XI. Power Rangers In Retrograde - Mystic Force – Petrified Xander
(Based from summaries from .com)
"You..." Morticon advances toward a pair of young girls swinging his sword wildly, "...failed..." The twins in turn jump back to avoid being cut in half by the enraged demon lord, "...again."
"Morticon sto-"
"I warned you I would not tolerate more failure."
"Morticon pleas-"
"You promised me the Pink Ranger would join our side, she is still with them! Your plan was worthless." Morticon raises he sword now that the twins was backed into a corner, ready to strike her down.
"The Pink Ranger is still a vampire!" the girls blurt out.
Morticon freezes in his place, then slams his sword into the ground as he narrows his gaze on on the twins. "Explain!"
"Just as the Dawn Crystal could not destroy me by the same token it could not sever my bond to the Pink Ranger. She is still my spawn. She may have broken my mental control but it is in her blood now, she will turn to the Dark Side, she can not help it. It is only a matter of time."
"How much time," Morticon growls.
The other twin shrugs, "In normal cases like this anywhere from months to years."
Morticon draws his sword nearly decapitating the second twin, "Years? I will not stay in this pit for years!"
"Morticon please!" the first twin pleads, "I'm sure with the help of Koragg's magic or some other sorcerer in our ranks we can speed up that time. We just need to increase the darkness in her heart until it overwhelms her. It won't take much, it's already in her blood."
Morticon steams, howling to the sky, "Find a sorcerer then!"
-
At the Rock Porium Vida, Chip, and Xander are on duty, Xander is stocking she while Vida is behind the counter counting receipts.
"Ha!" Vida gloats, "I've outsold you by twelve dollars and fifty cents. I win the bet, you owe me lunch."
"Not so fast, Xander the Great still has four minutes to go!"
As one costumer leaves a young girl enters, followed by a twin.
"Hello miss," Vida says friendly.
Xander moves from his post to the counter with winning smile, "Ah Miss you look like a Led Zeppelin fan, can I interest you in something."
the first twin chuckles looking down and away, "Nice Zit...Rudolph." before walking off.
"Zit?" Xander says confused as his gaze focuses on the large pimple on the end of his nose, "Whoa" Quickly moving to a small mirror on the counter for a better look.
"Xander the great big pimple," Vida jokes.
"Oh it totally ruins my perfect profile," looking concerned at his reflection Xander frets, "This zit is like having an extra nose."
Glancing back at the Ranger the second twin rolls her eyes before walking past the counter, pulling a small cream container from her bag, "Here. Works wonders for me."
Xander looks down at the container and smiles, "Thanks Miss, you're a life saver."
"Yes!" Toby shouts from his office as he opens the blinds, "Success!"
"I finished, this entire crypto magic puzzle in just under forty minutes," he preens as he exits his office with an odd light puzzle in hand. "I should work for the CIA," Vida nodding and chuckling a little, "Or the FBI, or better still, the Power Rangers."
This causes the three to tense up immediately.
"What I say?"
"N-Nothing," Vida sweats.
"That's a g-great idea." Chip adds.
"You should give um a call." Vida adds.
"A call, A call!" Toby exclaims and he wanders back into his office.
"Phew." Chip exclaims.
-
"This time is has to work," Clare says spraying some dieing flowers with potions from a spray bottle, "Hum." With nothing happening she gets up to check her notes.
"So everyone ready for what ever booby trap this thing has next?" Chip says cautiously.
All the other Rangers were behind him, cautiously, Except Xander who was examining his zit in a hand mirror.
"We're right behind you," Madison comments.
"Me? Why me?" Chip protests.
"It was your idea," Maddie answers casually.
Chip sighs.
As Clare comes back to her flowers they suddenly spring to life, "It's working!" she exclaims excitedly, "Look I finally did something right!"
Xander pauses looking to Clare and her flowers curiously, "What did you do?"
"It's a potion I concocted to make sad, dull looking flowers perfectly gorgeous!" Clare beams as she sits down by her flowers to inspect them.
"It's a perfection potion," Xander says in awe. Looking back to the group as he hears several grunts of effort.
"How do you open this thing!" Blecker argues.
"Look," Maddie points to a scroll tied to the front and pulls it free, and unrolling it.
"Whoa," Blecker points, "It's counting down." a ticker that was hidden by the scroll revealed and ticking down from 60 minutes.
"This ancient puzzle is your task at hand," Maddie begins reading, "solve it quickly to receive what's grand. But if you fail this timely chore, the Fire Heart will be no more."
"Great more puzzles," Chip groans.
"You're the game master," Vida muses, "what's the solution Chip."
