then Xander got a good look at himself in Lee-Lee's compact mirror and immediately, his eyes widened in horror. "Whoa! No, no, no, this can't be happening!"
Vida immediately burst out laughing. Xander was usually the first one to laugh at mistakes people made and now the tables had been turned, bigtime.
"Xander the Great, big pimple!" joked Vida. "Or should I say, Rudolph? Ha-ha!"
Xander ignored Vida. He grimaced at the disgusting zit. It was the size of a dime with yellow pus and crusted with red. It was quite the unappealing sight.
"Ugh. This totally ruins my perfect profile!" groaned Xander. "It's like having an extra nose!" Though it seemed like Xander was overreacting, the zit was a big problem. Popping it was out of the question as it would just mean blood and gunk everywhere plus it would need time to heal and it would still look grotesque until then. Xander was allergic to zit creams, which put that out of the question and cover-up could only do so much. Xander was doomed! The zit spoiled Xander's looks entirely. Without his handsomeness, how could Xander possibly be seen in public, much less be popular with girls and customers or even confident?
"So, Chip, what're you looking at?" asked Lee-Lee.
"It's our half of the Fire Heart scroll. We've been trying to decipher it, but we've had no luck. I know the answer's staring at me in the face, but I just can't see it," said Chip, frowning again in frustration. "Your mom has the other half. Do you know what it looks like?"
Lee-Lee's curiosity was piqued. "Yeah, but can I see that first?"
Chip nodded and handed Lee-Lee their half of the Fire Heart map. After studying it for a moment, Lee-Lee's face lit up.
"Aha! Clever."
"What is it?" asked Chip.
"My mom's half looks exactly like this, except reversed. Like a mirror image," explained Lee-Lee. "She can't decipher her half either. It's driving her nuts. But if you were to hold this half in front of a mirror, you could beat her to the Fire Heart."
Chip looked excited but said nothing as he did as Lee-Lee suggested. And upon seeing that it was exactly as Lee-Lee had said, the Rangers' faces brightened considerably.
"Lee-Lee, you're a genius and I'm buying you lunch," said Xander.
Lee-Lee just smiled in response.
"Yes! SUCCESS!" Everyone jumped a foot at the sound of Toby's loud voice as he emerged from his office wearing a weird-looking set of magnifying goggles on his head and holding a cylindrical, multicolored puzzle in his hands. "They say it couldn't be done, they said I was a fool, but I proved them all wrong! I've finished this entire cryptomagnetic puzzle in just under forty minutes!"
"Congrats, Toby," said Vida, as she and the others politely applauded their boss.
Toby looked quite proud of himself. If there was anything Toby loved to do besides be the greatest expert on music, it was being the greatest puzzle solver. "Thank you, Vida. You know, with my puzzle solving skills as they are, maybe I should consider a new line of work if the store flops. I should work for the CIA, or the FBI or the NSA or better still the Power Rangers!"
"I'm sure the Power Rangers would love to have you, boss," said Chip, quickly. "In fact…" Chip took out a book of difficult crossword and Sudoku puzzles from under the counter and handed it to Toby. "…why don't you see how fast you can solve this and then use it as further proof of your incredible skills before giving them a call? The bookstore seller said it was the hardest one on the market."
Not one to back down from a challenge, Toby accepted without hesitation. "Oh, please. I'm the King of Puzzle Solving. Just you watch!"
And without another word, Toby disappeared into his office with the puzzle book.
XXX
Later that day after lunch, the Rangers met up at Rootcore to discuss the Fire Heart scroll and make a plan to locate its treasure. Clare was not paying it any attention as she was attaching a nozzle to the spray bottle she'd filled with a special plant restoration potion that she'd concocted. The recent weather had been rather harsh on the flora lately and Clare hoped to remedy that and brighten up Rootcore a little bit in the process.
"Okay, this time it has to work," said Clare. After making sure the nozzle was on tight, Clare sprayed a bouquet of drooping flowers. But when nothing happened after a moment, Clare's shoulders slumped in frustration. Was she never going to get her spells and potions right? Deciding she needed something sweet to perk herself up with, Clare headed to the kitchen to get one of her homemade, freshly baked cupcakes. She was hopeless when it came to magic but at least she was a good baker and her baked goods always cheered her up.
"…so, Lee-Lee suggested that the two halves of the Fire Heart scroll were like two halves of the same face and when I tested her theory, she was completely right," said Chip. He held their half of the Fire Heart map up to a mirror and the image completed itself. "What mountain does that look like?"
"Mount Fuego!" exclaimed Mason, in realization.
Mount Fuego was a mountain on the outskirts of Briarwood. It was gigantic and had good hiking trails and an amazing view at the top. There was also a number of unexplored caverns on the mountain, which made it a perfect hiding place for the Fire Heart.
"Good work. Now, we'll have to split up to cover that much territory. Mason and I will lead two groups," said Natalia, briskly. While this was good news for the Rangers, their mission was far from over. If Lee-Lee had figured out the Fire Heart map, then odds were it wouldn't be too much longer before Necrolai did the same and they had to beat the Vampire Queen to the Fire Heart before it was too late. "Let's go. Fire Heart's waiting. Xander?"
Xander did not hear Natalia as he was still fussing over his zit and was completely wrapped up in his own little world.
Meanwhile, Clare had emerged from the kitchen and was munching on a cupcake when she saw her potion take effect and the drooping flowers became bright and beautiful again. She couldn't stop the squeal of delight that emitted from her throat or the smile that brightened her face at having finally succeeded with her magic. Eager to show off her success, Clare grabbed Xander's arm and pulled him towards her bouquet.
