Abby Holloway series
Jungle Fury: The Call to Destiny
By xXxKaraBeckerCutterxXx
Author's Note: Sorry for the late update. Was planning on updating on Tuesday but I didn't get home until 8:30pm and by 11:30pm I was half-asleep. So you'll excuse my lateness in this chapter.
Dedications: Chapter goes out to the following: DJScales, Dean Winchesters Baby Girl, Fallingstar22, Tylerbamafan34 and 10th Squad 3rd Seat (who has been playing catch-up. Loved your reviews.)
"Hey, Abby," Casey frowned as he entered the loft that afternoon to find the White ranger curled up on the sofa with Ronny eating ice-cream. "Can I ask you something?"
Abby nodded and dropped her spoon into the tub of chocolate ice-cream. "What's on your mind, cub?"
"How do you do it?" Casey asked.
"Do what?" Abby asked, looking confused.
"Be so calm," Casey answered, confusing Abby further. "How do you not feel jealous? Lily and Theo have already met their masters and we've been pretty much left in the dark. How can you not feel jealous about that?"
Abby looked thoughtful, before shrugging. "I guess it's because I have been trained my whole life for this battle... that and Master Mao taught me everything I needed to know while I was at the academy. Why, are you feeling left out?"
"A little," Casey admitted, feeling there was no point in lying to Abby, seeing as she was now an empath and would probably sense his lie anyway.
"Casey, you trust me and RJ right?" Abby asked.
Casey nodded. "Yeah, you're my mentor and RJ is my Pai Zhuq Master!"
"Then why would you want another Master?"
Suddenly the ground started to shake as the Rangers ran into the loft, grabbed Casey and hurried off to make sure this wasn't a monster attack.
"What's going on?" Kelly asked, appearing in the doorway to Abby's bedroom. "Earthquake or Monster attack?"
"Considering Casey, Theo and Lily are out there," Abby answered, pointing out of the window, "and i'm still here... I am gonna go with Monster attack!"
"And you would be correct," RJ nodded, turning on the monitors and pointing at the scene where the Rangers were just arriving.
~*Abby*~
"This sucks!" Abby pouted as she folded her arms over her chest and sunk lower into the couch. "Why couldn't I go fight?"
"Because we had a deal," Ronny answered, sitting on the back of the couch and flopping backwards so that she was hanging upside down. "You'd relax on the battle fights when you started showing..." she reached across and patted Abby's stomach.
Abby glared at her. "I'm not even showing much," she answered. "The spandex would cover my bump... or the lack of..."
"It's still too dangerous," Ronny said, shaking her head.
Kelly nodded as she sat beside her sister. "Besides, enjoy yourself, you have the chance to relax, now that you're not being thrown around like a rag doll!"
"But -"
"No buts," Nick interrupted. "A deal's a deal,"
Abby looked around at all three of them, her lower lip quivered slightly, but when she noticed that their looks were unmoving, she sighed and turned her back on the three of them. "You all suck!" she muttered.
"Love you too, Abby," Nick, Kelly and Ronny laughed, turning back to the battle that was still going on down at the beach.
~*Abby*~
"Abby," Casey grinned enthusiastically as he hurried into the loft. Once the battle had ended, he and the others had returned to JKP with the most amazing news. "Guess what...?"
"You found your new master?" Abby asked, spotting an older gentleman following the rangers. "Either that or your identities have been revealed to the general public and I have to do some major research into finding a way to erase his memory?"
Theo, Lily and Casey frowned.
"No," Casey answered, a little uncertain. "But you're right to assume that I found my master!"
Abby nodded. "Hi," she smiled at the older gentleman. "Wait, don't tell me... let's see how much I remember from Pai Zhuq history. We've already met Swoop and Phant, which leaves Fox and Finn... and I remember Master Mao telling me that Master Fox was female... so, that leaves Master Finn!"
"Correct," the older gentleman nodded. "And you're Abigail Sayuri... the last Sayuri guardian... at least you are for the next couple of months. I would like to extend my congratulations, Miss,"
Abby smiled. "Thank you, Master Finn."
At that moment, RJ returned, yelling out to Abby as he entered the room, oblivious to the fact that they had newcomer amongst them. "Abby, Fran needs your help down -" he cut off when he spotted Master Finn. "Dad...?"
"Dad!" Casey exclaimed, into a stunned silence that had fallen amongst the others, as RJ and his father stared at one another in a content silence.