Chip walks around the chest a few times scratching his head, "Sorry guys I've never seen anything like this, I don't even know where to begin."
"None of us do," Maddie muses, "and the counter is just counting down."
All eyes were quickly drawn to the Crystal Orb where the girls from before were leading a group of Styxoids and Hidiacs though the Mystic Wood, attacking a village.
"This is the last thing we needed," Xander grouses, looking from the Orb to the chest, "Chip?"
"I got it!" Chip suddenly exclaims.
"You figured it out?" Vida exclaims happily.
"No but I think I know someone who could."
"Great!" Phineas says leading the Rangers to the broom stands, "Vida, Maddie, Xander you're with me."
The girls ran over quickly, Xander pausing just a moment, quickly spritzing himself with Clare's 'Perfection Potion' as he tosses the lotion he got from one of the girls now causing chaos into the trash.
Chip kept his voice low as he carries the chest, with great effort, toward the back entrance of the Rock Porium. Transforming into Yellow Ranger slip into the back entrance, at the sound of the back door opening Toby runs from his office, "bout time you gu-" Toby freezes in his place as he sees a Ranger with a large chest in his hands, "P-Power R-Rangers?"
"We heard you were good with puzzles," The Yellow Ranger began, "and we have a little problem with this one."
Toby stood there stunned a moment, completely silent.
"Please," Yellow pleaded.
Regaining his composure he nods quickly as the Ranger carries it into his office.
"So what's in the chest?" Toby wonders as he starts to look it over.
"We don't really know, but you can bet it won't be good for anyone if Koragg and his gang get their hands on it," Yellow explains as his Mystic Morpher goes off.
Answering it he hears the voice of Clare, "There's dark energy moving in on your position."
"I have to go!"
-
"Bah! Power Rangers! Always showing up where your not wanted," the twins huffs as they blasts the Rangers with energy.
"What are you up to?"
"Who are you?"
The twins look at each other, and then the Pink Ranger, "And you! Traitor! How dare you turn against your queen!"
"Necrolai!?"
"Not Quite!"
The first twin puffs up and poses, "Necra!"
the second odes something similar, "Liera!"
"We are the remenents of Necrolai after her defeat by the Dawn Crystal!" Before the pair transform into their own vampire forms.
"I don't know how you survived," Green steps in front of Pink, then charges with his axe, "She's no longer one of your vampire pawns anymore Necrolai."
Another blast sends the Rangers flying back, "Are you so sure of that, Rangers?" she cackles as she flies off, leaving the Rangers to polish off the Hidiacs and Styxoids.
Blue blasts several back as the other Rangers get to their feet, pausing to look questioningly at Pink, "Your back to normal right V?"
"I uh-" Pink begins before knocking Blue out of the way of a Sytxoid's attack, "Watch out!"
Before Red can move to attack his Mystic Morpher rings, "What is it? Kinda busy."
"Chip is fighting a monster in the city and could use backup." Clare's voice said on the other end.
"We need to wrap this up guys, Chip needs us in the city!"
"Right!" the other Rangers say together before charging into the fray.
Green smashed his axe into the ground the shock wave scattering the Styxoids just before vines erupted to hold them in place.
"Tornado Power!" the Pink Ranger exclaimed, tossing the Styxoids around as she blew through them as a mystical disaster.
Summoning his Mystic Racer the Red Ranger blaster them with laser fire before tearing through the last remnants of the Styxoids.
"I think that's all of them," Pink said as she powered down, the others following suite as several of the locals came over to them.
"Hail the Mystic Force, protectors of the forest!"
"Always wondered what it was like to be worshiped," Xander crossed his arms cockily, "I like it."
Maddie, Nick, and Vida chuckle, "Nice look Xander."
"What are-" He cut himself short as he looked down to see his arms covered in moss and brush. "This is funny to you guys?" he said in disgust walking away, the other Rangers hurrying to catch up.
"Aw come on Xander," Vida protests, still laughing, "You always laugh when Clare turns herself into funny stuff."
"I-I'm sure it's just a side effect of your organic powers,"Maddie says calmly, Xander nodding along reassured, "It'll go away...knock on wood."
Xander glared at her for the bad pun, "Come on guys we have other Rangers to help, remember."
"Guys, Guys enough," Plineas says getting serious, "Leaf Xander alone." Before breaking down into laughter again.
"Guys can we focus on something more important, like Chip fighting a monster alone," Xander says annoyed.
-
Arriving on the scene the Red ranger catches the Yellow Ranger as he is sent rolling.
"Don't worry Blecker, we got your back."
