Stranger Within Part One
It was just after nightfall and closing time at the Rock Porium.
The shop was cleaned and organized, the stock restocked and ready for the next day, the lights in the Rock Porium sign were switched off and the shop was devoid of life except for that of its employees, who were finishing up the closing and lockup so they could head out to Rootcore. Despite it being an attack-free day, there was no rest for the weary and there was more work ahead of them. After getting half of the Fire Heart scroll, they were working to decipher it and find the treasure before Necrolai and the rest of the dark forces did.
Natalia had just switched the 'open' sign to 'closed' when Lee-Lee appeared out of nowhere and knocked on the door.
"Hey, Natalia. Can I come in? I've got something awesome to show you," said Lee-Lee, excitedly.
Natalia blinked in surprise as she allowed Lee-Lee entrance. "Not that I mind when you pop in, but it's a bit late, Lee-Lee."
"I know, I know, and I'm sorry for not calling ahead but one of my coworkers was passing these out after I clocked out and I just had to show you," gushed Lee-Lee. She held up a flyer advertising new talent in town, DJ Fly and handed it to Natalia. "Okay, so I know night clubs aren't really your thing but I thought maybe you could make an exception just this once and all six of us could get together and check this guy out and go out for ice-cream afterwards. Maybe we could even go tonight! So, what do you say? Want to come with me? Please?"
Natalia looked regretful but no less firm as she handed the flyer back to Lee-Lee. "Sorry, Lee-Lee, I'd love to, but we can't make it tonight. We've…uh…got some extra work to do at a friend's house. But we should be free this Sunday. Would that work?"
Lee-Lee looked disappointed but didn't argue. "Okay. That'll be fine."
She sounded really sad, which caused Natalia's face to soften as she gave Lee-Lee's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Hey, don't look so glum. Just because we can't do it tonight doesn't mean it won't be fun later. I promise we'll all have a blast together this weekend. I'll even bring my extra helmet so you can ride with me on my motorcycle, if you want." As much as Natalia disliked night clubs, she was willing to put up with it for one night for her friend's sake.
Lee-Lee's face brightened immediately. Ever since their last hangout when Natalia had been generous enough to give Lee-Lee a ride on her motorcycle, Lee-Lee had been dying for another one. "Really? That'd be so awesome! Okay, you've got a deal." Lee-Lee squealed in delight. "Ooh, I can't wait until Sunday. This'll be a blast!"
Natalia smiled and nodded as she went to collect her leather jacket from the break room.
Vida, who'd been listening from her place behind the counter, looked curious as she walked over to Lee-Lee and snatched up the flyer.
"DJ Fly. I've never heard of him," remarked Vida. Which was a feat in itself as Vida usually made it her personal mission to know of every musical talent in the city. For this guy to have slipped beneath Vida's radar made it all the more intriguing for her. "Is he any good?"
Lee-Lee shrugged. "I haven't heard him yet but my coworker swears by him. Says he's the hottest new DJ in town. I'm surprised you haven't heard of him." Lee-Lee was not being judgment by her last remark, only genuinely curious as to how Vida hadn't been the one to announce to the world of the new talent in the city.
Vida grinned a rather mischievous grin. "I'd better check him out then. Why don't you and I go out tonight?"
Lee-Lee's face brightened again but then she looked puzzled. "I'd love to but don't you have some extra work to tonight? Isn't that why we're postponing it until this weekend?"
"That would be correct. Vida can't join you tonight," said Natalia, making the two girls jump as the Red Ranger appeared out of nowhere. She gave Vida a warning look as she began escorting Lee-Lee off the premises. "We'll all go this weekend, Lee-Lee, I promise, but tonight we've got work to do and I really need to finish locking up or Toby's going to have my head. Why don't you join us for lunch tomorrow? We can discuss more of the details then. Sound good?"
Lee-Lee nodded and then gave a friendly wave good-bye as she departed.
Childish though it was, Vida couldn't help but pout and make an impatient whine. "Oh, come on, Natalia! There's new talent in town! Can't our plans wait until tomorrow?"
"No, Vida," said Natalia, firmly, as she locked the door. "Look, I know you're not thrilled about this, but for the record, none of us are. There's a thousand other things I wish I could be doing instead of deciphering that stupid map too, but work has to come before pleasure. We've got to beat Necrolai to the Fire Heart. Besides, you gave your word you'd help out tonight and Mason and Chip are already waiting for us at Rootcore. Do you really want to let Mason down?"
It was a bit of a low blow to use Mason like that but Natalia had no time for indulging in Vida's whims and she was prepared to use whatever was necessary to get the Pink Ranger to do her share of the work. Being a Mystic Ranger wasn't just about battling the enemy and coming out a winner, there was a lot of hard work and study involved as well. And more than that, a Ranger had to be true to their word as well as of good integrity. Vida needed to get that through her head before karma gave her a good kick up her backside.
Vida's face fell at the mention of her younger brother and she shook her head. "No, I don't. Fine, I'll stay in tonight. You have my word."
Pleased with Vida's response, Natalia gave a small smile and began switching off the lights.
"Since when did you become Natalia the Good Witch of Briarwood?" teased Xander, as he
"Since I kicked Koragg's butt when I became the Red Ranger," said Natalia. She looked at Vida, who was still glancing over the flyer for DJ Fly. "Vee, are you coming?"
Vida, who'd been trying come up with a plan to enjoy listening to the new talent and still get to Rootcore to help with the Fire Heart scroll, quickly nodded as an idea formulated in her head. "Yeah, yeah. Hey, why don't I finish the locking up and meet you at Rootcore in a few? I'll be right behind you. I promise."
Natalia gave Vida a suspicious look but after a few moments, decided to comply. "Fine. But you'd better be at Rootcore in fifteen minutes."
"I will," assured Vida. "Trust me."
Natalia sighed and shook her head as she and Xander left the Rock Porium.
This won't be so bad, thought Vida, as she waited for Natalia and Xander to leave for Rootcore. She tried to ignore the pang of guilt she felt from having told her white lie. It's not like I'm really lying. I'm going to lock up like I said and I promised I'd be there to help, so I will. Just not right away. Besides, who's Natalia to tell me what I can and can't do when we're off the clock? I've more than earned this. I work hard to protect the world from evil 24/7. What's the harm in taking a little time to myself?
