Kali rolled her eyes as she walked into the kitchen of Jungle Karma pizza, her phone pressed to her ear as she spoke with an unknown voice on the other end. "Uh, you guys do realise that the toppings go on the pizza, right?" she asked, looking between Lily and Casey.
"He started it," said Lily.
"Nuh-uh!" Casey argued.
"I don't care who started it," said Kali. "But RJ, Rylie, or Theo is going to freak if they walk in here and see this. It's too early to be hearing one of them shout. Please clean this up." She headed upstairs, continuing her conversation.
"Wow. You sounded like a total mom then," said Vida.
Again, Kali rolled her eyes. "What is it with everyone calling me 'mom'?" she asked. "First Cam, then Tori, now you."
Vida laughed. "You must be giving off that vibe," she teased. "Personally, I think you'd make a great mother."
"Not going to happen."
"N'aww."
"Whatever. Anyway, this conversation is supposed to be about you and your upcoming nuptials. Where's the Groom?"
Vida snorted. "Have you checked the time yet this morning?" she asked. "Chip's still snoring his pretty little head off."
"Lucky for some," Kali muttered. She checked the time on the wall. 11am stared back at her.
"Are you eating pizza for breakfast?" Vida asked.
"No. But someone is," said Kali. "Chip would love it here, more specifically, he would love RJ. The guy's most popular pizza is the Thrilla Gorilla, and it has banana as its main topping."
Vida laughed. "Careful, or he'll try and get the reception dinner booked at JKP," she said.
"Oh god."
Still snickering, Vida managed to calm herself long enough to ask, "Can you do these plans with just me, or should I wake sleeping beauty?"
"Nah. I think you and I can manage for now," said Kali, taking a seat at the kitchen table. She pulled her notebook towards her. It wasn't much, just a journal/diary that she had been sent by her parents for jotting down important dates, like when they would be back in town, or when they had planned a dinner with her and her sisters. Everything in it felt premature, to say the least, seeing has she hadn't seen her parents since the last time they had been home two years ago.
"Alright. What's first on the agenda," said Vida.
Kali's gaze skimmed over her journal entry. It consisted of a title - Wedding Plans - and then a list of things that (1) needed completing, (2) that needed booking, and (3) that needed approval from the bride and groom. "First, did you manage to look at the pictures I sent you?" she asked. "We need a hairstyle for the bridesmaids."
"I haven't looked at them yet," said Vida. "I plan to do it today. I'm not in work until this afternoon, so I'll have time this morning. What else you got?"
Kali jumped as the alarm blared from across the room. "I got evil downtown," she said, standing and swiftly making her way over to the monitors. She looked up as Casey, Theo, and Lily rushed up the stairs from the kitchen, each one looking as nervous as the other.
"Let's go!" said Casey.
"V, I -"
"Go," said Vida, and Kali could imagine her shaking her head. "We'll pick this up later. Good luck."
The line went dead, and Kali tossed her phone onto RJ's chair before heading for the exit.
~X~
Kali could sense the build in power before she even arrived on the scene. To her, it seemed like too much power for just one being - unless, of course, that being was another Hellhound.
"Where is he?"
"Up here," said Kali. She led the trio around a corner and towards a fire escape. "I have a quicker way." She turned, grabbed Casey and Lily by the arms and disappeared, with Lily taking hold of Theo at the last second.
The four appeared on the roof, right beside where the new Rinshi stood, overlooking the city. Although, instead of just one monster, there were three.
"What?" Casey asked, looking between the trio.
The Rinshi looked between the team and laughed. "These are the Pai Zhuq students?" asked the female. "I'm so unimpressed."
"Not all of them are Pai Zhuq," said a male. He was looking at Kali. "Hellhound."
Kali straightened, her body tensing as her eyes narrowed.
"Doesn't matter," said another male. "They look sorry to me."
Lily and Theo spun around as two more appeared behind them.
"Guys, they're not alone," said Theo.
"Five?!" Lily gasped.
"And ugly."
"Yes. Let's get this fight started."
