Having finally discovered who their new friends really were, the Jungle Fury rangers were more than a little curious to find out more about them. Xander, Chip and Daggeron were quietly checking over the last of the decor in the shop before opening the following day when they heard a knock on the door. They opened the door, finding Lily and RJ waiting there.
"You know most people wait till a store opens to visit." Xander joked as he gestured them inside.
"Well now I guess we know how you got this place set up so fast." Lily commented.
"Yes, a little abuse of power works wonders." Daggeron said coldly, casting a little glare at the former Green Ranger. Xander just ignored him though. He knew that it would have taken most of the last couple of days to set up the store without magic, and he really wasn't in the mood to argue about it. "I heard you guys are Pai Zhuq Masters."
"We are indeed." RJ answered. "We were the last team of Power Rangers."
"Well like you, we still have our powers." Daggeron informed them. "I guess I can introduce myself properly now. I'm Daggeron, the Solaris Knight."
"So you're the one that gave Master Phant a good run for his money." Lily responded, shaking his hand. "It's been a long time since someone took it to him like that."
"He's a bit of a livewire himself." He assured her, remembering their sparring session. "He gave me more than a few bruises himself. It was an honour to face him."
"Well it's the first time I've met any Rangers other than my own team." Chip commented. "Xander helped out the Overdrive team once, but I've only known one team."
"Well you know another team now." RJ told him. "I'll introduce you to the others sometime soon. So Xander, you know Dr. Hartford?"
"Yeah, when they lost their powers the Sentinel Knight asked a few of us to come back." He told them.
"Kira said something about that." Lily said in response, nodding knowingly. They had found out about Kira close to a year ago now when she visited Ocean Bluff. She had told them that it was something about the Morphing Grid that seemed to draw Rangers to each other. They had kind of thought she might have a point at the time having met her and Tommy, though now it seemed like anytime a Ranger went to a new city, they seemed almost destined to run into the local team. "She told us about your mission there, I guess it never clicked about the Green Ranger."
"Well now you know." He stated. "It was a good little ego boost to be asked to come back. I really loved getting back into the action again."
"Of course it is nice not to have nasty monsters trying to vaporise us every other day." Chip added. "I'm glad I can finally concentrate on my training."
"So you guys can do magic right?" Lily asked them. "Could you do...healing spells?"
She hadn't yet seen Fran since she found out she might have difficulty conceiving children. She didn't like to think about how she would be feeling about the news. She hoped that there was possibly something their new friends could do for her.
"Well that all depends." Daggeron told her. "We can only really heal injuries that are mystical in nature. Natural injuries can't be healed that way. Not by us anyway, and care also has to be taken with Magic. It's too easy to adversely affect destiny."
"Oh right." She sighed, feeling a little dejected at hearing this. For a second she'd gotten the hope that the damage done to Fran could be reversed through magic, but apparently that wasn't the case. It didn't seem fair that they weren't able to help Fran. If anyone deserved a chance like that, then it was her. She was at least thankful that she had an opportunity to ask without bringing up her idea to Fran. Right now she realised it would only have been cruel to dash her hopes again. "Sorry, one of our friends received bad news recently. I just hoped you could help her."
"Well I'm afraid we have to rely on destiny to play out for the best." Daggeron told her sagely. "If she's a good person and has a compassionate heart, then her destiny will become clear in time."
Lily just nodded and took a seat in the corner, still a little upset that she couldn't help Fran. RJ realised that her thoughts were to help Fran, but if it was not to be, then they couldn't do anything about it. He suddenly had a thought as he realised that perhaps there was someone they could help with their magic.
"You can't alter destiny, but what about giving destiny a helping hand?" He asked them. "Lily's father still has a few months to serve in the Marines before he can come home. Can you perform some kind of protection ritual?"
"I guess we could." Chip answered a little too quickly. Daggeron had a slightly pained look on his face.
"We should really consider this carefully." He told Chip. "There are only three of us, and it is a complicated ritual. Especially if he isn't here, and the spell is to last for all that time."
"Come on Daggeron, what's the harm?" Xander asked him. "We have magic to help people. What's the point if we don't try because it's hard?"
"Exactly." Chip interjected. "It's her dad."
"I really want him to get home to see the baby." She told him. He relented a little, looking at Lily. He could see how important it was to her that her dad returned home safely. He still wasn't sure about the ritual, but he was beginning to get a little railroaded.
"OK, but we have to be extremely careful." He told them. "Like it or not, there are only three magic users here..."
"What about our animal spirits?" RJ asked him. "My understanding was that the energy of an animal spirit came from the same central energy as magic. Couldn't that energy be converted?"
"Not easily, and it's already a complicated ritual." He warned him. "If nothing else, all you could provide was energy. It would still fall to us and our concentration to perform the incantation."
"As well as that, we need another three people to provide the power for the rite." Chip told them.
"Well Lily and I are here..."