Vida felt she'd made a convincing argument but deep down, she knew that she was making a mistake. But she was a grown woman and a Ranger. She could handle whatever consequences came her way. After all, she was Vida, a force to be reckoned with. She could handle herself against anything, whether it was human or supernatural. Couldn't she?
As soon as the coast was clear, Vida used a spell to finish the locking up and then she magicked herself a night club worthy outfit. Within moments, there was a shade of dark pink on the edge of her bangs, white feather earrings hung from her ears, a silver necklace with a capital "V" hung from her neck and she was dressed in a knee-length, strapless, sparkling dark pink dress complete with a black jacket and black knee-length boots. She then called Lee-Lee and claimed that not only had Natalia let Vida off the hook for the extra work but Vida had some time to kill and was wondering if Lee-Lee was still up to checking DJ Fly.
Lee-Lee was only too happy to oblige and met up with Vida outside the club. Inside, the two girls found a dark room with a multicolored, flashing light floor and a shimmering disco ball hanging from the ceiling. The club was packed with at least thirty people who were dancing to the wicked cool music and DJ Fly was laughing as he bounced along to the new, original tunes he was playing.
"You like?" asked Lee-Lee, loudly as they danced.
Vida nodded as she shook her booty. "I love it. It's so hypnotic."
Lee-Lee nodded in agreement as she made a happy twirl. "I know what you mean. I could listen to it for all eternity." But the fun was interrupted when Lee-Lee's cell phone went off. "Hello? Yeah, boss. Are you serious? But tomorrow's my day off! Why do I have to—okay, fine. Since you've asked so nicely, I'll do it." Lee-Lee made an exasperated, angry growl as she hung up her phone. "Coworker of mine just came down with the flu. So instead of enjoying my day off tomorrow, I've got to cover their shift tomorrow, which means I have to hit the sack now. Ugh! Sorry about this, Vida. Vida? Vida, are you in there?"
Vida appeared to be in a trance, as did everyone else at the club except for Lee-Lee, and didn't respond to anything Lee-Lee tried, which including yelling Vida's name and shaking her. Finally, Lee-Lee snapped her fingers in Vida's face, causing the Pink Ranger to take a step backwards and shake her head as though she'd just woken up from a dream.
"Whoa. What just happened?" asked Vida.
Lee-Lee looked at Vida in concern. "You tell me. You acted like you were on another planet. What's up with you? Are you feeling okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," said Vida, quickly. "I just got a little caught up in the music. That's all. I'm fine, really, I promise."
Lee-Lee didn't look convinced. "Are you sure? Because you don't look that great. Why don't you come with me? I can take you home, no problem."
Vida shook her head. "No need. Mason's coming to pick me up in a few minutes," she lied. "I'll be okay, Lee-Lee. Besides, I love this DJ. His music is wicked awesome."
Lee-Lee narrowed her eyes. "You promise you'll be okay? Mason will come pick you up?"
Vida nodded and put on her best reassuring smile. "Absolutely. And if it'll make you feel better, I promise I'll call you as soon as I'm home."
Lee-Lee studied Vida's face for a minute and then nodded. "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow, Vee."
Lee-Lee waved good-bye and then left the club, not knowing that as soon as she'd left, DJ Fly disposed of the glamour spell and changed to his true form of a humanoid flytrap before infecting his hypnotized victims with a terrible dark cure.
XXX
The following night at Rootcore, Natalia and the other Rangers were still pouring over countless books, trying to find a way to decipher their half of the Fire Heart scroll. It had been a very long and tedious job so far and they were no closer to solving the puzzle than when they had started, which left them all somewhat frustrated.
"I give up," said Xander, as he closed up the book he'd been reading. They'd been at this for ages and had accomplished nothing. Xander was more than ready to throw in the towel and let the Fire Heart stay lost forever. "Maybe we're not meant to find the secret of the Fire Heart."
"Come on, don't give up." Natalia pressed another book into Xander's hands. "I know it's tough but we can do this. We're the Mystic Rangers and Rangers don't quit. Besides, think of the look on the old bat's face when we find the Fire Heart first."
Xander brightened up considerably at this and began skimming through the book.
"Nice speech, Natalia," said Mason, smiling as he kissed his girlfriend's cheek. "Very inspiring."
Natalia smiled as she leaned against her boyfriend. "Well, to be fair, it's what I thought when Udonna told it to me this morning when I was considering giving up." Everyone chuckled at this. "And speaking of whom…does anyone know where Udonna is? I haven't seen her since this afternoon." It was a little odd to not see the White Sorceress as she was generally always within screaming distance of the Rangers just in case she was needed.
Chip grinned. "She and Clare were working on invisibility spells this morning. Which could be the problem right there."
Knowing just how badly Clare's spells tended to backfire and that Udonna was most likely trapped in an invisibility spell, all the Rangers laughed.
Suddenly, the door to Rootcore opened and Vida wandered in, with a dazed look on her pale face. "Yo, crew. Sorry, I'm late."
Natalia's face immediately darkened with anger. "'Late'? Late is five or ten minutes, Vida! Not a full-blown twenty-four hours! You are beyond late! And what's worse, you lied to my face and had us all worried sick!"
Vida raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Lie? I didn't lie."
Natalia folded her arms across her chest and glared at the Pink Ranger. "Oh no? So, you're telling me you didn't go to DJ Fly's with Lee-Lee after I'd expressly told you not to? She called to check on you, by the way. And according to Lee-Lee, not only did you lie about me excusing you from the work but you also lied to Lee-Lee, claiming that Mason was going to pick you up and that you were going to call Lee-Lee afterwards. You lied and you bailed on us. So much for giving us your word."
If there was anything Natalia had no tolerance for, it was being lied to.
Normally, Vida would've cared more or at least apologized but for once, she couldn't have cared less and she made no attempt to conceal it.
"Relax, would you? You're the Red Ranger, not my mother," said Vida, dismissively, as she placed her feet on the table. "So I missed one night of saving the world. Who cares? The world's still here."
Sensing a great fight about to erupt, both Chip and Xander backed off as they'd learned a while ago not to give Natalia any lip or to show her such disrespect like that.
