Chapter 14: Scaredy Cat
-Rootcore-
With Udonna gone, the rangers practicing spells with one another and Claire watching protectively over the Fire Heart Aria was left alone at the table with her nose in a book. So far she had not managed to find anything on her necklace nor her powers. She pinched the bridge of her nose and released her wild hair from its tight ponytail to try and relieve the coming headache.
"Rangers! Come help!" Claire suddenly cried, bouncing on the balls of her feet.
Aria sprang up, relieved that she now had an excuse to stop her research and met the others in front of the egg.
"You have to see this" Claire beamed
They all stared intently at the egg, "Uh, I don't-" Nick tried but was quickly hushed by Claire
Aria quirked an eyebrow at the egg and waited. Suddenly, the egg shook and they laughed in surprise. Claire grabbed Xander by the collar and shook him "See? See?"
"I do! I do!" he laughed, prying her hands off of him.
"This is so great! I'm so excited" Chip said with wide eyes "What does it mean?"
They all stopped and stared at him before Aria clasped a hand on his shoulder "It's gonna hatch soon dude" she said simply
"Does anyone know how to hatch a dragon egg?" Maddie asked skeptically
"Udonna will know" Chip said
"UDONNA'S NOT HERE!" Claire screamed, grabbing Chip by the collar and shaking him as well
"Claire, Claire," Aria stepped in and grabbing the blond by the shoulders "Breathe, breathe" she slowly inhaled and exhaled as Claire followed along.
"I know where we can find info" Maddie said, clapping her hands together.
Walking to the bookshelf she plucked a large white book from it and showed the others "1001 Things You Want to Know About Dragons" she read
Aria walked over and read the book over the Blue Rangers shoulder before twisting her face in both confusion and curiosity.
"Set upright and proceed to bludgeon it with a hammer" the black ranger read off
"Awesome, I'll get the hammer" Vida said almost too excitedly
"OH NO YOU DON'T!" Claire declared, protectively shielding the egg with her small frame
There was then an unexpected knock at the entrance of Rootcore
"Do we have a door?" Nick asked as he rushed to the front
"It's a fucking dragon head of course we don't have a fucking door" Aria exclaimed as she followed him.
Opening the mouth the two came face to face with Phineas wearing a white bandage around his face, clutching his cheek
"Oh hey Phineas" Aria greeted
The Troblin only replied with groans of pain
"Hey you alright?" Nick asked and placed a hand on his shoulder.
Phineas pushed his arm away and said "Do I look alright? Do I ever come and knock on your…dragon-nose…thing? Do I ever wear a rather unflattering bandage around my head? Do I ever have a throbbing, pulsating, excruciating pain around my mouth?" he paused "Do I ever ask four questions in a row? Well five if you count this one" he rambled
"Phineas!" Aria called "You have a toothache?"
"Aha bingo!" he said "Can someone please help me before my head explodes?"
"Wait, wait, wait, let me see that" Nick said, motioning Phineas to come closer
Phineas opened his mouth for Nick who held his breathe to avoid the stink coming from the Troblin
"Aren't there dentists in the woods?" he asked
Aria put a hand on her hip and raised an eyebrow at him "Did you really just ask that?"
"What's a dentist?" Phineas asked
With a brief explanation to Phineas and a not so quick story about a 'Boulder Roller' it was decided, much to Aria's concern that they take Phineas to a dentist.
-Briarwood-
The six rangers created a circle around Phineas who was decked in a long trench coat, fedora, and shades and guided him to the dentist.
Aria and Nick had Phineas' back so Aria leaned and whispered to Nick "I still don't think this is a good idea"
"What could happen?' he asked just as Phineas was about to take a step off the curb and into a speeding car
"Famous last words" she replied to Nick
A shrill voice soon rang around the corner "Help! get the Power Rangers! Monsters!" Leelee cried
"What?" Maddie asked as the others grouped closer around Phineas
"Beach cave!" she screamed
"Hey! Leelee, Leelee" Nick said stepping forward "We don't know where the Power Rangers are"
"Why don't you look on the other side of town and we'll look around here?" Aria chimed in
"You can never those costumed freaks when you need them?" she pouted and stormed off
"Who you callin freak?" Aria mumbled "You punk ass"
"Sounds like there's trouble at the beach cave" Chip reminded "Wonder why the crystal didn't pick it up"
"Hi, uh remember me?" Phineas said "The one with the tooth?"