"Xander! Xander, look, it's working!" said Clare. "I finally did something right with my magic!"
"What did you do?" asked Xander, curiously. For Clare to be so excited, it had to be something rather spectacular.
Clare was bursting with excitement. "It's a potion I concocted to make sad, dull-looking flowers become perfectly gorgeous! I can't believe it."
"It's a perfection potion," breathed Xander. This truly was spectacular. If Clare's potion made the flowers perfect, then who knew what else it could fix? He smiled warmly and gave Clare a tight hug. "This is great news. Congratulations. Why don't we celebrate tonight? We could go for a ride on my Mystic Racer and have dinner on the balcony."
Clare blinked in surprise and suddenly became very nervous. "Just the two of us?"
Xander nodded. He was so caught up in the moment that he failed to realize he was essentially asking Clare out on a date. "If that's what you'd like. Shall we say…seven o'clock?"
At once, Clare nodded and then she kissed his cheek. "I'd love to. Oh, I've got to go tell Udonna. See you tonight, Xander!" And with that, Clare disappeared into Udonna's quarters.
"Earth calling Xander!" yelled Natalia, in irritation, snapping the Green Ranger out of his thoughts. She was standing by the door with the other Rangers and was losing her patience with Xander's slowness. "Are you coming or what?"
Xander quickly nodded. "Coming. Just one sec, mate."
If Clare's potion worked perfectly for the flowers, maybe it could fix my nose. I'd have my perfect profile back and I could be seen in public again. Better yet, I could be perfect for tonight with Clare. Failing to consider that Clare's potion was meant for plants and not humans, Xander quickly sprayed himself with Clare's perfection potion and joined his friends.
XXX
Half an hour later, while Natalia covered one half of Mount Fuego with Chip and Vida, Mason and Xander were trudging their way up the other half. So far, they hadn't found anything except for an odd assortment of rocks and foliage and a rather nice view. At that moment, Mason was taking a minute to catch his breath while Xander continued up ahead.
"Mason, come quickly!"
Alarmed by his friend's tone, Mason forgot about resting and raced up to Xander. "What's wrong? Did you find the Fire Heart? Are you hurt?"
Xander, who'd been glancing at his reflection in a puddle of water, looked confused and then shook his head. "What? No, no. Look." Xander gestured to his face, which was now zit-free. "My perfect profile's been restored. Isn't this great? I'm back. Xander the Great is back."
Mason couldn't stop the growl on annoyance that emitted from his throat as he pulled away from Xander in disgust.
"Congratulations," said Mason, sarcastically. Quiet and kind, Mason usually was and Xander's friend he might've been, but there were times when even Mason's patience with Xander's ego ran low. "Now, would you please stop scaring me like that and focus on the mission? Necrolai and her goons could be here any minute!"
Xander immediately looked apologetic. "Right. Sorry."
Mason resumed his walk up the mountain and then stopped when something sparkling at the mouth of a cave just up ahead caught his eye. "Whoa, look at that." Without waiting for a reply, Mason ran towards the sparkling stone and grinned when he saw the Fire Heart symbol on the stone. "Xander, that's the symbol. I think we've found it."
"Yeah, I think you're right. Let's notify the others and go inside," said Xander. He took out his mopher and called Natalia with their coordinates. Once that was done, Xander and Mason cautiously entered the cave. "Be careful. If this cave is anything like the ones in the movies, it's probably booby-trapped." As soon as he finished saying this, a floor tile gave way beneath Xander's foot, setting off a trap and within moments, Xander was covered in foul-smelling and tasting, green-colored cave slime. "Yuck! Why did I have to open my big mouth? Mason, could you please—?"
Mason nodded and took out his morpher. "Finishio!"
There was a bright shower of light and then Xander was cleaned of the cave slime. "Thanks, mate." They resumed walking and then came upon two identical numbered doors at the end of the cave. In between the two doors was an inscription.
"'The Fire Heart is close at hand, those who find it shall rule the land. But take good care, for there is no clue. Is it door number one or door number two?'" read Xander. "Great. A riddle. What do you think we should—Mace!"
Mason had decided to take a chance and go with the first door and swung it open. Inside with a large green and wooden chest, with numerous inscribed red buttons, a heavy lock and small scroll was tied on the latch.
"Yes! That's got to be it," said Mason, as he high-fived Xander. They'd found it. They'd found the Fire Heart before Necrolai. Now, all they needed to do was get it to Rootcore where it would be safe. "Let's get it out of here."
"You always have been lucky," praised Xander. It was true. Mason did seem to be the luckiest one between them. Mason had gotten all the best grades in school, had the best memory for spells and control over his magic and Mason had even won Natalia's affections as soon as Natalia had arrived in Briarwood. "But wait a second. I want to see what's behind the second door."
Mason's eyes widened in alarm. "Xander, no!"
But Xander didn't listen and he opened the second door just enough to see what was inside and he instantly regretted it as he quickly slammed the door shut just as a loud growling hit their ears.
"I, on the other hand, am not so lucky," said Xander, weakly.
Suddenly, both young men jumped back as the door fell down and the cave's resident monster, a hideous spiky creature known as Boney, emerged snarling and hissing at them.
"Okay, let's Ranger up and show him who's boss," said Xander. "Magical Source, Mystic Force!"
However, in spite of morphing, Boney quickly proved to be a formidable opponent. Xander and Mason were soon tossed out of the cave like rag dolls.
"Okay, he's boss," groaned Xander, he clutched his throbbing leg.
"No kidding," said Mason.
Boney lunged for Mason and Xander, forcing them to jump out of the way before he could attack. They then attacked Boney from both sides but Boney gained the upper hand when he delivered a punch to Xander's sternum that was so hard, it not only sent him flying across the mountain but caused him to power down.
