Ranger Down
It was a quiet day at Rootcore.
The weather was clear and beautiful, there weren't any new battles or monsters to fight, everyone had the day off from Daggeron's training and Toby had decided to give everyone a half day off from the Rock Porium which meant no one had to come in until later in the afternoon. It was a nice day with plenty of free time to spare. Unfortunately, it was also proving to be one of the most boring days of the Rangers' lives, as was evident by the looks on their faces as they lay slumped in their chairs. They'd been sitting there for the last two hours, listening to Jenji's yarns.
Jenji had decided that since everyone had some free time, he would tell some of his "adventure stories" from his past life before he became a genie. At first, the idea of listening to Jenji's stories had been an intriguing idea, but as it turned out, Jenji had a tendency to prattle on and drag out a story for ages and make a good story dryer than a piece of toast. Unfortunately, while everyone except for Chip was bored out of their skull, nobody had it in them to be uncouth and tell Jenji to hurry it up or to just stop the story altogether.
"…so there I stood, face-to-face with the dread pirate Half-Nose. Despite having my paws tied and being made to walk the plank…" said Jenji.
"You freed yourself and beat him with your sword!" interrupted Chip, enthusiastically.
Natalia's head perked up in hope. Was that the end to the story? Had Chip guessed it right? Would that miserable time end at last? Perhaps there was hope. But Natalia's heart sank when Jenji shook his head and she forced herself not to groan or bang her head on the table.
"I had no sword," replied Jenji. "I was armed with only my cunning mind, my bravery and something I picked up in Kathmandu that I like to call my Super Cat Attack!"
Natalia raised a skeptical eyebrow. This sounded far-fetched, even for their line of work. Super Cat Attack? Oh, give me a break. Aloud she said, "Say what now?"
"Well, it's—"
But before Jenji had a chance to explain, Clare burst into the room, looking excited as she carried a bundled-up Fire Heart in her arms.
"He roared!" squealed Clare, in delight. "Fire Heart just roared for the first time!"
Upon hearing this, all the Rangers forgot about Jenji's story and ran to Fire Heart in excitement.
Natalia sent up a silent prayer of gratitude for the momentary interruption as she joined the others. She loved Jenji and she was curious as to how the story would end, but she needed a brief respite before her brain turned into goo and leaked out her ears.
"Just one sec, Jenji. We'll be right back," said Natalia, quickly. In her haste to join the others, she failed to notice the hurt look in Jenji's blue eyes, as did the others except for Mason.
"What was it like? Was it loud and bellowy or rough and growly?" asked Xander.
"Well, it kind of sounded like…'grr!'" Clare smiled when everyone oohed and awed and began fussing over Fire Heart, who was beaming from the attention. "And then, he let out a little puff of smoke. He almost blew fire without having to sneeze!"
"That's great! Maybe that means he's going to hit his growth spurt soon," said Chip, excitedly.
As everyone joined in praising Fire Heart's accomplishments and adoring over his cuteness, Jenji looked more and more miserable as he started to leave the room.
"Oh, look, the dragon did this. Oh, look, the dragon did that. Dragons. Can't live with them. Can't dump them in a moat. I think I might cough up a hairball," said Jenji, miserably.
Mason flinched and realized with a pang of guilt that in their eagerness to shower affection on Fire Heart, they'd unintentionally hurt Jenji's feelings. And if Jenji's talk was anything to go by, it wasn't the first time either. That was a big mistake on their part and they needed to fix it.
"Hey, Jenji, wait a second!" called Mason, quickly. "Come back! I want to hear the rest of your story! Jenji, please!"
But Mason's pleas fell onto deaf ears as Jenji turned into white smoke and returned to his lamp with the lid slamming behind Jenji, signaling that the white genie cat wanted to be left alone. Respectfully, Mason abided by Jenji's wishes, but inwardly, Mason was worried. Had Jenji simply not heard Mason or was he ignoring Mason entirely as a form of payback? Mason didn't know. But he did know that Jenji, however annoying he could be at times, didn't deserve to be neglected. He was their ally and their friend and he deserved better.
But all the same, why hadn't Jenji spoken up sooner? What was going on in the genie cat's head? Unfortunately, there was no time to seek out the answers to those question as it became time to head to the Rock Porium for work.
As they left Rootcore, Mason cast a sad look at Jenji's lamp and silently prayed that Jenji would be up for listening when they returned from work.
XXX
Down in the Underworld, trouble was brewing.
In an attempt to weaken Koragg and destroy the Rangers, Imperious thought he'd kill two birds with one stone by convincing the Knight Wolf to surrender his magic by making Koragg think that the Knight Wolf's constant relying on magic had made Koragg a weaker opponent.
"If you ask me, Koragg, you rely too heavily on your skills as a wizard. Your credibility as a warrior has suffered. It's true, you claim to be a powerful warrior but you always rely on magic to get you by," said Imperious, patronizingly.
Imperious was so enamored with the sound of his own voice that he did not notice the growl that emitted from Koragg's throat and nor did he realize his mistake in speaking those poisonous words until it was too late. For no sooner had Imperious finished speaking, Koragg attacked. He used his shield to bash Imperious' skull, drew his sword and used it to relieve Imperious of his fan and then Koragg grabbed Imperious by the throat before pinning him to the wall.
"Speak to me like that again, Imperious, and I will end you where you stand," growled Koragg. He ignored how Imperious' lips were starting to turn blue from asphyxiation and nor did he react as Imperious clawed at Koragg's gloved hand. "How dare you say I can no longer fight? You pathetic maggot! You say my reputation has suffered? I will show you the meaning of true suffering!"
Necrolai, who was watching the fight unfold with Lee-Lee, took a step forward, planning to intervene. Only to stop when Lee-Lee grabbed Necrolai's arm and pulled the Vampire Queen back as Lee-Lee shook her head, warning Necrolai not to interfere. For once, Necrolai heeded to her daughter's advice.
As Koragg raised his blade and Imperious reached into his pocket for a vial that would end his sufferings, the Master suddenly opened his eye, causing Koragg to drop Imperious. While the Knight Wolf sheathed his sword and bowed in respect of his leader, Imperious gasped and took in large gulps of air as he glared daggers at the Knight Wolf.