"I'm afraid we need at least another two." Daggeron interrupted him. "Since Lily's dad isn't here, we need her to channel the energy through. Her blood and her heart will connect the protection spell to him through her emotional connection to him."
"Just let me make a phone call." RJ stated. "I'll get the other two people."
In her apartment, Fran was quietly having dinner with her husband. He had insisted on cooking her something special to celebrate her exam results, but she wasn't really concentrating on the food. She looked up and saw him smiling.
"Are you enjoying this?" He asked her. She just nodded, unable to answer. He knew that the news still upset her, but he was doing all he could to support her. The phone rang, interrupting them. He made his way over and answered it.
"Hello?" He answered it.
"Theo, could you and Fran come over to the Rock Porium?" He asked him. "I'll explain when you get here."
"We'll be over shortly." He told him, glancing over to his wife. She was just kind of playing with her food, shoving it around the plate. He was trying all he could to cheer her up, but he knew it would take a lot more than some good exam results and a quiet dinner at home with him to get her over that. Maybe being surrounded by friends was what she really needed.
"RJ and Lily are with the guys at the Rock Porium." Theo told her. "Let's go over there and say hi."
"I'm not really in the mood." She sighed, continuing to play with her fork, arranging her food into patterns on the plate. He just looked at her.
"Fran, being by yourself isn't going to make you feel any better." He told her. "Come on, it's about time we met these guys anyway."
Fran didn't bother arguing with him and just gathered her coat. He didn't have any idea what awaited them when they got there, the way RJ was talking on the phone, it was like he had some major news for them.
They arrived a short time later, finding Daggeron, Chip and Xander in their Mystic's attire, while RJ cleared a space in the floor. Theo looked at the bizarre scene unfolding a little curiously.
"What's all this about?" He asked.
"Theo, this is Chip, Xander and Daggeron." She explained, introducing the Rock Porium staff. "They have a shared past with us. They're Mystic Force Power Rangers."
"Seriously?" He asked, looking at them. He knew they had come into town recently, and that RJ and Lily had befriended them, but he had no idea that more Rangers had shown up in town.
"The Mystics and the Pai Zhuq go back a long way." Daggeron explained, shaking his hand. He saw Fran, and could sense something about her was amiss. He hadn't actually met her before, but he knew that something was troubling her heart.
"This is my wife Fran." He introduced her. "Anyway, what's all this?"
"We're performing a ritual to cast a protection spell." He explained. "We're going to cast a protection spell over Lily's father to guide him from harm for the next couple of months."
"We need a little more power to get the spell to work." Chip interjected as he finished drawing the spell seal on the floor. "We were hoping you would help."
"Of course, anything." Fran told them. Theo wasn't entirely convinced about this, a feeling he seemed sure the Solaris Knight shared. He wasn't a mage, but he had come across mentions of magic in his studies, and knew enough about it to know it was something that wasn't to be toyed with. It certainly wasn't a force to be used without total concentration.
"Fran, let's think about this for a second." He said gently to her. "I know you want to help Lily, but you don't know anything about magic. Neither do I. Do you really think..."
"You don't need to worry, we'll handle the incantation." Xander assured him. "Just channel your animal spirits into the energy field and leave the rest to us."
"Lily, if you could please stand in the centre of the seal please." Chip instructed her. She did as she was told. Chip placed his hands on her shoulders, aligning her with the correct line, facing east in the direction of the base her father would be serving in. "I have to warn you, this is important. No matter what happens, continue to face east until the ritual is complete. Do you understand?"
"I do." She replied quietly, taking one last glance to RJ.
"Now, I want to ensure that we take as few chances as possible." Daggeron told them. "I want a Mystic Force Ranger at each of the three key points of the seal. The Jungle Fury team, fill the remaining spaces between us."
They all nodded in understanding and took their places. Xander stood with Fran to his left and RJ to his right. Fran stood, directly facing Lily as everyone else took their places, a Mystic between each of the Jungle Fury Rangers.
"I've got us at the key points to keep the energy field constant." He told them. "Now, this is important. No matter what happens, do not under any circumstances break the circle until the ritual is complete. Am I making myself perfectly clear?"
They all nodded as they linked hands over their heads.
"Chip, Xander, you both know the incantation. Again, under no circumstances stop or break the circle until the ritual is complete." He instructed them. "Are we all ready to begin?"
"Yes." They all answered, preparing for the ritual. Daggeron looked around one last time. He still had a feeling that this wasn't a great idea, but he could understand everyone's desire to do this. Resigning himself to the fact that now was the time, he led off the chant.
Meanwhile outside, Vida pulled up in her car with Maddie, finding a place to park. She shook her awake as they arrived. The Blue Ranger always had a habit of falling asleep on long car journeys. She gestured to the sign, showing her that they had arrived.
"We're here." She rushed out excitedly. "Come on, let's get the bags."
"Are you sure the others are expecting us?" Maddie asked her. "It' looks like the place is closed."