"Xander! That's it. Now I'm mad!" growled Mason. He took out his Magi Staff. "Recrudescant Ea Aquam!" A powerful geyser of water exploded from beneath the earth and sent Boney flying into the sky before it entrapped him and then it exploded, destroying Boney. "Power down!"
With Boney destroyed, Mason turned his attention to Xander, who was slowly sitting up.
"Are you okay?" asked Mason, worriedly.
"Been better," grunted Xander, wincing as he clutched his sternum. This had to be the worst pain Xander had ever experienced. Who knew breathing could be such a painful chore? "Ow…I heard if you got hit in the sternum, it'd feel like being hit with a sledgehammer when you breathed, but I didn't think it was true. Ow."
Mason gave Xander a sympathetic look before taking a handful of healing herbs from his pocket. "Chew these. They're bitter, but they'll numb the pain until we get back to Rootcore and Udonna can fix you up. I'll go get the chest and we'll meet up with the others. Okay?"
Xander grimaced at the thought of taking nasty tasting medicine but didn't argue as he was willing to do anything to make the pain stop. While Mason went into the cave, Xander quickly downed the herbs and within a few moments, the pain became much more bearable. The only thing left that was bothering him was an annoying itch on his upper arm. When Xander pulled back his sleeve to scratch at the itch, his eyes widened in horror when he saw a patch of bark and a small but sprouting tree branch where the itch was.
Oh, crap, thought Xander. Is Clare's perfection potion making me break out? Oh, crap! It was just a single twig but what if that was how it started? What if the growth continued and got worse until Xander couldn't be seen in public? Had he been foolish in thinking Clare's perfection potion would fix his problems forever? Or perhaps maybe, just maybe, it was nothing but Xander's organic powers on the fritz and the problem would soon fix itself? Either way, Xander couldn't let the others know about it, not quite yet. Not until he either had no choice or he knew for certain that it was a problem.
Quickly, Xander pulled his sleeve and then he helped Mason carry the chest out of the cave. A few minutes later, they regrouped with Natalia, Chip and Vida.
"Are you guys okay? We heard the explosion," said Vida, concerned.
"We're fine," assured Mason.
Natalia knelt down and removed the scroll on the chest. Immediately, a clock appeared and it started counting down from sixty minutes.
"'This ancient puzzle is your task at hand. Solve it quickly to receive what's grand. But if you fail this timely chore, the Fire Heart will be no more,'" read Natalia. She scowled and sighed in exasperation. "Great. Just perfect." In hindsight, it made sense for the chest to be booby-trapped as the Ancient Mystics would've wanted to protect the Fire Heart at all costs and ensure it went into the right hands. But that didn't make it any less annoying. "We need to get this to Rootcore immediately. Maybe Udonna will know how to solve the puzzle." And if she didn't, Natalia didn't know what they were going to do because if none of them could solve the puzzle, they would be in serious trouble.
Before anyone could attempt to head to Rootcore, however, everyone was blasted by dark magic and an ugly Styxoid appeared, along with an army of Hidiacs.
"Hand over the chest so that I may appease my mistress, Necrolai!" ordered the Styxoid.
"Necrolai will have this over my dead body, freak," growled Natalia. "Let's Ranger up. Ready? Magical Source, Mystic Force!"
After morphing, the Rangers launched into battle. While the other Rangers used their prospective magic on the Hidiacs, Natalia drew her Magi Staff, changed it into a sword before going straight for the Styxoid. The sound of metal hitting metal hit everyone's ears as she met the Styxoid's staff with her sword and then the Styxoid kicked her hard in the chest, sending her a few feet away. He then swung his blade at her, only for Natalia to ignite her sword with fire and with one blow, she sliced through the Styxoid's weapon like a knife through butter. She then brought her sword down onto the Styxoid, causing severe damage to his body but not enough to destroy him.
As the Styxoid attempted to stand and attack again, Natalia took a defensive stance and held her sword out warningly. "Try and take another step, I dare you," she growled.
The Styxoid let out an angry hiss but thought better of it before disappearing with the remaining Hidiacs who'd survived.
"Everyone all right?" asked Natalia, as soon as the army had disappeared. When the others nodded or murmured in agreement, Natalia powered down and everyone followed suit. "Let's get to Rootcore before anyone else shows up."
No one needed any persuasion as they picked up the chest and used the nearest tree to get to Rootcore.
XXX
Down in the underworld, Morticon was furious at the loss of the Fire Heart and was taking his anger out on those that had failed him, namely the Hidiacs and the Styxoid general who had survived the battle against the Rangers and Necrolai. In Morticon's eyes, their failure had been the straw to break the camel's back, for now that the Rangers had the Fire Heart, their strength would increase and they'd be one step closer to defeating the darkness.
"Raah! You have failed the Master!" roared Morticon. "And you have failed me for the last time, soulless mutants!" Ignoring the protests and pleas of the Hidiacs and the Styxoid general, Morticon made a great battle cry and swung his blade upon them, disintegrating them into nothing but residual dark magic. "WHERE IS NECROLAI? SHE SENT THOSE FOOLS TO RETRIEVE THE FIRE HEART! THAT HAG HAS FAILED ME TOO! SHE MUST BE PUNISHED AS WELL! WHERE IS SHE?!"
Necrolai, who was watching the foot soldiers' execution from the shadows, cringed in terror. She hadn't feared this much for her life since Koragg had nearly destroyed her for daring to attack his loyal steed. She needed to get the Fire Heart and quickly if she expected to be able to live, but to do that, she would need help from the one person she never thought she would dare ask for it.