~*Abby*~
"Well, look at this," Master Finn sighed as he looked around the loft. The rangers, Nick and Kelly had retreated downstairs to give father and son some privacy, and it didn't help that Abby could feel the tension within the room, and it was making her feel slightly uneasy. "You're a Master and you still need me to clean up after you."
"I like my loft the way it is," RJ smiled. "Things are where I want them."
"Yes, so I see, Potato chips... dirty socks..."
"I like things my way," RJ commented. "It shouldn't affect you."
"Of course it affects me," Master Finn answered. "Everything you do reflects me, you're my son!"
"Yes... that I am... but what's it been, six, seven years since we last spoke?" RJ asked.
"That was your doing, if I remember,"
"Well... let's not get into it."
"Yes, please, let's not," Abby agreed, as she re-entered the loft. "Do you guys mind if I hang out here? Kelly has kicked me back up here; she reckons the fumes from the oven are too toxic for my current state."
RJ nodded, showing that he didn't mind, and it seemed that neither did Master Finn, because he went on talking to his son like Abby hadn't interrupted them at all. "All I ever wanted was to teach you the ways of your father... my father, and my father's father..."
"Can we drop it?" RJ sighed, glancing across at Abby who was curled up on the couch with Buddy, paying little to no attention to him and his father. "I know why you're here."
Footsteps reached their senses and Casey burst into the room seconds later. "I hate to break up this reunion," he said, interrupting the father/son spat. "But I was just wondering if you had some time to train me..."
"Sure," RJ nodded. "I'll be right there!"
"Uh, no," Casey shook his head. "I meant your dad. Master Finn."
Master Finn looked slightly smug to say the least, before turning to Casey and motioning for him to lead the way.
RJ sighed as he watched them leave, before turning to Abby. "Looks like it's just you and me now, Abby," he called.
"Eh, you'll never get rid of me, RJ," the White ranger smiled. "I don't see myself getting a new master anytime soon! Besides, i'm just one battle away from my Master stripes!"
The Pai Zhuq master nodded, feeling slightly better that he had at least one of his cubs left on his side.
~*Abby*~
After leaving the loft and finally reaching the training grounds, Master Finn presented Casey with his own pair of shark sabers and was teaching him to fight with them. Casey was doing relatively okay, for a cub of his status, but he was nowhere close to mastering it.
"You'll never master the shark technique at half-speed!" Finn frowned.
"I'm trying!" Casey yelled. He jumped in the air, spinning, but couldn't catch himself fast enough, and landed face down in the dirt.
"Are you spinning or is it just me?" Casey asked, sitting up.
There was a giggle as Abby appeared out of thin air beside Master Finn. "Have you been drinking on the job, Casey? Tut, tut, i'm highly disappointed in you, cub!"
Casey scowled in her direction and childishly stuck his tongue out.
Abby grinned and clapped her hands happily. "Yay, there's the Casey I know and love," she teased.
"What are you doing here?" the Red ranger asked. "How did you get here?"
"I teleported," Abby answered. "Just don't tell Kelly, Nick or Ronny, they already threatened to tie me to the chair," she turned to Master Finn. "Do you mind if I sit in on your training session? I fear I am on the verge of insanity if I stay in the loft any longer."
Master Finn smiled. "You are very welcome to watch," he nodded. "Maybe pick up a few techniques."
"With all due respect, Master Finn, but Master Fox is my next master," Abby returned the smile. "And she has already taught me all that she knows."
Casey frowned in confusion. But before he could ask what Abby was talking about, Master Finn started speaking directly to him.
"Soon you will know everything there is to know about the shark technique," Finn assured the cub.
"Master, I won't disappoint you," Casey smiled.
"No... No one likes to be disappointed," Finn walked over to the bag he had left by the arc, and pulled out a new pair of sabers, handing them to Casey. They were made of wood, but Casey was still excited to hold them.
"Shark sabers," Casey grinned. "Slammin'"
Abby rolled her eyes. Forever a child she thought with a soft smile.
"You'll get the real ones when you master the technique," Master Finn explained.
"Teach me," Casey grinned.
Master Finn stepped away, giving himself room before showing Casey the fighting stances for the sabers.
"Power of the Shark..." Master Finn muttered as he and Abby stood under the arc, watching Casey train alone.
After hours of training, Finn (and Abby) was finally proud.