Looking from one Rinshi to the next, Kali frowned as she noticed their resemblance to the Ten Terrors and couldn't help but wonder if there were any relations. She made a mental note to ask Nikki later, once she was finished here.
"By the power of Dai Shi. Inner beasts arise!"
The five Rinshi transformed.
"A hundred legs to strike you. I am Rantipede!"
"Fangs full of venom. Naja!"
"Queen of the toxic dance. Stingarella!"
"Master of trickery and deceit. Gakko!"
"Skin stronger than armour. Toadie!"
"We are the five fingers of Poison."
Casey glanced sideways at Kali. "Poison?" he asked.
Kali shook her head. She wasn't aware of any Five Fingers of Poison, and in the moment couldn't even remember reading about them at Root core or hearing about them from Nikki. She had been warned about Camille, and that was it.
"Get them!" Naja instructed, snapping his fingers.
Kali jumped back as Gakko and Toadie assaulted her. She blocked Toadie's fist and kicked up at Gakko. He caught her leg and flipped her over, causing her fall into a backward roll and reposition herself on her knees, her hands crossing over her head as they both slashed down with their fists.
Shoving them both back, Kali jumped up and summoned her Jungle Swords. She kicked off into the air, raising both swords above her head and slashing down as she landed. "Darkness Wave!" she called.
A wall of darkness flooded the area, but Gakko and Toadie merely sliced through it.
Kali's eyes widened. No! Her surprise attack had never been so easily defeated before.
"Ha! Didn't see that one coming, did you, Hellhound?" Gakko laughed. "You're not the only one with tricks up their sleeve. We've been warned about you, and we know your history."
Kali swallowed. With them knowing about her ahead of time made her job slightly harder. She was used to opponents that underestimated her, or didn't know about the Hellhound's abilities, it made for easier surprise attacks.
"Given up already, puppy?" Toadie taunted.
Kali grit her teeth and clenched her fist. She really hated being patronised. "Hardly," she said, unclenching her fist as a fireball appeared. She threw it at the two, and Gakko hid behind Toadie as the ball bounced harmless off of him.
"That tickles," Gakko laughed.
Oh, come on! Kali whined.
Casey's cry of pain caught Kali's attention, and she glanced around in time to see her new leader land with a crunch nearby, his glasses falling from his face as he demorphed upon impact with the ground.
"Casey!" Lily called, racing over.
Kali and Theo followed, the pair of them providing cover as Lily helped Casey sit up.
"They're too powerful," said Lily. "We have to get out of here."
Kali nodded and, muttering under her breath, disappeared in a flicker of black magic.
~X~
Casey's breathing was shallow as he and the others appeared in the quarry on the outskirts of town. He blinked and looked up at his team. "What happened?" he gasped.
"I can't tell for sure," said Kali, "but what I sense from you isn't good." She fished her phone out of her pocket and quickly fired off a text message, before storing it away and turning back to the others. They were watching her with equal looks of confusion.
"Is now really the time for personal messages?" Theo asked, irritably.
"Of course not, genius," said Kali. "And, if you had bothered to ask, I would've told you that it wasn't a personal message. I have a contact that can meet us back at the loft with a potion for Casey. We just have to get him back there first."
Lily looked worriedly between Casey and Kali. "Then let's go," she said. "Do that magic disappearing thing you do and get us back to base."
"Agreed," said Theo.
Casey nodded, also. "Before the poisons turn up again," he said, trying to stand. Lily pushed him back. "I mean, not that I don't think we could take them now we're prepared, but I still prefer it when we were fighting them one at a time."
"They're not the first creatures to appear in force and then break off into individual attacks," said Kali. "The Ten Terrors did it too."
"The Ten Terrors?" Theo repeated.
Kali shook her head. It was a long story, and she wasn't in the mood to get into it right that second. Besides, she paused, a cold shiver running down her spine like ice water. "We've got company," she said, turning to face the opening area behind her.
An explosion rocked the area. Kali raised her arm, snapping her fingers as a reflective shield appeared, protecting her and the others from the blast. As the flames cleared, the five fingers stood in a pyramid, sneering at the Rangers. But it wasn't the Poisons that caught Kali's attention, it was the figure at the very top of the pyramid.