"Koragg, wait!" hissed Necrolai, as the Knight Wolf walked past her. "Please, Koragg, I beg of you help me. Morticon will destroy me if I don't get the Fire Heart!"
"Why should I help you, hag?" demanded Koragg. It was a fair question as Necrolai had never trusted Koragg and the Knight Wolf was still nursing a grudge over Necrolai's attack on Catastros.
"Because if you do, we'll both be rewarded for acquiring the Fire Heart. It will please the Master to no end and strengthen our powers against the Rangers. And I would also be in your debt," said Necrolai. Out of desperation, Necrolai played her last card. "Please, Koragg. If not for me, then do it for my daughter. Do you wish to leave Lee-Lee as an orphaned child in this forsaken world?"
Koragg was quiet as he contemplated this. Necrolai raised a good point. If Koragg aided Necrolai, the Vampire Queen, the old hag would be Koragg's debt and he could cash in that favor whenever he wished. And if he also aided in acquiring the Fire Heart, the powers of the darkness would increase tenfold and the Master would be pleased beyond measure and that would mean rewards for all parties involved. And privately, Koragg was willing to admit that as much as he hated Necrolai, those feelings did not extend to Lee-Lee and he did not wish to see the poor girl suffer.
"Fine. I will help you," said Koragg. He snapped his fingers. "Skullington!"
A hideous skeleton-like monster made entirely of bones with glowing red eyes and carrying a spiky staff made of bones emerged from the shadows and bowed.
"Yes, master? Why is your bidding?" asked Skullington.
Knowing of Skullington's skills in tracking mystical energy as well as his prowess in battle, Necrolai sighed in relief and looked at Koragg with rare, genuine gratitude. "I won't forget this, Koragg."
"See that you don't," warned Koragg. If the Vampire Queen dared to betray Koragg or if she was ever foolish enough to forget the debt that she owed, Koragg would make her pay dearly. "Skullington, the Rangers have found the Fire Heart. Lock into its mystical energy and retrieve the treasure at once. Do what you must to bring it here."
Skullington bowed once more. "It will be done," he vowed.
One way or another, the Fire Heart would belong to the darkness.
XXX
Back at Rootcore, there were forty-five minutes left on the clock and they were no closer to solving the puzzle than when they'd started. Udonna had no knowledge as to how to open the chest and despite some brainstorming attempts, no one else had solved it either. Nor did they dare to risk just pressing a random button on the chest as they had no way of knowing which one would cause the chest to self-destruct or to open.
Chip, who usually prided himself on being the expert on magical lore and the like, was disappointed that he couldn't figure it out. "I'm sorry guys. I've never seen a puzzle like this before. I don't know where to start."
"We can't give up. There's got to be some way to open the chest," said Vida. "If we can't solve it, then who can?"
"Well, if we're going to do anything, it has to be done quickly. We've lost fifteen minutes as it is," said Mason, despondently.
Natalia shook her head and then frowned when she noticed that not only was Xander obsessively scratching himself but he also had some leafy twigs in his hair.
"Hey, Xander, are you okay? You've still got leaves in your hair from the battle." Natalia reached over and pulled on the leaf in Xander's hair only to pull back her hand when Xander yelped in pain. The leafy twig wasn't a random loose bit of flora stuck in Xander's hair, it was attached to Xander's head. "Holy…Xander, what's going on?"
"It's nothing. I'm fine." Xander tried to act nonchalant, but when Natalia gave him a look, Xander sighed and caved in. "I'm just having a having a little issue." Xander pulled back his cloak and extended his arms, revealing his now wood and moss-covered limbs, making everyone gasp in shock.
"I'd say you're having more than a 'little' issue," said Natalia, eyeing Xander's petrification with concern. This didn't look like a minor issue. In a very short space of time, Xander had turned into a human/tree hybrid. "If I recall correctly, you weren't…blossoming, if you'll excuse the term…before we left for Mount Fuego. So, what happened between now and then? Did you come into contact with any plant or dark magic that could've caused this? Or did a spell or a potion backfire on you?"
"Uh…" Xander averted his gaze and tried to remain calm instead of nervous as he replied, "No. No, I didn't. It…it's probably just my organic powers on the fritz. I'm sure it's nothing."
"Yeah, Xander's right. It'll go away…in the fall!" joked Chip as he and Vida burst out laughing. "Knock on wood!"
"No, Chip, we shouldn't laugh. We should leaf Xander alone," joked Vida.
Vida and Chip's laughter increased at this, but they were the only ones laughing. Natalia and Mason were both giving Chip and Vida warning looks and gesturing for them to knock it off and Xander looked deeply offended.
"This is funny to you guys?" said Xander, unable to keep the hurt out of his voice.
"Oh, come on, Xander, lighten up. You always laugh when Clare turns herself into funny stuff," reminded Vida, as she continued laughing.
Xander was silent. Vida was right. He did usually laugh when Clare's magic backfired but only when the sorceress-in-trained laughed about it first as he had no wish to offend her. Even if her magic didn't always work, Clare was a sweet girl who didn't deserve to be made fun of and Xander knew all too well how it felt when people poked fun at one's mistakes and appearances.
"Both of you, knock it off and leave Xander alone!" commanded Natalia. She spoke with such force that she almost lit her hair on fire and at once, the Pink and Yellow Rangers fell silent. "We need to stay focused and figure out how to open this stupid chest before the clock hits zero."
"Right, sorry," said Chip.
There was a moment's silence and then Mason snapped his fingers as idea came to him. "Wait, I've got it. Toby!"
"Toby?" echoed Xander, skeptically. "You think he can solve this?"