"What is your bidding, Master?" asked Koragg.
The Master's reply reverberated throughout the stone chamber. Though it caused Koragg to grip his sword in anger, he did not rebuff the Master's orders.
"Very well, Master, if that is what you wish," said Koragg.
The Master confirmed that it was indeed what he wished and then his eye closed.
"What is it?" asked Necrolai.
"It seems the Master agrees with me," said Imperious, unable to keep the glee out of his voice. "He wants Koragg to prove that he's a powerful warrior even without his magic. So, Koragg must surrender his magic to one of us for a short while. And I think that person will be me!"
"Think again, Imperious! I will never surrender my power to the likes of you," spat Koragg. He incanted a spell under his breath, causing his hand to glow as he reached inside of his torso. Moments later, a giant purple orb was removed from Koragg's body. Koragg then turned to Necrolai. "Hag, you may have my magic for a short time. But be warned, I will reclaim it when the time comes and if you do not obey me, you will suffer the consequences. Is that understood?"
Koragg had no desire to surrender his magic to Imperious or Necrolai as he despised and distrusted them both but of Necrolai and Imperious, Necrolai was the lesser evil. And Koragg knew that due to Necrolai's vanity, she wouldn't allow anyone but herself to use the magic, therefore making it easier for Koragg to retrieve when the time came.
Necrolai quickly nodded. "I swear it, Koragg." Though she was being respectful so as not to anger Koragg, Necrolai could not stop the gleeful cackle that escaped her as Koragg's magic transformed into a device similar to one the Rangers used, except it was purple and black with Koragg's symbol. One touch and Necrolai felt infinitely stronger and more powerful.
"Finally!" she hissed, happily, as she clutched the device to her chest. "I have real magic!"
Koragg ignored Necrolai as he turned to Imperious. "As for you, Imperious, I will show you the heart of a true warrior and I will prove my worth to the Master. While you never will!"
Koragg did not wait for a reply as he stormed off.
Imperious glared at Koragg's retreating form. "Wretched creature. I'll show him! Oh, Screamer? Come here at once!"
As commanded, Imperious' newly risen monster, a female, humanoid bird hybrid with a rather large beak, swooped into the room.
"Yes, milord?"
"Go with Necrolai to the surface world and have some fun," ordered Imperious.
Naturally, Screamer cackled with glee, causing everyone to clutch their eardrums in pain.
XXX
Meanwhile, back in the forest, Jenji had decided enough was enough and the time had come for Fire Heart to have a new home.
Taking advantage of the rare time when Rootcore was empty, Jenji bundled up Fire Heart and was taking him to a new nest that Jenji had made for him. He'd made sure there was plentiful food and water and even a shiny object for Fire Heart to play with if the dragon hatchling got bored. Fire Heart would be safe and happy in his new home and Jenji wouldn't be forgotten or become unwanted by the Rangers. It was perfect.
"Quit licking me!" hissed Jenji, as Fire Heart gave Jenji's furry cheek an affectionate lick. This was difficult enough without Fire Heart making Jenji feel guilty. "You'll be safe and happy here with the other magical creatures. Anyway, I'm sorry about all this, but let's face it, Rootcore isn't big enough for both of us."
In spite of his actions, Jenji was not trying to be cruel. What was no one, not even Daggeron knew, was that beneath the white genie cat's large smile and joking nature, Jenji was deeply insecure about his place in the lives of his friends and adopted family. There had been a time when Jenji had had everything he'd ever wanted and more, but then he'd been cast out, unwanted and despised and ended up a wandering nomad for several years until he met the Solaris Knight. After that, Jenji had gotten his life back on course and was happy again, until Fire Heart came and spoilt it all. Now, history was repeating itself except this time, Jenji was making sure it wasn't going to end the same way.
In hindsight, it might've been better if Jenji had simply admitted to someone how he felt. But Jenji kept silent out of fear that if he admitted how lonely he was feeling and how jealous he was of all the attention Fire Heart was getting, Jenji might be rejected anyway and told that it served him right for being so needy. The risk was too great and Jenji refused to take it. He wanted his friends and he wanted his family and no one was going to take that away from him again.
XXX
Meanwhile, back at the Rock Porium, the Rangers' short day was coming to an end and they were just closing up the store when Toby, who'd been out to pick up his mail, came rushing back into the store, looking scared half to death.
"Whoa, whoa, Toby, slow down. Where's the fire?" asked Xander.
"Quick! Hide me! Remember that big black bat thingy that carried me off before? Well, she's back! And this time, she's got a big blue bird thing!" said Toby. "And I mean BIG! Now, I don't know about you, but I'm going to go hide until she's gone!"
While Toby went and hid under his desk, Natalia and the others raced into the city and before long they found Necrolai and Screamer, surrounded by countless piles of feathers that had once been innocent Briarwood citizens.
"What lovely feathers!" squawked Screamer. "Let's go make some more!"
Screamer raised her arms as though she was about to take flight but then Necrolai spotted the Rangers and she grabbed Screamer's feathered arm, making her stay put.
"Well, hello, Rangers!" said Necrolai, when she spotted them. "Care to join in the fun? I guarantee, it'll kill you!"
Immediately, Natalia's eyes fell upon the wand in Necrolai's hand and she recognized Koragg's magic, just as Lee-Lee had described in her emergency text, making Natalia's heart sink. This was not good. Now that Necrolai had Koragg's power, who knew how the battle would unfold? Necrolai lacked Koragg's restraint and her unbridled use of power could easily tip the balance. They had to get the wand away from Necrolai and fast.
"We'll see about that, hag!" spat Natalia. "Let's Ranger up, guys! Magical Source, Mystic Force!"
And with that, Natalia and the others morphed and launched into battle. While Vida and Mason fought with Screamer; Natalia fought Necrolai with the help of Chip and Xander.
"Coruscare Nent!"
A ring of fire blazed out of Natalia's wand and normally it would've done a great deal of damage, but as Necrolai had Koragg's magic, the Vampire Queen was prepared.