As the Rangers pursue the monster Yellow pauses looking back at Pink cautiously, 'She can't still be...can she?' As he runs to catch up to the others he finds they have all stopped and are looking around. They all power down.
"We lost him," Nick growls.
"He's bound to show up again, why don't you guys head back to the Rock Porium and keep an eye out for trouble," Chip advises.
"Hey what happened with the chest?" Maddie wonders.
"It's with Toby," Chip explains, "The Yellow Ranger gave it to him to solve," and then quickly adds, "It seemed like a good idea at the time."
Xander sighs, "Not like I can go back to the Rock Porium looking like this."
"Like what?" Chip turns to face Xander, and jumps, then starts to laugh, "Well at least for once it isn't Blecker changing into stuff against her will." then quickly regaining his composure Chip takes Xander's hand, "I'll give you a hand."
-
As Blecker and Vida emerge from a tree into the Mystic Wood Xander seems stuck, the other two taking a firm grip of his arm to pull him free, the force enough to make them all fall and roll, As Xander gets up he gasps, "It's getting worse."
As the girls walk over he pulls his shirt down some, moss growing on his chest.
Vida laughs teasingly, "Some girls like a mossy chest."
Xander slaps her arm, "Not funny V, last time I changed it took a miracle to change me back, what if it doesn't go away."
Vida continues laughing, "It will...in the fall." Xander rolls his eyes, Xander hits her again, "Stop that!"
"Be serious V."
Getting serious she says reassuringly, "Look you didn't do anything to cause this so I'm sure it will fix itself."
"I did do something," Xander looks worried, "I sprayed myself with Clare's perfection potion hoping to fix my nose."
"X-Xander!" Madison admonishes, fumbling with her Mystic Morpher to create a mirror, holding it up as a lane of bark races up the side of his face, covering but not concealing one eye.
Xander gasps, "Now look at me!" before rushing off.
Chip quickly turns to Vida, "Get back to Rootcore, find Clare. I'll track him down."
Vida pales some then nods running off.
-
"Clare!" Vida says hurrying into Rootcore, "Clare!"
She finds Clare at a table looking at a vase of dead roses.
"I failed again Vida," she says dejected, "all those pretty flowers I sprayed died."
"Oh no," Vida's heart skips as terror grips her heart, "Xander."
-
Xander sits on a log in Phineas' camp, "Hey thanks for letting me crash with you Phineas, I couldn't go back to town, and the Rangers..." By now his entire body is covered in bark and his hair is gone, some small branches sprouting.
"No problem, my home is your home."
"Well thanks anyway."
"So," Phineas muses, "First a Power Ranger, and now a tree..." despite himself he starts to laugh, "your really branching out."
Xander glowers at him, "A troblin with a sense of humor, just great."
"S-Sorry," Phineas begins, "Well you know, you can just sit around here, pining about your past life...You get it pining, because your a tree." and starts to laugh again.
Xander is not amused.
Seeing Xander is only sinking deeper into depression Phineas dials things back and adjusts his tone to be more serious, "I-I'll get us some dinner." before slipping off.
Chip soon arrives at the camp and jogs over to Xander, "F-For a tree you're pretty fast. I've been looking all over the forest for you." then looks around, taking a seat next to Xander, "Look everything will work out, somehow, I'm sure."
Xander sighs, "Here I am, where I fit in."
"Hey look, I get it, but moping about isn't going to solve anything."
Xander sighs, "It's to late, look at me. I was so worried about looking perfect...Now...I'll never be able to show my face to anyone...ever again...Xander the Great is gone for good."
"No he isn't," Vida says running up, "He's sitting right next to me, feeling sorry for himself," she says taking a seat next to him."Look...I didn't mean to ride you so hard...it's just that your always so confident. It's kinda nice to see you human-" Xander glares at her, "So to speak."
"How can I be confident now?"
"Confidence comes from the inside, and your insides are still intact." Vida explains, "Xander...you are great, you don't have to be Xander the Great."
"I guess your both right." Xander looks over to Chip now, "I'm more then just a pretty face, and I have a great team of friends I can count on even when things look their worst."
"Come on, let's get back to Clare, she should have a cure ready by the time we get there." Blecker says as she and Vida offer Xander their hands to help him up.
He takes them but doesn't budge, "Can't move!"
"You're taking root!" Vida exclaims.
Both Rangers pull hard on him, to no avail, "It's no use, my arms are stiffening, it's going to take a miracle."
"Stand back," Chip exclaims pulling Vida away as he pulls out his Mystic Morpher.
"Right!"
"Hurry," Xander exclaims, "My mouth is-" as bark seals his mouth shut as Chip pours yellow energy into Xander, Vida quickly joining him.