"Why not? He said he's the best puzzle solver in the world," reminded Mason. "And besides, what choice do we have?" When no one disputed this, Mason continued explaining his idea. "We'll bring the chest to the Rock Porium and present it to him as the hardest puzzle challenge of them all and soon as he's solved it, we'll create a diversion and swap the real chest with a fake chest containing a special prize for him. That way, we get the Fire Heat and Toby will be happier than a kid at Christmas."
Natalia was so pleased with Mason's idea that she kissed him. "Mace, you're a genius."
Mason just smiled and kissed Natalia back in response.
XXX
Ten minutes, a duplication spell and the conjuring of a special prize later, the Rangers returned to the Rock Porium to finish their shifts and hopefully have the Fire Heart puzzle solved. No sooner had they arrived with the chest, Toby emerged from his office, looking smug as he held up the finished crossword and Sudoku puzzle book that Chip had given him that morning. But all that was forgotten as soon as he saw the heavy chest in Natalia and Mason's arms before they put it on the countertop.
"Hey, guys. What's in the chest?" asked Toby.
"Toby, hey. Glad we've caught you. Got a minute?" asked Natalia. When Toby nodded and joined them at the counter. "So, Mason and I have a bet we were hoping you could help us with. This is said to be the hardest puzzle in the entire world. Next to impossible, in fact. I bet Mason that no one could ever solve it, but he's adamant that it can be. Unfortunately, neither of us are exactly puzzle experts, so we thought you might like to take a crack at it. What do you think?"
Toby's face brightened as he studied the chest. "Hardest puzzle in the world, you say? Impossible to solve, you say?"
Mason shared a smile with Natalia. Their plan was working. Toby was hooked. They just needed to give him a little more of a nudge.
"There's another catch. There's a time limit," said Mason, gesturing to the ticking clock which showed roughly thirty-five minutes left. "If you can't beat the clock, the chest won't open and the prize inside will be lost forever. Do you think you can do it?"
At the mention of a prize inside, Toby nodded in excitement. "Are you kidding me? I can solve it in less than an hour. Excuse me." Without another word, Toby scooped up the chest, took it into his office and closed the door.
"I hope this works," said Natalia. She had faith in her boyfriend's plan but she was still nervous. If it backfired, they were going to have some serious explaining to do to their boss and Natalia wished to avoid that. "Fingers crossed."
"Fingers crossed," agreed Mason. Giving the chest to Toby to solve was his idea, but the Blue Ranger knew better than to not be prepared for all possible consequences. "By the way, have you seen Xander? I thought he was joining the rest of us for work."
Natalia shook her head and then when she heard hers and Mason's names called out in a scared whisper, she spotted Xander entering the Rock Porium covered up from head to toe in a hat, sunglasses, a trench coat and gloves. He looked alarmed, which did not bode well.
"Xander, what's wrong?" asked Mason, concerned.
Xander grimaced. "I need your help. My little problem? It's not little anymore. It's getting worse. Look." Xander opened up his shirt, revealing his now moss-covered torso.
"Yikes," said Natalia. Ten minutes and already Xander's torso was getting covered in moss? This couldn't possibly be good.
"Yikes is right," said Xander, as he closed up his shirt. "This is getting really serious. It's spreading like wildfire. I can't be seen like this. What if it doesn't go away?"
"Then we'll consult Udonna and see if she knows anything. Calm down," said Mason, gently.
"Mason's right. Look, you didn't do anything to cause it, so odds are this is something that'll go away on its own," said Natalia.
Xander winced and rubbed the back of his neck, looking sheepish. "Uh…that's the thing, Lia. I…uh…might've lied when you asked me that."
Natalia narrowed her eyes. "I beg your pardon? You lied to me?" How could Xander have forgotten Natalia's intolerance for lies, especially after what'd happened the last time one of the Rangers had lied to her? Not to mention, lying about something like this would do more harm than good. But as angry as it made her, Natalia was willing to put it aside and focus on the bigger issue at hand and that was Xander's petrification. "Xander, what did you do?"
"I…I sprayed myself with Clare's perfection potion hoping to fix my nose," confessed Xander.
Mason's brow wrinkled in confusion. "Perfection potion? What perfection—wait, are you talking about the plant revival potion Clare was using on her flowers?" said Mason, incredulously as Natalia's eyes widened. "Please tell me I'm wrong. You didn't use it on your face, did you?"
When Xander sheepishly nodded, Mason shook his head while Natalia groaned and face palmed at Xander's complete and utter foolishness.
"Oh, you idiot! No wonder you're turning into a tree! That potion was meant for plants not humans! It's reacting to your organic powers and 'perfecting' you!" said Natalia.
Xander had done several idiotic things in the brief time that Natalia had known him but using Clare's plant revival potion for the sake of his ridiculous vanity had to be the dumbest thing that Xander had ever done.
"I know, I know, it was really stupid of me," said Xander. "Now, please help me out." Right as he said this, Xander gasped as he felt a stretch of bark grow across his face.
"Oh, no." Natalia glanced around to make sure no one had seen anything and then she focused on getting Xander out of the store. "Okay, Xander, stay calm. We can fix this and we will, I promise. Mason, get Xander to the woods before someone sees him. I'll go to Rootcore and notify Udonna and Clare and get an antidote going. Go."
Xander didn't need telling twice as he and Mason departed from the Rock Porium.
XXX
By the time Xander entered the Mystic Woods, albeit with great difficulty as the tree portal was starting to recognize Xander as a tree and not a human being, his petrification problem had gotten worse. With the exception of his eyes and mouth, Xander's entire body was covered from head to toe in thick, gray tree bark and in lieu of his dark brown hair were thick leafy branches. He was looking more and more like Groot from Chip's Guardians of the Galaxy comic books and it was making him increasingly miserable with each passing moment.