"Right, someone should stay behind and take him to the dentist. Any volunteers?" Maddie asked
"Well I'm gonna be checking out the crystal ball. See why it didn't pick anything up" Aria said raising her hand
"Well someone has to stay behind" Xander repeated
As they all looked expectedly at each other
"Hey guys!" another voice called
Turning around they found Toby. Xander looked back with a smirk, "Then again maybe not…"
-Rootcore-
Aria watched the crystal ball and found no irregularities with it. At the Beach Cave however she found the Five fighting a handful of Hidiacs but nothing out of the ordinary. There was nothing wrong with the Ball what so ever.
She watched as they ran into the cave and noticed and tiny flash and she froze. She repeated the scene and took a closer look before realizing that they had run through a protective field.
Jumping out her of seat she raced to the Xenotome and flipped through the pages until she found the spell seal that had protected the cave. She instantly paled, that protection seal guarded one of greatest allies and one of the most dangerous sorcerers of all. And god damn her if either falls into the wrong hands.
Leaping over the ledge that held the Xenotome she called the rangers "Get out of there!" she cried
"What?" Xander asked
She had no chance to answer as the cave started to shake and the seal broke, allowing Necrolai to appear
She threw the others out of the way and grabbed a mummy like statue before blinding them with smoke and disappearing.
"Fuck" Aria breathed
"I got a bad feeling we'll be seeing that thing again" Vida shuddered
"At least she didn't get the lamp" Nick said presenting the others with the blue and gold lamp
"Bring it back here, I think I may know what it is" Aria told the others
-Later-
-Rootcore-
"That's definitely the Mystic Symbol" Maddie said as the Five circled around the lamp on the wooden table.
"I swear I saw something about that lamp earlier" Aria mumbled from the Xenotome
"Maybe there's more writing" Nick thought as he took a rag to wipe some of the dust off
The rangers jumped a little when the lamp began to shake. Aria rushed to join them just as a cat in red, blue, and gold armor flew out.
"I am the Great Genie Jenji!" he announced "I grant you one wish"
While all the other rangers looked wide eyed and bushy tailed Aria groaned in annoyance. Genies were tricky things, you had to be super specific about your wish.
"Genie?!" Xander repeated
"Yeah, you got a problem with that?" Jenji asked holding his fists up
"Well, no, no"
"Good…I hate violence" Jenji relaxed before getting to business "Now, here's the rules. You're the Master. I'm the Genie. You get one wish, can't hurt anyone with it-blah, blah, blah, blah, blah."
"Wow, a real live Genie" Chip said in awe "Always wanted one of those"
"One wish, don't take all day" Jenji urged "Got a lot of things to do, like sit in a cave for another 19 years!"
"You blamin' us?" Vida asked
"Oh, so now it's blame the big cat."
"So one wish right?" Xander questioned, as if this hasn't been said before
"Airplanes, balloons, cash, DVDs—not pirated, elephants, ferns, gold, houses, igloos, jade, kites, limes, moats, necklaces, opals, polo ponies, quills, -who put the steps?-, roast beef, six silver saddles, Texas, underwear, vases, whales, xylophones, yaks, and zippers" he listed while parading around Rootcore before taking a giant deep breath. "A to Z, anything your heart desires"
"I know!" Chip exclaimed "With just one wish,"
"Be careful what you ask for Chip" Aria warned
"I wish…for ten wishes for each of us" he said excitedly
"Granted!" Jenji announced "Like nobody's ever asked that before"
The rangers hooted and hollered in delight while Aria face palmed
"I wish," Xander said, stepping up to the Genie "for 100 diamonds!"
Jenji looked down at Xander's hands before him "You haven't washed your hands lately have you?"
"Nothing happened!"
"You guys had one wish" Aria reminded "Chip asked for ten wishes which was technically your one wish"
"Curly hair is right, didn't I show you the Genie Contract?" Jenji asked
"Genies are tricky creatures" she shrugged
Claire then walked out with the Dragon Egg in her arms
"Is that a Dragon Egg cause I'm hungry!" Jenji exclaimed
"Yes it is" she smiled proudly
"Can somebody say omelet?"
"Does you-know-who know you brought home a stray cat?" Claire asked
"Don't worry, I don't think we're gonna keep it" Nick said
"It's about to hatch. Better keep it warm" Jenji advised "Someone sit on it, it's uncomfortable but it's the only way."