Before Natalia could speak, however, Mason stepped in. "It's not just that you broke your word, Vida. You had us all worried, especially me. I left you a thousand messages and you didn't answer one of them. We ever went out to look for you when you didn't come back by dawn. I was scared to death that something bad might've happened to you. If our roles had been reversed, you would've torn me a new one for such reckless and careless behavior. Does that mean nothing to you? Do I mean nothing to you?" There were tears in Mason's blue eyes and he couldn't keep the hurt out of his voice.
When Lee-Lee had called and exposed Vida's misbehavior, Mason had feared the worst. When he hadn't been able to find Vida at his house by morning, he'd asked Natalia to send out a search party to find his sister. He'd even considered filing a missing person's report with the police. But despite their efforts, Vida had remained missing until her sudden arrival back at Rootcore. And to see her be so flippant about their concerns as well as her behavior was deeply hurtful as well as disrespectful.
Vida winced and looked regretful as she rose up and placed her hands on her brother's shoulders. "Of course it does, Mason. You're my little brother. You mean everything to me. I'm sorry for worrying you. I didn't mean to." She pulled Mason into a tight embrace that the Blue Ranger returned.
"Just don't do it again," said Mason. His voice was thick with emotion and he was also muffled by Vida's shoulder.
Believing it to be safe now, Chip hesitantly stepped forward and said, "It's okay, Vee. We all make mistakes now and then."
But it was the wrong thing to say as Natalia's nostrils flared. "Making a single mistake isn't the issue here." Natalia turned to Vida and gave her a stone cold look. "The issue is that you gave your word you'd help and not only did you break your word, but you couldn't be bothered to call and let us know you couldn't make it or that you were all right! And now you're acting like an immature brat because you were lucky enough to not be needed in battle. That flippant attitude and behavior is inexcusable and I will not tolerate it! Now you can shape up and act like you're part of the team or you can hand over your morpher right now and be suspended until further notice. Your choice."
Natalia had never resembled a soldier's daughter more than in that moment. Her tone gave no room for argument and she was holding out her hand as though she expected Vida to take the second option. At first glance, it might've seemed like Natalia was overreacting but her feelings were quite justified. Natalia wasn't just angry, she'd also been worried sick and rightly so.
Vida had not only lied and broken her word, but the situation could've turned out very badly. A Ranger had to be reliable, always within contact range and ready for battle at a moment's notice. What if there had been a battle during Vida's absence and instead of winning, they'd lost because Vida was too lazy to answer her summons? Or worse, what if Vida had gotten into trouble and was destroyed because she'd left herself vulnerable and she was never found because the Rangers wouldn't know where to look for her? It would've devastated everyone, especially Mason.
For a brief moment, Vida looked as though she was going to take the second option but then thought better of it and took the first.
"You're right. I messed up," admitted Vida. She sounded truly remorseful. "I should've just gone with you instead of sneaking off and I should've called. I'd be pretty ticked if our roles were reversed. So, I'm sorry. I promise, I won't do anything like again. I'll shape up."
"You'd better," said Natalia, warningly. She had no desire to bench Vida but she would if that's what it took to get through the Pink Ranger's thick skull. Suddenly, Natalia closed her eyes and clutched her head as sharp, agonizing pain shot through.
Hear me, Red Ranger! said Koragg. Meet me in the glen for battle or all of Briarwood will be sorry!
Fine! Just get out of my head, Koragg! yelled Natalia. Like before, she envisioned a blazing phoenix and the mystical bird's burning flames forced Koragg to depart.
When Natalia opened her eyes, she saw everyone's concerned looks.
"Koragg?" guessed Mason.
Natalia nodded. "He wants to battle us in the glen or he'll attack the city. We've got to go."
Everyone nodded and then raced off to the glen.
XXX
When the Rangers arrived at the glen, they found the usual army of Hidiacs waiting for them, except it was bigger in size than they were used to. Everyone took defensive stances and looked apprehensive, everyone except for Vida. The Pink Ranger stood where she was with an exceedingly arrogant smug look on her face.
"Let's Ranger up," said Natalia.
She and the others prepared to take out their morphers but then Vida stepped forward.
"Why bother?" A battle cry emitted from Vida's throat as she raced onto the battlefield with a speed no human could match and then she tore through the Hidiacs like they were nothing. What was more, her physical strength seemed to have increased because she managed to lift several of the Hidiacs up into the air at once before tearing them limb from limb, leaving nothing but residual dark magic behind. She then finished them off with the strongest tornado she'd ever conjured and emerged from the battle without so much as a scratch on her. It was both amazing and terrifying.
"I take it she's never done this before?" asked Natalia, shocked.
Mason stared in stunned disbelief. "Never," he confirmed. "It's…unsettling." Mason was proud of Vida and always knew she was a great warrior and she'd displayed great feats on the battlefield before but this was different. The look in Vida's eyes disturbed Mason. She didn't look like the big sister that Mason had always known, instead Vida looked like a predator who enjoying playing with her prey a little too much.
"I'm with you. She's amazing but this…this isn't like Vida," said Xander, in agreement. As much as Xander would love having someone with a power boost on the team, this wasn't what he'd hoped for. There was something wrong with Vida.
"Yeah, no argument there. Still, it is impressive," said Chip.
No one disputed that as Vida rejoined her friends, looking proud of herself. "Booyah! And that's how you kick some evil butt! Am I right or what?" She high-fived her friends, not noticing the uneasy looks on their faces.
"Very impressive."
Everyone spun around to see Koragg standing behind, ready for their battle.
"Now how about a real challenge?" Koragg leapt into the air and grew to Titan size.
Acting quickly, everyone Rangered up and transformed into their Mystic Titan forms.
"Excellent," hissed Koragg. "Now, prepare, Rangera! For this battle will be your last! Wolf Attack!"
Koragg's shield split apart and dark magic was blasted at the Rangers, injuring them. But they refused to give up the fight. Vida and Mason emerged from the blast and launched themselves at Koragg, attacking him from both fronts. Although Koragg was able to hold his own despite the double attack, he failed to notice the other Rangers. Xander leapt into the air and plunged his weapon into the ground, setting off and earthquake which sent Koragg staggering back and then Natalia blasted Koragg with a powerful fireball that knocked Koragg off his feet and disarmed him.
"Chip, Vee, fastball! Now!" ordered Natalia.
"You've got it, boss!" Vida twisted into a giant ball, which Chip caught and charged up with powerful lightning magic before tossing Vida at Koragg. The brunt of the blow sent Koragg flying across the battlefield and he struggled to stand but the Knight Wolf wasn't yet defeated.