Mason had had to get back to work, so he hadn't stayed with Xander after sending the Green Ranger through the tree portal, which meant Xander was alone. Xander hadn't gone far into the woods when he accidentally stepped on something and that something gave a startling yell.
"AHH!"
"AHH!" shrieked Xander.
But the screaming stopped when Xander looked down and saw that he'd accidentally stepped on Phineas, who'd been taking a nap beneath some extremely long grass stems. The troblin quickly stood up as Xander clutched at his heart and resisted the urge to glare daggers at Phineas.
"Phineas, you have got to stop scaring me like that," said Xander.
Phineas scowled. "Me? You're the one who stepped on me and woke me up!"
Not feeling up for an argument, Xander immediately conceded. "Okay, fair point. Sorry. I'm having a bit of a bad day."
Phineas' face softened and then his eyes widened. "Holy beetles! What happened to you? You look like a tree!"
Xander's shoulders slumped in sadness. Did everyone have to remark on Xander's mistake and hideous appearance? Did they have to keep rubbing salt into the wound? "Thanks for the newsflash." He groaned as he buried his face in his hands. "What am I going to do? Until if or when the others make an antidote to fix me, I can't be seen like this! I look horrible!"
Phineas cracked a smile. "Well, if you ask me, green is your color. Just watch out for the termites." When Xander jumped a foot in fright at the idea of being eaten by termites and didn't laugh at Phineas' joke, the troblin held up his hands and looked apologetic. "Sorry, just trying to lighten the mood. Hey, listen, if you need a listening ear, you came to the right place. I know what it's like to not fit in anywhere."
Xander stared in disbelief. "Really? You?"
Phineas was a weird creature in Xander's opinion but the troblin was nice and had a natural gift for good advice and making people laugh and his loyalty to his friends was beyond measure. How could anyone not like Phineas, much less reject him?
Phineas nodded. "Yep. Trolls hate me because I'm half-goblin and goblins hate me because I'm half-troll. And no one else thinks I'm a monster because of my good looks. So, I know what you're going through, buddy, believe me."
Xander's face softened and he felt a pang of sympathy and pity for his troblin friend. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry. You didn't deserve that."
Phineas smiled. "Thanks, pal. But it's okay. It's in the past and besides, I've got all the friends in the world now. And speaking of friends, as one to another, how about you come stay with me for as long as you need to? My place isn't much but it is home."
Xander sighed as he felt tears burn his eyes. Phineas' offer was the nicest thing anyone had done for him all day. He just hoped he wouldn't end up imposing on the troblin's hospitality. "That's very kind of you, Phineas. Thanks. Lead the way."
Phineas beamed as he led Xander to his makeshift home, which consisted of a poorly set up tent made with a patched up blanket and sticks, a campfire, a clothesline for his clothes and utensils and his food supplies. It was as Phineas had said, not much but it was home and there was a comforting feeling to it all. Plus, it helped that Xander was in the company of a very good friend who didn't stop trying to cheer Xander up as they ate a meal consisting of berries and nuts.
Not long into Xander and Phineas' bonding time, Xander heard his name being called out.
"Xander? Xander! Xander, where are you?"
Xander's ears perked up. "Clare?"
"Clare? Is that the pretty blond girl friend of yours?" asked Phineas. When Xander nodded, Phineas rose up from his seat, cupped his mouth with his hands and shouted out, "We're over here!"
Why's Clare looking for me? Then it hit Xander. Clare was not only looking for Xander but judging from the sound of her voice, she was also nearby and would arrive at any given moment, which meant Clare was going to see Xander in all his grotesqueness. He couldn't let that happen! What if she pitied him or worse, saw him as poorly as he saw himself now that he was a freak of nature? He had to hide and he had to hide quickly before Clare arrived.
Before Xander could attempt to conceal himself, however, Clare entered Phineas' campsite and sighed in relief.
"Xander, there you are! I've been looking all over the woods for you," said Clare, as she sat down beside him. "Natalia told me what happened. She's working on an antidote with Udonna as we speak. In the meantime, I'm so, so sorry about this."
"What've you got to be sorry for? This isn't your fault. It's mine," said Xander, miserably. Tears pooled in his eyes and began making their way down his cheeks. "I was such an idiot. Look at me. I was so worried about looking perfect…now, I'll never be able to show my face to anyone ever again. Xander the Great's gone for good."
Clare's face softened with sympathy. "Phineas, could you give us a minute?"
Phineas nodded. "I'll go get some fresh water. Be right back."
After Phineas left, Clare placed her hand on Xander's. "Listen to me, you shouldn't talk like that. Xander the Great isn't gone for good. He's sitting right next to me." When Xander's tears didn't stop, Clare tried another approach. "What's really going on, Xander? Talk to me, please. This isn't like you. You're normally so confident and strong. What's happened to the Green Ranger who never gives up on anything?"
Xander sighed as he sniffled. "When I first came to the States when I was a kid, I was picked on by the other kids for my accent. Mercilessly. The teasing got so bad, I had to transfer schools. When I did, I decided to focus on my looks, be confident and I became Xander the Great so that no one would ever hurt me again and it worked, until this happened. Vida and Chip laughed and poked fun at me quite a bit earlier and…I don't know…it feels like elementary school all over again. Only worse." Xander had never told anyone about his past bullying before and although he was still upset, it felt good to finally speak of it to someone. "How can I be confident when I look like this? Who would ever look twice at me now?"