She noted the fur coat that was attached at his neck, the short dark brown hair and black eyes that were glaring at her. Whoever he was, he was of masculine shape, his sturdy arms looked like boulders, and his jaw tightened as he grit his teeth.
"Is that -?" Theo gasped.
"Jarrod!" Casey breathed.
Lily stood up so fast that Kali barely had time to register her movements, however she did throw out her arm, preventing Lily from striding beyond the protection of their shield. At least behind here, Kali could protect her. The shield was strong, and it would take a great force to destroy it.
"Jarrod, what are you doing here?" Lily demanded; her hands clenched into fists at her side.
Kali was confused. She didn't know who this Jarrod person was, all she did know was that the energy coming from the figure at the top of the pyramid was enough to tell her that this person was Dai Shi in human form.
"The one you called Jarrod is gone," said the man. "I am now filled with the evil of Dai Shi.
"Knew it," Kali murmured.
Casey sighed and tried to stand again. "Great. It was bad enough when you were just a jerk that got kicked out of our school," he hissed, his arm wrapped around his waist as he struggled to stand.
Lily returned to his side, supporting him by wrapping one arm around his back.
"And you were responsible for that humiliation," said Dai Shi.
Kali cocked her head to the side. "Why do you care what happened to your human vessel?" she asked. "I mean, it stands without reason that if Jarrod hadn't have been expelled from Pai Zhuq, you wouldn't be here in his body."
Dai Shi snarled.
Kali stared at him.
Tearing his gaze away from Kali, Dai Shi found Casey's. "I challenge you, Red Ranger," he said, jumping down from the pyramid and transforming into his lion armour.
"I beat you once," said Casey, struggling to free himself from Lily's grasp. "I can beat you again."
Lily shook her head. "No, Casey," she said.
"He challenged me," said Casey, defiantly. "I can't back down now."
Kali raised an eyebrow at him. "No offence, Case, but you can barely stand," she said. "You're not going to survive a fight with Dai Shi in your current state."
"Then what do you suggest I do?"
"You could be the bigger person and not rise to his bait," said Kali. "I can still just turn and leave. No one has to fight."
"I'm not running away," said Casey, shaking his head. "And I'm surprised you'd choose that option."
Kali rolled her eyes. "Live to fight another day, cub," she said. "But if you're that determined to prove yourself, then go ahead." She side-stepped, lowering her shield and giving Casey unrestricted access to Dai Shi.
Theo and Lily shared terrified looks.
Gritting his teeth, Casey slid his glasses onto his face and touched the sides. "Jungle Beast, Spirit Unleashed!" he called, as he strode towards Jarrod.
Dai Shi smirked and tapped his chest with his fist. "I call forth the mighty lion!" he called.
"Call to the beast inside, unleash the Tiger!" Casey called.
Kali glanced to her left. Lily was teetering dangerously on the balls of her feet, her eyes glued to Casey as he stubbornly approached Dai Shi. Reaching out, Kali wrapped her hand around Lily's wrist and squeezed, trying her best to reassure the teenager that everything would be okay.
Lily sighed and wound her own hand around Kali's, squeezing firmly. She felt slightly better know there was someone more experienced there to help out if needed, and she hoped that Kali was on the same wavelength as her in thinking that she would step in to stop Dai Shi if the time came. Surely she wouldn't let Casey get seriously hurt.
The battle was short-lived. Casey put up a fight, but he was to injured from his battle with Stingarella to do more damage. He puffed in extortion as he stumbled back from a punch, and then cried out as Dai Shi slammed him into the quarry wall. Still holding his shoulder, Dai Shi hauled Casey into the air, and then tossed him aside.
Casey groaned as he hit the floor, demorphin', once again, on impact.
"Casey!" Lily called. She wanted to run to him but couldn't due to the pressure of Kali's hand on her wrist.
Dai Shi snapped his fingers in the air. "Stingarella!" he called.
"Yes, Master," Stingarella said, striding forward. She passed Dai Shi; her gaze set solely on Casey. She stood over him and then struck, driving two fingers forwards.