"You have grown strong, Rangers, but do not celebrate so soon. I'm not done yet," snarled Koragg. Quickly, Koragg grabbed his shield and sword and thrust out his hand. "Uthay Rejor Catastros! Samba Gunitos Equestras!" From a dark seal came Catastros and he joined with Koragg, creating the Centarus Wolf Megazord. "Now, you will feel my real power!"
"Talk is cheap!" spat Vida. "We're not afraid of you! C'mon guys! Let's end this!"
Everyone nodded and they were about to form their dragon megazord but then the bright sunlight of dawn made its presence known and at once, Vida's body began to smoke and she screamed in horrible pain. Before anyone knew what was happening, Vida had powered down and was lying face down on the forest floor, shielded by the thick, shady branches of the trees. Naturally, this put a brief stop to the battle and caused much worry among Vida's loved ones.
"Vee, what happened?" asked Xander.
"Are you okay, Vida?" asked Chip.
"Sis, what's wrong?" asked Mason, worried.
Vida did not reply. She just lay on the ground which only added to their worries. But there was little time to dwell on Vida's current state as they still had an enemy to fight. Koragg wasn't about to end the battle just because one of the Rangers was in no shape to continue, something that Natalia was only all too aware of.
"Chip, get Vida out of here!" ordered Natalia.
Chip nodded and powered down, whereupon he picked up Vida's unconscious body and took her away to the safety of Rootcore.
Koragg, who'd been watching in curiosity, shook his head in disgust. "You lose one and you all quit? Pathetic! See what your pitifulness gets you!"
Koragg prepared to strike while their backs were turned but Natalia had seen Koragg's movements in the reflection of her sabre and she wasted no time in attacking first.
"Phoenix Stellam Ignam!"
Natalia quickly formed a giant fiery star with her sabre and then swung her weapon, causing Koragg to get blasted with white-hot fire that cracked his armor and left Koragg on his knees.
"Attacking when someone's back is turned is dishonorable, Koragg. I would've thought that would be beneath you," spat Natalia. Enemies though they were, Natalia had thought Koragg a warrior of honor and held a small degree of respect for him in that regard. For him to act in such a manner was disgraceful, even for a villain.
Koragg's hand clenched tightly around his sword and he growled, "Do not presume to speak to me of honor, Red Ranger!"
And with that, Koragg disappeared back to the Underworld.
XXX
With Vida too weak to endure the sunlight and as they needed to figure out what was wrong with her, it was decided that Vida would stay at Rootcore with Mason to watch over Vida while the other Rangers would cover for her at the Rock Porium. When Lee-Lee dropped by, they took the opportunity to find out more about what had occurred at DJ Fly's club. It wasn't hard to guess that whatever had affected Vida, it had originated from the club.
"Hey, Lee-Lee, did anything happen the night you and Vida went to DJ Fly's club?" asked Chip.
Lee-Lee's brow wrinkled in puzzlement. "Why do you ask?"
"Because Vida's been acting strange and she hasn't been feeling well ever since she came back and we're all really worried about her," said Natalia. "So, please think back. Was there anything in particular that happened? Anything that seemed out of the ordinary? Even the smallest detail could be helpful."
Lee-Lee paused for a moment in contemplation and then her face fell.
"Well, now that you mention it, everyone at the club was acting a little off," admitted Lee-Lee.
Natalia exchanged uneasy looks with Xander and Chip. Everyone was acting odd at the club? That could only mean more bad news. If Vida wasn't the only one affected, it could mean the start of an epidemic of the worst kind.
"How so?" pressed Xander.
"Well…it was like the music was hypnotic or something. Everyone was dancing but they had this dazed look on their faces. It took a few tries to get Vida's attention too, it was like her brain was on Pluto or something. I didn't feel like that but then again, I didn't stay long. I got a call from my boss and had to leave early." Lee-Lee looked upset, as though she was blaming herself. "I'm sorry. I should have made Vida leave with me. I shouldn't have left her there alone. It's all my fault."
Xander gave Lee-Lee's shoulder a comforting squeeze. "It's not your fault, Lee-Lee. You didn't know what was going to happen."
In spite of Xander's comforting words, Lee-Lee still looked miserable. "Is there anything I can do to help? Vida's my friend."
Natalia shook her head. As kind a gesture as it was, the last thing Natalia wanted was for Lee-Lee to get involved. Lee-Lee was ignorant of the mystical world as well as their secret and Natalia wanted to keep it that way. Lee-Lee was safer staying out of it.
"Thanks, but we can take care of this. But you've been a huge help," assured Natalia. "Vida will be fine, I promise. Okay?"
Lee-Lee still didn't look convinced but she didn't argue. "Okay. I've got to get back to work now, but call me if anything changes."
After promising they would phone Lee-Lee with any news, Lee-Lee left the Rock Porium and the three Rangers huddled together.
"Okay, that settles it. Vida must've gotten whammied at that club," said Natalia. It was the only plausible explanation left. "DJ Fly must be someone's lackey, which means we've got to find this freak and destroy him before whatever dark mojo he's infected Vida with becomes permanent."
"But what I don't get is why wasn't Lee-Lee affected," said Chip, confused. "She said it herself, she didn't fall under any dark spell. So, why is she okay but Vida isn't?"
"I don't know," admitted Natalia. It was disconcerting that somehow Lee-Lee had escaped from the club unscathed and hadn't been whammied in the slightest. Either she was immune somehow due to a hidden magical talent even Lee-Lee wasn't aware of or Lee-Lee had escaped because she knew it was a trap and left before the trap was sprung. Natalia prayed it wasn't the latter as she had no desire to have Lee-Lee as an enemy. "But it's not important right now. Right now, we've got to figure out what Vida's problem is so we can contain it and protect her."
Both Chip and Xander nodded in agreement.
"Okay, so one night at a club and somehow Vida's gotten paler, sleeps all day, has enhanced strength and speed and is now sensitive to sunlight. How? What could cause that?" asked Xander. "And more importantly, why? What's to gain from those symptoms?"
No one answered as Toby then showed up and they had to get back to work, but after Xander listed off Vida's symptoms, the wheels in Chip's head began to turn and he pulled out his How to Spot a Vampire handbook and began leafing through the pages.