"Speculum Murum!"
A mirror-like wall formed around Necrolai before the fire spell could hit, causing the flames to bounce harmlessly off the protective surface.
"Nice try, Red Ranger," said Necrolai smugly. "Now, it's my turn! Fugere Foraminis!"
Suddenly, the manhole cover that Natalia had been standing on skyrocketed, sending Natalia flying until she landed painfully on the roof of a car, severely injuring her.
"Natalia! You're going to pay for that, Necrolai!" yelled Chip. "Scintillam Impetum!"
"Vinea Alliges Duplicia!" yelled Xander.
Lightning shot out of Chip's wand and vines shot out of Xander's, but once again, Necrolai summoned her mirror wall. Only this time the lightning spell bounced off and hit both Chip and Xander, injuring them and then the vine spell that Xander cast bound not only him but also Chip and Natalia, leaving them open for attack.
"Screamer, do your thing!" screeched Necrolai.
Screamer, who'd been battling Mason and Vida, knocked the Blue and Pink Rangers down before aiming her beak at the three captured Rangers.
"Bye-bye, Rangers! You'll make lovely additions to my feather collection!"
But before Screamer could cast her transmutation spell, Vida managed to stand up and then she grabbed Screamer's beak, keeping it closed.
"Bro, hit that hag!" yelled Vida, as she struggled to keep Screamer's beak shut.
Mason nodded before blasting at Necrolai from behind. The explosive spell caused Necrolai to lose her focus and accidentally free the other three Rangers. Screamer then wrested herself free of Vida's grip and rejoined her mistress.
Necrolai clutched her injured shoulder as she glared at the Rangers. "Rest assured, Rangers! We'll be back!"
Before anyone could stop them, Necrolai and Screamer disappeared through a dark seal.
XXX
After the battle, the Rangers retreated to Rootcore for some painkillers and to research a way to undo Screamer's feather transmutation spell. Upon their arrival, Natalia froze and her eyes narrowed as she realized that not one of them had been eagerly greeted by Fire Heart, which was quite unusual and most unlike the dragon hatchling. Even if he was asleep, Fire Heart always woke up and said hello when someone returned to Rootcore. Something was wrong. Very wrong.
"Udonna! Daggeron!" called Natalia, as they entered the main room. "Where's Fire Heart?"
Udonna and Daggeron, who were standing at the crystal ball, looked worried.
"That's what we're trying to find out. Have any of you seen him?" asked Udonna.
The Rangers exchanged worried glances as they all shook their heads.
"Fire Heart's missing? How is that possible? Fire Heart's always watched," said Xander.
"Well, this time he wasn't. Apparently, he vanished during his nap hour while we were having lunch outside," said Daggeron. "Fire Heart's young and innocent now, but that can change in the blink of an eye if he falls into the wrong hands before he reaches adulthood."
"We can't let that happen. We need to send out a search party right away. Let me get my tracking gear from my room and we'll head out," said Natalia, as she quickly healed herself. "The rest of you, take some painkillers immediately."
Natalia did not wait for a reply as she ran into her room. However, a few minutes later, there was an explosion from Natalia's bedroom, followed by a very loud, very angry shout. "JENJI, I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"
Natalia emerged from her room looking furious beyond measure. Her entire body was engulfed in fire, making her like female version of the Human Torch and judging from the look in her eyes, it was clear that it was taking all her restraint not to burn down Rootcore as well as the object of her anger. Which was, unfortunately, Jenji, who'd been attempting to sneak into Rootcore undetected and failed miserably.
Everyone looked concerned and took a few anxious steps back, for they had never seen Natalia this angry before, not even when she was battling Koragg.
"Natalia, what's wrong?" asked Daggeron. "What's happened?"
Natalia ignored Daggeron as she glared at Jenji.
"Where is it, Jenji?" demanded Natalia.
Terrified, Jenji held up his paws in a surrender position as he took a few steps back. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said, nervously. "Now, why don't you just calm down and—ow!"
"Don't lie to me, you hairball!" growled Natalia, as she grabbed Jenji's ear. Thankfully, the fire in her hand was extinguished, so Jenji wasn't getting burnt but it was still quite unpleasant. "You know perfectly well what I'm talking about! Your cat hairs are all over the place and my security cameras caught you in my room taking it! You took it and Fire Heart, didn't you? Now, WHERE IS IT?!"
"It's with Fire Heart!" yelped Jenji. "He likes shiny things and I thought he could use a toy! I didn't think you'd miss it! Please, let go!"
Natalia's eyes further darkened with rage. "You thought wrong! Now, you are going to take us to Fire Heart and what you stole from me this instant. And so help me, if my property's damaged in the slightest, you're going to be declawed! Now, let's go!"
Jenji yelped as Natalia gave his ear a hard yank. "Ow! Okay, okay, I'll do it! Just let me go!"
Satisfied that she'd gotten through to the feline, Natalia took a deep breath, causing the flames to disappear and she released Jenji's ear, but the angry look in Natalia's eyes stayed.
"March, cat!" ordered Natalia, as she pointed a finger at the door. "And while you're doing that, you can explain yourself and your explanation had better be good!"
Jenji quickly nodded and began leading the Rangers to where he'd left Fire Heart.
XXX
Twenty minutes later, Jenji and the Rangers were nearly upon Fire Heart's nest where Jenji had dumped the hatchling. It was not a pleasant walk as Natalia was still furious and they were walking on eggshells around her, careful not to say the wrong thing that might set her off even more. Everyone was also wondering what it was that Jenji had taken that could've triggered such rage in their leader, who usually did her best to control her temper.
As they neared their destination, Jenji finally explained himself. Mostly.
"I don't know what you're all so worked up about. This was for the best. I mean, since dragons like Fire Heart grow into adults in an instant, I thought he'd be happier in the forest," said Jenji, innocently. "That's all I was doing. Really!"
"Uh-huh. We're not buying it, Jenji," said Mason. Jenji really was a terrible liar. And regardless, did Jenji really think they'd believe that story?
Jenji's shoulders slumped as he scowled. "Fine. Don't believe me. Why should I care where that dumb, useless, attention-getting dragon lives?"