"Give it all you got V!" Chip roars.
"I'm not giving up!" Motes of purple mixing with her pink torrents of energy.
Just then Clare come running up, "Guys! You guys!" tripping along the way.
"Vida runs over to her, "Hurry Clare," as she begins to spritz Xander, before snatching the bottle herself, "I have a faster way."
Transforming herself to a pink cloud she float up and rains down the potion on Xander as all semblance of humanity vanishes into just another tree among the forest.
Chip, Clare, and Vida dropping to their knees in horror.
"I failed...again..." Clare says somberly.
"I've got worms!" Phineas calls out cheerily as he returns, a large leaf in his hands, "You who," he calls out, "Where'd you go?"
Spying the Rangers surrounding a new tree he gasps and runs over, wrapping his arms around it's trunk, "Don't you worry friend, I'll never leave ya."
The moment becomes even more dire as their Mystic Morpher beep.
"Bonehead is back, we could use some support here!"
The Trio pause somberly, "We're on our way."
Leaving Clare alone with the tree, just as a green faerie craws out from a knothole in the tree, "Whoa, I think I shrank."
"X-Xander?"
"Yeah? Whaaaaaaa" She pauses as she looks down at her new form, "I'm a girl! What?"
"Not just a girl," Clare holds up a mirror, "You've become one of the faerie folk, guardians of the forest."
"Guardian of the forest?"
Clare nods.
"Where did the other go?"
"Bonehead is back they ran to help Maddison and Udonna."
"Then I'm going to!"
Before Clare can respond Xander spreads her incandescent wings and flies off.
Pink, Red, and Yellow arrive just as Blue is knocked back, Red charging forward to launch him self with a punch and then hammer the monster with his sword, "For Xander!"
"thanks but I'm just fine," The Faerie says flying in, growing to human size and then morphing as a spell code lights up her morpher, "Let's see what this new spell code can do."
Typing in the code red, gold and white boxing gloves appear on her hands, dropping into a boxing stance she bobs and weaves, avoiding the bone spike attacks of the monster as she closes to melee range, "Float like a butterfly, strong as a tree!"
With a series of rapid blows she wears the monster down until she leaps finishing the fight with a shock-wave punch to the ground that sends the monster flying, as it lands it explodes, defeated. The other Rangers running over.
Green kisses her gloves as the others all hug her tight, "Got a new spell code."
"We thought..."
"Sorry I scared you, something happened to me..."
"We can see," Blue laughs poking Green's new bust.
"Check it out," Red comments as the gloves vanished and all their Mystic Morphers glow, "Guess we can all use them too."
"We better go check in on Toby!" Yellow muses, "Come on everyone."
-
"I've got it!" Toby shouts running around the store as the Ranger's run in, hushed whispers coming from the patrons.
"Power Rangers."
"Rangers."
They are swarmed as patrons ask for autographs the Pink Ranger shrinking to sprite form as she flies into Toby's office, he follows after locking the door as she returns to normal size, "You figured it out?"
Toby nods, "Yes! Yes! It's a mathematical conundrum. You see each of these buttons corresponds to a number that when divided by pi gives a series of integers that all point to this button."
The timer almost over Pink quickly presses the button, a series of clicks sound before the latch unlocks, Pink pats Toby's back as she hefts the chest heading for the door, "Thanks Toby."
"W-Wait, what's inside...I gotta know."
Pink pauses a moment and shrugs, "Don't know, when we get it back to base we'll find out, Ch...Yellow is expecting there to be another trap inside and we don't want civilians getting hurt."
Toby nods letting the Pink Ranger slip out, "R-right, of course."
-
"Alright everyone be ready for anything," Chip said as she reached for the lid of the chest, the other Rangers standing cautiously behind her.
"Maybe tomorrow," Xander in mini sprite form buzzes around his head, "I'm still like this, I want to be back to normal."
"Unfortunately," Udonna intones, "I fear there is no turning back for you. You've ascended to a form higher then your titan, a semi-divine being, an agent of the green. With time I think you will found your magic has gotten even stronger but returning to normal, we are way past that."
"Oh," Xander says blankly, before smiling as she takes human size, "Well on the plus side I guess Blecker won't be alone when she returns."
"Your taking this extremely well," Madison says curiously.
"I thought I was done for I guess nearly dieing make you reconsider things..." Xander says calmly, "Besides when all hope seemed lost I had all my friends at my side, even new ones, how can I be bitter when I'm alive, surrounded by friends like all of you."
"Awwww," Chip coos as he is the first hug Xander, quickly joined bu the other Rangers, Phineas trying to get a spot but with not much room to squeeze past Madison, Vida, and Chip.