"I told you so didn't I?" She asked her. It was true that she had told her sister they had been invited, though this was only partly true. Chip knew they were coming, but Xander didn't. She figured if he knew Maddie was coming, he'd only make excuses and try to discourage them from coming. She wanted to get them together, but given the way Xander had left, she knew he wouldn't want to see her. He had skipped town just to get away from his feelings. "Come on, I'm sure they're waiting inside."
"Well something's going on inside." Maddie replied as she fetched her bag. Vida looked to the window and could see what she meant. A heavy blackout blind had been hung across the window to block the view from the outside, but there was an ominous glow from a crack above the blind.
"Xander's probably just using his magic to set up the store." She suggested, checking the door. She was a little surprised to find it locked. She pulled out her own wand, performing a quick spell on the lock. They opened the door, stepping inside, seeing the others performing the ritual.
"Maddie?" Xander asked, seeing her come into the room.
"V!" Chip snapped, realising his mistake. In his concentration on the preparation of the spell, he had completely forgotten that they were coming tonight. The energy field surrounding the circle began to fluctuate and waver as they lost concentration and stopped chanting. Xander couldn't take his eyes off Maddie in disbelief, and dropped Fran's hand.
"Don't break the circle!" Chip yelled; dropping her other hand and trying to bring him back into position. Daggeron realised too late their error as the energy field collapsed, channelling entirely through the break in the circle, straight through the space Fran was in. A huge flash of light burst through the store and sent everyone in the room to the floor.
RJ began to stir first, and crawled over to Lily, checking on her.
"Are you alright?" He asked her. She looked up at him.
"I'm fine RJ." She replied. "I guess the ritual failed."
"Is everyone alright?" Daggeron asked, pulling himself back to his feet and dusting himself off. He looked a little accusingly at Chip and Xander.
"I'm fine." Chip told him. "My ears are ringing, but I'm fine."
"I'll be alright." Xander told him, straightening himself out, also looking a little accusingly at Chip. He knew he had something to do with Maddie turning up.
"OK, what just happened?" Vida asked, helping Maddie up. "What were you doing? Who are they?"
"Fran?" Theo asked weakly, looking around for her. "Fran?"
It was only then that everyone realised to their horror that Fran was no longer with them. She had vanished.
Fran pulled herself to her feet in the middle of a familiar city. It was Ocean Bluff, but not as she had seen it in some time. It looked as it often did after one of the Ranger's battles. She made her way through the rubble, finding herself being offered a hand. She looked up, seeing a most unusual sight.
It was a Blue Ranger, but not one she had ever seen.
The uniform had a skirt, and the build indicated that it was a woman wearing the suit. The helmet was a different design from Theo's, and looked like it was patterned after some form of lizard, but what surprised her was the insignia of the Order of the Claw on the chest.
"Are you alright Miss?" The Blue Ranger asked her. Fran looked around seeing another two Rangers in the background, one Yellow and one Red, sifting through the rubble for casualties.
"Um...I'm fine." She told her. "What happened here?"
"Don't worry; we took care of those creatures." The Blue Ranger assured her. As Fran straightened herself out, the Blue Ranger looked at her a little curiously.
"What is it?" Fran asked her.
"Nothing, I'm sure it's nothing." She replied. "Sorry, these new creatures really made a mess."
"It looks like it." Fran replied, feeling a little uneasy as the others came over. They were all Jungle Fury Rangers, but she didn't recognise any of them. How was that possible? The Red Ranger in particular seemed to be checking her out.
"Show me your arm." He demanded of her a little aggressively.
Fran rolled up her sleeve, showing them her Master's Stripes. He grabbed her wrist and inspected it thoughtfully. He couldn't deny it, the mark was genuine.
"Who are you?" He asked her.
"Master Vulpes." She replied. All three of them seemed to recoil a little in surprise. They all seemed to recognise her name. "What's going on? I don't know any of you..."
"Do you have something with today's date on it?" He asked her. Fran rummaged through her pockets, finding her hospital appointment card and handed it to the Red Ranger. She was losing patience with this grilling, but complied with the request.
"2009?" He asked her.
"Yeah, that's the year." She told him.
"No it's not, this is 2029." He responded. "We're the second Jungle Fury team."
Fran was a little taken aback by this. She wondered what the hell had happened. If what they were saying was true, then she was now 20 years into the future.
"Look, we aren't going to get any answers here." The Blue Ranger stated. "Let's get back to base, we can figure everything out there. Let's go..."
"No names." The Red Ranger interrupted her. "We can't let her know too much about the future until we figure out how to get her back. No de-morphing in front of her, and no names, is that clear Blue?"
"Perfectly." She replied a little sharply. With that, she and the Yellow Ranger left. The Red Ranger inspected the appointment card curiously, seeing the name and the date on it. He looked in the direction of the others as they took Fran away. This could prove to be very bad news.