Inches from Casey's chest, Stingarella was propelled backwards as a wall of black smoke collided with her. She stumbled, bracing herself against the powerful magic and then fell to her knees as it disappeared. Raising her head, Stingarella glared as Kali stood in front of Casey, a reflected shield erect between them.
"Do not interfere!" Dai Shi hissed, firing a fireball at her. The ball hit the shield and fizzled out.
Kali grinned. "Try again," she taunted. "Not much can get past my shield."
Dai Shi growled. "This isn't over," he promised. "We'll be back, and when we do, it'll be your end."
"Yeah, yeah," said Kali, waving him off. "Run away with your tail between your legs while you still can."
With one final glare, Dai Shi turned and disappeared. The rest of his army following his lead.
~X~
By the time evening had fallen, Casey was in more agony than ever. His whole body ached and the perspiration coming off of his forehead was enough to fill a small pool. He lay in his hammock, with Lily at his side dabbing a wet cloth to his feverish skin.
"Thanks," said Casey, offering Lily a small smile. "I feel better already."
"Are you sure?" Lily asked, concern in her eyes.
Theo scoffed. "He said he's fine," he said, pulling Lily away. "Leave the guy alone."
Kali scoffed as she made her way into the room. She was carrying a glass vial in her hand, which she uncorked and handed it to Casey. "Don't smell it, or ask what it is, just down it in one."
Casey frowned. "But -" he started.
"Just do it," said Kali. "Or, I'll do it for you. Plug your nose if you must."
Lily and Theo shared a look as Casey eyed the bottle sceptically. But, plugging his nose with his fingers, he downed the contents in one gulp, gagging at the horrible taste it left.
"What was that?" Casey coughed, leaning out of his hammock and spitting into the wash basin beneath him. "It tastes like -"
"Yeah, yeah, potions aren't meant to taste nice," said Kali. "Besides, the more horrible it tastes, the better effects it will have. You'll be fine by morning."
"Are you sure?" Lily asked.
Kali nodded. "If there is one thing Claire has got good at, it's creating potions," she said.
"Am I the only concerned that Jarrod is now Dai Shi?" Rylie asked. She wandered over, mug of hot cocoa in hand and passed it to Casey.
"Standing up to him took a lot of guts," said RJ.
"Or not a lot of brain cells," said Theo.
Kali snorted and Casey glared at the pair of them.
"Theo, I'm ignoring your negative energy," said RJ. "But, Casey, I am working on something new for you that you're just going to love. You just power it up with your Tiger spirit and it'll blow your mind."
Casey grinned with excitement.
"Is it dangerous?" Lily asked.
Theo rolled his eyes at her. "Casey already has a mommy, he doesn't need another," he said.
Kali shook her head at the pair. Theo's jealousy seemed obvious to everyone bar Lily.
"You don't hear me complaining," said Casey, hunkering down in his hammock. He pulled his blanket up to his chin and set the mug of hot cocoa on the table beside him.
Rylie wrapped an arm around RJ. "Okay, time for lights out," she said. "Casey needs his rest."
"She's right," said Kali. "We're up against some major badness here, we all need our sleep."
The others nodded and headed for their rooms.
~X~
"Casey!"
Kali startled awake as Lily's voice echoed in from the room adjacent to her own. She pushed back her covers and slid out of bed, padding into the adjoining room and switching on the light.
Lily jolted and looked around, her eyes wide in fear and surprise. Realising she was safe in the loft, and that it was only Kali at the door, the teenager relaxed and slumped against her pillows. "Did I wake you?" she asked. "Sorry, if I did."
"Kind of hard to wake someone who wasn't sleeping anyway," said Kali, moving further into the room. She sat on the edge of Lily's bed, tucking one leg beneath her and staring at the teenager. "You want to talk about what you saw?" she asked.
Lily huffed and run a hand through her hair. "I saw Casey get destroyed," she admitted. "Jarrod did it. Or Dai Shi. I don't know anymore. But Casey and he were fighting in the forest, and Dai Shi got the upper hand."
"You really care about him, don't you? Casey, I mean."