Mason sighed. This was going to be harder than he thought. "Jenji, that's not what I—"
"There's my music box!" interrupted Natalia, as a small, shining and sparkling jeweled object came into view.
Mason blinked in surprise. Music box? That was what Jenji stole from Natalia's room? Of all the items that Mason had mentally prepared himself for, a music box hadn't been one of them as he hadn't known that Natalia even liked music boxes much less owned one.
Natalia ran over to the music box, which lay a few feet away from Fire Heart's nest and quickly dusted it clean before she examined it. She then proceeded to wind the key and once the beautiful melody played flawlessly, a look of relief flickered across Natalia's face as she clutched the music box to her chest, as though she was afraid it would disappear at any moment.
"Thank heaven, it's all right," murmured Natalia.
"It's beautiful," said Mason. The music box was small but pure shining silver with masterfully crafted etchings as well the most stunning rubies, diamonds and amethysts that Mason had ever seen. And the melody that it had played was so sweet, so happy and yet sad at the same time. But judging from the look in Natalia's eyes, the sentimental value of the music box was far greater than Mason could've imagined. "I've never seen anything like it before. Where did you get it?"
Much to Mason's surprise and confusion, Natalia avoided Mason's gaze as she softly replied, "It was a gift when I was a little girl."
"From your parents?" guessed Chip, quietly.
If the music box had been a gift from Natalia's late parents, it certainly would've justified Natalia's anger and fear when it went missing.
Natalia just nodded as she pocketed the music box. Then her head shot up when Jenji's frantic cries hit their ears. The white genie cat had gone a few feet away and was looking panicked.
"Guys, I need your help! Fire Heart's gone!" yelled Jenji.
"Gone? What do you mean gone?" exclaimed Mason, alarmed. "What happened?"
Fire Heart was gone again? How? Had he wandered off chasing a butterfly or had he been taken?
"I don't know! I just know that I left him right here!" said Jenji.
Jenji frantically gestured to the makeshift nest where he'd left Fire Heart earlier that day. But there was no sign of the dragon anywhere in the vicinity and nor was there any indication as to if Fire Heart had wandered off on his own or if he'd been taken as the dry, hard ground was covered with tall grass, making it impossible for anyone to leave any tracks.
This was bad. This was very, very bad.
XXX
But unbeknownst to the others, Fire Heart hadn't wandered off and nor had he been abducted by anyone evil. In fact, Fire Heart wasn't in any danger at all because he'd been found and taken in by none other than Phineas. The troblin had been out looking for stickleberries and happened upon Fire Heart by accident. It hadn't taken long for Phineas to decide to take Fire Heart in and raise him as his own as he was a sucker for babies and things with cute faces. As Phineas didn't know that the Rangers even had a dragon hatchling in their possession, much less that Fire Heart was theirs, he had no way of knowing of the search party looking for Fire Heart or he would've returned the hatchling.
At that moment, Phineas was having a marvelous time dragon-sitting.
"Gootchy-gootchy, goo! Your skin is so soft and feels like a swamp mole's nose!" cooed Phineas. He dangled some shiny pebbles on string in front of Fire Heart, who gurgled in contentment from his makeshift cradle. "Well, truth be told, I only ever touched one once and it bit me. Anyway, what should I call you? Bob? Billy? Billy-Bob? Barry, Bruce, Beorge? Steve!"
As Fire Heart shook his head in response to each name, Phineas nodded in agreement.
"Eh, you're right. None of those names fit. They're too…what's the word…? Similar. Oh, I know! Phineas Junior! P.J. for short!"
Fire Heart made a happy noise at this. Even though it wasn't Fire Heart's name, the little dragon didn't mind being called P.J., especially if it meant he was like kin to Phineas. Despite having only known each other for less than an hour, Fire Heart was already much attached to the troblin as Phineas was very nice, fed Fire Heart delicious herbs and berries that the dragon had never tried before and was also exceedingly entertaining.
"Now, I will sing my baby song while I do my baby dance," said Phineas. He rose up and began to perform a serious of highly inventive dance steps as he sang. "In the forest I was a-walking, to myself I was a-talking. That's nothing new to me! Then my heart began to dance because at the bottom of my pants was the cutest little baby! That's you!" Phineas grinned as he touched his finger to Fire Heart's nose, which made the dragon laugh. "We'll be happier than some rocks, having lots of talks from topics A to D—maybe even Z! I'll never let you go, when it hails, thunders and snows because you're my boy and you're here to stay!"
Phineas then performed a series of insane dance steps for his finale before thrusting out his arms in a "ta-da" sort of way.
Fire Heart was so happy that he leapt out of his bed and straight into Phineas' arm. A series of happy noises emitted from his throat as he nuzzled the troblin's chin.
"Uncle! Favorite!" squealed Fire Heart.
Phineas' heart swelled with immense joy. "Favorite uncle? Oh, P.J.!"
Phineas hugged Fire Heart tightly as he stroked Fire Heart's back. This was the beginning of a very beautiful, very happy relationship. And it was certainly one of the best days of Phineas' life. What could possibly be better?
XXX
Meanwhile, after rendezvousing with Clare and searching a good chunk of the forest for three solid hours, everyone returned to Rootcore for a quick rest and snack. Judging from the looks on everyone's faces, the search had not gone well at all.
"I take it there's been no luck?" guessed Udonna.
Vida shook her head. "Nope. Three hours and not so much as a dragon scale. We're going back out as soon as we get some grub in us. We're starving." As if for proof, Vida's stomach chose that moment to growl loudly, as did everyone else's.
"Is there any food or should I run to the deli?" asked Xander.
"There're fresh chicken sandwiches in the fridge, but you'd better make your lunch break quick, because I've got more bad news. Jenji's gone too," announced Daggeron, urgently.
"Well, maybe he's looking for Fire Heart too," suggested Clare. Her tone was light but her eyes betrayed her fear that something bad had befallen Jenji.
Daggeron shook his head as he slid a note inscribed with Jenji's messy scrawl across the table.