XXX
Meanwhile, back in the Underworld, there was great celebration among the servants of the darkness. After so many shameful defeats, it seemed that victory was finally within their grasp thanks to the Vampire Queen, Necrolai. She had gotten her scaly hands into Vida as well as many of Briarwood's innocent citizens, and it wouldn't be long before she infected the rest of the city and the Rangers. What was more, Morticon was interrogating Koragg over the Knight Wolf's methods in battle. It seemed that despite Koragg's power and having succeeded in stealing Udonna's Snow Staff, the Knight Wolf rarely finished a fight and he had yet to destroy the Rangers.
"Mighty wizard, don't tell me you let the Rangers get away on purpose?" demanded Morticon. "Why did you not finish them? Why do you not destroy them? Is it perhaps you can't?"
Koragg growled and tendrils of dark magic emerged from his clenched fists, causing Morticon to take a step back.
"Do not question my strength, Morticon!"
"Then answer me!" yelled Morticon.
"There is no honor in destroying a weaker enemy! When they get stronger and they will, only then will I silence their breaths!" hissed Koragg. "And even if that were not true, the Red Witch was able to catch me off-guard. While I will not be foolish enough to let that happen again, to let myself be destroyed would dishonor the Master and further hinder our plans for the surface world! I will secure victory for the Master but it will be done with honor!"
Necrolai just scoffed. "Honor. Who cares for it? I don't!"
Koragg pushed Necrolai away in disgust. "That is what makes us different, hag! And it is why you will never truly belong at the Master's side!"
Without waiting for a reply, Koragg stormed off to nurse his wounds and to strategize his next battle. Unbeknownst to Morticon and Necrolai, Koragg couldn't stop thinking about Natalia's words. As much as Koragg was loathe to admit it, the Red Ranger had been right to condemn Koragg's actions as dishonorable, for they were. Koragg wanted victory for the Master but he could not allow himself to act in such a manner ever again. Victory without honor was meaningless. And one way or another, Koragg's victory would be an honorable one.
XXX
The following day at Rootcore, Vida emerged from the guest room. She was smiling but not only was she still walking in an arrogant manner but her current complexion gave her the appearance of death warmed over.
"Good morning, Rootcore," said Vida, cheerfully.
Mason, who'd been cleaning his video camera lens, looked up and gave Vida a soft smile. "Hey, sis. How're you feeling? Any better?"
"I'm feeling great, little bro," assured Vida. "My nap did me wonders. I slept like a baby." She grinned and punched an excited fist into the air. "So, let's rock and roll and get this party started."
Natalia raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Twenty-four hours of nonstop sleep is hardly what I'd call a nap, Vee. You slept like the dead. Are you sure you're feeling all right?"
Vida nodded. "Positive, Lia. Trust me, I'm doing great. I'm just sorry I was so out of it. I mean…" Vida looked genuinely sorry and her voice was thick with emotion, "I wouldn't want to be out of reach again after I promised to shape up. Am I still in trouble for that or am I forgiven?"
Natalia made a dismissing motion with her hand. "It's in the past. Forget about it." She was still a little annoyed that Vida had snuck off and lied but it was low on Natalia's priority list at the moment as she was more concerned with the fact that Vida had been whammied.
"So, why don't we start off the day with you saying hi to your fans?" said Mason, as he switched on his camera and aimed it at Vida. "Smile, Vee!"
Vida grinned. "Okay, I'll show you this really cool new pose that came to me in a dream." Vida held up her hand and made a "V" symbol with her two index and middle fingers and held her hand in a sideways position.
Mason smiled but it looked forced as he glanced at the LCD screen of his camera. "Huh. My camera must be on the fritz. You're not showing up, Vee. Let me get a better shot." But after attempting to film Vida at different angles, nothing happened. Vida remained invisible to the camera's eye. "Hmm. I'd better run a diagnostic on this thing. You're still not showing up."
There was a hint of alarm in Vida's eyes but she quickly concealed it and tried to act nonchalant. "Don't worry about it, Mason. We can also redo it."
Upon hearing that Vida couldn't be seen on the camera, Chip decided it was time for the ultimate test. He'd been consulting the lore and going over Vida's symptoms in his head and had come to the conclusion that Vida hadn't just been whammied, she'd been turned and now it was time for the ultimate test. Careful, so that he wouldn't be seen, Chip pulled out a liquid candy blood bag from his knapsack and erased the label with a spell before offering it to Vida.
"After such a long nap, Vee, you must be incredibly thirsty. Care for a drink?" asked Chip.
Vida didn't even think twice before snatching the bag and tearing at it before downing half its contents. A moment later, however, Vida turned ever paler and spat out the red-colored candy juice onto the stone floor.
"Yuck! This is cherry candy juice!" spat Vida.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Did you think it was actual blood?" said Chip, innocently.
Vida stared at Chip like he was the world's biggest idiot and everyone else gave Chip baffled looks.
"Pardon me?" exclaimed Xander, as his voice became high-pitched.
Chip whipped out a business card from his pocket with a vampire stake and cross insignia. "I'm a card-carrying member of C.O.U.N.T.V., Containment of Underworld Nocturnal Transylvanian Vampire club. And I, my friends, have found myself a vampire—Vida!" He gestured to the Pink Ranger, who had yet to react to Chip's unexpected announcement. "Think about it. Ever since she came back from the club, Vida's been extra pale, her strength and speed have been amplified, she's sensitive to sunlight and sleeping all day, and she just tore into that candy blood sack like a vampire would if it were real blood! Those are textbook vampire signs! Vida's been turned into a vampire!"
Chip paused for a moment to let the information sink and braced himself for everyone's reactions. When neither Natalia nor Mason or Xander moved or spoke, Vida immediately started laughing and tried to deflect suspicion off herself.
"Very funny, Chip. Good joke. Seriously. I mean, you don't honestly believe this, do you, guys?" asked Vida. "I mean, vampires. Really? They aren't real! Why should we believe that?"
Chip's shoulders slumped and he looked ready for everyone to laugh but a surprise came both his and Vida's ways when no one laughed or mocked Chip's theory. Instead, Mason began reaching for his morpher and Xander made his way to the pile of garlic seeds on the table.