Lily nodded. "It's like having a little brother," she admitted. There was a heavy silence, before Lily looked up at Kali. "You mentioned knowing my sister. Can you tell me how?"
"You remember the Ninja Rangers in Blue Bay Harbour?"
Lily nodded.
"Your sister and I were on the team," Kali admitted. "You're smart, so I'm sure you can guess which colours we were."
Lily smiled. "Tori always did have an infinity for the colour blue," she said. "Plus, last I spoke to her, she said she was training to be a Water ninja. Why didn't she ever tell me she was a Ranger?"
"Have you told her you're a Ranger?"
Realising her point, Lily cracked a small smile. "Do you think Casey will be okay?" she asked. "Am I getting worried over nothing? If you tell me I am, then I'll relax enough to go back to sleep."
Kali sighed and picked the hem of Lily's blanket. "Do you want me to honest?" she asked.
"Is being honest going to scare me?"
"Probably," said Kali. "But, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Being scared can be used for good things. It can motivate you to be a better person, to do better in any case scenario. I remember when I went up against my biological dad, Imperious, I was terrified because he was a lot more powerful than me, especially in darkness, but I knew I could use my fear to beat him. I did the same when I was a Ninja Ranger, I knew that I had to face Lothor and betray my friends, I was scared that they wouldn't trust me after, but they understood my intentions weren't to harm them."
Lily considered her words. She had lied and betrayed her last team, did that mean she would do the same here?
"Look, Lil, I'm not going to lie to you and say that everything is going to turn out a-okay, because we both know it's not true," said Kali, "Being a Ranger is dangerous, but not being a Ranger could be worse. Casey will have his hardships, regardless of when they happen, and Dai Shi's always going to have a bone to pick with him because of what happened with Jarrod - although that still confuses the hell out of me, but I digress."
Lily smiled. "I'll tell you about what happened, if you want," she offered.
"You can tell me tomorrow," said Kali. "We should try and get some sleep. I know you're still scared, and my words haven't exactly been helpful, but if and when the Poisons attack tomorrow, we need to be at full strength, or at least half strength. I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be similar to today, but also a little different."
Lily frowned and cocked her head to the side. She had noticed that Kali had an uncanny ability to know when something bad was about to happen, and she had been meaning to ask how she knew since meeting her for the first time, two days ago. But the conversation either never cropped up, or they were separated by work and wedding plans to have the discussion.
"Get some sleep," said Kali. "We'll talk later." She stood and left the room, leaving Lily reeling more than she had been when she first woke up.
~X~
Pressing the balls of her hands into her eyes, Kali blinked the stars away as she stared at the journal in front of her. She had borrowed Rylie's laptop, seeing as most of her personal belongings were still at Root core - she had started to move a few things over - and was scrolling through Pinterest looking for suitable brides hairstyles for Vida.
"V, I love your hair, but why did you have to have it so damn short," Kali grumbled. She passed several hair styles that would've looked magnificent on a bride, but they were all for long haired individuals. If she didn't think Vida would kill her as soon as look at her, Kali would've charmed Vida's hair to be longer. It was only for one day, but she knew Vida would not be impressed - everyone else may have been - but it was the Bride's big day, and everything had to be given hers, and the Grooms, seal of approvement.
"Hey, you seen Lily?" Theo asked, appearing in the doorway. Behind him stood Casey, looking healthier than he had done yesterday.
Kali furrowed her brow. "Isn't she downstairs?" she asked. She half-glanced down the hall towards the bedrooms, remembering her conversation with the yellow ranger the previous evening. However, she had been set up here in the kitchen all morning and couldn't remember Lily passing her on the way to work.
"No. We thought maybe she was here with you," said Casey. "Could she still be in bed?"
"I'll go check," said Theo, heading out.
Casey and Kali watched him leave before Kali turned her attention back to Casey. "How are you feeling?" she asked.
"Better. Whatever was in that vial, worked. I've never felt better," said Casey, taking a deep breath.
Kali smiled. "See, I told you, the worst it tastes the better you'll be," she said.
"Yeah. Thanks, by the way," said Casey.
"For?"