"'Dear everyone, if you're wondering where I am, don't. I'm not looking for Fire Heart. I'm running away. I don't know where I'm going, but it's far away from here. I'm sorry it's come to this, but I won't stay where I'm not wanted and I can't stick around to be rejected again. Good-bye. –Your ex-friend, Jenji,'" read Clare. "I can't believe this! How could Jenji think he's not wanted? He's our friend and part of this family!"
"Is he? I mean, you wouldn't think so, judging by the way he's been treated the last few days," said Mason, sadly. He blamed himself. Why hadn't he seen through Jenji's façade and done more to help Jenji out before the situation got this far? "Think about it. We may not have meant to, but we have been neglecting Jenji in favor of Fire Heart quite a lot lately. It's no wonder Jenji feels unwanted."
"Add to how angry I was with him today, I can't say I blame Jenji for leaving," said Natalia, guiltily. "I shouldn't have lost my temper like that. It was probably the last straw."
Looks of shame and guilt flickered across everyone's faces. Like with a new baby or a new shiny toy, they'd accidentally neglected that which was already there and should've been cherished. Even though it'd been accidental, the deed had still been done and they needed to rectify their mistake.
"What did Jenji mean when he wrote he couldn't be rejected again?" asked Vida, curiously. "Has something like this happened before?"
Daggeron sadly nodded. "Yes. Jenji was banished from his homeland several years ago. Cast out by those he loved most."
"Say what?" exclaimed Chip, surprised. "Who would banish Jenji? He's great!"
"I'm getting to that. You see, a long time ago, Jenji was considered the most handsome as well as the most popular cats in the land. Everyone loved him. Everyone except for Rexigan, the King of the Cats. Rexigan's vanity made him jealous and hateful towards anyone who was liked or more attractive than he was, so naturally he had no love for Jenji. In fact, he was jealous beyond measure. Rexigan wanted to get rid of Jenji but the laws of the land were held in a binding magical document. Without grounds for punishment, no action could be taken against Jenji. So, Rexigan found a loophole in the law and hired a dark witch to cast a spell over Jenji's village to make everyone believe that Jenji was evil. When everyone turned their backs on Jenji, Rexigan had grounds for banishment. So, Jenji was cast out.
"When I met Jenji two years later, he was a penniless nomad. He'd found the Vault of the Mystics, a forbidden place where we keep dark objects that can't be destroyed. He thought he could sell the treasure and become very rich. He was particularly interested in the Black Chest of Mordwen. I warned him the chest was cursed and he'd be lost if it was opened, but Jenji didn't listen. He opened the box and was nearly destroyed. I managed to save his life by putting him in the lamp, but there was a price. Jenji could leave the lamp for brief periods, but he could never be truly free. If Jenji doesn't return to the lamp within the hour, he'll be lost forever," explained Daggeron.
Everyone looked horrified and sad at this. How could they not have known how much Jenji was suffering all this time? More importantly, how could they have been so neglectful towards a loyal friend like Jenji? Looking back, the signs that Jenji was feeling hurt and alone had been there, but they'd turned a blind eye. They had to fix that mistake and quickly. There was no time to lose, literally.
After devising a plan to fix the situation, the crystal ball lit up with images of Necrolai and Screamer.
"Duty calls. Okay, let's divide and conquer. Clare, track down Phineas, see if he can help you locate Fire Heart. Mason, find Jenji and talk some sense into him. Chip, Vee, Xander, you're with me," ordered Natalia.
Everyone nodded and then headed out to their assignments.
XXX
Meanwhile, Jenji had made himself a makeshift nest in Briarwood's junkyard.
While it was filthy and full of all kinds of rubbish, trash and broken cars and the like, it seemed to suit Jenji's needs perfectly. It was within walking distance of the supermarket, which meant plenty of food and water. There were plenty of places to sleep and hide like the junky cars. And best of all, the junkyard rarely had visitors, which meant solitude, which was what Jenji wanted. After all, it seemed to be a recurring pattern in his life, so who was he to argue with destiny?
"Well, this is the life. On my own again, just how I like it," said Jenji, to himself. He was sitting on the trunk of a car and swinging his legs while he munched on a tuna fish sandwich. "No one to depend on, no one asking me for wishes. Just me and whatever I want." But Jenji's cheerfulness sounded false even to himself and his shoulders slumped as his appetite suddenly left him.
Who was he trying to fool? This was lousy. He'd only been gone from Rootcore for a few hours and already he felt lonelier than ever. Jenji missed his friends and family back at Rootcore and he missed his old life there. But how could he return after kidnapping Fire Heart and running away? Jenji might be rejected and cast out, again. And even if that wasn't the case, how could Jenji return to where he wasn't wanted and Fire Heart was? Jenji's heart couldn't take that kind of pain.
"Jenji! Jenji! Jenji, where are you?"
Jenji's ears perked up at the sound of his name being called by one of his favorite people. "Mason?"
Was Jenji hearing things or was that really Mason's voice?
As if in answer, Mason appeared around the corner and upon seeing the white genie cat, Mason's face lit up with happiness and relief.
"Jenji! There you are!" said Mason, as he sat down beside Jenji. "Where have you been? I've been looking all over for you."
"Mason?" said Jenji, surprised. "How did you find me here?" For a moment Jenji's heart leapt with excitement at the idea that Mason had sought Jenji out to bring him home. But then Jenji's heart sank as he realized that maybe Mason was only looking for him because of Fire Heart. "Or better yet, why did you find me? Did you come here to yell at me? Shouldn't you be fawning all over Fire Heart?"
Mason winced and looked regretful. "Okay, I deserved that. But Jenji, we have a serious problem on our hands. If you don't return to the lamp within the next half hour, you'll—"
"I know what'll happen," interrupted Jenji, as he buried his furry face in his knees. "But I don't care. Why do any of you care what happens to me? You don't!"
Mason's eyes widened in horror. "Jenji, don't talk like that. It isn't true!"
"Isn't it? You all made it quite clear that you like that smoke-belching, scaly-face, skinny-winged, can't-even-purr-if-you-paid-him dragon more than me!" said Jenji, sounding both miserable and bitter. "You didn't even let me finish the end of my story today because of Fire Heart!"