"I used to not believe in a lot of things before I came to Briarwood, Vee," said Natalia, carefully as she slowly made her way to the balcony door. "I've changed my opinion since then. Why shouldn't I believe in vampires? After all, didn't Necrolai introduce herself as Queen of the Vampires when we met her? So, if Chip's theory is so crazy, why don't you prove you're not a vampire and step outside into the sunlight?"
Before Vida could react, Natalia opened the door to the balcony, causing the sun to enter the room and when the bright, warm rays touched Vida's skin, the Pink Ranger's skin started to smoke and burn, causing her to hiss in pain, quite literally, and when she did so, Vida's fangs were exposed along with her now glowing bright red eyes.
Realizing she was caught, Vida tried to make a run for it but the Rangers were too quick. Xander snatched up some garlic seeds and enchanted them to grow like crazy and create a barrier around Vida's body. Within moments, Vida was surrounded by a barrier of fully bloomed garlic plants, which kept her trapped like a rat.
"You were right, Chip," said Mason, horrified, as Vida continued to hiss and snarl at the deadly plants. "Vida's a vampire."
Vida was a bona fide vampire. She'd been turned into a monster of the night. This was bad. This was very, very bad.
XXX
After Vida was trapped and she calmed down, it was revealed that she was still able to retain her humanity for brief periods, which gave them some hope that all was not lost yet. But still, no one was letting their guard down around the Pink Ranger, lest she manage to escape and wreak havoc on the city as an undead monster or worse, turn the other Rangers into vampires and force them do the bidding of the darkness.
At that moment, Vida was sitting on the floor with her knees pulled to her chest. "I'm so sorry, guys. I never should've gone to that stupid club. I was such an idiot! How're we going to fix this? I don't want to hurt any of you guys. I don't want to be a vampire!"
"Who does?" said Chip. As cool as he thought vampires were in fiction, the idea of actual being a vampire had never appealed to him.
Natalia shot Chip a warning look before turning to Vida. "It's all right, Vee. It's in the past." As angry as Natalia had been at that time, it hardly seemed to matter now. "We'll figure this out. We just need to retrace your steps and go from there. Okay?"
Vida nodded.
"Vida, think very carefully, can you remember anything about the night club? Who turned you? Was it Necrolai?" asked Mason.
Vida shook her head. "I can't remember much but I don't think I saw that old hag. I think the only ones there were me, thirty other people and DJ Fly. But I can't be sure."
"That's a start. Maybe DJ Fly isn't what he says he is," suggested Xander. "He's probably Necrolai's goon. Maybe he turned Vida into a vampire at her command."
"In which case, this is a magical infection, not a typical vampire turning," finished Natalia. It wasn't much but it gave them some hope that the situation wasn't completely hopeless. She turned to Vida, who looked more miserable than ever. "Vee, I need you to be honest with me. Have you fed yet?"
Vida frantically shook her head. "No, I haven't fed at all. I swear it. But I'm dying for a drink." It was good news as in most vampire lore, if vampire hadn't completed their first feed, the transition wasn't complete. But it made little difference to Vida who sounded like she was going to cry. "And I don't know how much longer I can hold off before the thirst overtakes me. I'm scared, guys. I'm really, really scared. Please, help me."
Chip's face softened and he stepped closer to the barrier before holding his hand up. He wanted to get closer and give Vida a comforting embrace but he knew he didn't dare. Vida was lucid at the moment but there was no telling how long that would last and Vida couldn't be trusted whilst in her current state. She might lose control and do something she would regret.
"It's going to be okay, Vee, I promise. We're going to do everything we can to help you," assured Chip. "Just hang in there. Don't give up. Promise?"
Vida nodded and the tiniest of smiles flickered across her face.
Natalia, who'd been quietly thinking for the last few minutes, spoke up. "We can't all disappear on Toby and we can't leave Vida alone, so we'll watch her in shifts. Lee-Lee said the music at the club was hypnotic, so maybe if we can come up with some really good sound blocking earplugs, we won't be affected. Once that's done, we'll hit the club and take this scumbag down. Agreed?"
Everyone agreed and throughout the rest of the day, the Rangers took turns working at the Rock Porium and watching Vida while also working on enchanted earplugs. They all agreed to go to the night club after nightfall once the earplugs were finished but unbeknownst to the others, Chip had no intentions on following through the plan. Instead of waiting for the others to join him at Rootcore, Chip set off alone with Vida.
Chip was going solo because not only did he want to be the one to punish Necrolai for daring to hurt Vida but he also didn't want to see anyone else he cared about get hurt.
When they entered the night club, Chip was far from impressed. Not only was everyone in a hypnotic daze as Lee-Lee had said but the music wasn't even that impressive, at least to Chip.
"If you ask me, Vee, you're a lot better than he is," said Chip. Though it might've seemed that way, Chip wasn't being biased. DJ Fly had nothing on Vida's own DJ skills. His work was amateur at best. "He really stinks, don't you think, Vee? Vee?"
When Vida didn't respond, Chip turned to his friend and noticed that Vida had fallen again to DJ Fly's spell. It was at that moment that Chip shoved in the enchanted earplugs and pretended to be in the same hypnotic state.
No sooner had Chip done this, DJ Fly reverted to his true form of Flytrap and then Necrolai appeared from behind Vida. She hissed in pleasure as she caressed Vida's skin like a human petting their dog and ran her scaly fingers through Chip's ginger hair.
"Good girl," crooned Necrolai. "You've brought another Ranger for us to control. Next time, bring the others and then we'll have lots of fun conquering the surface world." She turned to her plant-like minion. "Do your thing, Flytrap! But leave the Yellow Ranger to me. He's all mine! All the Rangers will be mine!"
The monster bowed in respect to his queen. "Yes, mistress! At once!" Immediately, long, skinny white vines whipped out of his deformed Venus flytrap-like hands and pressed themselves into the other night club attendees. Within moments, everyone was infected with the vampire curse.
"Welcome to the dark side, Ranger," crooned Necrolai, as she stroked Chip's hair.
Suddenly, Chip slapped away Necrolai's hand and took a defensive stance. "Nice try, Fang Face! But you'll have to get up pretty early in the night to get one over on me!" As Necrolai stared in shock, Chip smugly held out the enchanted earplugs. "Enchanted and completely soundproof."
When Flytrap's vines had infected the night club attendees, Chip hadn't been affected due to the magical protection the earplugs had provided. He hadn't heard the hypnotic magic and therefore, he couldn't fall under its spell.