"Stepping in when you did. If you hadn't have interrupted Stingarella, yesterday could've been a lot worse."
Kali shrugged. "I could've stopped you from fighting point blank," she said. "But you seemed determined to prove something."
Casey sighed. "Jarrod. He just…" he broke off as Theo came running back. He was alone.
"Lily's not in her room," said Theo. "But I did find this." He held up a handwritten note. "It's from her. She's gone to find the Poisons."
The alarm blared as the monitor flickered to life.
Abandoning her station, Kali and the two boys headed over and watched as Lily fought Rantipede at the beach.
"Looks like she found one," said Kali.
"Let's go!" said Casey.
Theo nodded and headed for the door. Kali watched Lily fight, and then disappeared in a flicker of black magic.
~X~
"I don't know whether you cubs are brave or plain foolish!" Kali said, appearing between Lily and Rantipede. She raised her shield and threw a fireball at the creature, knocking him back several paces.
Lily breathed heavily as Theo and Casey appeared beside her.
"What's the deal going off on your own?" Theo asked.
"I seem to be doing just fine," Lily defended.
"You still should've said something," said Casey.
"It doesn't matter," said Rantipede. "I'll destroy you all! Rinshi warriors."
Kali looked around as multiple Rinshi warriors popped up all along the beach. They each crawled over one another in an attempt to surround the rangers, blocking off any exits they may have tried to use as an escape.
"Me and my big mouth," Lily whined.
"I got these guys covered," said Kali. "Casey, you stay and help. Theo, go with Lily."
The boys nodded and they each broke off into separate teams.
Casey turned to Kali. "What's your plan?" he asked.
"Time to try out RJ's new toy," said Kali. "Think you can handle it?"
Casey grinned and nodded. "With the strength of a Tiger - Strike Rider, cruise!" he called, summoning the new arsenal that RJ had created specifically for him.
Kali raised an eyebrow as a sleek red motorcycle skidded to a stop beside them. Casey threw his leg over the side and settled into the seat, he revved the engine and sped away, leaning low against the engine as the back end of the bike covered his top half, making him almost one with the bike itself.
Ahead of Casey, Kali noticed Camille appear. The chameleon - Nikki had alerted Kali to the difference during her last check in - smirked and pushed her fist into her palm, transforming into her green armour and attempted to attack the racing tiger.
"I'm pretty sure she has a death wish," said Kali, shaking her head. She turned away from Casey and Camille and found a horde of Rinshi warriors racing towards her. Summoning her Jungle Swords, Kali rolled them between her hands and raced forward. She leapt over the front two Rinshi and landed amongst the pack, extending her arms either side of her and spinning in a full circle.
The Rinshi dropped one-by-one, and Kali flipped out of the horde, landing behind them instead.
"Kali, how about a team up?" Casey called over the intercom. "I'll get them from this side, and you take them from yours?"
"Deal," said Kali. She glanced over the top of the Rinshi warriors and watched as Casey sped towards her. She took a running leap as several of them turned at the sound of an engine, their arms raised and poised for an attack. "Darkness Wave!" she called, raising her swords above her head and slashing down.
A wall of darkness washed over the area, after firing his lasers, Casey swerved to avoid the wall of magic as it surged straight over the Rinshi warriors and towards Camille, as she fumed angrily from the side-lines.
Camille screeched as the wave crashed into her, throwing her into the air and out of sight.
"Nice one!" said Casey, fist bumping Kali as she jogged over to him.
Kali grinned and patted the helm of his bike. "Nice wheels," she said. "RJ really out did himself."
"Yeah. This thing rocks!" said Casey.
"Guys!"
Kali and Casey looked around as Theo and Lily raced over. Behind them were the remains of Rantipede.
"You did it!" said Casey, high-fiving both Theo and Lily. "Way to go!"
"Lily did most of it," said Theo, patting his friend on the shoulder.
Lily shrugged awkwardly. "It was no biggie," she said.
"Yeah, let's hope RJ sees it that way," said Kali.
"How much trouble am I in?" Lily asked, her shoulders sagging.
Kali shrugged. "Put it this way, I pulled something similar on my last team, and despite still recovering from a Hellhound takeover, I had to jog five miles in the freezing cold," she said.