Clare's eyes glistened with sympathetic tears as she pulled Xander in for a tight embrace. "Xander, I'm so sorry. I'd go back and curse those brats if I could." When this made Xander laugh just a little, Clare took it as a good sign and continued on. She pulled away from their hug and gently stroked his cheek. "But you don't need good looks to be confident or have friends. I mean, I mess up all the time but I don't let it get to me. I keep at it, even when it seems impossible. And I have all the friends I could ever want plus you. I don't care about how you look, Xander. I agreed to go out with you tonight because I like you for you."
For a moment Xander was confused but then he remembered what had occurred between him and Clare that morning and realized that he had indeed asked Clare out and she'd accepted, despite the grotesque zit on his face. She hadn't even noticed how ugly it had made him look. She'd just happily accepted his invitation without thinking twice.
"You did?" said Xander, unable to keep the hopeful disbelief out of his voice.
Clare smiled as she nodded. "Yeah. I mean, you're nice, you make me laugh, and you're encouraging when I mess my spells up, you're loyal to your friends, and you're really brave and strong. And for what it's worth, I like your accent. It makes you unique. Why wouldn't I like you? You don't need to 'Xander the Great.' You are great. And besides, speaking from experience, real confidence comes from the inside, not the outside."
This time, Xander did smile a genuine smile and his heart felt lighter than it had all day. Clare was right. He didn't need to be Xander the Great to have confidence and friends. He could have all that and more just by being himself. So what if he looked like a tree now? It didn't define him as a person any more than anyone else's mistakes defined their own character. He was still Xander, the Green Ranger and so much more, no matter what anybody ever said.
"I guess you're right," said Xander. "I am more than just a pretty face." And if Clare could see a beauty within the beast he was now, surely Xander could find it within himself to look with Clare's eyes.
Clare's smile widened as she stood up. "Come on. Let's get back to Rootcore. I've got a fresh baked pie waiting and the antidote should be made by now."
Xander smiled again as he stood up but when he tried to take a step forward, he found that he was stuck. "Uh…Clare, I can't move!"
Clare looked down and screamed in alarm as she saw that Xander wasn't just stuck, he was taking root into the ground.
"You're taking root!" Clare grabbed Xander's arms and began to pull, but Xander was stuck tight. "Phineas, help!"
Phineas, who'd been returning with a bucket of fresh water, suddenly dropped it and rushed over to Clare to try and free Xander.
XXX
Back at the Rock Porium, Mason, Vida and Chip were watching Toby's efforts in solving the riddle that was the Fire Heart chest. The walls of their boss's office were completely decked out in strings that linked one handwritten note to another. Toby had a pen in his mouth and after scribbling out another note on his wall, turned to the notepad he was writing on and kept going at it. He was nothing if not completely focused on the puzzle.
"I think he's getting close," said Chip.
Mason frowned. "How can you tell?"
"He's starting to drool," said Chip, half-joking. It was known fact that whenever Toby came close to solving a puzzle, he started to drool in excitement.
Suddenly, everyone's morphers went off.
"Talk to me," said Vida, as she answered her phone.
"Rangers, there's dark matter energy headed in your direction," said Udonna, worriedly.
Mason exchanged worried looks with his friend and his sister. "Necrolai must've sent one of her goons after the Fire Heart. It's probably tracking its mystical energy."
"Then we need to stop it before it gets here and quick," said Vida. She wasn't exaggerating about their lack of time. She was completely serious. "There's twenty-five minutes left on the clock!"
"Let's go," said Chip.
Quickly, they ran outside in the direction of the dark energy and found Skullington and an army of Hidiacs just a few blocks away. Without hesitation, they morphed before launching into battle.
XXX
Back in the forest, Clare and Phineas were trying desperately to free Xander of his binds and failing miserably in the process. No matter how hard they tried, Xander wouldn't budge and what was worse, his arms were stiffening and the petrification process was nearing completion.
"It's going to take a miracle to get me free!" said Xander.
"Guys, I've got the antidote!"
Clare sighed in relief as Natalia ran into the clearing, carrying a heavy bucket filled with the antidote.
"Natalia, hurry!" said Xander. His voice became muffled as bark grew over his mouth. "My mouth is starting to—" That was far as Xander got before not only his mouth was covered in bark but also his eyes and his entire body went rigid like a tree's.
Without hesitation, Natalia tossed the bucket's contents onto Xander. There was a bright shimmer of light and when the light faded, Xander was back to normal.
"You're back!" cried Phineas, in delight.
Clare nearly cried with relief as she leapt into Xander's arms, who swept her into a hug before placing a tender loving kiss on her lips that she was only too happy to return.
"Thank you," said Xander, as they broke apart. He cast grateful looks at Natalia and Phineas before holding Clare closer to him. "Thank you, all of you. I could not have made it without you." Xander was indebted to his friends for all the kindness they'd shown him as well as for teaching him that looks weren't everything. He owed them so much.
"Our pleasure," said Natalia, smiling.
At that moment, both Xander and Natalia's morpher went off.
"New spell code," said Xander, in amazement.
"And trouble," added Natalia. She put her phone on speaker as it lit up with a distress signal.
"Guys, we need your help! Quick!" yelled Mason.
"On our way," said Natalia. "C'mon, Xander."
Xander nodded and after he promised Clare he'd be there for their date that evening, the two Rangers morphed before racing off into battle.
"Good luck, guys!" said Clare, as she waved them good-bye.
XXX
When Natalia and Xander arrived on the battlefield, they found the other Rangers were barely holding their own against the Hidiacs and Skullington was using the distraction to escape to the Rock Porium to retrieve the Fire Heart.