But despite this, Necrolai refused to relinquish the fight. "No matter! If I can't take you the easy way, I'll do it the hard way! Hiyah!"
A battle cry emitted from Necrolai's throat as she launched herself at Chip and then a battle went underway. Fast as lightning, Chip ducked just as Necrolai attempted to kick him in the stomach. He then blocked her punch and tried to deliver one of his own but the Vampire Queen was too quick for him. She dodged Chip's attempted blows and then the two of them wrestled each other to the ground until finally, Necrolai delivered a hard punch to Chip's stomach, grabbed Chip by the throat and tossed him across the room.
"End of the line, Ranger," hissed Necrolai. She was about to deliver the final blow but Chip had an ace up his sleeve.
"Think again, hag!" Quickly, Chip took out a small spray can and sprayed Necrolai's face with holy water.
Necrolai pulled back and screamed in pain and Chip quickly stood up, feeling very smug that he'd gotten another one over on Necrolai. But a surprise came Chip's way when Necrolai started to laugh and revealed that she was unharmed and unaffected.
"Nice try, Ranger!" cackled Necrolai. "Did you really think it would be that easy? I'm the Queen of the Vampires! Your little vampire slaying tricks won't work on me!"
Realizing that his plans for a simple vampire slaying had gone completely awry, Chip turned to Plan B and took out his morpher.
"How about a big trick, then? Magical Source, Mystic Force!" After morphing, Chip took his Magi Staff and sliced open a cable. He then grabbed the sparkling live wire and redirected the electricity at Necrolai, who was thrown across the room and greatly injured from the force of the electrocution.
Necrolai clutched her injuries and hissed angrily. "You'll pay for that! Flytrap, destroy the girl! The rest of you, attack the city and when the sun rises, allow yourselves to be turned to ash!"
"No!" cried Chip. He couldn't lose Vida. Not her.
Without hesitation, Chip leapt in front of Vida just as Flytrap attacked. The damaged dealt caused Chip to power down as soon as he hit the floor and then he succumbed to unconsciousness.
XXX
When Chip came to an hour or so later, he found that not only the room devoid of life except for himself and Vida, but Chip's body was in considerable pain from the battle but he was also secure in Vida's arms. She looked more like herself than she had in days and her face was etched with worry as she gently stroked back Chip's ginger hair.
"Glad you're back with us. How're you feeling?" asked Vida.
Chip shook his head to clear away the fogginess before replying. "Well, it still hurts so I must still be alive. I'll be fine," he said, half-joking.
"Good. Because now I can do this." And with that, Vida punched Chip's shoulder, not hard enough to bruise but enough to get her point across.
"What was that for?" asked Chip, baffled by Vida's behavior.
"For nearly destroying yourself like that, you stupid hero," said Vida. Her tone was serious but there was compassion in her eyes. "I couldn't move but I saw everything, so believe me when I say that if you ever do anything like that again, I'll kill you. How do you think I would've felt if you hadn't made it? You can't do that to me, Chip! And more importantly, the world needs you to fight for it and to stop Necrolai. So, don't you dare skip out on us, Chip. Don't you dare!"
Rare tears glistened in Vida's eyes. Chip could count on his hand the number of times that he'd ever seen Vida cry before and for her to do so now meant serious business.
"Vee…"
Vida ignored Chip. "I know you want to be a hero and save me, but don't. Sometimes, you have to sacrifice the one for the good of the many. Understand?" When Chip nodded, Vida's face softened and she gently hugged him. "Chip, why do you always have to be such a hero?"
"I'm not a hero," admitted Chip, as they pulled apart. He swallowed painfully and took a nervous deep breath before making his greatest confession. "I'm just a guy…a guy who loves you very much."
Vida was rendered speechless, which was a feat onto itself and then she softly asked, "How long have you felt like this?"
"Ever since we met," admitted Chip. He couldn't believe that after so many years of keeping his secret buried, he was finally confessing it at the most imperfect moment. But all the same, it felt good to finally tell Vida how he felt. For so long, Chip had been in love with Vida and everything that made her special: her bravery and beauty, her crazy spontaneous antics, her music skills and how she used them to make everyone happy, her fierceness and her loyalty to her loved ones. "Do you remember that day? We were six and starting kindergarten. The other kids were picking on me for wearing a superhero costume to school and then bam! Out of nowhere, you appeared and stood up to them. You decked Bulky for making fun of me and he was three times your size."
Vida softly laughed. "You wore that costume every day for a year. You would've worn it to prom if your mom hadn't put her foot down."
Chip's eyes glistened with nostalgia as he laughed and thought of those days long ago when life was so much simpler and carefree.
"Well, I looked good in it! But anyway, you didn't even know me but you told them I was your friend and they'd have to go through you to get to me. Then you took my hand and took me away to play with you and Mason and Xander and said we were going to be friends forever. That's when I fell in love with you and I've never stopped."
Vida chuckled and wiped her eyes of the tears that had fallen. Shen then gently cupped Chip's face in her hands and pulled him in for a tender kiss that he returned.
"I love you too, Chip," said Vida, breathlessly. "Sorry it took me so long to admit it."
Chip smiled as he gently caressed Vida's cheek. "It's okay. We both know now. And now that it's out, you know that whether you like it or not, and even if you're a vampire, I'm never going to give up on you. And I'll fight those that try to hurt you with my last breath. Will you fight with me, Vee?"
Vida's brow wrinkled with concern. "Do we even have a chance?"
"Technically, no," admitted Chip. Statistically, the odds weren't exactly in their favor but Chip wasn't about to let some statistics beat them. "But we're fighting with our hearts and they don't even really have hearts, do they? And Vee, it'd be a shame not use your new pose."
Vida laughed and made her new pose as Chip proudly mimicked it.
Her spirits considerably lightened, Vida smiled and helped Chip to stand up. "Come on, let's call the others and take that overgrown bat down."
Chip grinned and then called for backup. Necrolai and her goon were going to learn the hard way to never mess with the Rangers.
XXX
After getting an earful from both Natalia and Mason for sneaking off and nearly getting themselves killed, the Mystic Rangers rendezvoused at the city square where Flytrap was commanding his army of vampire soldiers.