~*Abby*~
Kelly frowned as she waved her hand in front of RJ's face. "Helloooo..." she called, "anyone home?"
"What's up?" Ronny asked, appearing behind the red head. She noticed RJ staring into space and frowned too. "Is he broken?" she asked.
"I don't know," Kelly shrugged, "he was like then when I came looking for Abby. You haven't seen her have you?"
Ronny shook his head. "She told me that she was going to help Fran."
"Nope. Fran said she never showed."
"Well, she's pregnant, how far could she have gone?" Ronny shrugged.
"It's Abby," Nick answered. "She's stubborn... so very far... what's up with RJ? Is he asleep?"
RJ blinked and looked up at the three of them. "No, i'm not asleep!"
Kelly, Ronny and Nick jumped in surprise.
"Oh! RJ!" Kelly scolded. "Don't do that!"
"Sorry," RJ said, looking sheepish. "Oh, and Abby has gone to watch Casey train," he answered their curious questions on the White ranger's disappearance. "She needed some fresh air, and you know how she feels about Casey... in comparison to Theo and Lily."
Ronny nodded. "She does baby him more," she agreed.
Kelly rolled her eyes, and looked down at the Wolf Master. "What are you doing, anyway?"
"I'm trying to visualize a positive future to live in," RJ answered.
"Is it working?" Ronny asked.
"Is my dad gone?" RJ asked, sounding hopeful.
Ronny shook her head. "No..."
"Then it's not working!" He sighed and pushed himself out of his seat. "I don't know... maybe I've just got to get used to losing Casey."
Kelly frowned. "Who said you were losing him?" she asked. "Lily and Theo still have new masters but they are still with you..."
"Yeah," Ronny nodded. "You mean a lot to Casey... to all of them! You're not gonna lose Casey just because your dad is teaching him."
"And besides," Nick interrupted. "Abby still hasn't found her Master... she still needs you."
"Abby is one battle away from earning her Master stripes," RJ corrected.
Nick nodded. "Yeah, but she still needs you to help her reach that battle,"
RJ paused. "Yeah, maybe you're right," he agreed. "I am letting old baggage get to me. I'm still Casey's master!"
~*Abby*~
Sometime later, Abby teleported Master Finn, Casey and herself back into the loft. Ronny and Kelly were sitting on the sofa, while Nick had taken up his training again. He stopped, however, when his pregnant girlfriend returned and leveled her with a stare.
"Um... am I in trouble?" Abby quipped, noticing the stare straight away.2
"Yeah," Nick nodded.
"Well, technically, you said I could leave the house as long as I wasn't alone," Abby reminded him. "I wasn't alone... I was with Master Finn and Casey. So, theoretically, I can't be in trouble..."
Ronny frowned as she worked through what her best friend had said. "Uh... sadly Nick, she's right,"
Abby grinned. "2 points!" she cheered.
Meanwhile, Casey was gushing over how brilliant Master Finn was at being a new trainer, that he didn't notice the hurt look that had crossed RJ's face from the moment he had started speaking, he also failed to notice that RJ was no longer present.
"Casey," Kelly called, interrupting the Red ranger as she saw RJ leave.
"Uh..." Casey rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "It was something I said, wasn't it?" he asked.
Ronny nodded. "Yeah..."
Abby smiled as she patted the Tiger cub's shoulder. "He'll come around..." she smiled reassuringly. "But in the meantime... you've got work to do."
She pointed at the monitors where the giant crab from earlier had returned, this time armed with Rinshi and Camille.
~*Abby*~
With the rangers out in battle, Kelly found RJ tossing cards into a hat... well, he was trying too. She sighed as she sat down behind him. "You're not doing too well," she teased, nudging his shoulder.
"It depends on how you look at it," RJ smiled, "what if the purpose was to avoid the hat?"
"Then you're doing great," Kelly laughed.
RJ chuckled along with her, before falling silent.
"Why aren't you monitoring the fight?" Kelly asked after the silence became too much for her, having lived with Abby her entire life, she wasn't used to long silences. "I know that it would mean a lot to Casey, Theo and Lily to know that you are watching them, even if you can't be out here with them!"
"They don't need me," RJ sighed. "Especially Casey, he has my father now..."
The red head shook her head. "That's not true," she promised. "Casey still needs you,"
"Uh, guys..." Abby yelled from the monitors. "We got a big problem!"