Soon Claire was perched on top of the red and gold egg when Aria suddenly took in a sharp breath of air
"Ria? What's wrong?" Vida asked
"I don't know…that was weird…"
At the same time of Aria's reaction the crystal ball sensed a new evil force
"Evil doesn't sleep" Nick sighed "Ria, you stay here with Claire, we'll call you if we need backup"
"Right"
"Okay, bye-bye, I'll be gone by the time you get back" Jenji exclaimed
"Nope, you are coming with us. You owe us wishes"
"What about the contract?"
"Back in the lamp, you're coming with us"
"Fine, but you should know when it comes to fighting-"
Jenji never finished his sentence as he was sucked into the lamp.
With a bit of struggle the rangers finally made it out.
-Soon-
Aria watched as a dark thundering cloud approached her friends before transforming into…
"Imperious…" she breathed
She watched as her friends were tossed around like ragdolls, even Nick's most powerful attack had no effect on the mummy.
"My turn" Aria said with a clenched jaw
"Go get em" Claire smiled
"MAGICAL SOURCE MYSTIC FORCE!"
"Gawlit Mysto Ranger"
"Mysterious as Shadow, Black Mystic Ranger"
-City-
"I was misled into thinking you would be a more powerful adversary." Imperious goaded "Udonna has not chosen wisely"
"Think again!" Aria called as she flipped in the air, landing in front of her friends
"Another?"
With a fierce battle cry Aria fired one of her strongest attacks. The ground around him smoked and sparked but he was completely unharmed
"That tickles" he laughed
"What?"
"My turn" he turned his fan towards her and he sent his own spell her way. But like him, the attacks made her stumble but not throw her to the ground.
"No…" he breathed
"What haven't you heard? I'm the Child of Darkness bitch"
"No matter, now I will show you real power!" he exclaimed before a seal appeared below him and made him grow
Behind her, her friends came up from the ground "We got a few tricks too! Ready?"
"READY"
"GAWLIT MYSTO PRIFIOR!"
The Five transformed into their megazord while Aria expanded her mighty wings. Even then however Imperious towered over them and kicked the two zords down.
"Pathetic" he sneered
"Come on!" Nick cheered, the megazord summoned their sword and Aria called upon her staff.
The two flew up to Imperious's face, bobbing and weaving together.
"Oh look, a couple of fleas" he laughed as he whacked them to the side. "I'm growing bored with this annoyance. MUTRAFENTO!"
The entire team was forced to their knees, even Aria couldn't seem to withstand the strength of his magic. Both zords were smoking and sparking, neither knew what to do. That didn't mean they were giving up
"TITAN MEGAZORD—FULL POWER!"
"I SUMMON THE DARKNESS WITHIN!"
"It is time to end this!"
Before either party could attack Jenji the Genie appeared behind them, towering over the rangers.
"Who's the big cat now?"
"What's this?" Imperious demanded
"All right who's your daddy now, mummy?" Jenji jeered. He distracted Imperious long enough for Aria and the others to attack. When they got their opening the two slashed Imperious across the face at full power. Finally they got Imperious on the ground. The giant mummy stood and sneered at the rangers
"You were lucky, take this!" but the attack never came as Imperious cried in pain when he tried to use his fan. "My magic is still weak from my time in the cave I have to recharge"
"Ok that's for the info bud" Aria mumbled
"My apologies for not destroying you as promised, but I will!" and with a flourish he disappeared
"Well, peace out mummy" Jenji said holding both zords in his hand
-Later-
-Rootcore-
"Just trust us and keep em closed!" Vida said as she and Chip guided Udonna out of Rootcore
"Hope you don't mind pets cause we got a new cat" Aria grinned, holding Jenji's arm with Nick.
"Open your eyes!" Maddie said bouncing up and down beside Nick
Udonna opened her green eyes and smiled brighter than ever
"It's me I'm the cat!" Jenji said excitedly
"Jenji!" Udonna beamed
"Udonna! You haven't changed a day!"
"I've missed you so much! Where have you been?"
"Well let me t-"
"Daggeron…Calindor!" she blurted suddenly "Bowen…Baya*! Do you know where they are?"
"No, you see…"
However, Jenji was cut off once again as Claire suddenly screamed for help. They all raced inside and found Claire shaking on top of the giant egg. She was thrown off the egg and was caught by the ranges as they all watched the egg.
Within seconds the egg was hatched and before them sat a metallic red, blue, and gold dragon. The last dragon. Fireheart.
*Baya-pronounced Bay-ya
(A/N Another chapter done! I know my update sched is all over the place but this year has already been so busy. I'll keep writing whenever I can. REVIEW AND FOLLOW! XOXOXOX)