"I'll handle the bonehead, you help the others," said Xander.
Although usually the one to give the orders, Natalia was willing to comply with Xander's for once. She nodded and began turning the Hidiacs to ash while Xander dealt with Skullington.
Xander charged at Skullington and kicked at the monster's chest before delivering a few punches. But Xander's blows did little good as Skullington blocked them and then grabbed Xander before tossing him into a concrete wall like a rag doll. When Xander rose up and charged at Skullington, the beast swung his boney staff and sent Xander flying again before proceeding to block or duck every punch or kick that Xander delivered.
Thoroughly fed up, Xander drew his Magi Staff and cried out, "Vinea Flagello!" Powerful vines shot out from beneath the earth and tightly wrapped themselves around Skullington's body before they slammed him hard into the ground, destroying him.
"That'll teach you," said Xander, smugly.
But a surprise came Xander's way as Skullington suddenly rebuilt himself from the scattered bones and then charged at Xander. Skullington then proceeded to slice at Xander with his staff and then he launched a powerful Bone Attack, dozens of sharp bones were flung at Xander, injuring him badly and then Skullington laughed smugly.
"Show me what you're made of!" mocked Skullington.
Xander drew his morpher. "You asked for it." Quickly, he punched in the new spell code and then Xander's strength and agility was increased twentyfold.
With Xander's powers increased, Skullington was no match for the Green Ranger who then proceeded to dodge every blow Skullington attempted to deliver and then Xander proceeded to beat the living crap out of Skullington. When Skullington was about to try and heal himself, Xander delivered the final blow and launched himself into the air and the punch he delivered to the ground blow set off an earthquake that sent Skullington skyrocketing a thousand feet into the air. When the beast hit the ground below, he was turned into bone powder and was destroyed.
The Fire Heart was safe again.
XXX
With the battle over and victory won, the Rangers returned to the Rock Porium where they watched with increasing nervousness as Toby attempted to solve the puzzle. Just as the clock began ticking down from the final minute, Toby's face lit up with excited realization.
"Wait! Wait, I've got it!" exclaimed Toby.
Upon hearing this, the Rangers all plowed into Toby's office, anxious to hear the results.
"You solved the puzzle?" asked Chip.
Toby nodded. "Yes. Yes! It's a mathematical conundrum. You see each of these buttons corresponds to a number that when divided by Pi, gives a series of integers that all points towards this button." Toby pushed the third button down on the left-hand side of the latch and at once, the ticking timer stopped with a single second to spare and the latch clicked open.
"I did it!" cheered Toby, as his employees proceeded to applaud him. "I'm the greatest puzzle solver on the face of the planet!"
"Congratulations, Toby," said Xander. "Now, let's see what's inside."
Taking the hint, Natalia quickly dropped a smoke bomb from her pocket and in the confusion, Mason and the others swapped the real Fire Heart chest for a fake with Toby none the wiser.
Toby coughed as the smoke cleared and then proceeded to open the fake chest. Immediately, Toby's face lit up with unbridled joy at the contents of the fake chest, which consisted on extremely rare music that Toby had been searching for, for years and a masterfully crafted plaque with the words:
WORLD'S GREATEST PUZZLER
inscribed in beautiful gold letters.
Toby was so happy that he didn't even noticed his employees slipping away with the real chest. All in all, it was a good end to a very long day.
XXX
When the Rangers returned to Rootcore, everyone looked apprehensive as Natalia carefully opened the chest. Now they would finally learn what the Fire Heart was and why everyone was so desperate to protect and own it. When the lid of the chest was opened all the way, they found that inside the chest was a giant reddish-amber egg with tiny blue sapphires.
"An egg?" said Chip, sounding disappointed. "The Fire Heart is an egg?"
It seemed rather anticlimactic that to discover that after all the trouble they'd gone through to get the Fire Heart, it was only a mere egg and nothing more exciting like an enchanted antique or weapon or something of the like.
Udonna clutched at her chest as she shook her head. "It is no ordinary egg, Chip. That is the last dragon egg. And it is a wonder it's lived this long in such conditions."
Everyone gasped in shock and delight. A dragon. A real dragon! No wonder the darkness had been so eager to acquire the Fire Heart. Dragons were powerful, dangerous and magical beasts and to have a dragon as one's ally meant untold rewards and power.
"Well, we're not going to let it be neglected anymore," said Natalia, briskly. "Xander, you and Chip make a nest. Clare, get one of my spare blankets out of my room. Vida, clear that spot away over there. Mason, help me carry the egg."
Everyone quickly obeyed and went about their assignments. Vida cleared away a sunlit area of Rootcore clean, Xander and Chip made a large and comfortable nest of moss and twigs, and Clare emerged from Natalia's bedroom carrying a thick, heavy blanket. After Mason and Natalia carefully placed the egg in the nest, Natalia took the blanket from Clare.
"What's with the blanket?" asked Vida, curiously.
"My bedding is enchanted not to burn up if I have a fire accident," explained Natalia. "Instead of lighting on fire, it traps and retains the heat and then expels it like a heating pad. It can last for twenty-four hours, which I'm sure will be beneficial for the Fire Heart." Natalia placed her hands on the blanket and fire emitted from her hands. The flames disappeared into the blanket, warming it and then she wrapped the blanket around the dragon egg.
The result was instantaneous. The egg seemed to purr in contentment from the heat, making everyone smile.
"I'll keep an eye on Fire Heart when you guys aren't here," promised Clare, as she stroked the dragon egg. "Don't worry, little one. We'll take care of you now."
The dragon may have been the last of its kind but when it hatched, it would surrounded by loving friends and family and it would never be alone again.