Mason's face softened as he wrapped an arm around Jenji's shoulders. "Oh, Jenji. I know that might've seemed that way, but I swear on my mother's soul, none of that is true. We don't love Fire Heart more than you. And in fact, I speak for everyone when I say that we are so, so sorry about how we treated you. It was wrong of us not to notice how much you were hurting. That was our mistake."
The ache in Jenji's heart eased just a little bit at these words as he nodded. "Yes. Yes, it was."
"But at the same time, you should've said something to us sooner," continued Mason. "Why didn't you speak up? Is it because of what Rexigan did to you?" When Jenji shot Mason a surprised look, Mason nodded. "Yeah, my dad told us about that."
Realizing he was caught, Jenji sighed. "Partly, yes. But more than that, I thought if I spoke up, you might say I deserved it because I was being selfish or clingy or whatever." It may have seemed irrational when said aloud, but truth be told, it had happened to Jenji a few times in the years he'd traveled prior to meeting Daggeron. "I thought I'd lose you all. But it looks like I did that anyway."
"Jenji, that could never happen. And more importantly, it hasn't happened. You haven't lost anyone, Jenji. And if you don't believe me, then read this." Mason reached into his blue jacket pocket and pulled out a piece of folded paper, which he handed to Jenji. "After we found out you ran off, everyone wrote this to apologize. Read it, please."
Jenji hesitated but then his curiosity got the better of him and he read the following words.
What We Love Most About Jenji
Jenji, you've been one of my best friends for as long as I can remember. I love how you came up with exciting games when we played together, taught me so much and you were always there when I needed you. –Mason.
Jenji, I don't see how anyone could dislike you, because from the first day I met you, you've been a great friend. You're hilarious and always have a good story to tell. I can't get enough of them. Plus, your sword moves are wicked awesome! –Chip.
Jenji, thank you for always being encouraging and making me smile, even when things look bad. You have no idea how big a help that is. You're my favorite cat. –Vida.
Jenji, I really admire that despite everything you've gone through, no matter what life's thrown at you, you've still got such a big heart. –Xander.
Jenji, despite how scared you were when we first met, you still faced your fears and helped us fight Imperious. Because of you, we won and you reminded us of what it means to be brave. Thanks. –Natalia. P.S., I'm so sorry for earlier. Please, come back!
Jenji, I missed you so much when you disappeared. I missed your big Cheshire Cat-like smile, how you made me laugh and played with me, and how you'd let me cuddle you like a stuffed animal if I was scared. Please, don't make me lose that again. –Clare.
Jenji, I don't know where I'd be without you. Your courage, loyalty and friendship has been a great blessing to me in my life and helped keep me going when things were hard. Thank you, old friend. –Daggeron.
Jenji, ever since Daggeron introduced you to us, you've been more than an ally or a friend, you've been a part of the family. And words can never express how happy that makes me. –Udonna.
To say that Jenji was shocked and happy beyond measure would be putting it mildly. Jenji's smile was the biggest it ever was as he wiped happy tears from his big blue eyes. Everyone had really written this? They did care, more than Jenji had imagined.
"Thanks, Mason. I needed that," said Jenji, as he hugged the Blue Ranger.
Mason smiled as he returned the hug. "You're welcome, buddy. Now, you've got to promise me that the next time you're upset, you'll talk to us instead of pulling a stunt like this. Deal?"
"Deal!" promised Jenji.
Never again would Jenji run away from his problems or try to make them disappear like he did. He would be better than that.
The happy moment was interrupted when Mason's morpher went off. He flipped it open.
"Mason, we need you outside the mall NOW! Necrolai's—" But that was as far as Natalia got before the signal cut out and it was easy to guess what had happened.
Mason turned to Jenji. "Sorry to cut this short, but I've got to go. The others need me." Mason thrust his morpher into the sky. "Magical Source, Mystic Force!"
After morphing, Mason summoned his Mystic Racer and was about to take off when Jenji rose up.
"Wait, you shouldn't go alone. I'll come with you."
Mason shook his head. "No, Jenji. You need to return to the lamp. Now. I'll be fine. Just get back to the lamp before it's too late."
Before Jenji could protest, Mason took off.
XXX
When Mason reached the mall, there was a great deal of destruction and rubble from Necrolai's unbridled use of Koragg's power, but worse still there were at least twenty piles of white feathers, as well as four additional colored ones of red, yellow and pink. Screamer had transformed not only the citizens of Briarwood, but also the other four Rangers. But what was most shocking was the sight of Jenji fighting Screamer on his own. Somehow, the white genie cat had beaten Mason to the battlefield and was fighting to save the others.
Mason couldn't believe his eyes but didn't question as he battled against Necrolai, keeping the Vampire Queen off of Jenji so that the white genie cat could clip Screamer's wings.
"Meow, baby! You're in trouble now, because Jenji's here!" said Jenji, to Screamer.
"Bring it on, fleabag!" screeched Screamer.
Jenji grinned. "As you wish!"
Before Screamer had a chance to react, Jenji launched himself at the blue bird monsters, scratching and clawing at everything he could reach. He ended up severely injuring Screamer and then, just when Screamer was at her weakest, Jenji pulled out the big guns.
"That's it! No more taking it easy on you, Birdbrain! Super Cat Attack!"
Jenji ran on all fours at an incredible speed before launching himself at Screamer. He then proceeded to scratch and bite the living daylights out of Screamer before slicing her beak off with his claws, rendering her powerless.
Screamer screeched as she lay on the ground, not because of pain, but because the loss of her beak had rendered her ugly. "My beak! My beautiful beak! Now, I can't do anything and I'm UGLY! You wretched kitty-cat!"
It was great victory but there was no time to celebrate as Jenji then began to fade away. His time had run out and now he was paying the price.
Mason, who'd managed to injure Necrolai enough for the Vampire Queen to retreat, ran to Jenji's side, refusing to leave Jenji alone.
"Jenji, you were so brave. I'm so proud of you. But Jenji…why didn't you go back to Rootcore and save yourself?"