"Children of the night, go forth and destroy your beloved city! Go now, for at sunrise, you will all be turned to ash!" ordered Flytrap.
"Think again, Flytrap!" said Chip. "You're going down for what you've done!"
Flytrap growled in anger and launched his vines at the Rangers. Within moments, all five Rangers were trapped in his snare and the bonds were so tight, none of them could break the vines and free themselves.
Suddenly, Vida brightened with an idea. "I've got it!" Quickly, Vida transformed into a tiny pink butterfly, which enabled her to escape and then she plunged her Magi Staff into Flytrap's vines, cutting them down like a scythe cutting down wheat in a field and freeing the other Rangers.
"Ow! Ow, ow, ow, OW!" yelped Flytrap.
Chip took the lead and fired up his Magi Staff. "Magi Staff, Crossbow Mode!" Powerful bolts of lightning shot out of Chip's Magi Staff, heavily injuring Flytrap and leaving him vulnerable to their next attack. Quickly, all five Rangers surrounded Flytrap and began pummeling him with everything they had, which ultimately destroyed Flytrap and left nothing but a puddle of plant goo behind. But the battle was far from over as a dark seal appeared beneath Flytrap's melted form and resurrected him, turning him into a Titan-sized monster.
"Oh, no you don't!" hissed Mason. There was no way Flytrap was going to win this battle. No one messed with Mason's sister and lived to tell the tale. "Come on, guys. Let's finish this once and for all! Galwit Mysto Prifior!"
Fast as lightning, the Rangers transformed into their Titan forms and then joined together to form the Mystic Titan Megazord.
When Flytrap shot out his vines again, the vines were cut down when the Rangers conjured up multiple sabers, slicing them down like flies and injuring Flytrap.
"Um, guys, we'd better hurry. Look!" cried Xander.
Xander was right to be worried, for at that moment the sun was beginning to rise. If they didn't destroy Flytrap then and there, all of his victims would turn to ash.
"Let's show this freakshow what happens when you mess with one of our own!" growled Natalia, as flames began emitting from her hands. She was more than ready to destroy Flytrap once and for all for daring to mess with her teammates. "Ancient Power, Mystic Spell Seal!"
As Flytrap began to charge them, the Rangers conjured a powerful mystic spell seal and then sent it to Flytrap. The result was instantaneous, Flytrap was destroyed and with his demise, the infected citizens of Briarwood were restored to their normal selves.
Now, powered down and happy the battle was over, the Rangers cheered and high-fived one another as they watched the happy moment from a nearby balcony.
Mason seemed to be the happiest as he hugged Chip and Vida. "You should be proud of yourself, Chip. You saved the day and I've got my sister back. I can't thank you enough."
Chip smiled as he slid his hand into Vida's and she intertwined their fingers. "It was my honor."
"Oh, I'm sure," said Mason, eyeing their joined hands. It wasn't hard to guess that Chip and Vida were a couple now, and although Mason was happy for them, he wouldn't be a very good brother if he didn't give his sister's suitor the shovel talk. "Oh, and, Chip, if you hurt my sister…"
"You'll kill me?" finished Chip, half-joking.
"Nope. Vida willkill you and I'll just make sure the cops never find your body," said Mason, half-joking, half-serious.
Chip paled as everyone laughed at the terrified look on the Yellow Ranger's face.
"Hey, how about instead of threatening my boyfriend, we go celebrate?" suggest Vida. "I'm dying for some ice-cream."
Everyone agreed to Vida's plan and went off to celebrate their victory.
XXX
Later that day at the Rock Porium, life seemed to have returned to normal.
Mason was making another video diary, Xander and Natalia were working, Vida was dancing with Lee-Lee to some hot tunes playing on the stereo and Chip was carrying around a small black briefcase with the C.O.U.N.T.V. logo on it.
"Hey, so, Natalia, now that we've seen some proper vampire action, would you like to join the C.O.U.N.T.V. club?" asked Chip. "It could really come in handy the next time we run into one. And as a valued member of the club, I can vouch for you and get you a discount."
Natalia shook her head. "Thanks, but no thanks, Chip. I've had my fill of vampires for quite a while." After having to save Vida from life as an immortal night demon, Natalia was more than ready to be done with vampires forever. She didn't even want to see Necrolai any time soon.
"Wait, wait, before you make a hasty decision, let me show you what your two hundred dollars will get you," said Chip, eagerly. He quickly opened up his briefcase and began showing Natalia all his vampire hunting items. "Three cloves of garlic, How to Spot a Vampire handbook, bottles of silver and holy water, mirror, vampire paint and a—"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait. 'Vampire paint'? What's that?" asked Natalia, curiously. In all the vampire lore and appearances on television, Natalia had never heard of vampire paint in her life.
Chip excitedly pulled out a large spray can of sky-blue paint. "In most lore, a vampire can't cross running water, so in lieu of a replacement this paint is enchanted to act as a barrier against the undead. Just make a circle or a line and the vampire can't cross it. Allow me to demonstrate."
Chip knelt down on the ground and began making a circle around Vida. When he was finished, he proudly stood up.
"What're you guys doing?" asked Mason, as he put away his camera.
"Chip's showing me how vampire paint works. It's enchanted to act as barrier against the undead. So, if Vida's still a vampire, she won't be able to cross that barrier," explained Natalia.
"Ah," said Mason. Knowing that Vida's humanity was restored since Flytrap's demise, the Blue Ranger just chuckled.
"Hey, Vee, do we have any Coltrane on CD?" asked Xander. He'd been on the phone with customer and was covering the mouthpiece.
Vida reluctantly stopped her dancing. "I don't know. Let me check." Without even looking at the barrier, Vida raised her foot and attempted to step out of the circle to check the Rock Porium's stock of CDs, but instead the barrier lit up with blue, shimmering magic like the running waters of a river and Vida cried out in pain. Confused, Vida tried again only to achieve the exact same results. She couldn't cross the barrier, which did not bode well.
Upon seeing Vida's pain and inability to cross the barrier, the Rangers became worried. Chip hadn't been serious when he'd set up the circle but now it seemed that he'd been right to.
"Vee, are you okay?" asked Chip, worriedly.
Vida didn't respond. She just stood up and bared her fangs as her eyes glowed bright red.
The evidence was undeniable. Destroying Flytrap hadn't cured Vida. She was still a vampire.
This was not good.
To Be Continued