"Define big," Kelly called back, knowing full well that Abby could over-exaggerate.
"Massive! Master Finn's shark zord has turned against the Rangers!" Abby explained. "They are fighting against it, rather than with it!"
RJ sighed and turned to Kelly. "Looks like my father's not so amazing after all," he said. "See, even he makes mistakes! He's not perfect!"
"No one is perfect," Kelly replied.
RJ offered her a look that clearly said that he wasn't just talking about the battle.
"Oh," Kelly nodded. "So, what happened between you and your father?"
"He never got over the fact that I wanted to find my own animal spirit," RJ answered. "All he knew was to work me over and over into the Shark technique; he wanted me to do it his way!"
Kelly listened intently. "According to Abby, Casey loves the Shark technique..."
"Well, maybe it fits him," RJ shrugged. "It didn't fit me... and then when I went to find my new master to train, that was it between me and my dad. He just doesn't understand. It's either his way or the highway,"
"And you chose to take the highway," Kelly nodded.
RJ paused and nodded along with her.
"Yep, make's sense," Kelly smiled.
~*Abby*~
"DAI SHI!" Abby yelled from the monitors. "Dai Shi's at the beach... the others need help! I gotta go!"
Grabbing her around the waist, Nick held her away from the exit. "Not so fast," he said. "You're not going anywhere or do I have to remind you of our deal?"
"But they need help!"
"I'll go," RJ said, appearing on the overhead loft with Kelly. "My dad's in trouble... This is my one and only chance to show him, that I am still his son, even if I didn't train with the shark technique!"
Kelly smiled and nodded.
RJ nodded and headed for the exit.
Abby frowned before calling after him. "Bring my cub's home safe, RJ! I'll be watching!"
~*Abby*~
RJ arrived at the beach just in time to see Jarrod advancing on Master Finn. He rolled up his sleeves, before jumping in the air and knocking the villain down.
"You mess with my dad, and you mess with me!" RJ said, as he stood protectively in front of his father.
"He's strong, RJ," Master Finn warned.
RJ smirked and looked back to Dai Shi. "So am I!" he answered.
He closed his eyes for a second, before channeling his animal spirit.
"SPIRIT OF THE WOLF!"
Jarrod was pushed back by the spirit, but stood his ground. When the violet wolf disappeared, he looked to RJ.
"Consider this a draw. But remember this wolf Master," Dai Shi growled. "Tomorrow is another day!"
"And tomorrow will be today, and today will be yesterday," RJ responded.
Dai Shi growled. "We will meet again!"
He turned and left in a shower of golden sparks.
"I always like to leave my enemies with a confusing thought," RJ told his father as he turned to face the older gentleman.
Master Finn nodded. "The wolf, huh?" he questioned.
"Sorry, dad," RJ apologized. "It's just who I am."
"Yeah, I can see," Master Finn nodded. "You make an old shark very proud..."
RJ beamed with an air of acknowledgement as his father finally accepted that he was different... even after all these years.
~*Abby*~
The day had ended again, the rangers reigned victorious over Dai Shi, Camille and the rest of their army, while RJ had reconciled with his estranged father.
It was now late afternoon and Abby was retreating down the stairs into the kitchen for more ice-cream for her and Ronny, when she spotted RJ and his father rolling dough in the far corner.
"Father/son bonding?" she asked, stepping of the last step and approaching the freezer.
"Kinda," RJ smiled. "Ice-cream?" he asked.
"Kinda," the White ranger grinned.
RJ smirked. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were gaining a lot of weight," he teased.
"Well, if I wasn't pregnant," Abby answered, closing the fridge and grabbing two spoons, "I wouldn't be eating so much junk... Which is why I have convinced Kelly, Nick and Ronny to let me go for a run tomorrow..."
"Unsupervised?"
Abby laughed. "Ha! Yeah, right..." she nodded. "Unsupervised. Please, I am now on a short leash until the baby is born..."
"It's only fair!" RJ called after her, as she disappeared back upstairs. "You remember all too well what happened to Master Fox!"
"Don't remind me!" Abby yelled.
Master Finn smiled as RJ turned back to him. "She is so much like her mother," he commented. "It will be such a shame if their destinies turn out to be exactly the same,"
"Indeed," RJ nodded. "It will be..."
Copyrighted ©
Chapter written by xXxKaraBeckerCutterxXx
Chapter updated Thursday, March 15, 2012 at 03:34am