"I couldn't save myself and not you. You guys are my family. My only family," said Jenji, as he faded away. He reached for Mason, but his paw didn't couldn't even touch Mason's outstretched hand. "Tell Fire Heart I'm sorry…"
Tears stung Mason's eyes as Jenji turned into white smoke. Now, he'd lost someone else that he loved. Was there no end to the losses?
Oh, Jenji, I wish you could come back!
Suddenly, as if in answer, a loud roar caught Mason's attention. Startled, Mason looked up to see Fire Heart, now fully grown, drop Daggeron onto the ground. Without further ado, the Solaris Knight collected Jenji's smoky remains into the lamp.
"That was a close one," remarked Daggeron, sounding as relieved as Mason felt. "How're you doing in there, Jenji?"
Much to Mason's joy and relief, Jenji popped his head out of his lamp. "Just peachy. Boy, am I glad to be back in my home sweet home!"
"What a touching moment!" snarled Screamer, as she staggered to her feet. "But I'm not through with you brats yet. I've got one last scream in me!"
Daggeron didn't look the least bit worried as he held out the lamp to Mason. "Would you care to do the honors, son?"
Mason grinned beneath his helmet. "I would indeed. Let's get her, Jenji!" Mason pulled back the dial on the lamp before aiming it at Screamer. "Shining Laser Attack!"
As Screamer charged at Daggeron and Mason, the Blue Ranger fired off the lamp. Jenji burst out of it in a great explosion of fiery magic and destroyed Screamer before she came even remotely close. And with Screamer's destruction came the reversal of her feather transmutation spell. Everyone was restored to their normal selves once again.
The battle was won.
XXX
Later that day, while Jenji was napping in his lamp and Udonna and Daggeron were out on a walk, Natalia called Clare and the team to her room for a private meeting. She'd been thinking it over and had decided that it was time to tell the team and Clare the whole truth about her past, especially after the way she'd reacted when her music box went missing.
Still, even though the time felt right, Natalia still felt nervous as she waited for the others to arrive. For nearly sixteen years, this had been her biggest secret. She'd never told anyone this before. How would the others react?
A knock on the door snapped Natalia out of her thoughts. "Come in. It's open."
One-by-one, Mason and the others piled into the room and sat down in the chairs that Natalia had borrowed from the dining room.
"Is everything okay, Lia?" asked Mason, concerned.
Natalia nodded. It wasn't a lie as she hoped that everything would be fine soon.
"What did you want to talk about?" asked Clare.
Natalia sighed as she took off her necklace and placed it beside her music box, which lay beside her on the bed.
"There's something I need to tell you guys. Something I've never told anyone before except for my parents. After bank drop incident, I asked for time before opening up about my past and you guys respectfully gave me that time. After what happened today, I feel like it's that time." Everyone immediately fell silent and their expressions were unreadable, which oddly enough, made it easier for Natalia to continue. "When Jenji took my music box, I flipped out. And while I had a good reason, it wasn't exactly the reason I let you think it was."
Some of the Rangers looked puzzled but no one said a word, for which Natalia was grateful.
Natalia took a deep breath. "When Koragg first started talking to me, he said a lot of things to get me to join him. And while a lot of it was completely untrue, or so he believed, there was one thing that Koragg said that wasn't wrong. Koragg said that I didn't trust myself because I didn't know myself. And he was right. I don't know myself. Not really."
"What does that mean?" asked Xander, confused.
Natalia bit her lower lip. "When I came to town, I told you I was new to town and my name was Natalia Russell. But the truth is, that's the name I was given when I was found by Sergeant Russell and his wife when I turned up on their doorstep during their last week in Briarwood. I was five years old."
Everyone looked shocked to hear this. Chip and Vida were rendered speechless, Xander's eyes were wide and Clare's jaw had dropped. Mason, however, gave Natalia an encouraging smile as he squeezed her hand.
Natalia gave her boyfriend a grateful look before continuing her tale.
"My earliest memory is waking up on their doorstep with nothing but my powers, the clothes on my back, my necklace and my music box. I don't remember anything before that." Even her nightmares which could have been images of her forgotten past had become blurred. Was it a coincidence or something else entirely that Natalia's memory had worsened after she'd wished so desperately to be rid of her nightmares? She couldn't say. "The Russells had connections and when they couldn't find my parents, they pulled some strings to rush my adoption into their family. They'd always wanted kids but couldn't have them and they considered me a blessing from heaven.
"Anyway, life with them was great. They were wonderful parents. But I never knew where I came from or how I even got on their doorstep in the first place. I knew nothing about my biological parents, I still don't. The only clues I have, the only links I have to my past, were my necklace and my music box. I think they might've been gifts from my birth parents, but I don't know, not for sure. After my adopted parents died, I wandered the country for a few months before I decided to come to Briarwood, not just because I felt like something was calling me here, but because I thought I might find information about my parents and who I used to be."
"Did you find anything?" asked Clare, hesitantly.
Natalia shook her head. Growing up, whenever she'd moved for a new assignment of her adopted father's, she checked with every jeweler and metalsmith she could find, in hopes that if she could find out who'd commissioned her necklace and music box, she might find some answers. All her efforts had been completely fruitless.
"No. I've checked everywhere. I even checked the records at City Hall when I came to town," said Natalia, sadly. "Nothing." She sighed yet again as she slid her necklace back on. "So, that's why I freaked out so much earlier. When I lost my music, I felt like—"
"Like you were lost all over again," finished Mason. Having been found alone and adopted, he knew exactly how Natalia felt. And unbeknownst to Natalia, a crazy idea was stirring in Mason's mind. Was it possible that the answers to Natalia's questions were closer than she thought? But he dared not voice those suspicions aloud, lest he be mistaken and crush Natalia's hopes.
Natalia nodded as she wiped her cheeks of a few tears that had fallen. "I don't know if my biological parents are alive or dead, if they abandoned me or if I was lost to them. All I know is that if I had these when I was found, then maybe I was loved with a family once before I found my second one."
Finally finished with her story, Natalia sat back and braced herself for everyone's reactions.
The first one to break the ice was Mason, who took Natalia into his arms.
"I'm glad you told us. It means a lot that you trust us this much," said Mason.
