Like Sands in the Hourglass part 3
by Machiro-el
Nick looked frustrated. "Isn't there any way to de-age me long enough to let me fight? I want to get the monster that did this to me. And did that to Vida." He paused. "And what about the other guy that got aged in our shop?"
Chip shrugged. "There was nothing for us to do here, so I sent him to the county hospital. We can't tell if he was aged or deaged, and he was in pretty good shape. Ya know, considering."
Udonna nodded. "His disorientation was simply residual effects from the spell."
"Great," Nick said, struggling up. "I've got to do something." What, he wasn't sure, since it was apparent that his fellow Rangers weren't probably going to let him leave the safety of their headquarters, much less battle a monster.
"What you'll do is get some bedrest," Xander added. The others nodded in response. "We'll handle this."
"Guys, we're going to need a Red Ranger. You can make the Titan Dragon Formation, but we're without a Megazord with me on the sidelines. Udonna, can we transfer our powers to other people, even temporarily? I mean, Toby isn't my first choice, but he can keep a secret. I think."
"The Power is tied to you and you alone, Nick," Udonna said regretfully. "The monster's beam also enforced that. You and Vida are more tied to your Powers than ever before."
Nick grunted. "Crap. If anybody has an idea..."
Chip snaped his fingers suddenly. "I might. I just might. Hold on, I need to go check my comic book collection. NOBODY MOVE."
Everybody groaned. "Let's not, and say we did," Vida snapped, grabbing Chip's arm.
"Foolish human rabble!" he yelled, jerking himself free. "This could work."
Claire's voice intruded into the argument. "Hey, maybe we could - " She waved her wand around, causing a flurry of sparkles that sped through the room like they were being chased.
Sparkles zipped out from each of their bodies, joining the cloud she conjured like a swarm of bees.
"Whoa, what was that?" Xander asked as the sparkles came together to one side, chasing each other around in an endless game of tag.
The sparkles swirled faster and faster, until they seemed to form a continuous glow. Finally, they faded, coalescing into a guy with light brown hair in an outfit similar to Nick's, except the Red was dark, almost a maroon color. There was a small reddish streak in his bangs. He was raising his arms, looking at them as if he'd never seen before. All looked at the new figure in silence, only broken by Chip's "This is great!"
"And who in the heck is that?" Vida asked.
"Um... I don't... really know," Claire admitted.
"Yousuke," the man introduced myself. "I think I'm... I'm not sure, really. I don't think I existed before this."
"Nice to meet ya!" Chip said with great enthusiasm. Vida hit him in the chest.
"Yousuke?" Nick asked. "What kind of a name is that?" He wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer on it, but somebody had to ask.
"Uh." Yousuke appeared to rack his brains. "I think it's Japanese. Am I Asian?"
Madison shook her head. "Not really."
"Someone 'round here must be an anime fan," Xander observed. He looked at Chip.
Chip held up his hands. "Not me, man. The most international thing I own geek-wise is 2000AD imports."
"I don't know much about anime," Madison said. "I'm into documentaries, not animation."
"Hey, don't look at me," Vida said, holding up her hands.
Xander shrugged. "Only thing I watch from abroad is Neighbours repeats my sister gets sent from a friend back in Melbourne."
"So, nobody's going to admit to being an anime addict?" Nick asked.
"Hey, it's not like it's terribly crucial to why Yousuke's here," Vida pointed out.
Nick lowered himself back onto the cot. "I'm too tired to argue about this. You guys tell me if you got everything sorted out with the magical guy when I wake up."
"Yeah, you'd better get some rest there, buddy," Xander said.
Chip bounded to Yousuke's side. "So how much do you remember about the world; the human condition? You can speak English all right."
Yousuke looked thoughtful. "I know there's a danger. I know where you guys work. Anything else really doesn't matter."
Xander thacked Chip across the chest. "Man after my own heart. Udonna, let's get this boy a uniform."
"Just a second!" Clare chimed in. "I've caused enough magical glitches to know you don't just go drafting one of them to fight Koragg. No offense, Yousuke."
"No offense taken," Yousuke said. "Though I do have a feeling that's what I was created for."
"As soon as we have determined what can be done with Nick, we shall run Yousuke through a series of tests to determine his prowess as a warrior. With your consent, of course," Udonna added.
Yousuke flashed Udonna a bright grin. "No problem."
"Hey, I'm still here," Nick objected. He felt woozy, yes, but he was still there.
Xander rubbed Nick's shoulder. "Buddy, we're just talking about a temp job here. We can't put you in any danger, and for once a spell of convenience is actually being convenient. We gotta move on that."
"Hey, I can be convienent," Yousuke said cheerfully. He looked like he was going to start hopping up and down any minute now.
Udonna cleared her throat. "Of that I have no doubt. Still, our utmost concern must be Nick's speedy recovery. Yousuke, I trust you will take no offense if I ask you to remain under observation in the meantime."
"Heck no!" he said with as much enthusiasm as anyone not prone to using profanity could. "It means Nicky and I can catch up!"
"Nicky?" Vida said, raising her eyebrows.
"Hey, I'm intimate with all of you," Yousuke said.
Xander beamed. "Oh, kid, do I have some plans for you when this gets sorted out."
"Let's so not go there," Vida said, stepping forward as if to protect Yousuke. "Let's get this monster, get me and Nick back to the right ages, and Yousuke can puff back to where he came from."
"She's got a point," Yousuke said. "I'm here to get Nicky and Vidie deaged."
Vida leapt towards Yousuke in an attempt to grasp his neck. "You don't legally exist, it's not manslaughter if I killed you."
"Hey, calm down, Vidie, no harm, no foul," Yousuke said, dodging out of the way. "It's just that you're so... cute."
"DEATH KILL MURDER!" Yida yelled inarticulately.
"Hey, Vida? I don't think he really means it," Chip said, waving her off.
"I've got personality traits from all of you, Vidie... er, Vida." Yousuke looked at her while emphasizing her proper name. "While I'm still around to get you to the right age, I guess you'll have to put up with me, hm?"
Vida growled, but her posture relaxed. Madison snatched her younger-older sister under her arm like an errant football. "Thank you," she said to Yousuke with sincerity.
Yousuke looked thoughtful. "I seem to have picked up some good personality traits and some bad ones from you guys while I was being created. I'll try to de-emphasize the bad ones, okay?"
Xander bounded to his side. "Perchance, did you inherit any of my most glowing traits?"
"More like he got all of your worst traits," Vida muttered.
"That," Xander replied, "is like saying a diamond has faults. They're only there to make it more exquisite."
"I don't know," Yousuke finally answered. "I can only tell that I have them, not who I got them from."
"Anyway," Madison said quietly, breaking up the discussion, "Do we, or don't we use Yousuke until we can de-age Nick?"
Nick struggled back to his feet. "Don't we. Uh, nay. Whichever."
"Hey, hey, hey," Xander said, trying to get Nick to stay down. "He sounds like a good sport to me."
Madison's attention was drawn to a panel. "We can't worry about Yousuke now, that monster's back!"
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Still have class. More writing later.