"Harsh."
"Actions have consequences," said Kali. "Even as Rangers. Come on. Let's head back, the sooner you face RJ, the sooner you get the punishment over with."
Lily heaved a sigh, but took Kali's offered hand, nonetheless. Casey and Theo followed suit, and the four of them disappeared in a flicker of magic.
~X~
"I like the colour scheme you picked out," said Vida. She and Kali had opted for a video chat this evening, instead of the usual voice call. "I was considering pink and yellow from the beginning, but I wasn't sure if they would go well together."
"Pink and Yellow seem great together if they aren't as bright as your ranger suits were," said Kali. "Hot pink and bright yellow kind of clash, but soft pastel colours look good together."
"Do you think me wearing a pink wedding gown and Chip being in a yellow suit is going to look odd, though?" Vida asked. "I know we aren't going for traditional, but I don't want to be super stupid."
Kali shrugged. "I always imagined you in a white dress, regardless of tradition or not, anyway," she said. "Chip could wear a black suit with a yellow flower in the pocket, and you could have a white dress with yellow and pink bouquet. I had permission from Udonna to use a little magic for personal gain, and from what I have seen, you and Chip would look amazing."
"You'll have to use the same spell and show me," said Vida.
"Okay. I have everything set up in the loft, give me as sec to - whoa…" Kali trailed off as she entered the kitchen, her eyes widening at the mountains of dishes piled up on the side.
"What?" Vida asked. "What happened? You can't just say 'whoa' and then go quiet. What do you - Oh, my god!" the gasp of surprise came as Kali turned her phone to face the disaster zone that was the JKP kitchen?
"Lily?" Kali asked, spotting the blonde-haired teenager moving behind three tall tower of dishes. She was up to her arms in bubbles, and hair was askew-ed as she dunked several plates into the hot water, washed them down with a cloth, and then rinsed them off under the tap, before setting them on the side to dry.
Lily smiled, tiredly. "Hey, sorry, didn't mean to scare you," she apologised.
"Scare me?" Kali asked. "You're the one I am worried about. Did the dishwasher break or something?"
"No. Remember your 'actions have consequences' speech earlier?"
Kali nodded.
"Well, this is my punishment for going off alone," said Lily. "RJ seems to think it will teach me a lesson about teamwork."
"That seems a little excessive," said Vida.
"Not that much different to Daggeron forcing Xander to stay out all night and create a tree with limited wood magic," said Kali.
Vida snickered. "Yeah, but at least he had magic on his side," she defended. "Lily is doing all this by hand."
Kali bit the inside of her cheek and glanced up the metal staircase in front of her. Once sure that she and Lily were alone, and no one was going to come down and catch them, she whipped out her mystic morpher and pointed it at the masses of dishes on the side.
"What are you doing?" Lily asked, her eyes widening as the dishes started to dunk themselves in the water, wash themselves with a wash cloth, rinse themselves under the tap before towel drying themselves, and then sliding carefully into their respective cupboards.
"Did you learn nothing about personal gain?" Vida asked.
"Shh," said Kali. She waved her mystic morpher and footsteps echoed from above, as Rylie appeared at the top of the stairs.
The dishes stopped their movements, some just sliding under the water as others returned to their resting places on the side of the sink.
"How are you getting - oh!" said Rylie, stopping half-way down the staircase and looking at the half-washed dishes on the counter top. "You're almost done. Damn, you work fast."
Lily looked between Rylie and Kali, unsure of what to say. Could she take credit for a job that she didn't do?
"She's a cheetah," said Kali, patting Rylie on the shoulder and winking at Lily as she headed up the staircase. "Fast is the only speed she knows. Good job, Lil. Come find me when you're done, we'll have that talk you wanted last night."
As Kali disappeared from sight, Rylie turned back to Lily. "Has she used -" she cut off as Lily shook her head and set to work finishing up the last of the dishes.
Furrowing her brow, Rylie looked from Lily to the stairs where Kali had disappeared. Something didn't feel right here, and she was sure that Kali had something to do with it.