All of the anxiety that Natalia had felt immediately drained out of her body as she wrapped her arms around Mason's torso in loving gratitude.
"Well, I can certainly understand why you were so mad at Jenji. If someone took something of my mom's, I'd probably have blown a gasket," said Clare, half-joking, half-serious, to lighten the mood.
Natalia chuckled.
"Yeah, and if it's any consolation, I don't think anyone could abandon you, Lia. You're amazing," said Xander.
"Yeah. And you know what? You've got us for family, always and forever," promised Vida.
Natalia couldn't help but smile as she pulled away from Mason. How could she ever have thought they'd react badly to her secret? "Thank you. You can't know what that means to me. But if it's all the same, could we keep all this between the six of us? Just for now?"
While coming forward had been a rewarding experience, it had also been an emotionally draining one and Natalia didn't feel up to repeating the process with Daggeron and Udonna.
Much to Natalia's relief, everyone was only too happy to agree.
XXX
Meanwhile, outside of Rootcore, Udonna and Daggeron were taking a little walk, discussing recent events and whatnot when Fire Heart flew by and dropped Phineas down onto the ground from at least thirty feet.
Despite having fallen from such a great height, Phineas didn't see the least bit bothered as he stood up and brushed himself clean of the leaves and twigs that had gotten stuck in his clothes and hair. He then shouted up to the skies, "Thanks for the life, P.J.!"
Fire Heart made a happy roar in response as he continued his flight.
"He's a good boy," said Phineas, smiling. "Thank you so much for letting me dragon-sit him."
Daggeron and Udonna smiled back as they nodded.
"Anytime, Phineas," said Daggeron, as they began to resume their walk. "And thank you for taking such good care of him."
"My pleasure. Besides, it was really nice considering I never got to see the other children I left in the human world fifteen years ago grow up. Kind of makes me sad," said Phineas, absentmindedly.
Upon hearing the word "children" both Daggeron and Udonna froze before turning to face the troblin. They didn't know how Mason had survived Imperious' attack all those years ago, much less how he'd made it to the human world. Was it possible that Phineas was the answer to that question?
"Children?" echoed Udonna. "What children?"
Phineas' hand flew to his mouth as he realized he'd slipped up and he tried to rectify the situation. "Uh, did I say 'children'? No, it must've just sounded like I said 'children.' What I actually said was 'reptilians.' Yep, reptilians! Oh…" Phineas cringed as Udonna stepped closer and kept her eyes on the troblin and he felt himself caving in. "Her will is too strong. Must tell the truth! Okay, fine!"
"What happened, Phineas?" asked Udonna.
Udonna's tone was gentle and the look on her face was kind, which gave Phineas the courage he needed to speak up.
"Well, uh…I was trying to get to shelter one storming night during the War, when I felt like I was being called somewhere. I didn't know why, but I followed the feeling until I found Calindor and Daggeron having their…dispute. I hid behind a tree and that's when I saw Aurora and her friend, a little boy, I never could remember his name, get knocked out. No one noticed me, so I took advantage of the situation by grabbing both kids and running off. Aurora had always been nice to me, so I knew I owed her. I wanted to take Aurora home with me, but I knew with the Great Battle going on, I couldn't keep her and her friend safe from the darkness.
"So I took them to the human world. I separated them so the Master's forces would have a harder time finding them. But I made sure they were both safe, I promise," explained Phineas, sheepishly. He snapped his fingers as he recalled another detail. "Oh, and Aurora was wearing a necklace—I think. I only saw the chain. But I'm pretty sure it was glowing bright as the sun and felt like really strong magic when I found her."
Phineas stopped his storytelling there and braced himself for Udonna's reaction. Phineas had never meant any harm when he'd hidden Aurora and her little friend away all those years ago, he'd only sought to protect him. But there was a reason why he'd never come forward once all those years. He'd always been afraid that perhaps in his haste to do something good, he'd might've done something wrong and Udonna might punish him severely.
But much to Phineas' surprise and utmost relief, neither Daggeron nor Udonna looked slightest bit angry or upset. Instead, Udonna looked shocked but happy and Daggeron had tears glistening in his eyes.
"Phineas, that boy was my son, Nehir—Mason. You saved my son," said Daggeron, his voice thick with emotion as he embraced the troblin. "I can't thank you enough."
"Aww…" Phineas blushed as he returned the hug. "It was my pleasure. He's a sweet kid."
Meanwhile, Udonna was trembling and her breathing was shallow. She was unable to believe what she'd just heard.
"Aurora? Aurora is alive?" she whispered, as the information sank in. Fresh, happy tears came to her eyes. Nearly sixteen years of wondering, dreaming, never once knowing what fate had befallen her daughter and now at last she knew. Aurora hadn't died when Calindor betrayed them, she'd survived and was in hiding in the human world and judging from Phineas' story, she was in possession of the Mystic Crystal! Aurora was alive. She was alive!
Udonna's tears ceased as newfound sense of urgency threatened to overwhelm her. "Daggeron, I have to find her! I need to—"
"Udonna, wait," said Daggeron. He grabbed her hand and pulled her back as the White Sorceress Queen attempted to take off. The Solaris Knight looked regretful but no less firm as he spoke. "I want to bring her home as much as you do, but we need to be smart about this. If Aurora is in the human world with the Mystic Crystal, then she's safe. Bringing her back here would only put her in grave danger and the dark forces would try to steal the Mystic Crystal again. If Master's forces find out Aurora and the Crystal's whereabouts…"
"You're right," said Udonna, after a moment's consideration. It was breaking her heart, but she knew that it was the only way for Aurora to have her best chance at survival against the Master's foces. Besides, there was another factor to consider: Mason had had amnesia before reuniting with Daggeron. Odds were high that Aurora was under the same affliction, which would explain why Aurora hadn't yet returned home. It would be difficult to explain Udonna's connection to her much less Aurora's magical heritage. So, with a heavy heart, Udonna made a choice that was difficult but no less right. "We must keep this a secret between the three of us for the time being. Or else Aurora will be in grave danger."
It was their best, only chance for the sake of Aurora's wellbeing.